The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-05-05
fine SERMON
DELIVERED BY
DR.. RANDOLPH
CHAPLAIN IN DISCOURSE AT THE
NAVY YARD CHURCH SAYS
EVERY MAN Is INITIATIVE OF
THOSE WHO HAVE GONE BE-
FORE HIM.

Chaplain Randolph spoke at the
Methodist Episcopal church at the
navy yard ,on Sunday night, April 20,
on the second chapter Of first Peter,
Est verse, in part as follows:
1t is not necessary for me to argue
the fact that man is~constantly imi-
tative nor is it necessary for me to
discuss the question as to whether
this is according to Mr.. Darwin or
not. We find such to be the case so
FAR as our observation goes: that
every man is initiative of those about
him or those who have gone before
him. One man goes along and blazes
way and another comes along and
goes over the same course, and the
same is true in all departments of life,
all the lines of business all the pro-
LESSONS. One man makes a discovery
another comes along and gets little
further
"A boy goes to school and selects
some older boy as his ideal to talk like
he does and do everything like his
fellows. Later on in life when he be-
comes man, he picks out some ideal
that he likes as a great man and tries
to follow in his steps.
How many young lawyers there are
who have picked out Daniel Webster
and Henry Clay and tried to do as
they did. Some man starts in medi-
cine and picks out his ideal. You will
find young preachers standing in the
pulpit that some professor has i'm
pressed himself most strikingly upon
them and they try to initiate him In
all their ways.
TT IS true in the professions. Take
the doctor and he tries to go over the
ground that others have gone in years
and years before. The same Is true
also OF the lawyer; the decisions of
the courts and those old principles
that have been handed down from
ducts himself much in the same way;
only now and then we discover some
new.
True of Everyone.
1T is true also of the farmer and
everybody else do like their neighbors
did; now and then they make some
progress.
Christ also suffered that we shall
follow in His steps; also to walk as
He walked. Here is presented to US
the idea Of the model of that Christian
life Just as we take our idea in the
different lines Of business, professions
and all that, so in the Christian life
we need to have a model, an ideal set
before us in order that we may trans
form our lives in the character that
He presents to us and you can easily
when we examine the lives of men
who have lived before us. For in
stance, we examine the life of Moses
we find that meekness was the most
prevailing characteristic; we take Sol
ONION. and we find the same charac-
teristic in him; with David. justice
was the most striking characteristics
And again we find Moses giving away
to anger; David by lust; Solomon
being overcome by temptation.
We are Aary much like the China
man. Some lady had given a China
man a plate and said: I want you
to make me set like that When he
brought them home he had them just
like 1.-THE plate had been broken and
glued together and the cracks were
there-and so it Is the way with most
of us: we initiate the man with the
imperfections of men and so when we
come to the great essential matter Of
our eternal salvation it Is necessary
for us to have a character which is
perfect.
II remember when I began to write
they gave me a copy book which had
every letter struck by type and when
/ started in to initiate that perfect
writing, my you could see the differ
ence was pretty great And just so 1t
is in the Christian life. Here is a
perfect character who lived as man
llyeth. We start out in the Christian
life to initiate the perfect example
the perfect model. / started in to
write and the teacher came around
and said: You are doing pretty WELL
But did like most people do in re-
ligious life: / stopped too soon. So
we read today when we are reviled,
not to revile again. 1t takes constant
prayer to the Almighty God for us to
get control of ourselves to be what we
should be.
"One great. distinguished lecturer
has been lecturing on the imperfec
tions of Moses who has been dead
three thousand years. Well it was a