The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-11-19
raE CHRISTIAN LIFE.


Treated I'm Its Natural ana Unnatural
Aspect by Rev. ID. C. Garrett
Yesterday morning ~ 81. Marks church.
Rev. ID. c. Garrett preached on The
Natnralness Of the Christian Life" from
the text. Behold, / am old and gray
headed and have walked before you from
nay childhood unto this day" I. Samuel,
xii, . Mr. Garrett said in substance:
There are two ways Of regarding the Chris
tan life. One way 10 TO treat is as shs
unnatural life: 8 life that Is gotten into by
exceptional experiences and sustained
only By hahitnai warfare. The non-re-
hgioes life Is the natural condition: the
life with God the unnatural The other
way II 10 take the Christian life as the
truly natural mode of living; the life that
affords the highest ideal for human nature;
life OF progress. with its iaa of growth
and its method of ascent from lower
20 higher levels. The character OF Samuel
Is the best Illustration In the Old
Testament OF the gradually unfolding life
OF the soul In its attitude towards God.
Consscraied as child TO the service Of
God. Samuel, in that first chiidlike re-
Spouse, Speak, Lord. for thy servant
heareth, manifested the condition OF re-
captivity for the divine influences that
lasted ali the life through. The testimony
OF the aged prophet illustrates the nat
ural5ess OF the ideal religions life; BE
hold am old and gray-headed. and have
walked before you from my childhood
unto this day" This church of ours, the
preacher said, presents this view Of the
Christian life. Follow the sequence of
offices as they come in the prayer
book. and ses how the church
provides for the life Of the in
Baptism: the catechism, with It's orderly
instruction for the young: confirmation:
matrimony; the visitation of the sick and
the communion OF the sick, and lastly. the
burial Of the dead.
rhe preacher explained in turn the
religious significance of all Of these Offices.
showing how ny these the church pro-
vides for every period sad crisis of the
individual life. Ii is the ideal method.
not always lived mp to, but still the ideal
which the church holds forth to her chill
drsn. IL followed faithfully there would
never be the need of conversion nor
change of heart These become necessary
when one has bean living in the unnatural
life of alienation from God. From the
cradle to the grave the church provides a
way for the life to grow towards the
Father Is 1t not the natural, the ideal
wayY With the growth of the ideal
Christian life. as with the growth of the
lily. We should be able to say, in the words
of Ruskin: s'Not that there has been a
great effort here, but there has been great
power here" Consider the lilies how
they grow" By this Christ points out
the naturalness of the Christian
life. The tender sprout of the lily cleaves
the springtime sod and is watersd by the
gentle dews of heaven. To that we liken
baptism. The plant begins to assume a
definite form and to take on nourishfnent
naturally. That corresponds 10 early re-
Iigious instruction. Then the leaves IN
fold and the buds form. To that we may
compare the conscious recognition Of re-
lationship to the Father, as expressed. for
example. in confirm alton. II am the
vine. We are the branches" The opening
OF the blossoms in the beauty OF color and
odor OF sweetness Is like the expanding Of
the Christian character in the fruits of
holy living. Thus the spiritual life grows
Godward naturally. From the cradle 20
the grave the ideal life advances by orderly
sequence. Through the various offices Of
the church the religious aspect OF every
phase of life is emphasized until 81 last
the change comes when upon the face of
the new born soul breaks the light Of the
eternal dsy