The age-herald., 1900-04-23
The Strength of Knowledge and the Power of Love-"
HIS TEXT FROM PHIL. 1910
Superstition, He Said, Shrank Before the Light of Intelligence-Truth Will Survive and Error Fall
 Sincerity of Faith

Power of Love- was the subject of an able sermon preached by Rev. l. D. Steele pastor of the First Cumberland Presbyter- ian church yesterday morning to a large congregation.
 Dr. Steele took his text from Phil. 1:9-lO. ''That your love may abound more and more in knowledge and in all judgment that ye may approve things that are ex- cellent and be filled with the fruits of righteousness
 He spoke in part as follows: This thought is the widening and the deepening of the Christian character and gives strength and power to the Christian life. Christian love should not live in ignorance and cling to superstition, but abound in knowledge. We all know that pous de- votion may be destitute of reason for its faith or void of intelligence as to the true object of worship. Religious devotion may abound in ignorance, or it may abound in Knowledge.
 That greater part of mankind have d religious devotion or an element of worship cannot be questioned. Some bow in sin cerity to images or wood and stone. Others have faith in the bones of martyrs to heal diseases and faith in images to bless spir- itual life. The superstitious reverence that entered into the Egyptian worship of the COW or the serpent was blind deyo- tion. There is no reason that devotion or worship should be ignorant.
 Knowledge Is Light ? "An increase of knowledge is destructive to superstitious piety. It is destructive to superstitions and to frauds, pious or not pious. Where light abounds darkness fees. Where knowledge enters ignorance and its attending evils must vanish. You remem Der the ghost which the traveller saw on the roadside by night, but the morning sun transformed it into guide post. St. Paul in his journey met man who was a de- ceiver by slight of hand tricks he received a great hearing from the people; when Paul turned the light on, the deception Was exposed and the superstition left tho people; sight was destructive to it. The more ignorant and degraded a people the more likely they are to be filled with su perstition. Dead theories and superstitions of the past died, because of increasing knowledge.
 Any belief that depends on mental or spiritual ignorance for it's life and success, must go down with all other errors under the blaze of truth. 'Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free A religion of love that abounds in knowl- edge, and judgment that approves the eX- cellent and : is filled with righteous fruit, will stand the search-light of earth and heaven.
 "An increase of knowledge intensifes true character and inspires a love for it. Our love and admiration for others are increased when their true worth is reveal cd tryjpp and dffi- cuties in life. The more your friends are tried and proved true the more you es- teem them. When Johnothen saw David's courageous spirit. guileless soul humility and beauty of character, his love knew no bounds.
 Truth Will Survive
 "A keen investigation can never kill truth or hurt love worthily bestowed. This ap plies equally as well to Christ and his sale vation to any worldly truth. The Christian has a love for God his Father and for Christ his Redeemer. It is not true that there is danger in knowing too much of God and his laws, lest they be discard ed. It is not true that it is dangerous to understand too much about the word of God, lest you lose faith in it. The truth of God can no more be hurt by abounding in knowledge than can the truth of mathe matics or the truth of chemistry Prove all things hold fast to that which is good Error never purifies life, nor makes great character, or elevates a community or d nation. A true knowledge of Gods word is what is needed. The greatest men and the greatest thinkers of the most ad vanced ation have reverenty uncov- cred their heads and adored Him who came to seek and to save the lost Sir Isaac Newton, the greatest philosopher of the world, honored and worshiped the Saviour of sinners. Daniel Webster the greatest statesman of America, had this for his creed: I believe in Almighty God, creator and governor of the world. l believe the scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the will and the word of God l be- leve in Jesus Christ the Son of God I believe there is no other way of salvation than through His atoning blood Amen William Hesche1 the great astronomer, said: All human discoveries seem to be made only for the purpose of confirming more and more strongly the word of God. MT. Gladstone said: Tn my long career of public life, in sixty-fve of the greatest mines I ever met, sixty-two of them were humble followers of the words Redeem err
 Abounded ia Knowledge
 'I produce the testimony of these men for they were neither ignorant nor super ! sticious, they abounded in knowledge, in judgment. and approved things excellent Christ said 'Ye shall be witnesses for me l
  make these great witnesses, abounding in observation, in love, in knowledge and in sincerity, witness for the Saviour of sim ners today
 'The text says approve the things ex cellent. We know the excellent by the blessings it brings The human heart however depraved it may be. still recog- nizes the better things. whether fs does them or not The truthful man is more esteemed than the liar, the honest man more than the thief, the innocent more than the murderer. Virture is esteemed more highly than vice. The Christian should strive to bring to pass the best things for the individual life, the purest things in social life. and those things which are the most helpful to the whole community, and to be filled with the full ness of Gods love. This is the religion that should be sent to every nation, preached unto all people, placed in every home, and it should crown every individ- ual life. The world, sick and sore at heart,