The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-05-13
REVERENCE THYSELF
Rev. Charles Wallis Sermon
on the Gospel of
Self Respect.
OLD THEOLOGY DENOUNCED
DR.. Scudder Tells of His Journey
in Egypt = Sermons by
other Divines.

The Rev. Charles H. Vail. of the First
Universafist Church yesterday morning
preached on .'The Gospel of Self Re-
spect." In the course of his remarks
he said
1T is is quite as possible for an
exaggerated humility to understood the
mark. as for pride and self reliance to
overshoot the mark. 1t is very difficult
to keep the exact balance, to comply
with Paul's injunction not to think Of
ones self more highly than he ought to
think. but soberly and righteously. To
fail in either direction is q serious fault.
Self depreciation is as bad as self con-
ceit. Either calls for rebuke. Perhaps
the latter most frequently receives it, SO
1 will deal with the former. l ask you
to consider. therefore. the need of a
proper self respect. We need it in reli-
gion as well as elsewhere; 1t is a very
important part Of the Gospel.
There are two influences at work
causing man to think of himself less
highly than he ought to think, leading
him continually to underestimate him
self. The first of these is a theology that
deals too exclusively upon mans worth
~lessness and d~epravity. Teaching us
that Gods work for US in the beginning
was a failure, and that we must submit
to the tearing down of the old structure
and the clearing of the ground, to give
Him a chance to correct His mistakes in
a new attempt. The former building has
proved so shaky that it must be con-
demned and the contractor allowed to
try his land again. This, in the last an
alysis. is the popular theory. / trust l
shall be able to show that we may justly
have higher ambitions than to become
pieces of smashed crockery, fit only for
the refuse heap.
The other adverse influence is the pes
siunistic philosophy which looks upon the
world as the worst possible. and man,
in spite of all his efforts, doomed to I'LL
innate failure. Over against these ten
denotes we set the thought of d genuine
self respect. A great many people need
the prayer of the little girl, Lord give
US a good opinion of ourselves. One of
the profoundest maxims of Pythagoras
was Reverence myself
GOD THE GREATEST FACT.
1T is sometimes objected that this line
of thought would lead men away from
God, and teach them that they them
selves are sufficient for all things. Not
~ caa ao q sematimas said
- - su,sah
~ per ~no 80 :" p
that l 90 not pelieVe anything what
ever I do not believe, write this first, /
hal;eve IN God And IN Him more firmlv
peie' ~ = Anu ~ IN -.
since the froWn mas gone from Ills brow,
and the fiery sword has dropped from
Iy;u h.,a r. :. hooa,.o + ho,iaua Il, cd
ms manu-. l Is pecause peiieve III nou
that l believe SO much IN a Tne
strongest consideration in the argument
for sa1f rosnao+ 4. a. f.o+ +b.+ tba ma
1ol - ieSpee. = rs Aae .nae -,
ture OF man is an expression OF Goa.
How shall I learn self respect? Take the
tho,.b+ 4 o.n,a fra~ Goa, ana tban +rv
! CAME rom Gou anu ~ ~
anu live worthy Of your exalted origin.
1.-THE next consideration that ought
h.;ahto. - .a,s uoa.aa+ - 49, f,o+
: neisnoeh oui sehiespeel 10 ene ioeS
of our wondrous possibilities. There is
q Wav of speaking of man as a mere man
80. - Z .ase 49,
that l 90 not IKE. IL mas the hRss ol the
tabled serpent in it; the legend of the
fall in Eden tbe shirt Of the theology
$3.50 49,,
that makes mar a worm. NO llperal
should use this phrase, for it casts con-
ternnt ,,non man. If abuses and Whites
49, e 20 - m,NNS 49,
MIN. A mere mani lnere Is no mere