South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-01-26
WORK Of GRACE
IS SUPERNATURAL
Rev. Babb Says Johns First
EpiStIe is Treatise on
New Birth.

That the fifth chapter Of Johns
first epistle is a treatise on the new
birth. the way it is attained. and the
consequences flowing out Of it, was
the assertion made by the Rev.
Babb in his sermon on "WhosOever
beheveth that Jesus is the Christ,
is born OF God" at the Stull NJ. f..
church last evening. Prior to the
sermon Rev. Babb opened the even
ing services with a prayer of invo-
cation for the salvation of all sin
ners
In part the Rev. Babb spoke as
follows:
This work of grace in the soul is
supernatural. not 10 be explained on
any natural principles, and is ire
mendOus in its results. 1t plainly
takes place in the soul at the mo-
ment when one exercises active
work. compelling faith in Jesus
Christ BY this act of belief a pro-
cess of change and growth is COM
menced in the soul, which so trans
forms. so renews, so endOws with
new powers that the results are lit
tie short OF miraculous
Let us study Johns position in
regard 10 the new birth, master his
argument, and find out what he pro-
nounces TO be involved in it. We
shall study the spiritual new birth
from the moment when it has taken
place. so as To see the consequences
as John points them out.
River of Love.
There is a river OF love in the
soul. 1t flows in two directions.
Godward and MAYNARD. It's COM
mencement is as wonderful as the
bursting from the earth of a hidden
fountain When on a certain night
in July during the Civil war 10000
prisoners detained on p acres at
AndersOnville prison. were praying
for water. a sudden stroke of light
ming inside the stOckade tore a hole
in the side of the slope and a strong
fountain Of clear. crystal water be-
gan 10 flow out, that quenched the
thirst Of all this multitude. and flows
Yet as a memorial of those terrible
days At sunset there was no water
no sign Of any from the parched
earth: at sunrise this clear fountain
was found flowing.
Here is a human soul, cold, in
different. hard-hearted. rebellious
against God, which commences to
believe i'm Jesus. not with a passive
belief which is of the head only,
but with an active belief that pur-
poses to go as Jesus demands, and
do as much as he requires. for real
belief in Christ supplies motive
power TO the soul and makes it go.
1t can no more remain passive than
the rose can when the sun shines on
il.
so. then. out of this rebellious
heart. as the consequence of this be-
lief in Jesus. there springs a new
fresh fountain of love flowing heav-
onward and earthward at once. 1t
Gains and destroys the heats and
Anglers that may have been before.
and sheds about the one again born
a gentleness which he who meets it
knows is heavenly. 1t is so little
like what used to be. il is so little
that we are constrained to believe
that this new life never came from
this planet. There is nothing here
In the world no repair shop for the
soul which makes the soul act like
it does when il gets salvation.
Gift of New Birth.
Johns thought is, that when we
have the new birth and the gift OF
eternal life. II enwraps and enfolds
and protects us so that no evil force
can touch US. Hannah Whitehall
Smith compares this power to a veil
that is dropped down around us
from all sides, and which is entirely
inpenetrable to evil We are pro-
tected by it and no harm can pass
il. by which God meant that we
should be kept from the powers of
evil Kept from the sinful by the
divine"