The Penn's Grove record., 1908-06-26
THE PULPIT.
AN ELOQUENT SUNDAY SERMON BY
THE REV. JASON NOBLE PIERCE
Theme: Christ's Example.

Brooklyn, N. Y.-At the Puritan
Congregational Church the new pas
tor, the Pew. Jason Noble Pierce,
preached Sunday morning on 1.-THE
Examples of Christ" He said: NV
subject this morning is found in John
1878: For / have given you an ex-
ample that We should do as have
done to YOU" If you put that right
in its setting it would be natural to
wonder whether the example Jesus
gave involves the girding of the towel
and the taking of the basin and per-
forming the service of love that He
performed for His disciples; whether
His example is literal in it's setting.
1t is not strange that certain branches
OF, the church have in different times
held that His example was to be taken
literally; that He instituted an ordi-
nance as truly as the ordinance of
baptism or the Lords supper. And
SO, even down to the present day,
there are some churches that literally
believe in the washing of the feet as
a religious act. From 1880 to 1880
the ~sovereigns of England were ac-
customed to literally carry out this
example of the Lord. and indeed down
to the present day it is not unusual
for the imperial ruler of Russia to
have the ~aristocracy seek outgoers
who are aged and infirm and helpless
and wash their feet as Jesus washed
the feet of His disciples. On every
Thursday in Holy Week the Pope, not
in the simplicity that Jesus had, but
with great pomp and splendor, and in
the eyes of the multitudes on a high
platform where he can be seen by all,
washes the feet Of twelve of the old
est men that can be found. But the
natural query is. why do it once a
year, If it is really an example to be
followed, and why does only one per-
son follow it. instead of everybody
YOU and me? And if you turn back
to your ORIGINAL testament you find
the words like as"-"that We should
do like as I have done for you," and
0 realize that Jesus is not institut-
ing IN ordinance, but He is. by a low
ing and kind act of ministry, teach
ing IN ideal and teaching it by exam
pie. He might have talked about it
and the words would have gone in one
a and out of the other, but no one
OF those present could ever forget His
example. and I venture to say that
though John lived as long as he did
in his last day he still felt the infu-
ence of the Masters teaching as
strongly as he did on the day when
the Master washed his feet.
Jesus whole life is an example, IS
It not? We find other people that are
examples. I can turn to the Old Tes-
lament and study Job, and say that
he was an example of patience. or to
the life of Abraham, and say that he
is a perfect example of faith. I turn
to imDetuous Peter, and l say there
is a man of fervor; Or to John, and
see the perfect example of John. the
loving disciple, and wonder if we
shall eve grow into the love of John.
These men are examples in part, in
some things, in one or a few charac-
teristics, but Jesus was a perfect eX-
ample-complete. If you are speak-
ing Of faith, He is perfect; il of pa
thence. He is perfect; if you sneak of
~fervor, Or of love, or of humility, of
I dignity. or of power, or of any quail
ity of the heart, you find that Jesus is
perfect, the one supreme, perfect eX-
ample. You and l know it is one of
our human failings to look at people
and initiate them. How quick the
child is to discern. Did you never see
a little girl who spoke not only the
same words that her mother did, but
with just the same information? If
the mother says a thing with a little
sharpness. SO does the daughter. l
think nothing in all this world is so
quick to discern the things they see as
n l;tt1o ohf1I nrd rot an1xy 70 AfcOnrn
them, but to initiate them. If Jesus
had handed down His Sermon on the
Mount just as a document given by
an unseen hand, 1t never would have
had the resonance, the clearness and
the power that it has when we see 1t
coming from the lips of the Man
whom we almost can see because His
followers really did see Him. You do
not take any reasoning of Jesus apart
from Himself. You and I need to I'M
derstand Jesus, and need to follow
His example, because other people are
following Ill example. Here is a lit
tie boy in the Sunday-school, and the
teacher says, John, you ought to
grow up into a true, noble manhood,
and be an example for Others" John
cannot help being an example. can
not stand here this morning and say
you ought to be examples; you are,
and you cannot get away from it.
You may not want people to look at
you, but you cannot shut their eyes.
There is not a person here this morn
ing who is not, unconsciously as we'll
as consciously, leading the thoughts
and impulses of other people. You
are examples. What kind of exam
pies are you?
What kind of an example are we
Christian people? In think Il of the
most wonderful men was Paul. He
wrote to the Galatians, and he said:
Brethren, l beseech you be as | am"
Now a good many of you are looking
at me and saying: Here is our new
pastor. / wonder what kind of a man
he is really going to prove to be-"
What kind of a man would you think
l am if l should say in utter serious
ness: Members of Puritan Church,
l beseech you be as l am. Look at
me, behold me. Be as l am" Why,
that is what the apostle wrote to his
congregation. He sem another letter
to the Philippians, in which he said:
Those things which We have both
learned and received and heard and
seen in me, do; and the God of peace
shall be with you.a Is there q school
teacher here that would dare to say:
IF you only do what your teacher
does; if you only look at my life and
follow my example, the God Of peace
will be with YOU" In th:e e of his
epistles Paul wrote: BE followers
of me-" What a presumptuous man!
Is there a father in this audience that
wishes his son to be just like him?
Or is there a mother that wishes her
little child that God has given her, to
be just like her? God knows that
every parent says: "Oh, that my child
may be better than l am" What,
then, is the secret of this mans won
derful courage? You will find it in
what he said to the Corinthians: BE
We followers of me, even as l am also
of Christ" and he dared to say it, and
he was right, because he knew that
his life was close to God.
The first time / preached in this
pulpit several weeks ago | went ont