The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1907-03-08
4 He PULPIT.
A BRILLIANT SUNDAY SERMON sY
THE REV. c. /. PALMER.
Subject: Gods Unspeakable Gift.

Kingston, y. Y.-The following
impressive discourse, appropriate 10
the season, was delivered here Sun
day in the Reformed Church OF the
Comforter. by the Rev. c. l.. Palmer.
The subject Of his sermon was Gods
Unspeakable Gift" preached from
the text Cor. 9:15, Thanks be TO
God for His unspeakable gift" He
said:
II would increase our gratitude TO
recount the blessings We have re-
ceived during the past year. God
has been very good TO us as families,
communities and states. Even the
distant lands have not escaped His
Fatherly consideration. Our senti-
ment for Providential care finds ex-
preston in the words of the Psalm
ist, BLESS the Lord, o my soul. and
all that is within me; bless His holy
name. Bless the Lord, o my soul.
and forget not all His benefits toward
me-"
But God has bestowed upon us
another blessing which is not tenn
poral or material He has given us
His Son, the Lord of Glory, to be
our greatest treasure. While We
should not cease TO mention life's
daily comforts, and constantly thank
the Giver for them! nothing should
make us silent respecting the great
est of gifts in the person OF the
beloved Son. And if recalling the
material blessings which have come
to US from the hand of God has the
effect of making us more thankful
for them, surely a short study OF the
text will have the tendency to make
US more grateful to our Father in
heaven for the incarnation of the
Eternal Son. 1t is to Him that
Paul refers in this text. Thanks be
TO God for His unspeakable gift"
1t will not be breach Of homiletic
law to intentionally disregard the
context, because the text bears but a
general connection with it, since this
passage is an abrupt expression of
thanksgiving which is not unusual
with the apostle. For example. in
Romans 2:33-36, "Oh, the depth of
the riches both of the wisdom and
knowledge of God; how unsearchable
are His judgments and His ways
past tracing out; for who hath known
the mind of the Lord? or who hath
been His counsellor? or who hath
first given TO Him? and it shall be
recompensed to Him again. For of
Him, and through Him and unto
Him are all things. To whom be the
glory forever and ever" l Cor. 10: ::
81, Thanks be unto God which CIV
eth us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ" Gal. 1:5, ITO whom
be the glory forever and ever" Epb.
1920, "Now unto Him that is able
TO do exceedingly abundantly above
all that we can ask or think, accord
ing to the power that worketh In us,
unto Him be the glory in the church
and in Christ Jesus unto all genera
tions forever and ever"
An examination Of the immediate
Scripture in which each of the above
examples are located, confirm the
assertion that 1t is the habit OF
the apostle to introduce praise-songs
into his writings without logical ref
erence to the context. IL we are as
thankful for the material and spirit
ual blessings of life as We ought 10
be, like the sacred writer, we, too,
will break forth in doyologies of graf
itude TO the source of every good.
And the one gift to which most fire.
quent reference will be made is the
Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.
i. In What Respects May Chris: BE
Considered n Gift.
The term gift" is employed by
Paul to teach that Jesus was given
to be our Redeemer, and to invalid
ate the excuse that salvation is too
expensive. The Savior being a gift,
makes 1t possible for every one TO
obtain His benefits, and impossible
for the sinner to blame any one eX-
cept himself for being unsaved.
A gift is presented voluntarily.
Jesus is, therefore, such, because He
is given to us as our friend and de-
Iiverer without the intervention of
man. 1t was an act OF the divine
volition alone, that the Son should
become man, that He should reside
on the earth for a season, that His
time be occupied in teaching the fun
damental principles of His Kingdom,
and that the cross should satisfy the
Justice of the Almighty. The most
acute human intellect could not have
thought of such a means of making
our salvation possible, and even II it
had flashed in some mind it's own ap-
parent impossibility would have
smothered the spark. We can claim
no credit for this gift. Divine wolf
tion deserves all the praise.
A gift is often presented unde-
servingly. It often occurs in the re-
,ception Of gift that one feels too
unworthy 10 receive it, but on ac-
count of circumstances is indisposed
20 decline it. Christians constantly
realize that the daily return OF Gods
goodness is more profuse than they
deserve. Absence of this feeling in
dicates a lack OF appreciation. But
IL consistent disciples feel unworthy
10 receive the material blessings Of
life, because Of their disinclination
TO honor God as they should. how
much more undeserving we should
feel OF the great gift OF the Son OF
God. This is not mere language; 1t
is fact.
A gift is gratuitous. 1t is free.
This is true of Jesus; He cost us
nothing. His coming to earth has
encumbered us with no financial OBJ
legation, but has made possible the