The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-15
COMMENT ON STOUT CASE
REV. JOSHUA sTANsFIELD ALLUDES
TO IT IN HIS SERMON.
The Decision of the Mayor Deeply
DepIOred by Him-A Sad Degener-
acy Of Honorable Names.

The Rev. Joshua Stansfeld preached on
an interesting topic at the Meridian
street NJ. E. Church yesterday morning.
his subject being What Is Conversion
He took the following scriptures as his
text:
THAT which is born of the flesh is flesh
and that which is born OF the spirit Is
spirit. "Howbeit that is not first whch
is spiritual. but that which is natural, art
erward that which is spiritual" and I'VE
must be born again"
He said: 1--WE do not ask the question
this morning in any controversial spirit,
but voicing an honest inquiry of some
of our most thoughtful people and as the
basis of a careful investigation of reason
and revelation upon so vital matter. The
words we shall most consider are those of
our Lord, 'Ye must be born again. As
given by the Master to Nickodemus they
are especially valuable and suggestive, be-
cause Nickodemus was an exemplary
moral man. with a strong religious ma
ture, and yet, to know the highest life. to
enter the spiritual kingdom. even, he must
be born again. Verify 1 say unto thee we
must be born again This verify to the
Jew was equal TO an oath and, therefore,
expresses the highest moral certainty.
I'm view of such emphasis may we ask:
First, why the necessity of such a birth?
Second, what is the nature of the life 1t
gives? Third, what the results, individual
and social?
First. then, as touching the necessity
of such birth, this question at once arises,
AS naturally born into the world Is man
incomplete? Are there powers of possible
human life he does not yet have? Hear
the Master: That which is born of the
iG nd hr0f hat 10 hat
what is 1t which is born of the flesh?
Physical, mental and moral equipment and
powers faculties, temperament, national
ity, these are all of the flesh. man might
be gentle or Jew, Mohammedan Chris
tian, of the flesh. but the kingdom of God
Is not of nationality or temperament or
soul faculties. 1t is spiritual kingdom.
realm and life of willing obedience unto
God.
1T would surely be rash affirmation to
say that men are naturally thus obedient
Nay, such is the general moral weakness
and wickedness of man than many have
afirmed that he Is utterly and wholly dead
unto spiritual truth. 1t is here that John
Wesley, a master student of Scripture and
| life, found the necessity of the new birth.
| (a) THAT by sin man died unto God and
| holiness and true spirituality and CbS that
| as in Adam all died, therefore, men are
| born in sin; they bear the image of the
| of the beast in appetites and passions.
| Hence, they must be born again before
1 they can know spiritual life.
| TAKES A SIMILAR VIEW.
Henry Drummond too, though in more
modern and scientific terms, in his chapter
on Biogenesis in Natural Law in the Spir-
| itual World, takes a somewhat similar
view. Arguing the spiritual from the nat
ural, he lays down the great law that life
| can only come from life, and says, The
door from the natural world to the spirit
ual world is Theoretically sealed on the
| natural side. The door from the inorganic
| to the organic Is shut, no mineral can
| open 1t: so the door from the natural to
| the spiritual is shut, and no man can
| open Ii. This world or natural men is
staked off from the spiritual world by bar
| riers which have never been crossed from
| within. No organic change; no modifica-
ton of environment, no mental energy no
| moral effort, no evolution of character nc
| progress of civilization endow any
| single human soul with the attribute OF
spiritual life Now this is all exceedingly
plausible, and seems to prove much, in
deed, Its weakness is that it proves toe
much. To argue that the natural man, OF
man naturally. knows nothing of God and
| Righteousness and truth, is to say what is
manifestly untrue to the experience and
observation of many. Nay verilyi does
not the term birth or new birth postulat t.
an antecedent life? Is there not here, as
In the natural realm, prenatal existence;
tiles of the spiritual life embryotcally
natural to man? What is needed is not
begetting, but a 'borning;' not genera
ton, but BIRTH the bringing into higher
life that which already is. Man Is "a Twins
SOUL with highly physical. intellectual and
moral powers, and by and through these
ne may evidence many noble qualities Of
being: but we read it is the second man
| that Is the 'quickening spirit Note tn.
phrase quickening spirit, not creative spirit
Man-the natural man-is endowed will
irff
| and eternity, and divine things. This pre-
eminently differentiates him from all othel
S1Pa gor9 creation nd h He is thus crownet
the spiritual is within him, but nothin.
but the Holy Spirit can bring this life t,
birth, and thus into the kingdom.
This is analogous to other life we know
There are many insects which twic
born, first of their insect parents and thel
OF the sun-as the caterpillar. 1t may be
come a moth or a butterfly So man ha
within him. but ii must be born again
born from above, born of the spirit Yves
ley states this truth finely and forcibl,
when he says of the natural man: Eye
have they, but they see not; ears hav
they, but they hear not-a living man. bu
dead Christian-the eyes OF their spiritua
understanding not yet opened; but upo
the new birth. the heart feels the divin
love and becomes conscious of divin
peace. God having quickened him througl
His spirit he becomes alive unto God S
is every one that is born of the spirit
First then, that which is natural, after
ward that which is spiritual: that is tn
highest life brought to ascendency an
supremacy within us by the mighty spirit q
God. Frederick w. Robertson we'll saws
The first years of our existence are simpl
animal; then the life of the young man
2 not that of mere instinct. ii is life of pas
sion, with mighty indignations stron
( aversions. But there comes a time whe
5 | the life of sense, appetite passion whic
4 had ruled, ceases to rule, and Is ruled owe
by the life of the spirit That momen
: whether Ii be long or short. whether IL
| done suddenly or gradually; whether
| come like the rushing mighty wind or y
| the slow gentle zephyr of spring-wheneve
| that moment was, then was the moment E
| spiritual regeneration. There are cases
| which this never takes place at all: ther
are grown men, and old men merely chi
dren still-still having the animal app,
tites, living In the base and conscious ar
| vicious indulgence of those appetites whic
| i'm the child were harmless. These are The
who have not yet been born again Oh
IL is an awful thing TO see a spectacle liz
that; an awful thing to the blossom o
the tree when the summer has passe
and the winter is at hand A man VIII
ought to be clothed In Christ still Twin
| the life of the flesh and passion,
This great spiritual change is beautiful
| sympolized by baptism, just as the pros,
| lyte was received into the Jewish Churc
upon a water publication. But saws Jesn
a man must be born not of water onI
but of the Spirit not alone have the SYN
Dol. but the life. The question should N,
be have l been baptized, or confirmed IN
have / been born of the Spirit born fro
above. born into the spiritual realm. II
1t. 49, h