The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-18
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THE SUNDAY-SCHO.. LESSON.


Some likens ancient Rome, as II appears
to-day, to dead giant, lying in grave 100
shallow to contain his colossal form. Here pro-
trudes from the moldering dust an arch. and
there cluster Of columns. BY help OF tnese'
imagination reconstructs the imperial city.
What magnitude and splendorl But over these
seven hills, crowded from base to summit with
palaces and temples perpetual midnight OF
moral darkness reigned. How to crafty the
lusts of the flesh was the chief concern. The
streets rang with absolute songs. Revelers. all
but Naked profaned even the Via Sacra: Drunken
festivals, unnatural vices and the murderous
jealousies infamed by crimes against chastity
were so common not to cause remark.
In the midst of this total eclipse Of morality.
the little Christian society in Rome is like
taper lighted and uplifted. The absorbing desire
of the apostles soul is that it may be screened
from unfrendly blasts and grow to be great
light in the full, searching blaze of which deeds
of darkness will become impossible Nor is this
ambition for Rome's sake merely. The master
of Christian strategy recognizes the city Of the
emperors as the worlds key. The light that
burns at the golden milestone must shine out
every highway that radiates from it.
This was the inspiration of this most COM
plete composition of the greatest apostle" In
the buoyancy Of faith he is ready to affirm that
the hideous night of Rome, with all its reeking
sees the foregleam of the day of Christian as
tendency and calls upon the Christian colony.
under shadow Of Nero's golden house. to hasten
1t.
Paul keenly appreciates the imminent peril Of
the Roman Christians. Heathenism il an opiate.
It's very air is soporifc. Against this enchanted
ground" he will have the far-away converts on
their guard. With ringing bugle blast he calls
them to shake off spiritual drowsiness at its APP
proach. The night of heathenism has no mort
gage upon them. They belong. soul and body. to
the day of gospel grace. The black list of
heather vices is recited. with the importunate
entreaty that they will utterly renounce them:
and as bacchanalian pagans were wont to run
naked through the streets, let Christians de-
corously robe themselves in the lustrous graces
of Jesus
The warp and wool Of this robe. never
woven in terrestrial loom, and whittier than any
fuller on earth could whiten it. is-Love. Pay
all other debts but never attempt to balance
and close your love account. Never let the
shadow of disposition TO repudiate this debt
cross your mind. Love is the fulfilling of the
law. Love is the palm; the digits of the Com
mandments radiate from 1t. Love makes the
breaking of particular precepts impossible. Love
need not forever arraign and cross-examine itself
to whether ii is discharging duty to its neigh
Dor. For he who loves his neighbor will
tainly fulfill the law concerning him: not merely
RETAINING from doing him evil, but doing him
positive good. He who loves will not merely
refrain from doing his neghbor material or
bodily harm; he will not cherish unkindly opin-
ions or utter sighting remarks OF him. That
kind of III Love never works.
THE TEACHERS LANTERN.
AS in a mirror, in the Epistle to the Romans.
we see faithful reflection Of apostolic
church. The Eight is somewhat disappointing.
Where is the unity of the spirit and the bond OF
peace? The church is rent into factions. The
converts from Judaism. taught from childhood
to consider the irjunctions and prohibitions OF
the ceremonial law of divine origin and
thority, deem them still obligatory They OBJ
serve them with an intense scrupulosity. They
look upon those who do not obey them as no
Christians all. They are invariably
serious and predsposed to judge
On the other hand. the gentle converts. never
having been in bondage TO the ceremonial law,
knowing nothing of its arbitrary distinctions
as to days. weeks, etc, were inclined to resent
any attempt to rivet the Mosaic ritual upon
them and to look with contempt upon their
brethren who wore these letters compIa-
Gently.
Doctrinally the purpose of the Epistle the
Romans is to show that Christianity is the legit-
mate frutage OF Judaism; that there is as little
room. for strife between Christianity and Judaism
blossoms destiny to fade and fall that the fruit
may come to perfection. A fight for Judaism is
a fight for blossom-fair and fragrant. 1t is