The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-24
VOICE OF THE PULPIT
SECOND SERMON OF THFs SERIES
TREATING OF IMMORTALITY.
Rev. Edward Everett Bale, Pastor
ton, talks OF abundant Lffe.v

X
When we speak Of the Savior as the Lord
Of Life. people are apt 20 think Of Him az
the Lord OF heavenly life. after these bodies
have been cast away. But the truth Is that
He was not only revealing life after death
His hope and effort were TO enlarge the
life Of men in this world to-day.
1t is quite worth the readers while to
take down his Testament and read the re-
markable series OF parallels which He de-
voted 20 this single subject, 20 the value OF
life. And any one who cares TO. study the
motive power in the world to-day will ina
that infinite life gives that power Your
grain of mustard seed Is worthless until
there is life within.
The leaven which the woman puts IN her
bread would be worthless If each drop or
the leaven did not contain a million living
germs within. 1t is for such parallels thar
the Savior is searching all the time II is
because He cannot quicken these hearers
by enough such parallels that he says.
"Whereunto shall Hken the kingdom Of
heavenT' Here are people who think. just
as we are apt 20 think. that the right thing
will come IL there is a large majority. or II
there is money enough. or IL there are the
right clothes. or IL there is an army in uni
form.
They are thinking all the time that the
outside is what must be. changed. Jesus
Christ is here In the world TO show US that
what the world wants is life. Ii is the in
side tina; Is to be changed. There is 10 be
living seed instead Of a dead speck There
is to be loaf OF bread. all Quickened and
alive with the simmering yeast, where
there was nothing but the heavy dough
stink in the bottom OF the pan The world
is to take up its bed and walk because Il is
alive. The disciples are to do greater things
than they have ever seen or heard OF, be-
cause they are 10 have a new life. And r
He can find any parable. small or large.
which shall fix that idea in their memories,
why He has attained the object Of His goingl
and of His coming. OF His Hving-nay. and
Of His dying.
The world feels every Easter morning
that the great parable Of all is the par
able Of history. This word OF 1886 Is so
different from that world that we wonder
that we can read their language. or that the
forms OF the statues OF men and women are
the same. All society is now alive. and Il
is compared with a social order then 90
dead. The beggar boy works a miracle IN
the street to-day at which the wisess phys
icist at the court of Augustus would have
wondered.
And ali this is not from any organization
which Jesus Christ established. IL is not
from any square intellectual lesson that He
taught. 1t is from the life born into the
world when these men and women went
about His business. That life has been
caught from the contagion OF their lives.
and in the moment that they began to 60
and come thus enlivened. why the world.
without knowing il, began to breathe with
a new breath and TO live in a new being.
Is 1t hard to imagine group Of them, like
these two disciples. for instance. of whom
Luke tells the story. who walked and were
sad in the evening before Eastern
Is it hard to imagine a group OF them.
turning their backs on Jerusalem, and ready
to cruise ii for the horror Of Friday. who.
their way, df you please. TO the old farm
at Main or Cana or Bethsaida, asked each
other IL they really meant to fall back on
that old dead existence OF crusts and cooking
and sleeping and digging and delv-
ing? Only year ago and they
were living with as much motive
as the cattle. and with no more. II was for
food, If you please. for better food than
they had last week. II was for drink, II
you please. drink earned with less toll
than last week. But IL was the dead going
and coming of a beast going 20 the pasture.
lying under the shade. sleeping when II was
time to sleep. and waking when he could
sleep no more. And now? why, have
been walking with Him for weeks and
months. Not a night when 1 went 10 bed
have not thanked God for some work that
He spoke, or for some deed that He did.
Perhaps He took my hand as we went
through the cornfelds. perhaps He pointed
out to me the hne OF the sea as we sat to-
gether at supper time on the hillside. Or
He sent that pleasant message. message
Of infinite truth and infinite love. TO my
mother. Or He gave me those little stories
which He had written down, which / might
put in the hands Of those who were at home
mot a week but have been living on
this infinite food. given me by the we'll
beloved son Of God. He made OF the
lanes of Galilee a present heaven. Am
going back from this luxury of real life,
| from life exalted thus, and made divine, to
that humdrum OF my old being? Not i.
am going about His business. From this
hour forward / will enter into His work.
| as He said to me. You remember what He
| said to that young gentleman OF great pos
sessions? Follow me- He said And win
follow Him. going and coming here as II
| saw His footsteps here In the dust or as IL
| / could see the gestures Of His hand as He
talked yonder with Philip or with salome.
1 For do not need TO look upon Him. all the
| same can follow Him."
/ Is II not clear TO see that such a disci-
| pie never fell back on that old dead BUSH
ness Of the breadcrust and the polenta. OF
Sinking the work OF the ID and seeking
| the sleep Of the night? From that time
| forth such a disciple is another weli-beloved
son OF God, going about his Fathers business
| and living in the Fathers life. and entering.
| OF course, into his Fathers Joy.
Clearly enough here is the place where I
am TO begin. With my north-end exile
Italian, Bohemian, Jew or whatever he
may bel am to see IL sorce story of divine
| love may not quicken him. IL some tender
ness OF youth or boyhood may not be
| aroused again in him. 50 that. in his love
for his wife and his little ones. he may be
quickened to be something and TO be some
| thing which the selfishness OF a brute has
not made him. ] want 10 quicken the
| mans love. then perhaps he may reuse
from this stupid torpor In which he Is
sleeping. Or If by SOME miracle OF duty or
by some song or word OF prophecy can
quicken him 10 look up into the heavens
or down into the depths and see the trace
OF the work OF this present GOO; II he viii
| seek Him as one who seeks Him meaning
10 find Him; II he catches the hem Of His
garment or clings TO His hand as In His