The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-07-29
THE WORD FROM THEPULPIT
DR.. Putnam breaches at the Tabernacle
Church on the Quickening Spirit.
Rev. Charles Tinsley Says that Men Cannot
Be Preached Into Heaven, but Must Earn
Salvation by Their Deeds in Life.

preached at Roberts Park M. L. Church
yesterday morning and evening His ser
mon in the evening was on the text: John
X; %, 2s-My sheep hear my voice, and
know them and they follow me: and
give unto them eternal life, and
they shall never perish, neither shall any
man pluck them out of my hand.
The preacher said the language OF the
text was the language of life. 1t is the
Masters inspiring assurance that He will
protect His own. There is an allusion to
the fact that there are two classes in So
ciety in reference to God; those that are
symbolized by the term sheep and those
that are termed goats. He tells us
that at the last day the angels
will divide the sheep from the goats.
We sometimes hatter ourselves that
somehow, though all may not be saved,
will. and my friends and relatives will
be. When funeral sermons are preached.
we hope that our minister will preach our
loved ones to the better land. We very sell
dom send anybody to perdition, except in
general way. And yet the Master warns
men there is danger; tells them the charac-
teristics of the two classes, and says of one
they are my sheep. OF these sheep He says
they hear His voice. II know them, and
they follow me-"
There are two things the sheep do. They
hear His voice and they follow Him. This
hearing is in the sense of obedience; OF
needing in the sense of following. In order
to be a good follower there must be
a clear understanding of duty, and q
desire to do that duty. 1t would be
a very strange thing if the Lord should re-
quire men to be good with bad hearts; to be
good with stubborn wills; to require men
of their own selves, unaided by super
natural power, to be reformed and re-
generated. The Master knows better than
to ask men to accomplish hopeless tasks.
He does not simply set the task before us,
but gives qualifications for doing 1T.
Those who have been goats can become
sheep. In the ordinary walk of life when
we have difficult tasks we accomplish
them as we have tact and energy. There
are men who sink beneath the ordinary diff
ficulties of life. They do not amount to
much. Some men can be drilled and edu-
Gated to overcome difficulties, bu5 there
is great deal In being born with
vim and push-the power to accomplish
things. to bring things to pass: Every day
we see illustrations of men of inferior abfl-
ity. men of not half the intellectually OF
some of the failures. But they had push,
were guided by some principle. and there
fore accomplished the purpose of their life.
man. 1t would be a sad thing for a man OF
degenerate family-wOrn-Out stock-if
God did not help him in his weak places.
What terrible thing it would be Ii man
born with the weak will, the lazy. tritiing
nature-born and educated to be worthless
and trifling-were not helped by the Lord;
for man that feeds his appetites and loads
| himself down with such burden of appe-
tites that he can hardly get past the saloon.
There is some announcement when we
hear the voice, to obey, because the calling
| is the pledge of success. The fact the
Lord asks him to do anything is the as
surance that he can do 1T. he will guaran-
| tee success. He will be with us in all the
preparation for success; in battling against
| the evil around us. The Almighty Christ
undertakes the salvation of men. He be-
| gins by putting new nature, and new
| heart into the man. and the man becomes
one of His flock and follows Him..
And God gives us eternal life. We shall
never perish. No man shall take out of
| His hands Some think that means man
can never backslide: But it does not say
hand of God. He may fail to pray; may
break the Sabbath; neglect his duty. and
put himself on the. devils ground;
t Sat Bible he p assoo,ato w sftEs G Isas
people, sing the songs that tend to purity
| and holiness, he will have the life eternal.
| The principle that God leans upon for sue
cess is the eternal life. 1t is Gods life in
in what it needs to feed upon. In the soul
| we have divine life; life that leads us
nearer to God; a life filled with praise and
prayer; that has happiness in it; that feeds
makes us akin to angels, and realize that
we are like unto God. When this life
| is implanted in the weak man
| it makes him stronger, when in
the bad man it makes him better.
| This life is. intended for every day, and to
| bless ourselves ndothers by living it every
| day. No matter what legitimate calling
| you are in you can realize that the Master
has given something just adapted to every
| day affairs. There are callings in which no
man can be religious. Il could not be re-
| lgious,r said Mr.. Tinsley in conclusion. IF
| i were a salOon-keeper. i would feel that
was dealing out death every time l gave a
that should go to bis family. God never
| intended man should feel pious while en-
| gagged in doing that work. l could not feel
| pious if dealt in tobacco, or at least not if
sold eigsrsddtss to boys or ram drug
bought it on Sunday. or if / engaged In
| going to amusements on Sunday. l could
not be religious aud cultivate the gifts of
| God in that way. If you are in a business
the name of God, get ont of it; and the more
religion you have-if you ever had any-the
| quicker you will get out of it,"
| Inc words are the Sp1rlt.
| Rev. ID. p. Putnam, of LOgansport,
preached yesterday morning at the Taber-
nacle Church, his text being John vi, 63. 1t
| is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh
| profiteth nothing; the words that 1 speak
unto you, they are the Spirit, and they are
| life"
Mr.. Putnam said that the Lord, who had
been speaking to the apostles made the
statement to the multitude that except
| We eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink
| of his blood there is no life in youn Ona
count of that saying, which they said was
| hard one, many were offended and
| walked not with Him any more Jesus
| sought to bring his disciples up to the spir-
itual conception that He only could give
| them life, and that His words were both
| spirit and life Scientific men have at
| tempted to define life Professor
| Drummond has said the word life
\ went all through science without a
| defnition. The oak. and the worm, and
| man all start from the same germipal
source, and there is no difference in the
! orr gin of the three. The difference mani
| tested in the result must be the touch that
| God gave to these FORMS or bodies The
same principle may apply to the Christian.
AS God begets life in these natural bodies
SO He begets new life in the child of God.