Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1907-12-26
THE. PULPIT.
An ELOQUENT SUNDAY SERMON BY
DR.. NEHEMIAH BOYNTON.
Subject: The Will and The WorA.

Brooklyn, N. Y.-Dr. Nehemiah
Boynton, pastor of the Clinton Ave-
nue. Congregational Church, having
returned from his European trip, was
in his pulpit Sunday. In the morn
ing, greeted by a large audience, he
preached on "The Will and the
Work" The text was from John
4:34: "My meat is to do the will of
Him that sent Me 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 being who
met and mastered life in normal re-
lations.
IT 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 His reality. If 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 birthright. He recedes from the
heart and mind Of the world! But
! if 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
| to love. you restore Him to men.
Again He lives in power, and by His
very mastery Of life indicates His
claim to be the chiefest 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 it's ordinary and usual
human relations, permitting it to
tell it's own story and make its own
impression. Whether you compare
Christ with the Samaritan woman or
with the astonished disciples His own
transcendant greatness is in distinct
| evidence.
Here is travel-stained, weary and
thirsty pilgrim sitting by we'll;
| there common water carrier comes
to fill 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 full possession of
something for which the Samaritan
woman has only heart hunger, some
thing very high, noble, soul satisfy
ing.
The disciples who come as she
leaves are not much above her level
so far as appreciating Christ is con.
cerned. They wonder that He is will.
ing to stoop to speak to such a per.
son! They offer Him food. Hospt
tality is the only grace they can al
present afford. Master, eat!" How
slight an appreciation they have o.
the really nutritive forces of life! g.
have eaten. have been refreshed,
says Christ. "Can it be that anyone
has offered Him lunch in our alb
sence?" they inquire.
MY meat" says Christ, "is to d.
the will of Him that sent Me and t.
finish His work"
Here is strong meat, indeed! Her'
is spiritual mama, indeed! The will
and the work are the staples of tina
perpetual feast which alone will sat
isfy the higher soul-life of mankini
A first great teaching of this inciden
is the personal nature of real religion
One of the pathetic visions of ou
own day is that of multitudes tryin!
to find place to trust their souls.
Religions which the world has out
grown are galvanized into life agail
and are made the repositories Of rest
| less SplI1CS. NEW lOfIuS Ol TollSlO.
have for many mighty attractions an
for a time seem to satisfy the soul de
sire. There must be some one thin
about the faith OF Jesus which give
, it pre-eminence over all otter form
Of faith, however much of fragmen
tary trust they embrace And tha
one thing is. the sense Of personal re
lation with God. MY meat is to
the will of Him that sent Mel" Thi
is the great Christian contribution !
, religion. God is Father OF all spil
it's. To connect with His will is to re
, late oneself with Him and satisfy tn
longings OF ones deepest soul. '
. know Jesus Christ" said Bushnell
t "better than l know any man in th
! city OF Hartford, and if He should b
t walking along the street and see m
4 He would say, There goes frien
2 of Nine
The joy, the assurance, tie ce
tainty of Christian faith. root then