Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1908-03-12
THE PULPIT.
. RRlL LIANT SUNDAY SERMON BY
THE REV. j. n. JOWETT M. A.
Theme: Every Mans Perfection in
Christ.

London, ngland.-The following
brilliant discourse was delivered Ivy
is every Mans Perfection in Christ.
His text was: "Christ whom
we preach, warning every man, and
teaching every man in all wisdom;
that we may present every man per-
feet in Christ Jesus. Col. 1928.
This is an amazing and inspiring
ideal, and all the more wonderful that
it springs from the lips of an old man.
If it had come from a company of
young crusaders it would have been
perfectly natural as the war-cry of
young fellows just buckling on their
armor and setting out to their earliest
conquest The veteran toiler is often
a disillusioned man, for the early
vision has proved dissolving view,
the strenuous purpose has become
less tense, the gay apocalypse which
tinged the horizon at dawn has faded
out of the sky, and the earnestness
which aimed at achievements far
ahead has cooled down to more imrle-
diate and accessible ends. But here
Is an old man of quite another order.
He has spent the strength of his days
in cutting fine roads through rugged
and trackless wastes, and everywhere
has encountered persecution, resent
ment, and has often been treated as
the offscouring of the earth. His little
churches are infested with pueri1ities,
and even men for whom he has ira
vailed are turning out to be enemies
Of ho of ,icxt ~ n%
the end of the day, in the imperieus
grip of Rome, is the old man. with
the same undaunted purpose, yearn-
ing to present every man perfect in
Christ. Here is an old age worth
coycting, an eventide that is light!
Every man every man
every man." It is threefold blow
in the face Of very popular heresy.
The very reiteration of the inclusive
term reveals to us one Of the foes the
apostle had to face. There was the
colossan heresy, which sought to
make spiritual privileges the preroga-
i've of hignly-favored aristocracy.
There was also the Jewish heresy,
fenced about by the same limitations.
Here again the privileges of grace
were the perquisites of class, and
not the blood-bought rights of race.
Side by side with that heresy place
the words Of our text: Christ, whom
we preach. warning every man, and
teaching every man in all wisdom;
that we may present every man per-
feet in Christ Jesus" There is the
breadth OF the apostles glorious ideal
IN the redemption of men. Mark
also the height of it-"perfect.
Surely in the first place the term sug-
gests the removal Of every mans de-
fects and faults. But perfection is
more. That is a negative ministry
and merely preparatory to positive
ministry.
Perfection is more than the re-
moval Of eXcrescences. When your
convert is washed he has still to be
perfected. The perfection of every
man means the evolution of all the
powers in a mans life that are com.
mon in the life Of the race. It means
the awakening Of a mans primary
fundamental senses; the great mysti
cal senses of sight and hearing, con
cernlng which there are many exhor
tatlons in the Word of God. 81 hear6
a, voice from Heaven;" "In the yeal
mat King Uzziah died, I saw the
Lord" 20 taste and see that the
Lord is good"-what wonderful
senses are exercised there!
Perfection means not only thi
esolVlng Of the common endowmen
o1 men, but the manifestation o
eVery mans own peculiar Significance
ana Individual color, which is thu
samp OF the great Creators hand
livery man perfect fascinat
Ing wonder of it!
HoW is this to be attained? B,
Mna1 means are men to be perfected
-, cannot tell you how happy I an
taat u my function is to proclaim
9ospel and not to fashion one. NJ
Junction is that Of herald, to rails
.ne trumpet to my lips and blow n
o1l o1Iloettaln sound. My task is mad
taear by the apostle who is so de
'"l1Ga IN the exposition of this truth.
he tells me the threefold 1ninistr
es so.i means Of which this result, per
b1crlng h., OF men, is 20 be gained: Il
~ ~ preaching Christ, (2) by educatin
eae ~ conscience, CD by the energie
% sacfifieial toll. How are we t
AWAKEN the sleeper?
ro ny preaching Christ. Every man
az pIfat:n llsotion is attained through the e,
~.'atiol Of every mans Christ.
mo.s o ssl ABOUT getting the perfection {
trI, uA without Christ, we might as we
s e,,., 70 make a garden without tt
raao, n ihere is no other who ca
to 'rn saa tAe sleeper and open his ey,
~ see new world.
Of N.Y., ne ways of service and the wa,
t1 ta. modern life are Uttered with ii
have tained an confessions of men WI
tried to secure the perfectie