The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-10-05

Lord OF Heaven" shepherd Of Israel"
king of Kings" The Holy One" THE
Great One "rhe Mighty One" Most
High" THE Creator" Ruler" Judge"
"The Almighty" and gives expression for
the first time in the history Of the world
to the undisputed appellation my
Father Others before Him had spoken
of God as the Father of the nation and
tender poetry has been written about that
general relation, but no one had ever
dared to say. If he ever conceived the
Idea that Man is Gods offspring and each
individual His child. Some have said that
Jesus here only made natural deduction
from previously recognized relations. but
we had as well try to minify the work of
Newton by SAYING that he only made de-
auctions from previously recognized phe-
nomena that others had seen apples fall
before he did
There Is as wide difference between the
conception that the lad Jesus had of God
as His Father and the prevailing concep-
tion as between the relation that |
sustain to my own father and that which
] sustain to Adam.
The child IS father to the man. Jesus
never grew away from that great fact
about the Fa herhood of God but in after
years developed 1t till today it is like sun
rise to a world Before it darkness. and
superstition, and fear. and hate and
prejudice flee away.
Second recognition of self
AS corollary of this idea of God as
His Father. Jesus recognized the dignity
and worth Of Himself "Wist We not that
I?'' Humility Is n grace. But a cowardly
shrinking that IS produced by a conscious
ness of guilt or worthlessness is a miscr
milltv Is the modest sense OF ones own
merit One who feels himself a nobody
is sure to accomplish nothing. ] make no
plea for arrogance OF pride but do make
a plea in the name of the example of the
Lad Jesus for self-recognition and self
respect. If you are Gods child. YOU are
somebody. Let no man despise you. Let
no man despse Gods son. The apostle
Pan, caught this idea when he wrote to
rr;roothy using almost these words. The
RECOGNITION of myself as Gods son should
insnire me 10 show myself Worthy of the
hisn relation.
The worm theory of humanity has At
once discouraged lofty aspirations IN the
vouay and furnished an excuse Tor neg
1ect Of high duties to the old.
"rrird God has work that needs DONG.
"In laying momentary emphasis upon
the words about Ny Fathers business
fo,,ou- the authorized version OF the
Scriptures in preference to the revised
version which reads In My Father
house. The Greek has no word for either
business or house. Literally trans
lated the sentence would be 'WlSt We
not that 1t behooves Me to be In My
Father's!' l think that the word work
affairs or business should be supplied
rather than the word house. for the
reason that Jesus could hardly nave Sal0
that the necessity Of His being IN his
Fathers house should regulate His con-
6uct for almost Immediately He left the
temnle and went back to the home life
at Nazareth and there spent the next
eighteen years lie implies by His ques-
ton to HIS parents that His previous
conduct should have convinced them that
rTis Fathers work lay next to His heart
Here again we have the child father to
the man. I must be about Ny Fathers
business was the bud that. In later
wears. burst into the bloom My meat Is
TO do the will of Him that sent Me and
to finish His work.
Subsequent events showed what lie
conceived to be His Fathers work. 1t
was not wearing sarcedotal robes in the
temple and whiting on proof texts. the
eighteen subsequent years in the car
penter's shop were part Of Gods bust
ness, az well preaching the gospel to
the poor, healing the broken hearted re-
storing the sight Of the blind and open
ing the prisons of the bound.
There are few things that would bless
the modern world 80 much as that men
should come to regard their work. all
necessary work, as Gods business If
no Ia he :
work and God wants somebody to do 1t.
II the work you are doing does not help
and bess Gods children, it Is not Gods
work and you have no right to do it.
Jesus conceived of His Father as q great
worker and his conception dlfferentiates
Christianity from most of the religions of
the world. Our God is busy God, and
His children are busy people There is
nothing that lightens lifes loads more
than the feeling that the work in which
We are engaged is Gods WORK There is
no possibility of the feeling Of drudgery
to one who feels that he is In cooperation
with the Divine,
IF done t'obey Thy laws
Fen serviIe labors shine:
Halowed is toll, II this the cause.
The meanest work divine
Fourth. Sense Of obligation
I must said the lad Jesus Here is
one element of every truly great life.
The animal may exist but the man can
not be said TO live until there comes
deep sense of obligation What we are
and where we are, our capacities and
our circumstances nearly always deter
mine FOR US the work we ought to do.
But neither ability nor opportunity makes
US great. Along with these, there must
be, Is there was with Jesus a divine
must No man can be said 10 live his
best life until there stands in bold out
lines upon the sky of his futur the word
duty The aimess do little; tie shirkers
do perhaps even less. The work Of the
world is done by men and women who
feel that they have mission and an OBJ
legation to fulfill 1t.
"A gain the child Is father to the man.
At twelve years, We find the boy Jesus
saying, i must be about My Fathers
business and He never escaHed from
this imperious must Later We find it
written of Him, He must needs pass
through Samaria.' He himself said 4
must work the works of Him hat sent
me- / must needs go up to jerusalem
] must be lifted up
What an example for toe youth of our
land! a Lad of highest spiritual en-
dowments, thiIlzing pure thoughts busy
with the humble duties of tie home.
obedient to parents, quietly maturing
great life plans, fitting Hmsef by fl
deity to duty for the work tat God
Him, He increased in wisdom and in
a maj