The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-08-20
END OF THE SEASON
CLOSING EXERCISES At ACTON AND
BETHANY CAMP GROUNDS.
Large Crowds Attend During the
Last Sunday at These Parks
Breaking of the Camps.

Though the crowd at Acton Park yester-
day, the closing day, was not near as large
as those OF the three previous Sundays.
yet the interest taken in the exercises was
great. 1t was the general opinion that the
sermon Of the Rev. DIR. Albert Hurlstone.
OF Martinsville, delivered at the morning
service. the best Of the meeting. Miss
Anderson led the regular morning chill
dren's service at O'clock. The regular
morning services began at 1890 o'clock.
and DR.. Hurlstone spoke to an audience
of about 1890. His subject Christ
and the Common People He chose for
his text Mark xii. 37-"The Common people
heard him gladly" DR.. Hurlstone said:
Lowell has a beautiful poem entitled
The Search in which he says: Il went
TO seek for Christ and after searching
through Nature and amid power and
den prints of bare and bleeding feet Ac-
eOrding to this poem Christ is still the
friend of the common people.
Inc text introduces US 10 hlsnIy ora
matte scene in Passion week. In the pre-
cincts Of the temple a three-fold plot is
laid to entangle Him in his talk. The the
ologians, materialists and politicians of the
age are united to yanquish common en-
envy. There the classes are arrayed
against Jesus, but the masses hear Him
gests social INEQUALITY Before the law all
and spiritual inequalities. Some have ten,
some five some two or only one talent.
But Christ is equally the friend OF all. -
Christ was essentially the champion of
the common people. His home and His
friendships were found in their midst. If
Christ were TO come to-day the disadvan-
tageS, tempta ton, privatiOnS and miserieS
of the common people would preoccupy
His mind. The day Is coming when our
mon people as Christ did. Then we shall
see glorious sights. The liquor traffic will
class shall cease, one standard of morality
shall prevail for men and women alike,
and men shall be brothers this wide world
common people? No doubt the principle
causes of His success and their gladness
lay-O in the character of the Great
Teacher; % in the nature of the truths He
taught; 60 in His words, and CD the style
and method of His teaching. Jesus.
Himself most uncommon person This
has been true OF other great men. Lin
coin, though lover OF the common PEG.
uncommon person. His great intellect and
exalted rank never lifted him above the
love of his common neghbors. So Christ
was the same at the we'll of Samaria as
at the table of Simon, the wealthy Phar-
isee. Jesus was no ordinary teacher. No
sons of men. He claimed to be the author
OF salvation, and the Lord and gfver OF
life. In a world of death and sorrow He
was the light of men. The common people
were doubtless attracted by His profound
devotion TO His Fathers Will, HIS SELF
denying benevolence. the union in Him of
tenderness and condescension. with firm
ness Of principle and an intense hatred OF
evil''
AS TO the nature of the doctrines He
taught, DR. Hurstone said: THE topics
revealed God. the fatherhOod of God
the saving mission of Christ, the recreat-
ing mission of the Holy Spirit, the nature
OF the kingdom of God. the doctrine of
life. the facts of resurrection and immor-
tally, and the true dignity Of man, the
value Of his soul and his accountability to
God. He revealed the terrloleness OF nell
and the blessedness of heaven No less
striking was the system of morals He
taught. His sermon on the mount is the
spiritual Interpretation or Gods law Such
was Christ's power that the people were
astonished by His teaching, for it was with
authority. His was the authority Of
knowledge. He knew what was in man.
His was the authority of love and the
authority OF power
''The common people heard Him gladly
because OF His tone OF certainty. He was
not a doubter. He was the truth itself;
truth from His lips came original and
fresh, Ike coin from the mint.
His words attracted them, namely, the
force of his sayings and the benevolence
of His teachings. His parallels are match
less for the felcitOus delineatiOn of mi
mute traits. and for naturalness and beau
ty. What, for instance, can compare with
the parable of the prodigal son! He found
his parallels in a city set on a hill, in
a merchant seeking goodly pearls, in
shepherd, in a woman baking bread, and
in a vine and its branches. He laid the
foundation for our political economy when
He said Seek first the kingdom of God
and His righteousness. and all these things
shall be added unto you. So wonderful
were His words that new generations of
men are ever finding new meanings in
them. The common people felt the novelty
of ChristS teaching. There was always
something new. People never slept when
Jesus preached. They did sleep when Paul
preached. They did sometimes sleep when
Sturgeon preached, but Christ was so sim
pie, so suggestive, men felt Him TO be the
way, the truth and the life. He was stern,
and yet how tender He was.
1.-The words of Jesus satisfy the intellect
of man, the highest reason, the conscience,
the affections, and they alone satisfy the
hopes of man. He was independent, un-
conventional, original. God, nature and
conscience spoke to Him, and He spoke to
men, Christ was not of any party in
church or state He came to defend eX-
the right Of life. Human life very
cheap when He came, and also the right
of liberty, the right of brotherhood. He
taught that there is no salvation for So
ciety but by the cross, no throne so high
as Calvary, no crown so divine the
crown of thorns To Jesus every soul was
precious. He was the friend of publicans
and sinners, and He waits to-day to solve
for US our social problems and effect So
1t was expected that L. F. Coffin, presi-
dent of the Railroad Temperance Associa-
ton or Chicago, would make address
on the lawn near the hotel in the after
noon. but he did not appear at the grounds
Rev DR. D. c. Riehl Of Owosso. Mich,
reviewed a chalk talk at the pavilion at
o'clock. At night he delivered the fare
we'll address in chalk Walk on Fools"
The subject created much interest and
drew large audience TO the pavilion. DIR.
Riehl took for his different sub-topics, first
the moral man; second. the sinner: third
hypocrites; fourth, backsiiders, and. fifth,
atheist and infidel. The majority of the
Wis ba
services.
After the benedicton. those at the park
formed into line and went through the old
time. jolly breaking up. II consisted of a
march around the principal avenues and
then return to the pavilion. where every
body babe each other goodbye. with a
hearty hand-shake. To-day the majority of
the cottagers will break camp" and by to-
morrow the grounds will begin 10 take on
a deserted aspect. \ number intend to re-
main several weeks at the park.