The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-11-22
THE VOICE OF THEPULPIT
a SERMON DEALING WITH REALT-
TIES OF EVERYDAY RELIGION.
What "GIory" Means, by Rev. Charles
James Wood. Rector Of 81. Johns
Episcopal Church, York, Pm.

-.
without end. Amen.
Familiar words-so familiar that they
have perhaps lost for US any clear, large
import. or meaning. They are used TO
sum up or conclude Complementary d.
vine service but they ought also TO i'm
ply the service OF man as well as service
OF God.
When thought Of as divine service alone
they lose reasonable value. become vague.
at the best suggesting a sentiment OF awe
which is good far as IL goes, being
the unconscious outbreathing OF what
goodness there is in man.
But the glory given TO God is something
more than the soft-breathed sigh of piety
or the enlarged heart of wonder at inded-
mite grandeur.
Again. We have. IL may be. crude no.
lions OF divine glory, as rays of dazzling
light darling in binding brilliance from
some center. as the chromosphere and
philosophers Of our sun. We are accus-
toned TO think of glory as shining light,
a brilliancy and radiance of material sort.
because we have taken light as the sign
and symbol of glory. We have substituted
the symbol for the thing symbolized
A moments reflection shows us that our
unexamined fancy will not stand the test
Of any scrutiny.
Jesus describes the eternal glory OF God
In way you may not have noticed: The
hour is come: glorify thy Son. that Thy
Sen may glorify Thee. have glorified Thee
on the earth: / have finished the work
which Thou gavest me to do. Now, o
Father, glorify Thou me with Thine own
self, with the glory which / had with Thee
before the world was"
These words do not seem t0 exnraeS ho
popular idea of the glory of God. We
think of that glory as displayed more evil
IDENTIFY in the skies with consultations and
suns. Yet Jesus in speaking OF the eter-
nal glory Of God, says nothing OF the
stellar universe. He is comprehending In
one view His life and its elimination on
the cross This He describes as the revela-
ton, or manifestation of the eternal, the
uncreated glory of God.
Surely this is a strange new glory! What
is its essence? What is it's characteristic?
Yet herein is no hidden mystery For
the essence of the life, the career of Jesus
was pre-eminently one Of service. Jewels
and thornes and palaces and the pomp OF
soldiery were not His TO constitute a glory.
Neither art nor song erected for Him the
spiendor of fame's cenotaphs His glory
was neither material nor intellectual, but
was in the world of will and deed The
glory of God manifested in Jesus is where
We had forgotten to look for it, because
1t is moral glory. it was love unselfish
and unrestrained
The light inaccessible in which God abides
Is His entire holiness. No man -ffnfh seen
God at any time because no man is good
enough. To be able TO see God man must
become as righteous as God
nd MIN
poor. pale gray glory; grandeur which
appeals to no imagination, a splendor too
sober to be desired-this moral glory OF
God-but were we TO know ourselves more
deeply we would find that the moral ele-
ment is what makes anything desirable In
this world. How is IL possible for us to say
this doxology, GLORY be to the Father.
and to the Son, and TO the Holy Ghost
in such way that the words are fulfilled.
and are more the lip service and iasub-
stantial and shadowy sentiment.
If the glory of God, as we see from both
the life and death Of Jesus, is a moral
glory, then it follows that IL involves re-
lation between persons. implies attitude.
Divine service. therefore, has an ethical
| character as well the service OF man.
Worship means something; giving glory TO
| God is thus found to be a very real act
beyond pious duty and uplifting emotion
What we mean, or what we ought to
mean, when we give glory to God is that
through our lives and deeds and words
| God is seen by all to be glorious: in word.
| godliness is manifested to the world. There
is no other glory. This is divine service.
service of God.
Can We render any real service to Godf
If we can serve God then IL is clear that
we can rende1Him some real service. That
sounds startling, perhaps, but only when
we have grown accustomed to using words
TO which we attached no definite meaning
Yet the apostle speaks Of our working to-
| gether with God. The goodness and god
Illness Of nature and man are the glory of
Gcd. That glory is shown forth by the eff
forts of men. '-he result is the doxoIogy OF
humanity.
| God wants men to be righteous to mani
fest forth His glory, which glory we call
goodness, holiness. love, pity. etc. Through
the souls of good and women as
through sluicegates of the ocean tide this
glory floods into the world.
God does not need people who at the last
instant of life are sorry for having lived
bad life. which merits punishment but
those rather who, through years OF he
have striven hard TO be generous. gentle
| kkf6
| glory TO God.
The theological theory that all we have
OF good in US. our nature our soul. comes
from God without our deserving any
of it, sounds religious and devout. but Il
has a seamy side. For. IL literally true.
shall we blame the footpad. the burglar,
the homicide and murderer?
L turn finally TO the more special points
OF the text
GLORY be to the Father" How shall we
give it? First, by yielding to Him the. love
and obedience We can show TO a perfect
Father; second. by displaying the charac-
ter OF our divine Father in our own lives.
GLORY 10 the Son" How give any real
glory to Jesus? Only by personal affection
for Him and by becoming like Him. His
work was a saving work. and we give glory
to Him by continuing His work All we
can do to Tighten the burdens the doubts,
the griefs. the pains and privations OF 9TH
ers is giving glory TO the Son OF God.
GLORY TO the Holy Ghost" What a
the moral glory OF the Holy Ghostf n
may be said that as Jesus reveals the na-
ture of God in himself. and IS this The
brightness OF the Fathers CIV 30 tbs
Holy Ghost reveals God I'm hls oUtworltinr-.
externally IT, for the nonce. I may express
II thus The spirit gives life. unlfies. wher
we give glory to the Holy Ghost we are