The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-06-23
CURE FOR THE ILLS
OF SOCIETY, THEME
Strong Sermon Delivered on
Subject by the Rev. Rob-
ert NJ. Stevenson.

"'rhe Only Cure for the Ills Of Socl
1ty'' was the subject of the serma
reached yesterday morning at the FHrs
Presbyterian church by the Rev, Rober
VI. Stevenson. The Rev Nh. Steyenso
aiG in part
Paul wrote a letter TO the members
OF the Christian church In Rome.
In that letter he turned their atten
ton to conditions in that great city.
showing that the people, growing
weary Of all the natural vices, turned
TO the most unnatural and desrad-
ing Vices With these gross immoral
Christians in the intensely earnest
words. 81 besecch you. brethren, by
the mercies of God that ye present
your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
spiritual service. And be not fash
Toned according to this world, but
be ye transformed"
He called upon the Christians to
present Il body OF people, who lav-
ing been changed, having become
formed. had no desire for gross or
sinful life
The same evils exist everywhere
today and there is the same crying
need for a transformed people.
We ever enlarge our prisons, ever
Increase the number Of laws and
after we have set men free, having
served their terms OF Imprisonment.
they go forth, as a rule, to plunge
all the more deeply into vice and
crime.
The thief uses his brain to plan
how ho may creep into a house at
midnight, his hands In carrying away
precious things which belong to an
other and his feet and legs TO make
his escape.
But not all the thieves are In
prison: possibly there are more out
than in. Many who are not in are
just as much thieves. though not
caught. men who are giving short
practicing some trick by which to get
advantage. Many OF the men of
largest wealth and finest educations
employ the ablest lawyers to help
can get advantage Of other men and
at The same time circumvent the
law. They arc living in disobedience
OF the great law which God laid
down when he said. Thou shalt love
thy neighbor as thyself."
Other men use their bodies only
TO crafty their appetitcs and pas
sions and In doing 80 are willing
to prostitute our young people and
drag them down to the lowest forms
body grows all the ills of life and
so Paul calls upon men to bring their
bodies and present them to God Paul
knew that God had changed him and
that he could change any man, no
matter how deeply sinful or criminal
he had become.
Jerry McCauley confessed that
there was no crime that he had not
committed and yet God SO changed
him, that he had no more desire to
any other unseemly thing and thou
sands of others have testified to the
same change
We are forced to make laws and
build prisons for the protection of
society. but only In a small way do
they protect IF by some means we
could get every individual to apply
TO Christ to be made a new creature
we would need no more prisons, no
more laws, no more policemen Then
we would need no locks on our doors,
nor even need TO close them. but
could all lie down and sleep in per-
feet security,
Christian men ought to know sure
in the transformation of men. a
transformed man has no desire TO
take advantage of his fellow man
In business nor in any other way.
He is not only willing. but desires
to render an equivalent for every
something for nothing. He finds II
more blessed to give than to re-
celve
While It Is a blessed work to res
cue the man that is down il is II
moro blessed work TO prevent men
from getting down The rescue or
eanizations are TO be commended and
sustained, but tho church through
Its Sabbath schools, young peoples
societies and through its preaching
services and visitation from house
10 house can do a work OF a thou
sand fold more value in the trans
formation OF the race while Il Is
young before 1t has Become marred
and SCARED by sin and folly, This
is the sll-Important work which
should engage the time and the ef-
fort OF every Christian
Business men should be as true TO
this business as they are to the
business which they call their own,
But here is the weak spot In the
way church business Is done. The
very men who demand that tomor-
row morning every employee must
be in his place on the dot. violate
all that business plan when Il comes
TO their church life. When Chris
tlon men shall come to carry busi-
ness PRINCIPLES into the Lords busl-
ness with the exactness that they do
tbair Oun 5p,rlf ~