The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-11-10
IA SERMON FOR SUNDAY
AN oouENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED.
..'lMlTATORS OF GoD."
The Rev. DIR. John Reid Answers tho
Somewhat Narrow Criticism That
Christianity Is Narrow In It's Spirit and
Contracting in lis Effect.

Somewhat Narrow Crlhclsm ihat
Christianity is Narrow in Its Spirit and
Contracting in lis Effect.
BROOKLYN. \. Y.-Dr John Reid, pas
tor OF the Memorial Presbyterian Church.
preached an eloquent sermon Sunday
morning. His text was taken from Ephe..
slams vi: BE We therefore followers OF
God. as dear children" Dr. Reid said
The Revised Version gives a better and
stronger translation: Be We therefore lmi-
tators of God. as beloved children lml-
tators, as children. Being children of God,
be We imitators OF God.
Truth is practically always achievement,
superstructure, the keystone. last stroke:
There are what the metaphysicians call
Immediate truth" that is. truth in con-
nection with which our knowledge Is lntui-
tive, and where it comes in as the direct
and undeniable testimony or the senses,
but as a general thing acquired truth Is
the result of work done, the issue OF bat
tie which has been won. In other words,
truth has to conquer before it can COM
mand. But in conflict or warfare OF what
soever kind, disguise is ever worse Toe to
meet than denial. And / suppose that
what is frequently affirmed is probably
true: namely, that the Christian religion
has always suffered more from those who,
sometimes Intentionally and sometimes IN
Intentionally, have perverted and mlsrep.
rensented it, than it has ever suffered from
those who have even formally opposed 1t.
There, for instance. is the somewhat trite
criticism that Christianity as scheme Is
narrow in its spirit and contracting In Its
effect; under it as system men do not at
tain the highest possible development, and,
therefore, they cannot display the Ialrest
and finest fiber of human character; 1t de-
yelopes the passive and uninf1uential, more
than the puissant and productive. elements
of our nature: it keeps its hand on life $
brake to check and hold in. rather than
on life's throttle valve to open and let GO;
it is in face lion, but in heart deer; the
thou shalt nots outnumber the thou shafts;
there is an unmistakable favor of pusll-
lanimity, OF cowardliness, OF spritlessness,
which nothing every wholly removes from
many Of its principles and professions; re-
pentance. humbleness. meekness, forgive
ness of injuries. REIMBURSEMENT OF rights,
submission to what cannot be seen: accept
ance of what cannot be known-these are
not among the heroic virtues. All this has
been felt and expressed. not only by the
superficial and scoffing. but by the respect.
full and thoughtful. And certainly it is all
forceful. Ii it were true, it might be even
fatal.
Yet from the beginning to end this whole
criticism that Christianity Is narrow IN Its
spirit and contracting in its effects moves
on misconception. Human life can never
be bound BY lifeiess process. 1t Is o; ne
cessity linked to a living Person. And IN
Christianity. it is the Almighty God who
is the standard. Men are everywhere eX-
horted and expected to ascertain His viii,
to keep His word, TO lay hold or his
strength. to walk in His light, and so to
adorn His doctrine il all things. 1t Is the
example os God that is published as the
pattern. 1t is the purity OF God that IS
put forth as the test. 1t is the will OF
God that is prescribed as the law. 1t Is
the love of God that is presented as the
motive power 1t is the glory OF God that
is pointed to as the end. 1t Is the apnro'
baton of God that is urged as the lnsp'ra'
ton and the sweet reward. Likeness to
Godhood-that is Christanity's ideal OF
manhood; likeness; not simply represen'
tation, but reproduction; an image; a
likeness which has its place, not in one
ness or identity OF attributes. but IN one
ness or community OF life. In Him we live
and move and have Our being, said Paul
with all clearness and confidence. For
me to live is Christ" said the same great
apostle to the Gentiles. Literally, for to
me, that is, in my case: in so far as am
personally concerned. life is Christ. In my
view and understanding of the term. life is
but another name for Christ. Whatever
of life. or of time. or of talent. or OF
strength I have, it is all His. 81 live. yet
not /, but Christ liveth in me- That
mans great endeavor was, as near as pos.
sible. to reproduce in his life the life o!
his Master.
So here his exhortation to all others:
"Be We therefore imitators of God, as be
loved children" We have all known chill
dren who were so impressed with the char,
acteristics OF their fathers that We cou:d
never hear their form Of expression or see
their modes of action without thinking OF
those from whom their opinions and con-
duct had received direction and form. We
say, chips Of the old block; the father
lives again in the son. just so the true lIe
of the Christian is, potentially at least,
s;-,c,r a reproduction of the life OF the
'Imitators. as children OF God" What
ever the sentiments we may entertain re-
parding the claims of aristocracy or the
rights OF democracy, VIC all make much OF
ancestry The son of lord may become, a
lord. The daughter Of a queen IS OF the
blood royal. Everywhere men believe In
ASSOCIATION. Famliy glory Is Soou lhlTo'
ducton and great help to any man who
can lawfully point to it as his. The valid
ity OF that introduction is never ques'
toned, the integrity Of that help is never
rejected, except where the man himself
becomes personally deficient or person
ally degenerate. For doubtless everywhere,
when it comes to the purely practical side
OF things, what is h5:" is OF far greater
Importance than whence did he come
A big fruit from a little tree is worth
more than little fruit from big tree,
when it is fruit that the market is de-
manding. And what this intensely practi::
cal age demands is not SO much ancestral
trees as palatab,e fruit.
confess that sometimes have found il
hard to preserve the proprieties when
have heard people boasting of ancestry.
have sometimes wondered what the an
cestors would say if they suddenly saw the
progeny. Paternity is not always easily
recognizable in posterity. Neither in
things material nor in things moral does
past possession ever pay for present pow
erty. There must be some water in the
channel TO make river out of it, and it is
always the present water volume. of the
stream that determines the real water
value OF the river.
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