The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-04-22
REV. H. A. EDISON HEARD
\ FORMER PASTOR OF THE SECOND
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
sermon TO a Large COngrega-
tion-Other Services.

| preached an eloquent sermon on THE Su-
premacy OF Religion" to a good-sized con-
gresation yesterday morning. DR.. Edison
vas pastor OF the church from Jan. Il, 1874.
10 April J. 1873 His personal appearance
gives no hint of the fact that he was a
preacher OF note nearly forty years ago.
since he is perfectly erect and his hair is
not plentifully sprinkled with gray. Dr.
Edison has full, rich, powerful voice and
ar attractive style of delivery He will
remain in the city the greater part of the
week and will conduct the regular prayer
service Thursday evening at 7:SO o'clock.
DR.. Edison took as the text for his dis
course yesterday morning Revelation "
lila: And l beheld, and l heard the voice
of many angels round about the throne
and the beasts, and the elders; and the
number of them was ten Thousand times
ten thousand and thousands Of thousands
saying with a loud voice. Worthy is the
Lamb that was slain to receive power, and
riches, and wisdom, and strength, and
honor and glory and blessing. And every
creature which is in heaven, and on the
earth, and under the earth, and such IS
| IN the sea, and all that in them. heard
4 saying Blessing, and honor, and glory,
and power be unto Him that stitch upon
the throne. and unto the Lamb forever and
ever. And the four beasts SAID Amen
And the four and twenty elders fell down
and worshiped Him that liveth forever and
ever! Or. Edison spoke in part as fol-
| lows:
! SOVEREIGNTY OF RELIGION.
| With much besides, this superb picture
presents to us the supremacy, the SOW
ereignty of religion. Religion is first, SUI
preme. We may examine it from any point
OF view; consider its relations to the in
tellect; or its ethical interests; regard the
| affections and emotions; observe the high
| est flights Of poetry the noblest things Of
music and painting and sculpture. the best
there is of architecture; study the progress
OF society; think of man as an immortal
being; wherever we turn and however we
reason, We shall come back TO the same
! point, we shall have to acknowledge the
| supremacy of religion duty, right,
as passion, a discipline. esthetic
inspiration, as an immortal hope Religion
IS easily and plainly first; that is the place
given to religion in the text. The text
sets forth an ideal state of society. The
atmosphere teens and throbs with life; 1t is
an atmosphere of worship; there is not one
dlscordant note; in loving alteration all
crowns are cast down before Him who sits
upon the throne. Gods throne is supreme,
not only ideally, but actually, in fact, in
| the thought, feeling, life of every one. The
| sovereignty of religion is realized. Religion
| IS first supreme in every heart and in all
| the thronging life OF the great community.
| Now does this seem fantastic? To our
| present mood is 1t like a fairy tale, an ex-
| travaganza, a romance? Do we find 1t un-
ccngenial to present variety OF tasks
| and ambitions? What, then is wrong? is
| the texts ideal state of society wrong, or
are We wrong? We don't make religion
| quite commanding. dominant, as the
| text does. Well, what ought to be revised,
| the text or our methods and opinions? Let
| us see whether there are commanding, con-
elusive reasons for casting down all the
crowns before the throne for giving 10
| religion the first place.
THE INTELLECTUAL SIDE.
Look at ii on its intellectual side. A
| look here will be really enough, for 1t is
manifest that there are, can be no higher
themes. problems. than the existence
| of God and mans relation to Him. The
realm of truth is wide, and explore 1t as
far will will upon
sources Of knowledge as rich as those re-
vealed by religion, none that can satisfy
the mind, for we are thinking OF mans
mental faculties. In our most intellectual
| moods and experiences in the characters
tic struggles of the greatest men the con-
Germ is with the truths of religion. We are
conscious that we ascend into region by
| itself, to q latitude supreme when come
TO thought Of God and Jesus Christ. 1t Is
enough to say that. We do not need TO
| amplify it.
DR.. Edison deduced the supremacy of the
| themes of religion also from their insistence
| and Importance, because they must be at
tended TO. He talked interestingly Of re-
lgion's moral influence, saying:
Passing from the intellectual to the
moral sphere, we find religion still equal in
control. Lately we have been hearing
from that picturesque Oriental. our Minister
| WI. He does not think that Occidental
| Christians in China have been exemplfying
morality in very attractive fashion. He
does not think that always reach an
| ethical success here in America. He praises
Confucius. However, it is interesting to
| see that his appeal after all, is to re-
| ligiOn In irnin fOr
| o higher morality than that found in Amer
lea. he still ascribes the advantage to Con-
| fucius, China's religious teacher. There
can be no doubt that the highest ethical
| standard not only, but the highest ethical
attachments. have distinctly religious
cultured and most Influential where religion
| holds sway
A TENDER TRIBUTE.
| DR.. Edison paid a tender tribute to the
| memory of the late William n. Jackson.
He said: You have been so favored as to
have had for many years a continual illus
tration and example. He was not genius.
he was not a scholar, he was not an orator,
| he had no military civic title, he had no
| wealth. he really had no home; he was of
the common people, a simple, lettering,
| whte-hared old man. There is no kinsman
here to speak his name; he has no de-
| scendant Yet how many claim him be-
|
lives he was here TO help. TO minister. How
| many took up life's battle because through
| him their courage was restored, How
| many tears he wiped away. to how many
| Swallowed homes he brought his Lowell Now
| with what limits would you think to cir
| cumscribe this mans influence? Where
do not mis- many-sided Christian kindnesses
| reach, in the city, I'm the commonwealth in
| this land? Is il possible that any one could
| be found asking for the secret of such =
| life? Is II doubtful what enabled him
| through all those ninety years to live life
| of simply charity? The man was fash
| toned by religion. He simply tried TO follow
! Jesus Christ, and that is all there is TO it,
| An illustration of the supremacy, the first
| ness of religion, its ability to build up char
| acter 10 save mankind
| In conclusion DR.. Edison reread the words
Of his text and said: Does that seem like
| a fancy sketch. mere poetry, extravaganza?
| IL NAV have seemed so, but when upon our
| moor seldshness charity smiles and shines
| we see at last the supremacy, the sover-
| eighty of religion, and we understand how
| n Is that In an ideal society such as the
| text describes the whole happy throng are
| and must be busy casting down their
| crowns beneath the one crown, loving and
| praising and serving Him who sits upon the
| throne"
| FREDERICK FROEBEL'S LIFE.
His work Discussed ny Rev. III. c.