Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-07

Him all relations which might be filed by hui
man creatures were to be filed BY those who,
like Himself, would do the will Of His Father
In heaven and would make the doing Of that
will their meat and drink, angel food. which
the world knew not that they had to eat.
NOT IN NATURE BUT IN GRACE.
On Q second occasion this same lesson was
pointed anew. One exclaimed, blessed is the
womb that bear thee" and he made reply:
''Yea, rather blessed are they that hear the
word Of God and keep it" The root of kindred
was to be, not in nature, but in grace; and the
sole accepted proof that the root was sound
was to be the fruit of good living. That good
living In itself was to be such as is taught in
the word and was to consist in the keeping of
the word, not in the discovery Of other forms
OF saintship, nor in unrcgulated viii, worship or
eccentric devotions leading of from human ties
and the practical life Of men, but in regulated
habits OF devotion and virtue. such were be-
neid In bis person, and such MS are taught in
the word OF God as necessary TO an entrance on
the new life He proclaimed a ne W birth. a birth
OF the spirit q birth from above. 10 Nico-
demus, whose historical position was unques-
uonabie. whose church relationships were reg
uiar, whose character was not only correct but
high the word OF the Lord was this: ''Ye must
be born again." What! born when he was old?
Yes, Old and young, in the church or out Of it,
tne elder and ruler, or only private disciple,
The sentence of the Savior is, unjust be born
again or ''else cannot see tho kingdom Of
God" -"
In His teaching church membership, Office
ana success are set aside as tests OF nature.
ACTON and action alone would declare what
mat was, and action not as men see. but as 1t is
seen see by him to whom naught is under cover.
Mheh the disciples with joy exclaimed even
the devils are subject unto US through thy
name, lie said: In this rejoice not that the
aevlis are subject unto you, but rather rejoice
because your names are written in heaven"
PERSONAL birth into the divine family, personal
registration in the book of living citizens Of
that city whose builder and founder is God il
the sole proper basis Of church Office or of such
success In any church mission, and as for the
individua5 the only recognized attestation Of
his birth into the family OF God 10 good works
SO for the ministers of Christ their spiritual
offstring are tho only seal of their apostleship.
IL Is In vain in any church for a member whose
life docs not accredit him to speak OF his
adoption into the family of God, and
above all others it is vain in the churches that
are called Methodists So. If in any church it
is pitful sight to see the ministers, instead of
looking for seais of their apostleship, furbish-
ing up an ecclesiastical blazon, the sight 10
most enchanting to all when exhibited among
ourselves. Point to living men and living
women, walking in tho raiment Of the holy
seed, tine line linen, clean and white, and say
the seals Of our apostleship are 70 in the Lord.
LOT the divine nature, any more than member
snip or office or apparent success Many"
he says, and this many should ring in the ears
OF us who in His name hold Office and do work.
Many shall say unto Ne in that day: Lord,
Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name?
And IN Thy name cast out devils? And in Thy
name done many wonderful works. But on
the ground that their works were iniquity.
kindred Is disowped, even recognition is re-
fused, and His word to them is. depart from
me. IL He thus insisted upon holiness OF
lie as the only proof Of q new birth and upon
o new birth as the only entrance to a holy life,
He did 1t not in order to drive men to despair
OF their salvation, but on the contrary to lead
them to come to Him and find the rest for their
souls. Out Of Him life for the dead was an
impossibility; in His presence death itself de-
parted and life came in, and when His spirit
was breathed forth He poured out life from
Himself and infused it into others.
TO BECOME THE SONS OF GOD.
ITO as many as received to them gave He
power is much; to have the prerogative of Civ
ing it is more; but to give power to become is
among men unknown, for it involves the pre-
rogative of giving life to the dead. Holy Scrip
ture, in speaking of Christ's work upon nature
employs no such terms. Its language is. "All
things were made by Him." To make thing
is different from giving it power to become.
We can make iron into an engine. but We can
not give 1t power to become one. All the
science and skill, tho authority and force in the
United States could not give to this church in
which we meet power to become such an edifice
as yonder Capitol. Only where life exists is
there power to become, and where life does not
exist the prerogatiys Of giving it belongs to
none save to the Prince of Life only. The liv-
ing seed has powe- to become plant, the liv-
ing child to become a man, but the lifeless
mote cannot become anything but lifeless
mote. Place 1t in the hand OF a man of science
and side by side with it the seed of the maple
and ask him to give it power to become q
maple seed. No, in that presence science and
force both say: ut is not in me. That seed
represents behind it an invisible contriver who
gave 1t power to become and to continue SO to
do until the end of the world. TO become
timber, Leaf, sap, fruit and all along to ingram
Its wood with points Of beauty Of a prede-
termined kind. This strange power draws its
origin from ages lost in the unknown before the
first line OF history, and reaches on to ages lost
In the unknown hereafter. Show us that power,
weigh 1t for US, measure it for us, tell US its
chemical elements or its anatomical structure
1t is power invisible, intangible, inaudible,
silently enthroned, speck, and from that chair
OF authority teaching us that it comes forth
from one whose throne is set above the river
head Of life.
Now the great and happy power Of becoming
the sons OF God, OF putting off the image of the
who created us, Of ceasing to be what we ought
not to be but are and Of becoming what we ought
to be but are not, of being transformed by the
renewing OF our mind, SO as to walk in newness
OF life; this thrice happy power may be that
pearl Of great price for which in this companv
some soul is now above all things longing ask
ing: Who can give me power to become a child
OF God? Who can sound the deep and bring me
mp the pearl? One there is, my brother and
One in the midst Of us here this day. in whose
hand lies the fullness of that power; and if thou
wilt now and here receive Him, in true repent-
ance and simple faith, as the Savior Of the
lost and as specially thine own Savior. thou
shalt 60 down to thine house justified. and
from this day forward those who know thee
will observe a change that will lead them to
say: "Over thee has passed the hand Of Him
who gives US power to become the children OF
God"
..ii SOWING THE GOOD SEED.
In the parable of the sower the Lord speaks
Of the seed as the word Of God without specify.
ing by whom it is sown-prophet, apostle, evan.
gelist or the Messiah himself. 1t is otherwise
in the parable of the tare. There He speaks OF
Himself and Himself exclusively as sowing
and the seed sown il no longer only the word
OF God, bat is 'the children of the kingdom y
not the mere germ OF q growth, but the growth
itself. 'Tk 1hat soweth the good seed is the
Son Of Man"Ithe good seed are the children
of the kingdom, but the tares are the children
Of tho wicked one. We all, each in his degree,
may bear blessed part in sowing the incor.
| ruptible seed OF the word, and one may SOW
and another reap; but to all our sowing only
the Son OF Man can give the increase only He