The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1907-03-11
Strong Sermons

quickly following the bishops yisi
here work will commence on the new
Episcopal church in Lyons avenue
and that the congregation will soor
have house OF worshipeof its own
Bishop Spalding chose his morn
ing text from Ephesians H. -:
Without God in the world"
st. Paul tried to think the best OF
people" he said 'He compliments
the Athenians upon being very re-
ligious and it must have seemed un.
fair and inconsistent to the Ephe.
slams to have him declare that they
were living without God especially
as they had in their city the most
splendid temple in Greece. one of the
seven wonders of the world. But st
Paul had had experience with the
Ephesians which convinced him that
the show of religion in the place was
unreal. Demetrius, siyersmith
when he found his business of max
ing shrines and idols was falling off
because of st. Paul's teaching that
God is spirit and dweleth not in
temples made with hands, had put
the city into an uproar. The Ephe-
slams were religious because it was
good business, not from high NOR
al conviction. There are good
many people like them nova busi-
ness man may become prominent in
the church to increase his trade If
he does that he is not christian. He
should be a follower of Jesus Christ
first and then go into business, be-
cause in that way he can best aid
his fellow men. Doctors and law
yers sometimes belong to the church
because it is good business policy,
as St Paul breaches, living without
God. If really consistent they must
be God fearing men first, and then
engage in law or medicine that they
may relieve suffering. This illus
trates the thought in the APOSTLE S
mind and it makes most men stop
and think as to the sincerity of their
profession. Perhaps we will most Of
us have to admit that we are mod
ern living without God
in the world"
For three reasons we are in dan
ger of being Goddess:
Cd Philosophers have agreed that
religion has developed from the sense
of mystery which surrounded the
primitive man. He felt so weak, so
helpless, so ignorant, that he sought
after God and found him. Today
there is no mystery. We think we
know everything, and the result is
that we feel able to live without God.
The moment we really open our
eyes we will find mystery enough.
The problem of pain and suffering
VIII stagger any man. The greatest
writing of antiquity, the book of
Job, is upon that subject Job in
prosperity knew God after a fashion.
but when Job lost everything and
was at deaths door with suffering
he found that his old religion was g
poor comfort. At first he proposed
to curse God and die, but in his helm
lessness he reached out for strength
and he found God the true and ev-
erlasting God.
~ All our knowledge is of sec
ond causes. The whole of science is
a discussion of second causes. The
result is that we forget that there is
a first cause. A man SAYS: 4 am
building house. He means he is
spending some money to pay archi-
tects and laborers to build the house.
but he does not remember that be-
nina all human agents is the God
whose laws must he obeyed. whose
must be used if the house
is to be built.
Ihere is one thing which no sci
ence of second cause can explain
lhat thing is duty. So try to be lust
and pure and sober and kind. When
there are many temptations to drift
IL is not easy, and yet in every man s
conscience there arises the moral
comamnd. Who speaks it? Who
alone can give strength to obey? God
alone.
Cd We value things in proportion
TO the difficulty of gaining them
When there was but one Bible and
that printed by hand and so precious
that the copy was chained to the
desk in the parish church, people val
ued even a sentence. Now we can
buy Bibles for 10 cents copy and
most of us never read it. It is too
easy to worship God. A good MANY
people in Ely today think that when
the church is built that they will at
tend every service. 1t is to be honed
that they WILL but they must be on
their guard against temptation to nm
deryalue that which is easily had.
What is the remedy for neglect of
God? Clearly, to think more deel,ly.
TO live more earnestly. And surely
the absurdity of living without God
because he is SO easy to find is an.
parent The thoughtful man will
utilize all the means of worship, al