The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-12-12
THE PULPIT.
AN ELOQUENT SUNDAY SERMON BY
Or. NEHEMIAH BoYNToN.
subject' The win and the Work.

in his pulpit Sunday In the morn.
ing, greeted by a large audience. he
preached on THE viii and the
Work" The text was from John
4:34: My meat is to do the will of
Him that sent Ne and to finish His
work Among other things, Dr..
Boynton said
The very essence of a rational faith
IN Jesus is dependent upon His being
permitted to make His own impress
sion upon ones soul as a being who
met and mastered life in normal nc.
'lations.
IL YOU permit your fancy to dress
Him In the light fluffy and ethereal
garments OF an airy mysticism YOU
add to your imagination but subtract
from Ills reality II YOU array Him
in the blue and sometimes navy blue
homespun of a provincial theology
your philosophy aspiring to do the
task of sympathy takes away half
His hirthright. He recedes from the
heart and mind OF the world But
81 you allow Him to be an actual resi-
dent in life and to live in the world
TO which He came. to work, to won
der, to minister to suffer. to JOY and
10 love. you restore Him to men.
very mastery of life indicates His
claim to bs the chlefest among ten
thousand
The supreme divinity of Christ, His
individual and unique relation to the
Father are best apprehended by set
ting His life in its ordinary and usual
human relations. permitting it TO
tell its own story and make its own
impression. Whether you compare
Christ with the Samaritan woman or
with the astonishe1 disciples His own
transcendG1t greatness is IN distinct
ev,f ancs.
Here is q trayel-stained, weary and
thirsty pilgrim sitting by a we'll;
there common water carrier comes
20 fiji his pitcher. Their interview
shows at once that they are not upon
the same level they do not see life
from the same angle. The traveller
IS evidently in fun possession OF
something for which the Samaritan
woman has only heart hunger, some
thing very high. noble. soul satisfy.
ing
The disciples who como as she
leaves are not much above her level,
so far as appreciating Christ is con-
oerned. They wonder that He Is will
irg to stoop to speak to sucl a per-
son, They oifer Him food. Hospi-
tality is tho only grace they can at
present afiord Master. eat!' How
slight an appreciation they have OF
the really nutritive forces of life, Il
nave eaten. / have bsaI Refreshed,
says Christ. Can Ii be that anyone
has offered Him lunch Ia our alb.
ssnce?" they inquire.
My meat says Cnrist. lis TO do
the will of Him that sent Ne and TO
finish His work.
Here is strong meat, ind sed! Here
IS spiritual mama, indeed! The will
and the work are the staples of that
perpetual feast which alone will sat
isfy the higher soul-life OF mankind.
A first great teaching OF this incident
is the personal nature OF real religion.
One of the pathetic visions OF our
own day is that of multitudes trying
TO iiud a place 10 trust their souls.
Religions which the world has out
grown are galvanized into life again
end are mace the depOsitories OF rest.
less spirits. New forms of religion
have fer many mighty attractions and
for time seem to satisfy the soul de-
sire. There must be some one thing
about the faith of Jesus which gives
it pre-eminence OYER all other forms
OF faith, however much OF fragmen-
tary trust they embrace. And that
one thing Is the sense of personal re-
lation with God. my meat is to do
the Will of Him that sent Mel This
IS the great Christian contribution %
religion. God is Father OF all spir-
its. TO connect with His will is to re-
late Oneself with Him and satisfy the
longings OF ones deepest soul Il
know Jesus Christ said Bushaell,
better than | know any man in the
city of Hartford, and If II should be
walking along the street and see me-
He would say. There goes a friend
of Mine
The JOY, the assurance, TIE GER
tainty of a Christian faith, root them
selves in the sense of personal rela-
ton between the soul and God, which
affords the comfort, security and in.
spiration of living
Jesus again is inslstent in His
teaching that q loyal will always ex-
presses itself IN work TO finish His
work" A personal relation with God
expresses itself through O social ap-
probation and effort Nobody ever
travels to Heaven alone. Everybody
must help carry somsbody else who
would mount the shining pinnacles Of
the city of our God. The greatest
work IN the world Is to get ones will
in play-to establish goodwill among
mell
There is the race question, for ex-
ample. How are men of different
races to be treated In free Am marica?
IL Is no longer q question Of the
colored man alone, but OF the Indian
the Japanese, the Chinese as we'll
Indeed, IL Is no longer q mere Amer
lean question IL is an international
question, hound to become more and
more imperative and vital In coming
days. What Is the solution? Is 1t in in.
stitutions OF social sympathy clubs
and settlements? Is 1t In laws drastic
aud enforced? These can do some
thing, but the real solution waits
upon the will OF the people, upon dis
position and attitude. The deeper
recognitions are In order. "a mans
man for o. that" The nobler fel.
lowships are due. The win of God
Is waiting for a larger expression over
against passion, pride and prejudice
II Jesus could find In an ordinary
Samaritan water carrier a sou
worthy OF His kindly disposition, Hi
sympathy, His solicitude, then Hi
followers are bound TO find in ever.
human being a spiritual relative anG
maintain toward all made In the i'm
gge OF God brothers regard anC
care
Doing the will OF God will alway,