The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-31
SERVICES OF THE SABBATH.
Bishop W. F. Hood Occupies the Pulpit
of the Zion A. NJ. Z. Church.
Rev. M. W. Darling on the Ministry of Music
DIR. Marines Farewell Services-Rev.
J. A. ROndthaler at the Tabernacle.
A CHOICE NECESSARY.
Bishop Hood Dwells on the Necessity Of De-
claring Allegiance to the Master.


claring Allegiance to the Master.
Last night Bishop W. +. Hood of the Fifth
Episcopal district. Charlottesville, n. c., spoke
at the Zion A. NJ. E. Church to crowded house,
his text being from Joshua xiv, Is: Choose We
this day whom ye will serve"
The speaker said that Joshua, who uttered the
foregoing called at first the servant of Moses
whom he attended for the period of forty years.
including the time when the lsraehfes
were delivered from their bondage
in Egypt. Joshua was one OF twelve
others who were sent to spy out the land OF
Canaan. ten of whom returned with discourag-
ing reports of the promised land. They wer o
like those men who would like to 60 to heaven
without experiencing any difficulty in getting
there. Joshua attended Moses when he as
cended the mountain, standing at the foot for
forty days, while the rest of the Israelites were
in the meantime in search of the golden calf.
At the death of Moses it pleased God to call
Joshua to lead the fsraelites, because he had
proved faithful and demonstrated his capacity as
captain. For twenty-four years he supplied
the place of Noses conducting the Israelites into
the promised land gaining victory after victory
over his enemies and securing peaceful posses
sions in Canaan. He had the race we'll
and won. When Joshua came to die, he called
around him the elders, telling them what God
had done for them. and explaining TO them that
they were under obligations to the Master Tor
leading them out of slavery into the good and
glorious land of freedom. He urged them to love
the Lord and serve Him, and cried out finally,
Choose ye this day whom ye will serve"
Joshua wanted the Israelites to put themselves
on record as being The side of the Master. and
he declared that they owed this much to God,
who had showered special blessings on
the lsraelites. and kept them out of
harms way during their long wanderings
EOVnt a han Of Pharaoh ha
Israelites were brought by Moses, that they
might worship God. The condition of their
deverence was that they should love God and
serve Him. These things Joshua told the elders
and prayed that they might continue to do their
duty to God after he taken away.
1t is momentous time in the life of a man
when he takes religious stand. There are
reasons too evident to name why every
serve. If there were reasons why
the Israetes should serve the Lord,
so there are more abundant evidences why we
should show Him reverence. lsraels blessings
were temporal. but we may make ours permanent
We are surrounded by everything that is good
and beautiful. God has doubly blessed this
country, and placed iEnumerable comforts and
Injuries within our reach He has done more
for US than for the people in the past. This is a
good time to make up our minds Choose ye
this day whom We will serve"
To enter into Christian service. the Master re-
guires that we must cease to work for evil. In
order to serve God, man must abandon the
devil He must abandon the service of SELF also,
for we all trust to sefinduleence, sefwill. self
love and ESTABLISHMENT. Jesus said that if any
one would come to him he must first deny him
self Religion is in opposition to sin. The hos
tility to evil must be evinced every day. not on
the sick bed or the dying couch. for then it is
easy to be dutiful to God, but the Christian ar
NOR must be borne in active life. where there is
a chance to battle with sin and vanQush the
evil and then VIII IN the summons comes to leave
this world. the armor can be laid aside, while
the spirit takes its upward fight to the eternal
bliss of heaven.
The religious must be made openly and
publicly. The declaration in favor of God is a
manly one, and he who shrinks from making it
through timidity or feai of public ridieue, is
either hopelessly demented coward an
abandoned prohgate. The religious man must
enter the church, for it restraints and protects
him when he is in danger No man serve
God outside of the church. To worship creed
or sect is to abuse the church. God does not
sanction this kind of worship. The church
must be simply the convenient medium through
which God is to be glorifed, revered and obeyed.
Cod does not want, either. the service of con-
strant. Religion must be free. Man is a rational
being and a free moral agent; responsible
creature who must tender his services to God of
his own free will. The service of God is pleas
ant to those vino are in earliest, and profitable
10 those who faithful. The Christian only
can exclaim, "Oh, death, where is this stingl Oh
grave, where is this victoryP