The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-07
"SPEAK YE GODS TRUTH"
"THE SOULS DOORS" j. CUMMING
SMITHS THEME.
Not BE Feared II Gods Will
Is Done.

THE Souls Doors was the theme of the
Rev. j. Cumming Smiths sermon yesterday
morning at the Tabernacle Church. His
text was taken from John xxxvii, 81, the
! predominating thought being that IL one
speaks the truth God gives him and loves
men, he need never worry about the conse-
quences. Rev. Smith said in part:
"A hut will have one door, a howell two.
a house two or three-a front and side and
backdoor. a palace or auditorium will pre-
sent many ingresses. AS the architecture
rises in plan and dignity the entrances in
crease In number and symmetry. In the
worlds evolution low organisms sensi-
tive at only one point, higher UP the ner-
v0uS system becomes more responsive and
at more points; in man the possibilities of
approach increase marvelously; In the
higher types the doors are almost innumer-
able for God to knock
THE most developed man in our midst is
most amenable TO surrounding forces,
most impossible by other lives and other
When Jesus began His ministry He drew
many different men as friends and champ
ions. He acknowledged their drawing
power lie recognized their conplexional
differences of opinion, of temperament, of
gift or genius. of personal power or mag
netism.
He drew them by appropriate methods.
He honored their individuality and even
idiosyncrasy. Hence the first disciples were
versatile, opaleScent competent men, They
were not like poor carpenters shop where
the samples of wood are fetched from one
wood near by, but like furniture factory
where the piles of lumber have been cut in
many distant forests.
Jesus looked on the mutitude. The phrase
IL strong in the original Not dramatically
but discouragingly He looked. He took their
measure. He fathomed their knowledge.
He inspected their traditional opinions or
learnings. He was overswept with the tide
of their sorrows or unspoken yearnings.
Then He spoke and a vein of solemn ST.
lence penetrated His luminous dispositions.
Take case or two. A preacher who
understands human nature and who be-
lleves that he is, in a sense, a sub-savior,
whose work il is 20 lead souls to God, such
q man viii not denounce. He is too much
of a man. AS rule, the sarcastic or de-
mandatory preacher is a coward. He has
little insight into human conditions; he is
souls he has not studied how men have
come to be what they are: he Is mailed with
hard superficial creed and he is IMMERSED
in the laws of human construction, the
silver and alloy of single nature.
Up 10 this point IN the course OF our
thought IL might be surmised that preach
er's chief art is to be able to please. that
he must be an opportunist or trimmer and
select themes 10 lure crowd and adjust
himself infinitely. This is a false ideal
The pulpit, as a whole, Is guiltless OF a
time-serving attitude. III on the human
fore. many entrances into souls. on the d.
vine side there Is a polar hxity.
BUT ONE MESSAGE
There is but one message, one eternal
purpose. To bring men into the life OF
God, to build them up compactiy and con-
secutiyely IN the mind OF the teacher to