The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-05-22
FEARFUL MOUNTAINS
Rise HIGH AND SHUT
0fFl|FE'S BRIGHTNESS
Rev. Carter Ashton Jenkens Makes
Eloquent Plea for Christian
Enlargement.
Before a large congregation in {

Before large congregation in CAL
vary Baptist Church. Rev. Carter
Ashton Jenkens preached from Cor
inthians 2:l6-"Be We also enlarged.
His theme was Christian Enlarge
ment." He said:
Paul had Just poured out his aHec-
tions for, the Corinthians. assuring
them most tenderly that his heart was
enlarged towards them, and beseech-
ing them In turn to be enlarged
When you first hear of Paul he was
a little, narrow. dwarfish man. w men
Stephen falls to the ground bleeding
the first Christian martyr. Saul STANDS
by consenting to his death, partici-
pating in an act Of murder. And then
in his little hate he made havoc of
the church. He entered into the very
homes of men and women, dragging
them to prison. He prosecuted them
in every synagogue, compelling them
to blaspheme and being exceedingly
mad against them. drove them into
strange cities. We have here hu-
MAN tiger--a dwarfed demon--a sa =
tanic cyclone. His own character af-
ter conversion presents the best illus
tration of expansion. A Jew, with all
the exciusiveness of a Jew. he be-
longed to the narrowest sect Of the
narrow Jews--a Pharisee. To his
Pharisaic pride the Gentiles were
dogs. deserving only his aversion and
contempt But now he has broken
the bonds of bigotry, and in his larger
self embraces all mankind. He has
changed his tone. Hear him speak
the new language he has learned:
There Is neither Jew nor Greek.
there is neither bond nor free. there
is neither male nor female, for We
n IN hrfg az
This Is b moral miracle. To those
OF you who know the meaning of the
national pride and hate. and the viru-
lenCs of religious fapaticism, and who
know the feeling of that dav with
, reference to women, harbarians and
slaves, this transition from the ex-
treme OF narrowness to such an alb
solute universally OF affection. and
to the recognition OF all as entitled
to common privileges. is az unac-
cnuntahle- on merely natural grounds
Now the sympathies OF this former
bigot embraced the race. He knew
no man after the flesh
Christian Enlargement.
The Corinthians might deem this
exhortation, needless in their case
Corinth was second only to Athens
in Intellectual activity and prlded her
self on her culture But Paul saw
their spiritual n,tleness and urged
them 70 larger life Paul stood on
higher eminence and saw life in
clearer light Thus we see the
necessity Of
A Right Point of View.
Last week In Asheviile [ was riding
in the midst OF the Ioveliest noun
tains of the world-the mountains of
North Carolina. The sun seemed to
have set. AS rode out a few miles
from the base of the mountain
could see the sun still shining. Some
people live too near the base OF dark
mountains The shadows fall prema-
turely. Their sun sets too soon Their
day Is shortened. Their influence is
abridged. The great sun is still shin
ing in the sky but the mountain mar
rows the horizon and they see it not.
They get into the evening of life too
soon. Their work is not half done
when they think OF retiring from the
| active duties OF life. Some folks build
their houses In valleys in the midst
OF acknowledgement frowning peaks
all around them. The glorious sun
rises late and ects early-a little day
bound by Shadows little lift made
| up Of darkness Move out into the
Wider Plains of Life
and darkness and gloom and noun
tain caverns will fee. Get out from
the hutting crags and snow-crowned
peaks which shut you out from life's
| fullest. brightest day. contracting our
| life. Be ye enlarged. Let me name
some OF the mountains that cast
shadows across life's pathway.
/. Prejudice.
The Mount of Prejudice hides the
sun at midday. Its great shadows
fall across the character and abhre-
viate our joys; diminish our influence;
disturb our worship. Pre- JUDGE means
! premature Judgment. An opinion
formed without reason. None but a
small mind can form such judgments.
None but a smaller mind can hold
such judgments when shown to he
unjust Beware OF little people who
are full of senseless dislikes No life
can be large when spent under the
| death destroying shadows of this bar
rem mount Beware OF the man that
harbors little grudges; that seeks lit
tie retaliations; that finds pleasure in
| little malignant gossip. You can write
on the brow Of all Such people, and
| you would have to write a very small
hand to get II on their narrow brow
Dwarf"
2. Selfishness
Thi. is a fearful mountain that
rises HfSn ana CASTS us SHADOW long.
II shuts out the brightness OF life.
No soul can see much OF the bright
ness of life over this towering noun
tain. Yet men too often are living
almost entirely for themselves. heed
| less OF the great suffering world about
them. They place ease before duty:
self before God. The life of an oyster
| Is small because shut in by it's own
shell. It has no windows out of which
I to look. No door through which 1t
can pass to the outer world. Bounded
on the north. east. west and south by
| its own shell. Its sphere is small.
Its functions few. This is proper for
a hivalve. 1t is only fit for the higher
organisms TO swallow. 1t makes a
good square meal, and its little his
tory Is closed. A human oyster has
a history scarcely more dignified. He
| Is bounded on one side by the roof
OF his house. another by his base
ment. another by his yard gate. an
| other by his ash barrel That man
does not live. He dies. The great
sun of Righteousness he never sees.
The higher voices of nature he never
hears. The divine visions that come
to religious minds he never heholds
His business is. to eat, drink, sleep,
| make money or seek pleasure. A hu-
man oyster passing from the sepul-
chre of life To the sepulchrA Of death