The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-05-21
Sermons of
Yesterday



A very large audience was present lie
said in part:
at is well that we remind ourselves
the import of prayer especially in this
matermli,tic aye, when tine demon Of
worldliness seems to receive 50 much
worship and homage, As Christians, We
must not bow our knees to this modern
Baal. we must not worship at his
shrine. We acknowledge with sorrow
that the influences to do so are very
strong, II is undoubtedly the spirit Of
the age to be so involved in business
and affairs OF this world that little
time is given to prayer and commun'
ion with God. But that does not dis
courage us as Christians. There are yet
bowed their knees to Baal Let us
feryently pray that we may be found
among that number. The voice OF God
shall also be heard above the din and
voice OF business life even in this age.
Fellow Christians, let Us be the mouth
pieces OF this voice. Let us sound it
abroad. Let Us pray the God OF saliva
tion to give us strength and courage
to stem this tide of worldiness ii it be
but ripple thereof.
Il wish in this connection also to
call your attention to an other fea.
ture in our modern life which does much
20 discourage prayer. | would call II
the Ghost of Deism; and it is much
more dangerous than Hamlet's ghost OF
old because it il more real. | will
briefly explain to you what mean by
the ghost OF Deism. Deism establishes
the existence of God on reason entirely
and disregards revelation. The Bible
j. not the word of God. The progress
and development of the human race and
Gods handy work in nature are only
the expressions of certain laws govern
ing the universe. God the supreme
ruler and architect of the universe, etc,
has removed from the scene of his
creative activity. His abode is some
where in the infinite beyond. He gov
erns by the laws only which he once
for all has established, and according
to these laws the great wheel OF the
universe runs on and on until-yea until
it runs down, and then? There is where
the longing soul leaves the teachings OF
Deism. there is where that same sou
places question mark reaching up Il
heaven. and in the search for an answer
he fees to God. to his revelation
Deism does not only establish the eX.
istence of God. according to reason but
tells Us that we must believe in su
preme being in order to be saved. Ot
course who and what this supreme he
ing is. and where he is, Deism says w
cannot know. Thus far the old heather
philosophers Plato and Socrates came
in their reasoning. There is therefore
certainly no advancement in philosophy
much less in religion by the teaching
of Deism. Though men may not pro
fess Deism its spirit is prevalent to
day. 1t permeates society as a poison
1t is a cradle devised by the ingenuity
of the arch-enemy of man in which h
lulls the conscience Of men to sleep, ant
in which he rocks the disquieted sou
to rest
"The spirit of Deism discourage
| prayer as a communion with God, be
cause it removes God so far from us, hi
whereabouts is unknown, and he doe
not deal directly concern!dg himself witt
affairs of men. How can men pray t.
such a God, and if they pray thei
prayer is certainly not communiol
with God. Secondly, it discourage
prayer as a communion with God be
cause it is sufficient to belief in
supreme being, in order to be saved
Men will acknowledge that they believ'
in supreme being. But they ruin thei
own lives by intemperence and vice an'
the lives of others by their sensuality
and greed. Yet in death the spirit o
Deism opens wide the door to eterna
blessedness and heaven. There is tn
poison in nut shll. Il do not longe
wonder why men stay away from
church, why interest in the Christian re
ligion is slack, why public worship AM
prayer is ignored, why the sweet in
cense of prayer does not ascend from
the sacred altar of the home). Friend
and fellow Christians, let us opeu on
eyes to these truths, and let us ope
our hearts to the spirit of prayer.
Prayer according to Luther, is tn
souls communion with God. This estab
fishes the blessed nearness of God an
that he is directly interested in ou