The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-07-29
H PULPIT.
AN ELOQUENT SUNDAY SERMON By
DR.. ROBERT j. KENT
Theme: All Fullness in Christ.

nue. congregational CHURCH OuHudy
morning, the pastor, the Rev. Or.
Robert J. Kent, preached on AL
Fullness in Christ" The text was
from Colossians 1:19: "For it pleased
the Father that in Him should all
fullness dwell" DR.. Kent said:
Jesus Christ is being better under
stood and better appreciated all the
time. Paul had a truer and more
glorious conception Of Him thirty-five
years after the c%ruciiXion than the
disciples who had lived in intimate
fellowship with Him during His min
istry. Under the tuition of the Spirit
the beauty and grandeur of His char
acter, the magnitude and inestimable
value of His service to God and hu-
mainly grew. upon men. The language
of eulogy is taxed to its uttermost in
describing the glory of His person
and position. In the four verses ira
mediately preceding the the text
three statements of sublime signifi-
cSnce are made. He is the image of
the invisible God! The universe was
created by Him and for Him! He is
the head of the church! Therefore
in all things He has pre-eminence.
| That pre-eminence has not been
changed as the centuries have passed.
While doctrines and theologies have
held and lost the attention of men,
their interest has been increasingly
centred on the person of Jesus. Chris
tan experience is verifying the state
ment Of the text that all fullness
dwells in Jesus Christ. The word
"f~ullness" by itself is an empty word;
the "fullness of God" is glorious, but
misty. 1t is when we take up n by
one the qualities with which Christ
was so richly endowed by the Father
that we begin to appreciate the mean-
ing Of the text.
In Him is the fullness Of power.
1t was the power of Christ that at
first gained the eager attention OF
men. We may not fully understand
the mighty deeds He performed; in
the confusion of thought at the pres
ent time regarding the miracles of
the Gospels we may feel utterly per-
picked. But that a deep and abiding
| impression of power was made by the
| Master on the people of His day there
cannot be the slightest doubt. That
impression was voiced by the two sad
| hearted disciples who journeyed to
Emmaus and when the unrecognized
Jesus asked them what things had
come to pass that so deeply moved
them replied: Concerning Jesus of
| Nazareth, which was a prophet
mighty in deed and word before God
and all the people" The story that
Mark has written aims to present
Christ as the mighty worker; and
John tells us that his purpose in writ
ing was to picture Christ as the Son
of God.
The early Christian church was
! conscious of the possession OF power,
of power which it derived from its in
visible but ever.present Lord. 1t saw
it working in the regeneration of
mems hearts, in the reformation OF
their lives, in the transformation of
| communities. Christianity was not
merely a new philosophy, a new form
of worship; it was the power of God
unto salvation to every one who &C
cepted it. That power has not waned
during the centuries. Christ has been
the conqueror. He has been the most
magnetic personality in the world s
history. Men of all classes and con
ditions, the rich and poor, the prince
and peasant, the learned and Hitter
ate, the saint and sinner, have been
drawn to Him. They have conse-
Grated heart and life to Him. In spite
of the most determined and malig-
nant opposition, the gospel Of His
kingdom has been preached through
out the world. Nothing could stop it.
He has erected His judgment seat
among men, and more and more the
words, thoughts, deeds, the lives and
characters of men and nations are
being brought to judgment before
Christ. There was a time when men
! supposed that by violence they could
stamp out Christianity; Herod tried
it and failed; the Jewish rulers tried
1t when they crucified Jesus and
failed; Saul of Tarsus tried it and
failed. Who would dream that it
could be done to-day? Surely the
years have demonstrated that the
tullness of power resides in Jesus.
There is in Christ the fullness OF
wisdom. We do not class Christ
among the learned men of the world.
He was not a writer of many books
He wrote nothing. We do not in.
clude Him among the great philoso-
pliers of the ages. There is a philoso-
ply of Christianity, but Christianity
is not a philosophy. We do not find
a wonderful versatility of knowledge
in the discourses Of Jesus. He did
not talk of many things, yet the men
of the early days, and the thoughtful
men of subsequent generations, have
been profoundly impressed with His
wisdom. He knew the things OF
greatest concern to men; He knew
them with a clear, searching intui'
ton. He knew God, His character
His purpose, His plans. The Father
had revealed Himself to His Son. He
knew man, his joys and sorrows, his
aspirations and temptations, his Sin
fulness and his glorious possibilities
He knew the secrets of peace, Of joy
He knew the things that give deepest
and most enduring satisfaction; the
bread of life, and the water of life.
Jesus is the worlds teacher. One
of His most precious titles is Master
Not only in the truth He taught, but
in the way He taught it, He vas peer
less. By precept and parable and eX'
ample He had taught the principles
that lie at the foundation IF human
ity's progress. Men who want tc
know what is best for themselves
and for the world still sit reverently
at Jesus feet. In the discussion Of
the vital problems of the present age
men ask, What did Jesus say? Fol
He dealt with the things that most
concern the heart and life, and, there
fore, He dealt with the questions oil
perennial interest.
The fullness Of love is in Jesus