The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-04-25

The great physician has come. The
prophet is now being heard. The
preacher has entered upon His min
istry. Water will be turned into the
desert and it will be made to bios
som like rose. "He will give beauty
for ashes"
See Him as He goes in and out
among the people, giving strength
to the weak, healing to the sick,
comfort to the sorrowing. peace and
pardon to those who have lost their
way in life.
Read the old, old story of con-
version and changed lives in such
books as Broken Earthenware,"
Jerry McAuley, an Apostle to the
Lost" and the more recent book,
God in the Sums" and see how
the weak, sinful and vacillating are,
under the power of His spirit, made
strong, clean and purposeful, one
will exclaim with the prophet, He
gives beauty for ashes"
Christ Makes Over Lives
1 remember a play presented by
the young people OF my home
church years ago. The title was,
Professor Make-Over" The old
scientist had invented very Won
derful machine for making people
all over again. Into the hopper
would go ali kinds of human mis-
fits, the old, the diseased, the ugly.
The old professor would give one
grind and out of the same machine
came the young, the new and the
beautiful. Says Jesus, Il make all
things new" When one companies
with Christ he experiences a trans
formation in the spiritual life as
radical as the physical change wit
messed in that home-talent play.
Let me tell you the story of a
modern prodigal from town in
southern Indiana. 1 saw him not
long ago and as l looked into his
laughing eyes my hear was made
glad. I remembered other days
when it took the stimulant of strong
liquor to make him laugh. 1 looked
at his clean linen and clean-shaven
face and recalled the days when
solled shirts and bearded face
made him conspicuous in any
crowd What is the explanation?
One Sunday night he heard the
Masters call and from that time
he has been walking with Jesus in
rewness of life. He is shepherding
a flock ard singing his own wonder
full experience into their souls. He
said, 81 am the happiest person in
| the world"
thought of these words as fitting
his experiences:
I'm going by the upper road, for
that still holds the sun;
I'm climbing thru Nights pas
lures, where starry rivers run;
IF you should think to seek me in
my old dark abode,
you'll find this writing on the door,
He's on the Upper Road"
All Know Sadness
He gives the oil of joy for MOURN
ing. Ali know what it is to mourn.
Mourning is as universal as hum
ger. The Spanish proverb has it,
There is no home anywhere that
does not sooner or later have its
| hush"
All know hopes delayed, shattered
dreams, great crushing disappoint-
ments. The newspapers tell us the
story OF loss, misfortune and grief
experiences every day. One gathers
up the savings af-a lifetime and at
the advice of a friend invests it in
a certain field. 1t is certain to bring
good returns. 1t is as promising as
| Standard Oil or a share in GolCc7-
da's diamond mines But the un-
expected happens and with no
warning at all one finds himself
pennileSs and utterly dependent on
others.
Or worse than this, death enters
the home and takes the one in
whom all hopes are conferred. You
can recall homes like this where, in
stead of these experiences plung-
ing them into despair, they found
the oil of joy for mourning.
The minister sees these people
coming to the church from a fresh
heart breaking experience and soon
they join with others singing:
20 Thou in whose presence my soul
takes delight
On whom in affliction I call
MY comfort by day and my song
in the night
My hope my salvation, my all.
Restore my dear Saviour the light
! of thy face
Thy soul cheering comfort jmpart
,"And let the sweet tokens of par
doning grace
Bring Joy to my desolate heart"
The last thought in the text is,
He gives the garment of praise for
the spirit of heaviness" More and
more there is the need of the
spirit of praise" in our lives. Jesus
preached the gospel of good cheer
and taught the doctrine Of the cor
rect mental attitude Again and
again he said, 'be of good cheer"
Those who have accepted the claims
Of Christianity should be the hap
piest persons on earth. Rec: re-
ligion will make us glad to be alive
and grateful for all the blessings of
life. We should daily count our
blessings and praise God from all
blessings flow.