The Bryan eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1880-1913, 1911-11-02

- Though the weather was threaten
ing, the dedication exercises of the
\ First Methodist church yesterday
drew together congregation which
fcompletely filed the large auditorium,
many having come in from the col.
lege on the interurban and from the
j, country in carriages. 1t is worthy OF
remark that the ushers handled the
situation admirably and everybody was
comfortably seated without confusion
or delay. On the rostrum with Bishop
Gambler were the pastor, Rev. Glenn
Iinn, and his next predecessor, Rev.
!, 7. Fl. Morris, now OF Trinity. The Of
fcers OF the church occupied reserved
seats in front OF the pulpit. The church
and the altar were appropriately, and
not too profusely, decorated with
greenery and flowers.
The program included the usual rit.
ual and musical selections especially
adapted to the occasion Mrs. G. W.
Emory presided at the organ and a
full choir of naturally good and well
trained voices made this part Of the
service exceptionally excellent. But
the focal point of interest was, o.
course. the dedication sermon by
shop Warren A Gambler, who Is by
my regarded as the strongest
eacher In the Southern Methodist
" birch. ON this occasion nobody was
: kzIisappointed for the sermon was one
Of the most powerful and effective
over delivered in Bryan.
The first scripture lesson was the
>d22nd Psalm, beginning: 81 was glad
when they said unto me, Let us go
Il into the house of the Lord" After
the singing OF Gloria Patri by the
choir, the bishop read the second les
son, which was the apocalyptlc de.
scription OF the Heavenly Jerusalem
in the twenty.frst chapter Of Revela-
ton. The text was the valedctory la
utHAullOu VI Jtoub ONtl Nht NlA@ va
The Great King recorded in the
thirty-fourth and thirty.fifth verses OF
the thirteenth chapter Of Luke 20
Jerusalem, Jerusalem. that killest the
prophets and stonest them that are
suit unto thee, how often would jhaye
gathered thy children togeths as a
hen her brood under her wings, and
ye would not. Behold your house is
left unto you desolate; and verify
f<ay,,ye shall not see me until the time
,Sdjme when ye shall say, Blessed Is
Ne that cometh in the name of the
Ldd.'"
Bishop Gambler first called attention
20 the strong feeling expressed In the
words and enlarged upon the deeply
Functional nature OF Jesus, which has
been ignored by skeptical philos-
ophers because they can not under
stand or explain it, instancing Jeffer-
sons "Simulacrum OF the Gospel"
which does not even mention this
most distinctive and wonderful of all
the characteristics of the Savior The
antithesis between the character OF
Jesus and that Of the greatest o.
American statesmen was very power
fully depicted and illustrated by the
absurdity Of Jefferson extending such
an invitation as: Come unto me ye
that labor and are heavy laden, and |
will give you rest" No mere man
ever could have uttered such thoughts,
vet no critic has had the audacity to
"a, that they are not in perfect har'
mony with the character of Jesus; his
motions alone are sufficient evidence l
os his divinity.
What was the occasion of this la s
mentation? In the first place, 1t was {
not restricted to jerusalem; 1t had no
local application, but included the
Jews as a people. In those days all
government was centralized in the me-
tropolis of a nation; there was no
distribution of power as in modern
times.
Neither was 1t on account of a de-
cadence of material prosperity. His
mission was to the poor. graphic
picture was drawn OF the poverty OF
all the ancients. and of the Jews IN {
particular, contrasted with the wealth
and improvements of modern times.
This is due to the wonderful stimulat- {
|ng and developing power of Chris
uanity. 1t is the greatest wealth pro- c
1ucer the world has ever known
Jesus warned his disciples against c
covetness, not because they were rich, s
for a poor man can be as covetous as +
a rich one. i
Nor yet were the deep sympathies +
Of Jesus stirred on account of sickness
aud ,hysical suffering. The ancient t
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