The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-04-19


feels ashamed Of its greed In their pres
euce The pseasure-seeking world stops
In It's Senseiess frfyolity. and hangs
its head before their higher delights The
farne-aspsrins world. striving to unite it
name higa up on the giifterinS column
lowers fts hand when II sees God with His
own hand carving their names higher Up
still. even beyond approach. In fmperish-
able Characters You scan their lives and
Won see everywhere the divine impress
You call them heroes. Yes. they have
overcome the world. You call them mar
tyrs. Yes, they die daily unto sin. being
crucifed with Christ You call them
saints. Yes. they have been sanctifed BY
the Spirit / will give you an all Inclusive
name for them. sons OF God.
A Chffd Not n servant.
Again. a son Of God possesses the free.
dom Of a child and enters into his fuil
privileges. "Henceforth / cali you not
servants" said Jesus. 'for the servant
knoweth not what his lord doeth. but 1
have called you friends; for all things that
I have heard OF my Father have made
known unto you" Hear the apostle TO me
Genfiles spiendidly put this truth: But
when the fullness OF time was come, God
sent forth his Son. made OF woman,
made under the Law. 10 redeem them that
we're under the law that we might re-
ceive the adoption OF sons Wherefore
thou art no more a servant. but a SON."
Make me as one of thy hired servants"
cried the penitent prodigal NO. no."
answered the rejoicing and forgiving
father. "Thol art my son. my son. For
this nay son was dead and Is alive again,
was lost and is found"
Servants receive wages: sons receive
gifts Satan II a cruel taskmaster, and his
hirelings are slaves. and as the whip
skcar- f.aal he hs-ar
awful sentence. ''The wages Of sin is
death" God is loving father. and His
redeemed ones are sons. and as He bends
tenderly over them, their souls are
charmed with the promise. But the gift
OF God Is eternal life through Jesus Christ
our Lord"
know no more beautiful home picture
than the daily perceptihle growth OF mu-
tual cordiaiity and confidence between Q
son and his father II Is not a familiarity
born OF presumption. which is pretty sure
TO breed contempt. II is a union of loyalty
and liberty, the issue Of which Is equally
sure TO be domestic happiness. 1t Is q
state in which the father can often be q
boy with his son. with no evil results fol-
lowing, and In which the boy Is drawn out
toward a higher ideal OF manliness by
this very parental unbending. The father
requests; there is no need Of command
ing. The son responds from love; he does
not obey through fear. When crises como
In the home, the superior wisdom OF the
father takes the lead, and the son reyer-
entially follows. On all other occasions
the two walk arm In arm as friends and
confidants II such a mutual arrange
ment does not exist In all our homes. II
is because there Is something wrong on
the part OF the father. or son. or both. /
have seen this charming freedom between
parent ard chill beautifully exemplified
In common life, and however infrequent
IL may be. you will agree with me that Ii
the model idea. and Is the sure outcome OF
good fatherhood and true sonship.
Should not the sons OF God exercise
equal freedom with their heavenly Faith
err Are they not continually exhorted to
do SO? God Is a dread sovereign to the
sinner but a loving and compassionate
parent to the son. The sinner looks up
and fears. The son looks up and trusts.
because perfect love casteth out fear.
There are some Christians who never
live up to the privilege Of their sonship.
Their relationship to God seems constrain-
ed. There is no liberty. They act as
though they were not quite sure Of their
acceptance. They do not enjoy their re-
ligion. or they enjoy II in spots. You ask
them the reason. and they cannot tell
you, except that they shrink from that
holy familiarity with God. which Is the
privilege of every redeemed child Of man.
do not know anything In the way Of
public utterance that so quickly reveals Q
man spiritually as public prayer. Apart
from all literary or intellectual elements
that may enter into the wording Of o
prayer. there Is a soul-contact with the
Ail-Father. which is perceptible almost
as soon as the lips are opened. Sinners
under deep conviction groan and sob into
the ear OF the Almighty. Christians, such
as those have Just described. talk at God
from a distance They are often precise
and sometimes elegant in their phraseolo-
KY. but they go all around the world before
they arrive at the real point OF need. They
dwell largely on temporal mercies and
ask a continuance OF food and shelter and
business success tt cir voice Is hollow,
their words fall at their feet, and they
don't expect much answer anyhow and
therefore seldom get any. There is no
soni-cry In their prayer. no hungering
and thirsting after God, no confidence OF
petition, and therefore no holy holiness
and sweet familiarity OF approach How
different with . true child Of the Most
High. tie is on the most intimate terms
with the King his Father. He feels the
royal blood In his own veins, and knows
the scepter OF divine favor will always be
extended. He enters the Kings presence
joyfully and with the freedom OF sonship
in his voice, while the light of God falls
upon his upturned face. The utterance
may he In broken language. and in wretch
ed grammar. many of the words being i'm
properly pronounced. and yet the listen
ing audience realizes that a son Is com
municat'ng with his Father. All, there
is difference In the ways in which Chris
tians pray. This same difference applies
TO all their life, The son and the servant
are to be found In all our churches II
you exercise your rightfui privilege. the
Christian life can never be 10 you a sys-
tenn OF negations. IL viii rather be an ac-
tive and positive life. In which the soul
shall dart forth upon its heaven-appoint-
81 missions free as bird. its wings aglit-
ter with tho sunshine OF Gods smile and
then. when It's work Is done. folded
like overlapping bands OF silver, as II
nestles for refuge and rest In His bosom
OF love.
Who Can Estimate His WEALTH.
Again. a son OF God will realize his heir
ship. Recall the spirit OF that whole
eighth chapter Of Romans from which I
read this mornings lesson. To what a
sense of proprie,orship does the apostle
rise. when he describes the inheritance
that Is sure 10 come What burst of rap
ture can surpsss this passage. III God be
for Us who can h. agains, u.s. And again,
hear him exult,ng, Who shall separate
us from the love Of Christie He that
spared not hts own son. but delivered Him
M for us all. how shsu He not with Him
freely give US all thingsgr Again hear
him in his irst letter to the Corinthians.
aS he closes It's third chapter. An things
are yours, and ye are ChriSt's. and Christ
Is Gods oh. for touch Of that million
eire ecstasy hat realizes the wealth OF
seuship as Paul felt it. ana reaches forth
even through present poverty TO everlast-
Ing posscFsionsi
II you SHOULD know a son % luxury, ard