Evening journal., 1916-01-14
The Great Essential
sermon preached in Tabernacle last night by Dr. Lyon.

For example. education Is important,
yet many ignorant people have done a
great work for the world. Friends are
important. yet many who have had
little influence and few acquaint-
ances have done great good Money
is important While it is more diff
cult for a rich man to be a Christian
than it Is for poor man. yet II he
Is a Christian. he can do more for the
world than q poor man can do. All
Of these things are important but
they arc not essential. But there is
one thing absolutely necessary. Il is
what the lawyer would call "sine
qua non" without which nothing.
A sculptor spent months on carving
a statue OF physical perfection. When
he had completed Ms work he invited
friend TO view his finished product
Removing the veil from the marble
statue he said. with an air of pride
"Is not chat perfect?" NO. il Is not
replied the friend 81 lacks one
thing What rs that2" asked the
sculptor evidently disappointed
life" answered the friend You
may have everything else, education,
money. friends and yet II you have
not spiritual life. you have nothing.
salvation is not p matter merely Of
good or bad. or Of good or better; il
Is a matter of life or death
II is not SO much a question of los
ing salvation: Il rs a question Of get
ting something that you did not be-
fore possess Let me Illustrate this;
An lrishman was the principal Of
boarding school i'm a western state lie
had been greatly annoyed by some Of
the hOys coming late to their meals.
He decided TO settle this matter once
for all Az one meal time when all
the students were present. he arose
and said ~ have. an important an
nOuncemeut 10 make " any Of you
horeafter come late 10 dinner. you will
not lose YOUR dinner The boarders
looked from one 20 the other with
smile. ovidcncing they were well
pleased A day or Two afterward "a
number Of boys went ont into the conn
try for a long walk and did not re-
turn until long after meal time. They
went into the dining room and found
the table cleared or They marched
into the kitchen and said Indignantly,
TO The cook "Whore Is our dinner?'
She said; 1T is too late for dinner.
yOu can get nothing 20 eat now But
the principal said il we came late We
would not lose our dinners. You
will have 10 see him about that. They
went up 10 tho principals Office. and
demanded that they have some din
ner Said the principal You can
not have any dinner now Did you
not tell us yesterday said the leader,
that II we came late we would not
lose our dinners YES" replied
the principal. but you cannot lose
something YOU never had"
Regeneration is essential NOT only
for salvation. but for enectual spirit
ual service There are many Sunday
school teachers who can imDari in-
tellectual obstruction to the pupils,
but they have no power TO develop
their spiritual life. II is impossible
for any one 10 give 10 others that
which they do not possess them
selves. There are teachers that can
describe minutely the route from
Jerusalem to Galilee, but they cannot
point the way from earth 20 heaven
There are many church members
who are interested in the material
side Of church work. regarding the r.
nances. Nhe equipment of the building
the social activities etc. but they have
no interest IN soul winning They say
/ they do not believe in reviyals. That
can he easily explained How can
YOU expect a person Ito believe in
/ something about which he knows
I nothing? Many ask me why I do
/ not speak more against dancing, H.
quor drinking. card playing and
I theatre going My answer is; when
a person Is born again these things
will not trouble him"
There are many that celebrate their
! physical birthdays that have little
interest in their spiritual birthdays
Certainly the time that you were born
OF the spirit was a more important
time than when you were born Of the
flesh I was born physically on the
tenth day Of February. was born
spiritually on the thirtieth OF May
The thirtieth Of May is TO me fal
greater anniversary than the tentl
day Of February II you are born hui
once you will die twice. but II YOU
are born twice you will die but once
The first death is the death OF the
body. the second death is the death O
the soul over those who have beer
born again, the second death has nC
power.
Some one says: Explain TO mn
about the second birth 1T cannot h
done" answer Explain all abou
the first birth. II you please Ydi
cannot do H. The whole subject o