The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-04
FITABLENESS OF MAN ID HIS CREATOR The Hard Saying of Jesus Concerning DesclpIeshlp" FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD When Man Responds to Teaching of Christ, Jesus Becomes Great
 Teacher to Him, Says Rev.
 U. D. Mooney
FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD

The Rev. |. D. Mooney preached at the Second Presbyterian church last night on "The Hard Saying of Jesus Concern ing Diselpleship,' hls sermon being one of q series on the subject of the Hard Sayings of Jesus.' The text was taken from the 2d verse of the 22d chapter oe Jobi "Can man be profitable unto GodT'
 The Rev. Mir. Mooney spoke fin part as followsi
 Does the trend of history from the earliest records down to tie present time lead us to the conclusion that man who has been made in the image of God has proved q profitable investment to the Be- ing who placed him in the world7 And beyond this more general question, is 1t true or not that men and women con- sttuted as you and I are today, and among the conditions of our life, can so conduct themselves through all of earths activities as In the end to be of some profit to their Maker7 In other words can a character rendered infrm through shining a capacity for spiritual work lessened by wrong-dolng, a life cir cumscribed by hostile conditions. work in spite of these things the works of God?
 Perhaps 1t were better to allow the leading representatives of the race. through different periods of history, an- swer this question according to their own conceptions, as given in the divine reve- lation.
 Man Created In the Divine Image.
 In the council of the God-head which Is represented in scripture as having taken place before creation. the divine councillors seemed so impressed with the profit that a human race might be fin extending in a lesser scale the activities of the God-head, that the unanimous de- cision reached was the creation of man in the divine image. And yet, later on l following the scriptural account of the fall, the writer in Genesis represents God as ''repentng himself of the creation of man. There is implied here, in tho anthropomorphic figure a divine disap- pointment in the way man had expressed himself amid certain conditions and regret that he had been placed on earth.
 In the present text the writer of Job places in the mouth of the speaker rather pessimistic attitude toward the possibility contained in this question of a man being profitable to his God.
 In David's time the Psalmlst asks the question: What Is man that thou art mindful of himT that he might have the opportunity of the affirmative re- ply Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels: thou hast crowned him with glory and honor"
 Isaiah's estimate of the usefulness of man in the Kingdom of God finds ex- pression in the words of far-reaching import. For a man shall have covert front the storm and hiding place from the wind, and the shadow of a great rock in the weary land" and Jesus. the ''Son of Man." in his teachings reaches a height of estimate which has never been reached before or since. A man. says he. is of more value than a sheep and his Idea Is made immortal when he says. What shall 1t profit man If gain the whole world and lose him self.
 Life's New Dignity.
 From their estimates we must form our conclusion, that under certain conditions it is possible for man to work with God in extending his life in the world. and under other conditions it Is equally inn possible. With the belief which we gather from scripture of a mans being profit able to God, there certainly comes into life new dignity-a dignity which is born from realizing that with our own hands, and with our own brains, and l our own souls, working under Gods l hand. we can extend righteousness, vital ize holiness and push farther out the presence of God. And along with the dig ] nity of life comes a greater seriousness in the way we work, and a greater earnestness in the way we labor. The placing of any great responsibility upon a man sobers him-men. if he be a man | of only latent character. When God calls you and me through the message and redemption of Jesus, and places upon us a work of building an individual charac- ter, of serving Him in the world. and of 1 laboring with Him in the upbuilding of His kingdom, our lives can never descend to the fiippant of the trivial while carry | ing on the work.
 | The moral earnestness which was so | prominent a character in the character of Jesus, arose from the consciousness that his life might be profitable unto God, and | it became his constant purpose to so live | and so work that he might not fail. This | was the spirit in which he entered those serious words, 'I must work the works | of Him that sent me while it is day" God l has given us the tools. he has placed the material in our hands and the oppor- tunities to work for him are all about us, and with us and us alone remains the is- sue of life. Whether we shall return it to it's giver with some profit or return it worthless thing.
 The Profitable Type.
 What. then. is the type of man that proves profitable to God?' In our day he is beyond doubt the man who responds to the teachings of Jesus. teachings so plain. and so clear, that they are become moral classics. Men are to some extent influenced by the sayings and principles of | Christ; whether they are conscious of f. or not, but only that man who Is in- fiueneed consciously can in the best sense respond. 1.
 When a man responds to the teaching of Christ Jesus. then he becomes to him l the great teacher, and the one whom he | ocps,,lts ahout his work and when he be-