The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-16

Last night, TO hear the Georgia evangelist, Sam
Jones- The meeting opened with prayer by DIR.
Hilary A. Goblin, of Greencastle The gospel
hymns Fall Into Line" sLet the Savior Come
L." Welcome Home" and I'm Child of the
King were sung. Mr.. Excel sung. as a solo,
I'VE Shall Stand Before the King" the choir
jssning in the chorus.
Mr Jones said: II invite your prayerful at
tention to the twelfth verse of the ninth chapter
OF the book of prophecy by Zachariah:
Turn you to the stronghold, We prisoners of hope;
essn to-day do declare that will render double unto
1.-THE all-absorbing theme of God, and angels,
and good men, is the salvation of the living
NEG the salvation of who lived
or walked a hundred years ago-they
have had their opportunities, enjoyed their
privileges and made their destiny. 1t is not the
salvation of men and women who shall live one
hsndred years hence. They have yet to be
bern and yet to hear the gospel for themselves.
They have yet to enjoy their privileges and op
pprtunities. But the great engaging theme in
The great heart and mind of God and angels,
and of good men, is the salvation of men and
women who live, and walk, and talk upon the
easth to-day. Is it not passing strange that this
hart of God and angels and that you, and you,
and you, [pointing over the audiencel are the
only beings in Gods moral universe that seem to
b. indifferent to this great question 1t is
my purpose tonight to talk with you face to
4Aee. 1t is my purpose to get you to think and
think wisely and scripturally upon this great
question. We are pilgrims and travellers here.
We will be at our journeys end in few more
deys, and the all-absorbing question with You
and me should be- Am prepared for the great
bsyondl Am living SO in this world that shall
live forever in the world beyondP We shall take
the exhortaton of the text and impress it truth
fully and scripturally. and, we trust, prayer
fully upon your ccnsciences to night.
Turn you to the stronghold ye prisoners of
hope We stop at this point and say there are
three classes of prisoners that hope, and three
classes without hope, that we know of, and we
stand squarely on the record, brethren-ths
book. have no time or disposition to discuss
the great questions of Christianity with man
wAO says he does not believe the Bible But TO
ypn Biblereading men and women, who can
Say. That is my mothers Bible and my fathers
s3sDle; they walked by its precepts, and when
their last lingering moments came they pillowed
their head on the book and died easy" you re-
akze that if this be the truth and Word Of God if
this little bundle OF paper is true, it outweighs
The stars of the universe If this little bundle
oa paper be true, am | fanatic an enthusiast?
III it is the Word of God l feel that | ought to
walk all over this city on my knees and pray for
every man / meet. to prepare these men and
shese women for the great beyond.
Enthusiasts! Fanatcs Oh my brother,
that member of the church who is so fanatcal
ne will not pray and such enthusiast in sin
mud indifference that he will not work for souls!
Oh, what fearful fanaticism and enthusiasm is
that Gracious Father. give me the enthusiasm
that is born of faith in Gods heart TAmen and in
Gods truth. / know because this generation is
yscked we have almost wiped out the idea of flu
tire punishment; but, my brother, with all my
art hall ;x,o bot 1aHc
heaven. | believe that if the good shall shine
aad shout around the throne of God forever, the
wicked shall be damned and cast out forever.
The same adiectives and deseriptives that
Gnalify the duration of hell are used to qualify
sbe duration Of heaven and, il there is eter-
nal hell, then che day will come when the light
shall 60 out from the sight of God and the pillars
OF the everlasting city shall give way. and all
shall so into nothing forever Thank God for
tcpless eternal heaven, and thank God for the
Invitation from our Father in heaven for US to
enagrate to that country where sickness, and
sorrow, and pain, and death are felt and feared
no more. Turn you tothe stronghold We pris-
oners of hope; even to-day do l declare will
render double unto thee. do believe, brothers,
that religion is profitable unto all things, having
The life that now is and everlasting life in the
vorld to come | am one who believes that God
does not rob us of everything before He give
us heaven. believe that if [ shall do and suffer
the will of God in this world, I shall have the
best that this world give, as we'll as the
richest blessing at last that heaven can bestow
4 am not one of those who believe that
If we become religious we are shut off from
all enjoyment. and that we must hang cur harps
on the willows, and sing no more songs Of glad
ness and have no more hours of pleasure. / am
ready to say in my place that have seen more
solid pleasure since Icame into your city than 1
saw In twenty-four years Of life of sin. /
thank God that while
Pleasure is Ike the poppy spread,
For seize the flower its bloom is sped;
Or like the snowflake in the river
a moment white then melts forever
81 thank God that while that may be said of the
aleasure of earth and what it may give. there
Hre joys which satisfy and sanctify the mind,
and are as lasting as God is eternal Thank God
for the offers which Christianity gives to man.
The stronghold you are invited in, brother,
as a prisoner of hope, and what is the
promise9 Even today do declare l
viii render double Yet our people talk
about the sacrifices they make. Brother, listen;
Sin carries its own punishment with it. The
way of the transgressor is hard. Virtue carries
its own reward along with it. Sometimes am
CHILLED upon to do hard things for Christ. but
glory to His name, the hardest thing
ever did for Christ was the thing that N ade me
most like Him when got through with it; and
thank God tonight that whatever there is of
privations or crosses in Christianity thank
Him tonight that in these things there is oGGts
the discipline that brings out the Christly spirit
and character in my life. And really. brother
we do away with the cross when we really un-
derstand Christ Christ has been taken down
from the cross, and He is no longer Savior on
the cross, and you are not bid to 60 on the cross
with Him. but, brother, you may live and reign
with Him and enjoy with Him.
I'VE talk about our crosses There is a cross
Imaking cross with his forefingersl. That is a
cross. When my will is one way and Gods will
Is another, then you have got cross. When
Gods own upright will will be made mani
fest and my will runs across the will of God, oh,
but what cross! And you whip Jour will
around in parallel line with the will of God, and
then you say, Il gladly do that will. oh. God, and
rejoice in thy service and in thy presence
Thank God, Christianity is not bundle of cross
es to be carried about, but Chris tianity is liv-
lpg cross. When / grow tired of It's burden,
then God will pull me up on the cross and make
1t carry me all the length of the celestial road.
Brothar let the cross carry Won. God will make