The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-08-10
BIG CROWD AT BETHANY
THE BRoILING WEATHER DID NOT
SEEM TO KEEP ANY AWAY.
ID. n. Dungan's Morning Sermon
tOn-The Regimeutal Reunions.

Between three and four thousand people
were on the grounds at Bethany yesterday.
The soda fountains and watermelon stands
were well patronized. After the Sunday
school. conducted by Mr.. Wagner. of Num-
Gle. the assembly gathered in the taber-
nacle at IL o'clock to attend the morning
services. The chorus rendered several Sc
lections, after which the Misses Norris,
Mr.. Smith. Mr.. Wagner and Mr.. Wiles
sang a sacred song. Mr.. Smith led in
prayer, which was followed by the reading
of the Scripture Iesson-I Cor. xiii d. r.
DUNCAN delivered the morning sermon,
basing his address on this chapter. He
said:
Years ago when / was preaching / un-
dertook to give series of sermons on the
subject Of love. thought that in two or
three speeches 1 could reach the height
and depth of my theme; but / preached
thirteen sermons and was then frightened
TO find I had not even given the alphabet
of the subject. Yet 1 will take it for the
basis of my address this morning. You
need not say I attended church this Lord 5
day and heard a sermon 1 will not call it
that. 1 am only going to talk on this all
absorbing topic.
Take any family Bible or hymn book
and you will find some places well worn.
bearing many finger traces. These fit into
the inches of human wants. Some years
ago an infidel club offered a prize for the
best essay on the subject of love. One
person turned to this thirteenth chapter
and copied it entire, only striking out the
word charity and putting in its place the
word love. The club gave him the prize,
as it considered it the most original and
best organized piece of composition Of
fered. Now you, of course, should not
make any such mistake with chapter so
familiar. If we consider the Greeks at the
time this was written, we will find that
they were accomplished in many ways;
they were fine orators, sculptors, skilled
in games that brought physical develop
ment, and were warriors and statesmen.
Yet they were not satisfied; and so Paul
writes this to console tnem, to quiet them,
to tell them of something better, some
thing of a spiritual quality within us that,
cultivated. brings a nature that is Godlke.
He tells them that though they have the
tongues of men with the gift Of silvery
speech that would subdue the earth's
greatest minds, and though they have the
tongues of angels with speech bright as
the diamonds that CLINT the chariot wheels
of God, and have not love, they are as
sounding brass or tinkling cymbals. And
he says: Though / understand all, would
be as nothing had 1 not love- Can you
think of a stronger way Of putting this ?
OF faith. hope and love the greatest or
Take a mans faith and his manhood is
gone; take his hope and he is galley
slave reduced to forlorn condition; yet
"a all ttncn 10 nxyo Ia
Foundation of all. What do we mean by
love? 1t is the strong GouIIKe principle
that underlies creation, powerful yet ten
der, merciful yet just, wonderful yet sim
pie. We punish a man for his wrongdoings
because we love the good In him and we do
not want il to be blotted out of his ma
ture. When the physician says that the
child will not live, the mother tenderly
nurses it back to life, yet she reproves
him because she loves him. Some say 10
let me dance o thou foolish one. Ask
yourself IL il would please God TO see you
go 10 the ball God says TO me. II you
does not order any one, but asks through
love alone to obey Him. Do you love in
the right way? Take this chapter and
read il carefully and then measure your
In the afternoon Burris Jenkins. of the
Third Christian Church, of indianapolis,
from 1 Peter ii, 3: 'Ie are a chosen gen
Grafton" He referred to the Jews, the
Greeks. Alexander the Great and the Ro-
mans as being chosen people OF God.
Coming to the nineteenth century, he
showed hat God had His chosen ones TO
do a cer tain work even now. He called at
tention to the sufferers of Armenia, and
spoke Of the wonderful work that Clara
Barton of the Ped Cross Society, had been
doing and Is doing all the time. He stated
that freedom is of all things dearest to the
heart of man. But with this freedom
comes an added responsiblity-that of the
law. Following the sermon came the
Lords supper. In the evening the chorus
class gave several selecfinns In music