Evening journal., 1907-05-25
SHOULD LIVE in
DIVINE HARMONY
''The Inner Light" Subject
Of a Sermon by the Rev.
A. T. BOwSer


last, by the Rev. Alexander T. Bowser.
the pastor. In part he said:
''The Spirit itself bears witness with
our spirit, that we are children OF
God Romans SIG.
It used to be the fashion for preach
ers to address their congregations as
II there were but two classes Of people,
the converted and the unconverted,
the saved and the unsaved-those who
were in Gods family. and those who
belonged to the household Of Satan.
At last. however, we are beginning 70
apprehend the gospel-truth that every
human soul is Gods offspring and be-
longs 20 His family. Nevertheless, Il
still remains true that some are con-
scious OF this kinship with Divinity,
while others are unconscious Of 1t. Even
as there are but two kinds Of boys
IN our public schools-good ones and
bad ones-so there are only two kinds
Of people everywhere: those who live
in communion with God. seek
ing to know and do the di-
vine viii. and those within whom
the Spirits voice IS unhearl
or unheeded. who are not conscious Of
their personal relationship to God or
Of the divine presence and help.
Now right here, In this gospel-idea
Of the souls essential kinship 20 God,
IS the vital centre Of Christian faith.
10 cultivate and educate the spiritual
consciousness in the trne work of tho
church The highest word Of religious
inspiration in the New Testament
teaches that "God in spirit" and II it
IS true. as taught in the Old Testa-
ment. that man was made in the image
Of God, Il follows that we are spiritual
beings, "partakers Of the divine
nature" In the very essence Of the
soul. in its inmost and highest faculty,
IS the Spirits own mark of our divine
origin. The conscience and reason. the
wisdom and goodness, the sense Of
right and wrong-what is this but a
miniature or image OF God? To be
sure. this divine image or likeness is
often obscured by ignorance and de-
faced by sin. It may become buried
under the heavy weight OF physical
appetites and perverted ambitions, or
choked and stunted by evil conditions
and vicious habits: but still Il endures
n permanent endowment OF human
nature, our Inheritance from Cod
"the true light which enlightens every
man who comes into the world" The
Word Of God which became flesh in
the heart OF Jesus dwells in our hearts
also, seeking TO make us conscious OF
our sonship with Him in God. of our
rightful place with Him In the Divine
household, and OF our bounden duty 10
become co-worlSers with Him in carry
ing on the Fathers business.
Thus the divine element in Jesus is
seen to be a revelation Of the divine
origin OF mankind. clearing up OF the
mystery Of the human soul. The story
Of his sonship in God is a mirror IN
which we. see our own face The di-
vinity-of His nature shows our own
makeup In His soul and ours we
find the whole order of spiritual facts
and laws; truth, love. the sense OF
duty, the consciousness of divine kim
ship, and the aspiration for Godlike
perfection in character and attainment
Suppose il should prove true. as Her
bert Spencer maintains. that our sem
timents of morality and religion are
only the natural product of human
experience and development. would
this rob us of the ideal conviction that
the Source OF the soul IS higher than
mere physical ancestry Did the dis
covery of the sources or the Nile de-
stroy the springs from which the river
grew. OF IN any way detract from the
power and goodness OF the Creator IN
providing Africa with that wonderful
stream which supplies the means OF
wealth, progress and happiness to The
whole continent? What we need foi
ideal thinking, high aspiration and ear.
nest endeavor is not faith in the super.
human power OF Jesus or In the mir.
aculous origin and authority Of tn,
gospel but a clearer vision of IN,
spiritual element in his life and in ON
own. The great movement in thought
out OF which Quakerism arose, and e
which modern religious freedom ant
progress are largely due. was born IN
the heart Of George Fox when he ceas-
ed to look for divine light and Guidance
in the outward forms and ceremonies
Of the church: and. ti.'ling inward
he began to listen 20 the Christ-Spirii
as It whispered softly: Behold. tn,
kingdom of God is within youi" Here.
in lay the sscret of the gospel Thi.
was the t5untain from which the mar.
veloi,s power and influence OF Jesul
flowed. He himself had looked withiT
ind had learned the law Of spiritua
~ perception, peace and progress whei
he said: "the pure in heart see God
II the influence of the Christian
church is weak to-day: II its preach
ers fail TO win the attention and holt
the allegiance Of free and earnest souls
who are beginning 70 study moderr
science; If the Friends Meeting is suf
fering from a partial paralysis OF th'
spiritual nerves: II Unitarianism Is to.
well satisfied with its present attain
ment. or too Indifferent about the needs
of the twentieth century. TO take an,
use the magnificent opportunitie'
everywhere offered for strong and gen
erous religious effort-it is becaus
something else in religious aspiration
and teaching has taken the place o
this close personal relationship of eaci
human soul TO the everything God
We have either covered IN the Inne
Light or else we are ignoring the ties
timony Of the Spirit bearing witnes
with our spirit that we are the son
and daughters Of the heavenly Father
God alone can apprehend God.
we allow the divine element I'm th
soul TO sleep in ignorance. or to be
come smothered with desire for weaiu
and the love of pleasure, religion 10
us will lose its vital quality, and W
shall find no sufficient reason 70
yielding heart and mind to its swa,
or for giving of our means and tim