The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-27
HOT. WEATHER SERMONS
REV. j. CUMMING SMITHS INTEREST.
ING TALK At TABERNACLE.
He Draws His Inspiration from "the
Lee side of Life--Rev. Farmer
mt the Wesley Chapel.

"The Leeside of Life" was the subject
of Rev. j. Cumming Smiths sermon yes
terday morning at the Tabernacle Presby-
terrain Church. The text was taken from
Peters betrayal of the Lord. Rev. Smith
spoke as follows:
There two types of character; the
one type seeks the placid leeside of life,
avoids the exposure to difficulty or defeat,
and plumes itself on successful calcula ton,
when, after all, 1t Is only safe, prudent,
respectable sort of virtue IL should lay
claim 10. Such men rarely err, because
they rarely venture. They cannot fall very
far into any abysm, simply because they
walk on the plain levels that never yawn
into any chasm TO tempt the risking foot
steps.
or life. The man Is daring, impetuous,
limits OF precaution that are raised by
humorous people; he speculates and takes
his chances; If no chances, there is no
sport. Such a man was Peter. the leonine
Iorerunner or doctrines, the banner-bearer
Tor revolutions, the spokesman OF shrinking
circles, grand-souled hero. He never
could be an oily politician or artful parson
OF member or a modern commercial syndi-
cate-that is. chandeliers snuffing out little
candles and coaxing the little f1ameless can
ules not 10 complain over the loss! Peter,
a member OF a trust His stormy soul shut
ting down tight its wrath when schemes Of
SIN Were brewing around himi Fancy a
spark entering powder magazine and
VI glng the magazine to keep silence as the
whole thing would soon blow over and be
quiet!
LACKS STURDY COURAGE.
Now this type sometimes lacks sturdy
sort of courage, is fitful. capricious AMI
liable to do things by fits and starts. No so
must we interpret Peter. Jesus. with no
mock humor, called him q rock. He had
proved equal to every seduction so far: in
garden at night he had quickly cut off
mans ear. Up to this fateful hour there
was not mornent when his valiant loyalty
by temperament, a warhorse with staying
power. But supreme temptation came
and overmatched him. The little maid by
the fireside asked him If he was friend of
Jesus and Peter swore that he was not.
In other words, man may go through
many wars and surrender when the SUI
preme battle comes A ship may weather
many hurricanes, but the last gale strands
1t wreck on the shore. Every man has
his measure OF strength. He may prove VIC
toriouS over a series or everyday allure
ments to error and just when, perhaps he
dreams that he Is proof against ali enc
miles, supreme moment comes, n critical
situation con1ronts him and he succumbs.
We never know ourselves until that FOCAL
time arrives. A merchant may hold him.
self erect and uncompromising in the or
some sudden chance entices and entangles
him, some glitterlng hope of reaching a
fortune In such way as to leave a cloud
OF doubt on the method of securing it. 1t is
the eternal lesson of our essential falli-
bility. Ii Is the eternal rebuke to the pride
OF fharisaism, that looks with scorn on
others who are the prey or some weakness
when, perhaps, that very PRIDE Will soon
meet its own Experience of CALLING defeat
In Peters case 1T not alone the fear
OF being dragged to some doom OF agony
OF his Master. If that alone was the cause
his guilt was the guilt OF c0wardice. 1t was
further fact. 1t was a gathering suspi-
cion as to the reality of Jesus claims, a
doubt of His divinity that quietly grew over
HIS glorious name, just as delicate cloud
spreads over the perfect purity of a twi-
light. The twilight retains its serenity and
seraphic glow, unchanged by any filming or
earthly mist over IL, but We are human, and
our human eyes rest too often on the cloud
when we should pierce beyond into the light
beyond, that no vapor OF earth can dim.
MAN is VULNERABLE.
"If, then. every man is vulnerable at some
point, questions arise. The first is whether
that fallibility will ever be outgrown? Will
we ever grow strong and inviolable that
the evils Of life will fall off from us as
easily as the hailstones glance off from the
railroad engine? The answer is that exemp-
ton from evil is not an artificial possession,
like a cheap charm worn by savages to scare
away demons, but a privilege of personal
character, an endowment OF manhood. A
man is safe from any temptation just when
the element in his nature ii appeals to is
under lock and key-not one moment sooner.
Even faith In God cannot save him unless
that faith has wrought a secret strength
that rises superior to the attractive, If not
meSmerlc, quality of the evil. For evil is
to some very winsome. 1t blinds the brain
lest. 1t carries captive the firmest wills.
Nor can the charm of sin cease until the
man has been trained to a strength to
stand the strain. as the oak stands the
blast that lays low the frail shrub.
Will such publication ever come? 1t
will; If not in this world OF stumbling
progress and mixed ideals, then in the
slow processes of another world. There Is
u truth in purgatory after death. Its ma
terial flames are illusions, its CHASTITY pic
lures and the miserable mercenary spirit
that trades on poor ignorance are all a
miserable fiction, but the underlying fact
that life is ever more continuity, that
death is a phase or blinking of a mere mo-
a swift moment can whiten any soul, that
experience perhaps OF remorseful descrip-
ton Is necessary to chasten character and
sublime motive so that 1T will be its own
impregnable fertilization against evil-that
basic fact holds true forever. 1t is the
same law under all our dizzy theories.
grewsome details of Roman art galleries
have overlooked the truth Of gradual pu-
rification. A man is never proof against
evil until evil has no power 10 beguie or
influence him. The tropics have no power
to allure a snowbird. Their sumptuous
summers, their luxuriant foliages, their sill
very rivers and unbounded bloom may fas-
cinate most birds constituted to respond to
such sceneries. But the snowbrd possesses
altogether another nature and its little
breast thrills with joy when the snowfiakes
fall silently through the wintry air and
softly feed the leafiess branches of the
woods. 1t is because of it's inherent nature.
GAIN FROM A FALL.
"And the question faces us. is there any
gain from fall? There is If man rises
from 1t. Jesus said to Peter in prophecy.
Simon, Simon, Satan hath desired to sift
thee as wheat, but have prayed for thee
that thy faith fail not Chose who take a
superficial view of prayer cannot explain
how our Lords prayer did not succeed)
and when thou art converted. (restored
after thy lapse) thou shalt strengthen the
brethren.
I'm other words Peter acquired a power
by his very apostacy, because he repented
OF II. He learned his own fragility. His
naughty self-reliance crumbled before the
revelation of his own possible infirmity
No man gains any real power except he
feels what criminal possibilities lie lurking
in him waiting only for some terrific test
ing time to call them forth to their brutal
action. Such man possesses humility
that will carry him over pillows that will
engulf conceited and inflated men. Let
him that thinketh he standeth take heed
lest he fall A reformed drunkard has
earned a sympathy. compassionateness
OF love and approach that will reach the
Sof whn he