Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1908-08-27
THE PULPIT.
AN ELOQUENT SUNDAY SERMON BY.
THE REV. J. E. ADAMS.

THE REV. J. E. ADAMS.
Subject: Mans Part in Gods Plan.
Brooklyn, N. Yin the Ross
Street Presbyterian Church, corner
of Wilson street, the pastor,
Rev. John Erskine Adams, preached
Sunday morning on Mans Part in
Plan" The text was from Ro-]
mans 1928: And we know that to
them that love God all things work
together for good" Mfr. Adams
said:
The Apostle Paul has been called
a fatalist. Perhaps, in late years.
he has been the object OF more dis
cussion and criticism than any other
New Testament writer. Preacher
and pew alike have striven to under
mine his system Of theology. They
have sought to avoid many OF the
fundamentals of his faith. They
have told us that 1t Is high time We
should come into a larger concep-
ton of the ethics Of Christ's life,
and a lessening of the. I'M
portance of His death. They say
that much of His writings was Tor
the Jew and couched in such hguratlve
language that the Jew alone could
understand and appreciate, and &C
cordingly, He dwelt atlength upon h
typical and sacrificial rather than
upon the practical and ethical. And
in the chapter from which u text
is taken we seem to have presented
the horrible doctrine Of ~predestina-
ton, a doctrine which by many is &C
cepted as synonymous with a fatalls-
tic creed which eliminates mans
free agency and subjects all things
to an incontrovertible and change
less law of necessity. I wish to show
you, if possible, to-day, how different
ton to God and Gods relation to us.
Let us not doubt that Paul had
absolute convictions that in all
things Gods will would be accom-
plished. But let US not doubt, also.
that he had absolute convictions that
men must become co-workers with
vine plan. There was one occasion
when he fully illustrates these
truths. It is when. as a prisoner.
he is being brought to Rome to stand
before Caesar. This is the message
of revelation to him. In this he
sees the will of God. With this pur.
pose he has nothing to do. He may
not modify it nor change it. He
resigns himself to it. Nothing
can prevent it's accomplishment. IT
is Gods will that he should come to
Rome. But shipwreck threatens.
The ship on which he is captive is
overtaken with disaster. Fog. storm,
darkness, danger, all seem to indi-
cate the defeat of the divine plan.
It seems as If all on board must be
destroyed. And again. the divine
will is manifest. Paul is assured OF
safety for himself and all On board
that ship. But what does he do?
Does he, in view of this assurance
! make no effort to avoid the dangers
and overcome the difficulties? Does
he meekly resign himself and his
shipmates to the inevitable? By nc
means. He becomes a co-operato1
with God in the fulfillment of His
purpose. He heartens all on board
that ship. He feeds them. He as
sures them of safety; but of safety
only as they use every %precaution
as they overcome treachery; as the,
strive with all courage and persis
tence to a V themselves and thei1
ship. He says to the Centurion and
the soldiers who had him in. convey
when the fear-stricken seamer
would have sought escape in a small
boat: Except these abide in the
ship. We cannot be saved" In othe
words, he couples human endeavor
courage and skill with divine prom
Use and protection. And so, deliver
ance is wrought. All things wer
to work together for good; but il
that result n of the essential fac
tors must be human courage an
fidelity. The sun shines to-day TO
me. for all the world. That is Ger
tain. Nought we can do may pre-
vent it's shining. But it only shine
for me as I open my eyes to receiv
it's light. 1t is in my power to kee
my eyes shut, if I will.
Paul declares in this chapter tina
nothing can separate us from tn
love Of Christ; neither tribulatior
distress, persecution, famine. naked
ness. peril. sword, principalitie:
powers, things present, things t
come; non of these things shall il
terfere with the keeping, savin
power of Gods love, in Christ. An
vet. we hear him on another occasio
fearing, lest, having preached
others as a minister of Gods grac,
he himself might be a castaway. H
lives again, he says; yet not he, BIT
Christ in him; and still he is usin
all the powers Of determination an
will to keep his body under, to RI
strain it; to make it perfectly /,
sponsive to the control and orderin
Of God. To Paul, this life is a col
slant struggle; a warfare again,
principalities and powers, wit
w~ickedness 4enthroned; it. is a raj
in which, if he would win, he mu'
strain every nerve and stretch evel
muscle and lay aside every weigh
and the sin which so easily beset.
he must run with patience, with pc
sistence, looking to Jesus. TIL;
gives us the idea exactly. Use a
your own power, looking to Jesu
as your example, Inspiration, stim1
lus and strength. If he wrote IL
letter to the Hebrews, and wheth,
he did OF another Of the saints
immaterial. the principle is IL
same; he made out a list there