, 1911-12-07

Christendom is losing the sentiment of
gratitude to God. and Thanksgiving
Day Is to many merely u holiday. In
religious matters in general. Christen.
dom is rapidly approaching the condi-
lions ~prophesied by st. Paul. when
men would preserve the form of god
liness but deny its power. I'll Timothy
Iii. o. The cause of this the Pastor
traced to the increasing intelligence
of our day which. along religious lines.
has cut loose from the Bible and pro.
~portionately cut loose from the true
God.
Higher Critics. not content with the
rejection Of the creeds of the Dark
Ages. have attacked the Bible. preju-
diced against 1t by the Inconsistencies,
of the creeds Thinking to render as
sistance to humanity and to the Truth.
they have for fifty years been quietly
and successfully engaged in undermln-
ing the faith of Christendom in the
Bible n II Divine Revelation. They
claim for themselves "a similar inspira-
ton to that of the Apostles. while they
ridicule the thought that holy Prophets
of old spake and wrote as they were
moved by the Holy Spirit of God
II Peter 1. 21.
Evolution and Higher Criticism.
Rejecting the Bible as a special Di
vim Revelation from a personal God.
the next step of the Higher Critics
was an easy one-to proclaim nature
the god and creator of all ~things-an
impersonal god. Thus they were just
in line for Darwin's theory of Evolu
tion-that nature is god and nork is
the law of n~ature-the survival of the
fttest-and the fittest the most pug
nacious and ~overbearing. and selfish
and scheming.
Thus We have gradually reached the
place where the masses OF Christen
dom doubt the existence of n personal
God. and are inclined to believe in II
blind. brute force-a nature-god-and
to hope that by some process Of evo-
luton their children's children. in the
far hereafter. may attain to something
better than the present: but they see
not even the assurance of a future life
for themselves. any more than for the
brute creation.
u%nthankfui. unhoIy, Covenant Break
ers.
This explains to us why the masses
feel little interest in Thanksgiving
Day. except as a holiday. They have
lost their God-the living and true
Coda Heavenly Father. Under these
circumstances. declared Pastor Rus
sell. 1t is not strange that they are un-
believers-that Thanksgiving Is be
coming a mere fOrmality. that the
rhurches are nearly empty and the
prisons Overlooking and many of the
world p~leasure-mad. st. Paul's words.
without God and having no hope In
the world" surely fit the majority of
Christendom today. These conditions
breed the reverse of thankfulness.
namely dissatisfaction, Thus we see
the world enjoying blessings as never
before. and discontinued as never be-
fore. The opening of the eye of I'M
Outstanding TO the fact that u race
is one. and that the blessings of earth
belong equally to all. is now coming
10 men. These are great truths. with
his knowledge should come an appre
. VI Nht tlNiht oblN 49, ~
the enrth's affairs. and n knowledge
Of the Divine Intention to rectify all
III" inequalities and in-equities of the
Present time In n future Age.
Since the desire of nil mankind Is
happiness. our college men are nm
Philosophical In proclaiming a theory
which is destroying happiness. and
VIII II threatens shortly to destroy our
utilization through anarchy.
What unthankfuIness Costs.
We may he sure that unthankfui
ness today will bring upon man. nat
orally, II great curse-a great calami-
" We see 1t coming. Unbelief in
God means more trust In self-means
more discomfort means strife to at
tain the things coveted-m means an
archy-means the disruption OF our
Present social system. AS the Word of
God foretells. Daniel xii. l., Read
at your convenience the Apostles ar
ument on this subject. Romans l..
The silver lining to the dark cloud Is
IN the Divine promise of rescue. after
me world shall have learned u lesson
Tor eternity. The Scriptures assure US
mat the time of trouble and anarchy
Will be followed by the establishment
OF Messiah's glorious Kingdom
ulhding of Satan the letting loose OF
every good influence and the true
knowledge of God-the rising Of the
Sun Of Righteousness with healing In
It's beams. That glorious time must be
waited for,