The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-25
THE TRUE RELIGION.
Rev. A. III. HuizinSa, of Chicago, at the
Tabernacle Church.

Rev. "A. III. HuizfnEa, OF Chicago, at the
Tabernacle Church.
The congregation of Tabernacle Church
was addressed yesterday morning by Rev.
Abel H. Huizinga. OF the Mccormick Theo-
logical Seminary, Chicago. Rev. Mr.. Huizln-
ga spoke on the true religion. selecting his
text from Dan. v. q, Thou art weighed
In the balance and found wanting" The
minister said, in substance;
ITO weigh is to test, to ascertain the true
value, to detect that which is spurious and
discriminate 1t from that which is real and
genuine. This principle we must apply to
religion There is plenty. OF religion in the
world. Much Is good and much Is spurious
and we must learn how to discriminate be-
tween the two. First. the false and spurious
religion is merely a notwithstanding more
Such q religion is weighed in the balances
and found wanting. Tue religion is not a
officer TO keep evil men in check. 1t is no
slave driver TO stimulate the lazy with the
whip. 1t is no censor of public morals who
has exhausted his functions when he tells
the people: You must not dance; you must
not play cards; you must not drink: you
must not attend the theatsr' The true re-
The true religion SO aus the heart with love
of God that there Is no room for the love
of the world.
second. another mark of the false and
spurious religion is that Its sole aim is to
provide an insurance policy for the world to
come. Such a religion is also weighed in
W
religion provides not so much an insurance
policy for the world to come as a pro-
granlme for the present world. That heaven
should get into my heart now is more i'm
portant than that my soul should get into
heaven at future time. Third, IL is a mark
of false and spurious religion that ii consists
of the ability to use a pious praseology with
out any real experience OF which that
phraseology Is the expression. The true re-
ligion begins with an inward spiritual ex-
perience. The soul is brought into close
and personal contact with the great realities
of the spiritual world. True religion is the
experience of personal communion Of the
soul with God in Christ
Fourth, the spurious religion is complete
ly absorbed in abstruse metaphysical and
theological speculation. Such religion also
is weighed in the balances and found want
ing. The true religion, indeed, makes much
of creed, but the creed must result in
character. The creed must begin first in a
holy. unselfish. Christlilxe life. Greed without
character is worthless. Faith without works
is dead. In the last great day every religion
that is merely restraint and nothing more,
merely an insurance policy for the world TO
come. and nothing more, merely a pious
phraseology and nothing more. as merely. a
creed Gods own, hand Will write on the
walls of the heart where such religion
dwells: 'Teckel, thou art weighed in the
balances and thou art found wanting
1.-The religion that Is true and genuine Is
not a restraint. but an inspiration: not an
a programme for the present; not merely a
based on an inward experience of personal
communion with God in Christ: not merely
creed, but creed which results in char
acter."