The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-05-29
REV. GEORGE LORR DID, DELIVERING The ANNUAL BAPTIST MISSIONARY SERMON

been smitten by the mysterious fragment
of rock cut from mountain without hands,
and which Daniel had interpreted in the
passage before US. And what then? Are
all such disclosures necessarily unworthy
of credence? Was not Abimelech divinely
guided through a dream? Was not the
Immediate future of Egypt accurately fore
shown to Pharoah through the same
means? Assyrian cuneiform inscriptions
relate the accomplishment of various events
that were anticipated in sleep.
Thus Gyges, King of Lydia. had been adj
monished to enter an alliance with
Assurhanipal, and by this method Egypt
han peen encouraged TO unite against the
Assyrians. Likewise in Persian history
rulers, such as Afrasiab and Xerxes. were
warned and directed when their senses were
wrapped in slumber. and the scenes incur
tained were faithful counterDarts of APP
preaching realities. And what are all the
successes Of our modern era, all the con-
quests over nature. all the triumphs over
tyranny, all the vindications of human
rights, but the fulfllment of dreams
dreamed by saints and sages. poets and
philosophers, for the announcement of which
they were derided and cursed, were shut
up in prison and thrust out of life? AS
these visions have not failed. so neither
have reason to reject as inherently in
credible those which agitated the mind of
NebuchadnezZar, and which for centuries
have filled the world with hope.
1t is very generally assumed by COM
mentators that we have in the Kings
huge, composite image a prophecy of sue
cessive empires. There is. first of all.
Babylon, the neaQ or gOld; then the MeueS
and Persians, the breast and arms of sill
yer; followed by the Macedonian. the belly
and thighs of brass, and terminating with
the Roman. the legs of iron, whose feet
partly iron and partly clay. Frequently has
it been brought to the attention of students
that the description of Rome is very fine
and very pertinent. AS a world power she
trampled down all opposers and ut
terly ruthless and merciless; while ulti-
mately she undermined her own stability
by dividing into east and west, and by
mi n aliens
men and by blending with her customs
and manners the practices and vices Of the
of an old writer, The Syrian Orontes pol
luted the waters of the Tiber."
Christianity as World Power: This
then is my theme, appropriate, 1 trust to
this first assembling of our national societies
on the shores of the Pacific, from which
notable event should date a new era in the
history of our denomination. In it's discus
sion i shall not follow the order of its de-
yelopment ais we have II in Daniels inter-
pretations; for by slightly different
method it can be rendered clearer and
more practical
The originality of Christianity as a
world-power is worthy of serious thought
If anything is plain 1t is the difference
that exists between the metallic and the
stone empires The latter is cut out of the
mountain without hands; that is has
rroyidential beginning, and only of II is
the record given ta mat the T 1oa OF heaven
Of the earth are born of mixed human mo-
tives and ambitions, and have been the re-
suIt of various political or warike move
ments. None of them is warranted in claim
ing for Itself the origin which distinguishes
religion.
But in addition to this popularity it is to
no observed that Christianity is to fill the
whole earth In every sphere and terri
tory occupied by the image, and even be,
You'd 1t is to penetrate: Perhaps we shall
he told that Jesus said, MY kingdom Is
not of this world; and that therefore We
are not warranted in speaking OF IL at all
sure that our Lords words are understood?
What he meant was not that his empire
was excluded from relationship with human
COPY other world powers and strive to be
like them. 1t is one of the grave mistakes
committed by some pious people that they
regard organized religion as merely means
to itself whose sole function is the salvation
of individuals from the peril of perdition.