The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1911-03-31
The Question
Of Personality
D REV. HUGH 7. KERR
Passsr FulIsssso Ave. Psesbyseriaa
Church. Chicago

Qbtttlon Uf AO1
into the heart of man is the first aud
the last question of life. After We
have traced the working of Gods hand
In creation and beheld the fashionine
of sun and moon and stars and seen
the furnishing of the earth with cattle
and every creeping thing and beheld
Eden blossoming with love until sins
sting shrivelsd innocence as In a fire,
then God speaks out OF the silence OF
his own omn.potence and demands an
answer from the man into whom he
has breathei the breath of divine
life: Where art thou?'
IL 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
tinel. Into his hands dominion u
given. He Is not part of the great
creation procession. He Is the mas
ter. the arbiter. the spectator. II 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 a 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
~ q
are told that he stands where the
shadows come and go. He is as
vapor, a 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, 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 guns the epitapb 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 I'm each
mantle man that one thinks he ia
the man his friends think him 10 be
and the man whom God sees. the real
man.
Yet through il all there is one con
tinuing personality. The Adam OF
Eden is linked with the Adam with
out the gate. II 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 heath
replied: Thank you, John Quincy
Adams is quite well But the hous,
in which he lives is dilapidated. IL Is
tottering. Times and seasons have
made their mark upon il. 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 10 tho
consciences of men. He is ever
!
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 4
looked like the portrait of "A dissipater
man. The man said yes, and that's
what / have in me which | have al
ways baffled and fought and con
quered. Said his friend, TT f. thai
better man, the victor. tho conqueror
that the painter should have painted.
Yes, and God always calls us TO oul
best and sees far off the man VIII,
ought To be. In Simon he sees Peter
In Saul he sees Paul In Jacob h.
sees the wrestling prince with God
God is not a cynic hunting like Dioge
mes for the doubtful discovery OF
man. God Is ike the shepherd Wn'
knows the sheep are lost. He is lik'
the father who knows the son IL bet
fer than he pretends. He is like TIL
loser of the coin who knows IT'S vald
and has faith I'm its recovery.
SO with the Lord he takes and he r.
Finds him ambassadors whom me
deny.
Wise men nor mighty for his saints h
No. such as John or Gideon or ].
IL is bad business TO try 10 hid
from God. Personality receives IL
true perfection only in God. He is IN
atmosphere in which life hourishe
and abides. He is the light in whic
the flower of a right life blooms. n
is the country in which the true frui
OF faith comes 10 a beautiful maturft,
We are all in his great garden. II
still walks its path and calls for II
beauty.
why should we hide? To see hi
smile means heaven for us. To mis-
him is TO miss the best
There is only one safe hiding plac,
and that is the Rock OF Ages, In
Lover of the souls OF men. In him