The Ordway new era., 1912-02-09

=. III Win Auoto SuuSc
(MsIQR RQSSElD than ever for
nkfulness.
Christendom Is losing the sentiment Of
gratitude to God. and Thanksgiving
Day Is to many merely holiday. In
religious matters in general. Christen-
dom is rapidly approaching the condi.
tons prophesied by St. Paul. when
men would preserve the form OF god.
IIness but deny its power. I'll Timothy
Ill. 81 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
sistnnce to humanity and to the Truth.
they have for tifty years been quietly
and successfully engaged in undermin.
Ing the faith Of Christendom In the
Bible Us n Divine Revelation. They
claim for themselves 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 MS a special Di-
vino Revelation from a personal God.
the next step of the Higher Critics
was an easy oue--to proclaim nature
the god and creator Of all things-nn
impersonal god. Thus they were Just
In line for Darwin's theory of Evolu.
tion-that nature Is god and soork is
the law of nature--the survival Of the
Httest-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 a personal
God. and are inclined to believe in a
blind. brute force--a nature-god--and
to hope that by some process of evo-
luton their childrep'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.
Unthankfui. UnhoIy, Covenant Break.
srs.
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
God--n Heavenly Father. Under these
circumstances. declared Pastor Rus
sell. 1t is not strange that they are un
believers-that Thanksgiving Is be
coming mere formality. that the
churches are nearly empty and the
prisons overlooking and many Of the
world pleasure-mad. St Paul's words,
without God and having no hope In
the world" surely ct 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 he
fore. The opening Of the eyes of IN.
Outstanding to the fact that our race
Is one. and that the blessings Of earth
belong equally to all. Is now coming
to men. These are great truths with
this knowledge should come IN appre.
citation Of the Divine supervision Of
the eartb's affairs. and knowledge
Of the Divine intention to rectify all
the inequalities and in-equities Of tn.
present time in II future Age
Since the desire Of all mankind Is
happiness. our college men are IN
philosophical in proclaiming theory
which ia destroying happiness. and
which threatens shortly to destroy ou
civilization through anarchy.
What Unth nkfuIness Costs.
We may be sure that unthankful
ness today will bring upon man, ma,
urally, a great curse-a great Gallant
ty. We see It coming! Unbelief in
God means more trust IN self-means
more acknowledgements strife to ut
tain the things coveted-means m
archy-means the disruption Of on,
present social system. as the Word Of
God foretells Daniel XII. ~ Rend
at your convenience the Apostles ar
gument on this subject-Romans
The silver lining to the dark cloud is
in the Divine promise Of rescue. after
the world shall have learned n lessor
for eternity. The Scriptures assure US
that the time Of trouble and anarchy
will be followed by the establishment
of Messiab's glorious Kingdom-the
binding Of Satan--the letting loose of
ovorv pood tnfuenno ond th, tr,,,