The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-31
A SERMON BY Mr.. KINNEY
MAYFLOwER CHURCH,s PASTOR
TALKS OF "GoD's HOLD ON MAN.
The Extent to which Man Is a Free
Creature - Restraint
from Above.

a congregation that well filled the cnurcn.
Mr.. Kinney began by saying: Notice man
in the hands of his Maker-he is a lili-
putian in the hands of q giant; on the one
side are the maryels of immensely, on the
other insignifcance. Man can work havoc
with created things, he can distill cleo
tricity from the clouds, evoke sound from
silence, harness the winds as he would
horse, and yet a breath has made him
and breath unmakes him. God holds man
in his grasp and will not let go. AS
mother clings closely to the child that left
to itself would do harm, so God encirces
with divine remonstrance man. Is not
man free? Yes, man is free as the ship is
free which can sail when the wind blows
in any direction, to bottom it may be or
to the desired haven, but which at last can
sail no farther Man is free as the fish
is free, which out of it's native element
pants and gasps upon the shore Man is
free as the bird is free, which with the
vast expanse Of earth and sea to roam
sun scorch it's wings or too low lest the
sun scorch it's wings or too law lest the
waves wet them. Man is free as this great
round globe is free which seemingly so
abandoned and insular is yet tethered TO
the sun by bands tenfold more tenacious
than STEEL God has given man faculties
which seem to amount to emancipation
love. choice. will, purpose. ambition-which
he can seemingly employ in independence
of God, and yet God holds man through his
very faculties. Constantly there is con-
straint and influence from above. Man ex-
ploring his little territory comes soon to
the borders of his kingdom, to go beyond
which would be trespass He capers and
gambols, argues and disputes, boasts his
greatness and then takes step too far and
feels the halter, thus revealing himself to
himself, not as a man, but as a manikin
In the divinest sense"
Continuing with his theme, Mr.. Kinney
enlarged upon four different modes in
which God holds man. lone hold" he said
which God has on man is through mans
mental eye. God has an eye constantly on
man. The eye is a beacon, reckoning fin
ger, a bayonet. There is a wonderful at
tractive power in even the human glance.
VINO has not caught some one looking at
him or her transfxed by the steady gaze
from behind. Peter found Jesus looking at
him and, went out and wept bitterly. Man
remembers it he trembles. Achan forgot it
when he hid the goodly Babylonish gar
ment, but 1t occurred to him after the bat
tie of All went against Israel. By and by
Gods eye will burn through the fog Of
mans understanding. In the great day to
on the rocks and mountains to fall and hide
them from the face of God.
Another way in which God holds man is
by His projections. He comes before men
in forms of loneliness. In the Old Tesla
ment He is wisdom, but not with a gray
beard and wrinkled front, but with the
hood. In the New Testament He is a babe
in nanger, and who can help loving a
babe? He is an Apollolike young man, and
He is raised on the cross to draw all men
unto Him: He is a sufferer in the sight of
figured on the mountain top and at the as
tides the moon, the esthetc nature of man a
thing of beauty? Who has not been capti-
waited by a voice, or Spellbound by an orator
or thrilled through and through by select
music? Men gaze on Yosemite and lose con-
seriousness. They merge their being with
Niagara The soul of man is a carrier
pigeon which once released makes straight
for God. Man is not always influenced by
his solitary individuality, but he makes one
of the multitude Swayed by a common inn
pulse. Man is a creature of instinct. The
likes and dislikes of animals determine
where they will be at given seasons of the
year for food and shelter Every hunter
knows where to find a pigeon, plover,
grouse and wild duck, and every fisherman
knows the haunt of the greedy bass and the
flashing trout. Birds will soon wing their
fight northward from their wintry home in
the South: The robin and whipporwill the
oriole and thrush. the blackbird, bluebird
and redbird. all will be here. Their voices
soon will awaken us in the early hours.
GOD ALWAYS SATISFYING.
mo matter what man desires. God alone
will satisfy him. Is he homesick, Gods
word is his home. After marriage does he
still lack sympathy and affection, God is
love- Is he out of work. God will give him
employment Is he troubled about his bus
mess, God is an excellent accountant. Does
he crave good society, God moves in such.
Would he have power, God alone can make
him great Does he seek knowledge. God
is truth. Would he dip into philosophy and
solve the problems of the universe, God is
the sphinx and Delphic oracle with no Sc
crets from man.
'God holds man even when man follows
his worst instead of his best inclinations.
Man beats himself against the walls of evil
heavily and falls back in the waiting arms
of God. The ocean of mans desires bears him
unerringly to God. Caught here and there
by rock and eddy, tossed to and fro by wind
and wave, drawn fathoms deep amid the
wrecks and ruins of mortality he is thrown
at last world-worn wait that he is, amid
kelp and Seaweed on the SnoW-white beach,
es of Gods being.
through conscience which is the view of
God in man. Law and government are en-
bodied conScience-the conscience of other
men which he must heed. The church is
Gods gloved restraint man. History is
Gods finger mark in the world debating
His desires
of God on man. How weak man is as life
GIBBS away. This life is the only one in
which man claims to be master, his domln-
ion ends with the grave, and beyond that
is God The resurrection attests Gods pow
er on helpless man.
''The only way to escape from God is to
escape to God. The only outlook is the up
look Since all roads lead to Rome why
not take the most natural and direct the
straight and narrow way; why not yield
ourselves as men to-day to God?"