Omaha daily bee., 1881-07-18
GROWTH IN GRACE.
Subject of DR.. McCosh's Dis
course Yesterday.
The Learned President of
Princeton College
Speaks In the First Presbyterian
Church.

ny u beleCJ auuleiiCe, dsSeIlDleu 10
greet DIR. McCosh, the famous divine
and president of Princeton college.
His theme was "Growth in Grace, II.
Illustrated IN the Life of Nicodemus. "
His text was from John XIX, 80:
And there came also Nicodemus,
(Which at the first came to Jesus by
night and brought a mixture Of
myrrh and aloes, about a hundred
pound weight"
He said, "Among other and higher
excellencies by which the four evan
gelists were characterized, every hui
man mind is much interested to notice
the variety of human character, good
and evil, brought before us. In
the center or foreground Of the paint.
ing, Gf painting it can be called)
which is the simplest of all simple
narratives) stands Jesus, the brightest
of the Fathers glory, and the express
image of his power only seen in the
shadow; working miracles, relieving
distress and teaching his disciples,
under the pressure all the while OF
the mighty load of
A WORLDS SIN
Around, we see tho apostles dis
tinguished by almost every possible
diversity of character; some timid,
Others confident, each with a heart
ungodly by nature but all, with one
sad exception, coming under divine
power, which is struggling with re-
naming corruption within them.
Farther off we get a glimpse
of other disciples shrinking from
the view; for though convinced
that Jesus has come from God they
have not the courage to arm themselves
to be his followers. Here and there
among the groups that hover around
we see enemies irritated by the faith
fulness of the holy one in the midst of
them and plotting how they may be
rid OF him. At this place you notice
a company Of
SCoFFING sADDUCEEs;
at that place n party of scowling Phar-
isees. Scattered among these we find
persons who had been relieved by
grace of Him who went about contin-
ually doing good, who had their bur
dens Of care removed or their diseases
healed. This man fixing his eyes so
eagerly on Jesus was lately blind;
this other listening 80 ~intently was
lately deaf; this other walking and
leaping with such a%lacrity was, a short
time ago, hopelessly lame; and this
other, so full of life and joy, was, but
a few days ago, Frustrated on a bed of
sickness, or shut up in
THE GLOOM OF THE sEPULcHRE.
In the background of the scene we
have the mass Of the people vacillat-
ang between two opinions; now strew-
ing his path with branches of trees
and shouting Hosannah, and again
with loud voice demanding his cruel
fixion. Where else will you meet
such a variety of character, reaching
from spotless excellence on the one
hand and bloated lust and demoniacal
malice and fury on the other.
Heaven and earth and hell, God and
man and devils, tho flesh and
the spirit, human nature and divine
grace, met and wrestle and struggle
like we see the several properties of
each. BY this mixture of light and
shadow we are interested and allowed
to pursue the path before US; and in
doing so we pick up most salutary in
struction. l believe it may DO said
thai he who has thoroughly studied
Ii Gospel HISTORY
knows more of human nature in its
deeper characters and moods, especial
ly in its relation to God, the friend,
and to God, the (supposed) foe, than
n who has read all the histories that
were ever written of all the people
that have ever lived.
We mean at this time to single out
for special contemplation, a single per-
soa from the multitudes that pass be-
fore us. That individual is Nicode-
mus. He is presented to view in
three different positions. In the pas
sage Immediately before us, as n
gagged with Joseph of Aremathea, in
committing the body Of Jesus to the
place of sepultuve. But the evangel-
LIST in mentioning this circumstance,
30 much to his credit, refers to m
other passage in the bible not 30 COM
mendable. "Then came Nicodemus,
which at the first came to Jesus by
night" On turning back to chapter
Ill, we read of Nicodemus giving
NOBLE TESTIMONY
IN different circumstances in behalf OF
justice and of Christ, but in that pas
sage the same humbling clause is
added, he that came to Jesus by
night Among other distinguish
ing qualities, the scriptures are over
faithful in recording the infrmities
also OF those whose oxcellencies are
held forth to cur admiration.
Paul, in abiding to his
success adds that he was once a per-
secutor, a blasphemer, and claims,
mot l but the grace of God in me-
In like manner when the faithfulness
OF Nicodemus is recorded it is added
that at first he was so ashamed of
Jesus that he could not come to him
except at dead of night We are thus
taught in reading the lives of the
saints to distinguish the sinfulnes of
the men and
TIE POWER FROM ABOVE.
mot unto us, not unto us, but
unto thy name be praise" Let us
consider Nicodemus under the three
aspects in which he is presented.
"Nicodemus who, at the first,
came to Jesus by Night" This
carries US back three years in the his
tory. Jesus at that time was Just
commencing his public ministry. He
had come to Jerusalem for the first
time since he began to teach and to
work miraclas Hin l;fo La l.4lDL-