The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-21

the history and make IL simply the un-
folding of natural process, and IL has trled
10 expunge the supernatural from Jesus
christ and TO make Him just like every
ether man, different only in degree. Much
of the philosophy, much of the most preg-
nant and acute intellect OF these latter
days has been devoted TO the purpose or
undermining the sapernaturalness of the
religion OF Jesus Christ our Lord; but, my
beloved friends, the Christianity of Christ
Is supernatural. 1t has been supernatural
for nineteen hundred years it will be SUI
pernatural for nineteen hundred years
more, and ii will be supernatural until the
day is done. 1t is of God, for God and TO
| God and full TO the brIm with God. The
supernaturalness of Christianity rests in
the fact of the incarnation of God In
Christ. Not a part of God You and are
part of God. Not a little Of God, but God
himself, as st. Paul says-and il is great
word and keep il in your mind never to
be forgotten-God himself. pleomatically
manifest in Christ. That is a miracle, that
Is a marvel, that is n wonder, and you can
not get ii out OF human history.
Then Christianity is supernatural in its
continuance, for did not Jesus Christ work
miracles? Did He not feed the four thou
sand? Did He not feed the five thousand.
and are you afraid TO confront that fact?
i believe and / know that He fed the four
thousand. / believe and / know that He
led the five thousand for it is just like
COG 10 feed a multitude of His hungering
children.
Then, again, the supernaturalness of
Christianity is manifest in the resurrec-
ton, for does not Paul tell us that If Christ
be not risen. then. indeed, is our faiIn
vain, and there is nothing of II, and We
might as well pray TO the whistling winds
as TO go to Christ to find our comfort and
our consolation If He be not risen from
the grave. Now, then, there are a great
many proofs of this supernatural side of
Christianity, and the first proof is its very
naturalness. And I want you TO know
that to any man who thinks large and full
and deep that the supernatural is the
most natural thing in all the world. What
| can be more natural than that God should
take upon Himself the form of His crea-
| ton! What more natural than that God
| His children? Why. if you were the only
man upon the face of this earth, if there
We're no other soul in all the universe but
| yourself, you, thinking, loving, suffer
| ing being, you alone would be worthy of
an incarnation, and God would be justified
| in taking upon Himself the form of man
| In order to save you. What more natural
| than for Jesus to rise from the grave?
| Why, L tell you for man to lie there at
all this is the unnatural thing. l never say
| over the dead. Dust unto dust. eartn unto
| earth and ashes unto ashes that it does
| not seem 10 me the most Strange and mar
vellous thing in all the world.
AN UNNATURAL THING.
1.-THE stupendous, the unnatural thing is
that YOU man instinct with the spirit
| Of God, should die and go into the nescience
and the darkness Of the grave. And L say
! to you that the truth Of the resurrection
Of Jesus Christ is the most rational and
the most natural truth in all the world,
and its naturalness is one of its witnesses.
| But there is another witness TO the natur-
| alness of Christianity, and that is the wit
| ness of silence. raul speaks about it. /
| honor him and 1 believe him Matthew
| speaks about ii, and honor his word and
! L believe ii. Mark, Luke and John speak
about it, and l honor them and believe
them. The verbal testimony to the natur-
alness of Christianity is great testimony,
| but what wonderful testimony there Is In
| the silence OF the world, for does not ST.
Paul say unto us did not he say when he
was arguing his case before Felix and
Agrippa, oh. King, these things were not
| done in a corner Christ wrought His
miracles before the world. He fed the
| 1000 people before the world. He fed the
| 5000 people before the world. He raised
| Lazarus from the dead before the world.
He raised Himself from the dead before the
| world, and 1T was preached unto the utter
| most parts of the world, and yet there is
not one word of testimony to negative the
miracles wrought by Jesus Christ"
| Mr.. Milburn closed his sermon with
brief tribute to the late William p. Fish
| back, saying:
The other day, just the other day,
| friend of mine, man that L loved, was
| laid away. He was one of the most bril-
| liant men that l have ever known, in
many ways, one of the most interesting
and charming personalities. On Monday
| of this past week / stood by his bedside
| when he was making up his last accounts.
and 1 prayed with him for him. AS
prayed, he lifted his soul in, OH such
| touching cries. oh. Christ, help me; on,
| Savior, comfort and bless me- When he
was going into the shadow of the night
| he found in the Son of God light and peace
| oh, am very, very sorry for you if you
| cannot so with His hand in yours through
| the deep and bitter, and sad and pathetic
| experiences of life. My word to you to-
| night is, seek Him while He may be
| found"