The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1905-08-10
/. THE PULPIT.
4 BRILLIANT SUNDAY SERMON BY
THE REV. ROBERT n CARSON


AeCs. As0uClS Il. SdISOls LOOK LOT UlS
subject Paul the Preacher" His
text was Acts xxiv:25: "And az he
reasoned Of righteousness, temperance
and Judgment to come. Felix trembled
and answered. Go thy way for this
time; when | have convenient sea-
son I will cali for thee.1 Mr.. Carson
said:
This book OF apostolic hbors gives
US glimpse Of Paul In many att-
tndes. We have him pictured before
his conversion and after. and whether
we see him at his manual occupation
or tent-making, or In his frequent per-
lis by land and sea, or addressing cul-
tured audiences III splendid cities, or
individuals in palaces or in prisons
everywhere we see a man whom we
instinctfvely know to be one Of earth's
Choicest and nobiest souls.
Just now he Is standing before q
wicked king and his no less wicked
wife, and there is that in his demeanor
and his action which makes us proud
OF Christianity and its power.
Too frequently weakness, with q
false gentleness and charity, are con-
sidered the proper attendants Of
Christian spirit, and ofttimeS q Chris
tan is slow Of speech, or altogether
silent in the presence Of evil lest he
should show boIdness unbecoming in
one who proposes himself to be a fol-
lower of Him who was meek and low
~. But there is no warrant for any
such conduct in the example Of Christ.
or In the teaching of His apostles. III
deed, what strikes a reader most in
THIS BOOK OF apostolic acts is the bold
ness of spirit which the first preachers
of the gospel exhibited. We see Peter
standing in the presence of his own
enemies as we'll as in the presence of
the enemies Of the Christ, and boldly
accusing them of the murder of the
Lord. And what said Christ Himself:
L came not to send peace on earth.
but sword" He was Christianity's
founder, and what He was. so should
His followers be. The Christian is to
speak the truth in love, but in the pres
ence of evil he must never be silent
through fear. nor mince his words to
suit mems ears, nor pander to their
iikings, nor dread their criticism.
Apostolic boldness, then, is the first
point that we would note in the words
which we have chosen as our text.
Paul is i'll the presence of a man who
is master of his life. He speaks to
ruler whose word is law. whose nod is
enough to seal his doom. and vet he
speaks so as to make that monarch
tremble. All, friends. man who
knows his cause to be right can al
ways afford to be courageous and bold.
Truth at all times is wondrous fearless
ana breads no sacrifice, whether of
ease or fame or even of life itself. if
only God be honored and righteous
ness crowned. Look back on that sa-
cred line Of fearless witnesses for God
and see how strongly this element of
courage predominated. OF such was
Moses in the presence Of Pharaoh. of
such was Nathan in the presence of
David, OF such was Elijah before
AnaD, OF such was John the Baptist
before Herod, of such We're the apos-
ties and martyrs and glorious company
OF the reformers. Luther would 60 to
the Diet of Worms and vindicate his
faith, though as many devils hindered
MIN as there were states on the house
tops Of Erfurt. When they laid John
Knox, the man who made Scotland.
In his grave they said: There lies one
who never feared the face of man"
And this fearlessness, this courage
need not be confined to the leaders
alone. The humblest Christian nav
share, and should share. liz this prec-
lous heritage. 70 this line of chosen
souls-the very chivalry of the saints
belong every man and woman who. like
Nehemlah, dares to say: $50 will not
|, because of the fear of the Lord: who
is willing in obedience to the dictates
OF an enlightened conscience to brave
public opinion and even the loss of
friendship in standing by what they
consider right Such are the salt Of
the earth. Such is the Ieaven that is
yet going to 1eaven the whole mass
Such are the men whom God and man
can trust, and such men are the hope
OF the world. Herein. indeed. Is the
boldness of Christianity seen. and.
thank God, in all the ages of Christen-
dom and in all the ranks Of life men
and women with their fearless cour
age have been found.
1t is comparatively easy to bear wit
ness to truth when large public sym
pathizes with you. When on all sides
you are surrounded by those who en-
courage you with cheering words:
when you have nothing to lose and
everything to gain; when the "offense
Of the CROSS" as Paul puts It. 'shas
ceased" But when the public is un-
sy .npathetic, when friends are lacking.
when there is everything to lose and
nothing earthly to gain, then it is a
very different matter.
Oh, beloved, by our own strength
and relying on our own arm we can
not stand. It is easy to say resist
and stand fast, but we can do neither
the one nor the other unless we are
steadfast in the faith. In the midst
Of this wicked and untoward genera
ton. when evils, both social and poll
teal. are eating out the very life OF
our ration, how shall we be courageous
and bold, how shall we do our part
to stem the torrent? Surrounded by
sin both in high places and in low,
how shall we as followers sof Jesus
Christ get strength to do our duty?
Confronted by temptation at every
turn in the pathway OF life, where
shall.we get courage to face the tempt
ar and to say with boldness and with
majesty, 'get thee behind me, Satan?''
In our own strength we cannot do 1t.
To be power for good, to be a factor
I'm the T1nhuildino 0f rirhtaoucnacc RI