The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-01-31
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!. SUNDAY SERMON
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A Scholarly Discourse By
DR.. Ohio Barth GLOW

COlOeSianS WIS. "Rt mt mber my
bonds" Dr Barlholow laid:
1t l. hard to conceive how the glow
ing and comprehensiv' atemeIts of
the irst three charterS OF Paups Epis-
tie the Coz ianS could he rein
"orced Each sentence Is so full Of
divine truth. IL fairly oyertiOws with
its .'nritdy ahtTdnn Yet with the
words OF our text Paul id most posi-.
lively and b utif III reinforce every
other sentence of this intensely spir-
i.ual opistle He did it in that charm
ingly iuferental way that added the
warmth OF the heart 10 the purely
logical statements OF the mind. In writ
ing 10 the rolossinns of ChriSts divin-
ily aud of the complete and joyous
loyalty every soul should render to
Him. Paul I'm the few words of our text
deiicately refers to the example found
In his own experience. Remember
my bonds" This was an infusion of
experience TO all the preceding pre-
cepis that developed an incalculable
force IN that unlimited element Of
sympathy which were at once opera
tive.
Paul had no intention of glorifying
himself Or his sufrerlngs. neither did
fort This very brief allusiOn To- him
self in our text was but to strengthen
and confirm that feeling which would
eyalt and glorify Christ Jesus the Lord.
What Christian in Colosse could have
read or heard Paurs letter and not
have felt when he came 10 the words
Remember my bonds this man
writes out Of life's experience and Of
what he knows-nOt like so many of
the religioniSts and philosophers OF
that .inlc out of his Imagination and
dreams.
Yet another inference is contained in
out text. il is that which emphasizes
the fact OF life's limitation In writ
ing his advices and directions to the
Colo,sianS Paul did the very best his
position would allow him to do He
wished and prayed 20 do more. That
mora was TO be with them in person
to give them all that he felt was in
personal effort for Christ and His
Kingdom Over against this wish.
this desire. this prayer, was his physi-
cal Imprisonment limitation. Pau
was chained The things he would do
he could not do,
The fact of life's limitation. its rec
ocnitiOn and resolution are suggestiYely
presented in these words of the heart.
The fact of limitation Is apparent
everywhere, in everything and every
person Go to the uttermost bound
arcs Of space-to the sun aud stars
limitations are there. their boundaries
are fixed that they cannot pass GRAY
itation chemical affinity and other
agents OF law bind them with invisl
bic Gains to their limits. AS with
thee mighty spheres. so with the TIM
est atom: the plane of activity and eX-
preston is fixed. The reign of law
marks insuperable barriers.
In persons as well as in things the
fact of limitation is strikingly mani
fest The body in which we live is
clearly confined in bonds Each body
ha~ an amount of nervous and muscu-
lar energy which limits all that may
be received or given. The bonds of
place and heredity bind each man TO Il
very narrow zone of physical and
mental activity. That man is what
he eats and where he lives is certain
degree nanifestly true.
The spiritual in man is limited in
all It's expression and life by the pres
ence of the carnal. PauFs pathetic
cry: 20. wretched man that I am:
who shall deliver me from the body Of
this death?" is applicable to all the
children of Adams race. These dis
finctions are the marks OF a general
Limitation. the bonds that all men in
their investigations and experience
must remember because they are of
themselves. Within the general limit.
atlous there are special and personal
limitations. Mental endowments. dis
position. health and grace are largely
determlnatve in establishing the indi-
yidual bonds that cannot be passed.
The nervous prostrations. the brain
fag the strokes of apopleXy. the creep
Ing .assitudes that seize so many of our
bright and energetic people are in u
great majority Of instances but evil
dences Of failure to know or rem ember
the physical and mental limitations
TO which life is conditioned
Failure 10 record ana recognize per
sonal limitations and to be directed by
them causes not only lapse and disas-
ter in our service to Christ but oft
times the essential breaking OF the
moral law our fathers were accus-
toned TO keep the commandments. 10
worship God and reverence His day
by preparing hours In advance for that
most solemn ana imperative duty.
Saturday preparation Of body and splr-
II was. in the thought of our Puritan
ancestors. essential to the real keep
inG Of those commandments that en-
force our duty TO God. They had a
fine recognition Of the limitations in.
herent IN the body. Their preparation
for the Lords day was remembrance
of bonds" 1t Is only the fashion in
these progressive days to rldicule the
religious practices of these fathers Of
our country. With all OF which ridi-
cule We have no sympathy continuing
10 believe that orr g"ip on God. for
loyalty 70 Christ and His law they
continue 10 be the most inspiring and
helpful examples They certainly shed
a helpful light concerning the meeting
Of limitations In the keeping Of those
commandments that refer TO God and
His day.
They made religion life and found
delight In II. largely because they re-
lnembered their limitations. They re-
fused 10 rob God by allowing the
world and It's activities 10 so rush in
upon them during six days that there
was nothing for the sabbath but physl-
cal wearlness and dnllness. In yet
another relation It is imperative that
we remember our own and others lin
itatlons. In relation TO Others we
should be quick to ask: Are we un-
derstood and do we understand?
Believing fully thar very man Is
more than anything he does or says
we are led 10 believe that all avenues