The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-11-07
.NtLoausET DISCOURSE ENTITLED
POWER OF A Great DEAL"
rhe Rev. Dr. J.wiIbur Chapman peil'ers
sBe.utifui sermon on the Comfort aud
Helpfulness OF Having an Ideal 60
Anchor One To the Better Things OF Life


ing OF this expression. Sowe have said
that II means victory. and this would seem
20 be true. since there - particular
Psalm hearing the same title, whose sub.
Ject matter Is on various themes, but al OF
which end IN triumph. Psalm 80, Thou
hast delivered my soul from death,
Psalm S.. NV heart Is fixed. | will sing
and give praise" Psalm - There Is a re.
ward for the righteous Psalm 80. God
Is my defense and the God OF my mercy -
Psalm %. Through God we shall do va
hantlv'
There are others who saw that the ex.
preston means golden, and so We might
inieI from the margin. which means that
II IA worthy OF being written ~ letters ot
gold. and may have been IN some conspicu.
ous 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 It's meaning Is
precious. and certain It is that " "a a pre-
cious privilege TO walk with Christ ever
before Us.
so on %. not knowing.
| would not II | might
III ratfor walk IN the dark with God,
Than go a,one IN the light
I'd rather walk bv faith with Him,
Than 20 alone bv sight
Some teachers say that the meaning of
the expression is secret, and what follows
II is hidden truth. Certainly II Is true
that the secret of the Lord IS with them
that fear Him" and there is n secret place
Of the Most High, The first Is learned
when we walk with Him, the second is
reached AZ the end of the journey But il
YOU put all these interpretations together
YOU have the golden Psalm of the precious
secret. which would seem 10 be a fitting
introduction TO all that follows. This
Psalm Is about Christ We know il, be.
cause Peter said. For David sneaketh con-
cerning Him, | foresaw the Lord ALWAYS
before my face for He IL on NV right
hand. that I should not be moved" Acts
2: 25. If David could have strength by
looking forward TO Christ. what may ! not
have as I look back at His history and life
in the power Of His presence by the Holy
Spirit.
II is the instinct Of human soul 10 have
an ideal. Every child h's. The boy longs
to be like his father. The girl has a desire
TO resemble her mother. What a response
hility rests upon each Men and women
have whether they will acknowledge It or
not They long 10 be like Some one else
The musician mas his Mcndossohn, the
poet his ShakCsDCare, the artist his d.
Nanei. the preacher his Spurqeon. David
knew this and so he said. Il have set the
Lord always before me; because He is at
my right hand | shall not be moved To
initiate any one else IN the world Is 90 be
come ridiculous. but it Is remarkable that
people all over tn world may seek TO imi.
tate Christ and be the better for It. Let
II be noted that this is n definite cXpe-
rience o. conclusion which David has
reached ! insist upon the definition OF Il
because IL is scrintural Notice Romans g:
l3, Neither yield We your members as in
struments Of unrightcousness unto sin, hut
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 vou
therefore brethren bv the mercies of God
that We present your bodies a living sacri
fee. holy, acceptable Unto God, which il
your reasonable service" The tense OF the
verbs il both verses indicate definite nc
ton. II is really putting ones self over
into the keeping and control of Christ
A man has a threefold nature. spirit soul
and body, and in this order ] Cor. @: 90
For We are bought with price: therefore
glorify God in your body and IN vour
spirit. which are Gods" Romans l3 /
let every soul be subject 70 the higher
powers. For there is no power but NJ God
the powers that be are ordained of God y
Romans 10: J. 81 beseech Won. there fore
brethren, by the mercies Of God. that ve
present your bodies living sacrifice. holy
acceptable unto God, which is your reason.
hOlt N'INlNFs All el WUl'H lUulftlf lftl
He will III the spirit. inspire the soul and
control the body If given the right 10 do it.
Then everything has become sacred in onr
lives and living itself is a sacrament ] do
not much believe in the worlds division
Of all things into sacred and secular. for
all things ought 10 be sacred 10 the child
Of God. and all days ought 10 be holy, and
thev would be did we but live IN the spirit
Of the text. Some Deop'e meet temptation
and Nv 10 Him. II u infinitely better 10
fy 10 Him and then meet trial in whatever
form 10 NAV come. There Is great power
in the word because" in the text. This
Is not iust a fash OF an experience, II "a
the deliberate outcome Of a long and va
RED retrospect, and VIII not IN any true
sense be before our face until we set Him
there. II Is first decision and then prac-
tice, and the text must become the habit OF
our lies. IL certainly was IN the expe
rence Of David. for he said Il 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, Joha 8.
80, Your father, Abraham, rejoiced 10 sec
my day. and he saw II, and was glad
The S5rlbes and Pharisees about Him when
He spoke OF Abraham answered with a
sneer. 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 Ml-.
ter was John 8: s., Jesus said unto
them. Verify, Verify, / say unto you, be-
fore Abraham was | am
There u something pathetic about theso
words OF the Jews. Thou art not vet fifty
years Old " In fact He was only about
thirty. His face must have been marked
with pain and suffering. How old y He
do you ask, There are different ways %;
answering BY the record He was thirty.
in looks lie must have been a thousand
according 20 His work He u ages old. The
inspiration OF Abraham life was that the
Lord was ever before Him. Genesis y J.
"Now the Lord said unto Abraham. Get
thee out Of thy country. and from thy KIN
dred. and from thy fathers house, unto a
land that ! will show thee Centuries AZ.
ter this promise was written we read ~
the Acts the following words, And lie
sdid Men. brethren and fathers hearkpu
the God Of glory appeared unto our father
Abraham, when he was IA MesOpotamia.
b fore be dwe.t 10 Charran. and said unto
him Get thee out Of thy country. and from
tbs kindred. and come nt0 the land which
I st.U show thee g." Act % IN the
whole Journey Of Abraham. iiie 'hs VIE
ion Wa never lost % fght. he never
could have come up from Jr ~ tho Cha
dees except for the vision. Put yourself
in his place and imagine fJrsakIng every.
thing that is dear % you. lie cut loose
from Terlh. This was the spirit that
JesIa talked about when He said. II apy
man hate not his father or hs mother
= real trial 70 was. but easily met with the
vision before him He was separated
from lot. This was the real denial % self
and would have been impossible e=ceyt
for this vision 81 God That was a most
beautiful picture of Abraham and 10. ~
they are ai Bethel a. descriDed in the 18Th
chapter 0f Gene.s By the way. hav.y y0u
noticed that IN the i2th chapter ~ Ge-esIs