Evening journal., 1916-01-31
SOlUirg and Reaping
the Tabernacle yesterday afternoon by DR.. Lyon.
Sermon preached in the I
CONTINUED From Page Sd


tered broadcast over the state, so
that the state legislature appropri
ated first the sum Of twenty-five thou
sand dollars. and afterwards one hun
dred thousand dollars. and they say
It will take a million to root out that
thistle. In each case they have reap
ID more than they sowed.
This universal principle is true
with nations They reap as they SOW.
You who are students of history know
these four great world empires. As
syria, Babylonia. Persia and Mace
donia, each reared on the ruins Of its
predecessor. And, each went down to
Its destruction from exactly the same
cause. vice and sin in the lives Of its
people. Rome was not destroyed by
barbarians. True, they plundered a
city whose name was Rome, but the
proud mistress Of the world had long
been dead. for when the vandals from
the north came down to embrace a
bride, they seized a corpse. The life
Of the Roman Empire had already
been eaten out by drunkenness and
debauchery. Why have the nations
In the north Of Europe produced a
higher type Of civilization than the
nations in the south Of Europe? The
one class has produced such men as
oliver Cromwell and John Hampden
Of England. and Robert Bruce and
John Knox, of Scotland. Gustavus
Adolphus, OF Sweden. and Martin
Luther, OF Germany. The other has
produced such men as Philip the Sec
ond, and Duke Alva Of Spain. II has
been due to the difference in the
kind OF seed they sowed. One sOwed
to liberty. education and spirituality
and the other to superstition and
ignorance and bigotry.
The great cause OF Americas prog
ress has not been due merely to heI
great extent OF territory. to broad
rivers and fertile fields. TO great for
ests and rich mines. II has been due
to the spirit and character of the Pill
grim fathers who implanted in ouI
civilization at its birth the principles
OF religious liberty. righteousness and
godliness. In proportion as we fol
low in the footsteps Of that noble an
cestry and prove worthy sons OF wor'
thy sires. this nation will continue tC
advance upon the path OF natural
progress. But the same seeds OF vice
and sin which caused the downfall of
the nations of the past are also be
ing implanted in our own nationa
life.
Some seem to think that Americt
has a patent right upon prosperity
permanence and progress. This is b!
no means true AS a people We hav'
sat down Indifferent and unconcern
ed. while national diseases are sap
ping the very life blood Of our coun
try. A university friend. who wal
appointed examining surgeon by tn
United States government during tn
spanish-American War. told me tha
OF all the young men applying for po
sitions in the army. at least sixty pc
cent. were physically. diseased by tn
life OF RIGHTEOUSNESS they had livef
so that he had to reject them. That
a horrible commentary upon our civ
ilization. II our flag is ever trailed i
the dust by our enemies, 1t viii no
be from the Spain or Japan without
IT will be from the sins within. Ou
nation needs not only to be fortified
hut also to be purified. II II was no
so serious. it would be really amusin
how many politicians, during IN
campaigns. keep harping entirel
upon financial issues. You know ina
no nation ever went down on ac
count OF a lack OF money. IL wa
rather when that nation got rich an
went off on a vacation and gave itsel
over 10 ease and luxury and debaucf
erv that it began TO decline. Tn
same thing is true in America toda'
The only candidate worthy OF you
votes is the man that will come ,ou
clean-cut upon moral issues.
This principle OF sowing and rear
ing is also evident in communitiei
A city or village will reap exactl
as il sows. Every man here Will &C
mit this truth. that just in proportio
as the name of God is reverenced
anv community, where the churc
and school flourish, where the spir
of Christianity is predominant an
strong and where vice and lawles'
ness are suppressed and unbelief
absent. that is good place to liV
"a good place to do business IN an
TO bring up family.
That earthquake at San FrancisC
was almost worth all it cost, in Il
moral lesson that il taught. As
matter OF necessity. they we're con
pelled to close all the saloons for s.
months. and Mayor Schmidt. althouE
a drinking man. admitted that erin
was almost entirely suppressed. +
said usually on Monday morning Il
police courts we're overcrowded wi
criminal cases but in that six montl
the courts sat and adjourned witho
a single case on the dockets. I'll
brewers Of Cincinnati started HON
town down in Tennessee, and th'
put a prohibitory clause In evei
deed. Some one said to them, wi
that is inconsistent in you, aft
making your money out OF the liqu
business to make your homes in ter
perance communities" They reptile
I'VE see the devastating effect Of q
e liquor business. and we do not wa
our own families contaminated wi
that influence" II is said that near
every brewer in Chicago has his oy
home in prohibitory territory.
Your own city in the coming yea
is going to make a bid for one or 4
other of two types Of people. Y
are going to invite the law-abidir
industrious. sober. God-fearing pc
pie. who are seeking for clean col
munity in which to live and lab