The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-20

and irving TO hew ourselves into conformity
with Them not by still being dishonest and
saving we will not steal because the Jaw
forbids it, not by still being sensual and
saying we Will not commit adultery because
the law forbids it, not by having illlcit ue-
sres in our heart and saying we VIII try
not TO covet because the law prohibits IT.
not thus can any man be righteous; not
thus can society be eleansed. purlnee' re-
comes to earth that He may nil humanity
with Himself. who searches men out VINO
suffers in their suffering ana bears the buT-
den OF their SHINING. who pour Himself out
into men, by seeing that this IS COO anu
understanding that this is Goa ana DeileN-
ing in this kind of Gcd and opening the uoor
of ones heart and the windows OF one
heart to receive this God and longing 10 ne
like Him. TO love as lie loves, to pity as lie
pitied, to serve as He served. TO suffer as
He suffered and to help TO redeem as lie
helped to redeem; this is to live
POWER IN LAW.
There is power in law. and we need it at
times; and more power in teaching. and we
need that; and more power in example, that
is better than either; but there is something
more potent in human life than law or
teaching or example, and that is the power
of a great personality. This is the power
that rules and shapes and directs and con-
trolls mankind. This is what makes great
preacher Why is it that one preacher Will
hold an audience in his hand and make
Jnem laugh or make them weep at Will anu
fill them full of new life and send them
forth with q new purpose, ana another
man. better rhetorician, better logician,
greater scholar, better elocutionist, Will
only lull them to sleep by his oratoryE
What is the difference? 1t is the man that
makes the sermon. This is what makes
the leader great. The little corporal sees
the troops are hesitating at the bridge or
Lodi and seizes the flag, and, darting on
before them, fills them with new courage,
and they sweep on beyond him and carry
the bridge. That is the personality of
great man who fills quaking, hesitating
hearts with his own wonderful courage.
This is the power of great leaders VINO nave
shaped theologieS. formed states, hlied ma
lions, changed the very course of races
themselves. This is the power of mother
who goes down to that door which swings
both ways on its hinges and knows not
whether it shall open and she shal go OUT
the life shall be brought to her, and the
life is brought and it lies in her lap. she
did love music. The only song she cares
for now. the only stories she cares Tor, are
the stories she can tell the babe. She cid
love society. Now the only society she
wants is that of the blue eyes that look up
into her own. She pOurs herself into the
child She pours her own heart, her own
love, into her child, more than satisfied II
she can look forward with prophetic vision,
and who when she shall walk the streets,
her hand on his arm and her eyes looking
up into the eyes that once looked up into
hers, and can say, This is my son; helped
to make him what he is
Now, what Paul says is this: This per-
sonality that makes the orator, that makes
the leader that makes tle general, that
makes the mother, this personality Is, above
all, in God: He is perpetuaIiy pouring 1llll-
self out He is the great life glVer; lie IS
the father and mother OF us all. lie rolds
to His arms and makes us share his
love. This is what he means when he says,
We are heirs of God, not heirs of things
from God but heirs of God Himself, re-
ceivjng God Himself into our hearts. This
is what he means when he says we are
partakers of the divine nature ThiS IS
what John means when he says, We are
born of the will of the flesh, not of blood,
rot of tn will of man, born OF God. rms
is what Christ means when He says, You
must be born from above. take the life that
comes from GOD. This is what the Old
Testament means when 1t says, lie IS the
Son of Righteousness. All FORCES or me-
all nsDirational influences, are but refiec-
tions that come from Him, the Father of
Lights.
''There were two conceptions of God in
the time when Paul lived, and he puts his
conception in contrast with them. The first
was the Roman gods, immoral and I'M
moral, gigantic men. On the Hartz noun
tains sometimes a man sees a statuesque
figure before him. He reaches out his hand
The figure reaches out its hand IN imitation
He clenches his fist. The figure clencheS
its fist And then he sees this figure, which
filled him for a moment with awe ana rear,
is an image cast on the clouds before him.
When the Romans saw their own nSuies
cast on the clouds bow down and worship
him. their gods were lying, stealing. thiev-
ing gods evil and vicious gods. Now in
this stage of the world the first message
necessary was this God is of purer eyes
than to behold iniquity. He is Just, he IS
righteous. He abhors this iniquity- But
that is not the highest conception of right
eousness. There is "a great deal more right
eousness in the woman who goes down 10
the East Side among the poor and the out
cast and the profane and the vicious, tnat
she may give her life to them, than there
is in the policeman who walks the streets
and sees that they do not one another too
much harm. And over against the notion
of the Roman that the gods were as vicious
as the vicious men, and over against the
notion of the age that God was but higher
kind of police justice keeping order, Paui
brings this truth nay interprets TINS truth
which Christ has brought-God Is the pure
one who comes to earth that He may pour
Himself into the hearts of His children.
A CONTRAST ILLUSTRATED.
'"Phere is one pathetic story told in the
life OF Christ which illustrates this contrast
between the Jewish and the Christian con-
ception of God. Christ had been invited to
a supper given by Pharisee in his honor.
The Oriental house was built around an
open square, and the dining room was
oftentimes but kind of interior porch
opening out upon this square. Christ re-
clined in Oriental fashion upon couch be-
fore the table, His naked feet outstretched
behind Him. The villagers, in accordance
with the freedom of the Oriental lie, nIed
in and filled the court yard and listened to
the conversation. And then a woman Oh
the town crept in, thinking hefseH unoD-
served, and drew nearer and yet nearer.
and at length stood right at the feet OF
Christ Some words He spoke stirred the
almost deadened Goals in the ashes of her
memory or awakened some hopes of future,
long since dead, and the great tears giopeu
fast in her eyes and fell, drop by drop. on
the naked feet stretched out before her;
and shocked that such pOlluting tears
should fall such sacred feet, she knelt
on the floor took the long tresses or her
hair and wiped the feet, and then uninvited
covered them with kisses And the PharI-
see said this man is not a phrophet. Ii he
were He would have known what manner
of person this woman is who touches Him.
She is a sinner. And Christ said, 90 In
peace, thy sins be forgiven thee. The PhfT-
isee could not understand the righteousness
which frightened those who have faith IN
Christ: and Sometimes L think theology mas
never understood it yet.
This then, I understand to be Paul
doctrine: The Jew had held there Is a law
and righteousness consists in obedience 10
this law Paul says no, it does not consist
in obedience to law, it consists in the very
reception of a divine life, though germs
and hints of this teaching are to be round
i'm the Old Testament; in, for example, the
24th Psalm ] read from Mr.. turneSS
translation in the Polychrome Bible. only
putting in q comma after the word raise
ly'' where he puts in period.
who dare ascend to worship the mountain Of
Yahveh
Who dare to set foot on His holy abode.
He who has sinless hands and a pure conscience,
Who chershes no longing for evil and never
n lin ,aeai,ea blseSipo from Yahyeh