The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-02-25
at'heeling &eaistef.
OUR CHURCHES.
W hat Was Said and Done In Them
Yesterday.

Yesterday.
THERE will be services in the lecture
room Of tie First Presbyterian Church
each night during the week.
T1y revival services will be contin-
ned At the Fourth street NJ. 4. Church
this week. Services at P: Z. and p.
n. The interest in the meetings contin-
ues TO increase.
The revival at the North Street NJ. 4.
Church, George e. Wilding, pastor, is
still in progress. Up to Sunday night
lere has been fifty-eight conversions
and ffty-seven sccessions TO the church.
Services during the coming week.
ST. JosEPA's CATHEDRAL.
The services of the morning we're con-
Quoted by Father Sullivan, who preached
from the parable of the sower and his
seed Christ himself tells us that His
word is like grain that is sowed in divers
kinds OF ground. The Word of God ia
the most powerful of all things. 1t Gre
a,ed the world and all it contains. 1t
was this word that kept the apostles
from harm, while they went forth to save
the world. 1t was the Word of God
which was set forth by Jesus In his
teachings. 1t was this which caused the
wonderful miracles during the lie oil the
Ssviour-even TO the raising OF the dead.
Why is it that this wondrous and holy
word of God is not allowed 10 sink
deeper into the hearts of menf They re-
iect the promise which it offers and take
only that which pleases them. After
celebrating number of points which
were well presented, the speaker
closed by beseaching his nearer TO give
gregter heed 10 the word OF God.
NORTH STREET N. E. CHURCH.
The pastor, Rev. George Z. Wilding,
had for his subject "A Fruitless Life
Nothing but Leaves" Text: Mark, lin
chapter and 18th verse, "And seeing
fig tree siar off, having leaves, he came,
if happy he might find anything thereon:
ind when he came TOT it, he found moth
ing but leaves"
Our teachers of to-day are catching at
the methods OF the Great Teacher. de
sin piGed everything-taught largely by
pictures. He aimed 70 have something
isr gible before the eye to convey the
though to the mind, and to impress 1t
indeiiblv there. How easy we imagine
We see Him and His disciples journeying
along the road from Bethany to Jeruss.
lem. The fig tree is at some distance
from them. AS they draw near to 1t the
events nsrrsted IN this chapter occur.
The principle of life and growth are
the same in everything. The Christian
lie Is largely illustrated in the Bible by
vegetable life. There is brought into
rsquisition the mustard seed, the goOdly
cedar, the grain OF wheat, the olive tree,
and in our text, the fl tree. The latter
is certainly very beautiful and spprs
pirate emblem OF the Christian life. The
leaves represent profession, the BUDS or
blossoms represent promises, and the fruit
Is typical Of Christian work CT activities.
Now TO the lessons OF this incident.
A living tree will be clad in foliage
Of green. A tree may have vitality
sufficient TO mature and ripen fruit.
When it ceases to put forth tho tender
ieat we conclude life is extinct. Many
ir the church who once bore fruit then
tor several seasons fue crops Of leaves,
At last thew ceased to put forth even
leaves and lost the spark of life. There
are those who have attended the means
of grace all their lives without producing
even leaves. These are dead in morality.
Others here who are living lives OF sin
dead in trespssses. The Journalist, the
noralist and the .ransgessor are lesties
iiteless trees.
Thu putting forth OF leaves produces
an expectation of fruit. AS we walk
through an orchard in early spring and
see the various trees shooting forth their
leaflets, how natural it Is to anticipate
the golden and ruddy fruitsge OF the fol-
lowing autumn. The fig tree buds before
1t leaves, hence Jusus had every reason
70 expect to find figs on this tree with
which to satisfy his hunger. Those In.
the church who by that relation make
profession OF Jesus should bear fruit IS
W oil as leaves. Leaves make a tree look
very graceful, but they don't supply the
place of fruit. We may, like this tree, be
sfar of, "but Jesus comes TO us ex-
pectiny fruit. We should not dissppoint
him.
This glowing expectation ends IN
bitter disappointment. Jesus had walked
from that happy home of his friends In
Bethany, neatly two miles away ana
the morning air had aroused his munger.
He expected to sppease it at this hg tree,
but finds it barren. Why it was truitless
we cannot tell. IL grew IN favorable
spot and had all the advantages Tor
frui.fulness; should have been burdened
with luscious figs. In all our churches
are persons who have all the advantages
and facilities for healthy growth and
fruItfulness, who never bear any frult ior
Jesus. Year after year, 1t is nothing
hut leaves" These were soundly con-
vertei, graciously blest, gave promise OF
much usefulness, and then settled down
to lives of spiritual idleness. On the
tombstone of many a church member
might be sadly but truly inscribed as an
epltsph, "Nothing but
leaves"
His whitening curse blasts the fruit.
less tree. He spoke the word, and II
"drled up from the roots" AS regards
His children, the keen disappointment OF
the forbesring Christ will yet find an
expression. Finding these lives to be
failures-all profession and TO practice
He will come some day for the last time.
HIS disappointment will be turned to
wrath. His blighting curse VIII tali
upon them quick as thunderbolt from
Heaven. They shall so into the eternal
world blasted by that curse-hteless and
le.fless to answer for wasted cspsoill-
ties and neglected opportunities. They
shall answer at the bar of God for living
fruitlets lives. They will learn ST
Heavens gate that fruitfulness is the test
of admission. AS they take up their
doletul march for the world of despair,
they will hear floating out upon that DIS
mol or a. n recuiem for a lost soul