The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1902-11-06
sPOWER A GREAT IDEAL
Sunday Discourse by DR.. Chapman, the
Noted Pastor Evangelist.
A Beautiful Sermon on the Comfort and Hap.
pIness Of Having an Ideal to Anchor
One to the Better Things Of Life,

church in this city in order to devote him
self to evangelstic work, has prepared the
following sermon for the press. 1t is enti.
lied The Power of 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: g..
II YOU look at the top of this Psalm you
will read 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 a particular
Psalm bearing the same title, whose sub.
iect matter is on various themes, but all OF
which end in triumph Psalm SO. "Thou
hast delivered my soul from DEATH"
Psalm 81. my heart is fixed. l will sing
and give praise" Psalm 5S. "There is re.
ward for the righteous:" Psalm SO, God
is my defense and the God of my mercy"
Psalm 60, Through God we shall do va.
liantly."
There are others who say that the ex.
preston means golden, and so we might
infer from the margin. which means that
it is worthy of being written in letters oil
gold. and may have been in some conspicu
Gus place in the temple. At any rate we
know that it's truth is better than gold:
yea. than much 6ne gold. There are still
others who declare that its meaning is
precious. and certain it is that it is a pre-
before u.s.
$50 on / GO, not knowing.
! would not il | might.
I'd rather walk in the dark with God,
Than go alone in the light.
I'd rather walk by 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
al fspprpt nf no fc tvit
that fear Him." and there is a secret place
of the Most High. The first is learned
when we walk with Him. the second is
reached at the end OF the journey. But if
you put all these 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.
cerning Him. foresaw the Lord always
before my face; for He is on NV right
hand. that ! should not he moved" Acts
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.
1t is the instinct Of a human soul to have
an ideal. Every child has. Tne boy longs
to be like his father. The girl has a desire
to resemble her mother. What a responsi.
bility 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
Vanei the preacher his Spurgeon. David
knew this and so he said. 81 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 to be-
come ridiculous. but it is remarkable that
10 all \
tate Christ and be the better for it. Let
1t be noted that this is a definite expe-
rience o. conclusion which David has
reached. | insist upon the definition of it
because it is scriptural. Notice Romans 6:
l3, Neither weld ye your members as in
struments 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 II: !. 81 beseech YOU,
therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,
that ye present your bodies living sacri-
nee, holy, acceptable unto God, which is
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
A man has q threefold nature. spirit. soul
and body, and in this order. ! Cor. 6: 20.
For We are bought with a price, therefore
slorlfy God in your body and in Your
Let every 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.. Il beseech YOU, therefore,
brethren. by the mercies of God. that we
present your bodies living sacrifice. holy,
acceptable unto God, which is your reason
able service" All of which indicate that
he will fill the spirit, inspire the soul and
control the body il given the right to do it,
Then everything has become sacred in our
lives and living itself is a sacrament, l 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
they would be did we but live in the spirit
OF the text. Some people meet temptation
and fly to Him. 1t is infinitely better to
ny to Him and then meet trial in whatever
form it may come. There is great power
IN the word because" in the text. This
Is not Just q fash of an experience, it is
the, deliberate outcome Of long and va
RED retrospect, and will not in any true
sense be before our face until we set Him
there. 1t is first decision and then prac-
tlee' and the text must become the habit of
our lives. " certainly was in the expe-
Renee OF David, for he said, 81 have set
the Lord always before me-" There are
certain Old Testament characters which
inTnlsh us an illustration of this text
ro FIRST. Abraham. Christ said it, John s:
w. iViI ialner, ADfanam, reJolceu 10 see
my day; and he saw it, and was glad"
Inc Seribes and Pharisees about Him when
lie spoke of Abraham answered with
ssneer, and the Jews said. John 8; 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-
tore re- Abraham was. | am"
lhere is something pathetic about these
words OF the Jews, Thou art not yet fifty
years Old In fact, He was only about
shirty' His face must have been marked
wlth pain and suffering. How old is He,
10 you ask There are different ways of
answering. BY the record He was thirty;
III looks He must have been a thousand;
according to His work He is ages old. The
INSPIRATION of Abraham's life was that the
Iy1qrd was ever before Him. Genesis II; l,
wy ueny ourselves for success in business,
apparently little caring whether this husi-
ness VIII help or hinder us in spiritual de-
telopment.. See the lesson in Lots case
thhe th pltched his tent toward Sodom and
@ eneh moved into the city. His family be-
ealne identified with the life OF the city
anu ne q part of its government. In the
,a vna OF the story he has lost his power to
W!!ness, all his property, his political po-
ssluon, his influence over men, over his own
,amlly, and even with God. Abraham was
ssfy different God choose for him. Gene
ham aio, And the Lord said unto Abra
him raiter ,s.er that Lot was separated from
nacs -lS up thine eyes and look from the
somtb where thou are northward, and