The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1902-11-13
A SEkMUN FUR SUNDAY
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED
POWER. OF A GREAT IDEAL"

bur Chapman, who has recently resigned
the past0rate of the Fourth Presbyterian
Church IN this city in order to devote him
self to evangelistic work, has prepared the
following sermon for the press. It is enti-
tied "The Power of 4 Great Ideal" and was
preached from the text, ri have set the
Lord always before me; because He is at
my right hand, l shall not be moved"
Psalm l6: s.
# you look at the top of this Psalm you
will rad the Michtam of David. There
are differences of opinion as to the mean
ing of this expression. Some have said
that it means victory. and this would seem
to be true, since there is particular
Psalm bearing the same title, whose sub
Ject matter is on various themes. but all of
which end in triumph. Psalm S. "Thou
hast delivered MY soul from DEATH"
Psalm 81, my heart is fixed l will sing
and give praise:" Psalm ES "There is a re-
IS my defense and the God of my mercy"
Psalm 60, Through God we shall do va
| liantly."
There are others who saw that the ex-
preston means golden, ard so we might
infer from the margin. which means that
1t IS worthy Of being written in letters of
| gold, and may have been in some conspcu-
GUS place in the temple. At anv rate we
know that its truth is better than gold:
yea, than much fine gold There are still
| Others who declare that it's meaning is
precious. and certain it is that it is a pre-
| clous privilege to walk with Christ ever
| before us.
so on | go, not knowing.
| would not if | might,
I'd rather walk in TIE dark with God.
Than go alone in the light.
I'd rather walk by faith with Him,
Than so alone by sight"
Some teachers say that the meaning of
the expression is secret, and what follows
it is hidden truth. Certainly it is true
that the secret of the Lord is with them
that fear Him." and there is secret place
of the Most High. The first is learned
when we walk with Him. the second is
you put all these interpretations together
you have the golden Psalm of the precious
secret. which would seem to be a fitting
introduction to all that follows. This
Psalm is about Christ We know it, be-
cause Peter said, "For David speaketh con-
corning Him, I foresaw the Lord alwa-s
b before my my face ss; for He is nv right
2: 25. If David could have strength by
looking forward to Christ. what may not
have as [ look back at His history and life
IN the power of His presence by the Holy
Spirit.
It is the instinct of human soul to have
an ideal. Every child has. The boy longs
to be like his father. The girl has desire
to resemble her mother. What response
bihty rests upon each. Men and women
have whether they will acknowledge it or
not. They long to be like some one else
The musician has his Mendelssohn. the
poet his Shakespeare. the artist his Da
T ,Vanei. the preacher his Spuraeon. David
knew this and so he said II have set the
l ord al yravc hoforo . ~
my right hand, I shall not be moved" To
initiate any one else in the world is to be-
come ridiculous. but it is remarkable that
people all over the world may seek to mi
tate Christ and be the better for it, Let
it be noted that this is a definite expe-
rience o. conclusion which David has
reached. I insist upon the definition of it
because it is scriptural. Notice Romans 6:
l3, Neither yield We your members as in
strnments of unrighteousness unto sin, but
yield yourselves unto God as those that
are alive from the dead, and your members
as instruments of righteousness unto God"
And also Romans u: /. II beseech YOU,
therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,
that We present your bodies living sacri-
your reasonable service" The tense of the
verbs in both verses indicate definite ac-
ton. 1t is really putting ones self over
into the keeping and control of Christ.
man has a threefold nature. spirit soul
ard body, and in this order. l Cor. 6: co.
For We are bought with a price: therefore
glorify God in your body and in YOUR
spirit, which are Gods" Romans -: l.
Let everv soul be subject to the higher
powers. For there is no power but of God:
the powers that be are ordained of God"
Romans II: l. ''I beseech YOU. therefore
brethren, by the mercies of God. that We
present your bodies living sacrifice, holy
L L. u
able service" All of which indicate that
He Will fill the spirit, inspire the soul and
control the body If given the right to do it.
Then everything has become sacred in orr
lives and living itself is sacrament. / do
not much believe in the worlds division
of all things into sacred and secular, for
all things ought to be sacred to the child
of God. and all days ought to be holy and
thew would be did we but live in the spirit
of the text. Some people meet temptation
and fly to Him. It is infinitely better to
fly to Him and then meet trial in whatever
form it NAV come There is great power
in the word because" in the text. This
is not lust flash or an experience, it is
the deliberate outcome of long and va
ried retrospect, and will not in any true
sense be before our face until we set Him
there. 1t is first decision and then prac-
tice. and the text must become the habit of
our lives. 1t certainly was in the expe-
r!ence Of David. for he said. u have set
the Lord always before me-" There are
certain Old Testament characters which
! furnish us an illustration of this text
, First. Abraham. Christ said it, John s:
Sc, sYour father, Abraham, rejoiced to see
my day. and he saw it, and was glad"
The Scribes and Pharisees about Him when
He spoke of Abraham answered with a
! snesr. and the Jews said. John S: 81,
"Then said the Jews unto Him. Thou art
not yet fifty years old, and hast Thou seen
Abraham" When the answer of our Mas
ter was, John 8: So, "Jesus said unto
them. Verify, Verify, | say unto you, be-
fore Abraham was. / am"
There is something pathetic about these
words of the Jews, "Thou art not yet fifty
years old In fact, He was only about
thirty. His face must have been marked
with pain and suffering. How old is He,
do you ask? There are different ways Of
answering By the record He was thirty;
| in looks He must have been thousand;
according to His work He is ages old. The
| inspiration of Abraham's life was that the
Lord was ever before Him. Genesis II: l,
We deny ourselves for success in business,
apparently little caring whether this bust
ness will help or hinder us in spiritual de-
velopment. See the lesson in Lots case.
He pitched his tent toward Sodom and
| then moved, into the city. His family be-
came identified with the life of the city,
and he a part of it's government. In the