Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1908-06-25
THE PULPIT.
A SCHOLARLY SUNDAY SERMON BY
THE REV. G. II. EG9LESTON.
Theme: Unconditional Service.

Theme: Unconditional Service.
Brooklyn, N. Y.-The Rev. Gurdon
H. Eggleston, pastor of the Greene
Avenue Church, preached Sunday
morning on Unconditional Service.
The text was from Luke 1880: Let
the dead bury their dead; but go tnou
and preach the Kingdom OF God.
Mr.. Eggleston said: Il
We turn our thought to a verse OF
Scripture that leaves in many Cnrls-
tan minds a wrong impression. or
seems to be entirely meaningless:
"Let the dead bury their dead; but
go thou and preach the Kingdom OF
Cod" AS we think of these words we
must beware of Of reading into Chris
tianity an unnaturalness that sayors
not of a loving God full of compass
sion-and plenteous in mercy. n
Christian religion, of which Jesus is
the personifcation, does not repudl-
ate n single human emotion. It's
! demands are not thus harsh. 1t does
| not demand the remuneration OF home
| life and human relations in order to
| be pure and good, as the monks n
l 1uuS vi O4u do0O1 LOos A\oS
! tered hall, secluded from curious eyes,
is the hottest life lived, but out in the
busy world, bearing a share of its
/ burdens, meeting it's temptations. yet
withal living a life that is pure and
| good. The nun in her seclusion and
much prayer is not more righteous
than the Christian housewife with her
MANY duties and less prayer. Nor is
the Christian business man living a
less noble life than the clustered
monk. Christianity is not for seclu-
sion. 1t is for the every day life
which you and I are living. 1t is to
lift common life into the divine. 1t.
does not ask us to be unnatural. 1t
does not deny us any legitimate rela-
tionship. It does mo- require neg
lect of any earthly duty. for the Cos
pei of Jesus is a religion for this life.
Some would make the text mean
simply that we must not entangle
ourselves with the affairs OF the
world. This is likely to misrepresent
the Gospel of Jesus. The true Chris
tian has a duty in this world, nor is
he to be separated from it. He has
a part in the work of redemption. His
the obligation so to enter into the
varied phases of life that he may help
to lift it to higher ideals. Business.
politics, professional life, should not
be unrelated to Christian principles.
Each needs more men to carry Chris
tian principles into those departments
of life for their publication. When
men shall have grasped the idea that
every part of their life is related in
separately to their religion, and that
the nan who is a Christian only when
he is inside a church is not a Chris
tian at all, then will a mighty stride
be made toward the realization OF the
Kingdom of God in the hearts and
lives of men.
If it is true the words do not mean
the reputation Of natural affection,
if it is rue they do not mean separa-
ton from the world in order to be
Christian, what, then, is the message
of these words from the lips of Jesus:
Two words suffice to state the propo'
sition. Unconditional service. LIE
the dead bury their dead" voices the
urgent demand of the message O.
Jesus on the soul of men.
The occasion for the seemingly
strange words of Jesus was a season
of He had been talking tt
His followers concerning the kingdom
OF righteousness. Attracted by Hi
personality, many gather to hear Hi!
words. To them Jesus said. "Follov
Me-" But they begin with n accort
to make excuse. They would like tt
/. follow Jesus, but they are not willing
to pay the price. Unconditional ser
vice. Their loyalty is tempered Will
conditions. Jesus says, follow M
now, this instant, ere l depart. Blu
: one young man feels he must first sa.
, goodby to his friends. While he i
!, gone to his native village to say good
. by Jesus would have left the country
: 1t would be too late to follow. Hi
5 goodby would lave cost him his fel
lowship with the Master. Therefore
< Jesus said to him, mo man havin,
put his hand to the pillow and lookini
back is fit for the Kingdom Of God.
We cannot believe Jesus had any %
: lection to the young mans goodby t
his friends, if at the same time h
could have followed. Another youn
, man must needs first. go bury hi
father. But Jesus said to him, LIE
the dead bury their dead; go tho
and preach the Kingdom OF God.
The performance OF these dutie.
which were perfectly worthy in then
selves, would have separated the1
from Jesus. Then. wnen they wer
a ready to follow, Jesus would hav
il been far away. Participation in tn
u funeral rites would, according to tn
- Eastern custom, entail a ceremoni;
~ ~uncleanness OF seven days. SIEVE
) days it would have taken to bury tn
father. Before the funeral is owe
o Jesus would have been far away, an
It the young nan might then be unwil
d ing to follow after Him.
y BY this STANCE answer, laden wit
d spiritual meaning, Jesus taught tn;
young man, and is teaching this ag
:. that His claims are paramount; tn;
- obedience must be instant aud abs
~ lutte. It may be the path to hell
l. paved with good intentions; but
% one thing We may be sure, the WI
into the Christ life is not paved wit
a., excuses. He who would be G follow,
,e of that Perfect Man, the Son OF Go
must render unconditional seryic
= The same tree does not. bear the tr,
and the false, the honest and the iii
honest, the pure and the impure.
~ The way of righteousness and tt
way of evil are two roads which lee