The Indianapolis journal., 1893-07-24
THRONE OF GRACE ACCESSIBLE.


Sermon of Rev. j. j. Tevfs at the Contra =
Avenue Church Yesterday.
Rev. DR.. j. 8. Tevis preached at Central
avenue Church. founding his sermon upon
Hebrews iv. Is. 10. For we have high
PRIEST let us therefore come boldly unto
the throne of grace" The Hebrews had Q
splendid ritual and they were proud OF 1t.
aud much prejudioed against anything
which tended TO detrsct from il. When
Paul showed that Christianity is superior
to Judaism he demonstrated it to be the
best system OF religion ever given TO man
kind Moses was the mediator of the old
dispensatiOn. Christ 10 of the new. Christ
Is superior to Moses and Is q high priest
forever. HIS qualification as priest oon-
sists In His being human and IN HIS being
touched with a feeling of the iniirmities OF
humanity. A perfect humanity Is IN the
union of soul and body. The body alone
Is not human any m0ro than the flesh and
bones of ANY animal. nor Is the disem cd led
soul any more human than any other
spirit. The union of the two constitutes
humanity. Therefore the Lord Jesus
Christ had n body OF flesh and bones that
soul that became sorrOwful, and
in this perfect human nature is
the Godhead. He Is divine Christ
possesses all the feeling now that
again and said: Feel me. spirit hath not
flesh ana bones We see me have" HIS
disciples walke ed about with Him after His
resurrection and ate food with Him. and
were looking at Him when His feet parted
from the ground and Ho was received up
into the cloud.
Christ's ST IL pathy is the result of HIS eX-
perience. He suffered temptation, WAS sad
aud wept. Temptation Is test. lt NAV be
without any danger. or II may be attended
N ff.r .t
gold with al acid and do it no harm. but
apply che same test TO other things, and
while they are tried they are ruined.
Christ was not o sinner. He was pure In
every way. Therefore, being who never
committed o ain can be tempted. Yes. q
being with no idea of committing sin
can be tempted. 1t is not a sin to be
tempted. No man c8n Elm who has no de-
sires. but desire Is not q sin. Instance. one
may be poor. with hungry family whom
be loves. and might SOC piles of gold. OF
food. The seeing of these things. In such
q case. would create desire. He could not
see them without wishing he had
them. but ut the same time have no
thought of taking what was not his own.
Christ wa temple In tho Wilderness
He was hungry and desired food. but be
had no disposition to turn stones TO bread.
Therefore. sin Is not the possession OF de-
sires but the qualification of Jhem under
forbidden circumstances. Sin comes when
one permits desire To gain ssoendenoy over
tho Will. AS ship at sea with sails spread
TO the winds will sail splendidly. but surel'-
be dashed TO pieces upon the rocks withou .
guide. will appetites and passions. WILL.
out the control of will power. ruin the
man soul and body.
sympathy Is the power one soul has TO
enter into the feelings OF another Feeling
must depend TO great degree npon expe-
risnce. No one can enter into the feelings
of another who has not had kindred ex-
perience. Christ was touched with the
feeling of our infrmIties. aud tempted in
all points like as We are. and therefore
sympathizes with us. Saul of Tsrsus was
untried and therefore had no sympathy
with the early Christians, but after has ex-
perience on his way to. and in Damascus,
he was changed and gave his life for their
welfare.
The emotional is passive power, and
one 10 not good merely because he has tears
TO she'd. Christ was full of feeling for the
world. and lie went about doing good. He
fed the hungry, cured the siok, opened the
eyes of the blind. raised the dead and snf-
fered death upon the CROSS for the redemp-
tiOn of all.
Therefore come boldly unto throne of
grace" Itis our right. Not u right vested
in ourselves. but right purchased for Us
by the sympathv Of Christ. Our moral ne
cessities are many. We are always in need,
and grace is promised in time of need. It
Ia grace tor all things. Grace to be-
gin with. to do and endure, for life and
for death.
Any who would have sympathy must
are many hearts that can be sOftened only
by trials. How often men wound the feel
Ings of others because they have been so
seldom wounded themselves.