The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-06-13
SAM JONES LECTURES IN CHAR
LOTTE.
Get There His Subject, and he tells
his Hearers How to do it
ICharlotte Caily News.1

Mr. Jones, in his lecture, confined
himself almost solely to remarks on So
cetv and the kind of preachers we
ought to have. Talking of the preach
ers, he said that courage is what is
needed Courage in the ministry
as we'll as in other professions. John
the Baptist was the bravest preach
er that ever lived. He stood up and
told Kings to their faces of their sins. |
have contempt for these little weak
preachers who are afraid to preach the
truth for fear of hurting some ones
feelings, or who when he had spoken
the word of God with boldness, when
brought to task about it IS ready to re-
cant. What this country needs is
live ministry, not preachers of dOgmas,
but preachers Of the word.
Why, over there is an old Metho
dist preacher discoursing for an hour on
infant baptism, while ali the children
in town are at home sound asleep, and
there are hundreds of old sinners 60
ing to hell as fast as they can.
And over there is Baptist preacher
crying water water. while half of his
crowd are going to place where they
can't get a drop.
And yonder is a Presbyterian pound
ing away on the final perseverance Of
the saints. If they pcrsevere they per-
severe, and if they don't, they don't.
And over yonder is an Episcopal
preacher talking Apostolic succession
and telling his people where they come
from, while he had better be telling
them where they are going to.
The lecturer drew lurid picture Of
the home fixed up in hell for the church
member who votes to license the selling
Of liquor or rents houses for saloons.
His prohibition talk was red hot, and
he gave all who either handle or drink
the stuff an uncomforlably warm place
in the lower regions. Talking about
red nosed men, Mr.. Jones said that
there was no telling what it cost to
paint a nose red. "Sam Small says
that he spent $4,000 on his nose
more than enough to paint the United
States Capital with white lead-and
yet never was able to obtain color
deeper than light,pink.'
His closing remarks were the gem
of his lecture. His illustrated kind
ness and selflshness by two figures
the streamlet and the lake The stream
let, issuing from the mountain side,
runs along laughing and singing on
its way, bearing its little cup of bless
ing. Directly it passes the lake, quiet
ly slumbering, when the following col
loquy occurred:
The lake said to the streamlet:
"Where are YOU going with your little
cup?"
Con to the sea-" said the streamlet.
"Why do you risk so much and you
so tiny! nThe sun is beginning to shine,
and you will be exposed to its rays,
which will absorb you, and you will
have nothing left. You had better
take care of yourself, rather than risk
too much for the sake of others. You
will be evaporoted by the summers
sun and come to nothing
Then the lake put its arms around
itself and said, Il shall take care of
myself,a and let others look to their own
business, and shall be full and clear
and happy when YOU are gone"
The streamlet babe the lake good
morning and went singing on its way.
AS the suns rays increased the trees
on either side of the stream interlocked
their branches over it, the grass and
flowers grew in verdue upon its bands,
the birds sang sweetly on the trees,
the cattle came ond drank and blessed
it. 1t poured It's silvery waters into
the river. The river swelled in volume
and rolled onward to the ocean. From
the ocean the incense arose, and, kiss
ed by the sun, was converted into
clouds that returned and poured their
contents into the cup of the streamlet
where first it issued from its moutain
home, thus furnishing perennial sup
ply to the generous, happy, evangel OF
kindness and blessing.
The lake, locked in the embrace OF
its own selfishness, gradually evapora
ted under the rays of the summers sun,
began to send out its malarial exhala
tons through the surrounding country,
breeding sickness and death. The
birds ceased to sing upon its borders.
The weeping willows reared backward
from it and exposed it to the sun. The
cattle came and refused to drink. The
frogs spat their venom upon its Shiny
surface. Stagnation and death were
in it. And to relieve the world OF
its curse, God intensified the summers
heat and dried it up and left nothing
nothing but dry, black, sinking
mud.
The streamlet sang out its refrain
Lakes may come and may go,
But go on forever"