East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1911-10-02
PRESBYTERIAN
SUNDAY SERMON

''Thc Christians IDEAL" I'm Part, as
Analyzed by Rev. +. j. Mines, Pas
tor of Presbyterian Church Phone
544.
Text: "That ye may approve the
things that are excellent; that ye may
be sincere" Phil. 1:1O.
Pauls first plea is for excellence.
Excellence is primary; sincerity is
secondary. Do you doubt 1t? Did
Paul get these virtues in improper
order? Let us study them briefly
as they appear in the procession Of
the text
Excellence is a word or one dimen-
sion,-alttude! 1t is a summons, not
to high life" but to the higher life.
Be disciples of the superlatiye.
"Covet the best gifts" The better al
ways puts the good out of action,
The industrial world demands the lat
est and most improved equipment.
Many a good machine Is sent to the
| scrap-heap by every new invention.
This must obtain, or progress is for
ever at an end. Emerson is vindi-
Gated: "The good Is the enemy of
THE best" We hear much about do
ing pretty well' and living fairly
good" lives This is hazardous con-
tentment. Many wreck on the voy-
age of life lies stranded on the
shoals of pretty we'll" The most
precarious voyage Is to sail over shall
low waters. The hardest kind of a
Christian life to live is the halfway
Christian. Alas for him who aspires
to no, lofty. challenging attitudes!
The man who is content to paint
pretty well' will never be an ar
tist; the pupil who is satisfied to sing
"pretty WELL" will never be a musici-
an; the mechanic who can conscien-
tiously plod along in his ordinary rou-
tine, making no improvement in his
work day after day and year after
year, will never be a master work.
man: and the labor union which in
sists on an equal wage and compul-
sorry employment for good, bad and
Indifferent workmen, puts premi-
um on mediocrity, places ban on eX-
cellence, and becomes the enemy of
; progress and, therefore, fails in prin-
ciple. Young people in our public
schools, hear me, bring us no good
reports of your work! We expect and
; have a right to expect that your re-
port cards shall be marked, "excel-
lent" This is the best way to keep
peace with your teacher and your own
obligations. In it's total effect it is
the easiest course to pursue because
it is the order and expectation of God.
: Does the Christian life have many
, perpleXing problems and trying diff
ficulties? 1t is dark and hard to see
the way at times? Come up higher.
5 Extricate yourself from entangling
. earthly alliances. 1t is better travel
ing on the heights. Here doubts and
perpleXities vanish as the mist dis
perse before the rising sun. Most
difficulties of the Christian life arise
from failure to live up to high mora
standards. Only the pure in hear
can ever see God. Live in the high.
est moral and spiritaual attitudes, ant
2 your vision will be unobstructed. The
sublime realities and possibilities OF
life will be clear.
LAS some tall cliff that lifts its awfu
form
Swells from the breeze and midway
leaves the storm;
Though round its breast the rolling
clouds are spread,
Eternal sunshine settles on its head,
One of the hindrances to many pros.
= pective Christians is the question
: what will l have to give up? AS il
Christianity were represented by sub
two in nf nj,
. tiplication. 1t gives up a shadow anj
secures substance. 1t surrender'
rags for a robe and husks for a ban
quet. When a wave of happy sun
light rolls in from the East, the lamI
loses its meaning. When we develoI
a taste for pure literature. yellow
9 journalism loses its flavor. When the
: ear is once trained to classic music
;. rag-time loses its charm. And whei
o the heart finds Christ, the worlC
n loses its luster.
: THAT ye may approve the thing!
, that are excellent" then, means tina
v ye may approve Christianity. Fo
q Christianity is the superlative religi
on. 1t embodies whatsoever thing
are lovely and of good report" Th
''htepl VI bou eo Oui aIhel, w
as His children, our souls as Hi
= dwelling place, and love as His law
is the ideal of all lofty thinking.
n Next, comes sincerity" Most beau
: tiful word. 1t comes down to us un
;. furnished 1t rings true. 1t is gen
9 uine, four and twenty carats. 1t
It transparent, clear as the light pur
It as a dewdrop, and simple as lin
g of truth. In its old Greek origin
d meant tested in the sunlight {
that We may be tested in the sun
= light" Christians. And yet sincerit
:, is not the primary virtue. Some te
=, us that it does not matter what yo
II believe if only you are sincere. AS
it were of no consequence for whic