The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-09-17

First Sermon of Rev. DIR. Alabaster at Nerd
ian-Street Nj. E.. Church.

First Sermon of Rev. DIR. Alabaster at Nerd
ian-Street Nj. E. Church.
Rev. John Alabaster, u. D., the new pastor of
Merldian-stree NJ. E. C Church, delivered his first
sermon to the congregation yesterday morning,
The attendance was large, and the membership
from other churches In the city was we'll repre-
scented in the congregation. favorable mpres-
sion was made by DIR. Alabaster upon all his
hearers, and his pastorate in this city, judging
from the character of the man aud the un-
usual ministerial abilities evineed in the initial
services of his new charge, promises
much good. Dr.. Alabaster is of me-
dunn size and we'll proportional in
his build, and has the vigorous vitality which
belongs to a constitution capable of hard work.
He is apparently not far from forty-two years
old, aud has a decided clerical appearance. His
face is clean-shaven, and his hair, which is a
mixture of dark and grey, is rather long, reach
ing to the collar. he has grey eyes, of u thought
full, meditative expression, and a head which
would call for q frst-class chronological chart.
His conversation is earnest and unaffected.
There is much of the grace and art of oratory
in the delivery OF his sermons. He speaks in
well-modulated tones, and his remarks are
literally punctuated with gesticulation, which
he gives a pleasing grace by an easy and natural
way by suiting the action to the word.
The subject of the discourse Yesterday morn
ing was "Co-aboring with God" The text
chosen was, 1--WE are laborers together with
God" l Corinthians. Iii, 8.
"In the second chapter of Genesis" DR.. Ala
baster said, sis a declaration announcing the
close of that distinctive work called creations:
Thus the heavens and the earth we're finished,
and all the hosts Of theIn.'"
That there have been no creative acts Of the
Almighty since that period, we should be slow
TO believe. But of one thing at least are we
certain, operations are IN constant progress that
require the power of God. These operations re-
spect not only the sustaining and controlling of
nature, but also its development and per
through secondary causes. He does not
use his power directly except when the result is
beyond the power of cooperative agencies.
Whatever God makes becomes under Him an
agent for producing other effects. Whatever
God does, becomes under Him a doer to produce
other results. In the great operations in nature
all things are caused to work together with
Him. The winds become his ministers, serving
in the circulation of the atmosphere, in the
mingling Of the waters of the seas, in the con-
veyance of the clouds, and in scattering the
seeds of plants.
The rains serve Him, in dissolying the rocks,
fertilizing the earth, and feeding the fountains
and springs. And so light, electricity, heat,
chemical agencies, all work together to produce
the results of the divine purpose in
nature. And living organisms become them
selves among the NEST powerful forces in
the natural world. The plant constantly
changes the material about it-eonsumes it,
works it up into new combinations and forms,
and effects results both chemical and dynamic.
The animal takes the work where the plant
leaves it, and transforms and transmutes the
elements in nature into vet more beautiful and
delicate structures. All these are so many
forces working in the realm OF nature to change
her forms, develop her powers, conserve her
energies and purify her elements.
God has another co-worker on this earLh-so
far as we know, his only intelligent and indie
pendent a~gent-man. The pc wers of nature can
only act as they are acted upon. The lower AMI
mails operate with undertaking and non pro
crossing instinct. But man, as nOSSinlY no
other agent in nature, works with God in de-
veloDlng results for which. he has
fopms of M iIfe about Sq him. The fp pStlTc' by i his
labor and skill, are brought to a greater glory OF
bloom; the fruits are developed to a finer form,
flavor and size, The trees are caused to grow
with a more complete symmetry, and the very
animals placed in mans Keeping are improved
in beauty, heetness, strength and value by the
care and cultivation thar he bestows.
Man changes and beauties the external world.
He levels the hills, fills the valleys. drains the
marshes, fertilize5 the deserts. And how man
transforms the material about him! He turns
the trees into forms of beauty. utilizes the met
ais and minerals, works up the ores and rocks
and the very earth into delicate, beautiful and
grand structures. Think how largely the brain
and muscle of men have entered into the
work of making a city where once
stood the forest and where rOved wild and saw
age races. What an example of mans skill in
the use of material is the steamship or the tele-
scope! How wonderful the watch, the telegraph,
the compass, the telephone, the marble statue
hUu Iuc UhlHItu cduNhsss nuhI LEluIDDuA OF
mind and skill with matter!
But there is another department besides nature
or the material world in which man cG-operates
with God. And this cooperation is attended
with more wonderful and monentOus results-it
is the culture, development and perfection Of
man himself. If we consider man in his infantile
period, what can be said of him more than that
he is a capability-physically he is helpless;
mentally With the baLest shadow OF power; NOR
ally with the seeds OF sin ready to terminate.
What change is to be affected To nurture
that feeblcness into strength; to lead ont that
intellect into all the capabilities of the human
mind, and above all. to secure that soul in It's
highest spiritual development, is a great work.
To train and nurture a human soul into the af-
fections, conditions. joys and hopes of a saint
in God is a marvellous work. God has not re-
served this work for himself alone, in nature
he gives soil, seed, rain. dew, air, light. yet
calls in the aid of an Intelligent co-w0rker to
secure the harvest. Fields do not till and
plant themselves, neither do crops gather
themselves into barns. So is it in grace. God
Saviour. but calls in the cooperation
OF man to accomplish the result.
He did not assign this work to other intelligence.
than man. He might have called IN angels. but
he delegated man as his great co-worker in the
realm Of grace as well as In nature. He not
only said to man 'Suhdue the earth" but also
"GO ye into all the world, and preach the gospel
to every creature"
This great work is to be carried forward in a
systematic and Intelligent manner. 1t is not the
divine purpose that the kingdom of grace shall
be left to accidental methods. lie has not so
ordered in nature. We find organization there.
II we examine the humblest plant We may learn
alesson concerning spiritual work. The purpose
of the plant germ is 10 produce a thing Of life
and beauty out Of the material about it. But
how does it work for the accomplishment
of this end2 We find the plant is
composed of root, stem, branches and leaves. We
see that eacn part works after its individual
nature, yet that all the parts work towards the
same grand result. Now if we analyze either
part, we shall find it composed of a number of
lesser parts, each also conserving the purpose of
the particular part to which it belongs. The
dbers of the root serve that organ; the pores of
the leaf all turn their energies towards it's par
5lcular purpose. II WI go ont into nature any,
where and ask, How does God workl the reply is,
"By combined effort" So is it in the universe
at large, where suns and planets, and systems of
corning Gods methnd of working in grace, we
shall find it the same. Organization
principle applied TO the kingdom of grace that
az VI la tho nhnnnl - nhn INN inop LII -.