The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-07
THE EVENING MEETING.

~ smali,s Exhortation to Christians as to
How They Should Live.
The great audienceroom of Tomlinson Hall
sllad last night to hear Samuel Small; the
-a;0nce scarcely falling below that that at
..,aaa the largest assembiages of the music fes-
zeal There was choir OF about hundred
IA City voices. led by NJ. ]. Max
M ,vbo goes with Mr. Small and Mr. Jones rs
r,nuical director. and the songs sung were from
oollaction specially arranged for these evan
,oists Among the ministers seated upon the
s,.tform were Drs. Hyde, Mcleod and Gilbert
~ Revs. Hunter and Mcconnell. The Scripture
,a.son was read by DR.. Gilbert who afterwards
made the opening prayer. Mr.. Mcconnell then
smoke Of the necessity of a liberal collection, as
,ba expense attending the meetings was con-
siderable.
Mr. Small took as his text the twenty first
verse Of the second chapter of the First Epistle
General of Peter: For even hereunto were We
called because Christ also suffered for us, leav-
ING us an example that ye should follow his
steps.
He said: / am too young IN the ministry and
too little versed in the language and cult of the
tbeologians to discuss the question of calling.
Isee it stated In this verse, for hereunro were
ye called and when I look at that expression,
look further to see what it was that we were
called to- see that Christ suffered for u.s. leay-
ING us az example-that we should follow in his
steps-and the explanation is sufficiently pro-
found for me. and gives me an idea that is
thoroughly satisfactory. It is that I, along
with all others who profess the name of Chris
tans and belong to Christ's church in this world,
are called to follow His example; called to
take Him as their example, are called to follow
in His steps; are called. in other words to model
their lives by the spirit that was in Jesus Christ,
and that they initiate His spirit fully
thoroughly, as completely as possible; that we
initiate as closely possible, the charac
terstics and the actions of that life He lived
while He was here on earth.
Now, might come into the city of Indian
apolis and stop man on the street and ask him
the question:: "Are you a Christian? Are you
acquainted with Jesus Christi and he would look
ct me in perfect astonishmsnt. l expect any one
of the great majority of the people of this city
would take me- in fact for crank and lunatic
Yet the question is simple one The question
Is legitimate one 1t is one that every man
who processes to be a Christian should be
able to answer and answer In the affirmative
Are you acquainted with the Lord Jesus Christi
Well the answer might be, Il don't know ex-
actly whether am or not" l might then ask,
"Do you know anybody in town who is &C
cuainted with the Lord Jesus Christi He
would say well, / expect if you 60 up and see
Brother Mcconnell. or Brother Hyde,
or Brother Gilbert, / understand they
talk a good deal about Him, and
they ought to know Him pretty we'll" AS to any
personal acquaintance on his part, he is in doubt
about it. We find many persons in this life who
are holding membership in the church and yet
you can get no possible reasonable statement as
, to their relation to the the Lord Jesns Christ.
They are unwilling to enter upon statement of
their own condition. They are unwilling to
place their life in paralielism with that OF
Jesus Christ. or have their lives gagged
by that of his. They will tell you very frankly
that when men preach in conformity with the
life Of Christ, and hold up Jesus Christ as a
model for other rlen to live by-when
they present the figure of the Lord Jesus
Christ he comes to the world IN
the character of the sympathetic, loving
nan, and not with the marvellous power of a
God-you are putting religion on plane too
high for mortal; you are asking me to con-
form TO a model that is divine,
aud the doctrine you are preaching
Is an impossible doctrine-a Utopian theory.
something men cannot understand. and could
not conform to it if they did understand it,
When near man talk in that way l feel that
Seither fool, or he Is clear ignoramus, who
Knows nothing about the Bible, nothing about
the system of Christianity: who knows nothing
ABOUT the love of Christi he talks in that way
ana means to ne honestly understood. Jesus
Snrlst said himself that we could follow
MS example. Christ came, and in his life lie
exhausted all the revelation that God had made
u himself and His will concerning mar. God
laa had communication with men before, and
MAD given commandment by Moses. He had
made communication through His chosen ser
sants with His people, and all His efforts had
Ueeh futile Ia getting men to understand and
practice what He wanted them to understand.
Jesus came, suffered and died to reconcile
Us to the Father. At the same time,
and as part of His divine mission-as divinely
instituted rs the atonement ltSelf-waS the pur-
pose of Christ to exemplify to mankind then and
since the sort of life God wanted His children
% live in this world, and to give them living
example OF how san could liveit in order that
=. might not be forever , o'.Ee LOT an excuse
n e' volng It. 1t is blasphemy agaln..
NJ soy that 1t IS impossible for mankind to live
~. !" 'ae model that Jesus Christ furnished
pau IL Is equivalent TO saying that God
Was Vas ;n Us 70 do certain thing that He knew 1t
rnn 'anposslole for us to do. Well, God doesn't
s av any Jokes on humanity. He doesn't put
~ eonnndrums to humanity. God doesn't
tor a ."Ni You to do anything that He knows
Inn eau sa 90 and then pronounce penalty upon
4 / ,o LOT It The essence of Gods being
h aOse and when He said anything
n mankind mankind in tina language of command
Ina. .Vulnsel, or instruction. it was always upon
C5,;.ss vat lie knew man could get up to. When
wa,s, was on earth and wanted disciples He
asth 'su men who would follow Him and take Him
lis ss mpiar-would conform their life to His
Rs' ~ouio receive instruction from Him aud have
ma am, an mind about the world that He had.
~ Tue same judgment about the affairs
Raw NC World that He had. He passed by Mat
bmrss he sat at the receipt of customs and said
ar ~, foLow mo- Matthew closed M his
i wos,ss resigned his Office and followed Jesus.
hbsu ~ Dc a cold day over here in Indiana
IA so Hoa could get revenue collector to resign
IA nnn Jesus At this day we say few die
rp,aaSp ns resign. Sometimes it takes whole
sFes states Senate TO kick cat of
ha ~ put Jesus said to him, Follow me-"
hin "a disciples followed Him They went with
aat5.SS au conformed their lives to his. They
lspti ru together band of real brothers. one in
h ds.:tL.S one In thought one in purpose, one
iathfsir and the lives of those who were
4 M. 70 the end stand almost as faultless
hsn, snas OF Jesus himself The divine