The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-10-23
The IdoIatry of To-Day.

The city full of idols.-Acts, xvii,
16.
AS we read the story of Paul's ex-
periences in ancient Athens We may
observe a striking resemblance to
spiritual conditions in modern New
York.
This is a city of great culture. 1t
is rapidly becoming the foremost
educational centre of the world. But
Athens teaches US that 1t is not the
ignorant alone who worship idols.
What is idolatry? 1t is "any wor-
ship that stops shortof the Supreme"
says the dictionary. An idol is "any-
thing upon which the affections are
Unfortunately SET" And with such a
definition is there any idolatry in
New York to-day? Yes; we must
confess that Americas besetting sin
is the worship of the idols of for
tune, riches, money, treasure; and
there/are multitudes who are striving
harder to gain success in the bust
ness world than to fit themselves for
the Kingdom of Heaven; who are
sacrificing their immortal souls for
the sake of worldly Success; who
have forgotten the command OF our
Lord, Lay up for yourselves treas
Tres in Heaven"
1t is a statement which I think
cannot too often be brought to IL
attention that in this city there are
more than a million people who are
Christian and Protestant in their
training and belief but who here have
no church connection and feel no
responsibilities in Christian service.
And of these many have been led
away, often unconsciously and unin-
tentionally, by the dangerous, fas-
cinating idolatry OF gold.
But there is another idol which
finds many thousands Of ardent wor-
shippers in our land, and especially in
this great city-the idol Of pleasure.
Pleasure, in itself is not wrong, and
there is nothing sinful in the desire
to be happy. God wants His children
to be happy. But pleasure becomes
an idol, and becomes sinful, no mat
ter how innocent it is in itself when
it supercedes God in the hearts az
fections, when it becomes the su-
preme thing in life, when it inter-
feres with the duties we Owe to God.'
There is one more idol I will men
ton, the idol of sinful self-indul-.
gence, which destroys many a life
and damns many a soul. Do you
realize how many are being led away
from the worship Of God and the hope
Of Heaven, because they have allowed
some evil habit or appetite or pas
sion to become supreme in their
lives?
Ours are not idols that can be seen,
but this city is full of them, never
theless, and worse STILL, our hearts
are full of them. And they are not
like the idols of which the Psalmist
speaks, for they have mouths and
can speak, and they call US to their
worship with alluring and seductive
voice, and they are grasping many a
soul in the fatal grip of death.
When Paul beheld the city of Ath-
ems full of idols his heart was stirred
with compassion and righteous in
dignation and an intense desire to do
something to overcome the idolatrous
tendencies of that age and city-to
bring the people to a true knoWl-
edge of Jesus Christ and His saliva
ton. And, my friends, as we look
out upon this fair city and see the
idolatrous tendencies that are here,
see the thousands who know little or
nothing of God, see the thousands
who are destroying their souls by
their sins, the same feelings that
arose in Paul's heart must be aroused
in ours; we must be stirred and in
spired to do something to save men
from the idols which destroy the
soul; we must strive to bring them
to a knowledge Of the One who
saves.-Rev. John Lyon Caughey,
Harlem Presbyterian Church, New
York City. in the Sunday Herald.