The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-06
THE NIGHT SERMON.
Rev. Mr.. Ostrom Chooses as His Topic,
with the Heart

Below is a synopsis of Mr.. Ostrom's
night sermon:
God may be very near to you this min
ute. and you may not recognize him. Many
woman has lost her spectacleS on her
own forehead. God may be as near to
you as to have his very touch on your
prov, and you may not know it. God may
be as near TO you as the pencil lost behind
your ear, and you may not know it. Be-
cause we do not recognize Him, does not
prove that He is not present. A blind man
would not recognize the most beautiful
landscape, deaf man would not recognize
the sweetest music rich man died leav-
was bewildered to think that the bank ac-
count was so low, and she could not under
stand where his money had gone. One day
the floor in the kitchen had become de-
fective. She had carpenter to fix IL. He
sawed piece off the floor near the joist,
and 10, there was a large tin box. Rails
ns sd with nP ne eo GdPen eep and found it Sa
walked repeatedly over that place. wonder
ing where the wealth was; but behold, it
was right under her feet. Right here,
right now, God is as truly present as He
is in heaven.
but you say He is invisible; / cannot
see Him. Now, / think that a being who
can make light and electricity and thought
and perfume and music and ELECTION could
not be supposed to be seen by such eyes
we have. Why, a large multitude of people
cannot see to read paper after they have
become thirty-five years of age without
having some melted sand formed into glass,
them. Such eyes as these could not be
expected to be mighty enough to look upon
our God. And then, just as men become
better informed they. recognize the vast
power and worth of the invisible Our
greatest modern discoveries are in the
the realm OF the invisible. Take the micro
made under the microscope looks snarled
and tangled and confused. But the COM
monest cube of ice under the microscope
reveals bright lines and stars and prisrns.
the microscope is a great daub. and the
stronger the microscope the more daub-
ing is revealed in the painting. But the
poorest leaf that ever hung on a tree placed
under the microscope is beautiful system
OF order, and the stronger the microscope
the more beauty is revealed. The same is
a mosquito. Talk OF the invisible. What
man ever saw joy. or love, or hate, or hope?
Who ever saw music? Who ever saw the
mind? Men say that they don't believe in
the soul. and yet they acknowledge the soul
in common conversation. For instance, you
say My hand. my head, my thoughts, my
feelings, my heart Who are you? Do you
not see that in common expression you adj
nit that you are the possessor Of certain
power Of action and of the body? Now, al
low one arm to be amputated. You are
here yet. Let both arms be amputated,
and you are here yet. Cut off both arms
and both limbs, and you are here yet. Cut
off both limbs. both arms. head. chest and
trunk, and you are here yet
''If you should go into q dssecting room
and dissect the corpse Of a Beethoven you
would not find bars of music there, yet
you know that Beethoven had a soul filled
with music If you would dissect the
corpse OF a Howe you would not find any
sewing machines there. yet you know that
he possessed rare inventive genius. Thus
you see really man is visible. 1t is not
so difficult for me to believe in the very
presence OF God invisible with His dress Of
when / believe that man is invisible with
his dress OF flesh and blood about him."