The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-14
Mr.. Jones,s Afternoon sermon.

After hymn and the collection, the meeting
was dismissed.
Mr.. Jones's Afternoon Sermon.
The City Hall was filed yesterday afternoon
to the extent Of every seat being taken, indicat-
ing audience of over 4, 500 persons The
services opened with prayer by Rev. Maxwell p.
Gaddis, of Ohio, the audience first repeating the
Lords prayer with him. The gospel hymns.
Ring the Bells of Heaven" Il Want to be
Worker in the Vineyard of the Lord and "FalI
Into Line" were sung. Prayer was also offered
by Rev. Hamilton. of the Michigan Confer
ence. the audience meantime scanning tho
platform in search of the little
Georgia preacher At last he CAME
upon the platform. accompanied by Rev. l. e.
Mcconnell of Roberts Park NJ E. Church. A
buzz. indicating the discovery went over the
audience Mr.. Jones is a dark-skinned
or, rather, sallowfaced man, SLENDER
alert and agile, of medium height, with
dark brown eyes, quick with intelligence. that at
times fairly snap and sparkle. His hair is black.
with dash of gray in it, while his mustache ia
black and straight, but narrow and thin. There
are many wrinkles across his forehead, as he
lifts his eyebrows His head is small and we'll
formed, his brow low, his face thin, his cheeks
cavernous His gestures are frequent but grace
full, as he walks to and fro upon the platform,
but his attitudes are, for the most part, un-
graceful He is careless and unclerical in his
dress, and his voice (he is suffering from cold or
overwork of the vocal coris), was at times
strident and rasping. But from first to last he
held the attention of his audience and it was
such close and active, and sympathetic atten-
ton that would delight and encourage any
speaker.
Mr. Jones, upon being presented to the audi
ence by Mr.. Mcconnell, spoke as follows:
We invite your attention to The second verse
of the tenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles.
We will read the first verse in connection With
the second:
There was certain man in Cesarea called Corne-
lius centurion of the band called the Italian band.
devout man and one that feared God, with all his
house. which gave much aims to the people and prayed
to God always.
The first century of the Christian world pro-
duced some of the most remarkable characters
of this worlds history, and perhaps this man
Cornelius was the most remarkable character of
this century of characters save Christ himself
Corneliuss character WAS remarkable in that it
rounded completeness. and, after ALL a sym
metrical, we'll ll-rounded character is the
most charming thing at which angels can
gaze Character is the immortal part
of man. Character is that part of him that shall
outlive the stars Character is that which COM
mends him to God and fits him for heaven.
Character, said Cotton, is perfectly educated win
and perfectly educated will is that which says to
the divine thou oughtest," Il will, and to the
divine Thou oughtest not" II will not" or, in
other words the perfect character is one in per
feet harmony with God. You may take one key OF
that piano. If it be out of tune out of harmony,
1t is not only out of tune and out of harmony
with every other key in tho piano, but out OF
harmony with everything in heaven and earth
that is in harmony. Put it in tune and it is in
harmony with every thing on earth.
Religion, after all. is nothing but harmony
harmony with right, harmony with God Chris
tianity sets the ten Commandments to music in
the soul Christianity makes evcry good word
and work In me like cord which, when
touched with the divine fingers, makes music
that would charm the angels OF the Lord. IL l
would seek the basis of Christian character
could not rest character upon the will, could
not make conscience the basis for character. but
would base character upon the affection. What
love and what hate determine
nv character. If you will tell me what
you love and what you hate, | will tell you
what YOU are. Now when take the law of God,
which is perfect concerning the soul, and put law
supreme and then conscience under the law Gu
lightened by law, and then give conscience con-
troll of the will, and then let conscience and the
we love every thing that God loves, and hate ev-
erythiug that God hates, then | am character
fit and meet for the saints rest above
This is the world of character making. Take
heed how you build Look well to your founda-
tons Build according to the divine law. Now,
Cornelius, as / said, was a remarkable character
in that he presents symmetrical character, and
I shall present the Scripture portrait OF this
great good man, and declare when look upon
this character AS Scripture portrays him l am
I~f md oha nod n ma
living upon the earth. The nineteenth century
does not present such a character as this man
Cornelius, and we simply hold the portrait OF
this man up TO your eyes that you and may
look repent and resolve by the grace of God to
mold our future character upon his more than
we have done in the past.
He was deyout man. Sometimes we say OF
our best character that Brother A. is good
man Sometimes we say of Brother j. that nc
is a Jealous man, and sometimes OF Brother G.
that he ia prayerful man. Sometimes we say
he is pious man, but when inspiration tells IA
that Cornelius was devout man, that covers
all the graces. In other words, he was thor
ouphly religious. He was religious through and
though end at home and abroad, everywhere
am ready to assert in my place that when
maa is really religious in anything he Is religious
in everything and everywhere. and that religion
is uncompromising, eternal loyalty to God and
the right
Cornelius had made up his mind to be reli-
gious, and this is the only basis upon which you
can begin to build religious life-the mind must
be made up. l like the sentiment of earnest
abandonment at the altar. My brother, have you
counted the cost? mo, l haven't had tmc to
count the cost / am going to heaven, don't
caro- what it costs"
The prettiest picture angels ever looked at is
home consecrated to pious influences, where
father mother, and each child is thoroughly con-
secrated to God ! want to say that revivals
are but subterfuge of an unfaithful church
understand me- now. it is an abnormal state OF
things in any community that makes a revival
necessary. but will say that revival Is mecca