Norwich bulletin., 1919-11-28

Thursday evening in the union Thanksgtring service which was part of the series of union evangelistic meetings.
 He answered it emphatically with the declaration that the personal Cnfist would be no more received in the present day world than he was 1000 years ago, and if it were put to vote to receive Him as a personal guest tqr week, He would lose out were the vote taken in Norwich or New London county or in any state in the union.
 MT. Smith took for his text Thurs day evening the 11th verse of the 1st chapter Of St. John. ''FIe came to His own and His own received Him not want to try and shaw you that the human heart today is very little changed from the hearts of 2o0o years ago. You remember the world had been looking for 1000 years for the promise had been given to Eve that the seed of woman should brl,ise the serpents head the world had been looking for Christ. Most Bible stu dents agree that when Eve said that nave gotten a man from the Lord. that she believed when Cain was born that he was the promised one. For 4oo0 years the world had been watch Ing, waiting and praying, looking through the mist of future years: waiting for the foot fall of the Mes siah, but when He came there was no room for Him. He might have come with all the ponnp and glory of the other world. He might have been born in one of the worlds greatest palaces and rocked in golden cra- d'e ana red from a golden spoon; at tended by angels for his nurses: but instead of that He was born of a poor woman His cradle a manager and He took the lowest position He could pos sibly take. What did He come for? To bless and not to curse; to lift up, not to cast down; to seek and to save that which was lost; to give sight to the blind; to stop deaf ears; to open prison doors; to set captives free; to give rest to the weary: to reveal His Fathers love: to bring a blessing to the whole world. and. yet, there was no room for Him.
 You remember after he was bap- tized he went back to Nazareth after 1 performing bis first miracle that of turning water to wine. and when he reached his home town you would have supposed that Nazareth would have welcomed him. His name was on everyhody's lips for there never %ad been miracle like that since the days of the great prophets. but even l Nazareth didn't welcome him. He went to church the first Sunday. as was his custom. and they gave to him | the book of the prophet Isaiah and He began to interpret it to them and said | This day is this prophecy fulfiHed.' | And you remember if He had nol mi raculously escaped from their midst they would have killed Him, His first day in His home town. Can you ina zine the feelings of Christ as He Jeff His home town, bounded out of it, and l turned towards Capernum. You don't read that they ever welcomed Hin 1 there but vet never man spake as He did and no man ever did the things l there that He did. He brought hacl to life those that had been dead, H. strengthened withered limbs, He open. ed blind eyes, He brought peace, joy and comfort wherever He went ant i yet there was no room for Him. Wher He went to Jerusalem they nevel welcomed Him there only a tempor, ary affair on Palm Sunday and thu same neeple who welcomed him turn ed their backs on Him q few days la ter. He was called a hlasphemer, i'm poster, the prince of devils.
 The only time He ever rode was 0, a borrowed beast; His cradle wa, borrowed and when He died they bur jed Him in borrowed grave; Hi first eomranions were cattle. His las were thieves; His first resting place manager. His last resting place cross There was no room for Him.
 I have often thought that I woul, like to have lived in those days an, opened my home and welcomed Hin there, and then have looked into m, own heart and have to confess tha should be just like all the othe folks, I should have had no room fe Jesus Christ. Now, may turn tn picture around and make application Is there any room for Christ in Nor wich and in New England? There i no. place on this continent where tn gospel of Jesus Christ has been nor faithfully preached or where Christ character has been more faithfull held up than here in New England Has human nature changed any? Ism it the same today here? We hay room for everything in the world, bu no room for Jesus Christ. I am no talking about religion, we all wan some form of religion. We wan churches, priests and preachers. but ! am talking about personal Christ For if you were to take out of Nor wich all the churches, preachers an religious influences and. of course, tn
 schools would go with them. then you
 real estate would drop 95 per cent. i
 month and your women and proper
 ty weulG not be safe in Norwich af
 ter the sun went down if there was n i NA tr~sA
 But ! am not talking about religio
 I am asking you Is there any room fo
 a personal Christ?
 There is a text in the Bible tha
 says that when Herod, the king. hear
 that Christ had come he was troublet
 Men who live like Herod are alway
 troubled when they hear Jesus is
 the neighborhood for Christ Is in tn
 way of Herods. He Is in the way (
 libertines, of thieves, oppresscrs. an
 the proud and selfish and liars, b,
 when our lives are attuned to His V
 are only too glad to know that He
 near. Suppose you were to know tn.
 Christ was coming to Norwich tefnel
 row and to be your personal guest fl
 24 hours. Would He be treated di
 ferently than He was 2000 years agc
 don't think you would have to go ol
 of Norwich to find people who 'wou
 want to cruelty Him as they did yea
 before.
 $ If He were to come to your hon n would you change any dates, wou 1T you tear up any letters, would pt st pay back the meriey that you ow .- would you deed back some propert l. would you want to go and seek fo Il giveness of those people that you ha l. lied about? Is there anything in yo
 home that you would want to hide h