The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-19
TOPICS IN THE CHURCHES.
sunday school Lesson
Christian EndeavOr work.

And yeast and bread. and fax. and cloth.
And eggs. and fish. and candles;
See how the whole familiar world
He most diyinely handles.
The correspondence between the natural and
the spiritual is so wonderful and helpful that
cannot believe IL a mere coincidence. IL was
designed. God intended that the natural should
interpret TO US the supernatural We would put
Lilton's query into a positive assertion:
What IL earth
Each to the other like more than on earth Is
thoughtg'
Books telling preachers how to preach. null
tiply. The modern preacher would be perfect
paragon IL he met all the requirements The
famous backwoods itinerants would groan in
spirit IL they compelled TO measure up to
the latest standard. What the church really
needs is book telling the people how TO hear.
And when that book comes 20 be written, the
Parable of the -Four Soils will be a capital
groundwork for il. II Is just solemn
thing TO hear the gospel as 70 preach Il. He
who said "As We go. preach also said. Take
heed how ye hear" The fate OF the
seed is the fate Of the soul. Does the hearcr al
low the gospel seed to be carried away. withered
or choked? So will the Lord OF the harvest deal
with his soul. Many pastor Is dunn
founded by finding on the church record long
list Of recent acquisitions bequeathed 10 him by
his predecessor. not one in ten of whom materi-
alize in the prayer meeting or even public con-
gregation. with the Parable Of the Sewer be-
fore him, the new pastor ought not to be
dashed by the discovery. These are the wayside
hearers. The following analysis of Fred
eric w. Robertson's Incompatible and fearlessly
faithful sermon on the Parable Of the Sewer
may be helpful:
Il The Cause Of Failure in Religion
% Not in God. [Predestinatlon.l
Cd Not in gospel inherent impotency-1
(s) Cause in soil OF heart. free WILL
III Human Causes Of the Gospels Failure
ID Want OF spiritual perception.
CD Want OF depth in character.
CD Dissipating influences yielded to-
ILL., Three Requirements for Permanence OF
Religious IMPRESSIONS
ID An honest and good heart. lEarnestness.l
CD Meditation. keeping. the word.l
CD Endurance. bring forth fruit with pa
jewel-box sermon this, The value OF
excitement (religious) is that Il breaks up the
old mechanical life. The danger of excitement
the probability of reaction In the soil
Of the heart is found all the nutriment Of
spiritual life. and all the nutrient OF the
weeds and poisons which destroy spiritual
life. IL you wish 20 know what
hollowness and heartlessness are. you must
seek for them in the world OF light ele-
CANT. superficial fashion--where frivoity has
turned the heart into rockbed OF selhshness.
Say what will OF the heartlessnees OF
trade, IL is nothing compared with the heart
lessness OF fashion There f. nutrient
enough in the ground for thorns and enough for
wheat; but not enough in any ground for both
wheat and thorns. God or the world-not
both. Either hand for Abraham. What
cared the Pilgrim OF the Invisible for fertile
lands or ragged sands? This world ia
given as a prize for the men In earnest.
Sow for time. and probably you viii succeed.
Sow the seeds Of humbeness. pure-heartedness.
and love, and In the long eternity every mi
nutest grain will come up again with an in
crease OF thirty. sixty. hundred-fold-