Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1906-01-18
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: SUNDAY SERMON
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A Scholarly Discourse By
Rev. Luther r.. Dyott'
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bfOOklyu, N. Lille heN. Luther
r. Dyott, pastor of the United Congre-
gatlonal Church, preached Sunday
morning on "The Indestructible FOun-
dations." He took his texts from
Psalms xi.:3: "If the foundations be
destroyed, what can the righteous do?"
Hebrews Kill (revised versiom: Faith
is the assurance of things hoped for,
the proving of things not seen;" II.
Timothy ill (revised version): II
know whom 1 have believed, and am
persuaded that He is able to guard that
which / have committed unto Him
against that day" Mr.. Dyott said:
We seek the solid and safe in the
things of the unseen world. This is
| of supreme Importance. Other things
| in this connection are relatively i'm
| portant. They are to be thought Of,
| and appreciated, and even sought,
| found and kept. We must have them.
! Room for the active life of growing
belief is indispensable. A place for the
| sweet and sustaining comforts Of the
! larger hope of humanity is desirable.
The garnture of refined and immortal
love is ever to be regarded as more
than mere luxury of the inner life.
Other work is important; but only so to
n comparative degree.
Tedious and temporary is the task
of the theologian. Unsatisfactory IS
| the task of the creed.maker. Small is
the task where Earring sectarcs"
| learn their selfish interest to discern,
! and, not unfrequently, to become ire
| ligious in the name of religion. Spas
mOdic the task. and thankless the ef-
| fort of the iconoclast. Feverish and
| titful. though somewhat sensational
and imperious, is the task of the sci.
! enlist. But all Who are concerned
| about building character upon inde-
| s.ructible foundations and are actively
| engaged in this work. are realizing that
which is of supreme Importance, as day
| by day, hour by hour, moment by mo-
ment, rises that "house not made with
hands" Here we must toll with clear
| understanding. magnificent courage
| and untiring patience. Here we must
| be serious and certain.
1t is fine intimation and Il hopeful
| indication that, in some respects, Mt
least, we are equal to the demands.
We do desire foundations which can
not be destroyed Here we are serious
enough when we are serious at all.
We do not wish to be deceived with
reference to these things. We Gelib
erately prefer not TO have our fountains
of life poisoned. We object to the
destruction of the founda tions of be-
lief. Error. falsehOod, deceit are bad
enough anywhere. but they do the most
harm if admitted into the affairs of re-
ligion. He who poisons my body may
only affect the place where my raa!
life soiOurns for little while, but he
who pOisons my mind and my soul does
me untold harm for eternity. He and
may never be able to make satisfactory
repairs of some kinds of destructive
| work Most of us think SO. We do
desire the solid and safe things of the
immutable verities of truth which will
stand the tests al the foundations
be destroyed what can the righteous
do?"
The strongest emphasis of our times,
especially in matters of religion. is be-
ing placed upon the demand for the
real. Notwithstanding the prevalent
superficiality of our age, the quick
sales of birth-rights for pottage, the
heated passion for pleasure, the gaudy
show of those who glory in appear
ance and not in heart notwithStand-
ing the fact that we are living in
"grievous times" when so many are
'lOverS of self, lovers of money. boast
full, naughty. railerS, disohedient to
parents, unthankfui. unholy, without
! natural affections. implacnble, SANDER
ers, without sclf-cOntrol, fierce, no low
T,f traitnp, hon u nYffpI
up, lovers of pleasure rather than low
ers Of God, holding a form of godllness
but denying the power thereof not
wlthstanding the fact that in the very
church, itself, there are certain oScilla-
tory movements calculated to perturb
the life of some believers; notwith-
standing all these things, and many
more, still the underlying current is to-
ward the fuller and freer life, and the
immediate and increasing demand in
the religious life is of the assurance
of things hoped for, the proving Of
things not seen," and for that certitude
of knowledge which enables the indi-
v.dual believer to stand upon some in
destructible foundation and say, Il
know whom | have believed, and am
| persuaded that He is able to guard
that which have committed unto Him
against that day"
Good is deeper than evil even in per-
sons who do not profess to be good.
The oscillations of belief may be per-
mitted of God Himself, and end In
doing much good for the common faith
of Christendom. The unsettled condi-
tion of certain moods of faith may only
,N l., J,.@
things which can not be shaken and
must remain. God may be permitting
the shaking up in order that we may
have the removing of those things that
are shaken, as of things that are made,
that those things which can not be
shaken may remain. Ours has been
called an 'age of doubt" but the evil
dence and proof of the claim are not
altogether satisfactory. Professor
James says: Our religious life lies
more, and our practical life less. than
1t used to on the perllous edge" But
does not the professor attempt to draw
r. distinction where no distinction be-
longs?
Is not our religious life, in fact and
in fine, a practical life? Are not the
most practical deeds in the world born
of religion? Good life, good thoughts,
good words, good deeds belong to re-
ligion whether they be done in this or
that church, or bear no ecclesiastical
stamp at all. Reality is at premium
in the religion of to-day. Let us be-
lieve that the demand for the real,
the desire to investigate, the new state
ments of old truths, the rewriting of
some theology, the revising of some
creed. the call for new adjustment
of things, do not invariably imply the
existence of doubt and. the destruction
of the foundations of belief. If, in
deed, this be doubt, then it is not the
kind of doubt that we need to fear. If
these things destroy our foundations,
it will prove nothing more than that
tar ,1 los I'D; n n