Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1905-01-05
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED.
:THE WORLDS lNTEREsTiM CHRISTI"

The Rev. DR.. Cleland Boyd McAfeo Tells
What 10 the Best Argument For Jesus
FL Own Character With Its Striking
Symmetry Is Completely Convincing.
BRooKLYN.-Dr. Cle.and Boyd McAfee,
pastor-etect of the Lafayette Avenue Pres
bvterian Church, preached there Sunday.
His subject was "The Worlds Interest IN
the Success of Christ" The text was from
John xii:e: much people OF the jews,
they came not for Jesus sake only, but
that they might see Lazarus also, whom he
had raised from the dead" DIR. McAfee
said:
This is at least candid. There was no
magic magnetism about Jesus. He drew
men to Him in no subtle, indefnab.e way.
He drew them by what they saw HIM DO,
by what they saw Him to be. Here was a
crowd drawn to Jesus by the effect He had
had on a man. That is the sermon OF the
morning in a sentence. The best argu-
ment for Jesus is the effect He his on
men. I call it best, not as most rhiio-
sophical or profound. and not as bearing
logical tests better than others. 1t Is
force of it.
I asked a wise man once what he count
ed the best argument in behalf of Christ.
He replied, Christian" Aud what is the
best argument against Christ? Instantly
he replied again, christian" Broaden 1t:
What is the best argument for Christ and
His gospel? The Christendom Of to-day.
Set C%hristendom over against heathenism
and see what Christ can do with men. Set
it over against the Christendom that
should be and see what Christ has still to
do. !.
Now all that is very simple, and it is at
such simple points in our lives that Christ
comes into closest contact with us. The
only claim He makes to Kingship is based
He can bring things to pass. He can ac-
complish. He can achieve. You remem-
Der how constant His fame ran ahead of
Him in His %journeying. He healed some
and they told it. He taught others and,
they announced it. He fed a multitude
and they chung to Him. / am not suppos-
ing that the crowd really believed in Jesus
was drawn to Him by the effect He had
had on men, and thus was brought under
His spell. And no man will ever believe
in Jesus on the mere evidence of lives
about Him. He must accept Him for Him
SELF. But the effect He has on lives will
have its part to-day as then in turning
men to Him. The unchanged life does not
You remember I have already said that
there are better arguments for Christ than
the lives of His followers-better philo-
sophically and logically. He is Himself
His best argument. Just a careful, candid
study Of His w character with its Pc
culiar balance of traits, with its striking
ing. For my part / enjoy the so-called
metaphysical arguments, even some which
are not popular in the philosophical facul-
ties nowadays. There are very profound
books written which men might read with
profit.
But we are just common men, and we do
very little profound thinking. almost no
sooner and most effectively by the argu-
ment of results. There are men, OF course,
not SO bright as ourselves. who would be
hard pressed just to read the books which
present these obstruss arguments. In my
reading. the other day, l ran across a SEN
tence from one Of these profound writer's
which will interest you. just by way OF
and runs this way: Religion is the ulti-
mate and vital apprehension by the indi-
vidual OF what is conceived to re reality in
its fullest sense, the inner truth of things;
whether such reality be regarded as CO.
extensive with, as included in, or as dis
tinct from the world of natural phenom-
ena, it always, however, being regarded as
in some way related to the individual him
self; any such apprehension embracing be-
lief, emotional response and the determin-
alton OF conduct, in so far as conduct is
supposed to have a bearing on the con-
nection of the individual with such real
lty." Now that is not a very bad way of
stating certain facts about religion, and
yet l doubt If some OF Vi would care to
go far in books worded that way. Some of
you have been under the influence of re-
hgion a good many years, but have never
worded it just that way.
There are easier ways of wording the
profound truth Of Christianity. I wish it
seemed possible, for example, to get a
wide reading for the two-year-o!d hook by
Principal Fairbairn, of Oxford, Mansfield
College. He has called it The Philosophy
grew out Of Principal Fairbairn's appoint
ment as Haskell lecturer in India. I7e had
the sacred books eff Hinduism and felt that
he knew how to meet its positions with
sympathetic understanding. When he
reached India. however. he found Hindu.
ism a very different thing in practice. That
turned him back upon a candid study OF
his own faith, to see whether and wherein
original form. Such a study was certain
to result profoundly. and it is a profound
book. I wish all OF us Christians might
follow an argument which results in such
sentences as these: "The Son of Cox holds
~ His pierced hands the keys Of all re.
ligions, explains all the factors Of their
being and all the persons through whom
they have been realized" 'The Incarna-
ton is the very truth which turns nature
and man, history and religion into tho
luminous dwelling place Of Cod" Think
l shall not forget that phrase that the In.
carnation turned the world into the lun.
inous dwelling place of God, that Jesus.
once born into manhood, has never died
out of manhood. and shall instead draw
manhood fnt5 His own fellowship and
likeness ~
We shall he able to feel the personal
meaning Of Ell this when we stop to name
over some OF the traits witch mark the
changed life. It is a life of faiti-of uuie,
confidence in God. There is no idleness
nor lazy trusting that things will come
out right by some mysterious method. [.
is the life OF. belief that we are in a Fa
theirs word, making our way to a Ea
theirs house. That faith stands owe,
against the doubt and fear and anxiety o
the unchanged life. And because il i
faith in God it accomplishes faithfu!nes:
to men and our duties. And this is what
the world secs. It cannot see faith in God
It can see only the faithfulness in the lfs
we hive. From gross dishonesty on up L
u~nreliabilit:, at whatever stage it appears