The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-02-10
HEART ACCEPTANCE,
TIAL THING TO CORRECT uy,
short Sermon by the Rev. NJ NJ.
wood, ID. ID, Rector Am
Episcopal Church. Cleveland .
Let thine heart retain my w~ord,.

In our language. One said. nassso."es
other said, love; the third said r.s,
seemed to me admirable replies. gnd
relative merits will appeal 10 yep
ing to the character Of your exper,e.~
Perhaps. however, the word .shss-s
greater than any of them; for 4, g
them all. and without it no one
ether three would have any poetic mea,,s'
And what is life 10 any of Us w,,s-e
~pOetry-the golden nimbus which -
even death in light. and washes an, -
stains Of SIN, and blood, and grief,
Now the world largely forgets tia,
is dominated more by his hear, Or.
his brain, that owe rather than iou.
the natural channel of truth. and tia,
fathy, not augmentation, wins the 49,,
assent OF mankind. And a circuns..--
sometimes forgotten is, that the Pm.
prime appeal is not to mans mind or SON
but to his heart-the symbol and 49,
OF all his emotions. Do ~ou know "a,
some people are so unhappy? Ii is bee,n.
their heart has not yet responded N -.
Bibles affectionate appeal: they ana,v,.
il with their intellect, scrutinize II W.T..
their spirit, pray for conviction. plead .,
inspiration, and still they are as wre,chea
as an angel in disgrace.
What else could be expected? There 4.
q kind Of divine conspiracy in nstur.
against all our misdirected methods ana
desires. What we perverse men widelr
forget is that the Bible loves US. Do vor
grasp the significance OF what | am sal.
irg? DO you. my readers. know that il n
the only book In all the Babel OF earthly
tongues which is saturated, throbblns.
fearful with the tender passion? When /
find that any book loves me, that It SYM
pathizes with my griefs. interprets my
hopes, r~ejoices at my successes, and plues
my misfcrtunes, then / take that book "a
my heart as / would a human being, who
was wise enough 70 copy the patience ana
comfort of the Scriptures that / might
have hope"
THE IMPORTANT THING.
Countless men are convulsed to-day about
the inspiration of the Bible. We need care
less whether the church is founded upon
the inspiration of the Bible than that It is
founded upon the facts Of Christis life and
revelation. Inspirations are for the mind
and ~soul-what the heart Graves is reveal
tons, and above all else the revelation ot
love. Do any of care the spinning OF
a coin whether this mar or woman is d.
vlnely directed or not? No; these are mers
matters for intellectual criticism or spir-
itual fervor-what you long TO know is
whether hey love you. woe betide the
man. the church, the faith, the Christiani-
~ which would reduce the Bible to an In
spiration-to a sort of competition between
Paul and Carlyle, or at best a race between
Tennyson and JOb-that is to say, tofe
mere question as 10 who had the most or
God in his brain or pen
Such a process always ends, sooner or
later, in the sad query as TO whether there
is any real difference between genius and
inspiration, and threatens, even in the most
reverent, TO transfer the authority OF
Christ from that of Savior 10 teacher
where We can treat Him as a choice nter-
airy spirit touched with holy sentiment ana
tinctured with unearthly grace, and whose
best mood n meaning was a KIND OF
artistic and sensitive imagination. NO, TIE
Bible is not a mere inspiration; II Is a
revelation, or, at least, the record OF one
and its revelation is that God loves the
heart of man and would purify and sat
isfy il.
And that is all / want-that is all my
heart wan to know: Does the Almighty
care for me, can He cure these mlseries
of my being, and will he meet these craV-
ings for a better world? In my wise mo-
AlClALo II AaAO AAINA1 ~
~crepancies; 1 care little about is delans,
simply pray that 4 may get Its plessea
Eower into my heart-its JOY, It's chaIls'
its peace. its hope.
be- convinced that il is not an artsuo
whole, and does not pretend TO De, tnas
il Is not a scientific treatise, OF a s;SA
of metaphysics, or ever a scheme u NV
ology, but that il is a succession OF re-
vealed truths addressed TO my religious ns-
tUre, and its genuineness. as coming lsVL
God, is not determined by its matnemauos.
precision, but by the skill with Wnicn
seizes my heart and achieves Us oV'o''
there.
Take the analogy OF a human face: VITA
its lights and shades and varying mooe,
and passions stormy and tender-eaS
emotion and meaning sklmLnlhg lts !. "a
coming and dying away DO We gel a. -
substance OF hat face by scientihc scruuIy
or mere mental treatment. suppose, 80.
/ dissect n analyZe your c0untehane.'
the anatomical features express 10 me -
tain geometrical lines and curves -
chemical qualities tell me sCmethihs y
tone and color and blending. your eyes a..
hair and skin say something 10 M 80
fluids n solids, and carbon ana cbaIs' -
your several senses there represented r r.,
me TO a very library of knowledge D11
have / learned anything about your a.
its beauty and strength, us charm
sweetness, its shame or scofnE hasS
ascertained It's expression, It's Ire, ~.
pose? You see a man surprisingly vs.,
you speak to him: his face lights ~ -
glowing smile instantly burns out ne -.
formity, and you forget everything pgs
wondrous something beneath the 49,
Your lover whispers 10 you soft notnnss
which iniame and thrill you. ~ -,
straightway fish out a grammar. ano 80
his sentiment as a sentence 20 De PALs
into adjectives, nouns and verbst y
love a question of diction and synta1E W
you would not dream Of such a process
HOW THE BIBLE MUST BE TAkEN
Now Just as the face and TIE languages"
men nave something in them which = A'
merely visual or vocal. which transeenos
the intellect, and appeals 10 the seal @ss
source Of the emotions-so the Bible sho-.'
be taken, treated, interpreted, not aec0'.
ing to its form or letter. but as a reveiaes.
OF religions truth-a message Of God 70 :,
heart Of man. All vile and cruel, all s's".
and simple. all sad and beautiful things g.
different when read through the nery 49,
trum OF its immortal beams-tne ne
cofin, the lovers eyes; the ~otosa -
wars. the grief and pain OF men-aa Slr-
transmitted. and gain significance sns n
nity when the essence and suene as
Gods revelation are absorbed So I'd
simulated. and become the very ~
power of our aching. wayWard hed-ts fo-
IL Is but little we i've 20 live or .oon-tfv
without the affection. the peace ne p-srsd
of this book, and TO desDise OF Oe SStts-ezt
of the hope IL brings Us, Is ne srstins
fate which can befal Us IN lhtS - coz
World no recInrocate rs love. is 10 "a
quer every d-isenchantment To So de-
hope Is 10 gain the true measu.e - turr
parting time. To taste It's purity Bw 49,
the meaneSt life towards the gIoN"e
OF the ideal forever! seientfncs
o be sure of IL, Not nerely $3.50 Is
logical or artistic temper can rcAt- "a