The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-11-28
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A SERMON SESSx.@ "a
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Subject. knowing Christ.

nue. and Weirfield street, the Rev
Ira Wemmell Henderson, pastor, took
as his text, Luke 24:31,32: "And
their eyes were opened and they knew
Him, and He vanished out of their
sight And they said one to another,
was not our heart burning within us
while He epake to us in the way.
He said:
IL there is any one thing for which
j am at all envious II is that | might
have had. in Gods providence. the
same opportunity that these men had
to talk face to face with Jesus; 10
have had an intimate, personal, hui
manly perceived knowledge of His
reality in the bodily sense. II there
is any particular men of whom ! am
envious, It IS those disciples, who.
from time to time. went with Jesus
on His ministering tours; who knew
Him. as we do not know Him-since
He has gone hence, those men who
heard His voice, who could look IN
into Ills face while He spoke to them.
who could hear Him in the accents OF
their own language, which they we're
able to understand with the human
ear. And while | am cognizant OF the
fact that we can get Just as close to
these men ever got in a bodily and
material sense, there Is to me a pe-
culiar charm wrapped around their
lives, owing to the fact that they
talked with Him, that they really
held conversation with the Lord and
could see Him and understand Him
and love Him as a man.
You know how these two men were
walking by the way when Jesus came
and spoke to them and Interpreted to
them the Scriptures. They were un-
able to see Him, because He was
then to be discerned only spiritually.
And after few moments their eyes
were opened and they knew Him and
He vanished out of their sight. And
they said one to the other, WAS not
our heart burning within us as He
spake TO us in the Way?"
There are q great many Christian
people who have never heard Jesus
speak to them; who have not the
faintesi sort of idea OF what II means
to have communion with our Lord;
people who have no spiritual percep-
ton; VINO are but babes spiritually:
who have not had their eyes opened
to the cOnte mplation of spiritual
things who have no realization-as
they should have-that Jesus is con-
tinually speaking to them by the way.
Their eyes are closed because they
have never gotten spiritual power.
1t is a peculiar thing about Chris
tianity that you cannot tell whether
the Lord can be spiritually discerned
until YOU get into spiritual relations
with the Lord. You cannot tell what
was the spirit that thrilled and
throbbed through the hearts CT these
men, until your own heart has been
throbbing and thrilling with the
knowledge that you have been talking
with the Lord. But as soon as you
have had definite and experimental
communion with the Lord. you begin
to understand what was the feeling
OF those men who talked with Christ
and whose hearts burned within
them
am not to define to you this morn
Ing what ought to be your spiritual
experiences. Some of US think that we
ought to hear some voice speaking,
audibly, to us; that we ought to have
sons Ccal communication that will
strike upon ouc cars and convey a
definite, distinct impression. But the
very mo-1sn. tfat yOl are conscious
OF coImltciCS o yf5-s act or that
yor are doing right before Cod. that
veTy moment He is speaking to Won
by the way. The very moment that
SoI open tae55 Gospels, writings and
epiStles-theso explanations and ex-
plications OF what Jesus meant-the
moMen- your soul Is filled with the
divine story and illumination, YOU
may be Just as sure that lie is speak
ing 10 YOU, rs that He spoke to those
two going to Emmaus. l do not think
1t rs necessary for YOU to nave cold
chill ran up and down your backs in
order that YOU may have a real
knowledge in the flesh that YOU have
been talking with Divine power.
think our Christian life is susceptible
to great deal of sense and much non
sense. Idonotthink weneed any more
visions Of men than we getin the world
around US, than we get In the faith
and life of Jesus Christ. do not
think taat you need any more demon
stration that the Lord is speaking to
you rs YOU go in the way, than you
have when you feel that the Scrip
turss are illuminated to you; when
you hear the still, small voice com
mendiug you when you do right or
admonishing you when you do wrong.
believe that God gave MS brains and
that He talks TO us with our under
standing; that God gave US hearts
and speaks TO us through our emo
tiOns. When we are lifted up into
transcendental heights-of which ii
may be difficult to tell our experience
God is then speaking TO us There
is not one of us, however weak in
faith, who has not from time to time
been lifted up out Of the senses and
the sensuous into the eternal. There
are times when 1t has seemed that
we have taken flight from the body, |
have taken leave Of the senses, and !
are lifted out of ourselves. And while !
l believe that that IS purely emo I
tional, yet It is for you and me Just I
as much OF a vision of the Divine /
reality as we shall ever get this side |
of Heaven.
II is different thing TO know
about Christ, than to know Christ /
l can refer you to all sorts OF books
in my library which will attempt TO
tell you all about Christ This Bible
will tell you all about Christ, but it /
can never give you an experimental |
knowledge Of Christ that Is some |
thing which no man or book can give |
or take away. The Scriptures may
tell you what Is the love of God to
you, but that Is only to know about
Him. 1t is quite a different thing to
be able to say. II know Him, for / |
have had vision of Jesus, revealing |
and minlstering the love of God to |
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