The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-08-11
THE VIRCINIAN'S WEEKLY SERMON
THE OLD. OLD STORY

This is faithful saying and wor-
thy OF all acceptation, that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sim
ners, of whom | am chief" These
are among the most familiar words
We know. We have heard them since
We can remember. They follow all
our way. But though they are old.
they are never hackneyed. never out
of date. never less than arresting and
amazing.
And the man who wrote them knew
what he was writing. They are the
moderate statement of an extraordt-
nary experience.
Just previously he confesses that
he was before biasphemer and a
prosecutor. and injurious. But all
that is past. and the wonder Of the
change never leaves him as long as
he lives. He never gets used to it.
1t Is more than a romance: 1t is
regeneration He is a new creature.
| and oh, the sweet lit that gets into
his speech even when he Is Paul the
I aged tie -reJoices in hope when
they put him in prison. he 'glories in
tribulation" when they nearly Kill him:
he Is ready to be offered" before the
time of his departure. AS well seek
to confine shaft Of sunlight as to
enchain a soul like his. They can
not do 1t. The ioveliest spot In
Rome is where he dwells with SOL
dfer 10 guard him. and the most
honored servant in the city is that
Roman sentry.
And the secret of this joyous eman-
cipation which answers both the nat
ural fear and the organized tyranny
OF men with such beautiful disdain p
the secret OF 1t all is the eVer-in-
| creasing marvel of the truth that
Christ Jesus came into the world TO
save sinners"
| This man can never forget that
never. 1t 10 with him night and day
throughout his pilgrimage. II suffuses
all his thought and feeling, and It suf-
fees for ali his need. There Ia moth
| ing else like it: there is nothing else
| 10 stand beside H. II fills his world
nay, IT is his world. L live. vet
not l. but Christ liveth in me.
| 1t Is said that all the world loves
lover Then where lis such a lover ,
| His are the ageless years OF heart
| make the music OF which we never
| tire.
| Christ Jesus came We have
no voice az to our birth. We find
ourselves here. But He. from the
| glory which He had with the Father
/ before the world was. came
! It was His will and purpose, He
| humbied Himself. and came
There are references to the
| Father who sent me- which only
strengthen the fact that He came.
| The Son OF Man came" -
This III He that came" - He
came unto His own" e Il came
/ down from heaven"
| 1t is a frequent emphasis. and 1t
distinguishes the presence OF Christ
in the world from that OF others.
| Speaking OF other men, even the
on such and-such a date, We do not
think OF saying he came" But Christ
Jesus came" DO we feel the won
| drous grace that lies in this word
Speaking of the last judgment. and
| referring to the fact that what Is
done unto others is, in reality. done
unto Him. He says Il vas sick. and
We visited Me: / was In prison and
We came unto Me
We know how much IL means to Us
when, In the hour OF our need. some
one cares enough just to come and
See us "Ye came unto me
SO He came 1t is a little word
which holds all that is meant h.
/ foreknowledge. love and understand
ing. II ia the wordof defined and
deliberate purpose
into the world" is. more than a
| geographical expression, He dwell
among us" He entered into the
| worlds life. He was more human
than the average man. in the sense
that He came nearest to men There
was no movement Of the worlds life.
but He came into" IL.
uh nra
until that becomes interviewer with
the very fhres OF my being. He was
made in all things like unto His
brethren"
ITO save sinners" Sinners Ia a
term which lis largely passing out of
use. Perhaps IL means that we are
less disposed to single out others
where all are known to be guilty
Sinners" 1t may NOT sound very
| polite. but IL II true? The tendency
10 tone down sharp and searching
terms is apt to obscure solemn reali-
ties
For example When / hear that
| sin IL IAN offense, / am not greatly
impressed or disturbed. But when |
hear that the soul that sinneth 1t
shall die" the words are like the
breath Of cold wind in dark and
desolate place They make me shud
der
II When am told that Elm il arrest
ed development l may begin to
wonder what that means. But when
am told that the wages of sin ID
death" know the awakening of al
awful need.
When Christ is represented to me
AZ the embodiment OF all that is
beautiful and good. I assent. 1t is
all 20 clearly true. But when I am
assured that He came into the word
to save sinners" II breaks me down
and builds me up. and puts new
song in my mouth.
Let ns not be sQuea mish: let us
not seek a false refinement; let us
face facts. Christ came not primart-