The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-29
HOPE, THE LIGHT OF LIFE.

The Discourse of Rev. Lobert ID. Swartz at
Central Christian Church Yesterday.
The Central Christian Church was crowded
yesterday morning to hear the discourse of Rev.
Robert D. Swartz, the recently appointed mis-
sionary to Jamaica His subject was, Christ
Our Hope" and the first verse OF the first chap
to. of First Timothy was his text
Hope, he said. had been the inspiration to
poetry Hope is universal, eternal and far
reaching. There is only one thing nearer and
dearer to us than hope; this is faith. Hope is
exalted. Christ is our hope in four respects.
He has promise to sustain to US. If we go
back to the earliest history we fnd there hope
for something; sort Of germ which grows as
time goes on The people hoped for leader
and found one in David; later, another, after Da-
vid-in Christ Hope was a great power in the
past. and is an ever-growing and uplifting one
in our lives for the future By some unappre-
ciated means an impression has been made upon
the human minds, from the earliest time until
now, lifting it up to rehold Christ in the hope
Of a future life. 1t is a heavenly message of
righteous comfort, and will be so in future gen
erations. Christ said. II shall return" and we
hope for Him day after day, hour after hour and
this hope is q light to our lives.
In Solomon's temple there was an inner temple,
into which the light of day never entered. There
were cherubm and seraphim, heavenly
wrought, each having its own purpose but no
eye could behold them. The world was in dark
ness as to what God had appointed, and it was
kept In darkness until the time of Christ There
was then a grand illumination. He was the
light OF the world, and is the light of our lives.
de came as a common personality, and was rec
ogniEed as brother
The sun shines to-day, and it has shone for
weeks past In short time the rose, and the
lily, and the tulip viii bud and bloom. So the
glory Of Christ has gone down through the dark
Of the past ages, and is lighting up the future.
We wait, and hope for the second resurrection.
There is something stronger than hope; stronger
than life itself. 1t is desire Of the soul for
Christ The soul hungers and thirsts after
righteousness. and for His teachings. Why q
desire for Christi There are many things we
cannot understand. Whence came human life,
the stars, the day timeG The mind is in doubt,
and is searching for instruction and knowledge.
This wisdom Jesus only can give He is the
teacher of the soul, and we hope to be with Him,
There is danger here In youth we learned to
tremble, and fear and we know the meaning of
the blanched cheek. There is danger here to the
soul. VIII the bark keep to the line of destiny?
We will be safe when His arms enfold US and
free Us from all temptation.
We are lonely in this world. The heart has
its burdens. The outcast and fatherless child.
those old and bent gray with age, the widow
and the mother of the child that Is no more, all
have their loneliness. They need kind compan-
ionship. Where else but in Jesus can this COM
partnership be foundi Who can SO comfort them
as the one who once died that they might be
saveda The desire is quickened and strength.
ened, and this hope has transforming power
When Alexander was in the zenith of his power
he gave away everything he possessed. and when
asked why he saved nothing for himself, he re-
piled: Have not the best of alll have hope"
Jesus says to all Sinners Have faith and receive
me, and you shall be filled with joy everlasting"