The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-03-02
GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS
DEMAND MUCH DENIAL.
One secret of Success Is an Unfolding
Determinatio Says the Rever-
end j. &. HOrning.

The Reverend John C. Horning preached
yesterday morning at the Maple Avenue
Reformed Church from Mark vii y: III
any man will come after me, let him deny
himself and take up his cross ana 1oiio"
me-" He said. in part:
THE Christ-life IL confessedly the perfect
life. the life that all should strive 20 live His
was the ideal life. In all his trials and sur
ferinss in all tolls and triumphs he showed
that disposition OF character which the
human heart in Its deepest depths desires
to attain. This desire must become con-
scious desire. an action of the will. To be-
come like Christ rests on iIe choice or the
will If any man wills without this de-
termined desire nothing shall be attained
70 one drifts into the right course Drift
wood gets nowhere. He that wills attains
II this is any mans desire and he Wills
to come after Christ. he must meet the con
deny self. the lower self. the carnal sell.
the selfish self with its earthly affections;
for the sake of higher self. the unselfish
self. where the ilJmined conscience Is the
guide IL the appetite says. RMS Is pleas.
ant bur the conscience Gays. 1t Is Srons.
then We must follow conscience. denying
the lower self that is out of harmony WITH
our higher being. When the world says. IT
Is protita BILE bat Christ says. 1T is harm
full then the world is to be denied and
Christ Is TO be followed.
ANY one who proposes to accomplish
anything in life must deny himself many
things II you would become successful
business man. successful lawyer. physi-
clan or soldier you must deny many i'm
pulses and desires. You must deny the
lower to the Advantage of the higher.
1T Is related OF an English ocuist. that
he has given up cricket purely In tine inter
est OF his profession. He is very fond of
the game but he found that 1t affected the
delicacy of his touch and made him less
ready Tor the work he required every day
to do upon the eyes of his patients. SO In
higher things there are diversions or In
duIgences which in the same manner affect
the life and character in1uriously. thus
hindering the growth of spiritual life. We
need to deal with ourselves very firmly ana
heroically. If anything units US or stands
in the way of following Christ-desire. APP
petite, business. pleasure. no matter now
dear the idol may be, we must give il up
for him. who is dearer than all the world.
This seh-denial OF the Master is made a;i
cipleship. the taking up of ones cross
Cross Is one of the significant words of the
New 1t means ,stn more than we
when our will comes in conflict with God :
will; think of the cross when We bear
Christ mes ms more than that With the
Master 1t only means one thing. and that Is
death.
In ancient Rome when a man was 10
be executed he was compelled to bear his
cross to the place Of execution. Christ bore
his own cross to Golgotha. and there he
we must take up cross and follow him
to death. the death OF the lower self This
lower self Is not merely to be held in re-
straint. hut crucified unto death. that dying
unto self We might live unto Christ. Paul
caught the meaning of the cross when he
declared. I am crucifed unto Christ. never
tneIess / live; vet not I. but Christ liveth
in me
There is a legend OF an artist who found
the secret of wonderful red. which
other artist could initiate. The secret died
with him. But after his death an old
wound was discovered over his heart. This
revealed the source OF the matchless hue
Of his pictures. The legend teaches US that
nothing great can be attained save at fhs
cost Of our own hearts blood We shall
never attain the Christ likeness until We are
ready to give up our very life. Whosoever
soever shall lose his life for my sake the
same shall find II.
Having denied self and taken up our
cross we are to follow him. His meat was
to do the will of him that sent him. If
we would be like him We must follow in
MS footsteps. Follow him as in the wilder
ness he meets the Temper and battles him
Follow him in the shade of the gardens
light he Dours out his soul in agony before
God. Follow him as falsely accused and
condemned he opens not his
mouth. though robed in derisior and
,rowned in mockery. he threatens not. Fol-
ow him as he bends under the heavy cross
lies the death of shame. Follow him as hs
g laid in the tomb and breaks the rock
Ribbed prison Of death Follow him as the
-isen Christ. he ascends on high.
Sight fails. but faith sees him glorifed
1t the right hand of the Father on high
where they that follow all the way shall
i've forever With him. Heavy may be the
cross. but bright will be the crown as out
,f the sorrow of death we rise into the life
hat is eternal