The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1908-12-24
THE PULPIT.
A BRILLIANT SUNDAY SERMON BY
THE REV DR. c F. AKED.
Theme, chesterton's discovery.

England. He took for his text Mat
they 11.2S and 20, II will give you |
rest" "Ye shall find rest unto your |
souls" "Come unto Me all ye that !
are weary and heavy laden and | VIII /
give you rest. Take My yoke upon |
you and learn of Me, for ] am meek |
and lowly in heart, and ye shall find !
rest unto your souls" and said.
This is Christianity's first invita-
tion to the world 1t applies the test
of universal religion. For the test of ,
universal religion is not in the num-
bers of those who accept It, but In the
varieties OF men and women who ac-
cept it, and whose needs it meets and
satisfies This invitation has been
accepted by every kind and condition
of men and women throughout the
whole of the human race; and every
type of character, every circumstance
of need has responded to this invita-
tion. The men and women who have
accepted have found the rest for
their souls which Christ promised.
But am not going to preach tonight
upon this text. Millions of gracious
sermons have been preached upon 1t
and millions of souls have been won
to the rest promised. / have one
at the outset, and that is that you
may use them, not as a text to ex-
pound but as a motto of that which is
to follow, for l purpose to speak
about a conspicuous figure in the
world of letters who has accepted this
invitation of Christianity and found
rest for his doubling, wondering, in
quiring mind, rest for his turbulent
spirit; and he has written a book tell
ing us how he found his way to Chris
tianity and to the rest that Chris
tianity offers.
The man is Mr.. Chesterton. His
books are freely on sale in this coun-
try and he occupies a very conspic-
uous place in English literary life.
The book is called Orthodoxy" 1t is
story-autographic the way
in which he brings himself to the ac-
ceptance of Christianity. The style
Is all his own. He is the supreme
master OF paradox among living men
the wide world over. His purpose is
20 take any statement about any NOR
| tai thing and show that universally
! the contrary is true. If, for instance,
! [ say that the doctrine of original sin
Is gloomy and depressing his method
| Is to show that the doctrine of orig
| lnal sin is universally the most brac-
! Ing and most invigorating and eX-
hilarating that the mind of man can
conceive. That is the mans way, and
be has attained to enormous influence
and his books to enormous sale by
working this paradoxical method. 1t
does not follow because | call your
attention to this book that l am COM
mending it unreservedly, but the
value of the book is that it stimulates
thought. Tt sets you thinking about
the deepest and highest things, and
many things deeply suggestive and
helpful to. spiritual life. In one sense
1t is a corrective of that very curious
ingrained temper OF our day which
launches every now and then an en-
tirely new and original gospel that is
going to supersede all other gospels
that have ever been preached and
bring in the millennium by special ex-
press with all expenses paid within
the next fortnight. We have seen
too much of that sort of thing and it
Is a corrective of this curious habit,
this launching with banners flying
and bands PLAYING, a gospel of to-
morrow, which, on examination
proves to he merely a secondhand
copy of sleepy edition of the gospe
Of yesterday afternoon.
Mr.. Chesterton likens himself to ar
English yachtsman, who in the Eng
lish Channel loses his bearings and II
his Imagination thinks he is in the
Southern Pacific and on approaching
the land believes it is some uninhab
tied or savage island. He goes ashor,
prepared TO meet wild men and ami
mails, and discovers that he is anon,
his own people in the familiar street
of Dover or Brighton. Mr. Chester
ton sets out to discover new ethic
a new philosophy of life, a new moral
ity, and he discovered Christianity
] have not been in this country TWEEN
ty months yet, but am quite certai,
that there have been twenty new gos
pels launched upon an astonishe
public during that time. remembe
one that was TO take possession of tn
church to win the world to Chris
inside of the next twelve months
The publisher sent me a copy Of tn
book for my opinion, and wrote hiI
that did not care two straws abou
that sort of thing, but before the in
in my signature was dry a frien
called on me and | asked him ho
DR.. So and Sos scheme was gettin
on. "Oh," he said, "he is aboi
through with It,.
said, why, I have only just q
his book from the publisher. "Thi
does not make difference" said ii
friend. But" | said. "how can |
have got through with 1t already
+ He looked at me with pity for n
j. insular ignorance and non-appreci
u tion of the ignorance Of the America
It mind and said, Have you not be,
here long enough to know how easi
n we take a thing up and how nut
,s more easily we drop II agaln?" T.
- fact is that what Is new in these ne
~ schemes is not true, and what is tr'
i in them is not new. | am very gil
H. TO have such a man as Chesterto
le with his paradox, irony and sarcas
es calling attention TO the utter folly
N being led by this or by that. becau
40 II pretends to be new. You may g
- we are in progressive age, but Il
e because we are progressive that
le must preserve our self-respect a
not be carried away by this and II
nj wind of doctrine" Looking ba
x over twenty years. can recall
es Vulnerable theories and philosoph
be that have tried TO take possession
:, men and the church, but they hs
" gone and the old faith. the old rel
ion and the old belief in Jesus and I
Cross remain transcendent, more c
tain and lovable than anything ell
as In the cross Of Christ | glory,
II. Towering DER the wrecks oil time
a, All the light Of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime
~ Mr Chesterton tells US the way