The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1915-06-10

purpose Of obeying IL, u he is In that
truth-loving, embarrassing, truth
obeying state Of mind, then he has
already passed from death into life.
This is a test for every man-does
he desire 10 know the TRUTH Bish-
op Butler has said that this is prac-
tically the whole Of our probation.
Those who accept truth see more
and more; those who reject truth
become blind.
Here was Brother Fees testing. His
father taught him that negro had
no rights. He inherited slaves, and
their unpaid toll enabled him TO
study for the ministry. But at the
seminary the truth came out that
God made Of one blood all nations OF
men, and that no human being had
the right TO enslave another. That
truth seems very plain today, but u
was not plain then. A thousand
learned preachers claimed to prove
from the Bible that il was right to
hold slaves. The law Of the land up
held slavery. II would have been
easy for John q. Fee TO have blinded
his own eyes. And for him To re-
ceive the truth meant loss Of prop
erty. enmity Of his father, persecu-
tion Of neighbors, a break with the
church and with the government.
But John @. Fee was a Berean-he
accepted the truth.
And here was Brother Rogers test
ing. He was settled with his young
wife in a comfortable parish, when
the call came to leave all and follow
Christ on a dangerous mission in
Kentucky. OF course he must do
his duty. but will he be fair-minded
enough 10 see what his duty is?
There might have been much argu-
ment TO show that his duty was to
stay where he was. care for his
young wife, and do all he could in
Illinois. There was no certainly
that he could do great good in Ken
lucky. There was $1,000 a year and
comfort in Illinois, 500 year and
danger in Kentucky. John Rogers
was Berean-he accepted the
truth. The name Of Berea means
something TO those who have made
sacrifices for the truth!
Readiness tn accept the truth
makes man both stable and pro-
gressive. II begets a great courage,
for truth is reality, and II works on
by night and by day, like the tides
Of the ocean or the flow Of the riv-
ers.
And so the name Of Berea stands
for that childlike search for truth
which finds reward and treasure in
the revelations God has made To the
men Of the Bible. We find truth
everywhere, but we find IL most in
our own experience as interpreted
by the select spirits who speak for
God in the volume Of his special rev.
citation. We need not insist upon
any particular theory Of inspiration.
The Bible is a storehouse Of spirit
ual truths. and each Of these truths
when once stated and acted upon Is
its own veriflcation and its own
proof. No man uses the whole Bible,
but every searcher finds in il the
things that feed the soul.
Berea does not teach the Bible in
the interests Of any sect or party
We have no Professor OF the Bible"
But every one who teaches here at
all is expected to teach some portion
Of Bible truth. Our students get a
variety OF viewpoints, and the great
teachings upon which all Christians
agree are emphasized.
All this and more is wrapped up
in the very name Of Berea. But II
is entirely possible for this mean
ing Of Berea 10 be forgotten. The
habit OF readiness to accept the
truth very easily goes out Of fash
ion. The study OF the Bible very
easily becomes formal and fruitless
u is my charge to all my successors
THAT Berea be kept forever true Ia
her name.
And now we pass from Berea's
name TO the two remarkable notices
on her seal.
First is the scriptural motto, also
word Of Paul, God hath made OF
one blood all nations Of men,"
This is perhaps the most revOlu'
tionary sentence in the world. IT.
meaning is shown by other passages
Of scripture. God is no respecter
Of persons" God is able of these
stones TO raise up children TO Abra'
ham" "He hath put down the
mighty from their seats and exalted
hem Of low degree. He hath filled
the hungry with good things and the
rich he hath sent empty away
THE spirit Of the Lord is upon me
lbpcause he hath anOintpd me 10 DrO-