The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-09-02
SUNDAY SERMON FOR
ASTORIANS
REV. c, c. RARlcK OF FIRST METH.
oplSr CHURCH WRITES SERMON
FOR READERS OF THE AsroRIAN
DIFFERENT PREACHING.

NNA w At'i""'
The 10th, 18th, 18th and 10th cen
turieS witnessed great religious forward
movements. This came as the result OF
preaching certain neglected Scriptural
truths, These truths were precisely
adapted to the need OF the times. These
great movements, which lifted nations
and civilizations to higher plane, did
not come uncaused or haphazaM There
was law governing such movements
and this law was obeyed.
Will this century see a great religion,
swakeningi Yes, ii we obey the law
Are there signs! Yes, without mum
Der.
At the time OF the great awakening
known as the German Reformation il
the 10th century, the individual was
wholly overshadowed by the church, his
conscience wrs in her keeping, his lib
critics were sacrificed TO her absolutism,
his salvation was dependent on her sac
raments. A truth was needed the ac-
ceptance OF which would free the indi'
idual from bondage to the church and
bring him into right personal relations
with God. Luther preached thi, truth,
He saw that man must be saved not by
ceremonials nor sacraments. nor works,
but BY a vital faith
The 18th century witnessed what is
known as the Puritan Revival Civil
power centralized in the king who
claimed by divine right an authority su-
peroir to all human control. The king
was the head of the church as well a.
of the state. Many subjects deemed it
a much more serious matter to often
against him than to ain against God,
The Puritans proclaimed that God was
the head OF the church, and that con-
science was only answerable 10 him.
This made God living God. 1t made
his law real and its violation heinous
In the 18th century religion had lost
all spirituality. 1t consisted in its out
ward and formal observance. Blackstone
said: "I have listened to every preach
er Of note in London and there was not
one whose discourse indicated whether
he was follower Of Confucius or Of
Mohammed or oi Christ" The teachers
of religion had little experience Of its
power. Wesley was a minister for thir-
teen years before he was converted. The
doctrine. emphasized during this revi'
val were, "Pre-ent personal salvation
by faith. the witness Of the spirit and
sanctifcation."
At the beginning Of the 10Th century
the doctrine Of the divine sovereignty
was held in such a way as to destroy
all appreciation Of human freedom, re-
sulting in a wide spread paralysis ot
conscience and will. Finney thunderet
forth the neglected truth of mans free
agency and guilt and the retribution dut
to sin. He aimed at the conscience an(
will and never ceased to emphasize th'
responsibility Of the sinner.
During the first two-thirds Of the last
century profound changes took place
unparalleled in the history Of civiliza
tion. Steam and electricity were th'
whip and spur; life was intense. Th'
people had grown keenly sensitive t.
suffering. Men became more consider
ate Of dumb animals than their grand
fathers had been to human beings, TIT
terrors of the Lord had been the chic
reliance to persuade men. This woult
not do now. The civil war brough
keen suffering to countless homes
What the people needed was consola
tion. Moody came sounding a new note
the neglected doctrine Of the Glove o
God" At such a time and under sucl
conditions the tender truth of the low
Of God could melt hearts which n
blows could break.
Civilization has changed. We hav
new habits Of thought, new modes 0
life. Religion with its institutions, it
creeds, its methods must adapt itsel
to the changed conditions or becom
fosslIized and dead. A new apprehen
sion Of God that will make him real !
imperative. All great spiritual awaken
ings are awakenings to the reality O
God and when God becomes real, spirit
ual truths and spiritual values becom
real and spiritual life is manifested i
spiritual power Do our churches lac
power, though full of machinery It
because they lack the spirit of the liy
ing creature in the wheels. A real Go
is what our churches need. When th
churches come to know God as per
sonal and present reality, they wi
have life and power.
The loss of the sense Of personalit
in our relation to God Is fatal to piet!
When Christians lose the sense Of II