The evening Republican., 1902-06-20

nevertheless entered upon MS un-
sought duties, amid the prayers and
praises Of the nation and yet he has
already been burned, shamefully,
in effigy, in Virginia because OF his
Decoration Day speech at Airing
ton. The world does what it pleases
with it's heroes. and masters it's
masters according to it's own whim.
The world is capr icious. Itinquires
into the minuest domesticities of its
great men, and turns over the dusty
gravebones of their ancestors in the
hope of finding some reason for
their greatness or some excuse for
their weakness. A record of their
deeds is always preceded by bio
graphical sketch Of their descend
ants, consideration of the ques-
ton Of origin.
In this inquiry the man himself
is forced to ask the question Whose
am II" What opinions dol hold?"
What attitude do sustain toward
the fundamental questions of Go d,
Of faith, OF christian experie nce?"
Aud finding this, another question
"What forces, divine. ancestral,
euvironing have contributed to my
present self'? For mark you. what
Q man believes has much to do
with finding aud fixing his charac-
ter. The difference between repu
tatioa and character is as funda
mental az is this question Of
ownership aud origin. The dis
tinction rests on q mans right
opinion of himself, Of Got. Of man,
and OF personal duty.
Character rests on belief and lie
lacks it in it's highest form who
lacks faith. In the search for self,
the physical, intellectual, psy CO.
logical, social self-one must not
undervalue a right knowledge Of all
that helps him to conception of
his origin on tn. human side but
he starts life with narrowed
vision Of It's duty aud warped
con ce ptiou OF himself who neslects
the inquiry about the birth from
above. aad who cannot joyfully
acknowledge az Paul did on the
stormy Mediterr anean, the protec.
tiou and ownership OF him who
holds the sea in the hollow Of his
hand. and at this nement awaits
the willing obeisanee ot storm-toss-
ed mariners on llfe's sea. Let 1t
never betorgotten that as the ques-
ton of origin, Of belief. OF attitude
lead man to an acknowledgement
Of sovereign ownership, SO self
knowledge. sslf-reversncs, sslf.
control these three lead life to SOW.
ereign power.
III. But TIL, text o; the morn ing
contains a second clause that is Of
great Importance il touches aques-
ton Of service. "WhoSe am and
whom | serve" Man born in Gods
image and by faith reborn by Gods
spirit is saved to serve. No mau
! ever truly finds him self, till he finds
God. The search for self therefore,
| is the greatest task that can engage
the human mind. The nugget Of
the real self, is u greater find than Il
gold Eugget from the Klondiie. while
| to discover the man within the man
, is of greater value than to discover a
| continent. The world needs more
men. but especially does it need more
! man. The man with whom you are
least acquainted is the man whose
| heart throbs regularly under your
| own coat
In meoting the question of owner
ship you find, that man; in answering
the question of service you find an
other man. Indcel one may we'll
question whether he has really found
himself, unless he Immediately loses
| himself in loves sweet lab borfor other
people. We cannot dismiss our obi
Cation to, humanity, ualess we dis
charge it. And just here comes the
great purpose Of the organization
whose guest l am to-day. 1t IS for
every fellow. to be of service to some
other fellow. 10 help hum unity by
helping humans, ard thus to initiate
the spirit Of Him who in all lowliness
washed the feet Of his disciples. and
said Us he did SO IL am among you
as one serves. "
Now this service for humanity, and
for God must be voluntary service.
Indeed there can be no other sort.
We talk about u voluntary choice of
Christ, but that is tanLeogy. Choice
is always voluntary: there can be no
such thing as a forced choice. Man
| al, In 10
we're otherwise we would he an auto
nation. And he never reaches the
highest peaks of stirling manhood,
until he finds himself by finding the
ideal Man, Christ Jesus. And then
he proves the certainty and valuable
ness of his tind by finding others, and
bringing them in tremulous submis-
siveness to the nail pierced feetof the
Savior OF the word. That this SER
vice is voluntary will be further seen
by the high appreciation in which
it Is held by him who performs 1t.
lie considers himself called to serve.
lie is us Paul declared himself to be,a
called servant Of Jesus Christ. And
you CAN easily see the difference be-
tween one called to do service, and
the man who counts it drudgery and
desplses it, There is wide differ
ence between vocational and an
avocational service. My avocation Is
what pursue when I've nothing else
to do; my vocation is the business of
my life. Ny avocation is my past
time, what I do incidentally; my vO.
cation is my calling, my lite's work.
Gladstone's avocational was saving
woDd. his vocation was the dire citing.