The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-11
NEW PASTOR breaches
REV. CHARLES Il. BACON IN ROBERTS
park CHURCH PULPIT.
Received with Words of Welcome
Services ut the Catholic Re-
treat at st. Johns.

Rev. Charles e Bacon, the new pastor of
Roberts Park Church. preached his initial
sermon yesterday morning TO large au-
dience. Special music had been arranged
for the occasion. Prior to the sermon V. w.
Woodward spoke words of welcome to the
new pastor, the latter responding briefly.
Mr. Bacon spoke on the Greater Life With
in Our Methodism." He selected his text
from Matt xii. 6: Behold, in this place
is one greater than the temple" Mr.. Bacon
said, in part:
THE Revealer is always greater than any
of His revelations Life is more marvellous
than any of its manifestations. Back of
this past summer, with its blade and leaf
and flower, and a little later its ripened
grain and luscious fruit, was that greater
thing, the life of nature. AS the shopkeeper
exhibits in the show window only the sam
pies of his wares, so back of natures show
windows is the far more abundant life, how
ever profuse and magnificent the display.
Back of the golden glory of the sunbeams
is that more glorious thing, the radiating
orb, the sun. Back of this wonderfully COM
plicated body of mine is the greater and
mysterious life. Back of thought is the
power to think. Back of the house, with its
brick and mortar, its timbers and plaster,
it's furnishing and adornment, is that greater
thing-home. Every thing is great in pro-
portion as it reveals the greater that is
behind it. Everything fails as it fails in
this. The sun fails if it does not shine. The
heart fails when it does not beat. The
brain fails that will not think. The home
fails that does not reveal fellowship, pro-
lection and love. The frost-bitten bud is
a failure because it was intended to be the
basis of the fruit that never appeared. The
bush is failure that by blight blooms not
The seed is a failure that by rot terminates
not. Christ said to the Jews, Thy house Is
left unto you-desolate. The house is lefs,
but it is a frosted bud, it is a rotted seed,
blighted bush.
''There had appeared Gods greater
thought-God's broader idea than Judaism
Judaism was great as it revealed the greater
behind it, and it failed as it failed in this
AS Christ spake the multitudes hocked TO
the Temple, the stately and holy paSeantry
of worship proceeded, the high priest IN gar
ments of beauty and gold oinclated' me
incense in sweet perfume ascended, the
chanted psalm made melody, the blowing
trumpets resounded, the sacrihcial animals
spoke of the lamb of God that taketh away
the sins of the world. Behold, in this place
was One greater than the Temple. The
Temple was not rubbish 1T was of divine
origin. 1t was Gods thought; 1t was prl-
mary instruction. 1t was Gods primer. II
was letter in Gods alphabet by which de
was spelling His plan to save the world
1t was Gods Kindergarten. 1t was cube
in the great Revealer's hand, by which the
straight line of rectitude, the angle Where
love and holiness met in sacrlhce, ana the
equal sides and equal angles of the divine
character were revealed.
Every nation, institution and church has
an idea or character greater than itself
from which it drinks its vitality, and It IS
great in proportion as it is loyal to this
greater than itself.~The fundamental lueas
of this nations life is equality of citizen
ship or civil liberty. Slavery was a living
lie to this greater principle underlying our
Nations life as expressed by the preamble,
All men are born free and equal: Ihe CRISIS
came. Should this greater within us pc
indicated or should this Nation be mock
ing corpse before the nations OF the earth.
The principle triumphed and slavery went
down. This Nations greatness was never
more fully revealed than in the Anarchists
trials when months of time and minis or
money were spent that the world nalgnt
know that the great right of all under the
law was revealed and 1t was UNDERSTOOD
that even the enemy of law might nave It's
fullest protection. We said 20 nations or the
earth: Behold a greater than Aslallc anc
European governments can SHOW
Every church has its tap root OF VltaIty,
it's truth greater than itself ScoIch res
byterianism drew it's vitality from the right
to worship unrestricted by prelate or KING;
Puritanism from the great truth or 1ree-
dom of conscience, which truth mas given
this Nation some of its strongest noerS.
MethodiSm, we believe, was raised up Win
providential design. 1t was to spread scrip
tural holiness through these lands. II was
to proclaim a conscious knowledge OF sal
walton. 1t was a people taught 10 depend
on God Where we depend on social cast
in our temples of worship, on elaborate mu-
steal or pulpit attractions and on two SAP
bath entertainments a week. we are OF all
churches the greatest failure.
'Methodism was the touch of God in the
lower classes of society which filtered up
the highest, recognizing that all are sin
ners whether high or low, and where we
cease to become the peoples church we are
failures MethodiSm was practical, De
nehcent religion. The systematic laying OF
her pennies on the altar and the visit OF the
holy club to the prisoners and criminals at
NeWgate were among its earliest activities
Where we are true to this practical religion
we succeed. There is life that IS greater
than the temple of Methodism. 1t is sald
that some have joined the temple. Their
worship is temple worship, not Christ Wor-
ship They give their gold to the temple,
not Christ. They are faultless crltlcs Oh e tne
service, and they worry more about nav
in the ceremony or note struck wrong IN
the music than of many souls going to
perditon. The greater One In our midst
should ever be manifest. Let the people
come through the massive arches or the
church with their offerings of time and tai
emf and money and let them proclaim be-
hold a greater than the temple Let the
music be enrapturing, but let it proclaim a
greater is here Let the pulpits be learned
and eloquent, but pre-eminently let it pro-
claim a greater One Back of communion
is the One commemorated. Back of the
creed is the One believed in Back OF the
individual greatness back of his physical
and mental and moral nature is in having
Christ reign in his soul The physical is
great as 1t obeys the greater in reason, and
the intellect is great as it is governed by
the moral nature, and the moral nature is
great as it is cultured by the presence and
rule of the Sovereign of Souls. Back of
the great is always the greater.
''Heaven's glory as well as earth's is in
Christ When we enter Heaven and it's
splendors burst on our vision, each new
glory will proclaim Behold a greater Is
here The saints who reflect Christ's holt