The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-03-08
THE PULPIT.
A BRILLIANT SUNDAY SERMON 6I
THE REV. W. S. 6kER.
Subject: "Christian Lite.H


rectorship of St. Georges Church. 81
a man of attractive personality and an
excellent speaker. His subject Sunday
morning was "Christian Life" His
text was from Psalms cxXii:1-2: Il
will lift up mine eyes unto the hills
from whence cometh my help. My
help cometh from the Lord. who made
heaven and earth" Mr.. Baer said:
1t is from the heights that we gain
our widest vision. 1t is from the
heights of human attainment that we
see life most truly. TO gain these
heights we need to go where Christ
has climbed. There are certain Incl
dents in His life which preserve to
us the intimate connection between the
truth Of His life and the place where
it was revealed IN its fu'lness. Let
us lift up our eyes unto the hills, from
whence cometh our help.
Up into a mount, with few chosen
disciples. He went by night to pray.
In the darkness of the night those
who accompanied Him beheid vision.
Before them was the Son of Man.
transfgured. with shining face anu
garments all aglow. Then there came
a voice from God, This is my beloved
Son. hear Him."
How often in the days to come must
they have recalled that vision with
joy. How often in the night of their
oerplexity. when they questioned what
70 do, must they have heard the voice,
@'This is my Son. hear Him." Their
brethren saw not the vision, heard not
the voice. In the valley below they
slept. They had not Seen asked to go
with their Master. and they did right
to rest their wearied frames for the
work of the morrow. But those who
went with Him saw the vision and
heard the voice which declared TO
them that whatever other teachers
were, or had taught, the perfect now
was come. and the imperfect was done
away. The glory of the morning star
is swallowed up in the light of the
sun, which it foretells. So. day by
day, these men saw in Him the trans
figuration Of humanity. the glory OF
life lived with the Father; they heard
the voice of that Father saying, This
is my Son, hear Him. and knew in
Christ the perfection Of sonship as
&dOQ lQteQQeu II u ue.
Is this vision Of past history? A
page torn from the biography of
Jesus of Nazareth? Is this day when
there is no vision, and no prophet; is
this the mount of God far away. and
must one journey to the Holy Land
to see it? Nay; since He trod the
earth. all lands are holy, and we may
go into the mount. may gain vision
and hear voice. For the glory of
Christ is not dimmed, nor the voice
OF God stilled. AS one looks back
through the vista of centuries and
asks for the force which has uplifted
man, there dawns upon him for an
swer the vision of the trans6gured
Christ. AS one seeks for the highest
inspiration of brush and chisel. again.
clearer or DINNER, as he may see, there
stands before him the vision Of the
trans6Sured man. AS he gaZes at
glorious cathedrals, wondering at the
greatness of the work and the beauty
of the art, again the Son of Man ap-
pears as the Alpha and Omega. the
beginning of the inspiration, the end
of all the faith.
All, yes, and one need not so to
m: s:erpieces of art to discern the
transfgured man. Closer and nearer
is He to us in lire than in canvas or in
stone. Wherever man kneels down in
prayer. wherever in thought he lifts
up his heart to God. wherever in time
of meditation he goes apart to be with
the Father. there comes vision of
ltransfgured man. glowing with the
glory of God. The young man looking
out into me world. the old man wait
ing his summons home, each may have
his vision and must have it, il he
would do his work Alright. How sad
our life as Christians would be if all
we did was daily round Of duty on the
treadmill of existence. How long the
days 'gouli be; how j5yless the task,
How glad when weary work was done.
and weary eyes were closed. and weary
hands were folded on the breast. But
that is not the Christian life. It is life
and more abundant. with It's outlook
and its hope. in study of the Scrip
lures, N musings when the heart is too
full for speech. in: hours of worship
when hearts and voices are upraiSed
to God. there may come to us vision
of strength. of truth, Of the better
man to be-, the answer to all our pant
ing and throbbing desires to come into
the fullness Of life. 1t may be dim,
because our eyes are dull. But as our
eyes grow brighter. the indistinctness
fades away into the glory Of the
transfgured man Christ Jesus. The
vision Of man is given to us in Him.
We long, too. for knowledge of God:
as NE creep up "the great altar stairs
which slope through darkness up to
Cod" far, far above us we see the
light of the eternal glory. And as We
draw nearer. the light resolves itself
into the face Of the TRANSPORTED One.
1--WE have the knowledge of the glory
of God in the face of Jesus Christ" in
whom God graciously yelled His
brightness that our weak eyes might
see.
Our fullest vision Of God and our
clearest vision Of man are had in Him.
We may see Him in life oe noble man
and pure woman as we walk through
the streets. We may suddenly be
frightened in the darkness of a home
of sin by glimpse of Christ shining
through the life Of one who lives with
Him. Let us ever seek for that vision
of Christ in tho life of o1r fellows md