The Portland daily press., 1877-04-30
MIR. Needham Mt City Hall.

City Hall was densely packed yesterday af-
ternoon by an audience TO hear Messrs. Need
ham and Stebbins. The meeting was opened
by the singing of the hymn No. Gail my
doubts I give to Jesus" and Rev. Mr.. Nc
Winnie offered prayer Mr.. Stebbins then
sang the solo, "Tell me more about Jesus"
Mr.. Needham lead the 43d chapter Of Isaiah
narrating the promises of God to his church
| He based his discourse upon the words in the
| first verse-"Fear not" He spoke to those
that had been newly converted and said that
they should not be respondent at the trials
which encompassed them; that they we're as
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery
furnace, but they were not surrounded with
physical fire, but by the fires of affection and
sin, and they should take comfort in the words
of the text-"Fear not, for 1 have redeemed
thee; have called thee by name and thou art
mine" The preacher continued further and
said that the words of the text were not only
applicable to those who had just found Christ,
but applied equally to every phase of the
Christians life. Then let them not falter in
the work which they had undertaken, but push
on, fearing not the obstacles that lay in their
pathway, and remembering that He who is for
them is more than all those that be against
them.
MI. Stebbins sang No. II, the choir joining
in the chorus, and the meeting was then dis
missed after Mr.. Needham had offered prayer
EVENING SERVICE.
Despite the storm the hall was packed again
in the evening to hear the revivalist The
meeting was opened with the singing of No.
32-"Rescue the perishing." Mr.. Stebbins
then offered prayer and sang No. 90, Groom
for thee" He then, assisted by his wife and
Miss Sparrow, sang the song ."He knows
which is supposed to be the last one Mr.. Bliss
composed.
Mr.. Needham then took his text from He
brews I'd chapter, Sd verse-"How shall we es
cape if we neglect so great salvation Some
of us think We do not need salvation; the vile,
the fallen and the outcast may need it; but we
varnish over our own sins and fatter ourselves
that we are not in need of salvation but we do
need it as much as the most wretched. Saliva
ton is great how else could it be than great
emanating from such an author? for Christ is
the author Of it. When we stand in the pres
ence OF God and all those that are saved we
shall then know the greatness of salvation, and
for this great gift of salvation we are to do
nothing, we are merely to stretch out the hand
of faith and receive it, "without money and
without price," But salvation cost something,
it cost Christ His life in this world, His agony
in Gethsemane. and His death upon the
cross; and by this great sacrifice the vilest
may come and be saved. Aud shall we turn
our backs on the Saviour? There are many
reasons why we neglect the Saviour; we do not
stop to think seriously on salvation, and some
of us do not want to think, but there will come
time when we willjhave to think, when welshall |
plunge into endless ruin; but it will then be too
late. Sometimes we neglect it through love of |
sin. If we neglect it for love of sin sin will |
weave it's bonds about US and clasp us in its |
vice'like grasp; but the blood of Jesus will |
burst the bonds which.encompass US and set us |
free. If we neglect it through love of business |
the time will come when we shall realize that |
it is proftless to gain the whole world and lose
our own souls. Let not excuses dieter us from |
Selling salvation at the present moment, for,
How. shall we escape if we neglect so great |
salvation?' |
The choir, under the direction of Mr.. Fitch, |
sang very sweetly, and the services closed with |
the singing of hymn No. 90 Eternity by Mr.. |
StebbnS.