The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-03-16
THE SECOND PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH.
Rev. James Mofai,'s Sermon Last
Night.

Kew. JuHttS MOHtsts StEaaVh A-eSt
Night.
A large audience gathered last eve
ming to hear Rev. Jas. Moffatt, Pastor
of the Second Presbyterian church.
The hearts OF the people were prepar-
ed for q sympathetic reception OF the
subject of the sermon by tervent and
earnest appeal to the throne OF Grace
for auccees to the temperance move
mept DOW receiving its first impulse in
our city. The text for the sermon was
Luke ga Prepare We the way Of the
Lord; make His paths straight"
In imitation Of St. Paul, he would
reasou camly upon this subject. He
wondered whether had he lived in the
times O. Christ would he have
sided with the Jews, or in later times
would have opposed Luther. Ooe
thing is certain to be always sure
criterion 10 test all things by past ex-
perieuce aud exercise OF steady faith 10
Christ and in prayer.
In temperance eXciteme nta in time
pact the ordinances OF the sanctuary
have been utilized only as accessories.
But he believed that the Kingdom oil
God can be Get up in the hearts Of men
only by repentance, and that this re-
peutauce can be brought abou! only by
preaching tne word. This repentance
must be of ones peculiar sin or 1t ls rot
genuine. =.
What we need in this community if
a crusade against inlemperance.
He re erred to the great number OF
I people who never attended church. lie
termed intoxicatIon the root o.
all evil 1t is the father
OF most OF our crimes against society
md the family. There are some four
hundred places in town where iOtoxlcat-
ing LIQUORS can be bought, which is in
the ratio OF one drinking shop TO every
sixty-two people.
No wonder there is sucn wiCkedness
and go much ekeptjcism. To what ex'
tent he would enter into this movement
he would rot now cay. lie was work.
ing for eternity and for the advance
men, o. Gods work Both the religious
and secular press agree in attr'butlng
the power OF the Holy Spirit operating
upon the hearts OF men, 10 the agita-
lion and blessed fruits OF this move
mert. He said in some places In Ohio
tn at loud expression OF public sentImen,
had compelled men to give up then
wicked traffic But in most places
the wonderful changes were
wrought by the Spirit. H advocated &
systematic aud earnest season
Of prayer in our community ioT
the out-pOUring OF the Spirit
Nothing won!d please him better than
TO see the Christians OF tie city, with
denominations lines Emerged, Into fol
two weeks or months in prayer for bless
ing upon all efforts at thus time. He
did not think that total prohibition
would ever in cur day be seen, bui i
the Spirit OF God came down, there i:
| no telling where this work will stop
A wholesome agitation OF this schjec'
will no duutt result 10 legal benefit.
That slricter license laws would re
suit.
He referred in conclusion to Jesu:
| looking down upon Jerusalem and weep
| ing over her wickedness Il we coald looi
into the evil done in our tour hundred
| saloons in even one day, we soon woulc
weep and cry aloud to God TO come
down and help us.
II God is in this work he wanted to
have everything to 90 with it but If h
was net, he wanted to have nothing IL
| 10 with Ii