The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1902-11-06
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
Al ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED
POWER OLA GREAT IDEAL"

HeIpfulnesE OF Having AN Ideal to
, Anchor One to the Better Things OF Life
New YORK CrTY.-The Rev. Dr.. VII:
bur Chapman. who has recently resigned
the pastorate OF the Fourth Presbyterian
Church in this city in order to devote HIM
self to evange'istic work, has prepared the
following sermon for the press. 1t is enti-
tied The Power OF q Great Ideal" and was
preached from the text, Il have set the
Lord always before me; because He Is at
my right hand, I shall not be moved"
Psalm Is: 8.
If you look al the Top of this Psalm you
will rad the Michtnpl of David. There
are differences OF opinisn as to the mean,
ing OF this expression. Some have said
that it means victory. and this would seem
Psalm bearing the same title, whose sub.
ject matter is on various themes, but all OF
which end in triumph. Psalm 80, Thou
hast delivered my soul from death"
Psalm 81. my heart is fixed. / will sing
and give praise" Psalm SO. There is a re-
ward for the righteous" Psalm 80. "God
is my defcusc and the God OF my mercy"
Psalm 90, Through God We shall do va
liantly."
There ere others VINO saw that the eE.
preston means golden, and so We might
1lltI lEOH the 'ldlSil. uiN iht"'' N'N
it is worthy OF being written in letters OF
gold. and rav have been in some conspicr-
Gus place in the temple. At any rate we
know that it's truth is better than gold:
yea. than much fine gold. There are still
others who declare that its meaning Is
precious. and certain II is that It Ia a pre-
cious privilege to walk with Christ ever
before us.
$50 on I 90. not Knowing.
7 would not If | might,
I'd rather walk in the dark with God,
Than go alone in the light.
I'd rather walk bv faith with Him,
Than go alone bv 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 4 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 = fitting
introduction to all that follows. This
Psalm is about Christ. We know It, be-
cause Peter said. For David sDeaketh con-
eerning Him. I foresaw the Lord ALWAYS
before my face; for He is on my right
hand. that 7 should o he moved" Acts
2: %. II David could have strength by
locking forward to Christ. what may ] not
have as ! look hack at His history and life
ir the power Of His presence by the Hoy
Spirit.
II is the instinct Of a human soul to have
an ideal. Every child has. The boy longs
to be like his father. The nirl has a desire
to resemble her mother. What a response
bilitv rests upon each. Men and women
have whether they will acknowledge it or
not. They long to he like some one else.
The musician has his Mende|ssohn. the
poet his Shakespeare. the artist his Da
Vanei. the preacher his Spurgeon. David
knew this and so he said. Il have set the
Lord always before me; because He is at
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 bette" 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 1t
because it is scriptural. Notice Romans 6:
IL. Neither yield We your members as IN
struments OF unrighteousness unto ain, but
Weld yourselves into God. az those that
are alive from the dead. and your members
as Instruments of righteousness unto God"
And also Romans -: J. Il beseech You,
therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God.
that We present your bodies a living sacrl-
fee. holy. acceptable unto God. which is
your reasonable service" The tense OF the
verbs il both verses indicate definite &C
ton. It is really putting ones self over
into the keeping and control OF Christ. ,
4 man has a threefold nature. shirt. soul
and body. and in this order. / Coz. 6: 20,
"For We are bought with a price: therefore
cIorify God in your body and in your
sniri.. which are Gods" Romans Is: /.
"Let every soul be subject TO the higher
powers. For there is NJ power but OF God:
the powers that be are ordained of God"
Romans 10: ]. Il bessech Won. therefore.
brethren. by the mercies Of God; that We
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God. which is Your reason
able ssrvise:'' All Of which indicate that
He Will Gil the spirit. insnire the soul and
control the body if given the right TO do it.
Then everything has become sacred in our
lives and LIVING itself Is 4 sacrament. | do
not much believe in the worlds division
OF all things into sacred and secular, 10"
all things ought to DE sacred TO the child
of God. and all days ought TO ne holy. and
thev would be did we but live in the spirit
OF the text. Some people meet temptation
and Az 20 Him. 1t 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
il not inst y fash OF an experience, it Is
the deliberate outcome of n 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 lires. 1t certainly was in the e1pe-
Renee of David. for he said. g! have set
the Lord always before me- There nre
certain Old Testament characters which
furnish US an illustration of this text.
First. Abraham. Christ said it. John g:
So. Your father, Abraham, rejoiced to see
my dav. and he saw it. and was glad"
The Seribes and Pharisees about Him when
He spoke OF Abraham answered with n
sheer. and the jews said. John 8: 81,
"Then said the Jews unto Him: Thou art
not vet fiftv years old. and hast Thou seen
Abraham" When the answer of our Mas
ter was. John 8: IS. Jesus said unto
thei,. Verify. Verify, | say unto you, be-
fore Abraham was. l am"
There is something natletic about these
words OF the Jews. "Thou srt 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 lie:
do You ask: There are different ways OF
answering. BY the record He was thirty;
ia LOOKS lie must have been a thousand;