The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-07

DEGREES of right. More terrible than all
condemnation of courts or councils is that
tribunal of selection which executes Dy
natural ways. Let him alone. But De IL
remembered that Judas went and hanged
himself. Jesus had no part in the eXecu-
ton of a hereto or a criminal But lie
had KEEP all the others Each one. lndl-
Vldually, was before him now. Peter was
there. That impulsive, erratic nature.
How many a time had he been held by a
slender thread. Satan had desired TO have
but Jesus had prayed for him.. He mad Deeh
an ofense TO the Master too. often, but in
the fold. | am glad Peter was kept In the
church The world is glad he was kept.
The ages TO come will repoice with the
Master that he was able 10 keep Peter.
There was John-impetuous,. ~spitetui. zeal
Gus, sensitive as a child, high-wrought and
nard 10 subdue. But | am so glad that III
some of those unfortunate moments Jesus
did not grow weary of him and send him
away. How much the world would have
lost had John been expelled. When old and
world and exploring the realms of love
into regions where man had never before
dared to enter and sending back word that
love was an eternal thing and boundless as
Gods dominion, for God is love. | am
glad Jesus kept him. No, He could not
afford to lose any one of them. so II Is
with us. None so poor or weak or infrm or
passionate that we can afford to lose him.
When these men were finally finished In
grace. instructed and endued then the wis
dom of the course was seen and angels
clapped their hands for joy.
THE METHODS USED.
But who can ever know the labor and
patience and prayer of the Master that this
might be accomplished. May inquire into
the methods that were used to secure this
result? Fortunate for us these are not
kept secret. Two things He had done for
them. First. He had given them Gods
word: L have given them Thy word Sec
ond. He had given them himself in the
unity of love.
He had given them the divine word.
'Thy word is truth he had said to the
Father. The truth He trusted. With what
supreme confidence He relies on it, He
never expressed a doubt but that the truth
was 10 triumph; But the truth he gave
them was special. 1t was the disclosure of
God and spiritual realities. He possessed
this truth as We possess il. And TO Him
its expression through the prophets was
reliable. He had unwaVering confidence in
Gods. voice TO Israel, and the Scriptures
were His trust. He never felt called to I'M
dermine the faith of men IN the records
Of this people. To be sure, He scattered the
rock, though traditions and superstitions
and many of the masters of Israel feared
He was destroying the word and the truth.
But after His work of destruction all was
oppressed and enslaved the soul was gone,
and all felt, as He, that not one jot or
title or the law could pass away until all
should be fulfilled. They saw the rock and
felt that ii was immovable. He was the
most destructive critic the world has
known, but ii was the huSk which persisted
and not the grain. He had given them
Gods word. Fresh from the mouth of God
He had received it, and free from the in
cumbranceS of human traditions and inter-
pretations He had given it. This was
enough. Like seed He had planted it. 1t
was to grow. 1t was His way. He had
taught the truth. On eleven instructed men
he laid the destinies of the world. The
world has never witnessed such a stipend
Gus force as He had really created. The
III had Ia6 them n EnnnU- 20 NThny-
have known Thee They were one in His
i4ve. 1e ages to come, prepare we for
a power will shake the world.
METHODS NOT NEW.
at remains for me to say that in at
tempting to carry out my ideals the meth
DDS l would use are not new. Nothing
startling or revolutionary. The world is
too old to profit by these. Only the same
old regular ways. 1 incline to return to
these from what this age has brought that
is new. We must teach. The pulpit must
teach. The church must teach. Not that
this is enough, but il is imperative. The
truth must be presented TO every mind.
The truth as God is revealing IT to-day
and has been revealing ii in ages past: the
truth in its fuller disclosures as God is
speaking it now. Men are to be taught that
they may know God, to bring men to God.
and keep them there in spite of the attrac-
tions and expressions of this age. What
a church for good would be that one where
all are instructed and trainedi What bear
ing would this have on the salvation of
the world,
If we are looking for the victory. in
which the world shall forever afterward
be our Lords, let us look for it not by the
Introduction of new methods or organiza-
tions or by inflated records, but by the
publication of the church that now is: by
the more careful training and educating
of what we have. and finally through the
which the God of all grace will
give unto those who wait upon Him.
THE need of the age is not so much
greater number as greater service: not
larger plans as larger hearts; not more
members as for more grace. This. ii seems
to me, is where the final exaltation of
Jesus rebukeS and corrects us. and shows
us the way 30 all that we desire. Eleven
men, well prepared. made the earth trem-
BILE. Mr.. Wesley, in a moment of great
faith, exclaimed: Give me one hundred
men who love nothing but God and hate
nothing but sin and l will take the world
The salvation of the world is to be by n
wise and holy church. If we look more to
this we shall be helping best to securing
the official keeper of the Master"