Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-06-08
DR.. NEWTON De:
I|VERS SERMON
The Formal Installation of the Rev.
H. L. Haywood as Pastor
of the Universalist
Church.
A VERY FORCEFUL ADDRESS
Three New Members are Given the
Hand of Fellowship Into the
Church.
A VERY FORCEFUL ADDRESS

The Universalist church was pack.
ed Sunday night with the audience
gathered to hear the installation
sermon for Rev. H. l.. Haywood, de.
livered by DR.. Joseph Fort Newton
pastor of the liberal Christian
church of Cedar Rapids. The music
by the Universalist choir with Mrs.
w. H. Cook accompanist, was espec-
tally inspiring and during the sing
ing of one hymn three new members
received the hand of fellowship into
this church.
A most eloquent and forceful SER
mon was then delivered by DR.. New
ton, who not only has something to
say, but possesses a mastery style of
delivery. DR.. Newton spoke of the
futility of installing Rev. Haywood
in this church at this time after he
had already completed nine months
of earnest, faithful service as their
pastor and was already installed in
their hearts, as he was in the heart
Of DR.. Newton himself.
He concluded his remarks upon
this matter by expressing the hope
that Rev. Haywood and his congre-
cation would grow together in the
knowledge and grace of the Lord.
II &c tho. ircf;not;ro bol,S+ 80 ~, =
thought and speech of men to link
that which is pure and good with
that which is above, and that which
is base and low with that which is
below. Words are, however, but
symbols which try to tell us of
things that are by their nature un.
speakable. We must have these
things in our minds when we speak
Of the unique ascendency of Jesus
Christ. We are in the presence of
that with which time and space have
nothing to do.
Mediate upon the triumph of
Christ. Think not that the heights
of God are lonely and inaccessible
not at all; they are moral heights.
When st. Paul speaks of the ascend
ency OF Christ he is not thinking of
distance but of the ascendency of
character. That is nearer to us than
the flowers of springtime; nearer
than the breath we breathe.
God is everywhere; there is a re-
ality Of the higher, finer realm of
being. The invisible presence is
capable of being realized every
where. Christ left the stony paths of
Galilee to become captain of hui
manity. To know Him is to know
what life is, to know what humanity
can be, to know what God is. The
mission of the church is to make
manifest the majesty of the Master
His unfathomable mercy, His un-
questionable goodness. Much of
which is written about Him, touches
human hearts not at all. AS George
Fox would say, "They do not speak
to my condition" There are men to-
day who think they have the ability
to measure Christ. Most of us could
not even measure Shakespeare: be-
fore the miracle of Hamlet and Mac
beth, even decency asks us to take
off our hats. We cannot measure
Christ. The penetrating enthusiasm
of love is the difference between So
crates and Christ. A sundering diff
ference indeed. Plato was lofty and
pure-hearted; Plutarch was one of
the saints of the most high God. Is
not the actual fact of human expert
ence but tiny foothills alongside
Him who towers aloft in our
thoughts and lives? Men built the
Pyramids where they would be the
most impressive. Just so the Master
out-tops the 1oftiest of the sons of
men as the Alps out-top the Sphinx
The influence over human lives that
He has had, and has today, is mar
vel of an influence that can bridge
long centuries and that battles un-
derstanding.
Prince Buddah was called the
Light of Asia. Great, noble, exalted
of mind, pure of heart-an all en-