The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-26
Services of the Baptists.

The union service of the Baptist congregations
was held at the German Baptist Church, the
choirs Of the several congregations being
solidated for the occasion. and the music rem
dered was exceptional in its character. The
sermon was by Rev. @. T. Conger d. d. whose
text was:
ENTER into His gates with thanksgiving"
DR.. Conger speaking of the divine favors for
which there should be heartfelt thanksgiving,
said: 1.-THE year 1885 produced the largest corn
crop ever known in the United Satisfactorily
two billions of bushels All the productions
common to our country have been abundant, and
quick. cheap transportation has furnished US
with the varieties and delicacies of other chimes.
The financial pressure have had not
caused by famine or scarcity. but more from the
country being overstocked with nearly all kinds
of productions, mechanical and agricultural,
until the markets were surfeted. Business
and finance have been revived. One year
ago a million in the United States
were out of employment, but to-day there is
business for all. There is activity in trade, and
hope and encouragement for all honest industry.
Strikes abaung, and better understanding
of the mutual dependence of labor and capital is
obtaining, from the expensive lessons they have
been taking We are still blessed in national
and international peace. There are none mourn.
peace continue. Our national debt is 81. $780,,
600, 600. 1t is huge monument of war. and is
being paid very slowly. Our standing army
consists of q, 600 enlisted men only 1t is costing
now hut $45, 000, 900 per annun, and our navy but
$13, 600. COO We wish it could be even less; yet
how little is this compared to war times in
the past compared to that of the cost of the
standing armies Of other pationsl The standing
army of Russia has 700, 600 men, and that of
China / 900 600 The Lord hasten the time when
wars and rumors of wars shall cease. The world
has had enough of war. 1t has destroyed enough
of mankind already to people eighteen worlds
like this as thicky as this is populated. Their
blood cries up from the ground. The voices of
mercy, religion and common sense all say the
world has had enough of its plaques and hor-
rors. There ought to be a worlds court repre-
sentng all nations, for the adjustment of all in
ternational disputes without the fearful cost and
unnumbered woes of battles. May the angelic
benediction soon prevail We are blessed with
an astonishlngly rapid increase of useful diseov
cries and inventions.
ave have great cause for thanksgiving in the
modern triHmphs of religion. The forces of
Christianity have been more than doubled in
numbers and powers within the last fifty ye ars.
The stone cut out of the mountain without
hands is filing the whole earth The Baptist
denomination has more than doubled in num-
bers and wealth in the last eighteen years 1t
raised last year over million of dollars for mis-
sions alone. Its church embership now in the
United States is over two and one-half millions.
For the year 1902 0,UUU converts were pap
tized, making $40 per day. Many thousands
also were baptized in foreign mission fields, and
throughout the world. All truly Christian
churches are prospecting, and processing Chris
tians are increasing much faster in the United
| States than the population. Bibles are now
! being made at the rate of 1,033 every hour,
and the book Of God is translated into 2l1
| languages and dialects The last potentate
| to openly oppose the work of the Bible
was King Thebaw, of Upper Burmah, and
| he has lost his throne. Having a spell of
sickness, he had five hundred of his subjects put
| to death as sacrifices to propitate the favor of
his gods and incline them to hasten his recovery.
| His victims were buried in one pit The British
army, in mercy to his people, made him a pris-
oner, and have established just and decent
| government. The Congo country, q vast region
in Central Africa, has of late been opened to
| missionary effort, and already hundreds there
are turning to God The stir made of late in
the world in religious and scientific circles
the idea OF spontaneous generation of life,
troubling the minds of some, has now about
ended in general concession OF scientists that
all life comes from antecedent life This is all
the Christian can ask in the controversy, for
there is no accounting for antecedent life but
by attributing it to the divine First Cause.
1--WE have cause for thanksgiving in our
bright hopes for the future. While life is wear
ing away we nearing better and happier
world. If faithful and true, we shall, after
while, see the King in His beauty and the land
that is afar off"