The age-herald., 1901-01-28
ELOQUENT SERMON
 BYDR. J. P. U'FERRRRiiNN
Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods
 Before Me-"
MORAL AND PHYSICAL LAWS
Without the Former Man Would be No Better Than the Brutes-Are Not Gods of the Sense
 Still Worshpped?

At the First Methodist Church yesterday Dr. J. P. McFerrin preached an eloquent sermon to large congregation on the text Thou shalt have no other gods before Me" Exodus 2O:3.
 Dr. McFerrin said, in substances:
 "A short time ago several distinguished men of letters were asked to name ten books of the past century which had most influenced the thought of the age, and while no two lists were alike, they were unan- imous as to Darwins Origin of Species
 That remarkable book has no place for God in creation. For a time it created a profound impression, and many were swept from their moorlngs of orthodox belief into the wide sea of materialism. I am glad to say that even among scientific men there has been quite rebound, and that the con- census of opinion among them is that the true outcome of the deepest, though most exact and the most recent science of the age is personal God, who in the beginning created not only the heaven and the earth but the materials out of which heaven and earth consist
 Through all the ages humanity has rec ognized some being or beings of superior
 
 and knowledge, men have been monotheistic or pantheistic, recognizing the one God or gods many. Along with this universal idea of God is the sense of obligation of some sort. Indeed, so universal is this that man has been called a worshipping being. His tory substantiates the fact that he must worship some being or something. Worship is honor, veneration, respect, reverence paid to a superior being, and implies on the part of the worshipper love and devotion and on the part of the worshpped excellence and worth, hence the word wor- ship. or 'worthship.' There is only one be- ing worthy of our worship-God. In this first commandment to worship Him only we have the basis of all obligation. If there is God, as we believe, an all-wise, om- nipotent and eternal Creator and Ruler, then His government extends over all things an innate and inanimate. That God governs in the natural or physical world by laws, none of us who believe in Him can for a moment doubt.
 But God has not only a physical govern ment, but moral one as well, as man S moral nature indicates. If the most skepti- cal man will think soberly and dispasson- W cal being he comes under like laws with all physical things, he is also under other laws, moral, or whatever they may be called, that relate to the right and wrong of con- duct He cannot be ignorant of the fact that physical well-being and pain invariably result from the observance or non-observ- ance of natural laws, and that inward peace or unrest always follow the obedience or disobedience of moral laws. There is a world of difference between the physical and the moral; so great and marked is it, that If the moral were entirely obliterated, humanity would be reduced to the level of animalism, and life longer would be worth living. All moral powers point to God; and if there be no God, then the pains and pleasures arising from moral conduct are utterly without meaning. Establish the truth of Gods being, and mans moral ture, then he first and highest duty of man is to be in right relations to God and con tinue in them. No man is properly adjusted to anything who is not in harmony with his God, for right relations to Him mean more than we are apt to think at first sight. With God first in thought and affection, every thing earthly falls into it's right place; there
 
 rightful King is on the throne, all other claimants are awed into silence and sub jection and peace as consequence .reigns supreme. It is everything with a man as to where he puts God. If He is first, life will be noble, lofty, grand-full of meaning filled with power. If He be second, or in any subordinate place, then a multitude of voices will clamor for homage and many contending and conflicting lords struggle for the throne of the soul. A right rela- ton to God brings us us into proper rela- tions with everything besides. But notwith- standing this, men seek after other gods and involve themselves in confusion and trouble.
 Seeking False Gods.
 "Time and again the old Jews went astray, and as oft as they did brought up- on themselves individual and national dis asters. Departing from the true God, they worshipped Ashteroth. Chemoshe, Molooh,