The Winslow mail., 1923-03-23
THE SECRET POWER
OF LIFE AND DEATH
BY o. L. ENYEART
Sermon Text. John 1919.


has ever known was the life of Jesus
Christ. No one ever had within him
self such complete satisfactions, such
assured convictions, and such settled
peace as He.
Rich and full as His life was to
Himself, it was the richest, fullest life
to others that has ever blessed
humanity Wherever He went He
was the source of helpfulness. Even
the hem of His garment had power in
it, and from His lips, His hands, His
heart went out an unceasing, abound
ing inspiration to the souls OF men.
Jesus Christ was great fountain
whose waters of comfort Welled up
like a flood within His own heart,
and then flowed forth full-volumed
to cheer the world. His life had
more in it and gave more from 1t
than any other life since time began.
What was the secret?
He Sanstified Himself In the
shadow of the cross, He who had
schooled Himself daily to the repres-
sion of feeling, spoke the secret OF
His life and death. On the cross He
sanctified Himself as the atoning
sacrifiice-the absolute oblation for
the sins of the world. Before His
death was His life, and that was a
long self-sacrifice 1t was willingly
surrendered hour by hour till all the
years were full Then it was COM
pleted-consummated in death.
The Act of Conservation
The word "sanctify" is used in the
Bible with two distinct signitications.
The original meaning Of the word is
to- consecrate, to dedicate, to set apart
to God and to Gods service; this is
the ordinary meaning in the Old Tes-
tament. The New Testament adds
the thought of holiness. Sanstifica-
tion is at once the process and pur-
pose of the Christian life. Perfect
conservation would be complete holl-
ness. No purity would be lacking in
the motive, no elevation to the CHAR
acter, of one who should be devoted
to the Lord, with "all his heart, and
all his soul and all his mind, and
all his strength; and his neighbor as
himself" We must lay aside any
thought of native holiness, in man or
angel, apart from conformity to Gods
character and obedience to His will.
God alone is holy, in and of Himself;
the source of our sanctity, like the
spring of our life, is in God. The
holiness even of Jesus lay in His con-
stant devotion to His Fathers Will
This is at once our Lords purpose,
and an ideal for us. 81 sanctify
myself
The Conservation of Jesus.
For our sakes He set aside His
glory. It was hidden from the gaze
of men of necessity. John, the be-
loved disciple, who knew the Lord
more intimately than any other, tells
us that he beheld the glory of the
Son of God, His face like unto the
sun in it's strength. His eyes like
unto flames of re;-and John fell at
His feet as dead. Thus it was on
the Mount of Tranfguration, when
for a moment the innate glory OF the
Son of God shone through the veil
that hid it, and His robes were white
and glistening, and again HIS race
was like the sun, and again His eyes
were like unto flames OF tlre, ana the
disciples, blinded and bewildered by
such splendor. hid themselves, AFRAID
and shrank from that excess OF llght.
This He set aside that He might be-
come our Blessed Brother and Friend
that all might draw near Him and be
at home with Him. The fishermen,
the outcast. the little children, the
moor the manned, the halt and the
hind That He might heal the brok-
en- hearted, preach deliverance to the
captives, and recovering of sight to
the blind, to set at liberty them that
are bruised. -
Out of this conciousness of His
power and glory comes the great
temptation that assailed HIM.
eff thou art the Son OF Goa, II tho
art not bound by the laws OF num-
anity, if Thou canst dismay ana pc
wilder Thine enemies by thn manltes-
tations of Thy glory, put toTth my ),
mower assert Thine authority.
Think of Him in Gethsemane, in that
night when Judas betrayed Him with
kiss and the soldiers step forward
to Law hands upon Him, when Peter
draws his sword to fight for the LORD
s.Thinkest thou that | cannot now
nrav to NV Father and He will pre-
sently give me more than twelve le-
pion of angels? But He Sanctlhed
Himself for our sakes.
Think. again of Him on the cross.
From out the crowd there rings the
fierce derision, IF Thou be the Son
of God. come down from the cross.
other have suffered cruel martyrdom,
others have hung in anguish, mocked
and derided; but He alone could
see," l lay down my life. NO man
taketh it from me-" For our sakes lie
set Himself apart and hung upon
His cross and sunk until there came
the final cry, "It is finlshed For
our sakes He made an absolute sur
render of Himself "God commendeth
His love toward us, in that, while we
were yet sinners Christ died for us.
"He came not to be ministered unto
but to minister, and give His life a
ransom for many.
The Purpose of His COnsecratlon
ST sanctify myself"-that is the start
ing point of redemption. For their
sakes"-that is the end, the common
good, the social welfare. The begin
ming is individual, the aim is social
rhe way to make a good world is
first of all to be good oneself. First