The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-25

his inmost is spirit. and God is spirit Wes-
ley. one OF the ablest New Testament ex-
cyclists Of the eighteenth century and OF
these later years, was significantly clear IN
speaking Of adoption a relative change,
but OF regeneration, or the new birth, as the
real change, change OF the DeneNeI III
his own inner life and consciousness. AdOp-
ton a Scripture teaching emphasize
grand truth in so far as il tells or the
souls consciousness Of its personal and
hlal relation 70 God. We noted further
last Sunday morning that this conscious,
essential sOnship gives dignity 10 NE.
He that hath this hope in him purifieth
himself even as He is pure. This is the
human, and an important aspect OF salVd-
ton. the soul. under the impact of the -
vine Spirit realizing itself and rising TO the
dignity and nobility Of a child OF God.
Il have read somewhere Of an Engllsh
prince, who, under sudden reversal 10 MS
house, was taken for safety TO an obscure
home and cared for by loyal friends. When
he came TO the strong years Of youth he
was told who he was and what he was heir
to; he lifted his head. he became more
erect. his eyes flashed. his blood beat quick
er, his step became more elastic, ana ne
thus laid himself out by purpose and move
ment for his life work. Brothers, we are
not bastards, or picked up nooodies, or the
devils children; we are the children or God,
and if children. then heirs-heirs of God and
joint heirs OF Christ Jesus. But, . 20 know
THIS! 10 consciously realize ourselves as we
really are, the sons and daughters of the
Almighty And hear me; am not greatly
concerned as TO just how we may come 10
the TedHZdLOu OF ms lndl VIII ueptuu
largely upon the antecedents and the tenn
permanent in every case. With some the eX-
perience Will be cataclysmal, and rightly so,
too, where the life has been wicked vi
cious, long in the way of sin; and, my
brother IL God found you thus rejoice that
He who sought you did find you and bring
you to the consciousness of sonship and
salvation, but made not that the only road TO
this sublime experience of grace; others
there are, and many OF them, we hope, who
will come TO the early consciousness of this
frrIfh in Iia gar1xr Ip-
susy who was born as child, lived as
boy, fought and wrought as a man, served
and sacrificed and died and rose and as
cended as the Savior, the prophet, the ex-
ample or men. Jesus, as you remember the
record, at that memorable temple service,
when He was twelve years of age came
into sublime consciousness or who and
what He was, and as His parents ques-
toned Him as to His conduct in lingering in
and about the temple, He replied, 'Wist ye
not that / must be about my Fathers bust
ness? He knew himself; He knew His
life work. How beautiful, O that our
boys and girls in their early teens might
come to a like knowledge of themselves
And now, what is the ethic, or shall we say
ethics, OF this truth? Keeping the main
truth before us, that we are the children
of God, heirs of God and joint heirs with
Jesus Christ, ii clearly follows that as He
was in the world, so are we in the world
But In very deed il is not always thus; a
survey of the history of the Christian
church shows that the life has often been
markedly OF another type. Sometimes emo
tional.' Everything has been measured by
the feelings. and TO feel good. rather. 10 be
good, was the great desideratum. At other
times it has been 'dOctrinalism,' that is,
sound theological conceptions and beliefs;
this has produced asperity, Impotence. per-
secutiOn, the lnquisition and a thousand
forms of intolerance. Sometimes gain 1T
has been 'humanitarianism,' and never
more than in these days of high-sOunding
altruism' in many cases a deceptive substi-
tute for the first verities of a Christian
faith and life. Some of you have read
some remarkable utterances of a Rev. Mr..
McNutt, who, for some years has been liv-
ing among the poorest and worst classes OF
our complex civilization and his arraign-
ment of the church and his setting forth OF
the amenities OF the Christian life probably
received prompt approval or eighteen
twentieths of Christian people. Such
utterances are always taking, but are often
dangerously misleading. / have no DISPOSE
ton to deal with some of his remarka bile
statements, or even his main positions al
length, but rather to call your attention
to the fallacy of supposing that cOnsidera-
ton for the poor. and even grandIy human
itarian' work, is the first or chief business
of the Christian church These are not
primarily, the Christian life, but its fruit
age, and the great and first work Of the
cnurch is 10 create such life, and thus in
sure the fruitage- 1t is the first work of the
church, not 50 much to distribute charity
as TO create character; not pre-em:nently to
cepuonS OF life; not merely alms-g giving
but ennOblement Of the individual This
church is often spoken of as of the
Wealthfest churches of the city; yet L pre-
sumo il is safe TO say that not two men is
our membership were born rich and we'll
TODD; but they were born, some time in
their life, 10 that worthy conception OF
themselves as the children of God which
gave them that lOftiness of aim and
strength Of character which made them the
men they are. 'Ye shall know the truth
and the truth shall make you free But
now note with care and conviction what is
the ethic, the moral logic, of this grand
doctrine:
IF children of God. then. like Him. in
spirit and in life. What is God like in
thought, and attitude. and purpose, and
action toward men? How does he act to-
ward interiors? How has he dealt with us:
While We were yet sinners Christ died fOI
US He loved US and laid down his life foI
us, and we ought to lay down our lives for
the brethren Why ought we? Because
we the children of God; the obligation
springs, not from law, but from our OWL
nature and character the children OF
God. Brothers, the only orthodoxy in the
Christian religion is God-lilxeness. Not or.
thOdoxy but right impulse and action are
the test now. Whose hath this worlds
goods. and seeth his brother has need and
shutteth up himself from him, how dWelletf
the love of God in him% My little children
| let us not love in word or in tongue only
| bat in deed and I'm truth; and hereby we
know that we are of the truth and shall a s.
sure our hearts before Him 1t is thus, anC
/ thus only, as in the words of our text that
Hereby we know that He abideth in US by
the spirit which He hath given US. D"
t