Evening journal., 1916-02-07
The Life Abundant
mon preached yesterday morning by Lyon

hldl went Was tue place OF Ntdlu. GU
have heard people say that they were
going down into the slums OF a big
city to see life. What they sec there
is not life, IL is death Il would be
like man exploring the sewers to
see a city.
l dreamed one night that I saw a
thrcng Of people on the streets, rush
ing to and fro going in and out OF
the buildings and getting into their
carriages. But the strange thing of
the whole scene was that these peo-
pie were headless. All about us are
thrOng OF people on the streets. rush
multitudes that possess the founda-
ton for life. the physical and the in
tellectual But upon this basis they
have never yet reared the structure Of
true existence. You may hold to the
idea that every one at physical birth
has a spiritual nature. But even II
you do you are forced to admit the
4 fact that when the soul willfully sins
and dlsobeys God, he sewers the wire
of communication between him and
! the source OF life. He cuts on the
/ tree at its roots. Jesus used this
same thought, that when the branch
es are separated from the vine they
wither and die. Men gather them to-
gether and they are burned. He said,
l"I am the vine. you are the branches.
The branch has no life in itself, only
what it gets from the vine. Hence
the life that is separated from Christ
has no spiritual existence.
Or supposing you hold TO the other
position. that the first birth is physi-
cal. that that which is born Of the
flesh is flesh. Then you must plainly
see that to have any spiritual life
there must be new birth There are
many that are resting their hopes fol
, salvation upon the fact that they
, are not dishonest or immoral the,
, pay their debts. have gained consid
, cradle culture. hold high ideals, anC
, have given literally Of their money
for charity. But salvation is not
matter Of good or bad. or Of good OIL
: better-it is matter Of life or death
, Jesus Christ is the only source Of life
, He declared, II am come that the,
, might have life The Scripture dis
, tinctly SAYS. HE that hath the Sol
p hath life, but he that Lath not tn
= Son OF God hath not life" II is nc
o so much a question OF losing life
v is a question Of getting sonethin
4 which you did not before possess.
i What are the evidences that an n
4 dividual is a dead soul. that he has I
y spiritual life? First OF all that
4 has no interest in spiritual things.
- man says. Il have no desire TO hes
4 the gospel preached, TO read Il
10 Bible. to pray. to take part in relil
ious worship. Those things have
p, attraction for me-" The reason {
A this is plain to be seen. There is n
spiritual life to make response
G these appeals. This absence Of III
4 is manifested also by a lack OF spi
p" itual knowledge. He says. 81 do M
~ understand God or the Bible. l 81
. no wisdom in the plan OF salvation
IT The cause OF this is that spiritui
10 things are spiritually discerned TT
u apostle said that the knowledge
4 God was TO some a stumbling bloc
i and foolishness. but when the life
"A born from above, when the soul
N vitalized the mind is illuminated. al
NJ what was before dark and obscu
i becomes plain and clear.
H. Another indication OF the lack
4 spiritual life is ineffectiveness
10 Christian service. It is impossib
AZ for you to give to some one else tn
" which you yourself do not posses
m To have power with men, you mu
ve first of all have power with God. No
n the hopelessness OF this conditio
There is no future for a dead sol
nd Not until there is the definite acceI
IN ance Of Christ. who came to bril
Al. life and immortality to light. can y
&c have any ground for expecting
We share in the joys and glories OF etc
ne nifty.
d. Now we come to the second clal
in those that have some life. The b
Ial ginning Of life, either physical
he spiritual has been mad = Easy. Rege
IFS Grafton has been likened to marrial
n It takes but moment. when the
ay cision is made. for the minister to a
Ia the questions and to make the decli
lie alton that the two are united in
ps bonds OF matrimony and become hi
,e- band and wife. Beginning the Chr
he tian life is a matter Of a moment, j
at ing the Christian life is a matter
ch eternity. Entrance into college
in very simply. Il takes but a sh'
nix time to matrfculate. TO fill out yC
mn. schedule. to register as a stude
,ul But that does not imply the course
ere completed That means years
it'll study. But you are as much a S
nal dent the first day you enter cole
as the day you graduate. in both ca
in YOU are under obedience to the la
,ur of that institution. and entitled TO
zen privileges. The infant born into
ike home is Just as much n child of
ian parents as is the mature son
zee. daughter. The law recognizes him
ct an heir. but there are many child
but OF God who are not workers
ots Christ.
,an While It is essential that we en-
nd the primary department, yet It is
portant that we do not remain th'
in Too many are satisfied to contil
ain merely spiritual infants. We are
not that the Japanese have a process
did dwarfing trees. They have specim
m of oaks. centuries old, that b
.an. leaves and acorns. and yet they
not only a few inches high. The chu
irit contains many Of these specimens
is spiritual dwarfs. They are mat
,or- physically and intellectually,
spiritually they remain infants.
sist love a baby. that is. when it is a
,oe- hab,-ie are hut I would dread to IL