The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-01-21

gVcbtEudNs the tnuTch-Notrs OF hiCh-
mond, with their usual alacritv, turned
out in large numbers, and the average
congregations in the various places OF
worship were not very largely diminish
ed. The following were the main fea-
lures of the day:
Rev. DR.. Hoge preached his regular
Sunday-night sermon at Old Market
Hall last night 10 large congregation.
as follows
Dr. Hoge In Old Market Han.
REPORTED for the DAILY TINES
rHE GREAT QUESTION.
THxT.--Acts. 10Th chapter. 2qth. 18th. and
Slst yorscs-"fhen he called for a liyht and
spIang IN. and came trembling and fell down
before L ul ana Sllas. and brought them out
ava saiO Sits, what must do 20 ho Sayedy
And they said, believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ and thou shalt be saved"
lie called for a light Then he call
ed for what he needed badly. Never
had man more reason for making such
a call or for calling earnestly and loud
~. IL was not swOId or staff that he
needed, nor bread. but a light II was a
night OF terror. We read in the Goth
verse: suddenly there was great earth
quake, so that the foundations of the
prison were shaken; and Immediately an
the doors were opened and eyeryOnes
bands were loosed"
We never had an earthquake that did
any damage in Richmond. and vet the
slight shock we had here when Charles.
ton was so awfully shaken, filled the CITY
with dread, and some were almost dis
tracted with fear.
There are many things calculated 10
inspire fear in an earthquake 1t comes
SO stealthily, so Unexpectedly. nothing
can prevent It's coming; people are so nj
terly helpless when the earth is Keeling
and the houses are falling there is no
place where one is safe al feel that the
power which can fiji the heart of the
earth with mufiled thunder. and make its
surface rise and fall like waves of the
sea, is power which man cannot re-
train or resist
The jailer startled from sleep-shaken
from his bed-while the very foundations
of the prison were shattered and all the
doors burst open, rushed out not know
ing what might happen next If he
could only see he might know what TO
do But there he was in the blackness Of
darkness; ignorant of the mischief al
ready done. and of what more might be
coming, and so he shouted for a light
But this was not all The iailer was
visited with double terror He felt
that both soul and body were in danger
He was suddenly convicted of sin and
full of disnay lie was in great spir-
final darkness He only knew he was in
peril; how TO escape he knew not lgno-
rance covered him like q cloud-like, #.
shroud the present was full os'sse ~
tainty; the future wass tspSol uncer-
its.s-- me- ue..1.-sSidll OF menace.
I. ever a-irai ;r~'.cd light il was the
ailer. The world is dark place, the
sinners heart is dark place without the
light which comes from the Bible and
he Gross.
But let US go back and look nj the
more closely W hat
brought Paul 10 Philippi; what did he
60 when he got there how did he be-
come acquainted with the jailer; what
great question did the jailer ask what
answer did he get, and what was the
Of the answer
BEHIND THE BARS
You NAV remember that on last sun
day night told you OF the prosecutions
suffered by the early Christians and of
Paul's arrest and confinement in Rome .
under the tyrant, Nero But that was
oy no means his first trouble OF tine .
kind In prisons oft was his own
brief account of the matter in modern
times some men spent half of their lives
behind the bars and others would also
II they got what they deserved But
these are law breakers-criminals suffer
ing for their own misdeeds. Ii was not so
with the early Christians, nor with their
great leader. Paul Ii was no disgrace
10 him that he was 30 often in prison
The disgrace belonged 10 those who put
him there He suffered for conscience
sake He did not care how often he was
bound provided the Word of God was
not hound. We call our courts courts OF
Justice Those by which Paul was So
often tried and sentenced were courts of
Injustice AS there was no fair way 10
stop his preaching, his enemies resorted
10 foul means When bigOts and tyrants
cannot deny evidence or answer argu
rnents they resort 70 brute force 1t is
poor way to try to stop the truth by
striking the man who speaks IL in the
mouth; a mean way TO put him in dun
peon. Ii i a confession of defeat. Mob
law is the law of towards and rutiians
1t NAV put TO death the innocent, but II
cannot Kill the cause OF which innocence
is the champion Paul, therefore, was
not ashamed of stripes nor afraid OF
letters. lie gloried even in imprison-
ment, when il attracted the attention of
the people to the Master he served and
10 the Gospel he preached.
THE FIRST CONVERT.
He had come on one of his great mis-
sionary journeys 10 Philippi, and on the
first Sabbath he spent there, As there was
no church in the place. he held meeting
by the riverside and talked TO the people
who came 10 hear him 4 woman in the
heard him attentiyely. II
people don't listen, they might as We'll be
deaf. But Paul had one good nearer in
the audience Faith cOmeth by hear
ing" and the Lord opened the heart of .
lydia so that she believed what She .
heard and was saved. The first convert .
in Europe was a woman. One converted .
woman is generally worth two men. F
especially If she is mother. Lydia was 4
baptized, and her children with her
You remember the story that IS told 20 .
illustrate this, but il will bear repeating
the story of the little girl when asked .
which she liked best, Christian or Chris
tiana, In Bunyan's Pilgrims Progress.
She said she liked Christiana best, be
cause when Christian left the City OF F
Destruction he went alone, but when
Christiana left she took the children with .
her ] am glad so many mothers bring
their children with them To the hall, but .
want them 10 lead their children NOT .
only 70 the hall, but to Heaven But,
mothers you must 20 first, and then ask .
God 10 help you take the children along
When the Sabbath was over Paul .
kept on with the work so well begun. .
and as be went about the city with his .
friend Silas he was followed for several
days by poor servant girl who had .
brought her masters much gain by her
rawlings But among the Wild things She .
was saying there was one thing that was
true How she got the knowledge we
are not told, but she was not raying
when she cried These men are the ser