The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-02-16
REV. OVERLY
DAILY GROWS
MORE FORCEFUL

To those in regular attendance at
the Methodist meetin git is meaning
great things spiritually, and the
preaching is better than ever.
Last evening the sermon on. Jesus.
the Light of the World, was one OF
the most powerful yet preached dur
ing the series. He chose as the scrip
ing the series He chose as the script
ural text John SIP. Then spake Je-
sus again unto them. saying, | am the
light of the world: he that followeth
me shall not walk in darkness. out
shall have the light of life" In part
said. God reveals Himself to us
through nature, the rocky fastness OF
the great natural canyons being fit
analogues of His sheltering rock
What the sun is to the solar system
Jesus Christ is to the religious world
that around which all else revolves
The sun as il rises every morning.
penetrating TO all parts of the earth
al an times of the day. morning,
roontime and evening closing the
day with a glorious sunset, is sym
bolical of the Sun of Righteousness
which arises perhaps in the early
morning of life, Illuminating every
pathway from childhood down to old
age at last radiating an effulgence at
the sunset of life that is magnificent
to behold. Jesus Christ adapts Him
self To every period of life. appealing
to the boy as a conqueror, the Cap
tain of his soul; to man as the en-
bodiment and perfection of all maply
attributes: and the the woman. the
one who was last at the cross and
first at the tomb. as the One who
loved home and who smooths all the
rough places in life.
Jesus stands on the side of light
rather than darkness. Standing one
time in Mammoth Cave. experiencing
for a moment the awfulness of the in
tense darkness. thought how terrible
1t would be to be "banshed into out
er darkness ! do not know what
hell is. but even dense darkness like
that ! speak of would be punishment
enough for me to want to shun. As
the sun comes and dispels darkness
in the material world. so Jesus Christ
dissipatos gloom and sadness in the
spiritual life.
HE transmits His power through
us His children. The moon is an
apaque body, having no light of her
own. but she reflects the light of the
sun: SO we are intended to reflect the
light received from God. And as the
moon is full when no part of the earth
intervenes between herself and the
sun, and shines with perfect bril-.
lance. so the child of God who al.
lows no worldly obstacle to come be.
tween himsef and the Sun of Righte.
BUSINESS will shine with greater Of.
iulgence- full-moon Christian. The
christian religion gives radiance IN
the countenance. The eve is the win.
dow OF the soul. and through that
window the spiritual light will shine
II the soul is flooded with il Com.
mensurate as we are n accord with
iiim will we shine"
The song service this morning IN.
cluded a touching solo by Messrs
Clark and Norvell The subject for
this hour was "The Vicarious Atone.
ment of Our Lord" and the text was
from Heb. 2:9. In very brief part he
said; A vicarious life is life tbo,
Is iived for another. Such is the life
of consecrated mothers and fathers
and such should be the life of everv
true disciple of Christ. We arc So
constituted that we cannot be bannv
II living for self-alone. doing notbinc
10 help our ffellowman; and there is
no better way in which to enrich our
own ives than by living for those
around us.
NO heart can fully sympathise with
another heart until it has been bathed
In similar sorrow. We canot ALWAYS
understand the suffering about MS
but, thank God. there is One who docs
understand, One who was wounded
for our transgressions and bruised ,o-
our iniquities.' The closer we live to
Him. the more fitted we become 70
live vicarious lives. to Minister to the
suffering humanity around u.s."