The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-11-19
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
oeueNT DISCOURSE ENTITLED
POWER OF A GREAT IDEAL"

.fhe Rev. Dr. J.wilbur Chapman rel'vers
Beautiful Sermon on the Comfort and
Helpfulness OF Having An Ideal to
Anchor One to the Better Things OF Life
New YORK CIrY.-The Rev. Dr. J: vii:
bur Chapman, who has recently resigned
the pastorate OF the Fourth Presbyterian
Church in this city in order to devote him.
self to evangelistic work, has prepared the
tied "The Power OF a Great Idea" and was
nresched from the text, II have set the
lord al,ravs before me: because Tie is at
INV right hand, ! shall not be moved"
Psalm is: 8.
II you look at the top OF this Psalm you
viii rad the Michtam Of David. There
are differences OF opinion as to the mean:
ing OF this expression. Some have said
that Il means victory and this would seem
to be true. since there is q particular
Psalm bearing the same title. whose sub.
iect matter 10 on various themes, but all OF
which end in triumph. Psalm So, Thou
hast delivered my soul from death;
Psalm 81, MY heart il fixed: will sing
and give praise" Psalm 5s: There is re;
ward for the righteous" psalm 81, Goa g
Psalm 90, Through God We shall do va
iantly."
There are others who saw that the ex.
preston means golden, and 50 we might
infer from the margin, which means that
IL ia worthy OF being written in letters OF
gold. and may have been in some conspicu'
Gus place in the temple. At any rate we
know that its truth is better than gold
yea, than much fine gold. There are still
Others who declare that its meaning is
precious. and certain i is that It is pre-.
cious privilege to walk with Christ ever
before Us.
$50 on I 20, not knowing.
I would not II I might.
I'd rather walk in the dark with God,
Than 20 alone in the light.
I'd rather walk by faith with Him,
Than 60 alone bv sight"
Some teachers say that the meaning oi
the expression is secret, and what follows
IL il hidden truth. Certainly il is true
that. the Secret OF the Lord 10 with them
that fear Him." and there is q secret place!
Of the Most High. The first Is learned
when we walk with Him. the second i
reached at the end OF the journey. But II
you put all theee interpretations together
you have the golden Psalm Of the precious
introduction to all that follows. This
Psalm is about Christ We know It, be
cause Peter said, "For David speaketh con
cernine Him. foresaw the Lord alwav.
before my face; for He is on my right
hand. that I should not be moved" Acts
2: 25. II David could have strength BY
looking forward to Christ. what may not
have as look back at His history and hft
in the power Of His presence by the Holy
Spirit.
Il is the instinct Of a huma, soul to have
an ideal. Every child has. The boy long!
to be like his father. The girl has desire
TO resemble her mother. What responsf
bility rests upon each: Men and women
have whether they will acknowledge it OF
not. They long TO be like some one else
The musician hiss his Mendelssohn. ths
vanei. the preacher his Spurgeon. David
knew this and so he said. II have set the
Lord always before me; because He is al
my right hand. shall not be moved" Tc
initiate any one else in the world 10 to be
come ridiculous. but It is remarkable tina,
people all over the world may seek to mi
tate Christ and be the better for it. Let
Il be noted that this is a definite expe
rience O: conclusion which David has
reached. insist upon the definition OF ],
because il il scriptural. Notice Romans 6:
Is, Neither yield We your members as in
ttruments Of unrighteousness unto sin, bu,
yield yourselves unto God. as those tha,
are alive from the dead. and your members
as instruments of Righteousness unto God.
And also Romans II: ]. II beseech you
therefore. brethren, BY the mercies OF God
that We present your bodies living sacri
6ce. holy, acceptable unto God. which II
your reasonable service" The tense OF thu
- l~a - -Is,aka 1aGnskn an
ton. It is really putting ones self over
4 man has threefo!d nature. spirit. sou
and body. and in this order. Cor. 6: 20
"For re are bought with price: therefore
Rloriiy God in your body and in youl
spirit, which are Gods" Romans l3: ]
'Iet every soul be subject to the higher
powers. For there is no power bat OF God
the powers that be are ordained Of God.
Romans u: ]. II beseech Won. therefore
brethren. by the merc;es Of God. that ~
present your bodies living sacrifice. ho!y
acceptable unto God. which is your reason
able service" All Of which indicate that
He will FIT the spirit. inspire the soul and
control the body il given the right to do it
Then everything has become sacred in oul
lives and living itself is sacrament. ] dc
not much believe in the worlds division
of an things into sacred and secular. fol
all things ought to be sacred to the child
of God, and all days ough. to he holy. and
thev would. be did We but live in the spirit
and hv to Him. It is infinitely better tC
fly to Him and then meet trial in whaterel
form it may come. There is great power
in the word because" in the text. This
10 not Just a fash OF IN experience, it il
the deliberate outcome OF long and va
fied retrospect, and viii not in any true
sense be before our face until we set Hin
there. Il is first decision and then prac
tice. and the text must become the habit ol
our ires. It certainly was in the expe
rience Of David, for be said. II have Sc,
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:
56, "Your father. Abraham. rejo!ced to see
my day. and he saw it, s7d was glad.
The Scribes and Pharisees about Him when
He spoke Of Abraham answered with
"Then said the Jews unto Him. Thou art
not vet fifty years old. and hast Thou seen
Abraham" When the answer OF our Mas
ter was, John 8: 5s, 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 abou!
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 a 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:
"Now the Lord said unto Abraham. Get
thee out Of thy country, and from thy kin
dred, and from thy fathers house, unto q
land that will show thee" Centuries at
ter this promise was written we read n
the Acts the following words, And He
said, Men, brethren and fathers hearken
the God Of glory appeared unto our father
Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia