The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-02-04
OUR CHURCHES.
what Was Said and Done I'm Them
Yesterday.

The growth of the interest has been
gradual and deep. The week of prayer
was observed by the Church, but the
attendance was rather slim and the feel
ing not unusually serious During the
next week prayer and testimony meet
lngs were held in the lecture room, with
marked improvement IN the attend
ance and spirituality. In the third week
the multitude in attendance became go
great that they could not be sccommo-
dated in the lecture room, and the meet
ing was transferred TO the main audience
room. The power of the meetings Is
nightly increasing. Up to Saturday
right eighteen souls had protested
change of heart. During the week there
will be each day cottage prayer meet
ings at P. NJ, preparatory prayer meet
ings in the church At P. NJ, and regular
revival services at P. NJ. This is q
church of the people--everybody Is vel
come.
NORTH STREET NJ. Z. CHURCH.
George c. Wllding, pastor. Sunday
morning, February 8, 1878. Subject,
"The Worlds Offering to Christ-E1-
cuse instead of Service" Luke. l4th
chapter, 18th and Goth verses, They
all with one accord began to make ex-
cuse," Sc.
The unsaved are, in moral sense, all
in one class. While there are many
grades Of the impenitent, we may to-day
arrange them in three great divisions,
viz: Those who spurn and reject Jesus
OF their own free choice; those who have
grown neutral, negligent and indifferent,
and those who feel themselves wooed and
drawn by the Holy Ghost, and offer e1-
cuses for their hardness in becoming
Christians. The latter class is very
large one.
A gracious invitation precedes these
miserable excuses. In the text we learn
that this great man had prepared q
sump.uous least, and then generously
invited the people to come and freely en-
joy his hospitality. This is typical Of the
marriage feast of the Lamb" that Jesus
has gone to the "house of many man
sions" to prepare for his people. He
sends His servants forth preaching His
Gospel, and inviting fallen man to this
feast OF spiritual delicscies prepared for
them.
These excuses are formed of very IN
worthy material. An invitation implies
an answer. To the invitation OF this
host three excuses were rendered why
three persons could not attend the feast.
The same excuses are largely used in re.
iecting the Heavenly feast. The first
class place the responsibility on God. 81
must needs go" This makes sin neces-
sgry, and therefore man is irresponsible
and e1cusable. The second class claim
they have not time to attend to the de-
mSnds OF religion. This man said, 81
CO." virtually saying, with his disciples
OF to-day, 81 can not attend to both, so
| will give my attention TO the more i'm
portant of the two-my business" The
third class, all things considered, for their
own selfish enjoyment, prepare to stay
away. This man did not even ask to be
excused. There is growing climax in
these excuses. The first plead necessity.
The second plead important business.
The third simply plead their own free
choi,e.
These excuses rest on an earthly
foundation. The base of the first was
the possession of property. The man
had bought piece OF land. His follow
ers have ever since found the cares Of
great possessions an obstacle in surrend-
ering TO Christ. The second was the
accumulation of property. Had pur-
chased property in order TO win more.
The greed OF gain has swallowed the
good desires of thousands. The third
rests on sensual enjoyment. The claims
of society and God ara set aside for
carrsl indulgence and the qualification
of sinful luSts. There i. second climax
in these objects on which the excuses are
based. The first is dead msterlsl-tbe
cold ifeless hand. The second rises to
animal lite--the oxen, flesh and blood.
The third asceNds to human beings
social life. These constitute the promi-
nent clements of this world, and the
three great obstacles people meet In try
ing 10 live religious.
The sophis:ry and Stiffness of these
excuses are apparent. We can see this
even on the surface of the Scriptures
where we find them. The first wanted
to go and examine piece Of ground that
he had already purchased. AS though
he would purchase land without inspect
inc it. The second desired TO go and
prove or test yoke of oxen he had just
bought. or course he knew they would
draw before he paid for them. The third
wished 10 remain away from the feast
because he had married wife. This WAS
10 itself I'D argument on the other side
a reason why he should have gone. All
OF the excuses offered by men in our day
for not becoming religious are as empty
OF reason or logic rs these we have to day
considered.
At night the text was from the same
portion of scripture, msinly from these
words, IL pray thee have me excused"
The theme was q consideration and re
tutstion of many objects to becoming re-
lgious, and brief answer to the excuses
offered by people to the question, "why,
are you not q Christian?'
ST. JosEPH's CATHEDRAL.
Rev. Father Sullivan preached in this
church yesterday morning to a very
large congregation, taking as his text the
story Of the Saviors calming the tempest
He said that MANKIND WAS embarked
upon the ;cmpestuous sea of lie, and
without the care and interPOsltion
of the Saviour we are lost. A.
though there are times when we
nav think that God Is asleep and callOus
to our danger, still he is always aroused
in time and releases u, from peril. This j:
one OF the greatest mysteries IN our holy
Church. It's the mystery of the provi-
dence Of God" ltmay sometimes be that
the Cody are sorely troubled and are in