The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-03-15
SAM JONES' WORK.
Rev. s. y. Cryer's Idea OF the Great
Evangelist, Now LabOring in
Chicago.
"sAM JONES AND THE CHURCH.

SAM JONES AND THE CHURCH
At the Central Presbyterian church
yesterday morning, Rev. S. S. Cryer, who
has been to Chicago listening to the
great evangelist, Sam Jones, preached an
interesting discourse on Sam Jones and
the church" Following is an outline of
the discourse:
1.-THE time is come that judgm ent must begin at
the house Of God" LIST Peter, AIT.
Mr. Cryer said that the theme of his
discourse was suggested by the work go
ing on in Chicago under the leadership of
MIR. Jones, and of which he had a
glimpse. He SAID that he did not intend
| to discuss the man or his work, but
rather the circumstances that have made
both necessary. After brief descrip>
ton of Mr.. Jones, he said that he went
to hear him with prejudice. and came
away convinced that he had a
peculiar work to Go. He then raised
the query, what is that work"
and answered by saying what Eras>
mus was to the Reformation with
his satire on the clergy. what Mast is to
politics with his caricature of its insincer-
tiles. such Mr.. Jones has been to the
church. He has been raised up to re,
buke the hypocrisy of church members.
He may not use such polished phrases as
cultivated people are accustomed to. but
his words are no more shocking than were
the words of John the Baptist, who called
the Pharasees ''serpents and vipers, =
terms that the Savior also used Mr.
Cryer said that there were two things that
made the evangelism of such men as Mr.
Jones necessary:
/. The state of church members.
2. The state of church work.
After discussing sharply the indiffer
ence and hypocrisy of many church mem
bcrs, he said Il am convinced that if
some church members were compared
with the Pharisces the results would be
Exceedingly favorable to that despised
sect of Judea, for they at least had @
form of religion and maintained it scru-
pulously. They prayed, they tasted, they
gave of their means to maintain the TEN,
pie worship. But the modern hypocrite
who is church member goes only occa-
siOnally TO church, never to prayer meet
ing, has no family worship, asks no bless
ings at the table, rarely if ever prays and
has no claim on any shadow of religion
except that his name is on the roll o.
the church which he disgraces by
his indifference and systematic alb
sence from its services. Let Il,
not be too hard on the PhariseeS, for
they were better than this 1t would be
well for such persons to know that Christ
said, except your righteousness shall
exceed the righteousness of the Scribes
and PhaTisees, We shall IN no case ente
into the kingdom of heaven" 1t nigh
rouse them from their feeling of security
After dealing with this point Mr. Crye
took up the state of church work, takin:
for his basis the work in cities-wher,
! the work is greatest. and where the
! church is most fully equipped. Aftel
pointing out; a. The obstacles to worn
in city, he inquired into, e The re-
sources of the church, showing them t,
be distressingly inanequate, and then con
sidered, g } The remedy, ending with tn
thought that the church must be recog
nized as a means, and not an end; tn
chief object of its work being to evange
lie the masses; to save souls, and not t,
, build up society for itself,
TRINITY s RECTOR.
During the morning service at Trinit'
church yesterday, Rev r. +. Sweet an
nOunced to the congregation that he ha'
e submitted the matter of his resignation
d to accept the call to Tarrytown. n. Y.
: wholly to Bishop Burgess, and that h
had received a reply stating that
r would he for the best interests OF the die
r cese for him to continue his charge i
: this city and that in compliance with tn
C will of the bishop he had concluded tt
r remain.
It 1t was cheering announcement to th
J, congregation, who were very anxious les
!, Mr. Sweet would decide to leave the par
II ish. Mr.. Sweet is much beloved by hi
r Pensioners, is popular with the commu
y NIFTY at large and his decision will be wei
) come intelligence to the public IN gen