The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-10-08
REVELATION, INSPIRATION, ILLUMINA
TON.
The Theme OF Rev. Carey v. Northr0p'S
Sermon Sunday Morning at the
Baptist Church..

The Theme OF Rev. Carey v. Northrop's
Sermon Sunday Morning at the
i. Baptist Church.
Rev. Carey V. Northrop, who entered
upon his passionate of the Baptist church
Sunday, was greeted by two large audi
Iences which listened to two practical,
forceful presentations of the gospel.
In the morning the text was from
/ Cor. 2:12-"Now we have received, not
the spirit of the world, but the spirit
which is of God that we might know
the things that are freely given us of
God"
Mr.. Northrop said in part:
AS an introduction to the service and
as part of it, l wish to read the context of
the text. 'Eye hath not seen, nor ear
heard, neither hath entered into the
heart OF man, the things which God hath
prepared for them that love him. \
But God hath revealed them unto us by
his spirit Here are three very distinct
influences of the spirit of God-revela-
ton, inspiration, illumination. Revela-
ton is one distinct work of the Holy
Spirit, to reveal that which is hidden.
1t is the Office of inspiration to accurately
tell or record what is revealed. God re-
veals to us those things which eye hath
not seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of
man conceived. He reveals them. The
parties to whom He reveals them tells or
records them. The first is revelation !;
the second is inspiration. Now between
the two comes the third influence, which
is illumination it is that quickening Of
the preceptive faculties of mans soul
that enables him to see and know and
appreciate what has been revealed and
what has been unfolded. Eye hath not
seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered
into the heart of man, the things which
God hath prepared for them that love
Him. Now here are certain things pre-
pared; prepared for certain class; for
those that love God, but they remained
hidden until God revealed them unto us
by his Spirit.
feel wonderfully impressed with the
preciousness of this day, and very deep
impression is on my mind, as / enter up
on this new relation, that great good is
going to be done. The presence OF God
here this morning is indisputable. The
consciousness Of that presence is
another thing. No persuasion of mine
that ever took possession of me, no con-
viction of judgment and reason that
ever stood as complete demonstration
before me, is comparable with this in
conclusiveness of persuasion to me. That
God hath revealed, that God hath in
spired the record that tells of the revela-
ton, and that God will illumine His
people to see and know and feel and rea-
lie here on earth the sweetness and pre-
ciousness of that revelation.
A man may speak confdentially con-
corning matters of experience over
ground that he has gone, and l never
have done anything with any more GER
tainty than 1 have walked in my hearts
experience over this truth.
Many times have this word knowing
that have some realization of the love
of Jesus Christ, OF His love for me, know
ing that l had some appreciation of it,
and yet perfectly conscious that there
were heights and depths and breadths of
it that 1 never attained, and that the
trouble was with me, that it was my lack
of clear vision, that it was the exist
ence OF obstruction in me that kept me
from seeing far up aud into the vastness
of the richness of the love of Jesus Christ;
and ! have knelt and prayed: "Illume!
Hume! 0 God, illume my soul, that
may see and feel the love of Jesus Christ
in its vastness." And just in that way I
have taken some promise of Jesus Christ,
for instance, this promise, that He will
raise the dead, that He will glorify the
bodies of the saints. That He will call
their spirits made perfect to re-inherit
their glorified bodies. 1 have taken these
promises and said, 30 God, 1 do not re-
alize thy promises. My sad heart means:
1.-THE church yard bears an added stone,
The fire side shows a vacant chair,
The well-known form, the welcome tread,
Obi where are they and where is he!.'
Here is the grave. There is vacant
chair, Illumel Hume! Oh let me see in
the light of the dawn Of the morning
what God has sown for the righteous.
Let me see the coming of that day, and
the glory of it, and the certainty of it,
and the newness of it, and it has come
until / staggered under it, and said,
"Lord, stay thy hand, I am too weak
now to take any more"
Now you ask me, "What is the practi
cal value OF illumination" What good