The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-07-07

undue asceicism and religious austerity
have forever vanished. ana with them have
gone IN many cases the strong. stern. stall
wsrt characters that made the age OF me
Puritan rcsplerdent for heroism through
out the world.
TIRE dayS OF the rampant inhdei and
atheist are also IN the past as ! aevouuy
greatly influence the thought OF the world.
No Nol.aire or Rousseau could number MS
followers by millions. Robert inSersou %
dav il little but a memory ~ eloquent
bathos and pathos. No thinking man -
moved by his mistakes Of Moses or his
Trades against tho gospels But something
more iasi3ious. mo-c subtle. more harmful
a thousand times than persecution o. Dia-
tan. inhdeliiy Il the foe ~ the church OF
The twentieth century. This inhde.ty Il a
sk~btfcism Of life rather than Of talk. II
ls the indifference that is born Of luxury
and fashion.
credit No one snail 90 beyond me In
recognizing it, splendid claims upon man
kind. bEt born 81 ITS very prosperity ana
affiueucc have como these subbe dangers
which the church Of TIC twentieth century
must meet Worlliness IS an almost Ger
tain adjunct Of prosperity and wealth III
difference to divine things y almost sure
to accompany unprecedented development
IN material things. Enormous expansion
on the earth does not favor an expansion
toward the heavens. sure We, must hsht
IL We would win Is as true to-day As ever.
hut the foes that W. must light are those
that weaken our hold on divine realities
and substitute earthly prosperity Tor
divine grace.
Now. / think IL Is no empty boast TO
claim that the Christian Endcavor Society
was raised Up By God for this especial
crisis In the twentieth century. IL II bulit
on strenuous lines. IL appeals 10 the sense
OF duty. It's purpose - not 70 amuse
young people. or to tickle them with the
entertainment straw. but TO call upon them
In the name or Jesus Christ to do hard
fLtn 80 faw fh.Fr 4 ord aud His church.
This Is the meaning OF the Christian
Endcavor pledge. Call IL what you Will
covenant. affirmation, promise; word II as
you choose. so long as you 90 not take Out
OF IL the ring OF high resolve and earnest
purpose to confess Christ and work Tor
Him. Love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart and with all thy mind and with all
thy soul and with all thy strength. Seek
first the kingdom OF God and his right
20 your religious duties This Is the mean
ing of the Christian Endeavor pledge. and
there is potency In such a promise.
The church needs the united prayers OF
united young people Every good cause
needs their combined and aggregated ef-
forts. The country needs their added
forces on the side OF Christian citizenship
and pure politics. The world needs their
undivided zeal to bring the nation under
the sway OF King Emmanuel. Christian
Endeavor furnishes a name and a plan Of
union in which there is no faint of sec
tarianism. a platform wide enough for
forty denominations TO staId upon. Who
will go with US. that we may each do the
aIpon these broad and substantial
grounds, thea. / claim that God has a use
for the Christian Endeavor movement in
the church Of the twentieth century. There
is no magic or legerdemain about Christian
Endeavor methods. We have no Prophet
Elijah, or infallible Pope. or inspired moth
er I'm our Israel. l will not refer you 10 a
passing phase or TO an exceptional develop
ment- / do not point to any past triumphs
or ancient history. L do not dwell upon the
value OF such magnificent conventions as
this. or upon any accident or accessory of
Christian Endeavor, but rest my case upon
these broad, undeniable propositions born
of the needs Of the twentieth century
First. the church or the twentieth century
needs more trenuou religious obligation.
Second, the church of the twentieth CEN
fury needs the testimony. and petition of
the prayer meeting. Third, the church of
the twentieth century needs more complete
and perfect organization. Fourth, the
church OF the twentieth century needs
larger brotherhood and more substantial
unity. These very things are the things
which God seems to have established the
Christian Endeavor movement 10 promote.
These are not local and temporary needs.
They take in the sweep OF the century and
the width OF the world. They seem TO be in
accordance with Gods plan. When we work
with God We cannot fail. Our own plans
AID schemes and devices may come TO
naught. but when we humbly seek Gods
hnger-post and follow the way He marks
out. we can never go wrong. for we have
His spirit TO lead us. His might 10 strength
en- us:. His power infused into every acJiv-
1ty, His word of promise 10 give us assur-
ance Ia the final outcome. To Him be all
gratitude for the past: in Him all confident
hope for the future"
Miss w. BeeIman. OF Dayton, o.. to a
piano accompaniment. rendered a beauti-
ful cornet solo. at the conclusion of which
the audience wildly cheered for an encore.
which she graciously declined. owing 10
the abridged programme. The vast chorus
OF trained singers, led by Prof. +. f
Jacobs. of Brooklyn. n. Y, filled the hall
with religious music and zeal which was
quickly taken up by the audience.