The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-09-10
PULPIT UTTERAN CES.
NOW ARE WE THE SONS OF GOD"
An Instructive Sermon by Rev. #. II. Kas-
son, Of the Golden Rule"


be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is
l. John III z.
The words Of our text are among the
choicest in the Bible. They are tho di'
vinely.inspired utterances Of Him who
stoodhearest to the Saviour, who had most
deeply entered into His spirit, and who
was thus enabled to know moro Of Divine
love than any man of his own day-of
times previous, and of the ages elapsing
since. Well may we listen TO the dis.
ciple who leaned on jesus breast, as he
unfolds to us the inner meaning Of our re-
lationship to God.
And now, in the first place, what is 1t to
be a sonY To be son of God must be
more than to be a son of man. Let us be-
gin by grasping fully the earthly relation,
and then we may perhaps gain clearer
view OF the Divine. You are conversing
with man, and he points out boy pass.
ing yonder and says: "That boy is my
son." Instinctively certain relations ap'
pear to your mind between father and son.
The word sonship carries with 1t certain
privileges. 1t means that somewhere
there is home; home made by the
father for the son. Now, in that home the
father commands from the very nature of
the case, and the son is to obey. One Of
the prime requisites of genuine sonship,
then, is obedience And this ought to be,
alas, how often 1t Is not, delightful duty
on the sons part, unfelt as a restraint be-
cause Of the oneness in purpose between
father and son; just as a good citizen
finds 1t no irksome task to obey the laws
Of the land. But suppose II IA a burden,
and the growing boy with strengthening
will calls for more freedom, which is not
granted. Even then as a true son in his
fathers house, he will obey. Again, the
father rigidly expects, on the part of his
son, filial love. And this is given readily,
cheerfully; given because the son cannot
think Of all the father has done for him
without giving IL; given generally just In
proportion to the love which the father
manifests for the son. But the chief re-
lations Of a son are those Of privilege-his
heirship. Seldom does the son fully real
ize the fullness Of his heirship. He is in
debted to his father for many things
which may cause his heart to leap for Joy,
or his cheek to crimson with shame.
1t is from his father that the son inher.
its his surroundings. He has no choice in
this. Again, the son is heir to the fathers
property. For him the father toiled and
grew weary. How often has the father
looked forward thankfully, as he thought
Of the higher position his son might occu.
py. o son, for whom the father has thus
labored, realize the fullness of this legacy;
make yourself worthy of his expectation;
so live that men may SEQ that your
fathers hope is being fulfilled. He crossed
through deep waters many streams which
are now bridged for you. He struggled
with little education that you might stand
in the high places Of learning. He denied
himself that you might reap the advan.
tage. And now, In oil the relations OF
opening manhood, he demands of you that
your friends, your country and religion
gain substantial benefit from your life.
Shall they or he be disappointed, oh
young man in the strength Of early man.
hoodl And you, man Of maturer years,
whose son looks in vain for the inheritance
Of others, what do you sayS Have you
wasted your property and left your son to
curse fathers wicked coursel Does he
see only slums Of vice surrounding him,
and degraded men degrading your All,
what an inheritance is sometimes pre-
pared for the son.
Again, a son inherits his fathers name.
What legacy this is in some families;
how It uplifts youth TO feel that the blood
Of noble men flows in his veins; that no
one of his name has ever brought stain
upon 1t; that men look up instinctively to
him for purity and nobility OF life. What
Difference does the young man often meet
with because OF his father who made his
name tower Of strength. Another inher.
itance Is character. As the son bears the
physical imprint OF his father so largely
may he his fathers tastes, habits and
traits Of character. Some men stand as
high above their fellows in this respect as
the mountain height towers far above the
foothills at Its base. A pure, noble, un.
sullied name is great possession; but q
character, clear as light, inhexible as law,
steadfast as truth, is a greater possession.
Well for that son who is born into such an
Inheritance. How ought he TO uphold
truth, honor, justice and right. These
things which we have named 20 10 make
up the heirship Of an earthly son. But
"Beloved" Christian friends, now are w
the sons Of God, not OF an earthly, but Of
an Heavenly Father Has not our con
sideration Of earthly relations gone far
towards showing us what is meant by son
ship in GodY As His son the Christian
will love Him and obey Him moro readily
than he obeys bis earthly father, by as
much as he sees his greater Indebtedness
to Him. The son Of God is an heir 10 all
the spiritual surroundings which God
gives him in this life, and in the life Il
come. He rejoices in his Fathers love, q
love so deop he can never fathom It. II,
may try, as did the Apostle, but no hu
man plummet can fathom "the height, and
breadth, and length and depth Of the Low,
Of God" And resting in its fullness he OK
claims, IL "passeth knowledge.n The
wealth Of his Father Is his. He can moi
conceive how much this means; but hs
looks around on sea, and land, and far
away into the sky, and feels that he Is Z
son Of God, and "all things are his.D H,
inherits the namo Of the Most High. How
great and lofty is that name, and how
stainless; how IL uplifts a man to link hii
name with the Divine. We sometimes
think that he who can connect his nams
with some renowned one Of earth Is fortu-
nate. How much moro 1.-The least among