The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-03-04
HONESTY IN BUSINESS.
A MAN MUST HAVE CLEAN HANDS
TO REACH HEAVEN.


Labor Questionable Communism of
the Most High-A First-Class Sinner.
CHICAGO March 4.-The Rev. Sam Jones
preached at the Chicago Avenue church.
Wednesday morning, to large audience.
The text was: ''Do the work of an evangel
st, on which the exhorter talked for about
half an hour
In substance he said What man does is
the test of what man is. 1t is the bu ;iness
of Christians 10 roll up their sleeves and
work for Christ, and it is the business of the
church to keep the converts. Most people
haven't time to be religious, to have family
prayers and to do their duty as Christians.
| tell you the best licks you ever put in for
religion are the licks you put in on your
knees. An engineer is steaming along at
the rate of sixty miles an hour and passes "A
coal and water station; he hasn't time 10
stop Pretty soon you will find him stalled
fast out in the woods, and he stays there
he didn't have time to stop for the wood
and water, If you conducted your business
as you do your religion | would soon see a
notice in the paper that your place had been
clo ed; that receiver had been appointed,
and that you would settle with your credi-
tors at ten cents on the dollar. | held a
class meeting once. | am Methodist, you
know-a Methodist Just the same as ! am a
Jones. | was born so, and can't help it. A
Baptist is as good as Methodist if he is as
good, and Presby terian is as goon AS a
Baptist if he is as good.
l asked several brothers what they were
doing for Christ and found out that they
were all ''prayin' and readin' their little
Bibles" Now, | like an aggressive Chris
tan; one with musset and cartridge
box The other kind | could put in my
vest pocket and never know they were
there. You put your preachers in the CEN
ter of lot of blocks of lake ice, and then
blame them for not sweating; they get into
the shafts and ask you to push, and finally,
when they fall down exhausted with the
load, they look up and find that the whole
congregation has crawled into the wagon
and hasn't pushed a lick. God never in
tended the preachers to do all the work Be
evangelists all Of you
Mr. Jones asked all who believed that the
blood of Christ cleaused from all sin to stand
up. The congregation arose en- massa. Mr.
Jones next related several dreams he had
heard Of, and said he believed in literal
crown and harp in heaven. He closed by
asking all who would pledge themselves to
be evangelists by trying to save at least one
soul to stand up, and once more everybody
stood up,
The MONDAY prayer meeting at Farwel
hall was opened with prayer by the Res
Frank Bristoe. Sam Small preached to a
large crowd from the text:
Who shall ascend to the hill of the Lord,
H. n I
He that hath clean hands and pure heart
who has not lifted up his soul to vanity and
sworn deceitfully."
The speaker said there was nothing
swampy or rustic in that text. 1t asked
who would go to heaven, and answered that
only those who had clean hands could 60
there Mr.. Small continued:
Only those who are honest in their deal
ings with their fellow man. The spirit o.
hell is in every package that is not honestly
packed, and the name of the highwayman
and thief is branded on every man
who adulterates the food we eat.
He can go to the church, sit
in the amen corner, and look sancti
fed, but his Sunday song will not wipe out
the sin and thievery of the six other days
of the week Laws have to be made in our
cities to protect the people against the en-
1roachments of dishonest manufacturers
and to-day it is in the power of five men in
this. city to raise the,prce of meat and bread
until it would be absolutely out of the
reach of the working people God knows
there are enough of them who can't get it
now Some fool will say this is
communism, but if it is com
munism it Is the communism of
Jesus Christ and God Almighty A man
who will dissemble in his business dealings
will lie, and man who will lie will commit
perjury.
The speaker incidentally remarked that
when he was a sinner he was n first-class one.
He never wanted to be in the tail-end of
procession He spoke of ambition, wealth
and pleasure as fleeting They would
not help a man to heaven. Heaven
was on a hill and hell in hole,
He wouldn't change places with
millionaire or a European potentate. He
had good suit of clothes and three square
meals day, and that was all man could
want
As the people were moving from the hall
Mr. Small arose and told them TO bewar' Of
pickpockets. Even among disciples, he said,
these men of unclean hands can be found
and they Il have EN- i'll your pockets if you
don't lOol. anf