Morning journal and courier., 1883-10-08
Center Church.

Rev. Dr. Smyth on s'VVhO Shall be Great
 est''-The Power of GOOdness-The Trt-
 umphant Life-The Keystone of Chris
 t1antty-MOral Power Is Physical.
 Rev Dr. Newman Smyth preached from the text, t.At the same time came disciples unto Jesus saying, who shall be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" The discourse
 was replete with lofty thoughts and senti- ments. Dr. Smyth said that what man loves he grows like. Whatever man has a real impassioned desire to be, that he approximAtes to more and more year by year. As man
 thinketh in his heart so he is Our ideal of life is then matter of great and momentous practical concern. They are coming selves.
 Give me the ideals which you have in mind and 1t will take but little effort to picture the horoscope of your future. That you may prove those things which are excellent was the prayer of one of the apostles. The disci- pies asked, "Who shall be greatest?'' Their ideal was an earthly crown. Great power, Titanic force has often commanded the ad- miration of men. The mighty forces, who
 but admires and is aWed by them? But we may be greater than anything that we see ln nature. Man raised from the dust, though the feeblest of all, shall walk as lord of cre- ation unregenerated. Mans idea is earthly greatness-great power. He must be great captain, though nations run with blood; 8 great theologian, though the spirit of religion itself grows cold in the struggle for the mas- tery. Hercules was one of the first canon ized saints of mankind. The idea of great power was Romes idea-at first great power and sovereignty with law, at last despotism with Cesar emperor. The Roman idea at- tackled the minds of the apostles. They looked for thrones and conquest. Now in these days science has it's tendency to worship mere force as the greatest power-as mighty agency which shall one day involve all things in ruin The disciples said, who shall be greatest. The master called little child and set him in their midst and said, 'Verily I say unto you except ye be converted and become as little children ye cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever shall humble himself as this little child shall be greatest I am amoug you as he that serveth." Here is Christs ideal Not the athlete, not the conqueror-but a child Is chosen to represent the ideal. There had been intellectual geniuses before Christ. In his own nation there had been great captains great lswgivers, great poets, but there is no sy liable about hero worship in Christ's teach lngs. Dr Smyth further brilliantly set forth the thought that an evil life limits itself. No bad man of genius but might have been greater by noble and good life The same powers coupled with goodness have reached higher development. Wick edness and vice cripple mems success. Good ness acts as help to bring out and foster mems talents and abilities Purity and in- tegrity assist to leave the mind untrammelled and almost create genius Purity is a power to lift up. Sin tears down. What a power there is in goodness. What does a man re- member longer than his mothers love, his mothers prayer. Napoleon in the silence of St. Helena admitted that the kingdom WAS founded on fear and it fell. Christ's king dom is founded on love and it triumphs So it is with goodness, the great, good man triumphs. The sermon of Dr. Smyth was throughout full of striking thought.