The Robesonian., 1917-12-13
BISHOP DARST AT TRINITY

Splendid Sermon by Bishop OF
East Carolina in LumbertonSun-
day. H. ~
Reported for The Robesonian.s
The Rt. Reverend Thomas G. Darst,
D. D., bishop Of East Carolina, offic-
lated at Trinity Sunday morning and
preached to a good congregation OF
appreciative and helpful listeners. Be-
fore taking his text he expressed
his pleasure at seeing so many people
from other churches, which called to
his mind the hearty reception accord
ed to him by Christian people gener-
aly on his first visit. bespoke feel
ingly of the joy he felt at seeing
Christians everywhere ceasing to en-
phasize their minor differences. and
stressing great He re-
ferred with much satisfaction to the
fact that the church-by which : he
meant all organized Christianity
was responding to the nations call
and nobly "doing its bit". But he
wished to remind them that at this
time, more than any other, it was nee
essary not to retrench In the support
of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, without
which all that we were fighting for.
would be valueless. i"
To encourage the people Of Trim
ity, he mentioned that there were now
Al clergy as against 26 at his coming
and that the parishes and missions
were practically all filled. -
His text was Proverbs 29:18-
"Where there is no vision the people
perish. By vision he understood not
an idle dreaming but a clear and COM
Of life, of God, eternity, of Gods will
for the world as manifested in Jesus
Christ, of the fatherhood Of God and
of our duty as a result.
AS he read history he saw nations
successful in material things that
lacked the vision and perished. Baby
Ion, the great, the magnificent, the
powerful and luxurious, is but a name
today. She died because she could
see~ naught but material prosperity
Greece, with her soulless beauty
which gave to the world art and phil
osophy and poetry, succumbed for the
same reason. Rome, the mistress o1
nations, that "sat on her seven hills
and from her throne of beauty rulec
the world" perished by the sword Of
the barbarian in spite of her genius
for government and her ability to or
ganize and absorb the peoples whom
she conquered SO easily: she passed
away because she saw not the thing:
eternal.
} And fair France, land of beauty ane
poetry, she, too, forgot God. TIL,
Church of France lost her vision, he.
priesthood was discredited, her sister
hoods expelled from their convent
and turned homeless into the streets
the church was byword. But Franc,
under the stress and strain of the aw
full calamity Of today has found he
soul, her church has seen the vision
and 25,000 of her priesthood are il
the trenches caring for the souls O
the soldiers.
1t may be superstition or it may b
a miracle. but over and over again i
2 is told how the crucifix has hung un
injured on the wall Of q .shell-shatter
ed church. Whether this is so or not
t that for which the cross stands, tn
Gospel Of Jesus Christ, is here vel
: spite ofall attacks, and stronger tha
0 ever.
n Chief Justice Marshall, advising
e young man who proposed to enter tn
ministry, said: "Don't ally yoursel
: with a losing cause; in twenty year
0 the church will be dead" But she
+ today stronger than ever.
: A reporter in a French village, look
+ ing for news, noticed an officer goin
5 into church. He looked on and ga,
y him kneeling there. He waited, ho1
Q ing to see the officer and get new
perhaps. After an hour the office
l. came out, his face radiant: he ha
II agonlzed IN prayer and had seen tk
g vision. It was General Joffre.
e 1t this land is to be saved it is ne,
= essary that we have the vision. tt
IS men who founded this republic wei
men OF prayer to whom the etern
things were real, but we have grad,
ally lost the vision of the spiritual ;
our material prosperity has 'increa
ed.
But the church, too, must see tt
vision, see her Master and realize th
her work is to represent Him, to ma
lfest His presence to others. But tn
means that the individual must all
90 have vision
Inc great world catastrophe mig
leave US poorer, might bring poye
ty, indeed, but he believed that Il
nation and the church would
brought to seek God and behold tn
vision without which men perish a
without which even success in W
would be valueless. :
A most appropriate offertory W
sung by Mrs. J. @. Beckwith-eGod
g our Fathers Known of Old"
=. In the bishops address to the t,
VINO VINO were confirmed he congratulate
them on having taken a stand t
Jesus Christ, on coming out public
;. to undertake for themselves what th
(or their sponsors) promised at tn,
les. baptism, This public assumption
. responsibility was promise to Ii
Tor Christ, to work for Him. and