The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-11
CHRISTIAN BORN, NOT MADE,
SAYS DR.. ALBERT HURLSTONE
Pastor of Roberts Park Discusses
the Evolution of Chris
tan Life"
WHAT REGENERATION is

Evolution of Christian Life" was the
theme of DR.. Albert Hurlstones sermon at
ROBERTS Park Nj. K. Church Yesterday
morning. The text was from III Peter.
i, Sill The sermon was followed by the
administration of the holy communion. DR..
Hurlstone said:
"A man cannot grow into the Christian
life The Christian is born not made. The
only way to become a Christian, according
10 the teaching of Jesus, is TO be born
again To be born from above He that
hath the Son of God hath life The ex-
ceeolng great and precious promises are
given that we might be partakers of the
ulNlne nature. Science and revelation are
at one In teaching that life can only spring
from antecedent life. Revelation introduces
us TO God as the origin of all life The
gulf between the nonliving and the living
has never been bridged by an evolution
which leaves God out of the question The
origin OF life is divine in the physical.
mental and spiritual realms. To as many
as receive Christ. to them gives He power
to become the children of God We are
porn again by the word of God. Il am
come, said Jesus, that We might have life
and that We might have il more abundantly.'
As in Adam all die. so in Christ shall all be
made alive. If any man be in Christ. he
is new creature; old things are passed
away, behold all things are become new
we begin to live by breathing We begin
to live spiritually by believing on Christ
The new life in Christ can only reach
lack of certain works and certain Christian
graces may make wreck of the life. In
the Christian world there are wasted seeds,
stunted growths. blighted blossoms. as in
the natural world The spiritual life is not
complete at conversion. High Christian
qualities must be attained by earnest pa
tent continuance in well-doing. They are
an evolution. The teaching of the text is,
Add TO your faith virtue; and to virtue
knowledge; and to knowledge temperance:
and TO temperance patience; and TO pa
md rn bro orIxr
kindness: and to brotherly kindness charity
For if these things be in you and abound
they make you that We shall neither be
barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of
our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh
these things is blind, and cannot see afar
off, and hath forgotten that he was purged
from his old SINS If the Christ-life exists
in the soul it will be manifest in the char
acter There will be unfolding and growth
The evolution will proceed grace rs added
to grace. Not in extravaganza or eccen-
tricities, not in life partial and uneven,
or conduct one-sided and extreme but
complete and well balanced.
The universe holds matter and mind con-
ditioned into a six-fold life: life vegetable
that grows; life animal, that feels; life in
tellectual, that thinks; life emotional, that
thrills; life moral, that oscllates between
right and wrong; life spiritual. that as
cends to God. Any attempt to ignore either
manifestation of life results in disaster
Christ in the very act of the incarnation
has dignifed the body. By His truth He
emancipates the intellect, by His atoning
death He purifes the heart He plants
within the expulsive power OF a new affec-
ton BY His law He shows the rule OF ac-
ton for the moral nature, by His quicken
ing and energizing spirit He imparts new
life, so that man not only sees the way
Of righteousness, but has power to walk
therein. The great call of God TO man is
TO become a partaker of the divine nature
Regeneration only originates Christian life
The new life implanted must be evolved
into the likeness of our divine model
Christ