The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-09-20
THk PULPIT.
A BRILLIANT SUNDAY SERMON BY
The REV. D. II. OVERTON.
Subject: GODS Obligation to Man.

Brooklyn, n. Y.-Fhe Rev. Dan
lei H. Ovefton, pastor Of Greene Ave-
nuo Reformed Church, preached Sun
day night in the Bushwick Avenue
Reformed Church at the union SER
vices with His own congregation.
The subject was, Gods Obligation
:, Man." The text was from II. m
othy, i:9: Who saved Us, and called
us with holy calling, MT according
to His own purpose and grace, which
= was given US in Jesus Christ bt Ore
times eternal, but hath now been
manifested by the appearing of our
Saviour Jesus Christ" Mr.. Over
ton said:
There is the law of God and there
IS the gospel of God. Often have l
spoken of the law of God, now l
would speak OF the gospel of law.
The law of Goo may be defined as
iaat which KIP IS d mans obliga-
tion to God, md the gospel OF God
as that which expresses Gods obliga-
ton to man. The Old Testament and
the New T--tament unite in tAls,
that they give not only the law Of
God, but the gospel of God. 1t is
this fact that makes the Hebrew re-
ligion and the Christian religion diff
ferent from all the other religions
of the world. Many other religions
give directly or Indirectly the law of
God, but nor Of them gives the gos-
pei of God q thus defined as the
obligation of God to man. The go>s
of the heather nations round a-out
the Hebrew nation were Of such a
nature that they must 20 appea1ed
and pleased ~ worship and sacrifice
on the part Of man or they would
torment and crush man. The Ia
of the gods must be obeysd, but only
that man might escape the punish
ment of the gods, and not from any
particular love of man for the gods.
It is strange how this heather con-
ception of the gods has crept into the
: thought of so many about the
true and living God. He, too, in
the thought of many, is a God
that must be appeased and pleased
by worship and sacrifice or He
will punish and torment and
crush men. Men must obey the laws
] of God or perish by them. This is,
of course, true as far as it goes. The
soul that sinneth, it shall die" Men
cannot sin with fmpunity. Man is
responsible to God, and under obli-
cations to Himto keep His law and do
His will. Wemust neverforge this, nor
get far away from this in our thought
OF God. But we must not stop with
fthis thought. If We do We will have
only a partial view of God-We will
have only heather god.
And if we have only :: partial God
or a heather god, then -e shall lave
only a partial or heather religion.
;, II fear is our only motive In religion
) or worship, then our religion and
worship will be for the purpose OF
escaping the wrath CT an angry God,
and it will. find expression In our
attempts to appease and please
an angry God by propitiations and
atonements, and sacrifices, and
seryile obedience to: His laws. We
must rise above fear, and even above
the thoughts Of future rewards; to
love, and to the thought of loving,
, loyal service, and present rewards
in doing something to hasten the
coming of Gods kingdom upon the
earth. We must rise above the OBJ
Ngation of man to God, as expressed
by law, and think Of the obligation
of God to man as expressed Gy
love and the gospel of love. We
must think of the gospel OF God
a- we'll as of tn law Of God. This
will not belittle our respect fer the
law of God, nor in any way lower
our sense of obligation % Him.
Daniel Webster, when asked what
was tr- greatest thought that ever
entered his mind, replied, you re-
member, that it was the thought OF
mans responsibility to God. That
certainly IS a great thought, and yet
the one bring you to-day IS greater.
Gods obligation to man is, I believe,
the, greatest thought that can enter
the mind of mer.
This thought of Gods obligation to
man Is newer than the thought OF
mans obligation to God. 1t may
be new to many Of you who are Ire
to-day. There are some, expect,
who will den. that God is under any
obligation to man whatsoever, and
some of you may be among that num-
Der, but I believe that the thought is
true, even if it is new, and that is
why I proclaim it to you to-day.
Gods obligation to manis the great
gospel Of God to man. The gospel is
good news, and what be ter news is
there in all the world for man than
this-that God, the God of infinite
love and Fathernood, is under OBJ
legations to him? Let us see if this
is fact, and if we find it so, let that
fact rest in our minds and bless our
lives evermore.
First, look at our human relation
ships for proof of the eact. Children
have obligations. to their parents,
but parents have obligations to their
children also. My boys are under
obligations to me, but I am under
obligations to my boys clso. Why?
Because I am their father, with a
fathers heart and fathers inter-
est. I cannot leave them to perish
until all my fatherly resources are
O. 49,