The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-18


OF God abideth forever. IL John l, 14-lI.
The history Of the writer of these words
exemplifies most strikingly the effect OF
the highest possible type of character upon
strong. resolute humanity.
st. John and his brother James were
called "Boanarges;' that is, Sons OF
Thunder'-a name given them because of
the wonderful energy of their young man.
hood They devoted this strength with all
of it's capacities to the service of God, and
in return therefor the influence of Christ
aud his religioun had it's effect upon them
For we find ST. John, in his declining years,
quite a different character from the Son of
Thunder he was as young man. There
is no inconsistency-it is the ripened char
acter, the natural outgrowth of the life he
had lived. He is known now gentle,
loving, self-sacrihcing man, pre-eminently
the apostle of love and gentleness.
| This is the man who writes with such
| feeling to young men and his words come
| to such with a peculiar force, for he had
had an experience that gave him right
to speak with authority to young men
| struggling in the vigor of manhood with
the temptations of the world.
1t is too often the case that young men
| think it unbecoming their strength and
| freedom to take upon themselves Chris
| tian life. Religion is for women and for
men who have become satiated with the
| life of the world. Some day 1, too, will
think of it seriously" So the young man
argues with himself. But let such recall
| the lives of the leaders in thought and
action I'm Christian lands and see If the
| large majority have not been God-fearing
| men. So far from being a sign of weak
| ness it is expressly referred TO in our text
| as the natural concomitant of strength.
| Because we are strong 1t is for the
very reason of its peculiar suitability and
advantage to vigorous manhood that the
| Apostle recommends religious life to
young men, enjoining upon them that
they love not supremely the world and
the things pertaining solely to it, above
the things that pertain to their higher
| and eternal interests. So in almost the
| same language st. Paul tells us not TO fix
| our hopes and desires and attention on the
perishable interests of this life as the SUI
| preme COOLEST your affection on Things
| above not on things on the earth.
IL Is a thing of the past to consider that
| the gentler virtues are unbecomlng man.
| Humility, love, tenderness, self-sacrihce,
are virtues that exhibit themselves in the
highest development of man. The couplet
| OF Bayard Taylor has almost passed into
a truiSm,
1.-THE bravest are the tenderest,
The loving are the daring.
Disabuse yourselves. then, of any preju-
| dice against religion as something Tor
| weaker natures TO take hold of. lit will
make the strong stronger and add vigor to
| the vigorous.
KEY TO THE SITUATION.
Disabuse yourselves also of the idea that
the devotion of ones energies to God
means employing ones powers in strictly
religious occupations. night and day-in
public services. private devotions. charit-
able, church and other religious work as an
employment. That text which reads,
whether we eat or drink or whatsoever We
do. do all to the glory of Cod" is the key
| TO the situation That thoughts. words
and deeds shall not be inconsistent with
| Gods will. fail of His approval, or bring
| discredit upon His name, but Slorify 1t and
inspire respect for IL, is the whole thing in
| a nutshell. A man can carry his religion
into any proper business, can do it. too. UNI
| obtrusively and without sanctimonious
manner or a holier than thou bearing. He
| can do it, thousands are doing ii, in
way which will commend itself TO all as
| pre-emintenly strong and manly.
| Consider the obligations resting upon us
| as creatures of an eternal God; obligations
1
| or Religious ifreligious, are
| bound by the laws of God, the laws of
nature. They are eternal; they rest with
equal force upon all and may not be broken
| with impunity by any. No man can sin
| against natures laws without suffering the
| consequences. Drunkenness and immortality
| tell upon his physical frame now, and if Re
| continue in his sin it will tell more and
more seriously with the years. constitu-
] ton prematurely broken down-a wreck of
| a man. without power longer to battle with
| the busy world, he is thrust aside by
| stronger men and he has no vigor to regain
| the place he once held among men. AND
| all this the result of his own foolish choice
| He may not realize at hrst what he Is do
| ing. but 1t will not be long before he will
| know, his friends will know, the world
! Swift. sure and terrible as is the punish
ment that comes in the physical makeup of
| the man, there is still greater and more
| permanent injury sustained by the mora
| and spiritual nature. This injury no man
! can measure; for as this part of mans
nature is capable of a higher development
| so Is the INJURY greater ana less easily re-
| paired: such eternal sins must be carried to
an eternal God. One may hope for relief
/ from no other source.
! How poorly do most of us realize our own
| helplessness and the need of some power
! beyond our own i'm this constant battle
| lifei If we were brought to a full realiza-
/ ton of this need, and OF the privilege that
is ours in having "a very present help II
/ time of trouble well as of our duty
fl this matter of serving God. how differ.
/ emily would we surely act!
In the interior of India there is de-
| serted city, built about three centuries ago
| by Akbar the greatest of the Moguls
| Upon the arch over the imposing gateway
| to Akbars magnificent palace, still in
| perfect state of preservation, is written in
| Arabic the words Jesus on whom b.
peace. said, The world is bridge; pass
| over ii, but build no house upon it. The
| world endures but an hour; spend it in
| devotion
| OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS.
The Mohammedans hold Christ to be only
prophet, and If heather king could
| write over the gateway to his palace such
an injunction. how should We who live in
Christian land and who hold Jesus to
| be more than man and more than prophet
how should we write His words upon
| our hearts. TO be there when all stone in
scriptions have passed away. yea, even
| when Heaven and earth have passed away
/ For Christ has said, Heaven and earth
| shall pass away, but my words shall never
/ pass away
Write 1t, then, upon your hearts, young
| men and maidens, that Ii may not be
| efiaced by time: Love not the things that
| are in the world. for they pass away, bur
| he that doeth the will of God abideth for
| ever" At the furthest IL is but a short
! time we have to spend here, let us then
| follow the injunction waited TO US across