The Detroit times., 1916-09-13
Baptism OF Horsesense
TUESDAY EVENING SERMON

Billy Sunday spoke Tuesday even
Ing on "A defense of revivals." TAX
ing his text from Habakkuk 80. 20
Lord. revive Thy works in the midst
of the years, in the midst az the
years made known. in wrath remem-
Der mercy" He said
We are reminded by this that
there are in the midst Of years many
things that remind us that the sands
In the hour glass OF time are fast
sitting for many OF us your hair is
growing gray. your eyes are dim II
takes YOU longer TO 80 a block and
YOU love 10 st In front of the fire
and dozo There Is the retrospective
view Of life. the retrospective and the
prospective. II you discover any.
thing In the retrospective that has
made you ashamed and Disguised
with the retrospective, resolve 20
make the prospective better by con
,rast.
Away with this twentieth century
tommyrot that the way to elevate the
people IS To mix up with them. That
will not elevate them. you've got "a
live better than they do.
I'm the words OF my text. oh Lord
revive thy works ne didn't pray for
more education. he didn't pray for
free trade. he didn't pray for mu
nicipal ownership, he said Lord, re-
yive thy works. There are people
in your city who will always suppose
because they are fools that the only
way 90 promote religion II for relig
ion 10 move uniformly In the same
old rut.
Graves and Ruts Differ
THE only difference between a
grave and rut is that the grave Ia
little deeper than the rut. but they
are both for the same purpose. Some
people are afraid, scared To death 10
introduce innovations in religion,
they are scared that God Almighty
might do something out Of tho ordi'
nary and arrest the attention OF TIE
man who is going 20 hell on high
gear However sound their line OF
reasoning may be. the old methods
are all right. science is not worth a
snap Of your finger, nor a pickayune,
unless they deliver the goods. ex'
press charges prepaid.
so what's the nature OF revival?
he - fffHN fftk fef = t~NfN@fr - -
nation We are facing the danger OF
the domination OF the material over
the spiritual; we are commercially
drunk. Take a bushel OF nickels and
walk down the street OF the average
town and you can lead the bunch 80
close L. hell that YOU can smell the
sulphur fumes as they belch from
the Inferno below.
THE biggest coward I'm America
today. the biggest coward We have
in the profession OF Christian relig-
ion. who Is afraid TO come out and
declare himself in campaign like
this is the business man. He is
afraid that some saloonkeeper, some
brewer, some black-leg gambler,
some madame OF the red light dis
trict and others Of that kind-they're
afraid they'll lose their trade by IL,
and by the eternal God they ought
10 be punished before the moon
changes.
Business Cowardlee Defined
"One Of the worst curses OF the
church today ia cowardice on the
part OF business men whose names
are on the church records. A cow
ard Oh. how hate him, The man
who Ia banker and miserable.
moral coward, the man who is afraid
of some old. booze hosting, beetle
proved. hog joweled brewer, that
happens tn deposit his dirty. shrinking
money In his bank-for fear he
might withdraw his deposit Let both
20 10 perdition together The bust
ness man who is coward He IL
afraid OF virile religion; afraid OF Of
Tending a prospective customer. a
client, and keeping away business.
Everything nowadays r. business,
business money, and the church Is
but second or third TO financial sue
cess. That Is what u In today.
we have got a wonderful coun-
try: wonderful. the American ad-
vances in industry. but ! am mighty
sorry TO say that we have not had
n corresponding advance In the NOR
atty and decency OF the country We
lead the world in crime. will give
you some facts about American crime
before get through-American
crime and the criminal record Of
America that will make your blood
run cold. and make you blush that
YOU live beneath the stars and
Stripes. Murderers, suicides. graft,
bribery. divorce and adultery-tney
indicate not moral Advancement. but
retrogression. Crime is more com
mon than honesty Honesty Ia rarer
today than Il was 50 years ago In
America. The pursuit Of money and
business Ia pulling your men away
from the church We are facing the
constantly growing danger Of dom.
nance OF the material over the spir.