Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-30
THROUGH DEATH
THERE IS LIFE
THIS IS TAKEN AS TEXT BY
BAPTIST ORATOR
Rev. Louis Agassiz Gould Says That
Botany Emphasizes the Same
Principle as the Spirit
uaI Teaching

At Occidental Heights Baptist church
Louis Agassiz Gould, spoke on the
theme, Living by Dying" from the
text in II Corinthians, 4:10: always
carrying about in the body the dying
of Jesus, that the life of Jesus may
be manifested in our body" He said
in part:
zone Of the purposes Of the Apostle
Paul in penning the second letter to
the Corinthians was the vindication
of his apostolic authority Even his
right to the title apostle was called
in question.
"The unnatural spectacle is pre-
sented to us of infinitesimal Corinthians
contending with an infinite reformer.
The little Corinthians of the first CEN
tury became the laughing stock of the
Christians of the twentieth century,
A thmbleful of Paul was worth an
oceanful of Corinth.
paul acknowledges his weakness in
the preceding verses. He accepts the
slur his bodily presence is weak and
his speech despicable.' But he lays
down the axiom that it is Gods inten-
tion that man shall be weak.
"'We have this treasure in earthen
vessls' in order that God may be strong.
power shall shine out through mans
weakness. 1t is even Gods law that
we shall die to exhibit life.
Flesh and Blood Gospel
1.-THE first application Of this principle
is in the physical realm. 1t must not
be forgotten that Paul is talking pri-
marily about his body. He had an in
trinity in the flesh He had thorn
~, tba flash, (nnCGihlu Uao knaSS of the
eyes).
"The assertion of the text is that the
power of God can triumph over weak
ness in the physical frame. PauPs gos-
pei was a flesh and blood gospel. He
had great sympathy for invalids and
shut-ins. Even the body has a destiny
we can family appreciate. The whole
creation groaneth waiting for the re-
demption of the body
"The second application of the prin-
ciple of life through death is found in
the spiritual realm. We die to live.
Physiology teaches us that. Each ex-i
penditure of tissues is death, to be-
succeeded by the rebuilding of tissue
which is life. Decomposition is sue
ceeded by decomposition.
Botany emphasizes the same prin-
ciple. Dead leaves fertilize living
plants. Except grain of wheat falls
INTO BTOullQ dllu IOlS away ~ nbiuSS
unfruitful.
"The law transfers itself to the spir-
itual realm. The unconverted man must
die in order to live. When the COM
mandment came sin revived and died.
When he dies to his self-rig
he takes the first step toward the
divine righteousness. Like his Savior
through the narrow portal of death he
enters the path of life.
Life Through Death
"The law projects itself still farther.
Life perpetuates itself through death.
Paul says, Il die daily The Christian
should also die daily. He should pre-
sent himself as one who is dead toy
the world and alive unto God BY his
own volition he must deadly his
members and cruelty his passions and
lusts. Thus will he live-live with the
divine life.
"a refractory monk refused to obey
his superior. The friar was taken to
the monastery garden and placed up
right in a hole seven feet deep. The
earth was shoveled about the disobe-
dient son until It reached his knees.
Are you dead yet?' said the abbot. |
No answer. The earth was piled In
by the friars until 1t reached his waist.
Are you dead yet?' repeated the
abbot. No answer. The gravel rose
to his chin. Are you dead YETI re-
peated the abbot the third time.
"And the refractory monk, as he
looked on the face Of the stern father
and those of the obedlent sons, know
ing that certain death awaited him,
said, 4 am dead, and was restored to
his freedom.
"Fellow Christians, Are you dead |
yetg If not, say that you viii die and
by the grace of God, that you will stay
dead