The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-18
READING FOR THE DAY.
snnday-schoor Lesson for April e5, 1856.

Sunday school Lesson for April e5, 1856.
JESUS AND NIcoDEMUs-John ILL., Ills.
Golden Text--Ye must be born again.-John iii, z.
TIE ''signs and wonders" worked by Christ
must have been clearly supernatural to lead this
Enid, careful, conservative man, Nicodemus. a
learned rabbi, high in Office, with oil the preju-
sgainst the. ignorant and unlearnsd, to seek out
she Galilean teacher, and to learn from this I'M
kEained, unschooled man of Nazareth his new
theology. Before this Jesus had called down
he wrath of the authorities OF the Jewish church
by His bold act of cleansing the temple Nico-
aemus was member Of the Sanhedrim the high
est council Of the church, and for him to go to
Jesus at all required high conscience aud cour-
age, and Jeeus in no way condemns him for.
coming at night in order to avoid public notice.
The conversation with Nicoiennns gives us the
key Of some of the grandest truths of the new
theology, and we should be ut a loss to UNDER
stand much Of what Jesus said aud did had we
not this clew to guide US.
We are to suppose that fiye or six weeks have
passed since the miracle of Cana We are in
Che midst Of the Passover week at Jerusalem,
WHITTIER Jesus and his disciples had gone accord
ing 10 Jewish law 1t is supposed that John had
a room. gvest-cbamher, for himself and
friends somewhere in the etv. an'i that Nico-
demus found out the place, and came to that
room at 0lgQL III IL IfOhaDe tslds cofiu dItu
others were present at the conversation with
Nicodemus, as there is no evidence thar the two
were alone, or that Nicodemus was coward III
coming at night These. as in many other cases,
are the conclusions of men rather than the stat
ments of the word. John. having been pres
ent, was able to give an account of the inter
view.
PRACTICAL LESSONS.
]. Came BY night. Jesus welcomes any sim
eere seeker at any time and In any way. and
men may hedge un the way of a soul To Christ
by insisting that this seul shall come 10 Christ
in the particular form ana manner In which they
themselves came.
q How can these things be3 The inability to
comprehend the how thing can he IS not con
Sidered, except. in religion. any fair reason to
doubt the thing Itself We can really explain
the cause of hardly any ply scai fact, why the
grass Is green Why the sunlight warns. ex-
eept by giving other fact as the cause which
Is equally har, 10 explain, and then another fact
behind that. until ia The end you always come to
this fral fact, God has ordered II. And the
fact that II Il mystery as TO how We can be re-
generated is no reason for donbt
& He cannot enter into TIE kingdom. 1t is an
absolute impDssi hilitv, he cannot enter" Man
chooses moral condition that shuts him out of
heaven he determines by choice his own destiny
The benevolence and power of God cannot
change mans heart against his own will. II
God compels tho sinner to be good, man Is
changed from free man to mere machine.
4 So must the Son of Man be lifted up. The
teachers and preachers work is to lift np not
only the living Christ, bat the crucifed Christ,
to men.
5. God so loved the world. Try to drop the
plummet of your thought into it, and see how
deep is the unfathomable sea Of Gods love-
SPECIAL TEACHING OF THE LESSON.
l. For belief. The new birth. The need to
dwell upon the greatness of the change Of char
aeter here implied, and that any mere outward
confession of faith like rising for prayer or COM
ing to the altar is in the change of heart
and character here taught Wemay at the irstu I'M
Intentionally discourage by teaching the strong,
high doctrines of our church concerning sin and
salvation, but in the end such doctrines will
drive the soul to Jesus instead of to the mere ex
ternal forms and aids to salvation.
2 For practice. AS teachers and preachers
we might we'll draw out the superficial ideas of
seekers, and then. as did the Master, show the
need of a clearer understanding, and then to
build new foundation OF belief, including the
outward and the inward essentials-water bap-
tism and spirit regeneration.