The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1917-07-09
1.-THE DESIGN OF PROPHECY"
Great Sermon Delivered by Dr. John
Barbour at Union Service at Cen.
tral Presbyterian Church
Last Night.

The Union Service Sunday night was
held at the Central Presbyterian
Church. DIR. John Barbour, pastor Of
the First Presbyterian Church, preach
cd a most excellent sermon to the
large audience present. The union
services this year are drawing better
crowds than In former years.
DR.. Barbour said In part:
John XIV:29: 81 Have Told You Be-
fore 1t Come to Pass That, When 1t Is
Come to Pass, Ye Might Believe"
The great war has brought out the
usual number Of preachers and writ
ers who are able to show us the whole
thing In the Book Of Revelation and to
tell us Just what Is going to be done
with the Kaiser and the Sultan and the
Pope Of Rome. 1t matters not that
this has been attempted hundred
times before. and as many times has
failed. It does not discourage them
In the least. Zone (interpreter) doth
tread upon another's heel, so fast they
follow"
There Is wonderful fascination
about ito the interpreters of course.
but even more to the crowds who go to
hear them. When protesting Chris
tians will pay travelling gypsies, as In
our town last week, to read their lives
for them 1t Is not strange that people
eagerly listen to ministers Of the word
who undertake to unravel the obscure
things of the word for them. The per-
fectly plain things Of the Bible. which
are also its real marvels-may draw
bakers dozen or two to hear them but
the things which Christ Himself told
us only the Father knows, these things
the multitude will go to hear specu-
lated upon. For 1t is only speculation,
no matter how confidently it is
brought forth. 1t is always thus.
Dogmatism always comes from OBJ
security in the truth or in the mind
dogmatizing. Things left unsettled In
the word men take and found great
churches on them and sacramental
practices with which they disfellow-
ship their brethren.
Christendom could unite tomorrow If
we would come together upon what
everybody knows, leaving debatable
things to every mans conscience.
When a man works himself up into
a great excitement or into the perse-
cutting temper about anything you may
know that, like Saul of Tarsus, he is
not mertain about it himself He. makes
up for the obscurity or uncertainty
OF the case by his own confident asser-
tions.
Now prophecy except in its most
general contents has never been read
) in advance and it was never intended
that it should be. The prophecies
about Christ's first coming-they are
SO plain and in such detail that we
after the event can almost construct
the history of Christ out of them, YET
, of all the hundreds of thousands tc
whom these predictions were made
.. known not one single person, so faI
: as appears, read them aright-not one
single person.
Christ was indeed King, but ne
.. such King as the world ever saw Of
. could have conceived in advance. HI
. was a priest but priest who was him
. self victim as we'll as offerer. He wal
a prophet but His own disciples dit
not fully grasp His teachings and w
. are still studying them today. 1t wal
foretold that Elijah should first come
He did come but In way that no maj
did or could foresee.
. John, the Baptist, the real Elias, dit
not understand 1t of himself and posi-
lively denied that he was Elias. Thi
single instance should make us yer.
! careful in our literal interpretations o
scripture. 1t Is often only the highe
spiritual meaning that will be fulfilled