The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-03

MUCH INTEREST IN THE SERVICES
AT ROBERTS PARK CHURCH.
Rev. Mr.. Ostrom's Sermon Last Night
on the Workings of the
Holy Spirit.

The large auditorium OF Roberts Park
Church was well filled yesterday afternoon
when the first OF evangelist Ostroms series
of sermons on the Holy Spirit was
preached. These sermons are preached ev-
cry afternoon except Saturday through this
week and next. The evangelist was at his
best at the evening service. when he dis
coursed on the New Birth Mr.. Crowell
sang impresslvely Still Out of Christ"
His voice Is rich and sweet. The follow
ing is an outline of Mr.. Ostrom's sermon:
Nicodemus was among the church men,
Ders OF his day what Lincoln among
the statesmen OF his day. He was a ruler
OF the Jews. / question If there are twenty
of the Scriptures by heart as Nicodemus
did. Rigid religious observance entered into
the commonest details of his bushes trans
actions. The Jews of his day tithed mint
ana anise and cunmin. II Nicodemus were
living to-day, and were in the Methodist
church. he would be bishop. This is not
the man to whom Jesus said, 'Ye must be
born again.. Marvel not at it. The COM
monplace things with God are the mysteries
or men. No man has ever yet been aole to
tell US exactly what gravitation Is There
is force called gravitation which binds
the worlds together, which binds us to-
this earth. Newton gave two definitions of
IT, but no one yet feels positively settled
as to what IL means. Yet it must be
or the commonest forces with God, for
what marvellous quantity of it he has put
into use among the worlds. Then there is
the Jaw OF vegetation, which appears to
work in opposition TO the law of gravita-
ton, for little acorn will sprout and
cause a growth to rise right up from the
eartn, and In time carry many barrels Of
water fifty, sixty and seventy feet into the
God; he must have lirnitless acres of veg
citation, yet Ii Is great mystery to us.
So with this question of having the char
acter changed, or being born again. To us
"a MYSTERY a
commonplace act of grace Marvel not.
said he, wonder not; I can do it for you;
don't become confused; you must be born
again.
1.-The terms in the Bible to express the
new birth are very radical. They cannot
mean Joining the church. or being baptized,
blessed and right as all these things are.
For. instance. there is the word create
used. We said to be created anew in
Christ What radical expression that isl
As IL God were TO speak us in existence
over again! We are said to be translated
from the kingdom of darkness to the king
dom of Gods Son. Now. when a man
changes Kingdoms Ii Is a radical act. He
renounces one order of government and be-
ment. We are said TO receive a new heart
This word heart need not confuse us, be-
cause we find it In the Bible. The word is
study arithmetic, the teacher says he has
no heart in 1t. If a man shirks in a store,
the merchant i mar says that that clerk has no no
heart in such cases the Lord evidently
means by 1t In His word. Then we are
said to be o risen sem. Death Is separation
aration from the kindly and holy govern
ment of God. When we unite ourselves
Legally y to God and p4ey Him. then we are
terms these are. The Savior says here
that this Is an earthly lesson. If / have
you OF saRy bags e yog Of
heavenly things? A great many people say
that they think they will become righteous
when they die and that they VIII venture
death hour. But we are not called to be
saved by death. but by Christ. This re-
dead religion. hate death; it glazes the
eyes that have formerly looked kindly upon
me: 1t palsies the hands that grasped mine
with tenderness; it touches the voice that
DEATH and I would not enthrone death as
my savior Christianity brings US Jesus
Christ, mighty to save. People who rely
upon death to save. them. and admire the
forms and ceremonies of religion, reading
their Bibles and saying their prayers and
performing deeds of kindness. are like one
who might sit down in an indianapolis rail-
road deuot in the evening hour and spell
the words, Cars, l-o,c-o-m-o-t,i,y-e.
in the morning why they did not find them
selves in Chicago.
Now, If God can so wonderfully make us
with memory, imagination, reason, WILL
conscience and feelings, why may he not
touch the secret spring OF our motives and
set us in harmony with His will as soon as
we fulfill the conditions for such an act?
You take memory. Where does a man
carry that chest of drawers into which he
lays things hour after hour that he may
take them out and look at them when ne
wants to? You never hear the click of the
lock, nor see the drawer slide, but the
things are in there, and you carry them
around with you. And then, every man
carries with him what is equivalent TO
paint brush and dish of paint and canvas,
and the matchless power of an artist. Sit
here before me and picture your dog or
the picture before I am able to utter an
other sentence. In the winter time you can
picture instantly flower gardens ana DuzZ-
Ing bees and butterflies. In less than min
ute as YOU sit here before me you can draw
true pictures of those dear ones who left
you all Unexpectedly through death. Where
do you carry this power?
''-rhen here is the power of the will. 1t Is
as though / had a pully in the ceiling and
a string tied about my waist, then running
the string through the pulley drew down on
IL with my other hand, and thus made the
hand which had the string tied about 1t
rise I'D. But there is no pulley and no
string. We call this power the will. And
there is conscience. Many a man, con-
scIous OF guilt will shake until his teeth
will chatter. no matter how hot the room is.
Our feelings, too. What a marvellous COM
nosition of possible expressions of feelings
we are Now, if the Lord could so won
derfully make man, putting him together
with such marvellous adjustment, surely he
can touch the spring which will make him
live right when man fulfills the conditions.
VIII YOU fulfill these conditions? Will you
take the help which will do it for you as
"A free gift?'