The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-10-10
THE PULPIT.
A BRILLIANT SUNDAY SERMON eY
THE REV. D. H. OVERTON.
Subject: Gods Obligation to Man.

Reformed Church at the union SER
| vices with His own congregation.
The subject was, Gods Obliga lion
| - Man" The text was from II. IN
| 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 be 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
spoken of the law of God, now I
| would speak OF the gospel Of law.
| The law of Goo may be defined as
taat which -xp:2s d mans obliga-
tion to God, Ind the gospel Of God
as that which expresses Gods obliga-
! ton to man. The Old Testament and
the New Tc=tament unite in tLis,
| 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 g. thus defined as the
obligation of God to man. The go>s
of the heather nations round a-out
| the Hebrew nation were of sucl a
| nature that they must 20 appea-ed
and pleased ly worship and sacrifice
on the part of man or they would
torment and crush man. The la"-
of the gods must be obeyed, but only
that man might escape the punish
ment of the gods, ard not from any
particular love of man for the gods.
1t 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 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 impurity. Man is
| responsible to God, and under obli-
cations to Him to keep His law and do
Hiswill. Wemust never forget this, nor
get far away from this in our thought
OF God But we must not stop with
this thought. If we do we will have
! only a partial view Of Cod-We will
have only heather god.
And if we have only :; partial God
or a heather go1, then --e shall Eave
only a partial or a heather religion.
If fear is our only motive in religion
or worship, then our religion and
worship will be for the purpose of
escaping the wrath of 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
servile 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
legation of man to God, as expressed
by law, and think of the obligation
of God to man as expressed by
love and the gospel of love. We
must think Of the gospel Of God
Pr we'll as Of ttc law Of God. This
will not belittle our respect for the
law of God, nor in any way lower
our sense of obligation 20 Him.
Daniel Webster, when asked what
was IT, greatest thought that ever
entered his mind, replied, you re-
member, that it was the thought OF
mans responsibility to God. That
certainly is q great thought, and yet
the one I bring you to-day Is greater.
Gods obligation to man is, believe,
the greatest thought that can enter
he mind Of men.
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 lire
to-day. There are some, l expect,
who will den. that God is under any
obligation to me- whatsoever, and
some Of you may be among that num-
Der, but believe that the thought is
| true, even if it is new, and that IS
why 1 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 Fatherhood, is under OBJ
legations to him? Let us see if this
is a 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 / 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
exhausted for their good. So God,
by becoming the Father of the nu-
man family, has placed Himself un-
der obligation to the whole. human
family. The very meaning of the
word religion implies this. Religion,
true religion, is that which binds
man to God in right relationship.
Which is it that binds a man closest
to God? Is it mans obligation to
God, or is it Gods obligation to man?
I believe it is the latter. Close as the
law may bind man to God, love binds
him yet closer.
Now, all true human relation
ships involve obligations on both
sides, and from both parties to
the relationship. God has always
acknowledged His obligation to
man, even if man hass not always
acknowledged his obligation to God.
What is a covenant but an obliga-