BOOKLET
OF
SERMONS and ADDRESSES
BV
REV. W. D. CHAPPELLE, A. M„ D. D.,
Secretary-Treasurer A. M. E. S. S. Union.
NASHVIIXE, TENN:
A. M E. SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION
■It o 5 •
1*7/1 traduction.
In presenting to the reading public thi^ little booklet of Sermons
and Lectures, we beg to say that the writer has prepared them with no
intention for press; but simply to deliver a' various times as the oc¬
casion so required. But, seeing the need of a stimulus for our young
people along this particular line, he has yielded to the many impor¬
tunate requests of his friends, hoping that the ministry and the laity,
the young men and the young women of our great Church may find
hidden within these pages some precious gems of thought that might
add inspiration to their daily lives and help waft their souls on to
that great Beyond.
In order that this booklet might be made more interesting to its
readers we give in brief a sketch of the writer's life up to the pres¬
ent time.
SKETCH.
The composer of these Sermons and Lectures first saw the light of
day in the year of 1857, in the little town of Winnsboro, Fairfield
County, S. C. Being the eldest son of a very large family, he was
deprived of early school advantages, and, when he was twelve years
old, he earned money enougn to buy his first books by selling bun¬
dles of kindling wood which he carried on his head for a great dis¬
tance. At the age of seventeen years he entered Fairfield Normal In¬
stitute, and there he made his first preparation to begin his life's
work—The Ministry. Several years later he entered Allen University,
and graduated from the college department with honors in 18S7.
For nineteen years he remained in the active ministry, serving as
pastor and presiding elder. He then was elected president of Allen
University where he served two terms and was then elected Secretary
and Treasurer of the Sunday School Union which position he now
holds. We cannot close this sketch without paying some tribute U>
ii
REV. W. D. CHAPPELLE, A. M., D. D„
Secretary-Treasurer A. M. E. Sunday School Union.
his faithful, loving and devoted wife, to whom he attributes so much
of his ministerial success. In 1875 he was married to Miss Eli/A
Ayers of Winnsboro, S. C., and from this union four children were
born; she died in 1899 and he, with three children survived her. In
1900 he was married again, and two more children have been added
to his home.
Faithfully,
R. S. M.
iii
ex:
Possibilities of the Race $-12
Thoughts on the Dying Century 13-24
A Man Wanted 25-32
Truth 33-42
Christ the Light of the World 43-5°
The Object of Study 5I"5f5
Perfection 57-62
Peace by Power 63-68
iv
osslbilities of t/ie ^Jvace.
^Delivered before faculty and Students of "Western
7£niuensity, Quindaro, TfCan.
Ever and anon, amidst the whirl and crash of mat¬
ter, the creation of worlds and the formation of men,
amidst the symmetry of beauty and the ecstas> of song,
amidst the shooting of stars, and the belching of cra¬
ters, there is to be seen a superior intelligence conduct¬
ing this mighty drama of all ages.
We stand tonight, upon the threshold of the future
existence of a people long oppressed and debarred the
right of thought; but in the name of God, we shall
lash to the turbulent sea of life, men who must do or
die. The crisis which we confront is a grave one, we
are up and against a condition, which calls for our
best efforts and endeavors, such as we have never met,
and without God, we shall not be able to stand. Mr.
President, it takes faith, a full measure of faith, to
succeed. Added to it we must have self-confidence,
with executing ability and that ability must be ac¬
quired, while under the tutorlege of the University.
The fathers of our Connection essayed well, when
they incorporated into our religion Christian educa¬
tion. No human organization can stand in an age
like ours, without trained men. Equipment must be
forced into every fibre of the woof and web of life, es¬
pecially must this be so with our people, who have
just emerged from a long night of intellectual and
moral darkness.
5
6
SERMONS
Mr. President, I am fully conscious of the respon¬
sibility which rests upon the leaders of our people. I
appreciate sir, the task which you have assigned to
me, but let me plead my incapacity sir, if I stand alone
in the attempt, to execute it; but sir, with God all
things are possible and it is upon him that we rely to¬
night, in the attempt to drop a thought to these young
people which shall flow out and continue to flow as
they proceed in the various walks of their chosen pro¬
fessions.
Let me say first, that inspiration forms no small
part in the career of one's life. You will agree with
me sir, when I say that objects are the batteries from
which emanate the electric sparks, which fire the soul
of our common humanity to action. This assertion
will not be denied by the students of history, nor by
the thinkers of the age. It is the hypothesis upon
which the leading schools of today base their reason
for the elite grasp of the intellect. It is agreed that
the brain power of mankind is used to better effect by
the photographing of objects, v/hen the brain is yet
tender and soft; that the impressions made then, are
lasting.
Conscious of this mighty truth, as leaders of our
people, we must so shape our efforts and endeavors,
that the nobleness of mankind shall be imprinted, in¬
delibly imprinted, in the minds of our young people.
They must be taught here and now, that they have
the opportunity to be what other people have made
themselves, and that we measure mankind by the
breadth of his mind, and not by the texture of his
AND ADDRESSES
7
hair or the color of his skin. If we are asked by our
children why we do not possess more of this world's
goods, answer them frankly that we are too young,
and that as we grow in age, I mean the age of our
national life and citizenship, we shall acquire as oth¬
ers have, that the race is not to the swift, nor the
battle to the strong, but to him that endureth to the
end.
Sir, we are reminded by our treatment, that we are
inferior, we are proscribed in every quarter of this
mighty country of ours, we are insulted on the streets
of our cities, we are humiliated on the railroads and
street cars, we are debarred from the common organ¬
izations of labor, and in every possible manner we are
made to feel, sir, that we are not a part of this great
commonwealth. Let me ask, what does all of this
mean ? Is it not an attempt to crush our manhood
and further debase us ? Shali we, because of the ex¬
isting conditions, abandon the struggle and retire
from the mighty conflict which is upon us? Actions
answer no.
Already the result of our treatment is being seen
in some sections of this country. Many of our people
are becoming indifferent as to their political rights,
and some of our so-called or self-installed leaders must
share in the responsibility, for they taught the more
ignorant to abandon the ballot—the greatest protec¬
tion known to the American people My doctrine is
not to abandon an}' right or privilege, but prepare to
maintain and defend them. Seek to know the civic
rights of an American citizen and then stand erect in
the full discharge of them.
8
SERMONS
If we would meet the issue and reach that higher
station of life which others have reached, we must ed¬
ucate, educate, until every college shall send forth
young men and women, who are prepared to battle in
the interest of righteousness and of peace and of jus¬
tice. Shall we be satisfied with less? God forbid.
Let us continue to fight for every privilege—every
vestige of rights, vouchsafed to us under the federal
constitution. They tell us that we are weak, and that
we are unable to cope with the achievements and de¬
velopments which confront us, but we are not weak,
God made us as he made other men, and with proper
training, we shall beat back the nightmares with which
our people are afflicted ; and until this is done—and it
must be done too, by actions and achievements—we
shall be found wanting in our national life. Sir, we
must grow to that intellectual proportion which shall
be felt in the national halls of our legislature, on the
tax books in every state of the union, and amid the
clash and clatter of sabre and bayonet, on the fields of
glory. Side by side in every conflict of life, we must
be known and felt, until victory for us is achieved.
The last vestige of prejudice must be buried, and peace
declared on the hilltops of righteousness, and upon
the high planes of justice. They tell us sir, that this
is not our home, to this we answer, that we were part¬
ners in the settlement of this nation, that ive helped
drain the forests, we helped fell the trees,
we helped build the thoroughfares and constructed
and tunneled the railroads, spanned the rivers,
and our fathers sleep side by side with other
nationalities that possess this land, and that where
AND ADDRESSES
9
they died we shall die ; their people shall be our peo¬
ple, and their God our God : that it is our purpose to
share in the glorious consummation of this country and
to walk side by side with the most privileged of those
who grace this government or move beneath the stars
and stripes.
As we stand upon this eminence, from which to
review our actions of forty years, it is plain to see
sir, that we have not been asleep. Men have come
and men have gone; but our progress as a people has
been upward and onward, until today, we need not
be told that we are incapable, but living objects,
stand to our credit along the pathway over which we
have come. There is Wilberforce, the Mecca of our
educational endeavors, standing as a mighty monu¬
ment to the credit of the immortal Paine; theie is
Allen University, on the Atlantic slope, standing as a
monument to the credit and achievements of the im¬
mortal William Fisher Dickerson; there is Morris
Brown, in the Gate City of the South, in whose con¬
ception three mighty giants conspired, Turner, Gaines
and Grant; nevertheless she stands unequaled as an
educational institution in our Connection; there is
the Shorter University, in the southwest, standing
like a mighty lighthouse amid tempest and storm
furnishing headlight for the"travelers;" there is Waco,
in the Lone Star State of the South, standing as a wit¬
ness to the achievements of our Methodism, and which
must be added to the honored roll of our endeavors;
and last, Mr. President, but not least is Quindaro, the
product of an American giant in intellect, whose
to
SERMONS
ancestors were African kings. I refer to Dr. \V. T.
Vernon, your president, whose eloquence and brain
power have forced a recognition for our Church and
its educational interest in the great northwest, which
shall be lasting; the boys and girls of other times and
ages will rise up and sing the praises of this great
man
Sir. we are not weak, our achievements amid the
barriers and prejudices of this country are not the
work of weaklings; but the work of men—the men
against whom, American prejudice has thundered its
artillery by day and by night and till now, this hell-
born demon seems to have saturated, permeated and
ramified every square foot of land between the two
mighty oceans. Its boundaries seem interminable,
but sir, our struggle is one of righteousness, our cause
is a just one and under God, we shall triumph. Be¬
sides sir, let me remind these students, that they are
not to fight their battles alone; there is a just God,
who presides over the destinies of all nations, families,
and individuals, who fight the battles of the righteous
and in whose hands our every interest, if we are right,
shall be safe.
Some have seen fit to deal in the illusions of handi¬
craft for the solution of the problem, whose axiom is
in the brain. That they are aversed to the well beaten
path marked out by great men of all the centuries can¬
not be doubted by a sane man, but see the acknowledge¬
ment, when we are told, that we must turn our at¬
tention to handicraft exclusively; we acknowledge
our inability to cope with others, in the intellectual
arena, which we submit is not the fact, but that man-
AND ADDRESSES
ii
kind is a unit, the specie of one great genus, differ¬
ing in customs, in institutions and in languages.
"That out of one blood, God created all nations to
dwell upon all of the face of the earth." And the
differences which appear in customs, in institutions,
and in languages, are due to the development of the
intellect. We must agree here, as is attested by all of
the ages, that thought power is the greatest power
known to man, that the thinking men constitute the
fulcrum, the lever of which, *ias brought men from
the muddy depths of barbarism, of superstition, of
idolatry and ignorance to the marvelous light of our
Christian civilization. The beneficiaries of our age
and of our time and of our kin, if you please, are the
thinking men, they have given us our Mammoth
structures, they have given us our gorgeous palaces,
they have given us our systems of railroads and they
have climbed the rugged hill of the scientific achieve¬
ments of today—stood aloft upon the dizzy apex of
learning and caught the forked lightning, hitched it
to their chariot wheels, their locomobiles, their auto-
mobilies, and made distant lands our next door neigh¬
bors by the use of the telegraph.
The boys and girls, who go forth from our uni¬
versities.and colleges must enter this contest, like
men and women, enter it feeling equal to the task,
and with a desperate effort to outstrip in the race.
Climb, if you please, to the highest height, discover
another planet, because there are millions yet playing
in the vista, beyond the sweep of the strongest tele¬
scope. Construct a stronger spectrum, enter your
chemical laboratory, discover othe " ingredients that
12
SERMONS
will give more vision, and then sweep out in space,
excel in thought, and tell the other thinkers to follow
your wake. The work of man is not done and will
not be done, until the kingdoms of this world become
the kingdoms of our God and his Christ. The imper¬
fections of man must be replaced by the perfections
idealed after the man of Nazareth.
J ho ug/its on the J2)y///y
(Bentury.
3)eliuened before young ^M-en s (Bhristian •Asso¬
ciation, Qo/umbici, s. e.
We stand away out in the evening of the nineteenth
century watching the fast falling shade ws of an epoch
which marks, perhaps, the greatest achievements of
the human family, in the same period of time either
in the Church or State.
We have seen the dissipation of the most formida¬
ble evil known to man—"The Institution Of Slav¬
ery," which will send its dire influence far into the
twentieth century, indeed, if not a menace to its en¬
tirety. Truly God has wrought wonders through
Christian education, for we have prospered just in
proportion as we have accepted God in the manage¬
ment of our affairs.
We could have made greater strides and longer
bounds in this Southland of ours, if the principles
above mentioned had been adopted as our rule. For
we must confess with shame that we have not pros¬
pered in proportion to our resources, and there must
be some cause.
The thoughtful men of today,properly I think,say it
lies in the fact that only one class of our fellow citizens
have done the labor; hence, there was no thought put
into the machinery of labor to lighten its burdens. The
13
14
SERMONS
North, on the other hand, because of the burdens of
labor has contrived all kinds of machinery, thereb}*,
out-stripping the South in the amelioration of man¬
kind.
Standing upon the advanced heights of the twen¬
tieth century, and with the searchlight of the accu¬
mulated wisdom of the same, we can see the great dif¬
ference in the achievements of the two sections.
This alone has caused the South to double her ener¬
gy and put spur and whip to neglected opportunities
and spring forward for the goal. To this end, capi¬
tal and labor must be united in the race. That the
Negro is a factor cannot be gainsayed, for the histo¬
ry of this nation will not and cannot be complete
without the Negro as a laborer, especially in this
Southland. With this fact already sealed with the
closing of the nineteenth century, we hasten to la)-
plans today for our operations in other fields where
the intellect of mankind is already at work, and to
share in the accomplishments of inventions of arts, of
science and of the full consummation of the fruits
of the Christian religion. For Christianity carries
with it the genius of invention, of art, of science
and the love of the sublime and beautiful.
This of itself, with the observance of the ethical rules
which Christ laid down in his Sermons on the Mount,
which fix the relation of man to God, man to him¬
self, man to his neighbor and man to his country,
make us the most prosperous people in the world.
These are the things which Christianity, with the
evolution of time, has developed and carried into ef¬
fect. And I repeat that the world is being blessed in
proportion as these rules are kept.
AND ADDRESSES
15
God's Kingdom must and will come, and it must
come through the agency of man. So God will over¬
turn and overturn it until whose right it is to reign,
it shall be. The climax of the century was reached
when Abraham Lincoln wrote the Proclamation—
immortal—which emancipated four millions of slaves.
That the proclamation is the result of Christian ed¬
ucation is not questioned and with its onward march
the ignorance of the relation of man to man wall be
dissipated. The ignominious crimes now committed
under the false cry of rape will be reckoned writh the
age of barbarity when reason shall have regained her
throne and the strong arm of the law shall be admin¬
istered according to the degree of crime, and not ac¬
cording to the color of the skin.
I say, Christian and industrial education will stead¬
ily perform the purpose for which God has designed
them. Already the effects are telling in the econom¬
ic, religious and social worlds.
An educated and industrious race cannot and will
not be kept back. The leaven is in the barrel and
will surely permeate it. The work must go on, for
God is in it and He cannot fail. At the opening of
the nineteenth century, there was not a Negro col¬
lege in all this broad land of ours, but now they dot
the Continent from Maine to the gulf and from ocean
to ocean.
Indeed, the emancipation of the slaves gave them
an opportunity to show that they are men; that they
possess capabilities in common with the races of man¬
kind: where once stood auction blocks upon which
they were sold as chattels, now stand schoolhouses
i6
SERMONS
and churches: where once stood the overseers accom¬
panied by their bloodhounds, now stand the preacher
and the school teacher.
The old institution of immorality, forced upon us
by silvery is fast giving place to the martial ceremony
under the searchlight of Christianity.lt may be proper
to state here, that I have not called attention to the
above in order to incite prejudice, but merely as a
matter of history and to show the depth of depravity
to which the human mind is capable of going. These
depths show also the great height to which we have
risen and that the beclouded footprints of misery
and woe which lie along the pathway, should be
the signboard to urge us forward in the great con¬
flict for righteousness.
The Negro race is quietly coming to its senses
though, as yet, it is like the nestling bird whose
feathers are not grown out. With his nest hung up¬
on some crag, he creeps to its edge, peeps over the
precipice and with the consciousness of his inability
to fly, he crouches back and awaits the development
of his strength. So it is with the Negro. He is con¬
scious of his rights but like the bird, he awaits the
development of his strength. Knowing this, as ev¬
ery intelligent man must, we have gotten about the
great work of educating our race and the acquire¬
ment of property which are the two factors of strength
so much needed among us.
Already, we have wiped out forty-five per cent of our
illiteracy and buried it with the dying century and
have laid a foundation upon which we can build with
the growing and ever expanding environments.
AND ADDRESSES
17
Looking backward from this hour, we see how Christ's
Kingdom has grown. If we should consult the reli¬
gious Encylopedias, we would find that in the sixty
seven years, between the ascension and the end of
the first century, the number of Christians in¬
creased from five hundred to five million. In 1800,
there were two hundred million Christians in the
world: today there are five hundred million. At the
beginning of this century,Christian nations controlled
one third of the human race: today Christian nations
control three-fifths of the human race, govern four-
fifths of the land of the world and own nine tenths
of its wealth.
The Bible, having been printed in three hundred
and fifty languages, serves as the great fulcrum which
has brought about such results. In eighteen hun¬
dred, there was one church member to every four¬
teen of our population; now there is one to every
four.
At the beginning of the century, there was one
church for every one thousand eight hundred inhabi¬
tants; now, there is one for every four hundred. It
is estimated that there are about sixty million Chris¬
tians in the United States, leaving about three and a
third non-christians to every one million Christians.
So, it can be clearly seen, that God's kingdom is
coming.
The Church is at work in a telling way; Christian
civilization is steadily marching on, and soon section¬
al caste prejudice will have been buried beneath her
firm steps, and man, everywhere, will acknowledge
the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man.
i8
SERMONS
Indeed, we have much to be proud of for the seem¬
ingly insurmountable difficulties through which God
has brought us. When we glance backward and
count the many blessings of which we are the recipi¬
ents, we are puzzled, for everywhere we see the great
changes wrought in our favor, or in the favor of hu¬
manity.
Today, we enjoy that distinction of citizenship in
common with the nations of the world. Though
there may b e some abridgment practiced by the
more ignorant of the other race, by faith, however,
we can see the great culminating point from which
the radiating influence of the cross of Christ will
shine in every land and in every heart, permeating
and ramifying the entire nature of man regardless
of creed. There shall be one common altar at which
one family will bow—the family of the living God.
In this family the children shall form the major part
and exultantly sing as they march through those
streets.
"Hallelujah! tis done, Ibelieveon the Son,
I am saved by the blood of the Crucified One."
That portion of the Scripture which says, "God was
in Christ working out his purposes before the world
was," is substantially verified in history, both sacred
and profane. God's purpose in giving his Son to die
for a reprobate world is clearly the beginning of the
redemption of the world, despite the inventions and
the intersections of mankind, promoted by the innate
principles inculcated by the fall. This nature is the
bonus upon which the enemies of the cross, and the
AND ADDRESSES
19
cause of righteousness get their stimulus. The war-
faie is on—the conflict is waging still. The more en¬
lightened the forces, the fiercer the conflict, but be
not discouraged. The armies of God are on the as¬
cendency, the signs everywhere point to this fact.
When we turn to the pages of sacred history we
have the words of the Prophet Daniel, "And he shall
speak great words against the Most High and think
to change time and laws: and they shall be given into
his hands until a time and times and the dividing of
time. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall
take away his dominion to consume and to destroy it
until the end. And the kingdom and dominion and
the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven
shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most
High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and
all dominions shall serve and obey Him."
When we turn to profane history—the footprints
of mankind—we have but to cite the short-lived pow¬
ers which in turn have commanded the attention of
the world. Egypt, under the Pharaohs, may be first
jientioned, whose history is known to every school
boy and whose fate is as significantly known.
The fall of Apollo, Thebes and the overthrow of
the priesthood by Cambyses were the signal for her
declining glory; and although her matchless art may
still defy competition,yet Egypt is numbered with the
dead past.
Babylon and Assyria are the next to claim a part
among the powers of the world, Babylon noted for
her many manufactories, Assyria distinguished only
20
SERMONS
for her despotism and idolatry. The Sun, Moon and
Stars were their deified mortals to whom they ascrib¬
ed an imaginary connection with the celestial illumi-
naries, whose supreme deity was Baal.
It is useless to say that the dual kingdom of Baby¬
lon and Assyria reached a height in mercantile and
political greatness seldom equalled by ancient powers.
Asia Minor, Phoenicia and Syria may claim a part of
our notice, but we pass rapidly on to the great king¬
dom of Persia which is noted in history for having
produced the largest army of the world. Xerxes, its
general, was made famous by forcing the path of
Thermopylae and I^eonidas claims our mention for his
fidelity to the cause of his country's freedom.
Persia too, sleeps in the graveyard of the past.
Carthage claims our notice for her warlike disposition
and the distinction of her great Hannibal, who was
sworn at the altar while a babe to avenge his Roman
allies. We come next to Greece, the most celebrated
country of antiquity. Athens, her capital, is the
cradle of art, science and Grecian literature, though
famous for Pagan and idolatrous worship. It is here
where we get our ancient philosophers, our poets and
law makers: it is here where we resorted to consult
the Delphi and the sacred oracles. Trulyitcanbe
said, that Greece stood above all others in the ancient
arts and sciences and even in poetry and heathen lit¬
erature. With all of this she followed the wake of
her predecessors and is buried beneath the footprints
of Christian civilization. Rome, the last of the
ancient powers to claim our attention, is noted only
AND ADDRESSES
21
for her skill in the tactics of war, and in this particu¬
lar, possibly she was unequalled. She enjoyed four
hundred years of unrivaled glory, but like the others,
she ignored human rights: the stronger oppressed the
weaker: their religion was at variance with the teach¬
ings of the prophets and in direct opposition to the
teachings of Christ. Caesar, although the greatest
monarch the world has ever known, had to yield be¬
fore the growing sentiment of Christianity.
With the decline o f the Caesars, Rome, proud
though she was, went down like an Alpine avalanche.
So with the rest and so with the others; all kingdoms,
dynasties, sovereigns and powers must come to naught
without the principles taught by our blessed Lord and
Master on the Mount of Beatitudes. The principals of
righteousness, regardless of nations, creeds or indi¬
viduals, are becoming stronger. Knowledge is abroad
in the land and'witli the spread of knowledge, con¬
science becomes enlightened, and knows and assumes
its responsibilities. Individuality is made prominent
just in proportion as the country becomes religious¬
ly enlightened.
The common rights of mankind should be taught
in all schools, preached from all pulpits; for the de¬
nial of a right is no reason why that right should not
be known. Let every race vigorously maintain and
vigilantly watch every right common to the human
family,and any pedagogue who teaches to the contrary
is false to himself and false to his race. We note here
the sad fact of the abridgment of the "American
Constitution" so far forth as it relates to her colored
fellow citizens.
22
SERMONS
This state of affairs cannot long exist, for it is a
well founded principle, conceded by the best states¬
men of this country, and, as far as that is concerned,
by all the statesmen of the civilized world, that no
government can exist long with part of her citizens
slaves and the other part free. For certainly the
American Negro is serving a bondage, now more bar¬
barous and dire in its effect than the slavery of ante-bel¬
lum days—his total-disfranchisement and proscription
in public carriers, the curse of the Jim crow car and
the humiliations in general which are heaped upon us.
These things, however, serve to sharpen ambition
and spur the race forward. If you want an enlight¬
ened man to think,shut him up in prison, then his in¬
ventive knowledge is putin action and,ere long,it will
think its way out. L,et us not imagine that the boys
and the girls of the race have abandoned the field of
competition, for if we have, sirs, we deceive our¬
selves.
Education does for the Negro just exactly what it
does for the whites, and time will tell it. The thing
to do is to prepare the boys and the girls for all the
walks of life, let it be in medicine, law,theology,farm¬
ing or in politics—such vocations are common to the
American people. But, you say, for a Negro to go
into politics invites the prejudice of our white broth¬
er against us. Well, suppose it does? Then I in¬
quire, "Into what walks of life has the Negro enter¬
ed and found no prejudice?" If we turn to the cot-
ten mills, we find him shut out: if we turn to me¬
chanics, we find him shut out,especially in the North: if
we go to the coal mines we find him shutout and even
AND ADDRESSES
23
killed for attempting to enter: if we go to the practice
of law, we are hissed at. We have even been driven from
the farmlands of the South for no other reason than for
making a decent living. The fact is a black human be¬
ing is unpopular in this country, north and south, made
so by the menial position which the Negro has held
ever siuce he has been in this country. And, in my
opinion, the only thing to raise us is to enter into
and show proficienc}' in all the walks of life.
If we be American citizens, why not ask the privi¬
leges of an American citizen? This is only a part of
the new conditions which we must meet. Then let
us meet them like men. It is the shattered front that
we present which keeps us back. Let us unite and
work for the common rights of an American citizen,
peacefully and manfully, intelligently and prudently,
remembering that we have had a 1. ard schoolmaster
and that we shall be punished for the slighest mis¬
take. But let us stand by the principles of the
Christian religion, and practice, not hatred, but the
virtues of self-denial, kindness and brotherly love.
For the true mission of nations, as of men is, to
promote righteousness on earth; to learn that confer¬
ring liberty is wiser than making gain; that love is
more elevating than hatred: that peace is nobler than
war; that the humblest human life is sacred; that the
humblest human right should be respected. When
this is done, then shall our feet be in the way which
leads to the sunlit summits of the Olive Mountains,
and taking abundant care that every human creature
beneath her starry flag, of every color and condition,
is as secure of liberty, of justice, and of peace as in
24
SERMONS
the Republic of God, then "the wolf shall dwell with
the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
and the calf and the young lion and the fatling to¬
gether: and a little child shall lead them."
^Atan yVanted.
3)eliuenecl before the Q. of •~At,eharry
•mAi.edieal Qollege, ^January 1, 1905.
In this age of business activity, where men in all
sections of the world are competing for the master}-,
in the midst of varying opinions upon the subjects
and questions of today, it seems that self interest has
narrowed the scope of thought and clogged the great
fountain of universal truth.
This fact is apparent when we compare ancient
with modern history. The great universal truth dis¬
covered by the men of antiquity, seems to stand out
irrevocably bright; and upon these is based our mod¬
ern contention. Each section, nation, or creed is
seeking not to lend light to this great fountain of
truth, but to warp that truth and make it the cham¬
pion of his own selfish ends.
When we think of Socrates and Plato, of Sir Isaac
Newton and Aristotle, of Gallileo and Benjamin
Franklin, we ask, cannot a greater than these arise?
Though centuries mark their dead past, they live to¬
day in history because of the place they made by
thought-power, giving to the world its foundation ax¬
iom, from which we have never departed. It cannot
be argued that there are not greater heights to reach
(25)
26
SERMONS
by thought-power; but we need a man; "A Man
Wanted," who shall be able to take the truths as dis¬
covered by these great minds and make them the step¬
ping stones to higher ideals and loftier things.
A man divested of prejudice, either nationally,
racially or theologically who seeks to advance the one
great end: Truth. For may it not be asserted that
all sciences and philosophies are unquestionably cor¬
related and are parts of a whole, and may be termed
the mother—science,—chapters of one great volume,
the production of one great order.
"What is wanted therefore, says one, is a periodic
drift or a class of investigators, or au individual of
some class who has breath sufficient to pass from
existing primers and spelling-books, to the manly
translation of the universal volume. There is needed
a man who is liberal enough not to wage warfare
against either theologian, scientist or philosopher, at
least whenever with untiring industry, they are found
searching for the cause, course, or reason of things,
whether exploring the earth, or analyzing the stars,
or studying the motions or motives governing human
conduct.
. A man who is liberal enough to heartily thank all
these smiths as they come up from the murke}' depths
below, dowrn from the dizzy and perilous heights
above, or back from the broad expanse of either—
sometimes pale and trembling with the excitement of
their stupendous discoveries, each casting into the
lap of truth his supplies of curiosities." faultlessly
classified and legibly labeled; then hastily, as with
the instinct of bees, they return for fresh materials.
AND ADDRESSES
27
Verily the world is waiting for a man with such
broad, generous and comprehensive views as will en¬
able him to stand just a trifle above all the special¬
ists of all the schools, and of all the ages, and, who
with folded arms can walk calmly backward and forth
among all treasures of all knowledge, scanning every¬
thing closely and comparing impartially, until upon
his royal soul shall dawn, though in silent majesty,
a conclusion, the eternal Truth of God.
We assume that there are four great text books
from which to collect truths; namely: matter, mind,
history, and the Bible. "The man wanted" must
take these four books, suppressing his own inclina¬
tion, and seek from them the design of their Creator.
First, we have matter; we are told that out of the
dust of the earth God made man, not a white man,
not a black man, not a red man or a brown man ;
but a man. We have said that the "man wanted, "
must seek first the designs of our Creator when
he created the earth. If out of the earth we were
made, let this master mind tell us if he can, by the
correlation of the fact surrounding this creation,
whether are not it is the ultimate design of God to
create such a being as man, out of the dust of the
earth. He must inquire further from the same facts,
correlated as they are, whether or not God intended
that such a being should be responsible for his own
act. He must go still further, and find out whether
under the existing law, or the development of our
moral code that such a being is to contribute to his
own happiness and to the glory of his Maker. If
such a conclusion is reached, then I say, the individ-
38
SERMONS
ual who stands in the way is a sinner, and his way is
hard.
The thinking man must conclude that the schools
which used to train the minds of the youths to think
and to think deeply, have been converted into cen¬
ters of sentimentalism which have grown popular
with the flight of years, and today, instead of seeking
to develop the great truths taught by nature, they
seek to create and develop sentiment. The evils for
which the world now suffers, are not the result of
thought and investigation; but the result of some
fancied scheme, narrow in its conception and personal
in its nature.
"A man wanted" who will bare his bosom to the
gale of popular sentiment, and with the mighty
weapon of truth, shorn of an)' prejudice, either to
matter, mind, history or the Bible, and fight the evils
which are now sapping the vitals of human existence.
Can this age produce such a man, or shall we be forc¬
ed to go back to the sages of the past and from their
sacred dust, imbibe the spirit of greatness, of thought
and of investigation, or shall we look forward to the
shams which we now call universities and colleges,
for a man? This question, my friends, is a serious
one, serious only however, to the thinking man or
woman, and upon it the issues of today hinge.
It involves the question of our further development,
both intellectually and morally. Have we reached
the acme of human development? It may be that
we have if God is left out of all of our dealings and
doings, and it seems that he is left out of all the do¬
main of human research.
AND ADDRESSES
29
When we study the curricula of the great "Univer¬
sities of the day, and their product? for the past cen¬
tury, we see that they have failed to give us a single
man that measures up to those of the preceding cen¬
tury, or the men named in this argument. There must
be some reason for this failure, and we assign it to
selfishness, born of ignorance, fostered and fanned by
selfish aggrandizement. But, if we stand upon the
highest attainable eminence of a human being, then
man is unable to do the work, which has been plain¬
ly left for him to do; for as yet, God's kingdom is
not established in the hearts of men, universally.
The lion and the lamb do not lie down together,
nor, does the babe play over the hole of the asp. "A
man wanted;" we have had our Luther, our Wesley,
our Allen, and we have had our Payne. These men
seem to haverisen above themselves and soared into a
realm, unhaunted by human ghosts or defiled by the
prejudice of their existences; but wrapped in the ef¬
fulgence of God's glory, illumined by inspiration, and
wrought effectively for the generations which fol¬
lowed.
The requirement of the age shows that there lived
before us a set of men who were superior to us, and
that they have set a standard, which to us, is de¬
manding an acquirement constituting an individual
effort on the part of professors and students alike,
which is the service due the world and the age in
which we live.
Charles Wesley wrote more.wisely than he knew,
when he wrote the following inspired lines-
3°
SERMONS
"To serve the present age,
My calling to fulfil,
O may it all my powers engage,
To do my Master's will."
'To paraphrase, would read: I am called to'engage
all of my powers to serve the age in which I live;
which is the will of the Blessed Heavenly Master.
Upon entering the gateway to the palace of Lord
Rosebury, we find an arch 011 which is written: "En¬
gland expects every man to do his duty." Duty my
young friends, is the noblest word in our language.
Auy thing less is a criminal neglect; first of self, for in¬
capacity to do full duty to the age in which you live,
second, incapacity to do duty to the God who made
you; third, incapacity to do duty to your country;
and, fourth, incapacity to do duty to your fellow
creatures. We have said that such a neglect is crim¬
inal; but we now add, culpable.
"A man wanted" in every profession—a full-fledg¬
ed, competent man void of all the prejudice which
characterize the age in which we live, and the pro¬
fessions which are traduced by ignorance and the
want of thorough preparation.
Let me urge that \ye seek to measure up to every
requirement of the age in which we live. Think of
the multiplied millions whose lives shall be contin¬
gent upon your ability to do duty in the profession
which you seek to master and administer.
In my mind, there are three professions which to us
are of paramount importance: Theology, Law, and
Medicine. The minister must stand at the gateway
of eternal bliss with all the preparedness of an angel
AND ADDRESSES
3i
—did I say of an angel? Yea, more than an angel,
to point men to God and to heaven, and woe be unto
him who is unable to do the duty which is required
of him. Do you wonder then, when I say that in¬
capacity. in such a position is criminal? The inquir¬
er after truth, at such an important point, must be
correctly answered, or the blood of the inquirer is re¬
quired at his hands.
The lawyer must stand at the bar between his client
and all of the intricacies of the law, with all of the
didactical incumbent upon him to meet his equally
prepared competitor on the other side, the two sift¬
ing every phase of evidence, may arrive at the true
motive involved, constituting the cause.
The doctor prepared to do duty, is of all men, the
man; in the crucial moment when one's life seems to
hang upon a single thread. He must know what to
do and what to "don't," his diagnosis must be accu¬
rate and his medicines perfect. All is lost if he
should not be able to do duty. Just think,, if you
please, of a family bereft of its loved one, and, per-
adventure, a soul hurled into eternity, not prepar¬
ed. Has that doctor committed a crime? The an¬
swer is easy.
Iyift up your eyes, lift up your hearts and lift up
your ideals if you can, and come and walk with me
amidst untainted roses of the Paradise in which God
placed man in the morning of his creation. Imbibe
if you can the perfection of the Christ who knew no
guile, and fresh from such an inspiration go down
to your post of duty and then battle for the good of
SERMONS
your kind; until, from you, from each of you, shall
flow a healing stream which shall make glad the
people among whom you may live.
«lJrut/i.
^Delivered Before the Cfaculty and Students of
•^yftten 'd.nivensity.
In an age like ours, where from the fingers of all
creation is to be seen the philosophy of truth, hang¬
ing from all that is, and the science of her teach¬
ing is the immortality of the soul. It was because of
this fact that one has said : Learn the danger of in¬
tellect and civilization separated from religion, the
downward progress of sin, and the necessity, in these
days of science and mechanical invention of steadfast¬
ly fearing and maintaining public worship. It is at¬
tested by history that the nations or individuals who
have adhered to these mighty canons of truth have
survived the wreck of matter, the force of shot and
shell, the ingenuity and skill of even Greece herself,
for it was here where Socrates, in historic and classic
Athens, taught the world to think. But Greece did
not profit by this learned philosopher, she did not
study herself and hence did not know herself, so she
went with the rest and the others of her kind to the
graveyard of the past.
Mr. President, Members of the faculty, Ladies and
Gentlemen and Members of the class of 1905, we come
today to give you our last lesson in the way of marking
(33)
34
SERMONS
out to you the pathway which leads to success,—hap¬
piness in this world and eternal life in the world to come.
You have outstripped in the literary race which the
board of Trustees and faculty have assigned you, and
as a further.token of our approbation we ciown you
with the laurels of success by presenting to each of
you the truth upon which, if you build : the gates of
hell shall not prevail against you. As a basis for
this argument, we invite you to consider'with us the
following words as a text : Sanctify them through
thy truth : thy word is truth. St. John 17:17.
Sublime indeed are the words of this text. They
are living words and when read ; if read thoughtfully, a
bolt of conviction penetrates the soul and the responsi¬
bility of life looms before us for the first time. We
would ask the students to read in connection with this
text the following verse : " And this is life eternal,
that they might know thee the only true God, and
Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent."
We notice first, that our ability to work as disci¬
ples, is conditioned upon our knowledge of the truth.
And second, the agencies at our command with which
to work.
Sanctify them through the truth or in the truth.
But you may ask what is truth ? To this question I
would refer you to St. John 14:6. " I am the way, the
truth, and the life." In St. John 8:32, we read, "And
ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall tnakej'ou
free."
Civilization is a fruit of education, and Christian
civilization is the fruit of Christian education. Chris¬
tian education then is one ot the means with
AND ADDRESSES
35
which the human family is endowed to accomplish
the work of human salvation. We assert, then, that
education is protection, it is the strongest weapon
known to man, in or out of the home. We must have
a knowledge first of our duty to our God, and second,
our duty to our fellows and third our duty to ourselves
and our homes.
The philosopny of Socrates, " Know thyself," is
the philosophy of the age, or at least the theory upon
which this text hinges, and it is the thought which
has come down through the ages with the develop¬
ment of man. Know yourself, and then what is not
"self" to a mathematical certainty. Allofthismay
be done and then you are poorly supplied without the
knowledge of Christ.
Socrates, Pericles, Plato and Aristotle, with a long
line of others boasted that they had the truth ; but
Jesus Christ said " I am the truth," so that the truth
and Christ are identical. In the morning of creation,
in the Alpha, if you please, was this truth tor all
E FERNITY.
If you have mastered the curriculum of your Alma
Mater, in getting hold of that truth, which connects
you with God in the Alpha, we are here to tell you that
your circuit is not made until you reach the Omega.
You are now to study God as he isconnected with men
and things. You must see him in the formation of a
snowflake and in the fall of a sparrow. You must
see him wrapped in the dew drops of the morning and
in the maddened waters of the Atlantic, whether in
the noonday calm or amidst the howling cyclone. The
point is, God rules and we must know it.
36
SERMONS
The real state of things is that with which only, we
have any concern, and with this, our concern is infi¬
nite. In this present world, so far as the present world
is concerned, our whole interest is involved in the
real state of ourselves, our business, and the subjects
of it, our families, our country and mankind.
The collection of truths which we receive concerning
these and other subjects is what is called knowledge—
our guide to all that conduct, which may be consid¬
ered useful to us, and our security against that which
may be noxious.
The truth, that bread is wholesome food enables
us to eat it with safety. A falsehood in this case
might lead us to swallow poison. A knowledge of
the true state of our farms and of agriculture enables
us to cultivate our farms with profit. A knowledge
of the real state of the market enables us to trade with
safety and success. A knowledge of the real charac¬
ter of men enables us to choose those who will be our
real friends, and secures us from inviting to our friend¬
ship, base and treacherous men. Misapprehension
in these respects would ruin both ourselves and our
business. No man ever dreamed that his interest lay
in the region of fiction, or that his sober correspond¬
ence should be carried on with fairies. But the man
who embraces falsehood and is governed by it, places
his interest so far in a world equally visionary and
corresponds not with real beings, but with crea¬
tures of fancy. As happiness can never come to us
from the region of fiction, or their imaginary inhab¬
itants, so happiness never sprang nor ever will spring
AND ADDRESSES
37
from false views of the real world and its real inhab¬
itants.
Our only connection with these objects is through
the medium of truth, or the knowledge of their real
state. Truth is in itself a rich source of enjoyment.
It never condemns, it always approves. The actual
state of things which God has made, in every respect
is more beautiful, glorious and desirable than any
which the mind can imagine. Kvery one who under¬
stands the modes in which the mind is actively em¬
ployed in forming complex ideas, whether of the in¬
tellect or of the imagination, knows that all such ideas
are made out of those received from objects really ex¬
isting. These it can compound and compare, but can
add to them nothing but what has already been per¬
ceived.
New beauty, new sublimity, ard loveliness it can
form only by bringing together new union. The per¬
ceptions of beauty, sublimity and loveliness which it
has derived, either from the actual state of things or
from the revelations in objects formed by fancy; there¬
fore, there can be nothing in degree more sublime,
beautiful or lovely than that which it has already re¬
ceived.
In conformity to these observations, no object was
ever described by pen of man, so as to make the in¬
spiration of sublimity equal with the object itself. No
images in human writings were ever so sublime as
those of inspiration. No character formed by the im¬
agination was ever to be compared with that of Christ.
Jacob spoke of the lion whelp being crouched in
38
SERMONS
Judah ; but John standing amidst the roaring sea upon
the Isle of Patmos wrapped in a vision of glory cried :
" Behold the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of
David, hath prevailed to open the book and to loose
the seven seals thereof." They sung a new song say¬
ing thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the
seals thereof; for thou wast slain and hast redeemed
us to God by the blood, out of every kindred and
tongue, and people and nation ; I beheld, and I heard
the voice of many angels round and about the throne
and the beasts and the elders : and the number of them
was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands
of thousands ; saying with a loud voice, worthy is the
Lamb that was slain to receive power, riches, and
wisdom, and strength, andhonor, and glory and bless¬
ing.
Now may I not draw on my imagination as we walk
amidst the perfectabilities of a deduction so clear un¬
til it fills my soul with the holy fire of Gospel grace,
because of the beaut)' of the truth which it contains
and, that so great a height could not be attained if
we had not first known the truth.
When we speak of the actual state of things which
God has made,as in every respect more beautiful, glori¬
ous and desirable than any which the mind can imag¬
ine, we mean the whole state of things. The universe
is a single system. Everything belonging to it is a
necessary and proper part of the system ; such a part
as infinite wisdom thought it best to make and there¬
fore, as such is to be more desired than anything else in
its place. The whole matter taken together is a per¬
fect system, the result of the perfect views of the all
AND ADDRESSES
39
perfect mind. In such a sense, it is perfect, that it
is truly said " Jehovah shall rejoice in His works,"
because all united, are5 such as to accomplish to the
utmost the good pleasure of his boundless wisdom.
Every atom of matter, animate or inanimate, every
passing breeze, every flying cloud, every streak, and
bolt of lightning, every drop of rain and every storm,
whether it be in the form of a cyclone or tornado,
every natural and physical law conspires and com¬
bines to carry out the purposes of God. The truth
concerning this system, or the knowledge of its real
state, will forever delight, as well as, enlarge the
minds of virtuous and immortal beings.
The character of God ; the mediation of the Re¬
deemer ; the agency of the Divine Spirit; the dispen¬
sation of infinite mercy ; the restoration of sinners
to virtue and happiness ; the confirmation of all things,
the blessing of immortality ; the glory of Heaven ;
and the future union of sanctified minds in that de¬
lightful world !
Leave out of sight and out of remembrance all the
creations of poetry ; all the splendid excursions of
imagination. Into these things the angels desire to
look. All those whose min. s are attuned to the dis¬
position of angels love to follow them in this divine
employment. Nay, God himself regards this com¬
bination of wonderful objects as a glorious picture and
an illustrious emanation of His own wisdom, which
He beholds forever with the smiles of infinite com¬
placency. That great division of truth which is called
moral or evangelical truth, is, in an important sense,
the foundation of all virtue.
4°
SERMONS
" Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is
truth," said our Saviour in his intercessory prayer.
" Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth,"
(Jas. 1:18.) " The truth," said Christ to the Jews,
" shall make you free." From these declarations, it
is completely evident that the evangelical truth is a
mighty change in the human soul, by which the strong
language according to the Scriptures, it is turned from
darkness into light, and from the power of Satan unto
God. " The law of the L,ord," says David, " is per¬
fect, converting the soul." But the law of God is
nothing but truth, communicated in the percep¬
tive form. All its influence on the soul is derived from
this fact; and were it not conformed to truth, or in
other words, were it founded on falsehood, its moral
influence would be annihilated.
But moral truth is not merely a rule to teach us
what virtue is, and to guide us ultimately to this
glorious attainment. To discern it with the under¬
standing, and to welcome it to the heart, is virtue it¬
self, as existing in the soul, and when carried into
action, conformed also to its dictates which is includ¬
ed in the name of virtue. In other words, virtue is
nothing but voluntary obedience to truth; while error,
on the contrary, is the foundation of all iniquity. It
leads the soul away from duty, from virtue, salvation
and God. To the divine kingdom, it is only hostile;
to the reformation and happiness of man, itis ruinous;
it promotes no cause but that of Satan ; it forms no
character but that of sin. Without truth, therefore,
we could scarcely know anything concerning the pres¬
ent world ; so it is plain, we would know nothing of
AND ADDRESSES
4i
the world to come. Of God, of duty, of virtue, and
of immortality we could not form a single idea. Nor
Could we without manifest impropriety, be styled
rational beings. Such knowledge must come by com¬
munication from God. All of which is contained in
the Scriptures, so that a study of the Scriptures is
necessary, since the knowledge gained therefrom must
come from the basis of that truth which is in us,
If mankind then is to rise to the great "moral
heights " to which he has been called by his very na¬
ture, he must make truth the soil out of which to grow
greatness, Truth is that secret in one's life by which
he forces himself ahead, and invites for himself the
admiration of the world.
We therefore, present you with thi priceless legacy;
take it and obey is mandates, and your life will be a
success. Hear what David says in Psalm 119, " Thy
righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Thy
law is the truth. Thou art near, O Lord, and all thy
commandments are truth." Upon this truth the
heavens and earth have stood through the cycle of
unknown ages, upon it time shall be transferred to
eternity, and the computing dial plates of the ages
shall wind up into Christ.
To know God begets confidence in his ability to
save. We see his footsteps everywhere, the firmament
shows his handiwork, and night unto night showeth
knowledge. Then go out at midnight and stand be¬
neath tbe arches of His glory—study the twinkling
of His feye, get up in the morning and trace the dying
rays of a sublimity indescribaw~ • do this until you
are convinced of the fact that God is all and in all.
42
SERMONS
God's word and God's truth are one and the same—
twin sisters with the Father in the dawn of creation,
and anti-dating that period by being contemporaneous
with the notions of his omnipotence, ubiquity, and
omniscience, with his love, mercy and justice.
(2/irist the flight of tfie ^Yorld
'' In Him was life\ and the life was the light of men'
St. John 1:4.
This text was given us by St. John, whose work
as a writer distinguishes him in a very essential par¬
ticular from St, Matthew, St. Mark, and St. Luke.
We think that St. John outclasses them in point of
thought, as well as in the essentials which point to
Christ as the Redeemer of the world,
A careful study of the Gospel as recorded by St.
John, shows that he has made note of only six of the
Miracles wrought by Christ, and these mx are of deep
importance, and in a doctrinal way,connects us with
the great mission of His incarnation.
St. John opens to us a field of thought, on the
character and life of Christ, untouched and unincor¬
porated in the writings of the other three Gospel
writers, which leads us to the consideration of His
omnipotence—a sublimer theme and a loftier height.
We account for this on the grounds that St. John's
Gospel was last written, and being familiar with the
writings of St. Matthew, St. Mark and St. Luke, he
thought it unnecessary to lepeat what had already
been written.
The fact still remains however, that the style of
St. John's writings is superior, convincing us that
he made a closer study of the man, Christ Jesus,
seeking to know the utmost of Him, His works and
44
SERMONS
the real significance of His Mission. To this partic¬
ular fact, we invite the attention of those today,
who seek life through Him, and more especially those
who essay to explain the life of this great man to
others. For upon this Word hinges the life of the
teeming millions of Adam's race.
Imbued with this fact, John sat at the feet of the
Master, leaned on His bosom and studied His nature.
And, being intellectually prepared as well as natural¬
ly prepared, he became master of the situation. The
fact that he was intellectually prepared is perhaps
the reason why he was assigned the work of writing
the other three additional epistles.
We all read with admiration the book of Revela¬
tions, it discloses to us the heart of the writer, show¬
ing us his relationship with God as well as his ability
to write. In this latter work, he grew to sublime
heights, not yet understood by the ordinary reader.
Standing upon these heights he exclaimed: "Be¬
hold the lamb of God which taketh awa}7 the sins of
the world." In the 5th chapter of the same book,
and at the 5th verse, he exclaimed, speaking to the
weeping elders "Behold, thelyion of the tribe of Juda,
the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book,
and to loose the seven seals thereof."
What power and meekness is here combined? The
lamb and the lion—the offering and the consumer—
the meat and the eater. St. John introduces the sub¬
ject of redemption through Christ by the use of the
following sentences: "In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,and the Word was God."
AND ADDRESSES
45
Who but God can understand such sentences? Their
depth and height comprehend an area of thought un-
traversed by the human intellect. "In the beginning
was the Word," Before the world was, from all eter¬
nity was this word. He who is to God what man's
word is to himself, the manifestation or expression of
himself to those without him.
He is the expression of God incarnated, that is, he
is the incarnation—the medium through which God
practicalizes life and light. "In Him was life and
the life was the light of men." This text may be di¬
vided and discussed under two general heads:
First, Iyife; and
Second, I^ight.
At a glance it would seem that we should discuss
first, light and then life; but on a deeper considera¬
tion, we find that life existed before light. Such was
the order when God created the world. "In the be¬
ginning God created the Heaven and the earth, and
the earth was without forte and void and darkness
was upon the face of the deep, and the spirit of God
moved upon the water, and God said let there be
light and there was light."
So that it is conclusive that there was life before
there was light.
Before the sun went forth on His mission of light
or the moon and stars to follow at night, there was
life. In this thick darkness and consequent moral,
obliquity, the light of the Word shineth by all the
rays, whether of natural or revealed teaching, which
men apart from the incarnation of the Word or fav¬
ored with.
46
SERMONS
The light shineth in darkness and the darkness
comprehended it not. "In Him was life, life in the
Word—a vitalizing inexplicable entity, energizing
and setting in motion worlds, planets, stars, constella¬
tions, s}'3tems and suns. What a Word is this, for
with authority and power He commandeth th eunclean
spirits and they come out. It stands at the grave of
Lazareth, calls him forth from the dead, and cries to
his friends around him," "Loose him and let him go."
He speaks to the lame at the pool of Bethesda, who
had lain there for thirty and eight years, saying to
him:"Rise,take up thy bed and walk." He meets the
funeral procession at the gate of His home city, and
upon the bier lay the dead son of a widow, and with
the miracle of a resurrection, he changes the tears of
the procession into fountains of joy, while he went
on his way; giving life to all who sought him.
What a Word is this—the Word made flesh and
dwelt among men. In Him was life and the life was
the light of men. He was subjected to none of the
natural laws. At once the Master of all matter and
therefore, no physical law, was equal to his matchless
power. At Cana of Galilee, He turns water to wine,
feeds the multitude in the desert with two fish and
five loaves of bread,and walks upon the lake Gennes-
aret, holding the winds in His fist and crushing
the billowy waves.
Life; mineral life, animal life, spiritual life, all em¬
anates from this wonderful Word. The Word is the
source of all life, The text says: "In Him was life—
a wonderful Him—the Son of God, the Word made
flesh and dwelt among men.
AND ADDRESSES
47
' Life carries with it the idea of power. Wherever
there is life, there is motion, and wherever there is
motion there is power or force. We are told that
man was made of the dust of the earth and God
breathed in his nostrils the breath of life and he be¬
came a living soul. "For in him we live, and move
and have our being; as certain of your own po¬
ets have said, For we are also His offspring." (Acts
17:28.) "And he is before all things, and by him all
things consist. And he is the head of the body,
the church: who is the beginning, the first born from
the dead; that in all things he might have the pre¬
eminence. For it pleased the Father that in him
should all fulness- dwell; and, having made peace
through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile
all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they
be things in earth or things in heaven." (Col.
1:17-20.)
"That which was from the beginning, which we
have heard, which we have seen with oui eyes, which
we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of
the Word of life." For the life was manifested and
we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you
that eternal life, which i$ with the Father, and was
manifested unto us; That which we have seen and
heard declare we unto you, that you may also have
fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with
the Father, and with His son Jesus Christ. (I. John
1-2.)
We think that these quotations clear away every
doubt from the reasonable mind, as to the truthful¬
ness of this text, that back of the existence of all
48
SERMONS
matter, whether organized or unorganized, whether
in the shape of a heterogeneous particle of matter or
homogenous worlds. Thejr all were thrown into
motion by the Son of God, who in the morning of his
creation flung ajar the ubiquitous window of His eter¬
nity of life, and by whose power light accompanied
life in the pathway of His creation.
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
Light from God is the life of men, that is, man is, bj'
the knowledge and wisdom of God, that is, man is
brought from the dead by His son Jesus Christ, even
from the deadness of Adam's transgressions and mor¬
al darkness, Christ Jesus gives him light. "Where¬
fore he saith; Awake thou that sleepest. and arise from
the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." (Kph.
5:14 ) Thus He is the living Word, or as He is called
in St. John 1:1-4—the Word of life. The life, the
light of men—all that is in man which is true light—
knowledge, integrity, intelligence, willing subjection
to God, love to Him and to their fellow-creatures,
wisdom, purity, holy joy, rational happiness, all of
this "Is the light of men," has its fountain in the es¬
sential original "life" of the Word.
This then is the message which we have heard of
Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in
H'mis no darkness at all. If we say that we have fel¬
lowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and
do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as He is
in the light, we have fellowship one with the other,
and the blood of Jesus Christ His son cleanseth us
from all sin. (I. John 1:5-7.)
AND ADDRESSES
49
"For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light
shall we see light, saith David. (Psalms 36:9.) This,
light shineth in darkness, even in this dark fallen
world and mankind, sitting in darkness and in the
shadow of death, with no ability to find the way,
either of truth or of holiness.
This sad fact should force upon us the necessity of
Christ putting on human flesh, and make us see that
without it, man could not have been recovered from
such a condition.
"For after that in the wisdom of God, the world by
wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolish¬
ness of preaching to save them that believe." (I. Cor.
1:21.) It is acknowledged here that the office of the
Ministry is an important one, for by this holy calling
and the preaching of the word, God will save the
world. We are therefore, as embassadors of the
cross, to know the word that from us and through us
the light must shine, the light emanating from the
life of Christ, which is in us, the hope of eternal glory.
There was a man sent from God whose name was
John the same came for a witness, to bear witness of
the light, that all men through him might believe.
He was not that light, but sent to bear witness of that
light. That was the true light, which lighteth every
man that cometh into the world. (I.John 1:6-9.)
John the evangelist here approaches his grand the¬
sis, so paving his way for the full statement of it in
verse 14, which reads: and the Word was made flesh,
and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the
glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of
grace and truth.
5o
SERMONS
In this verse, the grand consummation of this argu¬
ment centers; with a knowledge of it, we can take in
its length, breadth, depth and height. John the
Baptist, declares that, he, John, was not that light,
but was sent to bear witness of that light.
What a testimony to John to have to explain that
he was not that light! but, was a foil, to set it off, his
night-taper, dwindling before the day-spring from on
high. The germ of life in Christ Jesus originates
with our knowledge of Him and light is contempo¬
raneous with the thought-knowledge. What we
mean is, when man begins to know that he knows,
then there are signs of intellectual life, and light fol¬
lows intellect, so that, where there is most intellect,
there is most light, or vice versa, wherever there is
most light there is most intellect, and we might add
most life, for there be those among us, who are liv¬
ing, I mean, existing, but are shut out from the glo¬
ries of the universe by virtue of ignorance and ina¬
bility and just in proportion as they know they shall
be known, eternal life is measured to us by our
knowledge of Christ, and in the crash of worlds and
the winding up of time when all men shall stand be¬
fore God, we shall receive our reward just in propor¬
tion as we know.
iJ/e (Dbject of K^tuchj
Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman
that needeth not be ashamed, tightly dividing the word
of truth.—II. Timothy 2:15. Theme, "Truth. "
It seems to be the one desire of the Apostle Paul to
transmit to his son Timothy the truth as discovered
by him by hard study and application, hence his com¬
mand.
It appears that this text was written when Paul was
in prison at Rome the second and last time and soon
to be offered as a martyr for the truth which he
preached. Hence his anxiety to have Timothy be¬
come a master workman ; and to become thus, he must
study.
So it is our purpose to discuss this subject under
three heads :
First, the necessity of study.
Second, the result of study.
Third, God's approbation of study,
The first thing that God made He clothed with in-
finty and shrouded it in mystery, saying 10 man,
'' study Light being the first thing that He created,
is still a subject for study and investigation.
Ivook at the matchless Son of God dipping omnip¬
otent fingers into the blazing particles of his own
glory and dashing light into the bosom of chaotic
darkness. Thus He gives us light to study ; first,
(5D
SERMONS
his creation and the beauties thereof; second, the
completeness of nature in all of her ramifications ;
third, the stupendous scheme of human salvation
The question might be asked here, "Why should
man be required thus to study?" We answer first
that we might know the power and capacity of that
God in whom we trust.
The more we know of God and his power, the more
faith we must have in his ability to save. This is
what made Paul strong and enabled him to stand be¬
fore Felix even in chains and to reason of temperance
and judgment to come.
This is why he tells us to study and show ourselves
approved unto God, a master workman rightly divid¬
ing the eternal word of truth. The question may
still be asked, what is it to study? I answer that it
is to apply the mind to subjects that are unknown to
you. This will give the needed information as well
as strengthen the mind, preparing it for the next object
of study. In short, the object of study is to prepare
one for life's work, be able to defend your doctrine.
Secondly, The result of study.—A man who stud¬
ies the Scriptures must become enlightened and the
man who is enlightened can enlighten others. An
enlightened man is to an ignorant man what the sun
is to darkness. He forces his light into the darkness,
of his fellows, for darkness must recede before light.
So it follows that, if the truth is left in the hands of
faithful, intelligent men, the result must be universal
enlightenment.
Now, my brethren, we are charged with thertspon-
AND ADDRESSES
53
sible duty of carrying this truth. Paul tells Timothy
to see that faithful men be given this responsibility
who shall be able to teach it to others and be sure to
addthisfact, that " the Gospel which I preached is that
Jesus Christ both died, rose and revived that He might
be Lord both of the dead and the living." The basic
principals of this truth are found in the four gospels.
We have a common name in Greek and Latin re¬
spectively ; Greek, Evangelion, in Latin, Evange-
lium, both of which mean the gospel of good tidings
of salvation through Jesus Christ. The first three
give a general view of our Lord's life and teachings,
and so are called "Synoptical." The fourth is sup¬
plementary and doctrinal.
They are not four gospels, but one gospel under
four aspects as presented to the minds of four differ¬
ent writers, supposed to have been prefigured by the
four cherubim seen by Ezekiel in his vision—Mat¬
thew as a man, Mark as a lion, Luke as an ox, John
as an eagle. The first emphasizes the historical im¬
port of the life of Christ; the second his royal dig¬
nity ; the third his sacrificial character; the fourth
his divinity.
Thus we learn the following fact which is good ti¬
dings through the blessed word of truth. Matthew
gives the human descent of our Lord from Abraham
tracing Him through forty-two generations, over a
period of nineteen hundred years. This of itself is
the strongest evidence of His being the promised seed
in whom all nations should be blessed.
54
SERMONS
Thus, Christ completes the Old Testament historj
and covenant. He is the one Antitype in whom al
has been fulfilled ; in Him the Old Testament passei
into the New; the prohibition of the law into th<
encouragement of the Gospel ; Sinai into the Moun
of Beatitudes ; the prophetic into the teaching office
priesthood into redemption by suffering ; kingship in¬
to the supremacy of Almighty Grace restoring a fall
en world. Now then, study the Acts of the Apostles
and we get the connecting link between the gospe
and the other epistles. For doctrines, study Romans,
Cor., Gal., Eph., Phil., Col., Thess., and Hebrews.
For the pastorate, study Tim. and Titus ; for spe¬
cial, study Philemon ; for Catholic, study James, Pe¬
ter, John and Jude.
It is necessary, my brethren, to study all of these
that we may rightly divide the word of truth. '' Search
the Scriptures, for in them we get eternal life."
Then we must study nature's volume which teams
with God, sparkling in every atom. Study the pen
of time writing its famous name upon all that is—the
changing earth, the running water, the lofty
mountain, the twinkling stars, the swinging dew-
drops, the falling snow and frozen water-brooks.
Thirdly, We know that God approves of study, be¬
cause study is the road to the acquisition of wisdom,
and wisdom was God's earliest companion in the morn .
ing of creation when He flung the windows of his ubiq¬
uity ajar, following this with his omnipotence.
He spoke and all things began to be. Wisdom
speaks out for herself in Job saying, " The Lord pos-
AND ADDRESSES
55
sessed me in the beginning of his way, before his
works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from
the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there
were no depths I was brought forth ; when there were
no fountains abounding with water ; before the Mts.
were settled, before the hills, was I brought forth.
While as yet He had not made the earth, or the field
or the highest parts of the dust of the world, when He
prepared the heavens I was there ; when He set a com¬
pass upon the face of the depths, when he established
the clouds above ; when He strengthened the foun¬
tains of the deep. When He gave to the sea his decree
that the water should not pass his commandments ;
when He appointed the foundations of the earth.
Then I was by him as one brought up with him
and I wa-; daily his delight rejoicing always before
him. Rejoicing in the habitable parts of his earth,
and my delights were with the children of men.
"Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children, for
blessed are they that keep my way."
God therefore approves of wisdom because wisdom
is one of God's natural attributes and to love God is
the beginning of wisdom.
To love God then is to obey him. Christ says, " If
ye are my friends ye will do whatsoever I command
thee." And again, "A man who doeth these sayings
of mine I will liken him unto a wise man, who built
his house upon the rock, so that when the floods came
and the rains descended and beat upon that house
it fell not because it was builded on a rock." Paul
tells us therefore, to study that we might know the
height and depth of God's L,ove. The Apostle was a
56
SERMONS
faithful student and possibly attained to a greater
height than any other of his fellow Apostles. When
he had climbed to such a dizzy height and peeped in¬
to the mystical fountains of God's love, he exclaimed,
" Who shall be able to separate me from the love of
God? Shall tribulation or distress? Or persecution
or famine or nakedness or peril or sword?"
As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the
day long ; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Nay in all these things we are more than conquerers
through him that loved us.
For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things
present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth,
nor my other creature shall separate us from the love
ot Jod which is in Christ Jesus Our Lord.
erfeetion.
" And now abideth faith, hope and chaiity, these
th?ee\ but the greatest of these is charityI. Cor.,
13: !3.
The Apostle Paul, in my opinion, stands foremost
in the great school of his profession, towering like a
giant over his contemporaries.
Standing as he did, upon advanced ground, in an
age darkened by ignorance and prejudice, he dives at
once to the bottom of the stupenduous scheme of hu¬
man redemption and thereupon rears a monument to
himself which the baffling storm of time and the ene¬
mies of the cross have never been able to deface.
Having first sat at the feet of Gamaliel, one c-f the
masters of Grecian literature and a scholar of 110 mean
reputation, this Saul of Tarsus entered the field of
conflict in the regions of reason and there stands de¬
feating every attack and reaching irrefutable conclu¬
sions In my opinion, he reaches the top when he
cites the following text: "And now abideth faith,
hope, charity, these three: but the greatest of these
is charity."
It would we well for us to give some study to the
word "now" used in this text. The Apostle Paul
being a master of languages, we must concede that he
fully understood the force and value of this adverb of
time, for it enters largely into this argument as to the
relation of faith and hope to time and to eternity.
(57)
58
SERMONS
''Now" means the eternal present and there is no
future to it.
The Aposile says, " now we have faith, hope, char¬
ity," all of which we need in our present condition,
and they must enter into all of our relations with men
and things. But it must be seen that the word '' now ''
restricts the application of the text to our present en¬
vironments. It also teaches us our imperfections in
sight—intellectual, moral and spiritual —
that these things are not perfect and
cannot be, for the finite cannot comprehend the infi¬
nite, " Though on the wings of thought we may
roam the remotest regions of earth or soar into the
rtalms where Spencer's shapes of unearthly beauty
flock to meet us ; where Milton's angels peal in our
ears the choral hymns of paradise." But, borne down
by mortality and our relation to time we must abide
the change which is necessary before we can rise to
that fullness of the eternal God-head, where we shall
see as we are seen and know as we are known.
In the 9th verse of this chapter we read, " For we
know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when
that which is perfect is come, then that which is in
part shall be done away." The verses above quoted
show conclusively that perfection, as far as the human
being is concerned, cannot be until our environments
—the source of our imperfections—are destroyed.
" When I was a child, I spake as a child, I under¬
stood as a child, I thought as a child : but when I be¬
came a man, I put away childish things. For now
we see through a glass, darkly ; but then, face to
face : now I know in part ; but then shall I know
AND ADDRESSES
59
even as also I am known." " For now abideth faith,
hope, charity that is, as long as knowledge is im¬
perfect, faith and hope must abide. When perfection
comes, faith and hope must die for there will be noth¬
ing to hope for, since with perfection all desires are
gained. Therefore, let us notice, first, the ground of
faith and hope ; second, the ground and duration of
charity.
First, I shall be frank to say that faith is almost in¬
explicable except that by careful analysis,the Apostle
Paul denominates it " the substance of things hoped
for, the evidence of things not seen," so we may feel
safe in saying that faith takes its root in that which
is not attained or in desire.
The faith of the Gospel is that emotion of the mind
which is called trust or confidence exercised toward
the moral character of God. The first conscious ex¬
ercise of the renewed soul is faith, that is, the new
condition requires an exercise of the will to confirm
the judgment already taken upon that which is expe¬
rienced by the new condition of the soul.
Hope takes life in the love created by this new re¬
lation of the soul which is an infinite link propped by
hope. Hope, therefore, anchors faith in love and love
is one of God's moral attributes which begets patience
expecting the promised blessings.
By faith and hope we see through a glass darkly,and
because we see darkly, we anticipate a joy which must
be full and perfect, But this joy cannot be fully realized
until faith in full fruition dies and hope is lost by per¬
fection—that perfection which comes when this mor¬
tal coil is shuffled off. Here the glorious warfare in
6o
SERMONS
the flesh is ended and the Apostle sweeps out upon the
plains of light where the environed and the environ¬
ments are the same in those God- built chambers of the
celestial city, aud where men and angels join in per¬
fect praise to him who gave himself for us.
Wonderful thought! To see as we are seen and to
know as we are known. Joy must be complete at
this stage of a man's existence. Then we can say
with the poet:
" Angels assist our mighty joys,
Strike all your harps of gold ;
But when you raise your highest notes,
His love can ne'er be told.
O, for this love ; let rocks and hills
Their lasting silence break,
And all harmonious human tongues
Their Saviour's praises speak."
Secondly, let us notice charity. The Apostle Paul
declares that the greatest of these is charity. Now
in what respect is charity greatest and why? First,
because charity is love ; and second, because love had
no beginning and can have no ending. It is there¬
fore, an attribute of God, an abstraction of the Eter¬
nal Three.
It therefore antedates faith and hope. Yea, it came
into being when God began to be. It antedates man
and all created things. Yea, it was there before " the
morning stars sang together, or the sons of God shout¬
ed for joy." It is the chord which binds the Eternal
Three, and m turn, binds all particles of matter or
spirit. For the cohering particles, whether animate
AND ADDRESSES
61
or inanimate, are held together by their love of kind.
So that I say here, the love of kind is the strongest
passion on earth. God has so constituted the human
family and the lower animals as well to love their kind.
In other words, there is a fondness that we have the
one for the other, so that we obey the law under which
we were made in demonstrating these passions. We
have seen that one man has laid down his life for ail-
other. A mother will give her life for her child.
Men will take up their muskets and march freely to
the fields of battle to do and to die for the love of their
country.
What did Alexander care for life when he spurred
his steed forward, plunging into the Granicus with
the flag of his country waving over him?
What did Caesar care for life when at the Rubicon
he decided to cross and meet his countrymen on the
plains of Pharsalia? Look, if you please at the brave
Leonidas, who for the love of his country, stands in
the pass of Thermopylae till his last soldier falls.
What does any man care for life when fired by love of
country ?
Love supercedes all other virtues and is the star of
hope to a fallen world. By love men and nations shall
become one in principle, one in policy,one in affection,
and one in conduct.
It is the love of God that shall conquer the world
for him. Whether it be the Eskimo amidst the Frig¬
id Zone of the North Pole or the dancing savage in
Central Africa, the effect must be the same. God's
kingdom will come and over all prevail.
62
SERMONS
Faith and hope must fail. They serve as the lad¬
der to a house, or as a scaffold to a building. When
the building is completed the scaffold is "taken down.
Here faith and hope finish their work, and love, the
offspring of the Father grows brighter with the roll of
ages. " But whether there be prophecies, they shall
fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease;
whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away."
eace by Jroiver.
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you"
(St. John 14:27.) These words were spoken by our
blessed Lord and Master just before his passion, and
were, perhaps, the most striking that had fallen from
his lips during his public ministry.
This is the only reference made to his peace by the
disciples whose charge it was to write the Gospel; we
find however, several references made by the Apostles.
Phil. 4:7: "And the peace of God, which passeth all
understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus."
Col. 3:15: "And let the peace of God rule in your
hearts," etc.
Rom. 5:1 "Therefore being justified by faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
These references show the conclusion reached by the
followers of Christ, that is, conversion to Christianity
teaches us to seek peace the one with the other, in
fact, peace is the fruit of a converted heart.
We therefore proceed to discuss peace under three
heads: First, elevation; Second, magnitude; and Third,
permanency.
We reduce as a subject—Peace by Power.
The three obvious attributes of peace are elevation,
magnitude, and permanency.
Out of the attributes above mentioned comes a con¬
sciousness of strength which gives peace within. The
63
64
SERMONS
attribute elevation, as it applies to God, one is elevat¬
ed by himself or his friends, in either ease there must
be superior power, is of itself convincing—convinc¬
ing in that it is unattainable.
When one is convinced of an existence which is be¬
yond his grasp he then ceases to attain it. See
Psalm 139:6. "Such knowledge is too wonderful for
me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it." See Psalm,
131:1. "I,ord, my heart is not haughty, nor my
eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great mat¬
ters, or in things too high for me," David here gets,
peace out of the consciousness of his inability. Peace
therefore, comes when all efforts cease. "Peace
says Christ, I leave with you"—the peace which the
world cannot give, the peace, therefore, which Christ
gives is above the world. "My peace"—that peace
which he brought into flesh—that peace which he car¬
ried about with him—that peace which he died to
give to the world of mankind—a "peac6 which pass-
eth all understanding."
The knowledge of power always begets confidence,
destroying fears, generating faith, and bringing peace.
Isaiah calls Him the Everlasting Father—the Mighty
God—the Prince o f Peace—a personage in whom
is all peace. "Peace I leave with you, my peace I
give unto you."
Our second point in the text is magnitude.
En the common acceptation of this term, it would
constitute the basis upon which elevation rests, and
is therefore, a part of elevation. Now then, the
magnitude of his peace becomes the medium and pow¬
er by which his disciples are elevated. It might be
AND ADDRESSES
65
well to note here also, that the peace He leaves comes
with his greatness—His power to touch and energize
the attributes of the soul, which are the highest gra¬
ces of mankind,for Christian peace is an attainment of
the spiritual energies, and not a mere acquiescence
in inferiority.
When the Saviour speaks of the ultimate result of
his religion in the single heart or in the world, He
calls it paace—that is, when the spirit of Christianity
permeates the individual and ramifies his entire na¬
ture, then it is that God's spirit takes charge of him,
lifting him above carnal environments, and making
him to see fully Christian duty—that duty which
points out the virtue in all men. Magnitude is also a
distinguishing quality, it distinguishes the mountains
from the hills, the rivers from the brooks, the gulfs
from the bays, the seas from the oceans.
It also distinguishes man from man both in mind and
matter. The magnitude of Christ, as the second per¬
son in the Godhead, gives him a power which imme¬
diately connects him with two worlds as a messenger
of peace. The world of sinners, not created by God,
but created by man, and started on its woeful jour¬
ney but this wonderful man intervenestobring it back.
The magnitude of the work done by Christ, and the
work still to be done, excites admiration, and rightl}*
so, for he has yet to climb the rugged brow of Cavalry,
but he scales the mountain, and I stand beneath him
while he is stretched upon the cross. I hear his groans,
I hear the convulsive earth quaking, I see the dead ris¬
ing, Isee thesunwaning;Oh, themagnitudeof thepow-
er which shakes the world from center to circumfer-
66
SERMONS
ence! Peace by Power.—He rules the worlds of matter
andmind,for he made them. Zech. 9:10: "And heshall
speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall
be from sea even to sea,and from the river even to the
ends of the earth. David bears us out here: He shall
have dominion also from sea to sea and from the river
unto the ends of the earth: In his da}?s shall the right¬
eous flourish: and abundance of peace so long as the
moon endureth.
Christ, by his death and resurrection, ascended to
a throne of power, and assumed the reins of govern¬
ment, perpetually, and under whose reign there shall
be peace—peace because the Master takes hold—peace
because it is his design—peace because he is the Al¬
pha and the Omega—peace because all are parts of
one mighty creation of which Christ is the center—
the Eternal pivot upon which all revolves. This is
not a mere constitutional negative, or any superficial
peace: it is not what we call pleasure, or a happy
temperament , or gratified sensibility, or satiated
appetites.
It is something deeper and stronger. It is an at¬
tainment: it is a victory: it is a tribulation overcome.
It is the mightiest powers of our nature balanced,
reconciled, harmonized at last, though we know not
by what struggles and sufferings, till, by the perfect
sway of one supreme principle of faith, there are the
equipoise and serenity that pass all understanding.
We come now to the third point in this discussion
which is permanency. Permanency, perhaps, is the
greatest virtue in the gift of nature, and must, as the
ages go by,beget confidence.This quality or attribute
AND ADDRESSES
67
in God lifts Him beyond all perishable things—yea,
beyond all created things. David again comes to our
rescue. Psalm 90:1, 2: "I^ord, thou hast been
our dwelling place in all generations. Before the
mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst
formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting
to everlasting, Thou art God."
This quotation, introduces that awful subject "Eter¬
nity," which tells us that God had no beginning nor
will he have any end. Peace by power—the peace of
God—an enduring peace. In just such attributes of
strength the human character is to find its moral bal¬
ance, its real peace, - that is, in its aspirations, its
largeness, its constancy.
Man is high with his devotional affections, his
prayers: wide with his practical principles: and stead¬
fast with his convictions. With these three proper¬
ly adjusted, you will have a general effect of serenity:
because such a man will live in a certain equipoise
within himself, centered and completed according to
the grand designs of his Creator, as a creature belong¬
ing both to the world and heaven.
He reaches up into the infinite mystery that broods
like a sea of conscious life above him. He reaches
out, in all liberal fellowships, to mankind, with a love
that cannot narrow into hatred, nor be fretted into
war; and he rests firmly on eternal foundations. And
thus on all sides—Godward, manward and selfward—
so far as man can, he resides in the security of a well
defended peace.
Spiritual serenity, then, is spiritual strength. It
comes by no softness of sentiment, but by thorough
68
SERMONS
work. It comes by a faith that emboldens and en
gizes the whole soul, a penitence that searches a
strains it, and often a secret fight of afflictions.
Christianity is a robust religion. It was planl
in tne world by a race of heroes. Take any one
these three traits just mentioned away, and, besic
what other ruin you make, you most disastrously d
turb the peace. On whichever side you enfeeble m
you unbalance and torture him. In short, Christ cai
into the world to set up his kingdom of peace, t
foundation of'which is righteousness. He here a
nounces his purpose to his disciples, leaving t£
peace with them with which they are to conqut
The attributes above-named are the mighty weapo
with which they are to spoil principalities and powe
making a show of them openly, as the spoils of bj
tie and the trophies of conquest.
Thrones shall crumble and dynasties fall, and alta
and temples rise to repair the desolation and perp<
uate the change! Headed by the great Captain
their salvation, they shall victoriously push the cc
quests of the cross from Zemble to Cape Horn ai
from the Equator to either pole, until the religion
the Bible—the only glory of the Pulpit—orbed in tl
Rainbow of her own grandeur, and throned in cele
tial light, shall hold her high culminating point
the heavens, and everywhere shed her redeeming r
diance on the evening of the world.