St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-03-20
Rev. Sam Jones Asserts That No Man
Ever Went to Sleep Sinner and
Awoke Saved.
Heaven the Home Set Apart for Men
Who Have Built Characters
on Earth.
The Reverend Southerner Says He
Doesn't Go n Cent on Death
Bed Repentance.
He Who Takes His Gray Head to God
After a Sinful Life a Base
Coward.
Christianity Not Accidental.

Special to the Globe.
CHICAGO, March 19.-After the opening
exercises at Farwell hall to-day Mr.. Jones
stepped out TO the front of the platform
and said: What portion of this audience
are protesting Christians? Please stand.
Nearly every one except the reporters
arose. How many are American born?
Let them stand. About one-half of the
5000 people stood up. How many are
from Pennsylvania? About fifty stood
up. How many from Missouri? TEN
stood and three were black. Thus the
speaker continued, calling many Of the
states and each time a few would arise.
L have no doubts but that every state in the
Union is represented in this meeting. No
one ever became Christian by accident.
They do not go to sleep a sinner and wake
up saved. Ii any man is religious it is be-
cause he has determined to be so. Take
three-fourths of the members of any church
III this city, and that thTee-fOurths have
NEVER SETTLED THE QUESTION
| that at all times and all places, by Gods
help, ''Pll be good man." This good
book teaches entire surrender to God. Most
people have some reserved rights Men
say: Il am ready to join the church, but
l cannot live up to that stTaight-edge pat
tern of yours" may be so good Metho-
dist that can repeat every sermon of John
| Wesley and yet die a sinner and 90 to he'll.
| 1t is not what my ''ism' is, but it's my
life. Brethren, man who can be bought
off or scared off is not worthy the name of
a Christian. like the kind John the Bap-
tist had. A good Christian mother goes for
| me in paper this morning, telling me
there is time to dance, and that | should
read my Bible and not preach against it.
| Yes, there is time to dance. BelshaZZar
had dance while the handwriting was on
the wall.
HEROD ALSO HAD A DANCE
at his house. His daughter pleased him so
| that he had the head OF John the Baptist
was brought her on a charger to please
her mother. When you want to slay the
torerunner of all good, then get up dance.
| Yes, yes shouted Mr.. Jones, tell that good
Christian mother that the preacher says
there is time to dance, and that Belshaz-
Ear and Herod both found it. What is the
matter in this country? Just one thing.
God Almighty has not got hold of the blood
and muscles of this country. They all get
religion when they get old or get rheumatic,
or get worthless TO themselves. Every man
should be as good every moment of his life
as he expects to be at any moment. Death
does not trouble me. Our day of life has
more responsibility than dozen deaths.
Why, an empty coffin would chase nine
tenths of the Christians out of the city.
Let us not be scared at death. Let US be
alarmed about how we are living. Here
Mr. Jones related his old tale about the old
clergy man who went ''racking around"
marrying the living and burying the dead.
Said he: want live, kicking sinners to
work on. A man who gives his life and
strength
TO THE DEVIL
and then offers gray head and wrinkled
face to God performs the greatest act Of
cowardice in his cowardly career. l tell
you. just shake fellow over a coffin few
times and then cut him loose and he will
strike on his feet on the dead run, but he
will be running from the coffin, not from
his sins. l do not go a cent on death-bed
repentance. They will point to the thief
expect to get on that poor thief's back and
go Looping right into glory. l would be too
much of a man to ride thief i'll heaven. If
you preachers would be more pointed on
this matter there would be fewer old cases
hanging around to get good just before they
die. Heaven is the home of men who have
built characters here on earth. Applause. |
Old Cornelius Vanderbilt sinned all his life,
then got his wife to sing, Come We sinners
poor and needy" and DR.. Somebody
preached him right into heaven, If that is
so we had better quit and take the Uni
versalistS' broad guage plan. But my time
is up. There are big fish up this branch
and we will go after them.