The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-31
WHAT LOT LOST AT sODOM
gle Tried to Promote Selfish Interests
Inere, but Brought Peril to His Soul.
Ar. Mills Appeals to His Hearers to Come
TO the Lords Side-People Turned
Away from the Hall.
A LESSON FROM Lors LIFE.
Ane Difference Between His Character anu
That of Abraham.

First Baptist Church in the afternoon eSery
available seat vas taken Inc a'1eauance OF
non-church- going people IS increasing at the
rioht sarv;.e and the Christians who come late
have 70 stand mn along with the remainder if
indeed they are able to get in the hail. The
afternoon services are being largely mo-
nopol,zed by the ladies, although
the meetings intended for both
sexes Four-ffths of the auditors are women.
many of them being from the ladies' prayer
meeting. which is held in the lecture-room at
Els o'clock. There will be public service to-
day or this evening. The Sunday school officers
and pastors meet in the evening at Y. M. G. A.
Hall Tomorrow will be devoted to special
services. In the morning, at 1920, there will
be a meeting for women only. at Y. NJ. @. A.
Hall In the afternoon, at $50, there will be
young peoples meeting in Tomlnson Hall, and
at night at Tomlinson Hall will occur a service
for only.
At the afternoon service yesterday. Mr.. Mills
preached one of the brightest sermons of the
Eeries on the lessons to be drawn from Lots
career He combined an interesting and in
Btruetive history of this famous Bible character
with a number of most practical lessons, and
applications for the people of this age. After
describing the quarrel between Lot and Abra-
ham, and the manner in which the former
from God, while Abraham had prayed to God
TO direct him where to go, the evangel-
Ass took for his text sentence
from the thirteenth chapter OF Genesis, which
related the above events; ''Lot pitched his tent
toward Sodom." Sodom, the evangelist said,
was wicked city, but Lot had chosen it be-
cause he thought his selfish interests would be
promoted by his removal there. Lots expert
ence showed that il always better to let
God choose for you Christians VIII were liv-
ing in Indianapolis just because they happened
to be here and because their business seemed to
require them to live here making
u mistake unless their home and
ther business were conducted to the
glory Of God God intended for men to live
where they could do the most good. and if men
who were living here were not doing good they
had right to remain. Il have" said Mr.
Mills. ''heard men say that ministers would al
ways hear calls where there was a prospect of
better salary. l even heard an officer OF the
church say one day that ministers heard calls
when they were loud enough. Now, my friends.
want to tell you that that's a SANDER. A great
many ministers are preaching the gospel for
less money than they could make In other occu-
pations. Thousands of them are doing the
work because 1t Gods work although they
know that they could make moro money in other
lines of business. / have personally known
many ministers to refuse large salaries and go
out to some barren field. which they would cul-
tivate for God. Now, never saw a deacon do
i
gons-you know I wouldn't do that-but why
shouldn't they 60 out and do this work
as well as ministers You have no
God is using you here more than he can else
where. If you are staying here because you
have luxury and comfort you are making the
choice of worldly benefits. l am acquainted
with railroad man who is instrumental IN re-
moving perhaps 10000 persons every year to
questions these people moet frequently asked
when inQuiring about the West, and he SAID
sfhey generally wanted to know where they
would get rich the quickest. Sometimes they
would ask about the health in community
and occasionally about the schools then
asked him about what proportion or these emil
grants were Christians, and he said he thought
about nine-tenths of them were protesting
Christians What person., said ], ever asked
you where can do the most goodP and he SAID,
mo one.' And yet the only thought man
should have is, where does God want me to beg :.
For a time, the evangelist said, it seemed
like Lots experiment would be successful he
had many friends, and was even elected mayor
of the city, or at lsast was spoken of as sitting
In the gate OF the city," whichlndicated that ne
was high public officer SO far. therefore the
pitching of his tent toward Sodom seemed to
have resulted very satisfactorily. But what
WAS the final resdltl Why, he lost almost
everything worth having. Lot was the type or
a man who tried TO lead half-hearted spiritual
life He tried 10 serSe God and mammon at
the same time. While it was true that ne
going through fire." What were some of the
F6nings which Lot lost by going to Socomf In
,Ah0 frat place he lost AOranamS society," ioSG
the companionship of his best friend he better
have had the friendship of man like Abraham
than all the things which the world could give
Lot may have kept his personal purity all these
years but a man could not be good Christian
without being among cody friends. mat
was why God gave Chrlstianlike people to as
aociate with Not only did Lot lose the
friendship of Abraham, but he lost all his real
friends. While he made great many friends
in Sodom, they were not true Irlenas. Un y
good people were really true friends-such as
loved You for your own sake. Thirdly, Lot lost
all his family, with the exception of his two
miserable daughters 1t was for the sake OF
them perhaps that he moved to Sodom. he
wanted them to learn to dance. and to go to the
theater He not satisfied to live
in the &c. cSunsrynt0 come be 10 ruS'i the
city, even If the people there were wicked, but
get he lost all Of his family, except the TWO de-
GRsralized girls
Fourthiy Lot lost his property. He went to
Eodom to get rich, and for time he seemed to
be succeeding, but he lived to see 1t all going up
in smoke. That, however, was one OF the best
things which ever happened to him. Riches
were the same curse to Lot that they were to
many In this day The curse was not IN the pos
session of riches, put In the loving OF tnem- me
trouble was in the deceitfulness of riches.
Il one day." said Mr.. Mills, rode down an
Sristocratc street in one of our principal cities
All the houses either side were grand pa i
aces. and yet the friend who was with me told
me that young lady would accept as an es-
cort young man who resided IN any OF those
great houses. The effect of wealth had been to
ueHofahze all of them. NV friend would point
80 one house and then another in which man
hao Deen known to go down to ruin. and 1T
seemed 10 me as though were driving through
the graveyard of purity
Another thing which Lot lost was his power
with God. He had to get Abraham 20 intercede
for him. Then ne also lost his infnence with
men, he lived twenty years IN Sodom, and
faencing them they influenced him IT have
heard, the preacher continued, "a great many
neople saw i like minister that isn't aho1s
+bis world Well, don't. 1 don't like a Chic.
xian who isn't above this world. You can't lif,
up this world by first getting down on the same
level with it aud then StFaiHing yourself
t 70 Oa about the good things Of the world
If you mean the good things. But If you mean
o;ne 70 horse-races and 70 the theaters, it isu't
s w ;,ht Parhaps Lot thought that he would
get e down to the level of the people Of Sedan
and then lift them up The result was he didn't
win He got hundreos =. II, I'U w.. ana ma was