Wichita eagle., 1888-01-19
THE MEETING AT THE FIRST NJ. Z. CHURCH

| the large room being well filed. Mr. Viii
sons lecture on the subject of entire con-
! servation seemed intensely interesting to
| the audience; there was complete silence
and every one seemed determined to get
| every word the speaker uttered. When the
| preacher called for all who had entirely
consecrated themselves to the Lord to
stand up, a large proportion of the congre-
cation arose. He then asked for all who
| had determined to dedicate themselves to
the Lord to arise and it seemed to the re-
porter that nearly the entire congregation
were standing.
The meeting last night was the most in
teresting of any yet held. The large room
was early filled and the west room was
opened and also filed to overlooking before
| the lights were scarcely lighted and many
must have gone away unable to find room
Chairs were brought in from the basement
and placed in the aisles, and no efforts
were spared by the brethren TO accommo-
date the vast throngs of people. When
service commenced the reporter
noticed seated inside the railing
of the altar the following ministers:
Rev. j. ID. Atkin, Presiding Elder; Rev
L. NJ Hartley, of Halstead: Rev. o. A.
Smith, Mount Hope: Rev w. Johnson,
Rev. Nesley, Rev. j. d. Woods, Rev. d.
ID. Akin and Rev. Z. A. Hoyt
Mr.. Wilson took for his text: sIf the
righteous scarcely be saved where shall
the ungodly and the sinner appear" The
evangelist said somewhere there is
standard of right from which there is no
appeal. In this country we have inferior
courts but we have a supreme court from
which there is no appeal. There are ques-
lions affecting us which some one must
take the responsibility Of deciding
Some people claim their own conscience to
be the proper court to decide these impor-
tant questions. No man, however, can
obtain rest or light when tried by his own
standard. You have the right to make
what you think rIght-the standard of
your conduct. Every other man has this
right, and consequently there will be as
many standards as there are individuals.
People are not afraid of laws or statutes if
there is no physical force back of them to
enforce those laws. Some how or other
the law of God, as given by the Savior,
recommends itself as a true
standard. No argument has
ever been attempted to prove that the
doctrines of the bible as applied to us, if
obeyed would harm humanity.
There are many people who will not adj
NIT that the bible is the only true stand
ard of moral conduct The ministers of
the gospel of Christ hold up the bible as
the only true standard Men are inclined
to make the standard of God conform to
their own inclinatiOns. This is the reason
people try to persuade that God does not
hate dancing, going to theatres and play
ing cards and using tobacco. Now, you
old hypocritical church members
who do these thing come up here
and repent. You are set of long faced,
lying hypocrites. You lie when you say
your mind has undergone change in re-
gard to these things. Oh, yes; you are a !
fine set, you are. You only believe in
part of the Bible; some of it does not CON |
form to philosophy. That story of Jonah
and the whale, for instance. Oh yes; your |
is a grand thing, but it will not |
explain to you how it was that your old |
mother enjoyed her religion for years and |
finally died happy in the faith. Some peo-
pie are going to have the righteousness of
Christ thrown around them like a cloak |
heir part. Christ cannot do that;
you must be righteous or you cannot be
saved. Some of you people here think we
preachers ought to wear ourselves out in
,rying to save you, and if you finally con-
,lude to come to the mournerS' bench you
nave conferred a favor on the preacher
hat he should pay for in greenbacks
When some preacher comes along and pats
you on the back and tells you that you are
/ fine fellow, only you need to strengthen
Up little for outward appearances. you
ay this is the preacher that suits me-
es, you are a fine Christian; Ishmael
making fun of Isaac because he was born
light. What you need is conversion by
he Holy Ghost. God help you. The
o-called moral man in the com
nnnlty Is very frequently
cry vicious man. If the righteous are
carcely saved, where shall the ungodly
ppear God has the power to do what he
las said he will do. He has said you will
'e lost if you do not obey the gospel. 1t
will do no good to say you did not believe
he standard. God has not the power to
ave you if you will not be saved. On the
ther hard, earth and hell cannot prevent
UT DeIilS SdNeu IL we come TO CDTlSJ
nd have righteousness in our own hearts
,ou cannot 90 from the card table to the
rayer meeting or the revival meeting and
o good work for God. Who ever heard
f a church member going from the
heater where an appeal is made to his
aser nature to 90 to his closet and engage
4 earnest, honest prayer to God? He can
OF do that. 1t is impossible, because it
not according to Gods standard.