The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-10-31
THE PULPIT.
A SCHOLARLY SUNDAY SERMON BY
THE REV. DR.. e. TRUMBULL LEE.
Subject: Gods Plan of a Christian.


the union services of the Central
Presbyterian, Nostrand Avenue M. E.
and Puritan Congregational churches
were transferred to the first named
church. The preacher was the Rev.
E. Trumbull Lee, DID,, pastor Of the
Chambers-Wylie Memorial Presbyte-
rian Church, Philadelphia, who is
prominent in all the work of the de-
nomination. His subject was Gods
Plan of a Christian" and the text
was taken from Ephesians iii: 19,
FILLED unto all the fullness OF God" !"
(R. W
DR.. Lee said in substance: AS the
apex Of a pyramid Is that point to-
ward which the upright lines of the
shaft converge, so our text is the cul-
mination of the teaching in verses
1919, inclusive.
In these verses the sacred writer
gives in outline an inspired sketch
of a Christian as God would have
him.
=" The writer would have his readers
understand him, and also be enabled
to fill out the plan in their lives, so
he makes the matter the subject of
prayer See verse IA. He prays
(16-19) that the whole family Of
Christian believers may be character
lied by power, faith, knowledge and
love in an unusual degree, as the text
says: Unto all the fullness of God. !"
That is, an overflowing measure. By
this is meant that If in order to meet
the requirements Of God in the Chris
tian life it is necessary to have
power, then we must overflow with
power, or faith, overflow with faith,
or knowledge, overflow with knowl-
edge, or love, overflow with love,
"the love of Christ" the redemptive
love. In a word, Gods plan of a
Christian is that Christian is a be-
lever in Christ overflow4ng with
these constituent qualities of the
Christian life.
This raises the question Of re-
sources. When I was living in Colo
| rado the Arkansas River, running
east from the Rocky Mountains, car
ried a large volume of water, as 1t
now does. The river was drawn on
to supply canals branching from the
river and laterals from these canals,
which for extent and capacity would
soon have exhausted the river but for
vast stores Of snow and ice piled up
in the basins or great pockets Of the
mountains, which the daily toll OF
the summer sun distilled into count
less streams, which flowed down and
supplied the river. The ability Of the
river to supply the large draughts of
water required by the canals was in
resources which the river drew upon
in the mountains. God is character
lied by infinite resources. In Him
is an infinite reserve of power, knowl-
edge, love. He, therefore, plans that
Christians shall overflow with those
qualities herein enumerated, namely,
power, faith, knowledge, love. See
the plan unfold under the master
hand of the inspired apostle. Study
with me the passage, first, the over
flow of power: Strengthened with
might through the Spirit, in the inner
man unto all the fullness
of God" .
This means that the entire moral
nature comes into touch with God at
conversion and becomes strengthened
so that it becomes the expression OF
the power Of God to save. In this
city is a vast electric car system.
Each car has known carrying ca
pacity and moves, empty or filled full
of passengers, not only on the level
at the City Hall, but up steep grade
as when passing up Fulton street
past Fort Greene place. But such a
car is a unit in a system, let US say,
of 5000 cars. Now the company does
business on the basis always Of more
than enough power for all the cars
to their united carrying capacity.
These cars are strengthened with
might" by coming into contact with
that overflow Of energy. And each
car in the system is the expression of
the totality Of the company's electric
power. So when We become Chris
tians we become such by coming into
contact with God through the Holy
Spirit, and we become the expression
on earth of Gods power to save.
This is the reason why, again and
again, vast systems of wrong and Of
unbelief have been toppled over, why
no force Of evil can ever come to
stay.
The first question any one needs
to ask is, Am I Christian?"
to the answer to that question. But
the next question is, What kind OF a
Christian am u" Am I unit of pa
tient, persistent, unconquerable pow
er? Counting Protestants in this
country, we are forty millions in
number. Twenty millions Of these
are members of churches 1t Is i'm
possible to estimate the vastness Of
the victories of our religion If each
unit were the expression of overflow
ing power in Christian activity. Paul,
however, grasped the dynamic possi-
bilities involved, and exclaimed: Il
can do all these things through
Christ, who strengthened me-" This
assurance of superlative ability OF
accomplishment can be cultivated by
us if we make use Of all the agencies,
instrumentalities, ordinances and in
stitutions of our religion, just as q
man in the physical world can make
himself q hundredfold the master of
situations by laying hold on steam,
electricity and the like.
Second-The overflow Of faith,
THAT Christ may dwell in your
hearts by faith unto all
the 1ullneSS OF GOQ. Faltn removes
mountains. It has always done so.
The victories of faith are simply
marvellous. But victorious faith is
not sentiment, nor an enthusiasm,
nor an imagination. Victorious faith
is conviction In action. 1t begins with
a man and externalizes itself In
achievements. Neptune was discov-
cred by men who believed that that
planet existed long before it was dis
covered. Fulton believed that he