The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-30
GREAT EVILS MENACE, BUT
CANNOT OVERCOME CHURCH
Rev. NJ C. Pearson DwellS on
Commercialism, Intemperance,
Hypocrisy and Skepticism.
THE TRUTH WILL PREVAIL.

Drawing his text from a prophetic vision
of horns and smiths that appeared to>Zac-
cariah, the Rev. NJ. G. Pearson. of the First
Friends Church. spoke of four great dan
gers that menace the progress of the
church in his sermon yesterday morning.
These he characterized as commercialism.
intemperance, failure of those processing
Christianity to live up to its precepts and
skepticism; but the churchs ability TO
overcome all of these dangers was con-
fidently asserted. The pastor said in part;
1.-The prophet beholds four horns, which
TO us are symbolic of four great destructive
agencies which scattered Israel, Judah and
Jerusalem. While these were passing be-
fore his vision four smiths appear. which
symbolic constructive agencies. whose
purpose to cast down the. destroying
agencies and build judah and Jerusalem
again into mighty and imposing struc-
ture.
1.-The church OF God in every age has had
her enemies. Foes have met her at every
turn in her history. Powerfully organized
forces have operated against her progress.
But the churchs defense is always equal
TO her danger For every horn there is a
smith For every destructive agency there
is constructive agency whose work is both
to destroy and reconstruct. May name
for you to-day what 1 consider the four
horns, or opposing agencies, operating
against the progress of the church to-day?
'First-The exaltation of the material
things of life above the spiritual. CONNER
cialism is the god of the present hour. In
the midst of the rush for material gain and
power men have we'll nigh forgotten their
God. But a reaction will soon appear.
brought about by the consecrated effort of
the smith the faithful remnant, who
prizes the esteem of God greaNer than
riches
''Second-The power of national evils. AL
most two hundred thousand young men
and maidens and older men and women
are crushed annually by organized evil.
The saddest part of it all lies in the fact
that the church is a sort of partner to the
business in that ii permits IL TO continue.
But the smith is appearing, in the form
of an enlightened unpreJudiced conscience.
"Third-A failure on the part or the
church itself 10 perfectly eXemplify and
demonstrate the character of Jesus Christ.
The principles of the golden rule have not
been fully practiced by the church at large.
But the smith is here with his humani-
tartan spirit, urging the great doctrines OF
love and universal brotherhood. The Sa-
maritan, as we'll as Jesus Christ, is becom-
ing the ideal for Christian men.
"Fourth-LaSt, but, perhaps, not the
least is the intellectual unrest of men rel
alive to the old faith. 1t is an age of ques-
tioning Churches are revising their creedS
Science is flooding the world with new dis
coveries, and the question of the agreement
of science and the Bible is before every
man. But a constructive agency is at work
in the form of Bible research. New con-
structions must necessarily be- But al
last the Bible must still be the message OF
God to man, and a revival of interest in it,
enthusiasm for 1t, and adjustment to Its
preceDtS are lust before us.