The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-11-05
DR.. John p. D. John at the First M. E.
Church.

the above named church were privileged to
hear one of the most eloquent and interest
ing public speakers that has ever visited our
city. A magnificent audience greeted DIR.
John In the morning and at night the large
auditorium was completely filed, annexes,
galleries, and everywhere else. We pre-
sent our readers with synopsis of the
morning sermon, based on the saying of
Christ: "For whosoever will save his life
shall lose it, and whosoever will lose his life
for my sake shall find it." the theme being
"The Survival of the Fittest."
DIR. John said: 1t is fundamental truth,
both in nature and Christianity, that the
fittest survive and the unfit perish. In ma
ture the fittest survive by living and the un.
fit perish by dying. In Christianity the fit
est survive by dying and the unfit perish by
insisting on life. II this seems like para
dox it is the paradox of the gospel. Now
who are the fittest? l will answer this
question from three standponts: On the
mere animal plane those are the fittest who
against others. 1t seems hard law in the
natural world that in the struggle for life
few only can survive and run their full
course. while the rest must inevitably perish
without reaching any definite goal. That
is the fittest lion that has the sharpest teeth.
the strongest claw and the most unquench-
able thirst for blood This is gloomy pic
ture, but 1t is the truth, or rather it is not
quite dark enough to express the truth. Not
one tree in a thousand attains its destiny as
full grown tree; for every tree that lifts
its head to the skies thousand that have
started upward have been crowded out of
existence; for every lilly that blooms a
thousand others bloom not; for every fish
that swims the seas, for every animal that
treads the earth, for every bird that flies the
air, thousand others starting into life have
gone back to death. 1t is self for self all
through the fierce struggle for existence and
the fittest remain. But who can tell? Cod
may in the end show us that that which
perished is filter than that which survived.
But as yet the world is not wholly above the
material plane on which the most selfish are
the fittest. l do not mean the savage world
nor the heather world, for many of the
heathen put nominal Christians to shame,
but mean the Christian world. What do
we mean when we laud man like Napole-
on and call him great? Did he ever rise
above the plane of the lion? The lion seeks
its prey to satisfy itself, and what else did
Napoleon? Do you say that he represented
nation? Let me ask how many animals
it takes to make a spirit, and how many
animal impulses does 1t take to make spr-
itual ambition? What is reprehensible in
an individual is equally SO in an aggregation
of individuals. The world still applauds
the animal. the british instincts, but the ap-
plause is diminishing. The coliseum has
gone, the Spanish bull fight is going, and
the Christian (?) prize fight will go, and
may God hasten its flight. But the animal
Is still In the world and animal ambitions
still hold sway over the multitude.
But there is higher plane and nobler
conception of life. 1t is partly animal, and
partly spiritual. On 1t those are deemed
the fittest who do the most for themselves
and the least against others. This is good /
step above the animal plane. 1t has taken
centuries of education to reach it. 1t Is as
high as the ethics Of the Old Testament at
tempted to lead men. The keynote of the
decalogue is the expressive word "don't."
1t Is prohibtory, not mandatory. 1t for
bids wrong deeds; 1t does not command
good deeds; 1t places barriers In the way
of the transgressor. 1t does not construct
avenues of holiness; 1t rather forbids un-
than glorifes righteousness.
1t may seem strange to you that law given
by God should be SO restricted in its range
and so incomplete in its demands, but IL you
will remember the low plane on which hu-
manity was then living you will cease to
wonder that so little was required when the
law was given, compared with what is now
demanded by the high and pure religion of
Jesus Christ To have commanded pure
spirituality, or divine charity, would have
been as fruitless as to command mercy to
the tiger. When the law was given 1t was
SO far above all prevailing conceptions of
duty that the Jews would have killed the
man by whom the law came but for fear of
divine wrath. They stoned the prophets
because they could not comprehend them,
and they killed the Messiah because He
sought to lift them above their hideous sell
Judaism was of God. but 1t diff
fers from Christianity just as the bud diff |
fers from the flower, and as the steps differ
from the platform to which they lead. The
difference Is in the attitude toward
self. The doors Of Judaism swing inward,
those of Christianity outward. The sails |
Of Judaism were spread to the homeward
winds, those of Christianity to the outgoing |
breezes. There are no unselfsh prayers in
the Psalms, their burden seems to he for
blessing on self and friends and for curses
On enemies and their friends. High water
mark was reached In Old Testament ethics
IN the prohibitions OF the decalogue. Men
we're taught the duty of restraining passion,