The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-10-08

ReV. Rogers lSrael, IL. D., rector OF
st. Lukes Episcopal church. delivered
most thoughtful sermon last night
on the proper means of preparing the
soul for the proper and natural devel-
opment Of the spirit of Christ. He
took his text from the first epistle to
the Corinthians, xii:13.
For by one Spirit are we all bap-
tized into one body, whether we be
Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond
or free, and have been all made to
drink into one Spirit" He spoke in
part as follows:
by baptism, according to this scrip
turel statement, we all Become men,
bers of one mystical body. the church
Of Christ. There Is always a method
of telling whether man Is Christian
or not. No man can say truthfully
that he does not know whether he Is a
Christian. Any one who has been bap-
tized in the name of the Lord Jesus is
a Christian. He has been not only bap-
tized, but he has become a member
Of His body. He may not live as be-
comes Christian member of that
great body. If he does not. so much
the worse for him. But his method
of living does not cut off his member
ship in the church.
WHY HE WAS CREATED.
MAN was created to be a spiritual
being. If you read the works Of the
ancient philosophers you will find them
permeated with the idea Of the spiritu-
ality Of man. For ages before the COM
ing of Christ you will discover that
these men were seeking and yearning
for that which Is spiritual. They spoke
of demons and Of other spirits, but
knowing nothing of the Spirit of God.
Even the red man believed in great
spirit with whom he would one
day live in the happy hunting
grounds.
Study botany and biology and you
will find that each plant comes from
its own seed. The oak grows from the
acorn and the pine from the pine
cone. You couldn't grow an oak from
pine cone nor vice versa. The ele-
phant produces only his kind and the
small insect the same. With man, 1t
is the same. Why? you ask. Be-
cause it is a law. The teaching Of
Scripture regarding spiritual things Is
the same. 1t takes a spiritual ele-
ment to produce spiritual life.
you cannot plant immoral princi-
pals and develop spiritual things
The seed won't bring them forth be-
cause it's impossible. Where, then,
shall we turn for the spiritual seed?
We find it in the Christ life, which Is
the germ Of spiritual life. He that hath
the Son hath life. and he that hath
not the Son hath not life.' Human
life is different than the plant life.
and spiritual life is different than the
human life.
MUST GIVE OBEDIENCE.
'It is not sufficient for us to look at
the life Of Christ and cay we believe
1t to be the perfect, the ideal life. 1t
is useless to follow this life unless obe-
dience to it's teachings is followed
also. We must allow the Christ life
to be cultivated in Christ's own way.
What are the necessary conditions to
cultivation of the spiritual life?
1--WE must give up our pride. We
must realize that we are helpless In
spiritual things. We must let Christ
work in us simply putting ourselves
in a receptive condition. He who can
not add one cubit to his stature, can
he hope to develope something that is
unseen? Let us initiate Christ, but let
us not forget in initiating Him that
the most important thing of all is the
Spirit that looks from those eyes and
that speaks from those lips.
IF wo once get the Spirit of Christ
to move in our natures in early life,
all things will come easy later on. We
shall then find no need Of placing one
foot carefully before the other. if wa
would follow in the footsteps of Christ.
Let us try to conform ourselves to
Christ. In no other way can we be-
come spiritual. In no other way can
man be saved, for what is salvation
but the bringing of our spirits into
harmony with the Spirit of God"