The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-11-02
THE DUTY OF THE VOTER
MUST TOMORROW GIVE A REBUKE
TO THOSE WHO INCITE RIOT.
Rev. DIR. EIlison's Sermon at First
Baptist Church-Rev. DIR. Lnsby
on Pulpit and Politics"

As usual at the flrst bdpllSI OHurcH
there were large congregations both morn
ing and evening yesterday, and elaborate
musical programmes were rendered. In the
morning the pastor, Rev. ID. j. Ellison.
preached from Acts i'll. 1, taking as his
subject, THE Day After Pentecost. He
spoke in part as follows:
1.-The power OF God is not shown so much
in rounding planets, in building castles of
domes and pillars. magnificence among the
sunset clouds and in painting the color of
the rose as it is in what 1t does for men.
No man can have any conception of the
sublimity of Divine energy until he sees
it sweep, in all it's fullness, through every
| faculty and along every nerve Of the hui
man soul. 1t is in building up Christian
| manhood in men that God is seen to be
| strongest and best. Not whirling worlds,
nor blazing suns, nor tempest shocks, but
| sanctiied and glorifed souls are God s
masterpieces. The life OF the Apostle Peter
| is a striking proof of what God can do for
| a man.
1.-The day that Peter and John went up
to the Temple TO pray was the day after
Pentecost. That is what gives added sig
nificance and beauty to this act The test
of Pentecost is the next day after. You re-
member the great excitement OF that day,
when the Holy Ghost was poured out upon
the church; when. like the sound of a
rushing, mighty wind. large cloudburst of
spiritual influence fell upon the Disciples
when there appeared unto them cloven
tongues as of fire which sat upon each of
them; and when filed with the Holy Ghost
they spoke in other tongues.
Surely that was a great day, and any
day that followed must needs have been
commonplace. Now, pentecostal days and
luminous hours are Divine blessings, but
the greatness of the blessing depends upon
the influence which these days and hours
exert upon all the days and hours which
follow. There is tendency among men to
cat this life Of hours into slices, to claim
that God has to do with one part of life
and to exclude Him from another. They
hold that Sunday is Gods day, but other
days belong TO man. They believe the
Bible is Gods truth, but not arithmetic,
whereas truth everywhere belongs 10 God,
whether in theology or science or finance
he who tries TO bend back any truth upon
itself has on his hands a struggle with
God. 1t would be as easy to repeal
laws Of finance. Men little dreamed when
they were attempting TO exclude God from
the full sweep of human affairs that they
were encouraging the growth of political
heresies which should threaten the very
existence of our national life.
am glad and thankful that this Sab
momentous decision. that 1t comes like the
hush before the battle and i pray God
that, In its stiffness and its sacredness,
men may see clearly their duty to them
selves, their Nation and their God. These
great and fearful dangers that confront us
did not spring into existence yesterday.
They have been the growth of years.
las Canon Wilberforce said in his fam
nous speech in Philadelphia, some years
ago, America has received the citizens of a
world A vast tide of immigration has
swept toward our shores. This tide has
| been mingled curse and blessing. Some
| of our noblest citizens have come from
foreign shores, but, too, we have received
| the, most Ignorant, the most degraded
| and the most dangerous classes of Europe
! In 1860 America had TO settle the question
or slavery and the integrity Of the Union
and in 1896 we must settle the great ques-
tons Of obedience to law. the sanctity of
financial obligation and the supremacy of
how to vote, but here to say that
to everyone of you is given a part in
determining what shall be the future OF
Il beseech you when you go 10 the polls
next Tuesday, go with consciousness of the
tremendous importance you are about TO
1t will make you thoughtful and earnest
and loyal to your country and your God.
And then. II the result be disastrous, i
| cannot but believe that ii is Gods purpose
| that we should suffer awhile in the valley
| of humiliation because of our forgetfulness
| of Him. 1t is q fact apparent TO all that
| In days like these, so full of excitement
| and of peril every good citizen should dis
| charge the obligations of citizenship. Thou
| sands of good men will vote next Tuesday
| who have never voted before but the test
| of the highest citizenship will not be next
| Tuesday. but the day after. and all the
days that follow. If men should recognize
| this duty OF constant fidelity to the Ma
! ton we would find that demagogues who
/ incite TO riots and lawlessness would have
no place in American politics and no in
fluence with men who bear the proud name
OF American citizens"