The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-02-24
o1SUNDAY TH0UGHTSbo
AOH<
MORHLS% MANNERS
BY A CLERGYMAN.


All Christians are agreed in conceiving
OF God as infinite in power and wisdom
and truth and love- Wisdom directs the
power, truth inspires the wisdom, and
love animates the whole. In. the gram
mar of deity, love is the verb and all the
attributes are but the moods and lenses
of the verb to love. Love is the divine es-
eence, for, saws ST.. John. "God is love-"
IT'S out OF a failure to recognize this
that al the misconceptions of God arise.
When Hector, the Trojan chief. was going
out to fight his last battle. his wife An
dromache followed him to the city gate,
and with her the nurse bearing their in
FAINT child. After straining Andromache
10 his bosom, Hector turned and
held out his arms toward the babe, who,
frightened by the shining helmet and
waving plume on the fathers head, hid
his face in the nurses breast and cried
pitifully. Instantly divining the cause of
the reprisal and cutlery Hector DOTTED the
helmet and again held his arms, and now
the child, smiling through his tears, leaped
into them.
Just so we fear the "God OF battles"
Helmet and plume alarm US; but when
we see the face of the Father, with its ex-
preston OF infinite tenderness and COM
passion. we 90 to Him without fear. Cod
recognized is God loved and trusted
utterly.
But here questions are asked. If God
be such an one as Christians believe why
does He bring pain and sorrow, disappoint-
ment and trouble upon menu Would
loyin father willingly afllict his own chill
dren?
Fae answer is, that these natural expe-
riences are disciplinary. When the cook
in the kitchen wishes 10 make pan shine
che scours it. " hen the musician wishes
10 tune the violin he screws tho already
tense strings no and up 10 the point of
swapping. When Il man is about 10 get
into bed and 90 70 sleep he turns out the
gas. 80 God scours Us with the sand OF
care that We may shine; SO He stretches
Us over the bridge of sighs that lie may
tune rs So lie turns ont The light OF earth
that wSauay sleep in Him. cod casts His
people d0.cB. says one, but lie never casts
them ri. Shall the ath etc willingly sub
iect himself 20 the hardships and depriva-
tiOns incidental 10 training IN order TO
contenl for the prize In a boat race or loot
bail gasne. and shall tho Christian reluct mt
the processes by winch he is hardened to
resist anu overcome the world, the flesh
and the devil?
But. persists some auesiioner, if God is
like yourldeseription, why does lie subject
even believers to death?
Because lie does not regard death as we
do. As by our natural birth we came out
of nothing into something. so by our
birth through the change called death We
pass cut OF something into more. When
bur friends depart we say they arc
Head, but the angels cay they are born.
To Us death means the end TO God it
means the beginning. To Us death means
the apple blossoms fallen from the tree
and scattered over the grass Of the orchard
10 God t means the apple blossoms re.
placed BY the ripe apples in the fruitful
autumn. To us death means mortal dark
ness TO God it means immortal light.
4 ehamois hunter OF Chamouni, cross
ing the Mer de Glace, endeavored 10 leap
over one Of the enormous assures which
rend that river OF ICE. He slipped he
fell; but was able by extending his arms
10 moderate the speed OF his descent so
that he reached the bottom. hundred
yards below, without fracture OF limb.
But his situation seemed hopeless.
He could not scale those slippery
walls. To remain where he was
would DO 10 freeze to death.
A stream OF water was rushing below tho
ice downward toword the valley. lie fol-
lowed this, the only possible path. Some
times be Wade1. sometime he crswled,
sometimes he iiOate1. Presently he came
70 yaulted chamber oil ice, from which
there was no vieible outlet The water
which filed II heaved darkly and whired
medly. To retreat was impossible. and so
was delay Commenting his soul 10 God,
the desperate Swiss plunged into the
midst OF the gurgling pool. Then fol-
lowed a few moments OF darkness, OF
tuniult, Of horror, when, oh. Joy he found
himself thrown out amid the flowers and
THE hav fields and the merry songs of the
vale OF Chamouni.
Our pathway here is often dark and
dangerous And we come certainly az
last 20 the chamber OF terrors called death.
But the darkness - but momentary; tn en-
we will issue forth into lie and light and
warmth and liberty forevermOre-Cha-
mount in comparison but az tine desert of
Sahara to the Mississippi valley.
Elder Jeremiah Brouse, an esteemed
contemporary, gives the following account
of his search after a concept: Mother an
me was a-wallsin' home from church Sum
day when the new teacher, Mr.. Nastic,
Cum up After passin' the talk bout the
weather and 80 on, says he: Have you
read anything bout the new theory
they've started bout the scriptures p
what new theorv?' favs |. why. You
know. says he, that Prof Biggest of New
York has found out that only the concepts
of the BIBLE are inspired An what's a
concept saws |. Well says he. "a con-
rept is jest an idee all alone to itself, with
No words. no sentences. no verses; Jest a
Bare, naked idee. with no clothin' what
ever u language We'll SAYS mother, Il
never hearn o them angel thoughts be-
fore. Where did he diskiver EN-"
Prof. biggest is great scholar, and
reckon he found 'em hoatln' around in his
Innermost natur, said he. Then we
walked on 'thout further talk.