The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1904-09-01
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED.
WHO ARE SONS or cop7"
fhe nev. Robert A. sIacvsdden peclar.s
Tint the Four Sources Of succes. Az
Hood, Win of tho Fiesh, win OF ,aan
aud 8Od.

blood. win OF tho Fiesh, win OF Nan
sud Goa.
BGooKLyN, N Y.-The R,v. Robert A.
Mactadden, Of Danvers. Masst nreachej
sunday IN the Lafayette Avenue Prcsby.
serian Ghurch. In the morning his subject
WI. maS VINO Are the Sons of IGod!" He
Ny subject Is "who Are the Sons Of
God! and my text John i: IL: "Wb;ch
were born not of blood, or Of the will of
the aesh or Of the will Of man but Of God"
contrast--blood, win OF the flesh will ~
man and God. At first sight thew are
equal; but second sight reveals the war
iars tnat ever goes on between heredity
ana environment on the one hand and
implies en IN G"d tS%nsS On the other This contrast
one true success is spiritual success, and
ior this secret power is to be furnished
rover in life means all the way through
70 the hnal, victory over difficulties. and
dlincuit,es cannot be ultimately overcome
except through this secret power.
Every life lived and every work done has
sopewhere its sufficient explanation. God
mas never yet permitted an accident in
HIS world. Every deed has its pedigree.
so much producing energy in the cause
n,cens SO much energy in the effect. There
its pedigree. Young men are 10 ant to
think chance plays the great part in life.
SO they wait for their chance. They zee
some one do easily the thing he under.
taxes, and they leap to the belief that there
ls some trick about it. II they only had
the trick they. could do it, also. Such
young men need to be informed. The man
who succeeds to-day in business, scholar.
snip or politics succeeds because he knows
now, and he knows how because he has
safnra ;s inroorS"; now. ne who does not know how
more Simportant question the young man
can ask himself than how he can prepare
ior lie as not to be castaway: "not lost
this" p"'e'Aeo Al
For the ratio between what n ,,an ia and
what he can do is a constant ratio. Every
man >gill have all the power he earns, and
the power that he has will tell, not because
people like 1t or like him, but because it is
power, and rs such can keep itself erect
without being propped up by a labor union
son.
1t follows. then, that the most import
ant thing boy can do is to get ready. 1t
ID inspiration to know that every ounce of
energy put irto work in the early years In
50 SO much distinct guarantee of usefulness in
ready, the father should tell his ooy that
ne must get ready for rough weather. The
boy must learn to handle the boat OF his
own experience If he il not to be driven
upon the shadows or into the breakers. As
ne meets and masters the difficulties that
high school or the college, he is equipping
himself for the enemies that will axsal
him on the high seas.
John. then. here points out the possible
WAYS OF getting ready. He asserts that
Pood % of ,ss does as no. depend upon
but solely upon God. Let me translate
this into the four Fs: Family, force, fur.
nishings, faith.
John says first mans success does not
depend upon his family. DR.. Lyman Alb
bott has developed this thought rational.
ply because OF their ancestry. "Ihe great
ness OF America docs not depend primari-
~ upon its Pilgrim history" No one would
Tor moment dispute this with him. But
desire to emphasize this from the domes-
tic viewpoint. A mana spiritual success,
says John, does not depend upon his fam.
Iiy. Then 1t makes no difference what the
family, the Bible lays no stress upon here.
dity. He who says this does not know the
Bible The Bible lays great stress upon
great man it begins with his torents. The
foundations of one generation are in all
respects laid in the antecedent generation.
In an important sense the boy begins to
live when his father begins 70 live. The
child is the parent continued down into
good science. But this is Scripture, and it
is good Scripture. Scripture emphasized
heredity long before science was born.
Hannah, the mother of Moses; Elizabeth,
Mary, Lois and Eunice are all magnificent
would duplicate these glorious sons must
tirst duplicate their matchless mothers.
As believers in the Bible we have an in.
forest in heredity. IL 10 the Gospel expec-
tation that the children grow mp bearing
the physical features of their parents, so
emplify the parents faith. That's what
Timothy did, in whom the great apostle,
rejoiced so much. Heredity is mighty, but
let us not think 1t is almighty. Heredity
gives US tendency, but it gives US moth
ing else. The children Of good parents
dren of bad parents. The children OF edu.
Gated parents acquire ideas moro easily
than those OF ignorant parents. The fati.
er, who for five and twenty years has been
eaying: Two times two are four, guess
IN make It hve," gives to his baby child
the tendency to make the same multiple
cation, but. the child must make the choice
before it becomes to him sin. How /
wish that that great sermon of Henry
Ward Beeecher on "Hercdity influence
could be printed as supplement to our
men trcmble at what they may bequeath
TO their children. But after ali, the grace
OF God is stronger than the sin of man.
What man Is he chooses to be. Weak.
ness, tendency are handed down, but the
shoicc is made by tho individual himself.
Your spiritual success, young man, does
not depend upon your ancest-5, yo,i. her
edity, your fathers habits, or your family.
John says no man IS safe simply because
Of his family.
But IL does not depend upon your Ter.
e3nai force, which is free. tranalatioa for
stands FOR the animal man, not necessarily
the bad animal man. II means strong,
vigorous force in the maa himself. Now,
John says this strong, vigorous force will
n9Ser give man his spiritual nuprorlacy.
position. Noah must have had stro19
Md vigorous will, but 1t did not insure
nT against drunkenness. samscn had q