The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1908-03-05
THE PULPIT.
AN ELOQUENT SUNDAY SERMON eY
Or. DWIGHT E. MARVIN.
Subject: True Greatness.

day morning in the Flatbush Presby-
| terlan Church on True Greatness" ="
the pastor, the Rev. DR.. Dwight IL.
Marvin, took for his text John 10:41:
| John, indeed. did no sign; but all
| things whatsoever John spoke OF this
man were true" In the course of
his sermon DR.. Marvin said:
John did no miracles. yet he was
/ great, the greatest of the prophets.
| Human nature loves the marvellous.
Men turn and look In wonder at the
! feats of the performer on the srapeze,
| whether II be in theology, business,
] politics or science. Dazzling feats OF
| mind and body give a false view OF
! life John did not measure his great
ness by that of others; he was too
much absorbed in his mission to think
OF the work of his fellow men. Like
Moses, who twist not that his face
slore" when he came down from the
Mount of Communion, John went to
the river bank to preach in oblivious-
ress OF his own superiority to others.
TO himself he seemed but q voice, a
breath, or slave unworthy to loose
Messiah's sandals Yet John was am
bilious; he aspired to a position of
faithfulness that would make him
worthy of his calling. Ambition is
natural to men; indeed there is little
hope for advancement in life without
1t. Young people are sometimes ad-
vised to be satisfied with the condi-
tions in which they are placed and
crush all desire tc better themselves.
Ambition is right and praiseworthy
when 1t is founded on humility and
obedience; it is wrong when ground
Cd in pride and selfishness. Daniel
was ambitious to make known the
rover of Jehovah in the land of his
captivity Joshua was ambitious to
be a worthy successor Of Moses. Paul
was ambitious to plant the standard
OF the cross in every town of Asia
Minor. John the Apostle was am
bilious to repeat the vision that
came to him on Patmos, and Jesus
was ambitious to save the world.
In studying the life of John the
Baptist we discover four things that
made him great: He was faithful to
his call; he was humble in his SER
vice; he had vivid realization OF
the presence OF the Messiah, and he
was devout in all that he did.
lie was not a miracle worker, but
he was forerunner, and as fore
runner he gave himself to his work.
Rome had extended its power in
many directions; the destiny of the
empire was in one mans hands, the
DID, sturdy Roman stock had died
out; two classes OF men took its
place: the petted devotees of wealth
and luxury and the slaves The old
| brick imperial city had given way to
city of marble. Stoicism, epicurian-
ism and superstition prevailed. Men
Worshiped their ancestors and the
emperor The Jews in Palestine had
become restless Under the Roman
yoke and ere ready to resist foreign
control. They waited only for some
great man to arise and stir them to
'ebellion. There was a feeling every
where that the kingdom of heaven
was at hand, that the Messiah was
about to appear and lead their armies
IN to successful combat against the
Romans. Suddenly John the Baptist
made his appearance on the banks of
.he Jordan. His strange garb, his
positive preaching, his bold message,
attracted attention, and crowds came
rom every district to hear his ser.
mons, and submit to his baptism. II
S no wonder, for John was a great
preacher.
We sometimes hear it said that
here are too many minister's Va.
,ant pulpits, unemployed clergymen
and the prevalent unwlllin gness of
Christians to pay living salaries to
heir religious leaders are all mem
ioned in evidence of the fact. 1t
nay be true that there are too many
minister's, but there are not too many
prophets, and there never can be.
The trouble is. We have narrow
view of the ministry. The work of
| The Gospel Herald cannot be held
iown to the limits of a profession.
eleven O'Clock in the morning.
o'clock in the evening, so many
prayers, so many readings, SO many
| sermons, so many calls during the
week, and the work is finished. Fra
Angelica preached when he wrought
1is wonderful pictures, Savonarcla
preached when he hurled his ana
themas against the prevailing cor
'uption of religious leaders; Bunyan
! preached when he penned his mar
yelous dream OF the Pilgrims Pro-
| gress;' Carey preached when he
| CLAIMED missionary service while
working at a cobblers bench; Cor
I don preached when he set an ex-
] ample Of Righteousness and led his
| soldiers on to sacrifice and service;
| livingston preached as he pushed his
way on through the dark continent;
| AgassiZ preached in his scientific
Investigations; Miller preached when
| he saw the footprints of the Creator
, in the stones, and Frances Ridley
| HaYergal preached when she wrote
| her poems and her songs. Every
| Christian is called to be a preacher
just as truly as was John the Bap-
| tist. Our stores, shops, Offices, homes
and schools are our pulpits, and our
contracts, bargains, services and
daily routine work are our Bible
expositions. The preparation of one
self for preaching is always harder
than the preparation of a sermon.
| Every man wrought in Jesus Christ
unto good works is a preacher, and
he is blessed of God in his ministry
according to his faithfulness. There
are no special promises for the pro-
found, the learned and the brilliant
John did no miracle''--but there
are innumerable promises for the
faithful.
John stood for truth. He said
that Christ would thoroughly purge
His floor, that He would baptize with
the Holy Spirit and that He could
take away the sin of the world, and
1t all came to pass as he said. The
heroic prophet on the river bank
never compromised In matters of
| principle. He was the same loyal
! minister in Herod's palace as before
admiring crowds; he was the same
devout disciple in the Tower of An
tonia as he was in the wilderness.