The clarion., 1886-04-28
Sam Jones' Last Day in Colambu S

sam Jones' Last Day in Colambn S.
COLUMBUS, Miss. April 20 Special
10 the Picayune. The last night ser
vice bv Sam Jones at the Methodist
church, was considered by religious peo-
pie as the eclipse of the meetings this
week. He made the last message OF
God to man, as found in the last chapter
of Revelations, the basis of his text.
This universal text 10 mankind, TO |
sinners, was an especial field 70 Ar
Jones and he dwelt with more than |
usual feryency on the application and |
OF the text Il every one.
He opened the question from the ere |
alton OF man. tracing the course of di |
vine love, reaching the highest points of
the mercy Of God and the gracious love
of His Son He then applied this iuvi-
tation TO every creature-the text the
Spirit and the Bride say come, let him
that hearCth. say come let, him that Is
atbirst come, and whosoever will, come
and partake of the water of life freely"
He separated each invitation and with
such force urged its application TO sin
full nature that any who would come
under its inhdeace could not resist, and
when ne EXTENDED an invitation to all
who were repeataut to meet him after
the close OF the night service in the
basement of the church, over 300 made
its power IN inifest by responding, and
about half this rnm5er sigui6ed their
purpose to unite themselves at once
Nith the church
Among these are r. W. Banks, In
ternal Revenue Collector Of Mississippi;
E. ID. Moore, large planter here. and
an Influential worldly man; Joe Leigh,
late candidate for Congress; Major q.
Mcdowell, Superintendent of the rail
road. which is significant Of the class of
men brought in. Religious people re-
gard it as q wonderful meeting and one
without equal in the history of Colum
bus, the effect of which reaches beyond
the local churches.
This morning the churches for the
| forenoon service We're filed at an early
hour. and many were turned away. The
capacity of the city hospital is so taxed
| that an announcement was made that
the Sheriff and others had thrown open
the courthouse and the city public
buildings, that those who could find
comforts nowhere else might at least
have benches and shade for such com
| ipIb ss lutN GOuto give sFAdttl " ~
came prepared with baskets of didner
repaired TO dinner there.
Sunday morning service at the Meth
odist Church was opened at 10 O'Clock
by Mr.. Jones selecting the oh verse,
9th chapter of Galatians: "And let us
not be weary in well doing, for in due
season we shall reap if we faint not"
Don't say that | am presenting de-
nominatiOual or doctrinal sermon, for
am not. So many people go to church 81
ply to select one saying togigg,e at. Intel
igence don giggle. If you are asked by
a preacher to join his church, tell hin
YOU had intended to do so, but now yor
shan't do it; but if he attempts to gathe
up all the apples Of this great apple tree
by telling you that his is the only trut
church tell him for me he is liar, fo
all churches are good and right-th'
Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, and
in fact, all churches are just as good a
any other. 1t is getting too late for ont
, church to say: we are the church.
The MethodIsts are preaching infan
baptism and all the children are ASLEEP
and are going to hell. The Baptists arr
preaching "much water" and a MAORI
: ty of that church is going to plac
J where there is no water The Presby
teriaus are preaching on final persever
ance, and never had much to perseyer
in. The Episcopalians are ranting OF
) Apostolic succession, when they haC
better be examining where they ar,
going.
In discussing the text, well doing OLD
members say, eff you don't turn tn,
dancers out of church | will withdraw ;
at the same time that old member i
loaning his money at 20 per cent. anC
; the Bible says he is unfit for Heaven.
Another brother says the brother frs
mentioned is loaning mis- money a
usurious rates, and that he is not will
ing to fellowship in the church Will
) that man; yet at the same time he vii
not put lug of whisky under the nos
of the last brother, and YOU can lead hin
, into hell.
Take up the bag and shake it, ant
? what sort of crowd will | get out? Yol
5 cannot make member of the churcl
higher than the standard of the church
Hal What | want is to see q DIS churcl
on a high plane; | want to see tn
church get above bathrooms and bar
: Tas0HIs, and get up towards heaven.
Heaven is unselfishness and hell is tn
concrete of selhshness. You will neye
i; be anything until you get yourself ou
of the way of selishness. The happies
man in the world is the one who live
} for others.
There will be five or six hundred ioi
the church on the route OF this meeting
: and the church is res sponsible for thos
on the record of members. You mus
have a place for each other in you
attention of sympathy and watchfu
{ ness.
D An old member of the church goe
, to a money lending church member an
+ shows his distress, bat he has no land
to give a mortgage on, and he can't ge
his relief, but gees sorrowfully to
: wholesale liquor dealer who lets hir
have $50 without security. Who is tn
: best of these two men? The whisk
5 man, in the sight of God, because h
feels and acts unselfshiy and is not
. hypocrite.
IF there is a game in this countr
cursing the country, it is base ball.
had rather be professional peniten
tiary thief than a professional base bal
player.
; Addressing the reporter: If you pu
that down, reporter, put it just as SAT-
it; you see | am against base ball piay
ing. If any of you base ball player
don't like what | say you can viii
Brother Scruggs. | remember when
! boy | used to play ball, and when
miss lick resulted in the ball bein,
caught and the knocker put out. Thi
is the way church people ought to do
for when brother makes miss licl
the devil catches him out. Now vo,
! ought to at once catch the devil on
at once. An alderman, Major KEYS. ros
in the church in Georgia and said
Brother Jones, open the church doors.
,, want to Join He was 50 years old
and he is the only church member whom
! never knew to 5ackslide lie did no
have time to backslide, for he was alway
holding up some one else who was back
sliding. He never has to brace up :
backsliding brother but once, for i
always cured him.
Since Major Key Joined the churcl
700 people there have joined, and it i,
the best community in Georgia I wisf
there was a whole souled Christian in
Columbus. If you have not got one Of
your own here, for Gods sake import
one someway. That fellow lying there
in tbs gutter drunk is better than those
who pass him by"
Mr.. Jones gave much on the point ol
backsliding, laying special stress on that
class of members and showing the
beauty of the faithful and the need OF
the unfortunate.
In my own town. Gainesville, Ga. y
he said, Il have done many things
wrong and led many young men astray
but, thank God last summer in the