The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-07-22
AT TABERNACLE CHURCH
REV J.. CUNNING SMITH breaches
on "THE BEAUTY OF GOD"
His Discourse overs a Wide Range
of Thought-EIder Bartlett Heard
Other Services.

xiii, 1. He said in part;
There is a steady march in the Bible
toward God at His best. He reaches the
meridian point in the Christ The Jews
compared their Jehovah with the Shiny,
slippery deities of Uneven or Egypt anu
had reason TO exult. Everywhere God was
held up as a magnet, a drawing power, be-
cause of His Inherent superiorities, al
though a little tincture or eXclusiVeness
marred their pride. Beauty or character
means the possession OF myriad powers ana
all in harmony. Consequently every form
of artistic beauty VIII catch the eye before
the glory Of a complete and architectural
TT Is Coo greater than sun or rainbow or
tropical meadow: IL is God towering in His
magnificent proportions and munihcent in
His eenerOsities; IL is God holy and loving,
a winning and world-lifting Being;
sympathetic. equitable, pure, capable; such
was God to the old prophets Such was God
to Paul. Such was God TO the church in
the days of persecution If SO, il seems a
| pity the; church was ever broken into wasps'
nests, all singing and hurting one another.
Sects were built up on texts handled by
cyclists more or less sincere. Philosophi-
cally denominations served a purpose. They
articulated different breaths. They certain
ly suited small-sized human nature. But
the points of distinction are ridiculously
petty TO moderns.
Fancy agents sent out TO sell the thun-
der-throated krupp gun and found selling
| pocket pistols or even fire crackers and
sQuibs: Fancy agents sent out to sell the
most perfect many-vOiced organ and dis
4 ONttC ScllllS III WHlStirc - y SACdNNA
the inconsruity when the church was
founded to proclaim q matchless provi-
dence. a sea-deep love, . prodigality or
unequaled wisdom, a hea ven of nlimite
hospitality, a Calvary Whose worth prob
ably redeems many worlds besides ours
and then the church stoops TO technicalities
fimsy points of difference with venom and
volumes of invective. Think of it!
A LEGAL RIGHT.
course every mar has a legal right to
organize a little church as he has a legal
| right TO open pawnshops. But a moral right
is another question. When one remembers
the Wilderness and cosmopolitanism of Gods
love; when one remembers that the genius
of our age is the sighting of unity, and all
loyal pulpits are uttering the same message.
then it would appear that denominations
ought to coalesce and that scores or meet
ing houses fleeing the people purses are
well night criminal.
Human interpretations of an orbal and
opalescent Bible are partial. Children may
hold mirrors up to the circling rainbow
and each mirrow will reflect some part or
the mighty many-hued bow, but only a
part! Fancy each mirror CONCERNING the
others because of its insufficient representa-
ton Such is sectarianism at its core.
IF God is radiant and many-colored as
the rainbow il would follow that the Bible
would nave a large element of Imagination.
So it has. The doctrine of Inspiration is
not ii doctrine of Imprisonment or suppress
Il SJOns "a tllldlClPdl4OA VI Jul NbAeA
Great souls were moved and not mancled
when they spoke for Infinite beauty. The
grandeur OF the opening chapter OF Gene ne
submarine depths of the epic Of job; the
thunder and lightning of the apocalypse;
the unequaled parallels of Jesus; these all
are truth embowered in roses. The are
facts set to oratorios.
ETC interpret these accounts so gorgeous
and eagle-winged requires the superb order
Of mind. Indeed. one cause of controversy
between science and faith has been that
theologians lacked imagination or humor
or artistic taste or literary sense, and con-
strued as literal what the laws OF Ian
guage and literature and especially ORR
entail literature intended to be but orna-
mental. Indeed. Interpretation of God and
Gods word is the climax of human power
and evolution. The authority for the world
Is neither the Bible by itself nor human
reason so often coarse and seamy, but a
Christianized human intellectually, look
ing into the Bible for the messages OF in
finite holiness.
There will come a time when a class of
men of supreme power will rise and, with
mellow. melodious wisdom, discover the
great movements of Gods mind as Angus
tine or Turretin or Calvin, in their defective
ages and defective temperaments, never
could. God looks forward to the perfect
creed when our unreasonable conservatism
looks superstitiously back.
The beauty of God. This allows another
application. When grace lays hold of a
man it moderates the desire for display.
A SUBTLE TEMPTATION.
Beauty, or handsomeness, is a subtle
temptation-God was kind and few of us
have this temptation, Still ugliness is not
a means of grace. A man has no right to
Haunt his uncouthness or parade his awk-
war6ness. Every youth ought to go through
a military course to learn erectness of car
riage; and every girl should take a few les
sons in dancing. Diamonds are legitimate
when they do not overshine the woman
who wears them. Palaces and shining
/ aouiruQpS are not wrong unless they re-
ally attract more attention than the pos
SCISSORS. The Quakers were d beautiful
community. That they overstrained their
doctrines is clear enough from the fact
that their churches are being modernized
with oratory and music: Still, we must APP
and goodness are scarcely compatible.
Paul warned the women of the early
a quiet and sincere faith.
when our aristocracy veers away from
the old probity and bonds; when our up
springing classes affect fashion to the eX-
clusion of culture; when polite and spark
ling manners are sought and worshiped
at the expense Of brains and power; when
the trick of lodging debts and foisting
before others dresses or fineries unpaid
for for years, then an era Of demoralization
has set in. j cannot trust all / hear, but
clubs some ambitious queens love TO appear
with new and enhancing gowns on Sum
day evenings. then beauty has lost it's
lustre and a cheap gingerbread style of Gull
ture leads the way. The gospel is not op-
posed 10 a measure or OrnamentatlOn hut
H. favOrs at all cost a grave culture. a
reverence and sincerity OF feeling. an in
flexible spirit of honor and virility. Let our
city grow but oh! keep out the sluttish
infamies of Paris,
''The beauty of God. This means that a
religious life is what rounds out a man
to his best form. Extravaganza or sensa-
tionalism damage and demordliZe Chris
ton development. The modern lust for &C.
centricity has become a disease. Some peo-
pie pay gladly a dollar 10 see an acrobat
comfort his frame. l would pay twice that
sum TO see "a man walk with perfect grace.
The world offers prizes TO bride a man 10
twist his mind or act like a harlequin in
religion. Better these excuses than indif-
ference. but better far the ripening reason
and rising well-drilled manhOod coming
under the influences OF Gods spirit and re-
vealine "a character musical and symmetri-
cal. This sort Of gro<Nt Ia gives glory to our
cause. IL comes into the sphere Of beauty
where God dwells clothed in a garment
OF light. Only "A man of comprehensive
character can see into and simplify God or
His word"
ELDER a. w. BARTLETT'S SERMON.