The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-09
BETHANY'S SUNDAY CROWD.
Estimated that 5000 Were ON the
Grounds Yesterday.

Grounds Yesterday.
With the exception of children's day,
yesterday was the biggest day Bethany
Park has had this season. Almost three
thousand people were on the grounds.
After the Sunday school, conducted by t.
]. Legg, the morning sermon was delivered
by w. T. Moore. Dr. Moore has just re-
turned from London, where part of his in
terests lie. Besides being at the head of
two colleges and editing one paper in the
United States, he runs one of the largest
religious periodicals In England. 1t has
been eighteen years since DIR. Moore went
to England to take a charge in London.
Part of each year he spends across the At
lantic, looking after his affairs, and the
rest of the time he is in the United States.
His wife is president of a college in Column
bia, Mo- Dr. Moores subject was IA Vision
of God" His text was found in Matt. V, 6:
blessed are the pure in heart, for they
shall see God" DR.. Moore said:
1.-THE beatific vision intimated here is the
dream of all earnest Christians TO be al
lowed to see God is the highest ambition of
all those who love God. Yet is it not posi-
BILE that we see Him and may see Him at
all times? Indeed, may we not be labor1ng
under entire misapprehension as to our
Him with sinful eyes. 1t may be worth
while, therefore, to look at the connection
between the heart and the eye In order that
we may understand our real position with
respect to seeing God. In the tWenty-thlrd
chapter of Proverbs, we have clear rev.
elation that the heart has a controlling IN
his heart, is he. The man with the evil
eye is always the man with an oYll heart.
He sees things as his heart is. The heart
is then, practically the lens through which
the eye will look and the vision VIII there
fore be. according to the character 81 the
lens. If the heart is pure 1t is possible to
see God. This is scientifically true, as well
as scripturally true. Our eyes constantly
take on the color of our affections; Those
we hate have nothing comely IN them
There was great deal of truth on the one
the origin Of beauty Those old philos
ophers who contended that beauty is IN the
however beautiful an object may be- if the
eye is not educated to appreciate It, It's
beauty will be practically lost. Hence, L
consider that if the heart is pure 1t is pos
sibIe to see God, even in the present life.
The pure in heart see good In everything,
as the evil in heart see evil in everything:
We set a thief to catch thief. The thief
knows the thief the evil heart d1scerns It's
kind. The pure heart discerns its kind.
God is only another name for good Inc
pure in heart see good.
AN AFTERNOON SERMON.
The afternoon sermon was delivered by
Rev. w. D. Rice, of Connersville, who
spoke on "T'he Present outlook of the
Church" "By church." said Rev. Mr..
Rice, 81 mean not denominationalism, but
the one builded by the apostles, with Jesus
Christ as the chief cornerstone. Before We
can estimate the outlook, it is necessary to
take an inook. What is the church en-
deavoring to accomplish? To bring before
you it's purpose 1 read from Matthew xviii,
Is to 20. Strange text, you say, for the sub
iect | think not. | don't believe we FULLY
appreciate the depth of meaning of this
much-quoted old passage OF scripture l
thank God we are reading more INTO the
text than faith, repentance ana pdptlSm.
1t is true there are these, and they Should
be given their proper emphasis, but that
which lies underneath and upon which is
built these things l think has been lost
sight of to a great extent. God so loved
the world that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whatsoever belieVeth in Him snail
not perish but have life eternal. God has
always loved the sinner and does now, ana
desires the wicked to love Him. ms rs was as
the business of Jesus who revealed COO TO
the world. He went about doing good; so
the church of the nineteenth century. He
healed the sick-churches are building hos
pitfalls; He blessed chidren-churches are
gathering them into the fold; He had re-
gard for the widow and orphan-the
churches are opening homes and schools
for them; He ate with publican and sinner
and fed the rabble-so the church is en-
deayoring to reach this class. Thus the
world is being saved to service under the
commission"
The minister then asked the question,
wherein the strength to carry out this
liberal Interpretation of the text? He
stated that it was in its spirituality. this
being the measure of Christs life. He
tioning the criticism of the Bible, the loose
observance of the Lords day and the neg
Iect of discipline in the church. On the
other hand, he referred to the encourage
ments. One, the rapid growth of evangelical
Christianity, and the other that Christ is
being held up before the world as never
before
To-day is the beginning of the State min
isterial convention, and great many
urea cheers are expected.