The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-01-26
THE PULPIT.
AN ELOQUENT SUNDAY SERMON BY
HE REV. WILLIAM PORKESS.
Theme: Profit and Loss.

New Haven, Conn.-The following
sermon was delivered by the regular
preacher, the Rev. William Porkess,
at the special Sunday evening service
in st. Paul's Church, New Haven. for
Yale students and business men, Octo-
Der II. 1909. The congregation who
listened to Mr.. Porkess vas an un-
usually large one:
Text: st. Mark, S:36: "For what
shall it profit a man if he shall gain
the whole world and lose his own
soul?"
Occasionally our Lord assumed the
role of questioner, but when He did
it was not for the sake Of gaining
knowledge, it was rather to empha-
size the knowledge that He possessed.
When Jesus turned on the crowd and
asked, who touched Me-" many as
there we're around Him. He knew
who the individual was before He had
spoken a word. but the introduction
of the question was His method of
calling the peoples attention to the
strong faith of the diseased and
trembling woman who had forced
herself near enough to the Saviour to
touch the hem of His garment. So
is it exactly the same with regard to
the searching question of u text.
Christ knew full we'll the answer be-
fore He addressed His audience,
which consisted of the disciples and
the people. He, however, became the
%questioner to lay stress upon a spe-
cifc knowledge of human nature.
That knowledge consisted Of the in
eXtinguishable fire that is af1ame, the
unending stream Of ambition that
flows from a mans heart. He, so to
speak. by this question takes out of
mar the strongest force that is with
in him-ambition, and holds it before
him, clearly implying that that force
will have n of two effects. it will
either be constructive or destructive,
it will either develop life or dwarf it,
it will either make man or kill him.
The implication, however, is. that
Christ gives the warning, and the re-
suit rests with man. 1t remains with
him absolutely whether he will be his
J own constructor or destroyer. So
! then, underlying the words Of our
text, there is the ruling power of
human characterization. Il the
words of the text there is the goal of
s.mbition-proit, "For what shall it
profit a man." Then there is the
highest degree of proft-the gaining
Of the whole world. For what shall
it profit a man if he shall gain the
whole world" and still further we
have the awful contrast-the loss of
the soul, For what shall it profit a
mar if he shall gain the whole world
and lose his own soul?"
Now what has been the effect of the
centuries that have elapsed since our
Lords day, on the question that He
then asked, and we are now consid-
ering? Has time made the question
any less a question? While the con-
1itions of our Lords time and those
Of our W day are very different,
does that difference make it unneces-
Sary for Him to address us in the
words of the text? No, I think per-
haps the difference makes it all the
more necessary. The fire of ambition
Is more aglow to-day than ever. The
element of profit is if anything a
deeper part of our nature, and the
world although older seems fresher
In its appeals, and consequently the
dangers to the soul are increased.
Therefore the words of the Saviour
spoken to the disciples and people Of
His time are q searching question for
men Of to-day, and at some stage of
4 mans life he will be confronted by
this question, for it Is inevitable.
Suppose a mar never to enter any
church, never to come into touch
with any religious organization, never
10 pay the slightest heed to the
claims of Jesus Christ, yet he must
Of the text. The reason for this is
because Of the common ruling power
human nature-the factor of ambi-
ton. Now Christ emphasizes by this
question His knowledge of the secret
government of a mans life, and He
also strongly indicates the course
that that inner power may take.
He recognizes that ambition may be
everything or it may be nothing. 1t
may be a mans salvation or it may
be his damnation. Unlike the Say
TOUR, man is not able to see the trend
of this inward factor, and because of
this he is very often led astray. What
we r not able to see, before it is
too late, Christ is, and therefore we
should be willing to listen to and
ready to act upon His teaching. So
many of US misunderstood the Saw
Jour. We rather look upon Him as a
~iespotic ruler, when really He is seek
ing to he our leader, directing us to
the plane of life in its grandest form.
Ambition is ours, and it is our most
valuable possession, and not only val
liable, but it is also an essential.
You cannot point to a single pros
porous man without this possession,
and you cannot mention any stalwart
type Of character without this essen
tial. God knew this better than we
10 when He endowed man with this
power, that that endowment must
take place before there can be any
prosperity or character in its fullest
sense. Some Of us are go over
whelmed to-day by the powers OF evil
that we do not always credit to- their
right source the factors that sway
human life. Satan has no claim on
ambition, but God planted this seed
in the human heart, and in all His
gifts to man He is more than willing
to act as Guide in their cultivation,
but it is for man to decide whether ne
will accept the guidance. We must
always remember, however. that it is
the design of the Evil One to usurp
the place of the Giver. AS NAL deter
mines whom to call in as his guide, so
will his life be. In this very decision
he fixes the result. God-guided am
bition always means the bringing out