The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-03-10
UTTERED FROM THE PULPIT.
Rev. Myron W. Reeds Morning Sermon
at the First Presbyterian Church.
Rev. R. v, Hunters Initial SermOn-Miss
Frances o.. Willard III the War
Against Intemperance.
COD OUR SUN AND SHIELD.
Rev. Mvron w. Reeds Morning Discourse at
the First Presbyterian.

PRESBYTERIAN Church yesterday morning, to a
large audience. He took as his text Ps.
Ixxxiv. II: '.For the Lord God is a sun and
shield" He said:
The sun has not been a familiar object to us
of late: but none of us have quite forgotten the
source of light, and heat, and motion 1t IS used
frequently in the Bible as a DEFINITION OF too.
He is IA sum-" Jesus Christ is 1.-The Light of the
world" His name suggests life, and health, and
color.
The chief danger of the arctic search is the
darkness, the cold. Nothing but a great motive
can sustain a man in the long night into which
the Advance, the Polaris and the Jeanette have
sailed. The men who are hired to go mostly die.
DIR. Kane, a little man with a great heart, sur
wives. Even Eskimo dogs die. Now, if man
in all his trial, and battle, and failure and dark
ness-could once get it firmly hXed1 in his head
that God is a sun to him, he will not be much
dismayed. He may be cast down, but he will
know that he is not forsaken. He may not be
Jolly. but he will have peace.
But the sun is not a complete definition of God,
for man needs not only the gift of life, but pro
lection in life. God is q sun and a shield.
"Fear not, Abraham; I an thy shield" When
a man has it firmly fixed in his head that God
created him, then let him as firmly fix it in his
heart that God protects him, and that man is
not to be moved. And that we may not be
moved God is so revealed to us. II is a king"
That is only a partial definition, for there have
been mighty kings, and many of them, who cared
not for their subjects. They could kill them or
cause them to be killed, but they did not chiefly
care to keep them alive and make them happy.
History is full of such kings and queens. Colds
"a father That rounds out the definition.
He is a king who loves and cares-loves the
world. He made and all who are in it.
He notes the curve of the sparrow's fall, and the
infection of the young ravens cry;
God, so defined to man, rests him. Man is
not responsible for the universe, the machinery
of heaven. He is here, sent here by a king,
sent here on an errand; and he is here cared for
by a father.
"A citizen of the United States in a foreign
country to-day would feel better, I think, if we
had ships of war with battle lanterns to look
for him in case he should get into trouble. We
desire a government that not only sends, but
protects; so that an American may not be IN
suited by Venezuela, nor even by Bismarck.
God is revealed to us rs a God of hosts.
He helps Paul right away. Help that must be
manufactured and so delayed as long as it takes
to make a Krupp gun, would be too late for
Paul's use. The ship is q wreck, and the wind
is in a hurry, and help must also be in a hurry.
So it was that in the disastrous night an angel
of God stood by Paul and said: Pear not,
Paul; thou shalt be saved and all that sail with
thee"
[ say it rests a man to know that there is God
over him and God with him. Man is here-his
creation is a fact. He is q mind and a heart.
Matter can hardly create mind and heart. AS a
rule the greater does not proceed from the less.
God over man is well assured; now let God with
man be as well assured and we may have
a life that is tolerably unanXious. l find as
much evidence of the government of this world
by a mind and heart, as do for its creation by
a mind and heart.
Here is a world historically known to us for
six thousand years, more or less. During that
time it has held together, moved forward and
one event has fitted into another like the action
of one OF ShakSpcare's plays. There has been
no uniform widespread conspiracy among men
10 set the world ahead. Instead, men have
been for the most part working at cross-pur-
poses. all seeking their own. But out of all
their selfish wars has come a gain-an advance
TO mankind. TIL wrath of man. praises some
one. All things do work together for good,
Nobody even suggested that a play of Shakespeare
was an accident. or even the work of a common
mind and heart. Even Bacon was not up to such
a task. But Shakspeare's work is a copy of ma
ture. Of the fashion of the times, of the poetic
justice of life. If it requires genius to make the
copy, what does it require to make the originali
It is not hard work to believe in the provi-
dence of an Almighty God. 1t is hard
work to believe in anything else.
Tho revelation of God making things and caring
for them is demanded by the intellect. Nobody
but a sinner ever doubted, and he because he
was u sinner. To be sure, he had in that case
nothing to hope for, but, as compensation, he
had nothing to fear. One can get rid of a sense
of obligation, but it costs him n sense of protec-
ton. The prodigal son gains something in the
freedom of the far country, but he loses some
~thing-the shelter of his fathers house. But it
is not a choice as between the two-belief in
God and disbelief. The intellect and the heart
demand, insist, that God is. And the son in
the far country yet dreams of his father, and
hungers for the sight of his face.
Doubtless there are many people not strong
intellectually who believe in God-many people
who have failed to make money or to achieve
position in the world; many whose advice you
would not take in the management of a railroad;
many children. 1t is possible to be a little child
and yet be of the kingdom of God. But great
ness of intellect will not prevent this belief in
God. Matthew was not a great man, but st.
Paul, by any standard, was. l find that the men
who have made the map of the world and re
made it, did not believe in chance and
did not trust in happy accident. They
have had the faith Of the centurion, who said to
Christ, Il am a man who commands men. L
say to one go and he goes; to another come,
and be comes. 1t is not necessary that you
should come under my roof-speak the word.
As | have men under me you have the powers of
life and health under you-Speak the word and
my servant shall be healed"
General Gordon, of the English army, has for
some time attracted the attention of peOple-for
his audacity, for his success. He smokes some
of his enemies and the remainder are afraid of
him. From his biography we find the secret of
his bold success. He believes in God. like Co
lumbus and Livingstone. Praying for the peo-
pie ahead of me whom | am about to visit, he
says, gives me much strength, and it is Won
derful how something seems to have already
passed between us when | meet a chief flor
whom [ have prayed for the first time. Ihave
really no troops with me, but ! have the Sheki-
nah, and l do like trusting to him and not to
men. Remember, unless he gave me this conf
dence 1 could not have it. 1 consider that I
have the earnest of success in this confidence"
After he had finished a tremendous task. he
says, 81 feel a great contentment. A star, when
it makes its highest point, is said to have culmi
mated, and l feel that l have eulminated-that
is, l wish for no higher or better post than the
one | have, and l know that / cannot be removed
unless it Is Gods will-so | rest on a rock, and
can be content" Here are some of his words:
1T is a delightful thing to be a fatalist, not as
that word is generally used, but to accept that
When things happen, and not before, God has, for
some wise reason, so ordained them to happen
all things, not the great things only, but ali the
circumstances of life. We have nothing further
to do when the scroll of events is unrolled but
to accept them as being for the best" Be
fore 1t is unrolled it is another matter.
All | can say is that amid troubles and wor-