The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-16

Rev, j. 6. Grant, Christian Church
EvnngeIist. begins n Series.

Rev j. 8. Grant, Christian Church
Evangelist, Begins Series.
The first of a series of evangelical gospel
meetings that are to be held at Tomlinson
Hall this week occurred last night, Rev.
James S. Grant, state evangelist of the
Christian Church, conducting it. There was
a large attendance. 1t was announced that
at the meeting tonight various ministers of
the Christian Church of the city would as
sst. Music rendered last night by a
large choir under the direction of Mr..
Allison. The sermon was preached by DIR.
Grant, who was introduced by John Grove
F'ullenwider. AS Tomlinson Hall is engaged
for other purposes next week the meetings
will be transferred after this week to some
other place to be selected later.
Salvation" was the topic selected by DR..
Grant, based on the text: For God so loved
the world that lie gave his only begotten
Son, that whatsoever would believe on Him
might not perish, but have everlasting life
John ill., 1915. Gods plan of salvation, he
said, was prompted by His infinite love,
planned by His wisdom and executed by His
power.
God so loved the word--I want to en-
phasize the adverb,' said he. "This may
differ from the old idea that God loved only
those He pleased and favored those He
pleased 1t was because Of His love Tor all
that He gave His Son. without infinite
wisdom God could not have framed the plan
of salvation that is so adapted that it meets
every mans necessity. None stands so high
nor so low but it is adapted to his neces-
sity. After love and wisdom u plan, all
heavens power was put forth to execute
the plan His infinite love prompted and His
infinite wisdom planned. The average theo-
logical idea is that Jesus died to satisfy
Gods wrath and that in His death God was
avenged on a wicked world. 'iol does not
love the world because Jesus died. but Jesus
died because God so loved the world.
THE life of Christ was Il triumph over
sin. His blood atoned for sin an. HIS resur-
rection destroyed sin. His example is III
tended to show that We too can live d
righteous life if we WilI-there Is the trouble
it is our will power. Christ exclaimed
when gazing down on Jerusalem, that He
would have gathered His children as Il hen
gathereth her chicks, but they would not
That tells the whole story of why men are
not gathered unto GOd-because they Will
not You see man walking along the street
stop and go behind screen where, peIhaps,
you hear the tinkle of glasses. Ask him
why he entered and he will reply: because
j wanted to, sir See another man enter a
great cathedral or church and ask him the
same question and he replies: Because L
wanted to, sir There is no difference be-
tween the answers, so far as incentive is
concerned. Both wanted to-
The minister spoke of Christ's great temp
tations and showed how the devil came to
Him thrice, once in the wilderness, after
he had tasted forty days to tempt him to
command that stones become bread, If He
were indeed the Son Of God, when Jesus re-
piled, 1T is written man shall not live by
bread alone" Again, on the pinnacle of the
temple the devil tempted Christ to cast
himself down if he were indeed the Son of
God, as it was written ''He will give His
angels charge over thee when Christ re-
piled, ut is written thou shalt not tempt
the Lord thy God" and again, when the
nf no
world, and promised to give them to Him if
He would but fall down and worship him,
Christ was ready with yet another lit is
You and I cannot do better in resisting
temptation" said the preacher, than to
have our hearts full OF quotations to put at
him. The fife of Christ was a perfect tri-
Umph over sin, teaching that you can do
right if you will. When a man comes to
me and says that he cannot do right, l say
that he is deCeiving himself or allowing the
devil to deceive him. | do not know much
about the atonement, because God has not
told me much about 1t. Separated into its
parts the word means 'at-one-ment,' at one
with God. All nature sings that every thing
is being sacrificed for mans good. The
beautiful field of wheat falls before the
reaper. Golden, luscious fruit bleeds that
man may have sustenance. / confide in one
tking-some way or other Jesus died and
died to save sinful men. If the word of God
| is treated fairly as other things are treated,
it will defend itself. 1 do not think that it
is the duty of the average preacher to de-
fend the word. ! am not begging the ques-
ton. am talking of it as l must Of most
things. What man knows all about him
self?
3" whatsoever believeth might have ever
lasting life After all, salvation depends on
a full concession of mind and heart God
may have love and wisdom and power unut-
terable, inconceivable, but it lies in your
power to thwart that love, that wisdom and
that power The whole idea of salvation is
predicated upon the belief of the man to
whom the plan is preached. No man has
faith unless he shows it by his life-a faith
that does not stop with mere assent of mind,
hut that reaches for the fallen