The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-09-26

tlAsI0k k092tuy having a form Of
g0dlinesS but de-
nying the power thereof From such
turn away" Oh Timothy Ill, 4, 81
He said
Our text could scarcely apply better
TO present-day conditions if st. Paul
had written the words this very day.
The world seems TO he going pleasure
mad. Very evidently we are In the
s'perilous times" mentioned In the con-
text 1t is proper that we investigate
this tendency toward pleasure and
Hormality as respects religion. What
is the cause of this condition. 1t IL
not because mankind have naturally
more desire for pleasure than for God.
On the contrary, Pbrenology shows us
that the very highest organs of the
human mind are those which relate to
spirituality and reverence. Under nor
NAL conditions, therefore. all mankind
might reasonably be expected to have
their chief pleasure in spiritual things,
in harmony with a proper reverence
for their Creator and His will.
What has changed this natural con
Siition, and turned the hearts of men
away from reverence for God and spir-
itnnl things to more sensuous pleas
ures, with merely an outward form
OF piety? The answer is that mans
reverence for his Creator and for spir-
itual things has been taken advantage
OF by Satan. God has been pictured to
mems minds as All-Powerfui and dew
ilish. These false doctrines. st. Paul
declares, are doctrines of demons
1Q Timothy w. H. These misconcep-
lions, formulated into mutltudinous
'creeds, became their idoIs. Each idol
creed contained little nucleus of
truth, around which monstrOus errors
were aggregated For long time we
blindly and stupidIy worshiped our
creed-idos, lighting for ourselves and
against others. Contributing our mon
ey TO the point ofsBacriace and self
denial, we built >costly temples. each
party for his own idol
We were kept 30 buslly engaged IN
thus fighting and working and build
ing that we did not stop 20 carefully
notice the horrible outlines of these
idols, nor TO consider their blasphe
NOUS misrepresentation Of the tru'
God of Justice, Wisdom. Love. Power
The Day Dawn 10 Upon Us
The Apostle says, "rbey that sleep
sleep in the night and they that are
drunken are drunken In the night.
Many thus have been asleep and have
ta,rthIn tIlknUe, eaonaottno th.
future which our Heavenly Father ho'
ordained for His creatures Varlou
ballucinations and Nightmares hav,
afflicted us. Many have been drunk
en- with the wine OF false doctrines
mentioned in the Apocalypse, whicl
rAeIls us that this drunkenness" or stu
ipsfaction OF error has extended 10 al
s1sfhons OF Christendom QRev. xviii, 3
we may well thank God that ''th
night is far spent. aud the day Is n
pband" "The Sun OF Righteousness
tshaa rise with healing In tits beams
(Malacbi iv, -. The result will be tn
oompiete scattering OF darkness. su
perstifion and error, which for 40 lonl
has more or less bcciouded the mind
of many of US 10 the trne characte
OF our God aud the true teachings o
His Word. II IN because we are Il
the dawning Of the New Day that "
are beginning TO see. as never before
the horrible features OF our creed idols
The majority Of Christians have no
vet discovered the real character o
the Almighty. They are Ia u trans
tlon state. They no longer worshI
their idols as formerly, yet they Stl
worship them, We can direct thei
~ worship the true God. but the idol
80 Snonstrously misreprescnt the Go
OF all Grace that The worship ispeceI
snrily faint aud hpifhearted; Or q
the Apostle declares, u is merely !,
form of godliness." without the powc
the force, the strength which shoul
'acromr"rv tho Worship OF thG tru
God. ttrbty understood aud properl
reTerenced
a ReVu'son ~ Sentiment
The dawnlnG OF the light OF the Me-
DAY of Messiah hegins 60 waken I
-erom the Nightmares of the Dark Age
We have begun 10 doubt our cree
iidols. Many have cehsed their wo
rship altogether, Many others respe'
them merely as fctlshes of the pas
Some nre afraid that ir The mass'
cease to worship The Idols all reve
'ence FOR holy things VIII pass ava
and the world viii lapse into heathe
ssh darkness. We should remembe
.-un the contrary. that We have beea