The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-26
DIVINITY OF CHRIST
JESUS PLACE IN LIFE FROM AN Evo-
LuTIoNIsT-s STANDPOINT.
A Difference I'm Degree and Not I'm
DIR. Abbott views the Question


DR.. Lyman Abbott preached at plymouth
Church Sunday evening from the text:
"And the word was made flesh and dwelt
among US (and we beheld His glory. the
glory as Of the only begotten OF the Father),
full OF grace and truth."John 1, IA. He
said:
Il received last week a letter from a
stranger containing one sentence, which
wish TO read to you. Forty years ago,
while a student at the University OF Ma-
Won Iiebig. told US. a small circle of stu
dents taking extra lectures in toxicology,
IN a pause when an animated controversy
about the bottom cause or life sprung up:
planet ever came to be governed by a wis
dom. science and penetration on a plan no
derstand and to master. then / should most
fervently wish TO be out OF IT and In a safer
place.
with that sentence I heartily concur. II
1 could conceive IL possible that this uni
verse and this planet were governed by a
wisdom no greater than I am able TO com
prehend / should not be able to believe in a
God OF infinite wisdom, for finite wisdom
cannot comprehend infinite wisdom II is no
part OF my purpose, my ambition, my de-
sire, 10 furnish In this course Of Sabbath
evening lectures a system OF scientific or
philosophical knowledge which shall explain
the mysteries of the universe. II Is no part
OF the ambition or the desire OF the evolu-
tsonists to do this. Indeed, IL would be diff
fcult TO find anywhere In literature a nobler
statement OF the profound mystery OF lie
than is TO be found in the writings Of Oar
win, Huxley and Herbert Spencer. The very
word agnostic, which has been applied by
these gentlemen TO themselves, and which
was. indeed. Arst employed BY Huxley him
self. Is an Indication of their frank recog-
milton that the universe cannot be compre-
"The object creed of the evoIutionIst is
that life Is a growth, but growth Is itself
a mystery. and the statement tha the uni
by the statement that the universe is a
system of growth. 1 have attempted to
show you. for instance. that we may believe
that God Is the creator Of the universe and
still believe that the creation was a process
of growth, but growth itself is a greater
MISERY IMAM manvfacturs. NO man can
by side In the same soil. furnish them the
same food, give them the same water, let
the same sunshine fall upon them, out OF one
seed grows an oak, and out OF the other
seed grows a peach tree. Growth is a mys-
terry. / have tried 20 show you that a man
YET believe inspiration and revelation are
growths; but this Is not TO explain the mys-
terry CT Inspiration. Inspiration Is an effect of
one mind on another mind, and In theology
the effect or the divine mind on the human
mind. How Is ii that mind operates on mind?
How Is 1t that one speaker charms an audi
ence. and another antagonizes II? Why
Is that We are inspired by one author. and
not inspired by another? Who can tell? The
mystery OF the influence OF mind on mind re-
mains. although one may believe, as the evo-
l~utionist does, first, that evolution-that is,
the effect Of a higher mind on the dower-is
the secret of all mental and spiritual growth,
and, In the second place, that the effect Of in
spiration Is never perfect and complete
knowledge at the outset, but growth OF mind
and growth OF spirit into constantly enlarging
life and charging knowledge. So. again,
though / have tried to show you that miracles
have their place in the order OF nature. this
II not TO solve the mystery OF the miracle
IL remains a mystery no less than before. I
tried. for instance. to show you that the
resurrection OF the dead, which Is generally
accounted the greatest Of the miracles-and
rightly so accounted, I Thinks in the order
or MANURE, not a violation OF II, but this does
not lessen the mystery of the resurrection.
Life is a mystery; death is a mystery: resur-
rection, the restoration of life, is a mystery,
ana they are none the less mysteries that
they. belong In the order OF nature, and not
breaks In 1t or violations of IT.. II his
Tory shoas anything IL shows that Jesus
Christ died. The evidence of His death is
found In the official Investigation of the
case by PLATE. and in the fact that the Cen
turton would have sacrificed his own life by
a raise report And. as l said the other
night, the resurrection Of Jesus Christ from
fact in ancient history. The mystery of this
resurrection from death Is not lessened at
Al by the belief that We have learned some
OF olden times knew, and that when the
vital functions have totally and finally
seasedInot when they have seemed to cease.
Dut when they have totally and finally
ceased-it has been proved 10 bs within the
power OF modern science TO resuscitate and
cNiNc ltm-IO TeklnQle the eXtinRIiSha1
flame OF life. This does not lessen our faith
IN immortality|t rather makes clearer than
before that life Is continuous and unbroken.
NAN AN OBJECT OF MYSTERY.
so tonight 1t Is no part OF my ambition,
nor even my desire. TO explain the mystery
OF the character OF Jesus Christ. All life ia
mystery. Every man is in some sense a
mystery to every other man, and the great
er the man the greater the mystery. Who
In this audience will cay. L comprehend
Daniel Webster? or William Shakespeare? or
Plato? We do not understand genius. How
much less may we be expected to under
stand Him who, on any estimate of His be-
Ing whatever. must be accounted the great
est moral and spiritual genius the world
has ever seen? No. I am not going to con-
little Him with definitions. % am not not
that I understand Him-I am only going
TO try to point out the place which He oc-
cupies In life according to the theory of
what went before and what comes after
In the growth OF the universe. God is in
H Hls world; and He Is in his
Ing himself. "In the beginning saws John.
was the Word. and the Word was with
God. and the Word was God" What does
tnat mean! What Is a word? A word Is a
manifestation of the soul. Your friend IS
sitting at your side in absent-minded medi-
tation; you cannot imagine what is passing
through his mind: you say to him. a penny
Tor your thoughts he wakes up out of that
s-eep. his eye kindles. he turns to YOU. he
looks you In the face, he speaks to you: in
that speech he reveals TO you what is going
on within. what was before hidden. The
word IL the manifestation of the
Invisible spirit. Now the declaration of John
Is that God was always a word. He never
was in absent-minded meditation. From
eternity He has been speaking; He has al
ways been manifesting himself. He did not
wake up six thousand years ago and saw.
Now i will manifest myself and then begin
a creation: He Gid not wake up eighteen
hundred years ago and say, Now for all
time 7 VIII manifest myself in a divine man.
He has always been speaking. He has al
ways been manifesting himself in creation.
and all the works OF creation are the rev.
elation and the disclo sure OF the infinite and
eternal energies which Is behind them. which
y noxing through them. which Is working out
Its intellectual process in them and upon
them AS the picture is the Interpretation
OF the artist. as the book Is the intarpra-
tation OF the author, as the speech is the
Interpretation of the orator, so this repat
world In which we live is the interpretation
of the universal Spirit. who Is speakins
through every singing bird. every bfoomina
every great earthquake, every storm
and tempest, everything beautiful. every
thing awful. everything terrible. everything
sublime. He speaks In His world. And
speaks through men. Through men who
heard in His voice what other men did not
hnor and fell IN His rrrouonoa rrho% 1sL--