The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-24

evangelist, ~. L. MOODY, under the auspices OF
the Y III. G. A, began yesterday morning at 10
o'clock, in Roberts Park Church. The room on
the main floor was well filed. but there were
few in the galleries. Mr.. Moody has not been
here since 1871, when, with Ira d. Sankey, he
attended they. NJ. c. A. convention, at the time
the international lesson system was organized.
1t was at that time that he and Mr.. SanKey eff
fected the partnership which was followed by
such great results.
The opening services began promptly at 10
o'clock by the singing of the Tooth Psalm,
'tPraise God from Whom All Blessings Flow"
The audience was composed almost entirely of
of church people Many ministers were present,
among them Revs. Day, Hyde Marine, Mcleod,
Baltzly, Tincher, Walk, Jenckes, Gil
lett. Carrier, Rawles, Duncan, Mitch
ELL Bright, Schaal, LIGHT Breunig,
Neighbor, Wells, Hunter, Rondthaler,
Walker, Thompson and Bassett of this city,
and Reys. Brown of Wabash, Hummer of Terre
Haute Cotton of Southport, Gould and Bau-
mann of Greeneastle Stuart and Middleton of
Brazil, Dart and Morris of Noblesville, With
erspoon of Danville,. Dunlavy of Plainfeld, and
others.
closely cropped hair, full beard, slightly mixed
with gray, not high but broad forehead, and
face indicating force and energy. He wears a
black suit and his collar is of the old fasnhioned
stand-up variety, and when he throws his chin
down the sharp edge comes threateningly near
to his ears. His utterance is rapid and business
like-clear. energetic, convincing, persuasive
sympathetic His force lies in the fact that
he gets near to his auditors.
fervent prayer was offered by Rev. Tncher
presiding elder of the Methodist Church, after
which hymn was sung by the congregation.
DR.. Mcleod, of the Second Presbyterian Church,
then read a few verses from the second chapter
Of Acts.
bringing in the sheaves' was then sung by
Professor Towner, of Cincinnati, in a magnif
cent baritone voice, the choir and congregation
joining in. After. brief silent prayer the
hymn, '.Mne of Sorrow" was sung.
Rev. John Baltzly then spoke on the topic
"How to Secure Preparation for Christian
Work" He said We must be Christians to do
Christian work. We get out of book as much
as We bring to it; out of a journey as much as
we take with US. 1t is the same with Christian
work viewed with regard to results There are
people who bring nothing to religious service
that come only to receive. They take away no
more than they bring There are many church
goers like sandbanks. They imbibe the shower
but render neither fruit nor flower. They are
like Pharoahs lean kline; the more they swallow
the learer they look. There are too many in the
visible republic Of Goa that remember their cit
zensbip in it only by the taxes they pay. They
are not working Christians. The famous states
of antiquity required of every citizen personal
service in the field. We must be soldiers in the
campaign, not merely payers of war tax, and not
buyers out of the draft When the hands of our
government in the late war were full, the French
Emperor attempted to set up monarchy on this
continent and our protests passed unheeded.
But the tables were turned. Richmond fell, Lee
surrendered. our government informed Napoleon
that it would be gravely inconvenient if he did
not recall his troops, and just then an American
army, flushed with the successes of long and
hard-fought but we'll ended war, made signifi-
cant movement in the direction of the Mexican
frontier, and Napolean withdrew
1t takes soldiers to do soldiers work. Soldiers
arc made by service. Skill to do comes of doing
Christian work can be done only by Christian
workers. "All at it and always at it, was Yves
ley's motto. 1t is the motto of Christianity in
earnest. Watch and pray; work and pray If
you would ride the waves you must strike out
The strong ship follows its appoin ted way. The
ship must have a great throbbiug heart and a
wheel So must the church of God if it is to do
that which it has been launched to do We want
the touch of Christs hand upon us as it touched
other dead things; want the sense of the sat
uration of Christs blood upon our souls if we
would reach the sin-sick souls of others This
is the preparation we need for Christian work
We need to become better Christians
The hymn, 1.-The Days are Going By was
sung:
'Hrhere are lonely hearts to cherish
While the days going by.
There are weary souls who perish
While the days are going BY
Mr.. Moody said there is wrong impression
about the church to-day. 1t is that young con-
verts must not begin work until they are pre-
pared. Why note They casnot touch Gods
work without touching him. Set the young
converts at work Let them DO the best they
can. 1t is bad policy spending all the
time whetting the scythe. 1t wears out the
scythe Sharpen it and NOW; when it
is dull, sharpen it again, and then NOW again.
There are some people who never make but one
mistake in life. They are so afraid of making
mistake that they sit with their arms folded
and never do anything.
Work, for the Night is Coming" was sung
and prayer was offered by Rev A. H. Carrier
Rev j. 9. Schaal spoke to the subject, How
to Reach the Germans" OF German popula-
800, GOO of non church-goers, Germans not iden-
titled with any of the churches He
thought there was here really great
field for missionary zeal and labor especiallv
when it is further taken into consideration that
some of the churches have little or no spiritual
itv at ALL and that the average German is
brought up IN the church in which the Christian
training consists simply in doctrinal and ethical
form. When the great number of in6del Ger
mans are taken into account, grave moral
question faces US in this country. The temper
ance question and the Sabbath question are both
serious ones. The average German is Lot an ad
Vocate of the element that is fighting temper
anee in this country. Those who fight it are the
saloonists and the nfdels, and these elements,
70 great extent have the German papers with
fhem, because the others are poor Germans
coLgregate in the cities and towns, and this in
dicates where the church of Christ ought to con
centrate its efforts They should be met with
their own tongue; their NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
tours should 60 from house to house with tracts
and boarding houses might be established
where the proper influences could be thrown
about them.