The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-21

Outward Events of No Value, Says
Rev. J. Cumming Smith at
Tabernacle Church.
SAYS GOD IS TIMELESS

THE Fullness OF Time" was the topic of
a very interesting sermon delivered yester-
day morning by the Rev. j. Cumming
Smith, of the Tabernacle Church. Mr. Smith
said:
Sometimes sheer precipices rise vertically
TO stupend0us heights; usually elevations
cap long inland plains From the Miss Us
Rockies with an impercepttble grade. There
Is no quick uprise This is the manner or
history. There is slow movement up.
il is deep-sowing campaign of educators
There were two preparatory processes lead
ing up to the incarnation. The one con-
sisted OF external conditions around the
Mediterranean which made the birth OF
Jesus timely One OF these conditions was
the universal sceptre of Rome that gave
roads and passports and legal tribunals and
the chances OF unlimited propagandism.
Without these facilities evangelism would
have been crippled. il not impossible. An
other advantage was the prevalence OF the
Greek language the vehicle of the new
gospel. Still another was the quiet deca-
dence OF pagan philosophy and the muffied
cry for a complete gospel TO satisfy the
These outward historic conditions were
by far the least important. however- They
were but the cab at the front door to
facilitate the patient removal 10 the tram
for another CLINE. The critical point Is the
long preparation inside the patient in the
way OF increasing strength, the continuous
programme OF care and diet carried out
through long weeks OF wasting fever-that
ig the prime matter in preparation for the
journey: not the cab or car SO much as
the nurse wife :
History Is an evolution from forces with
In. The outward events are but spectacular
and OF value only as they shadow forth
Z ing Is more majestic than the history OF
England building up an organic constitu-
tional government like masonry work; or
the history OF the Anglo-Saxon race with It's
fusions and secessi0ns and revolutionary
phases but through all the changes fol-
lowing out a uniform constructive purpose.
NOT BORN WITH CHRIST.
.-Christianity was no more born with
Christ than the Reformation with Luther,
or freedom with Lincoln or gravitation
with Newton, OF music with Beethoven.
The moment you touch universal principles
you find dates impossible. God is timeless
Love is timeIess. Liberty. justice. sympa-
thy. beauty, sacriice-these elements are
too profound and too pervasive for surface
figures.
Christ was born when man was born
with God born within him. There is an
original proclivity toward the divine every
where In art and poetry and literature that
never could be expunged or suppressed
without forfeiting our title TO any life SUI
perior 10 the brutes. true doctrine of sir
does not overlook or negative this funda-
mental truth OF universal consciousness
tnAl We are temples OF worship ana aSplra-
ton. Now this initial instinct required
education, and a staircase OF education
came IL was quiet. gentle and suited &c
the infancy OF the race.
"a man can climb a wall ladder TO q
higher story. A crawling child requires ar
easy series OF stairs. house with no stair
cases. but only perpendicular ladders would
be illogical.
History reveals a gradual method OF
ascension through the ages. The frs
epoch lasted nearly 1000 years; the one
peculiarfty Of that period was the training
OF the religious instinct 10 associate the one
God with the myriad forms or nature. IL