The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-09-24
INDIFFERENCE IS
THE GREAT FOE
or THE CHURCH SAYS REV. DR..
l.. .. BASS IN SERMON AT CAL \
VARY TENT LAST NIGHT.
A THEOLOGICAL FAD II
SIS To Find Fault With the Bible
II God Could Make Jonah He
Could Make Fish Big
Enough to Swallow
Him."

Rev. Or. l.. d. Bass, preached last
night on the subject of Indifference
at the Calvary Baptist tent at Twenty.
eighth and Sycamore streets.
The following is an except from his
excellent sermon
THE great foe Of the church is slug
gishness and indifference concerning
the souls spiritual interest. So many
Of You have wrong idea of what are
the best and most important things in
life. In contrast with the wrong EN-
phasis found in many lives, how care
fully the Bible il to lay emphasis on
the important things. | believe that
the Bible is the word of God. inspired
OF the latest theological fads is 20
find fault with the Bible and to dis
credit its authority; but | am still old
fogy enough and old-fashioned enough
20 believe the Bible. | believe that
Moses wrote the Pentateuch | believe
the Bible does not say it was a whale
that Isaiah wrote Isaiah believe
that the great fish swallowed Jonah
And if God could make a man. If God
could make Jonah, | see no reason
why. If he so willed he could not
make fish big enough to swallow
him, as the Bible says he did The
Bible Is all inspired, It's teachings are
all important Bat the Bible is not
on dead level There are great, out
standing truths on which 1t lays spec
ial emphasis.
In our text the Bible LAYS emphi-
sis on this great truth, that eternal
things, the things of the soul, should |
be first and other things second In |
every great picture or painting there |
is always some central object or fig |
ure around which all else in the pi.- |
tnre is grouped. Our subject declares |
that in every life the central object |
and figure should be-God. We are
to seek him and his kingdom first; |
and when the emphasis of our life is
on these great things, the things OF /
God aud true religion then the other
things of life will arrange themselves
in due proportion.
Our subject teaches that we should
not be Indifferent to religion, for it Is
more important than knowledge anI
that it is far more important than
wealth, that it is supremacy more inn
portant than pleasure My friend on
what are you laying the emphasis Of
your life? You say that you believe in
God. but where is the emphasis Of
your life. Belief is God amounts 20
little unless the life is His also. Christ
surely spoke with wisdom and truth
when he said that where the treasure
is there will, the heart be also. If
man believes business or pleasure
more important than religion he will
naturally give it a great deal more
attention. If he thinks it more i'm
Dortant to him to stand we'll in his
Odge than in his church, then when
odge night conflicts with his prayer
meeting of his revival meeting. the
odge and not the house of God will
nave his presnce. If people find more
enjoyment in the club or the opera
han they do in the church then these
leem 10 them the most important
hings, and the church service and its
interests are thrust aside to receive
be fad eni Of their attention and ser
ice This is common sense, Is 81
lot?