Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-06-18
GREAT VALUEOF MEN
GODS GIFT OF SOULS TO CHRIST.
Argument That the Father Could
Not Have Given Anything That the
SON Would Have rrixed SO Hign'S-
Our Duty to Our FcIIow-Deings.

| Gods Gift OF Souls to Christ was
| the subject of the very appropriate bac-
| caIaureate sermon preached before inc
| Young men of Richmond College Sunday
| nlght by Rev DIR. }. II. Sitter. OF Croz'r
! Theological Seminary. The discourse WAS
| one of decided ability. and just htted t'c
| occasion. 1t was designed 10 impress upon
| tho minds of those who heard 1t the worth
| OF the human soul
This service, with which commencement
week opened at the college, was one OF
| decided interest The chapel was crowned
| 10 the doors, and some who went were
unable TO gain admission. Seldom does
an audience of the same size embrace
| so many learned men. Besides the facui'y
| and officers OF the college, nearly all the
Baptist pastors OF the city, ana some
from points near by, were present Inc
music. led by the choir OF the second
church. was excellent. the special selec-
lions by the choir being particularly well
rendered. Or. Cooper presided, and on the
platform with him were: DR.. Hiden' Rev.
]. b. Hutson, and Rev. II. A. Bagby'
all OF whom took part in the service.
DR.. Wright, Of Leigh-Street, offered the
closing prayer.
GODS GIFT TO CHRIST.
Dr. SITTER who is widely known both
as a scholar and preacher was presented
by DR.. Cooper in graceful terms. lie
| spoke from manuscript, but this was
hardly noticeable. and he held the undi-
vided attention of his audience for nearly
an hour. The general expression was
that the sermon was one OF the best
ever preached at the college. Dr. Stifler 3
text was, John xviii, 81 have mani
tested Thy name unto the men which
Thou gavest me out OF the world. Thine
they were, and Thou gavest them Me
and they have kept Thy Word" Or.
Sitter said: I'm gifts two things are
to be observed; first, In the spirit In which
they are bestowed, and, second, their
substance-what IL is that Is given. Some
men give with a beauty and courtesy
that are more fragrant than their offering
itself Their offering Is redolent with
the frankincense and myrrh of their
sweet spirit. God loveth cheerful giver.
Our text Is concerned with the substance
of the gift For in giving we need to
know, not alone what Is adapted
to him who is made the re-
cipient. but also what is in itself valu-
able. If we should present blind man
with a painting the gift would hardly be
adapted. Had the wise men from the East
presented the infant Jesus with fruits ana
flowers these would not have served his
poor parents in their fight into Egypt as
did the gold and frankincenss and myrrh.
The wonder of this text is that when the
infinite God had universe from which
to choose a gift for His son He gave Him
g.fa oil
spirit I'm which this gift was made was
only excellent, for II was divine. but
what was given confounds our poor hui
man sense. That God gave His son men
confounds our notions OF what constitutes
gift Love would prompt Him to give
the very best. and that best gift-that
which God gave to Jesus-was men"
GODS PROPRIETORsHIP.
Dr. Sitter. after these Introductory re-
marks, divided his sermon into three
parts. He first took up the thought lying
back of the giving-God's proprietorshlp
in men. Men. he said. belonged TO God in
as clear and definite a way as anything
which we have bought and paid for be-
longs to US. You may say TO all mon, We
are not your own. And II Is worth no.
ticing that His ownership in souls is a
living, sensitive thing. This idea the
speaker emphasized by illustrating how
some property lies closer to the owner
heart than some others. God. he continu-
ed owns men in more living way than
He owns anything else apart from Himself.
They lie nearer His heart than angels.
He has a double right to them. a claim
by creation, and a claim by redemption.
God redeemed men by the precious blood
Of His son. They are His by a most af-
fecting and effective purchase. And he
who does not yield himself TO God Is rob
bling Him of His dearest possession. and
has forgotten the words Of that command
ment which says thou shalt not steal. for
all souls are His.
THE VALUE OF MEN.
Dr. Stiler's second thought, and the
one on which he laid greatest stress, was
the value of men. You can see at
once" he said that men are valuable for
God would not mock His Son in giving
a worthless gift. When God made the
first man He fitted him up a garden.
eastward in Eden. There were the pur-
ling stream. the balmy air. the carol
ling birds. the luscious fruits. and. bet
ter than all. the presence of God. What
a garden that must have been which Gods
own hand fitted up in love for him who
was made in Gods own imagel And so
God might have fitted up the world for
Jesus-lifting off of IL the curse that has
made this earth since the day 1t fell like
the blghted fg-tree. No man eats any
real food of the earth. That which feeds
the soul now is the fruit OF the Spirit.
IN HARMONY WITH HIMSELF
God In giving men, rather than the
world. to Jesus. acts in harmony with
Himself and His own truth. Gods
word rates In value a single soul higher
than the whole world. And so God Is
consistent with Himself when He gives
His Son men, and not the world II He
had got but the eleven faithful ones
who were standing by Him when He ut
tered the text. He would have had more
than eleven worlds. Six distinct
times in a prayer not five minutes long
does Jesus mention His gift of men,
Suppose you present man something,
and the next time you meet him in a
five-minute conversation he mentions
over and over, six times over, the Gift
that you gave him: would you not
think he priced it? Jesus dotes on his
gift; He exults in 1t before the Father
and to Him. He knew IL was valuable,
He could say, All power hast Thou given
me In Heaven and In earth. He could
say Of His prayers to God Thou
nearest me always He spoke
OF the glory which He had with the
Father before the world was, but neither
ABOUT HIS power OF Ills glory ala lie so
exalt as about His gift Of men. This en-
riched Him. We might know that a man
Is valuable because he is created In the
image of God. We might know he Is
valuable because God gave His Son 10
redeem him. We might know he Is vaua-
bic, when Christ says: What Is a man
advantaged If he gain the whole world
and lose himself or be cast away? But
how wonderfully significant does his value
become when we see God looking through
the vast resources of His wealth for a
gift for His Son. and choosing as the
most precious men-men as the gift. -,
how poorly we know the worth of a soul.
How little we think Of men as men.
HONOR ALL MEN.
Peter says honor all men; and he
means just because they are men. How
little We honor them. We are like Esau.
He looked into and smelled Jacobs pot OF
seething. savory pottage, and his soul
said. Give me that; what care l for the
Inheritance. The savory pottage of this
world captures our deprayed senses. and
what care We to honor men? We know
not the value OF men. Like children are
We who would snip hundred-dollar bank
note to pieces with the scissors. or throw
II on the fire 10 have a minutes pleasure,
for they know not Its value Men have
ruined a soul for some hours gratifica-
tion because In their unbelief thew knew