Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-04-12
Conducted in Elaborate
Style atLocaI Churches.
Maine Commandery, No. |.
K T., Attends Christ Church.
All the Services Are Largely Attend.
ed and Thoroughly Enjoyed.

The members of Maine Commandery
No. ], knights Templar, to the num-
Der of so, attended Divine service at
Christ church H,piscopaD at 230
| o'clock Sunday afternoon, and with q
large attendance of the allied Masonic
bodies and citizens generally, the &C.
casion proved to be a notable one.
| The choir furnished a fine musical
program, and the sermon by the rec
tor, Rev r. w. Plant, was a mastery
effort which was listened to with deep
attention.
| The speaker took as his text the
words found in Matt. v:47: And if We
salute your brethren only, what do
ye more tran others:" He spoke in
part as follows:
| zone of the characteristics of the
| teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ was
that he set the standard of his teach
ing at the beginning rather than at the
end of his ministry. And he also en-
pnatically declared that he who would
be His disciple, let him take up his
cross and follow Him. He that would
come out for Jesus let him set his
standard high at the beginning He
that would be a servant of Jesus Christ,
let him bring his youth and the
strength of his manhood to the service
of Christ.
What did He say to his disciples?
| Il say unto you that unless your
righteousness exceed the Righteousness
of the scribes and pharisee it will avail
you nothing Christ's men are to be
better than the best and Christ's men
are to be better than the worst. If
you follow Christ you must be a mark
| ed man.
What did this manner of life mean?
| 1t had to do with belief. it had to do
with creed it had to 10 with new re-
lations. 1t meant a new heart and
mind laid hold of by God. And it also
meant the man of Christ-Christ's
man, in common parlance the Chris
tan. The Christian is a marked man.
There is something Superior about
him.
| core of the distinguishing features
| Of the Christian is his creed. The
| creed Of q man is the basis of the vi
tally of a mans life. Every man that
| is 2 man has a creed. You have a
creed Each one of you has a creed or
you would not be here You would not
| stand before the world as you stand
| today
CHRIST had a distinct creed. He
taught truth with Il crispness. His
| creed waG at variance with the COM
| monty accepted tcnets of his day, yet
| when he found his creed at variance
with the beliefs and customs of the
| people held fer thousands of years, He
steadfastly adhered to His creed.
Christ had n creed about God. He
| said: L believe in God Christ had a
creed about man. He said, in effect, L
believe in man and that is how Christ
| won the hearts of men. And Christ had
| a distinct creed about the common re-
| lations Of life.
! THE Christians creed sets him
apart 1t gives him a different code
from the common codes of men, The
Christian creed gives men everything
that Christ believed. plus Himself. The
great heart and center of energy of
the Christian teaching of the early
days was the man Jesus Christ. They
believed in the man, their leader. and
they were willing to go to death for
Him. 1t was ever before them in the
early days-Jesus Christ and Him
crucificd.
away in the rear by the Christians
" appreciated a Christian man need
never go wrong.
8. "1hc Christian creed finds it fulfill
| mcnt in what we call character What
| was ii that gave Christ his popularity?
| What was it that gave Christ His
| power? 1t was His character. The
| fulness OF the Godhead dWelt in Him
bodily. There is only one thing that
makes a man Christian, the God in
| him A Christian is not simply an I'M
| proved sinner A Christian is a man
with Christ dwelling at the center OF
his life. He is a better man than he
was before, from the center outward.
us there joy, can you conceive OF
| a low so uncXpreSsible in it's joyous
ness, as a man of Christ who refuses
! to melt into his surroundings. who re-
| fuses to be one of the great mass!
| How many of you, my friends, have
ever tried or ever had the experience
of being lonely just because you would
not drop to the level OF the multi
| t,1de? There is n standard OF DONG
things that is TOO low even for the pup
lican: it certainly is too low Tor the
| Christian.
The world needs just one touch TO
| turn it to Christianity. Do you know
| what it is? It is Christian conduct.
| The Christian home is to be better
place than the life as you and IL OH
| the street That is Christian conduct
| the one thing that the world lacks. 10
| express opinions and thoughts that are
avowedly contradictory to Christ IS 10
exist living lie
| The speaker compared time to the
| rocky bed of a river. along which f1ows
| the muddy current over the Hats OIL
| a dcbased public opinion. and COM
pared Christians to the gracious
streams which purify the river ana
render its waters sweet and Whoie-
some. In conclusion the speaker sald'
| Garry home the question; answer
| it before God: What do ye more tian
| otlers?"
AT METHODIST CHURCH.