The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-04-19
FOR STAY-AT- HOMES.
Rev. W. II. G. Temples Sermon
on aSons Of Cod
SATAN a nAso TAskMAsTER.
ssrothe rrue 50 she Flying Years Only
Iptsusafy HI Love for Home -
with the spiritual sons ofCod'"

:. vecdved Hin. 10 them gave
- =. h.~comc the sons OF God. even
49,, rat believe on His name -Jonn
il2. .,s.s along the
"a hsve looked across 10 the oifeT
sids anon A pIacard, most oil "nich al .'i.st
e.sssa..I', vfa, could not read, but Two or
,h,s.. words a. which STOOD out IN iaft'
,b.racfsrs and attracted your attention.
..Iseward 600" At once you we're nasl
cs,ed and ores nearer 70 acqus'"i ~"
seIf with the whole prociana, soi. ~
a. =. snDroach this text. ! see stand
-, ~, ~ clearly that they appear 10 De
- n,',y ~ords In the sentence. these
,h,ss sans a God, and pause 70 consider
.h..,r, cnme closer. 1 hastily read ule
rost ~ ,he proclamatfo but these WORDS
- ,,ith rae a. turn away. cannot shut
,bc.n out with ny cloEed eyes. Jbey pia@s
before me n-xlIstened. They nave iaces
and they smile apon me. They have voices
and they spehk 10 me- Ihe5 nave nanos
ard they stretch them toward me laden
wi,b nrscfous gifts. They seem Ike Nv
tny vords. They breathe upon me the
hlessedness Of heaven. They contain
srs-u,itv az siory They are divine. sons
~ Cadf Why are they fhere2 What 90
fbsv meant How do they affect me-
Rad the whole proclamation through
again. and md that they are Gods re-
ward 10 those who. believing on His Son.
receive Him and follow Him as their Lord.
Tho Earthly Interpret- the Heavenly.
Nov inst a. you would naturally satisfy
vourself about the character OF the re-
ward before you would think OF perform
ing the service required, so this morning
i seem moved to a consideration OF the
sublime meaning OF these three words be-
he conditions hitch
they may become true. IL is the method
OF the bible to make unknown truths
known through the medium Of already ex-
istinR truths God must always be COM
pretended through human manifestations.
Spiritual and eternal things must always
reveal themselves through the material
and temporal. Heaven cannot be repre-
scented u our finite minds without the as
sisfance Of earth. Jesus invariably used
this method In His preaching. The evan
gelists IN their records followed His ex-
ample. Starting from common ground
they swept the circle Of the infinities.
So l pronounce this expression. sons Of
God. and ask definition Of 1t. ! want
no meaKer outline OF Its meaning. ] ask no
skeleton TO all up at leisure. ! want
4 definition that shall describe II In its
fulIness. ak the brightest boys and girls
in our grammar schools ask the honor
students IN our high school ! ask all coli
le9e graduates ] ask you teachers who
are apt 1t definitions. and make particu-
lar study Of words. ! ask you shrewd
business men who always look carefully
ct a proposition before you accept 1t. I
ask the oldest members OF this church.
And II they should rise to answer me,
know they would say with hearts swelling
with emotion, I'VE are overwhelmed In
tho thought OF It's bonndlessness. We
cannot measure In words the divine re-
ward"
But while I have rather abruptly put
this truth. esery one of you has been
thinking along the same line. You have
zone back In fancy to your childhood's
home. or you have thought OF your pres
ent residence and through the earthly re-
lationship you have. at least. caught a
glimpse Of this grander thought. That
1s the Biblical way. That Is the natural
way. You win then expect me to follow
Il this morning. To us God must always
be perfect man with his virtues and pow
ers carried out to infinity. Every pure
and holy relationship of earth will there
fore represent heaven. Parental love In
its IDEAL form teaches OF divine tender
ness. and they VINO are model human sons
give us some OF the distinguishing char
acteristics OF the sons of God.
Like Father. Like Son.
I remark first that TO be a son OF God
means to be a partaker OF the divine ma
ture. Paul believed that. for he wrote TO
the Ephesians abont attaining unto n
perfect man, unto the measure of the
stature Of the flllness OF Christ" The
writer 10 the Hebrews believed that. for
he referred to the fathers who verify for
few days chastened us after their own
pleasure" and contrasted them with the
Father Of spirits who disciplined us for
our prom. that we might be partakers
OF His holiness" Peter believed that. for
he writes In his second letter OF being
''partakers Of the divine nature" John.
who wrote my text. believed that. so for
rear that he might be misunderstood whom
ne used tho expression sons OF God he
added, who were born not of Blood
that's. not OF Inheritance. Some of the Jews
who boosted of having Abraham as their
father. did not the works of Abraham.
but we're rather children OF the devil, ac-
cording to Jesus own words. Nor of the
will OF the flesh continues John. That
IL. not by human resolution. Many a man
wills TO do good. but finds evil his master.
Somebody has said that the road TO pcr,li-
ton has good resolutions for Its cohhic
stones. Nor OF the viii OF man" That
IL. pure doctrine VIII never of itself con-
vert anybody. The planting OF Paul may
be perfect. the Watering OF Apollos may be
abundant. but both fan OF power In them
selves. some Of the wickedest men In the
world are Intellectually loyal 20 the truth
or tho gospel. (which were born. not OF
blood. nor OF the will OF the flesh. nor Of
the VIII OF man. but OF God not through
God. or by God. or In the providence Of
God. but OF God. as progenitor. Like
father. then. like SON. Take an Illustration
! learn that you are going 20 have a
birthday party az your house for one OF
your ohildren / unceremcn!ously drop
In. You Challenge me TO pick your chill
dren out OF the group OF romping young
eters, for ] have not yet met them. | at
once place my hand ON this boys Shout
der, because I recognize fathers features.
j could not mistake him. because he Is
. perfect picture OF hts sire. catch this
flying fairy. with the spatkling eyes and
shining cufis. because | hear her chat
tertng 10 the others. aud IL Is mother
voice repeated IN the child l select an
other because OF certain mannerisms in
either parent which are telltale. They ar,
evidently your children. because they hav,
assumed. consciously or unconSclousiy
through imitation or through blood. Your
characteristics. They have been breath
tng the atmosphere charged with your
personality. Their respirations have been
echoes OF your respirations Their heart
beats have been IN time with your heart
beats. The stamp OF your individuality
has In seme form been upon them. An
observing man would pick them out
among thousand as your children.
The infeivrce Is convincing, The true
eons or God viii be par;akers cf the al
vine nature. They ought not TO need any
verbal Introduction and advertisement,
The artist " no wrote underneath his iirst
production. This - 2 horse" evidently
felt the necessity OF explanation aud there
fore the failure Of his work when Cicd
makes n Christian s1ld hv the rcg~neras.
ing power OF li,s Spirit. lie does 80; need
20 iahcl him. That sOul will live ITSELF