The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-04-07
1T EPWORTH CHURCH.
Rev. M, E. Phillips of Kansas Preached
 Yesterday.

' The Rev. M. E. Phillips of Kansas, who is to be the religious director of the
 Young Mems Christian association. preached at the Epworth M. E, church
 yesterday morning and at the First M.
 F. church in the evening. At Epworth church the text was from John, iii ?.
 It reads:
 Beloved, now are we the sons of God,
 and it doth not yet appear what We
 shall be- but we know that when He
 shall appear we shall be like Him for
 we shall see Him as He is
 By way of introduction the speaker said that the New Testament always directed the attention away from ori-
 gins to the eonsummatlons of life.
 Science regards man from historic
 ospective-point, and as body rising out of more or less disorganized past, as descending from remote int- quity, but the New Testament loses | sight of mere physical form in man and digni6es him by the title soul; and as ever ascending, until the glorious estate
 of sonship with God is attained. "The text" said he, lis one of those
 striking expressions so often coming to the lips of those best acquainted with the higher life of the soul. It Is an at tempt to put into words vision of holy
 possibility, but like the unfinished pie ture upon the artists canvas, remains incomplete for lack of power to convey the contents of the vision"
 Said the speaker: '"There are three prominent truths suggested by the text, The first is the unlimited possibility that lies before the soul; the second, the certainty of it's attachments, and third, the standard by which attain ment is to be measured.
 I. Beloved now are we sons of God and to know it suggests the supreme possibility for man.
 Men are sons of God in general way, because of being created by Him! The body, the tenement of the soul, is marvellous structure, susceptible of great dignity, and of equal degradation. It can be trained to be the medium through which the soul may incarnate itself in works of wonderful beauty and utility. There is no end to the skill and power of the body where used as the Creator intended. Each function prophecies a keener-a more abiding and satisfying sense.
 They are sons of God also in the ability to know and to understand na ture about them and to appreciate the works of the Creator. It is no small thing that man is intellectually like his ;,, l,i
 Men have in their power the veal or woe of the race. That they should have been entrusted with the continuity of their kind and that they should be able to impress upon it such character as they may wish--whether for good or i'll is Godlike attribute.
 The highest mark of Sonship is in that particular relationship brought about by the second birth" Doubtless the apostle meant this when he uttered the text. When into the world of gen eral capability there enters a just con- cepton of moral and spiritual relations, when the voice of the Creator passes into that of the Father and is so rec cgnized, then comes "a new heaven and new earth" then all things are read in a different light, and life has new purposes and new incentives.
 IT. To Him that is born again there is no longer doubt of sonship. He has entered upon that stage of conscious ness in which there is more certainty than in any knowledge depending upon the senses solely.
 Now begins to blossom love, joy, peace, faith, long suffering and all the graces that enrich and enlarge the man. But the full glory of the blossoming does not appear until the fruit natures.
 III The standard by which the at tainment is measured is the degree of | the revelations of God in the mans | life, When He shall appear He shall l be like Him"
 Each mans sonship is known by the | of his life to the Christ, | the Son of God. Each days living and doing bring the character more in con- | formity with that of Christ and conse- quently render the vision of the per | of God still more and more dis tinct !
 The pure in heart shall see God.