The Progress., 1893-12-02
PROGRESS PROMISE.
REV. THOMAS DIXON ON THE RE-
LGlON OF INDUSTRY"

Tropbecic. of The Worlds Fair-Modern
Miracles Revealed Z" Man by Cod"
New YoRK. Nov. 26.-Rcv. Thomas
Dixon. Jr., preached again this morning
in Association hall on The Prophecies
Of the World = Fair - The subject of 10.
days sermon was The Religion of In.
GUstry, or thD Promise of the Miracles
ci Progress" He declared that the
spirit Of God was the inspiring powc.
IN the discoveries of s"i.Uce and th'
material ~ well as spiritual progress
OF the world. He appealed for wider
creed Of inspiration that should give
the glory Of the achievements of the mas.
tors OF literature, art. science and me,
chanics 10 the spirit ever brooding. lead,
ing, Illuminating In The marvels of out
material progress he saw the bright
promise of the emancipation and re
dcmption of mankind. This, he main.
tanned, was shown by tho wonderful
advances OF civilization under the pres
sure of tho material achievement of thd
present generation, the fact that the
discovery Vt nature is the revelation Of
God, and thlt to improve tN0 ~~vi~o.'
ment of man is 20 make possible more
and more 4 normal life which can only
oe a righteous one.
The text chosen was from Exodus
xxi, Z d. Il have filled him with the
spirit of God in wisdom, and in under.
standing, and i'll knowledge, and in all
manner of workmanship. to devise Gun.
ming works.
The religious thought of today is sad
ly impoverished by the inadequacy Of
our theories of inspiration. Some of
MS whospell 1-n-s-p-i-r-a-t-i-o-n' with
the biggest possible capitals and the
biggest space and fullest accent on cv-
cry syllable-and every letter, in fact -
hold the smallest conceivable view of .
inspiration. Often the men who are
most enthusiastic about plenary inspi- .
ration really believe in the most limited
of all inspirations. The time has como .
TO give the honor and glory of divine
achievement in all spheres and all times
to the living spirit of God, the primal
source of all
The day has come for faith in lar
ger inspiration.
Tho day has come for the worship
and recognition of the manifestation of
God in Che overbrooding, overshadow-
ing, leading, illuminating spirit.
THE BIBLE DIvINELY INSPIRED.
| believe in the divine inspiration of
the Bible. Yes, and more, / believe i'll
the divine inspiration of many other
priceless treasures of literature. / be-
lieve that George Eliot was inspired of
God to write those peerless records of
the inner secrets of human nature. There
is no other sane way to account for
these wonderful books. Why should
deny the authority of the spirit in tho
progress of the book that moves the soul
with resistless power and sends il forth
to battle with higher and holier and d-
yincr aims2
a ! believe that the invention of the
mariners compass was by the leading
of the spirit of God.
! believe that the pioneers who dis
covered America were led by the spirit
of God in that sublime enterprise.
believe that the genius who invent
cd tho Steam engine was inspired by the
spirit of God.
! believe that the men who invented
printing and the printing press were
inspired and led by the spirit of God.
! believe that the genius who drove
out darkness by the cleaning torch of
electricity, harnessed the dynamo to the
burdens of humanity and binding with
myriad wires made the world broth
erhood was inspired by the spirit of
God
IL is blasphemy to deny it. Yet how
few Of us have recognized this solemn
and worldwide truth!
II is time to enlarge our faith. IL is
time 10 lift up our eyes and see the
grander temple God is thus silently
building on earth. Ii is time to recog-
nize that nobler hierarchy whose king
dom is the world, whose constituency is
humanity-man made in the image of
God No sublimer temples were ever
reared to the honor of God than those
white palaces of mechanic and liberal
arts that lifted themselves in solemn
beauty and glory by the emerald wa
ters Of Lake Michigan.
There can be no such thing as finality
to human society so long as it inhabiis
this planet. The cry of all voices is
onward, upward!
We expect progress. To impede 1t
now is an impossibility. 1t has become
AS natural and inevitable to the man of
the century as breathing.
In the marvels of our material prog
ress we see the promise of the swift
emancipation and redemption of man.
First-Our progress in the mastery
Of the mysteries of nature and the sub
DUNG of matter with the present gene
ration has been without parallel in the
history of the world.
In 1875 at the Centennial exposition
IN Dh,loJolnbia tba Corlisc an,y;pa xuao I