The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-05
PASTORS SERMON
REV. c. C. LAsBY' SERVICES AT
CENTRAL-AvENUE NJ. E. CHURCH.
Rev. r.. ". Hunter Attracts Large
Audiences to His Old Church, the
Seventh Presbyterian.

The Rev. C. c.. Lasby, the new pastor of
the Central-avenue Methodist Episcopal
Church, preached his first sermon yester-
day morning to a large congregation. The
church was decorated with the national
colors. Til choir was strengthened for the
occasion. MIR. Lasby is a clear and force
full speaker somewhat inclined to the
evangelist style of oratory. He speaks
without notes, talking with elaboration
when laying down premises or stating a
proposition, but speaking rapidly and with
great feeling when making the application
Of a conclusion or making an eXhortation.
His sermon yesterday was from tie text
found in the book of Daniel, in a part of
the thfrty-second verse of the eleventh
chapter: But the people who do know
their God shall be strong and do exploits"
His theme was a broad one, and, as he said,
was sufficient upon which to preach half a
dozen sermons, embracing the advantages
of a personal knowledge and faith in God.
The knowledge of God, he said, was in
itself a source of Inspiration and strength.
This was true only of the one living eternal
God. n look to India, with it's countless
thousands bowling down to a false god, or
to China, with its millions of w~orshipers
of C~onfucius, was convincing that strength
NdS lu W Ut deElNeQ ITOUl SuppllCdtlOn 10
a false god. Such gods were failures in
this line because, being imaginary, they
could not be Known. They were not a
source of strength.
There is but one medium said Mr.. Las
by, through which we may come into
such touch with God as to realize the
strength which a knowledge of Him in
sures. The medium is the holy word. The
human mind cannot understand without
this assistance. 1t is an appeal to the moral
nature as well as to the mind. The human
intellect is just as acute on the banks of
the Ganges as in Indianapolis. The gods
of reason are not sufficient. Nowhere ex-
cept where God word has gone have men
been able to form the r1gnL conception OF
God and OF duty. on the nrst page OF the
DOCK are the words: In the beginning God
created the heavens and earLn.' whence
came all these things? The wisest intel
lectS nave been STUDYING Tor centuries to
soIVe the question wlthout this word, but
nave failed. Some concIuded tnat water, as
being an essential tor all il1e, was the
creator, and water was worsn1ped as a
god. Some found taat ali life req.ircd neal,
and hence ire was worshlpeu. Whence
comes all this nature? Science has not
solved it. Inc writings of the most learned
or the scholars leave "a blank at this i'm
portant point. All nature names with God
10 him whose eyes nave been touched by
The Creator can control the created OBJ
1ect just as the mechanic ca1t controi his
p1OQuCl- oOu COlllFOES all nature Just as
the mechanic can control the bicycle he
manufactures God ru1es nature. and that
which has not seen God SHAH perish. Ages
ago God had a chosen peopie and the
Egyptians and other nations sought to OPP
press them. To-day these nations are gone,
out that chosen peopI still exists as a
distinct people. ns
In the material world Gods laws never
fail. But there is a difference in the moral
world. Why all this sin? Why ali this sor-
row, this suffering and loss? Why was
man made so that he could go astray?
might not have made man at ali. but
could nave filled heaven with chanting, sin
less beings who would know nothing but
his praise. They would praise Him just
as a music box which is built to play a
certain tune plays. it mechanically. 1t is
TINS ability. and privilege OF choosing that
develops the moral man. The human
Struggle fer publication gives God His
greatest joy. lie has been chosen by one
who has fought his~way to Gods feet.
With sin in the world it is important
to know how a broken law of God can be
atoned Tor. Not as of old by offering ma
terlaI sacritice and not as with the worship
ers OF false gods of to-day by such sacri-
flee" Mr.. Lasby here dwelt upon the pow
er OF such sacrifice to bring peace to the
mind even now He referred to the Gus
tom of the people of India to sacrifice
their own offspring, and feelingly pictured
the Indian woman taking her babe to the
Ganges and throwing it in, not that she did
not love the child as We'll as the mother of
the Christian land,-but that she felt it was
a necessary sacrifice for her own peace of
fees were not required by God. Jesus had
taken the burden from humanity. He had
paid 1t all, and upon Him the human race
must lean in time of sorrow. You must
know God SAID the minister. You may
know OF Him, may, attend church and give
your share when the collection is taken
and yet not know God" Honors and
wealth., he said, did not help the matter
any. The humbiest citizen could have God
with him, lifting every burden, washing
away every stain and always comforting.
The strength which is to come with a
knowledge of God. the minister said. was
not necessarily a physical strength. though.
remembering Samson and Gideon, he would
not exclude this strength. And he also re-
membered that the nations which have
been strongest in leading the world have
been those where the Bible is always open.
But intellectual. social and moral strength
We're the fruits of a knowledge of God upon
winch too much stress could not be laid
The social and intellectual strength would
come to all of a Christian nation in some
degree without a great personal individual
only attained by a personal knowledge of
COO IL the people were stronger in this
moral way they would not be reading a
Sunday paper when they might be seeking
a soul. They would not be idling at home
Sunday evening when they might be pray-
ing fer the preacher in the pew. In this
strength, he said, it was that Luther ac-
comp!lshed so much, and it was through a
Suf1cIency of this strength, through a
knowledge of God that Wesley builded so
We'll. Mr.. Lasby closed with an expression
OF the hope that in the beginning of the
new relation as pastor and people the holv
zeal might take hold so that the church
might work out the theme of the text.
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