The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-10-28
II PULPIT.
A BRILLIANT SUNDAY SERMON BY
DR.. CHARLES EDWARD LOCKE.
Theme: Doing the Impossible.

Brooklyn, N. Y.-The Rev. DR..
Charles Edward Locke, pastor OF the
Hanson Place Methodist Episcopal
Church, Sunday evening, to a large
audience. preached on Doing What
Cannot Be Done" His text was Mat
thew 1920: Nothing shall be i'm
| possible unto you" DR.. Locke said
in the course of his sermon:
That is a most exquisite moment,
when In the midst Of rich treasures
of the Art Gallery of the Vatican. one
stands for the first time before Raph-
ael's masterpiece of 1.-THE Transfiura-
ton" 1t was the great artists last
work: and before its pigments were
dry it was carried in his funeral pro-
cession. This masterful genius defied
a we'll known canon Of art in attempt
ing to portray two distinct themes on
the same canvas; but Raphael was a
| good theologian as well as an I'M
rivaled artist. He caught the double
meaning Of the TRANSPORTATION and
saw in It not only the Glorifcation of
Jesus, but the emancipation Of man
kind.
When Jesus came. down from the
radiant mountain summit an anxious
father met him with the earnest re-
quest. Lord. have mercy Oh my son."
humbly explaining to Jesus that he
had first taken his afflicted boy to the
disciples, but they could not cure him.
Jesus said: "Bring him hither to
Me-" and the child was cured that
very hour. In perplexity the disci-
pies asked of Jesus, "Why could not
we cast him out?" and Jesus replied,
Because Of your unbelief; for verify
I say unto you if We have faith as a
grain of mustard seed nothing shall
be impossible unto you." In casting
out the worlds devils and In ~alleviat-
Ing the woes Of humanity. nothing
shall be impossible-and this is the
program Of Jesus. Doing what can
not be done" Is the program Of jesus.
Faith as a grain OF mustard seed"
"All things are possible to him that
be.ieveth."
Faith laughs at .impossibilities,
And cries it shall be done.
Jesus never -despises a little
faith" On that late afternoon on
the banks of Galilee, when the multi
tude was hungry and the town was
far away. Jesus, to test Philip, in
uuired: whence shall we buy bread
that these may eat?" and mathemat-
lcal Philip thought that two hundred
pennyweight would not be sufficient.
Then Andrew for brief instant had a
vision of faith as he suggested that
there was a lad there who had five
barley loaves and two fishes: but An
drew, too, quickly adopted the arith-
metical process and disconsolately
added: "But what are they among so
many" Jesus, however, did not dis
count or overlook Andrews mo-
mentary vision and faith; and on the
basis of Andrews "little faith" the
miracle Of the feeding Of the five
thousand was performed. 1t was
iaith as a grain Of mustard seed only,
but 1t accomplished the impossible.
Tertullian once said OF an event:
1T is certain because it is impossi-
Bile" and Richard Golden, when told
that a certain thing was impossible.
replied: IF that is all, let us set
about it at once" General Arm
strong, of HAMPTON, said: Doing
what cannot be done Is the glory of
living" and his great schools for In
dian and negro youth became posi-
Die. Carlisle impatiently wrote: aim
possible! 1t is not a lucky word!
Who Is it says there is a lion in the
way? Sluggard, thou must Stay the
lion; the way must be travelled! p"
Mirabeau shouted: Impossible, that
}lockhead of a word!" And the great
Napoleon Enthusiastically declared:
Impossible! 1t is not a French word.
Genius is the art of. overcoming the
,mpossible!"
Christianity Is the art Of overcom-
ing the impossible. Impossible is not
IN the vocabulary of the Christian.
This is the program of Jesus.
Christianity has already achieved
The impossible in the overthrow of
The vast Roman Empire. To destroy
he power and glory of Rome as they
appeared two thousand years ago in
trenched in impregnable' f%ortresses
Ind defended by ever victorious
Roman legions, seemed an impossible
result.
Christianity has achieved the i'm
possible in the final eradication Of
human slavery, a diabolical institu-
ton eliminated in the customs, for
tunes, constitutions, conscience and
traditions of men. So, indeed, shall
the day surely come when nations
shall not learn war any more. And,
when that prophecy Of Isaiah shall
have been fulfilled, which commands,
Loose the bonds Of wickedness and
rnln fhn hnoru G,rInnc - fhnr Sho
accursed liquor traffic will be over
thrown, and the deadliest thraldom
which has ever blighted manhood will
be ended. This damnable traffic in
strong drink fills the prisons with
criminals, the hospitals with the in
sane, and the poorhouses with pau
pers. Recently a great brewery COM
pany Of this country has published in
its paid advertisements a libelous
statement that the founder of Meth
odism favored the manufacture and
sale Of liquors as a beverage. The
statements are mischievous lies, The
greatest total abstinence society in
Christendom is the Methodist Church.
Such demoniacal lies will only hasten
the downfall of old Gambrinus in
this country. The devil is a liar, and
the father OF lies, and We would eX-
pect him to defraud his Internal bust
ness by lies and misrepresentation
Lincoln's great prophecy Of February
%, 1910, has been partially fulfilled,
and will surely be completely real
lied, when there shall be neither
slave nor drunkard upon the EARTH
Then, too, the brotherhood of the
race is to be established. Whose
hateth his brother is a murderer. y
Whose hath this worlds goods and
Secth his brother hath need. and