, 1886-04-18
REV. SAM JONES.
Grief Sayings From His Recent Chicago
Sermons

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Grief Sayings From His Recent Chicago
Sermons
II l were to say an honest man can't steal,
everybody would say TINT is the truth II |
were to say a truthful man cannot tell a lie,
they would say that Is good logic. II / were
to say a chaste man cannot be vulgar, they
would say that will do. But when 1 say a
Christian cannot sin you say: "Ahi Ahi you
cannot say that, because that just racks me
TO start with Can you mix common sense
with the Bible, Brother Lorimeri Brother
Lorimer|I think it will mix) We are mix
ing common sense with the Bible, throwing
the trash out of the church, no doubt about
that. l don't mean chips and straw, l mean
trundle-bed trash l assert it in perfect
harmony with the rules OF logic and com-
mon sense that a Christian cannot commit
a sin. Let me take a stand from which
we may defend ourselves as Christians
against the attacks OF earth and hell A
ladder leads up To this text 1t has only
three rounds and tho first one Is this: BE
hold what manner of love the Father hath
bestowed upon us that we should be called
the sons Of God. Beloved now are we the
sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what
we shall be, but we know that when He shall
appear we shall be like Him, for we sha see
Him as He iSr There is my highest concep-
ton OF heaven 1t is a picture / like to look
upon and admire. We shall be like Him, for
we shall sec Him as He is. l nave a hundred
reasons why l would rather live ten years
longer than die tomorrow, but the biggest
reason is not earthly, sensual, but l am not
enough like Christ yet Before 1 crystalize |
want to be like Him in every respect
look back TO the day when 1 wa first a
Christian rrue nm fir. It1atr l,nAu I.e
two things in the world. One was: Goo Is
good and Il am happy" And l commenced
preaching ~jusb@Sith those two facts That is
all l did / didn't know three passages Of
Scripture to save my life. And / r~ccollect
the week l Joined the church My old grand
father. was running a revival out in the coun-
try, and he TOOK me out and said: MY son,
the preacher who engaged to be here hasn't
come, and, he said, you must preach to-
night" But" l said, grandpa, / can't
preach; l don't know anything to preach. T"
"Well," he says, IF God calls you to It, sir,
you can do it, "Well, sir said |, Il am a
grown-up man, and you ant make a fool
about me. l don't NOV anything In the
world about preaching" We'll" he says,
IF God calls you to do 1t you can do it" The
first thing / knew that old man had mo up in
the pulpit, and l gave out the hymns and got
uOhn anu DIdJta- ana lucn L look my LtXt
and began, and spoke OF the gospel OF Christ,
which is the power OF God unto salvation l
quit preaching, and called on all that wanted
TO be saved to come up. Forty or fifty
iocked around the altar. My old grandfather
took my hand and said: my boy, God has
called you You needn't be afraid abou that y
And | commenced preaching, and have
preached 500 sermons a year inc | started
thirteen years ago, right straight along,
preaching every night every week in school
houses and families. And | thank God this
afternoon from the very minute that first
love was breathed into my soul until this hour
l have never lost my first love-never.
We go into a church and become absorbed
by the lump, and we propose to get to heaven
as a lump and not as individuals. That is a
great trouble. Now, il there is to be per
sonal~ judgment and God individualizes men
at the last and brings every nan out before
Him, just as If he was the only man that ever
lived in Illinois or America, and judges him
just as II there were no other beings that
lived in this world-if that is going to be the
case, the more personal we make these ser
vices the better. Really, men like for you
to be very personal in everything but TO
ligion. Did you ever notice thatl II l were
to stand up and say, Brother Smith, | have
an - -. 49, ~ -.
Vii Vii ogna a. 70 vou = he cnulSnst har5 IIay =
his seat. He would be the proudest fellow IN
the world. and he would come up right after
the meeting for his check. But IL / saw.
''Brother Smith, you are an old hypocrite.
and 30 and so" he will DO so mad that he can
hardly sit there. 1t isn't whether we call
out a mans name, but what you say after
you call his name. There's the rub. A man
don't mind being individualized il you hit
him on the right subject Better look out