The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1908-04-24
THE PULPIT.
AN ELOQUENT SUNDAY SERMON BY
THE REV. A. w. II. HOLDER.
Theme: Confession, Restitution.

Sunday on line of thought sug-
gested by the Emmanuel Movement.
The subject was Confession and Res
ntution in Their Relation to Mental
and Physical Healing" The text was
from Galatians g.: and 5: Bear ye
one another's burdens and so fulfill
the law of Christ; every man shall
bear his own burden" Mr.. Holder
said:
1t is with timidity we enter into
the teaching of Holy Scripture In con-
uection with the modern movement OF
that which is called the Emmanuel
School," of Boston, taken up by
Bishop Fallows, of Chicago, and DR..
Macdonald, of Brooklyn, with follow
ers in many cities. We have spoken
on "Christ's approach to sin and His
recognition Of it, rather than denial
of the fact" We have called your at
tention to "the possessing of the mind
which was in Christ Jesus" To-day
we shall endeavor to seek more light
on the question by consideration OF
confession and restitution as a means
to improve physical and mental con-
ditions. We make bold to say part OF
the teaching is too superficial, and
that it does not penetrate to the core,
ical to reach the common people, who
heard Jesus gladly. We also make
bold to say divine things are looked
for from moral sources and not divine
laws. There are some things which
are absolutely essential before we
can make any progress whatever.
They are in the teaching of Jesus and
in the eternal law of how to make
irht 10 n
raise any ecclesiastical controversy or
to defend any sacramento institution
of few. We shall merely look into
the face of an accepted essential fact
and leave men to decide the issue of
the question. as confession neces-
sary to relief of body?" If so, to
whom? Has the law of restitution,
or making good, anything to do with
my health of spirit, soul and body?
We give no verdict, as it Is too sacred
a thing for any man to decide. We
only try to get at facts and by Gods
help to assist another man to carry
his burden, and advise how he shall
be able to rid himself of his burden.
We admit the superficial treatment
in so short a time, but leave the
thought for the quiet hour of deeper
thinking and working.
The sum of human happiness in
this world is indebted to the feeling
of sympathy. The power to make
glad the heart of others, to extend eff
fectual relief, to give vigor, gladness,
inspiration and endurance, is in the
possibility of every man. A warm
hand which has touched yours in the
hour of your defeat, or desolation or
bereavement, has given a thrill Of
living response to your emotion. This
is the voice of common experience.
Sympathy Is a key word for the
proper treatment of weak natures and
distressed souls. 1t partakes of the
spirit of Christ and fulfllls the law.
The apostle urges us to place our
shoulders under another mans load
and help him carry it, to put our
heart against his heart and feel an
others woe.
Before we go any further 1t is nee
essary for us to recognize the en-
phasis being placed upon physical
healing by mental and spiritual pro-
cesses. Of the making of many books
there is no end, and cults are becom-
ing almost as numerous as denom-
nations. However, it is here, and
valid testimony proves its worth. 1t
is enlisting the best thought of sci
ence and combining the teaching of
Jesus. 1t is in harmony with spir-
itual, moral and physical law. We
should not be afraid of it or attack it
or call it names. We should be hon.
est, open-hearted, sincere and earnest
in the search for truth; for it is the
truth which sets us free. Mention
has been made of distractions which
lie in the way These obstacles have
been classified as mental, physical,
environment, ignorance and lack of
faith. The endeavor is to remove
these by a knowledge of law, bring
ing the soul into harmony with the
laws of nature and God. But in the
treatment of all cases which proper
ly come under the control of physical,
mental or spiritual laws there must
be willingness on the part of the
patient to lay bare the secret of their
heart to either God or man, before
another can get under the burden and
assist in it's carrying or destruction.
This may seem radical measure, but
it is an axiom as clear as two and
two make four. The lack of confess
sion to Almighty God; the lack of res
titution to wronged men; and the
lack of confidence in Christian broth
erhood have caused and are causing
spiritual poverty, mental distress and
physical suffering more than we at
first give thought to. Absolute sur
render of secret sin, full restitution
and sincere confidence are essentials
in burden bearing, for full relief to
soul, mind and body.
We are to be understood as treat
ing the subject of confession to God,
sincere confidence in men and resti-
tuition to the wronged man, in their
relation to mental and physical condi-
tions, and not in any ecclesiastical
teaching whatever. Just downright
practical common sense. Can our
steps be made lighter? Can we put
sunshine into our countenance? Can
we enjoy better health in every way
by the means of an open, clean
breasted confession? In the thought
of to-day we place to one side all the
various suggestions of the many
named schools, and come directly face
to face with God and man. Although
at times we act very much as
Naaman, the leper, who spurned the
prophets instructions and was told
by his servant: eff the prophet had
bid thee do some great thing, wouldst
thou not have done it?" Why seek
some mysterious way, when God has
made it so easy to get at the cause?
Why carry burden when relief can
be had by throwing off the albatross
which hangs about our necks?
In 1857 Lady Georgiana Fullerton,
of England, published her book called
ELLEN Middleton" At the time of
writing she was a member of the
Tractarian party of the Anglican
Church. led by Newman. Manning
and Pusey. In her story she en-
deavors to show the absolute neces-
sity of the establishment of the con-
fessional, for the unburdening OF the
soul. Ellen Middleton believed she
was partly the cause of the death OF
her cousin Julia. In endeavoring to
restrain the foolish child Julia from
climbing an old moss-coyered, slip
perry staircase of Elmsley Priory, she
became angry and struck her cousin
a blow which caused the loss of her
foothold, and falling down the STAIR
case, she rolled into the river and was
drowned Ellen Middleton, believing