The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1911-03-30
The Question
of Personality
By REV. HUGH Z. KERR
Pssso~ FsIlsster Ave. Pr..bysesia.
Church. Chicago


TBxT-where art thou7-Genesis 80.
This question whispered by Coo
into the heart OF man is the FIRST and
the last question OF life. After W.
have traced the working OF Gods hano
In creation and beheld the fashionlns
OF sun and moon and stars and sceL
the furnishing of the earth with cattl,
and every creeping thing and behelo
Eden blossoming with love until sins
sting shriveled innocence as In a fire,
then God speaks out OF the silence OF
his own omnipotence and demands an
answer from the man into whom he
has breathed the breath OF a divine
life: where art thou?"
II lifts man out from the rest OF
Gods creation. Not of the heaven or
the earth of the sea or the air does he
ask this question. Not OF the birds or
beasts OF the field. They are part
and parcel of a great dumb creation
that works the will OF him who or
dered their coming and determines
their going.
Not so with man. He stands as SEN
unel. Into his hands dominion Is
given. He is not part OF the great
creation procession. He Is the mas.
ter. tho arbiter. the spectator. 1t Is
the first question asked in the begin.
ming OF worlds. II will be the last
question asked when the worlds are
rolled up as q scroll and all things
pass away. Then. too. the question
will be heard: Where art thou?"
How diverse and different have
been the answers. We have heard
many stories. Even the Bible tells
US two stories. On the one hand, We
are told that he stands where tho
shadows come and go. He Is as q
vapor. dream, a sleep. a story. tale
that Is told, water spilled upon the
ground. a thread of the weaver that is
cut. a flower that faded, grass that
withereth. a shepherds tent that Is re-
moved. Then. too. We are told that
he Is clothed In light and Immortality
as with a garment and crowned with
glory and honor.
Here lies a man whose name was
writ In water" so runs the epitaph on
the stone of one whose name is still
remembered. What Is man? What is
personality? Physicians tell US that
the body changes every seven years.
Once we were children, now we are
men and women. yet we believe We
are the same now that we were then,
with all the changes akin to the death
OF the physical
There have been two OF us, perhaps
more. One Of the past, one Of the
present and still one OF the men that
Is to be. Which is the real Paul, the
one that breathed out slaughter or the
one that worshiped at Christ's feet?
Which Is the true Judas. the one that
listened to the call of Jesus or the
one that betrayed him with a kiss?
You remember how Oliver Wendell
Holmes pictures three men in each
mantle man that one thinks he is.
the man his friends think him to be
and the man whom God sees, the real
man.
Yet through II all there Is one con
tinuing personality. The Adam of
Eden is linked with the Adam with.
out the gate. 1t belongs to the realm
OF the soul. the mind. the memory.
Son remember" Is the verdict of
heaven and the doom of hell. John
Quincy Adams at the extreme limit OF
old age when asked about his health
replied: Thank you. John Quincy
Adams is quite we'll. But the house
in which he lives Is dilapidated. II Is
lettering. Times and seasons have
made their mark upon IT, II is well.
nigh worn out Some day soon shall
move out But John Quincy Adams
is quite well. sir. thank you"
Gods voice Is ever calling to the
consciences OF men. He is ever
searching to discover the best that is
In man and to reawaken the hope that
has been buried. A good painter de-
picts the best A friend viewing a por-
trait OF his friend by Sargent said II
looked like the portrait of dissipated
man. The man said yes. and that's
what ! have In me which have al
ways bathed and fought and con-
quered. Said his friend. 1T is that
better man, the victor. the conQueror.
that the painter should have painted"
Yes. and God always calls us to our
best and sees far OF the man who
ought to be. In Simon he sees Peter.
In Saul he sees Paul. In Jacob he
sees the wrestling prince with God.
God is not a cynic hunting like Dioge-
hes for the doubtful discovery Of a
man. God Is like the shepherd who
knows the sheep are lost. He is like
the father who knows the son is bet.
ter than he pretends. He Is like the
loser of the coin who knows its value
and has faith In its recovery.
30 with the Lord he takes and he re-
fuses.
Finds him ambassadors whom men
deny.
Wise men nor mighty for his saints he
chooses.
No. such as John or Gideon or /.
II is bad business to try TO hide
from God. Personality receives its
true perfection only In God. He Is the
atmosphere In which life fiourishes
md abides. He Is the light in which
The flower of a right life blooms. He
d tho country in which the true fruit
II faith comes to beautiful maturity.
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