The age-herald., 1900-11-12
THE IDOLATORS
 WHO DISOBEY GOD
There Are Many Gods in Our
 Community
CONNIE MERCIAL ISM THE WORST
The Great Danger Before Us as Peo- pie is Rowing Down to the Gold en Calf of Commerce.
 Dr. Steole's Sermon

The one supreme God of all men, mans duty to serve and worship.
 Rev. I. D. Steele preached at the Cum berland Presbyterian church yesterday from Exodus xxx 3-4. Thou shalt have no other God before me" Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image
 Dr. Steele spoke, in part as follows:
 These are not the words of a man, they were not spoken by the mouth of a man. but voice from the great God of heaven uttered them. The Bible no where declares there is a God, it never tries to prove the existence of God It assumes that every one knows this great truth. Our race is not mass of disbelievers in any supreme being. Man worships, and has been called a religious animal. The Christian the Jew, the Mohammedan and heather all worship. It is a sentiment planted in the soul by the Almighty. All worship not given to the supreme God is good sentiment, but mis- directed. Worship is stamped in human nature and is seen in all ages of the world and among all peoples. The total disbe- iever in some supreme being is the ex- ception and not the rule among men.
 Religious service of some kind is some thing men will never abandon. If so, they will reverse the whole history of the hu- man race. The objects of worship are many and varied. God intended that He alone should receive adoration. Idol wor- ship is debasng and degrading to our spiritual natures, whether it be idols of gold, silver, stone or wood. What ever we set our supreme affections on, it is our God.
 There are gods, many in our own com munity.
 'I suppose we will all admit that we are full of faults and imperfections, and I might say sins, for I have never met any man of the absolute perfect type
 An imperfect. immoral nature creates an emperfeet god for worship.
 'Tdol-worship is devotion to objects necting the thoughts. feelings, emotions and passions of the mind that created it. Our spiritual natures without a religion have in all the history of the world gone from bad to worse. Worship of any thing except God has power not to elevate us, but deepens our moral depreciation and shame. Spiritual evolution is absolutely impossible; for a wicked and defiled nature cannot send forth pure and exalted ideal of spirituality. The tendency in morals is downward and not upward Nothing but a revelation from God could have ever given us a conception of God in His righ- teousness, purity, holiness and love. In all the mutations of society, the changes of government, the rise and fall of nations mans morality and brutality did not im- prove, but grew worse. In the most in- telligent age of Greece the nation was fill- ed with the most degrading and debasing iC a Of ha old civilization The public scenes displayed before the Roman people and their inex- presslble infamy surpasses that of any other age These are the words of MT. Gib- bon, the great historian. He also says The opulent nobles of Rome gratified every vice that could be collected from the mighty confux of nations and manners
 This is not adorned by fancy nor blacken- ed by prejudice, but a lurid picture of hu- manity refined by idolatry.
 'The great danger before us as a people is lowing down to the golden calf of com merce and losing the elevating and en- nobling influence of worship found only in the service of the Lord God of heaven!
 The more we devoutly worship and serve God. walking in the footsteps of His commandments, the more our sentiments are elevated and our h1gher nature pur1hed by His grace. Let us give God His right ful place in our lives. all other things a subordinate place, and rule sin out
 "It will give untold happiness to our selves and bring rich benediction of bless ings on society. It will give the state the best possible manhood and citizenship. and give the world the highest civilization. It will give glory to God. Thou shalt have no other Gods before me-