The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-27
Rev. Mr.. Nutting'S Inter-
eSting Discourse.
Many Odd Fellows Lodges
Attend Church Services.
pThe Hand Of Christ" the Theme of
Rev. Mr.. Horizons Sermon.

preached q very effective discourse on
ssThe man superior TO the Institution"
taking as his text Mark xv:3s: "Aud
The veil of the temple was rent in twain
from the top TO the bottom"
Truth must always be administered TO
men in such form that they can take it.
The complete revelation OF God Is impos-
sible to en- incomplete man. No man shall
see the face OF God and live. Little by
little God shows Himself TO as as We are
able 80 bear 1t. We see only His back,
because He has mercy upon Us. Now He
appears in q parable, later in naked glory.
Now he shows us an image, again
living majesty. Now we see In mirror
darkIy, but then, face TO face. Once lie
abode In the institution, now He appears
in the man. The rending of the veil OF
the temple marked the point at which
the institution began to fade, and the
man began TO be intensified. II foretold
the end OF guide posts, and revealed the
central glory toward which the roads OF
ages had converged.
The temple of stones and gold waited
Tor the human temple. The institution
kave way to the man. The institution
was made for the man, not man for the
institution. The world passeth away,
but he that doeth the VIII of God abideth
forever.
All the dealings OF God with men may
be regarded as q progressive revelation on
Gods part. We not seldom hear COM
plants that God does not appear to us,
knd inake matters plain. But meantime
God is waiting for US. We are Gehazis
that our eyes may be opened. We are
waiting for God to reveal himself but He
ls waiting for us to look at Him, and see
1t least more of His splendor than we sup
posed dwelt In the world. AS the sublime
climax of the crucifxion showed the
veiled character of Christ the centurion
discovered what he had been doing. But
the veil was taken from his heart, not
from the heart OF the Christ. All along
Chriet had been rs righteous; all along
lie had been true Son of God. But the
officer had bowed before the tangible in
ptitutiou,. the Roman government, and
too late learned iAat the Man Christ Je-
Uua lowered above and looked down upon
Ill institutions. Before institutions were
He was Upon the cross Christ carried
humanity for us 10 point overlooking
Ill things. Christ Is always greater than
Christianity; the God ever rises above the
eult, the man above his work. The shep-
herd is OF more Importance than his
sheep, yet the. Good Shepherd giveth His
life for the aheep. The sculptor Is above
his pictures 70 stone, yet he Will die for
Them. The a-chitect walking about on
the floor Of TIE cathedral appears only a
mite to the bserver in the dome But
destroy that temple and he will raise It
up. Even tile erratic Samson falling be-
meath his own m ,nument proves by his
prayer that the broken stones can confine
only broken bones, while the genius OF
Hebrew liberty fiies away to be incarnate
In some other judge Of Israel.
The whole world may be regarded as
IN institution waiting for a man, and
the bondage and travail OF creation waits
Tor its adoption into the temple of God,
Tor the sons OF God.
Institutions are good when we set them
hp, not when they hold us down. Ma
chimes are good when we run them, not
when they run Us. An institution is
good so long as 1t is channel, not when
j 10 dam. Or, changing the figure, 1t is
\ good bridge; let Ii not be q barrier. II
ts like On OK, 10 feed men, let ii not gore
and mangle the man. 1t is q horse to
carry him, let 1t not run away with him.
tsa book to guide him, let him not
! Faith never crystallizes, 1t always
grows; and the danger is that the insti-
futiops about us will be pickle to drown
Ind sour in, rather than stimulating
water OF life to grow in. An institution
pever made man, though Ii may mar
him. What can a chucrh do for a hypo-
critef 1t can make his hypocrisy manifest.
What can 1t do for miser? Intensity the
outlines of his character. Somewhere, In
br out of the institution the man must
pome in contact with the eternal GOO I
The man must rise above the institution; I;
the Crucltied must break through the
otherwise empty temple and meet the
boul that wanders through its cold white
corridors. A mans surroundings may
foster tho spark of Gods spirit that is in
him. The altar OF a mans spirit derives
its power from no magnihcence OF elabo-'
- I'll. - l...t
Rlorihed when il is struck by fire out of
heaven.
God Is weary, you are weary of seeing n
man go through institutions, and absorb
Them, and ADOPT them, and at last be-
come something not quite as good as they
are. lie has not yet passed beyond the
Institution 10 the Man Christ Jesus. lie
has entered the house but has not met the
host. He has mistaken the institution for
the man, and has lost the soul IN the
ehell he has mistaken outward conform
tty for inward lite and love, Christ in
him the hope OF glory.
"Where do you go to church," is
the question we ask one another as II
that were all The question is,
not what institution are you sheltered
by, but Is there meeting you wherever
you are mighty, a glorious, an irresist-
able Christ. whose love has crept into
your life, and made the institution
y
1ncsrnate God, for the church finds its
glory and mission only In bringing men
90 Jesus. 1t can cast out no devils, un-
hess by His preseno..
The mistake Of the generations has
been the quest after an external rather
than an internal salvation. IL is coming
90 be very grievous mistake Just now.
Men are looking for governmental saliva
tion. They are thinking that by and by
the State will save them. They are seek
ing In laws the redemption OF society.
They are asking the State TO give them
ponething TO make them happy. But say
not IN thine heart, that this shsll bring
Christ down from above, nor up from the
6eeps, for the word is nigh thee, even in
thy heart. Righteousness begins there.
When the majority OF the people become
tighteous thcrs will be righteous gov
eminent People never were and never
will be saved by parties OF regiments or
wards. Nor could q city be saved by a
good mayor. Does not God rule all2
There IN another side OF government.
Law must be accepted In the heart, not
on the back.
One OF the most absurd instances OF
exoIuIffv ~ IsoruIoo that aver anpcored