The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-03


GoLpES TExT.--Let this mind be in you which was
| also In Christ Jcsus.-Phil. H. D.
HOME READINGS.
safferings and death Of Christ Iss Jill
Christ Our Example (the esson) Phil i. 5.16.
The Word of God -Psa. cxix 97-104.
Mercfnl High Priest Heb: iv 14-v, 10.
Christs Kingdom set Micah, Nv, IL
/ The life of Christ has been the study and ad
miration of the world. Whatever the differences
of race or civilization of time or education, all
| peoples unite to honor this one perfect man. 1t
| was grand bold plan to make such a life the
| pattern life of religion that was to spread as
wide as the world and to last as long as time.
Christ was a diviLe man. and this life is an
| illustration and an argument for His divinity.
But it was also an intensely human life, and we
feel that all His graces and virtues are such as
are possible to man. We read our own pos
sibilities in His life, and in this is its charm
and power. The apostle. in this lesson,
selects not from the lower side of Chrst's daily
common life, but from its higher and grander
side, and holds up His most exalted virtues for
cur imitation. We are invited to study Christ
as an example, and to consider it as perfect
but possible pattern. We are not only to be
| ''like Him." but we are exhorted to have His
spirit the inward likeness; for the apostle says,
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ
| Jesus. And since this verse is selected as the
golden text, we may well make this whole lesson
to revolve around this central thought and title
| Christ Our Example.
| All the other great characters and heroes of
the world have had their serious defects and
e.. III.
have been blind to their failings but some after
age has unmasked their sins or discovered their
vices. This character of Jesus is the one that
stands the test of criticism and time His
enemies have only made more plain His virtues,
and He stands as the model man of every age
and every cline. This life was rot lived in the
| quiet, unworldly atmosphere of convent. or
| far from the fierce temptations of an active life
I On the contrary, it was prominently busy
| life, spent in the midst of a narrow, bigoted
| selfish race, where He was opposed and misrep-
resented and prosecuted to the DEATH
The most marked characteristics, and those
worthy Of imitation, were His self-forgetfnlness
and His selfgiving. He was in the form of God;
He had all the gories and honors of that position;
| and He took upon Him the form of servant
The very expressive Greek word translated
made himself of no reputation, or. better still,
in the Rev. Yer. "emptied Himself" is one of
| the most profound and far reaching in the New
| Testament The effort of Paul is to express the
| great change when Jesus puts aside the form of
| God and assumes the form of servant. He
''empties HIMSELF of the glorious attributes and
honors of His position as the great Creator and
Ruler of the universe; He DISCUSSES Himself
| servant and appears as man. From His birth
| in Bethlehem, He gradually reveals to men His
nature; He slowly assumes the powers of His right
| full position. He could truthfuly say of certain
| things He did not know them for He had Invested
| Himself for time of His omniscience. At last
| He assumes His place as 'the head of all things"
| when He was declared to be the Son of God with
I I. ~. A.
did not think of His equality with God as prize
| to be struggled for and maintained at any haz-
ard, but rather as thing to be given up for the
| sake of saving men. Hence the magnanimity of
| His humiliation
| But His self giving was as grand as His self
| emptying Now that He had the form of serv-
| ant, and the nature of man, Hecould show His
love by giving His life for us. He gave to men
saved ones His riches of grace" His throne"
| His coming glory" 1t is very wonderful to
study the gifts of Christ to men, But His great
est gift is Himself, and this de freely gives, and
to each of His disciples is the of personal
possession of the Son of God
The spirit of God works in the divine plan.
1t gives us impulses in right directions, both as
| to choice of will and method of action. for it is
| God which worketh in you both to will and to do
of His good pleasure. God draws in your soul
| the ideal pattern; He makes virtue appear so
lovely; He gives the strong desire to be Christ
like There are days when we feel great in
| WarQ Impulse toward gOOQDoSS. LII is the SplrltS
work There are many special suggestions and
drawings to particular work and persons. 1t is
| God that worketh in Us these thoughts, and as
we carry out these impulses have moro and
more of these inward workings given us.
| The Christian life is made UP of two factors.
| First we have the Spirits inward impulse to-
| ward goodness; but, secondly, the human will
must accept these inward suggestions, and carry
them out into actual life. Every soul is as full
| of good impulses as are the fruit trees of bios
| soms The Spirit Is as prodigal OF its seed-life
| as is nature. But how few flowers and seeds
/ produce fruit! Here comes in the responsibility
of to work out what God works in. We
are to work out our salvation with fear and
| trembling. We are to put our best efforts into
| this one thing.
| TRUTHS TO BE APPLIED.
| l. Paul unites the two ideas of God and man
| in the work of salvation. 1t is God that works
| in us this salvation it is man that works it out
| Each party is essential and we magnify one
| truth over the other to our own harm. AS
| teachers we should urge and unite both into one
practical system.
| 2 In this age of free thought and lax prlnei-
/ ples we need to emphasize the obligations of
those who make a Christian profession to live
above the world and the spirit of the age. We
must bring men up to Christianity, and never
| for moment lower the standard or widen the
| door of entrance to the church. The worldly
| lives of professors of religion are one of the
| greatest hindrances to the progress of true re-
, li0ion.
| g. Hsw much of complaint as to the provi-
dences of God, and . ley many differences we
| have with othersl Such tempers are uasshristian
and very harmful. How many times men cloak
/ their sins under softer names. But we are TO
| avoid them in every FORM
| f. Christs example stands forever as the
| giant among the mountains. 1t is fixed like the
| sun in the heavens, and no changes of civiliza-
ton or philosophy can never depose 1t from its
| high Interchangeable place.
|
| An American Artist Welcomed Back.
| Harper's Weekly.