The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1910-01-14
THE PULPIT.
A SCHOLARLY SUNDAY SERMON BY
THE REV. C. B. ETSlER.
Theme: Seeking Gods Kingdom.

Cldi SuCO bdI LlSJI ELSlSl. pk SdCuCo
| Sunday on Seeking Gods Kingdom"
He said:
In bygone years, when people went
upon the theory that man is inherent
ly depraved and that his natural al
legiance while on earth is to the SOW
ereignty of the devil, in those days,
when one talked about seeking Gods
kingdom, it meant that a man should
shut out the sunshine and enjoyment
from his days; that he should cruelty
his nature upon the cross of self-de-
NAL and that through sad and dole
full earthly life he should look for
ward with patient longing for the
kingdom that he must seek in some
future world.
When man complained of earthly
hardship and sought religions help.
the church said, in substance to him.
] Yes, we know it's hard living in this
world, but what can you expect; man
is naturally fallen, degenerate crea-
ture, the devil is his spiritual adviser
and his man of business; but never
mind, grin and bear it. for you will
find Gods kingdom when you die and
there the devil will be shut OUT
Such a philosophy and such a re-
ligion was but a cowardly subterfuge
whereby an easy escape was afforded
from the necessity for working out a
! solution for the hard problems of this
/ life
Thank God, the liberal church has
cut loose from dogmatic tradition and
is teaching religion not Of mysti-
cism and of theory, but religion of
present helpfulness and of common
! sense.
! We do not believe in a fallen race.
We believe in rising race. We do
not believe in original and inherent
sin, nor that every man that's born
! is horn first into the kingdom of the
! devil.
! And this we believe is the first step
in seeking Gods good kingdom; the
recognition that every child that's
born is Gods and not the devils; the
good tidings that every soul has with
| in itself the spark of divinity and not
, the fame of hell
It's true that some Of us are born
with heritage of sin and with birth
marks of imperfection, but the good
tidings of great joy is this: That
whatsoever sins of the fathers may
have set the chi1dren's teeth on edge.
those children have another heritage
from their perfect heavenly Father
heritage that can overcome the in
bred sin; that can round out in per-
feet growth all human imperfection.
He who would seek Gods kingdom
talks not of original sin; he publish
eth good tidings of ultimate perfec-
ton.
What does it mean for us. this
seeking for Gods kingdom? We rise
with the new day and the sun shines
brightly through the windows. "Oh,"
says one, "the harsh light hurts my
ewes" or, II it's woman of one
kind, she SAYS, at will fade my car
pet" and the shades are quickly
drawn and the gloom of a sepulchre
ensUes.
Is that seeking of Gods kingdom?
h"o+her throws wide the windows of
his house and soul and drinks in the
life Sustaining oxygen, basks in the
blessed warmth Of natures medicine,
Pnd sings an unconscious song Of
ise to his maker and his life keep
e.
He is seeking Gods kingdom. And
t"on at the breakfast table one takes
his place with no word of greeting
and devours his food in silence, save
for mnf1ed complaint that the toast
is scorched or the coffee cold. The
other, the sunshine fellow, comes in
with the glow of the suns radiance
| still upon him, and the room seems
! brighter for his coming. He has
! joke and smile for all, even for the
| fellow with the chronic crouch.
Which one, think you, is getting near
er to the kingdom:
And then they are out upon the
wav to business. The car is crowded,
ana when the conductor gets to our
friend, the crouch, he looks straight
at the conductor, but makes no move
to get a nickel, and then through all
the remainder of the trip he shrinks
and starts whenever he's spoken to
and wonders if he has been spotted.
Finally, he slips into seat, and al
though woman stands beside him
with a child in her arms, he feigrs
| intense interest in the paper he has
| lifted from the seat.
Is he getting very near to Gods
| kingdom? The other traveller helps
an old man board the car and cheers
the withered, friendless heart with
| goodwill smile. He hears with I'M
| derstanding ear the conductors gruff,
| ''Step lively" and sees with under
standing eye the same conductor very
! gently shove into the car IN over
| burdened daughter of poverty, as she
| in turn supports her feeble mother.
He hears with understanding ear, as
| the conductor comes down hard upon
| the ignorance of some poor foreigner
as he asks directions, and he sees
with understanding eye as that same
| conductor sneaks up little later and
| gives the bewildered foreigner gruff,
| though kindly, instructions how to
| find his way. He hears and sees I'M
| derstandingry. I say, for he is an op-
| timist, and he is seeking for Gods
| kingdom, although he may know it
| not. He is looking for the coed in
men because he knows it is there.
LAS a man thinketh in his heart
so is he" and whether we shall be
| seekers for Gods Kingdom of truth
Or servants of the kingdom of the
devil depends upon our purity of
heart.
The kingdom within determines the
kingdom without; if the kingdom
within be the kingdom of truth, of
purity, Of unself1sh kindness, then we
will find heaven without seeking very
Lar. w SOIHSlluSS Idlh dDOuI SSSh-
ing Gods kingdom as though it must
come through some mighty upheayal
of nature or through some revolution.
God doesn't work that way. Super
stitious persons have arisen at va
rious times and have proclaimed the
coming Of Gods kingdom, but a
short time since sect in New Eng
land predicted the end of the world
and the ushering in Of heaven. And
now they are probably figuring QUE
some future date for the coming OF
Gods kingdom with the crash of
thunder and the rending of the earth.
God doesn't work that way "And
another parable spake Jesus unto
them. The kingdom of heaven is like
unto leavan which a woman took and
hid in three measures of meal. till
the whole was leayened." Could any
type make palmer to US the process
for the realization Of Gods kingdom
On the earth: like leaven within the
dough, working silently and slow,