The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-09-03
HRELIGION AND SELF. !"
THE NEW COMMANDMENT AS
 VIEWED BY REV MR. KIDD.

Trinity NJ. E. Church Pastor Says We
 Do Not Place High Enough Stand
 ard for OurseIves--"our Only True
 POssessiOns.'
 At the Trinity Methodist church last evening the pastor, Rev. W. H. Kidd, delivered strong sermon on the sub ject, "Religion and the self,' taking as his text the 29th and 31st verses of the gospel according to Mark. Rev. MT. Kidd spoke in part as follows:
 I've hear a great deal nowadays about the proper treatment of others We have everywhere organized philan- thropic societies to promote our love for fellow men. But in the command ment to love others as ourselves we all most always overlook the real and prime significance. Self Is the one thing emphasized in this commando ment. The true relationship of this commandment has to do almost entire ly without self-esteem. Self Is the chief consideration.
 Personal self is the only thing we own. We do not own property or money; they are merely things given us to use and when we die some one else has then the benefit of them. Per- sonal soul Is the only thing in the uni- verse that possesses, and what I do with my personal self Is the distin- gushing mark of my career,
 Some people are swollen with an in ordinate conceit. There is no inordinate self esteem that does not demean self. A man who deliberately sins violates his own self-esteem. A man who prop erly esteems himself does not follow a crowd because the reet do.
 We have long been dwelling on the kindly treatment of others without stopping to consider that this can come only from the kindly treatment of our- selves. We must be generously inclin- ed in our real selves if we are to be generous in our treatment of others. Observe that money giving is never 8 real test of generosity. Often money is given only for the sake of the advertis- ing that 1t brings. What we think of other people Is of more importance than how we treat them. Our treatment of others is only superficial, but our thoughts of them are close to our in most natures, So generosity IS the out come Of a generous heart. What think of myself will have all to do with what I do for others.
 There are thousands of people in this country who have never asked themselves the question Who am IF They know their own name, they know their social position, but the real, deep question of who they are would be un- fathomable to them That is the great trouble with us; we do not know our selves as we ought. There is no worse degredation than that of self.
 T own myself, and that is the only think in Gods universe that do own. do not belong to God until I give myself to him. I do not belong to the devil unless surrender myself to him, and I shall do neither of these at the bidding of another man. By looking up to God, by seeking to understand my self and to strengthen and develop my self In all good works I can draw down blessing from above. And if will to be evil, to develope the evil side of myself I can call in all the powers of the lovely world to help me in this effort. There Is nothing too hard or costly to be engaged in or for if 1t will be of true advantage to my true sel
 Now the only way of self- -elabora- tion and growth is by trial through fire There is only one test for truth and righteousness and that is by the fire through suffering and sorrow. Then when we are developing and realize what our true selves need, will we be able to obey the precept of the Lord and tyaaf okhare a e ni,rsnlvna p