Laird Tribute Sermon 1953

8/13/2019 Laird Tribute Sermon 1953

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THE REV JOHN B. LAIRD D.D.1866 1953


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THE REV. JOHN B. LAIRD D.D.Born Lancaster County Penna. Feb 14 1866Graduated Millersville Normal SchoolB A Lafayette College 1892B.Th.Princeton Theological Seminary 1895M.A.Princeton University 1895Called to the Presbyterian Church of Frankford 1895D.D.Lafayette College 1903Trustee of Lafayette College for 50 years; of Wilson College

50 years and President of Board of Trustees 29 years; ofPrinceton Theological Seminary 47 years; of LincolnUniversity 20 years; of Board of Presbyterian NationalMissions 40 years; of Frankford Hospital 50 years. Presi-dent of Frankford Chapter of Red Cross during WorldWar I. Sometime Moderator of Synod of Pennsylvaniaand Presbytery of Philadelphia North. Past President ofScotch-Irish Society of Pennsylvania. Member of Frank-ford Country Club Frankford Historical Society AdelphiaClub of Clerics and of Union League.

Promoted to GlorySaturday August 29 1953


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A Prince In IsraelScripture Lesson extGenesis 50: 1-13 I Samuel 3: 38

This sermon wa.s preached by the present pastor ofTHE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF FRANKFORD

THE REV. JOHN D. CR IGon Sunday, August 30, the morning after Dr. Laird s death and is printedby the Church as a Memorial Tribute to Dr. Laird.

About a thousand years before the birth of Christ Saul, the first king ofIsrael had died. The reign that had begun with such promise had endedin disaster and when it was over utter chaos descended upon the kingdom,which became divided. David was anointed king of Judah and was en-throned at Hebron. A son of Saul, by the inelegant name of Ishbosheth,reigned in his fathers' stead.

Ishbosheth means Man of Shame. He was lazy and cowardly, sus-picious and ungrateful and one after another, he alienated his supporters.The best and ablest of these was a man named Abner. He was a soldierand supported Ishbosheth out of loyalty to Saul's memory. He was thereal power behind the throne that enabled it to stand. When he withdrewhis support that throne fell. For there came a time when he could endureno longer the craven weakness and jealous pettiness of Ishbosheth. Inthat hour lie realized that God had indeed chosen David, a truly kingly man,to rule over all Israel. He went down to Hebron to transfer his ownallegiance and Islibosheth's throne to David. The arrangements were madeand David sent Abner away in peace. But in an evil hour he met the ruthlessand vengeful Joab who slew him by treachery.David heard of the murder with consternation and at a funeral he gavefor Abner he said, Know ye not that there is a prince and a great manfallen this day in Israel?

These words of David would apply as well, and better, to Jacob, whowas himself the original Israel, a Prince with God. In our Scripture lessonthis morning we read of his death and burial and of the astonishment of thepagan Canaanites that the death of one man could cause so much grief andsuch a sense of loss.


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There is a way in which these words of David apply to our ownchurch this morning. For you are all aware of the loss our church hassustained in the death of Dr. John B. Laird yesterday morning.

I shall not dwell particularly on his life and activities, his services toour church and community at this time. Many of you are better acquaintedwith the facts of his life than I am. Some of them are recounted in thenewspapers. An old friend of his will review them at his funeral serviceson Tuesday.

But I think there are a few things that stand out about Dr. Laird thatmight well be mentioned this morning for our edification.

I. THE LENGTH OF HIS MINISTRYDr. Laird was Pastor ofthis church for fifty-one years, and for the past seven years has bcciiPastor Emeritus. This becomes all the more exceptional when you recallthat his predecessor, Dr. Thomas Murphy, was here for forty-six years.Dr. Laird once said to me, Our combined ministries of ninety-six years mayhave been something of a record. I know of longer individual pastorates,but nothing of any other two that span nearly a century.

Even more unique and impressive is the great change of scene thattook place during his half-century ministry. Never in all history have somany changes taken place in so short a time. Maybe you can realize thisbetter if I put it this way: when Dr. Laird came here there was not anautomobile in the congregation; when he left there was not a horse. Whenhe came Frankford was a local community; while he was here it was en-gulfed 'in the tidal advance of a great city. When he came the benignVictoria sat enthroned as a motherly Mistress of the World; as he leavessinister communism and soulless nuclear fission darken the earth withlong shadows. It is the close of an era here, said a friend of his andmine yesterday.

II. THE VERSATILITY OF HIS MINISTRYDr Jesse MCorum, who will make the funeral address on Tuesday, said of Dr. Laird,He was one of the most versatile men ever knew.

He had wide interests and many calls were made on his services. Heserved the local community in nearly every point of common cause fromhospitals to the Red Cross to the Boys' Club. He served our PresbyterianChurch far beyond the boundaries of the local Church. He was trusteeof several institutions of higher learning.


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He had an active and inquiring mind. The last time I saw him beforeour vacation he was reading the seventh volume of John Bach McMastcr's"A History of the American People."

He was an able preacher who had climbed the high pulpit of Dr.Clarence Edward McCartney in Pittsburgh.He had a wide reputation as a conservative theologian. Last winter I

wrote a professor in a Southern Presbyterian Seminary on a controversialmatter on the new Revised Standard Version. Penned on the bottom ofhis reply was this question, "What does Dr. Laird think?I had no ideathat this man's reputation had gone so far.

He had an engaging sense of humor. I think a portrayal of the mattwould be incomplete even in a memorial service, without an example of it.In the days of Dr. Archibald Alexander, who was Princeton Seminary'sfirst professor of Theology, a married student was the exception, rather thanthe rule, as now. But it happened that a student wanted to get marriedand had to get Dr. Alexander's permission. He ordered his arguments andfinally prevailed, as Dr. Alexander reluctantly conceded, "I'll make anexception this time, young man, but"and here Dr. Laird always pausedto chuckle"but let me warn you not to come to me with another suchrequest while you are a student here at Seminary That was his humor,warm and human and kindly.

III. THE VIGOR OF THE MANI forget who said, "The longerI live the more I am convinced that the biggest difference in men is chieflyit matter of energy."

Dr. Laird was endowed by God with unusual energy of mind and bodyas his length of life and activity testify.

IV. THE FAITH OF THE MANBut what is it that most of allcounts in the making of a man? What is the most important factor in life?What remains when the sands of life have run and we have come to thelast mile of the way? What can we take out of this world with us? Whatis it that makes a man a Prince with Gx1?Look to Jacob for an answer, where the name originated. Recall theoccasion. It was a moment of desperation in his life. An angry uncle wasbehind him; lie could not go back. A cheated brother was before him.; liecould not go forward. In his extremity he was forced to look up and heturned to God in an agony of prayer, and wrestled there in prayer withGod's angel till the break of day. "Let me go," said the angel, "for the


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day breaketh. I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. That is nocry of strength, as might be thought. It is a cry of weakness, of despera-tion, of dependency. When everything on earth fails us and we are face toface with God we learn how utterly dependent upon God's grace we alwaysare. If that grace fail us then we are completely undone. That is whywe muster the strength of desperation to cling to God when we get beyondevery earthly hope and temporal security. Then we learn how good is thelovingkindness of God, for our cry of need the Father hears. Out ofweakness we are made strong: Thy name shall be no more called Jacobthe Supplanter, the Shifty, the Crafty, the Intriguer, the SchemerbutIsrael, a Prince with God.

Look at Jacob's grandfather, Abraham, the Father of the Faithful, God'sgreat example of what saving faith is'Abraham believed God and Godcounted it to him for righteousness.

That is what it means to belong to Israelto so believe God's promisesthat you follow God's purposes. When every stay and prop are strippedfrom us and faith in desperation clings to God, God includes us in hisgrace, gives us his strengeth and makes us Princes of the Faith.

It is the same in all ages, only the scene and the circumstance change.Faith is the key and the touchstonefor Abrahamfor Jacobfor Davidfor Abnerfor John the Evangelistfor to as many as received him tothem gave he power to become the sons of God.

Jesus said of the centurion of Capernaum, I have not found so greatfaith, no, not in Israel. For by his faith this Roman joined the new Israel.

I want you to understand this clearly, for this is the heart of theGospel. Paul wrestles in Romans with what it means to belong to God.He finds that non-Jews are included when they have faith; that Jews areexcluded when they lack it. Christ is the end of the law of righteousnessto everyone that believeth. So then, he concludes, all Israel shall hesaved. But this is the Israel of God, not of the flesh, not of circum-cision, not racial descent, but those who by faith embrace Jesus Christ asSavior and Lord.

It is in this sense that a man, any man, may be included in Israel, theIsrael of God, the Church of the Living Christ.

And it was of this that I was reminded on my last visit to Dr. Lairdon Thursday. His mind was clouded a little by his illness; he was not sureif he were at home or in Frankford Hospital. Am I at home? Yes, inyour own home and in your own bed. I'll take your word for it, he


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said. I said, "You may do so and I'll be here to see you tomorrow." "Youmay not find me I may have slipped away during the night Now thereisn't much you can say to that so I said, "Don't you worry about a thing.You are in your own home and rest content in that." He said, "I'm restingin something better than that. I believe in God and I believe in his SonJesus Christ. I believe he dicd for the salvation of the world and I amtrusting him for my salvation. I love him and I've tried to follow him andI know that I can trust him now "

That is what makes a man a Prince in Israel todayfaith in God'ssaving purposes in Jesus Christ.

This man had come to the end of the way, his sands were almost run,but he did not say, "I've done the best I couldI've been a minister forfifty yearsI was a trustee of a hospitalI was president of a CollegeBoard." He said, "I believe in Jesus Christ. I love himand I trust him

Life simmers down to a few very simple and basic things when it isall behind youand all eternity is before you. What counts then is not yourwork, not your virtue, not the gain you've gotten, not the glory you've hadAll these you leave behind you. What counts in such a moment is God'sgrace, God's goodness, God's faithfulness, God's promises and God's pro-vision.

I felt that moment by Dr. Laird's bedside was one of the honoredmoments of my lifeto have heard that simple, child-like, heart-born con-fession of faith warmed and moved me like a benediction.

And as I stood there I thought of another Prince in Israel. I thoughtof that day when young Alexander Duff, newly arrived missionary to India,talked to the aging William Carey, the Father of Modern Missions and oneof the greatest missionaries of all time. Duff talked eagerly of Carey'sgreat accomplishments till Carey broke in impatiently, "You have been speak-ing about Dr. Carey, Dr. Carey. When I am dead say nothing of Dr.Carey; speak about Dr. Carey's Savior."In absolute truth William Carey could have said, "Lord, remember meRemember what I've suffered for thy sake. Remember my years of service.Remember the twenty strange languages I mastered for the Gospel's sake.Remember my translation of the Bible into twelve languages. Remember mysix grammars and three dictionaries. Remember my conquest of some ofthe social evils of India. Remember the converts I've made and thechurches I've built But no He said instead, "Remember my Savior,Jesus Christ "


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That is ever the mark of the man of Israel. There is but one mark,whether you stand in the pulpit or sit in the pew. It is the common mark,whether you be prince or pauper in Christ's Church of the New Covenantthat simple, elemental, essential faith that Jesus Christ is Saviour and Lord

V. THE LEGACY OF HIS MINISTRYA Prince in Isreal hasfallen.

What legacy does he leave us? How does his example speak to us?What would he have us do? On the basis of what he was and where, life-long, he stood, it is not too difficult to venture this reply:

Let me put it in form of an illustration. When Phillip of Macedoniamolded his army into the Macedonian Phalanx he discovered the blitzkriegweapon of twenty-four centuries ago. With what Philip developed Alex-ander his son conquered the world.

The secret and the strength of the Greek Phalanx was that the wholearmy acted as one man, and for each other. The soldiers in the frontranks carried a short spear. The spear in eah rank behind him reached asfar as his own and sometimes the phalanx was five ranks deep. What abristled mass of spear points they presented to an enemy. But their seconddiscipline was this; when a soldier fell at his station the man behind steppedforward to "fill up the ranks."Abner of old would have understood this for he was a soldier. He hadfallen at his post before his task was done. He knew that that was oftenthe soldier's lotto play but a part in the army's total purpose. If onefell, another was to finish. Abner's part was over, but God's purpose tomake David king of Israel remained. Let thjt purpose be accomplished,tho' another do it. That was the solder's dutyto fill up the ranks

Paul left a similar legacy for Paul considered himself a soldier ofJesus Christ. He said, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course,I have kept the faith.""Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldierof Jesus Christ.""Fill up the ranks."

Would not this good soldier of Christ, this servant of the Church, thisminister of the Mysteries of God, this Prince in Israel, would not thisindominable, steadfast old warrior have said the same thing?"Fill up theranks

"Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ.Believe as I have believed,that Christ is God and that God is gracious. Serve the Church of Christ,which is the Israel of God as I have loved and served the Church of


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Christ. Promote the worthwhile things in life, growth of mind, health ofbody and deeds of helpfulness and kindness to our fellowmen. Where Ihave fallen, and left a gap in the ranks of the army of God, do you step inand close the breach I"

Would he not say thus to us?0 my friends, we honor our faith, not by bewailing the departed, but

by believing that Christ has promoted. them.We honor our dead, not by lamenting our loss, but by emulating their

deeds and building on the foundations they laid for us.We honor our Christ, not by mourning and languishing beside an

empty tomb, but by rising to heed his call and meet the challenge of hisresurrection

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Laird Tribute Sermon 1953