The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-18

ACT OF SHINING RESULT
OF MANS OWN WEAKNESS
Satan Has Not Power Sufficient
to Produce AllurementS Thinks
Rev. Christie.
EVIL ONE DARK ENOUGH

Rev. j. c. Christie, pastor of West Wash
ington-street Presbyterian Church. preach
ing yesterday on Inability and Response
bility," said in part:
by a strange perversity of nature man
rushes with the greatest velocity towards
the danger he is most anxious to escape
OF all objects and experiences none is sur
rounded with such terrors as death, and
yet it is evident that if men took the same
pains to obtain eternal life which they ap-
pear to do in order to secure destruction
the end of thousands would be different.
THE mysterious principle or instinct
which drives the frightened child under the
horses hoofs and causes the surprised pas
sengers to rush under the crushing wheels
of the locomotive is simply evident in high
er spheres. While there is in every breast
an instructive clinging to life, we see In
multitudes a reckless rushing towards
death. The way TO death is down a slope,
not perpendicular plunge. Some reasons
why men pursue this course Some say
the fault is not theirs; that their guilt and
destruction will rest entirely and eternally
with the devil. Satan has no power 10
make a man sin. He may present induce
ments and allurements but the act OF sin
Is in every case the mans own. The devil
Is black enough without making him a
focus point for all the guilt OF the uni
verse. The devil applies the match OF temp
tation, but the powder train is already laid
In our own corrupt nature. Granted that
the devil cast filth into the sream at its
very fountain, but has there been none
added from other quarters as IL flowed
along? What about the actual transgres-
sions added to the original sin?
Others plead an apology for sin the pc
culiar circumstances of their life. If they
had been otherwise placed they would have
done differently. but as it is they could not
do otherwise. No position in time space
can ever remove us from obligation 10 God.
The plea of our surroundings is OF no
weight in paliating the guilt OF moral con-
duct. Think of a criminal at the bar plead
ing the imperfectiOn of his upbringing and
the evil influence of his companions as the
ground fer pardon. The judge and the jury
are there for other purposes than TO trace
the ramifcations of evil influence I'm the
upbuilding OF individual character. They
take the man as he stands and measure
him alone, separated from all molding cir
cumstances and formative agencies accord
ing to the standard of law.
Character is built up of moral and re-
ligious influences as the body Is built up OF
material substances. The bread We eat
passes into bone and muscle and becomes
part of ourselves, although IL was once
owned by the farmer and sold grain. So
with moral and religious influences. The
example, the advices, the warnings which
originated with others and belonged TO
them has come 10 US God will hold US re-
sponsible for all we get and FOR all we give.
We are responsible for the whole influence
which goes out from US. and on its arrival
and appropriation by others il becomes
theirs From responsibility for sin there Is
no escape by any appeal 10 associates or
circumstances.
Others plead the want of power to
change their life When you charge men
with guilt and warn them Of the future
they seem TO drop all at once their powers
of will and conscience and try 10 persuade
themselves that they are kind OF mile
stones insensibe and irresponsible granite
waiting 10 be lifted up by some mysterious
machinery OF grace let down sometimes
from the sky.
The fact that men are able TO hope and
wait Is a proof that they are more than
they profess. The question OF human abil-
itV we do not discuss farther than 10 say
that no man will ever find himself outside
of heaven for want OF having had power 10
get in.
unto me that we might have life."