The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-15
CHURCH ORGAN wHEEzEs
AND REV. J.. A. MILBURN CALLS 1T
TO TRUSTEES ATTENTION.
Paradoxes I'm the Bible the Subject OF
His Evening Discourse-The Cues
ton Of Temptation.

DR.. AIilburn at the close Of the offertory
sung by the quartet at the Second Prcsby-
terrain Church last night The wood work
is too much in evidence. for / could hear
the pumping of the pedals all through the
song. / wonder IL that could not be rene
died. / wonder il the organ could not be
taught better manners. But / submit that
to the trustees" This entirely unexpected
statement created mild sensation among
the congregation. but without waiting for
1t to subside DR.. Milburn announced his
text as the twelfth verse of the first
chapter of Epistle of James. Blessed is
the man that endureth temptation" and
plunged at once into his discourse. His
subject. though no, formally announced.
was Some Biblical Paradoxes." as will
clearly appear from the following introduce
ton:
THE Bible is not only the best-it is the
bravest OF books. 1t is the one book that
is not afraid OF putting truths that seem TO
contradict each other In opposition TO each
other. The Bible bios US to know God and
yet IL tells us that, no matter how we may
strive, God cannot be fathomed in his in
finite perfection. II says unto US. BE we
holy even as your Father in heaven is
holy and yet we are told by perhaps the
strongest and the best man that ever lived
and who certainly was the best mere hu-
man exposition OF the spirit of the gospel.
that he was the chief of sinners The
Bible affirms that God is sovereign, that
God is all. and then 1t turns right around
and says that man is sovereign. for his
will is free. Nearly every page in the
ha
to present TO your mind and to mine. and
we are brought face TO face with one OF
these antinomies tonight In this text that
l have chosen to consider with you When
you and say the Lords prayer. one OF
our petitions is Deliver us from evil; lead
US not into temptation and that is a very
wise petition Tor use TO live up 10. because
We are human and We may err, an. the
best thing for you and myself to do is 20
keep as far away as we can from fne
crooked path that Ieadeth TO destruction
and as near to the straight palii that lead
eth TO life everlasting. IL is a wise prayer
then, that We pray when we pray 70 God
TO lead US not into temptation, and yet
right here we are told by James Blessed is
the man that endureth temptation We
are told to pray not to be led into tempta-
ton. and then We are told In the same
book, Blessed is the man that endureth
temptation, and therefore temptation must
man."
TEMPTATION A BLESSING.
The preacher constructed an elaborate
argument to demonstrate that temptation
is blessing because IL is a form of op-
position. which always strengthens the one
opposed. He said that the man Of bestial
life is not tempted, for he lives along the
line of least resistance-follows his ami
NAL inclinations; the ignorant man is not
tempted, for he does not think. Ii is the
wise man who doubts--it is the spiritual
man who questions the goodness of God
Temptation Is sign Of moral superiority.
since one must have reached a higher plane
IN order TO be dragged to lower. mot
10 be tempted" said the minister Implies
that you either a Cod or a beast
You are not God, therefore, IL you are
rot tempted, you are a beast living on
he lowest plane of existence The stone
is not tempted, the dog is not tempted.
the brute is not tempted. Why? Because IL
has not got moral organization. that Is
why"
DR.. Milburn reasoned that Germany has
become strong because of the opposition
of Of. the Black Forest; Russia because OF
Cf the Smallness and lack OF fertility OF
the island. necessitating great effort to
make anything out OF IL. I'VE find that
the great thinking nations are Germanic,
tonic, tfat the great thinking nafions have
come from tho Black Forests OF Germany.
from the Saxon and the Anglo and the
German people OF to-day. They are the
intellectually virile people, and they have
been made intellectually virile because ma
ture has denied them much in the way OF
beneficence, much in the way Of beauty.
much in the way OF ease. Man built up
bis mind by sitting merely I'm the long
winters there, when he could not get out.
when he had to sit within and think or
fire, and the fire is the most potent in
tollectual force ir all the world. Where
ever man sits by the hearth he becomes n
muser, he becomes thinker. and 80 you
see you ind in the opposition OF life not only
physical strength. but intellectual virility
as we'll"
After discussing the power OF temptation
to strengthen those who are able 10 endure
il, DR.. Milburn proceeded 10 speak of those
who are weak. and I'm this part OF his SER
mon he said some cheering words for the
fallen woman. and also paid high tribute
TO the work OF Mr.. William v. Wheeler IN
conducting the Rescue Mission at Penn
sylvania and South streets. He said:
Take the unfortunate girl that. indispic-
able and ungodly Pharisaism, we are
keeping I'm a state OF sin. keeping her out
there tonight. living a life of which she
herself is ashamed. No one in the world
is more ashamed of her life. no one more
ashamed of her failure. than is she her
self. She erred through love; she erred be-
cause she loved too much. She erred in
acknowledgements through baseness, not
because she vile. Very few women.
thank God. are base. The vast majority
of women are fair and are beautiful. She
erred because she loved, she loved not
wisely but too well, and she has sinned
and her heart Is broken out there IN the
world tonight. She would come back. but
you say no.; you put your Pharisaical
righteousness an obstacle i'm her path
and say no, you are base, stay in your
baseness.' and am sorry TO say that there
"A Gn m xrrr.T
an. and God forgive her for her unkind-
ness. II you were 10 give your sympathy
and your love. ah, these poor unfortunates
would come springing back TO righteous
ness. They want to be good. yes. they
want to be good. j have seen them.
AT RESCUE MISSION.
zone night down at the Rescue Mission
/ saw one comely. sweet. beautiful. lovely
young woman. and her heart was broken.
IL ever heart was broken. and she wept
such bitter, bitter tears. and I went up 20
her and said. Can i help your She said
No. you can't help me; there Is only one
can help me. and that Is Mr.. Wheeler,
who has helped so many-God bless him.
She told her story 10 him. as many have
done before, and she is a redeemed woman
IN this city tonight, living life that YOU
would approve, a life that her own moral
sense approves, redeemed by sympathy,
redeemed by tenderness. redeemed because
she knew that there was one man in all
this world that believed there was that
which was redeemable I'm her heart
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