The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-01-05
SOUL WINNERS.
The Rev. Mr.. Wick's Inaug-
ural Sermon at the Wayne
Street Reformed
Church.

The Rev. X. Wick, associate pastor Of
the Wayne Street Reformed Church,
preached his inaugural sermon last night
He was greeted by a splendid audience
that had braved the disagreeable weather
to give the young clergyman hearty.
cordial welcome. Mr.. Wick IS a dark
complexioned man Of thirty-three or so,
well formed and fine looking. He has
the thoughtful expression on his face Of
student. but the fire in his brown eyes.
when their possessor is excited. flashes like
the diamonds in the hilt OF an emperor's
sword. The young clergyman chose for
his text Proverbs xi-31, He that win
meth souls is WISE" and said:-
" If proof were demanded for the con-
firmation of these words, one would not
have to put himself TO a great deal OF
trouble to fiud it, because it is fact evil
dent to all that the man who wins souls
to the cause of Christ does something
that brings three-fold blessing in its
train. The soul saver is blessed, the
newly made convert Is blessed and the
community in which he lives is made the
better for said blessing.
THE soULsAvER's TWO BLESSINGS
'The soul-sayer.is blessed in two ways.
blessed in this world and blessed in the
next-given honor down here and given
honor up there. In fact, know no safer
way to lead men out of the seclusion of
their humdrum lives and bring them to
the surface, than just this work for the
glory of Good and the good Of humanity.
II grant You that the world and world
ly ambitious men do not look at it in just
this way and are hardly 10 be convinced
that work for God is the surest way 10
reach a prominence enduring and eternal.
And not only Is the soul saver blessed
but the saved Is blessed also-blessed in
his heart, blessed in his home, blessed in
this world and bettered in the next.
"Go stand in any of the rescue missions
in your sister cities and listen to the tes-
timonies Of the Door fallen creatures once
but little better than brutes, made men
again, clothed and in their right mind
through the power of the gospel Go into
the homes where once rum ruled,
where besotted parents staggered to
their habitations to curse and beat
their hapless offspring. where
prayer was never made nor Gods name
mennoned but in blasphemy, but into
which the gospel has gone. crowded sin
out and changed the inmates into the
image Of God aud the spirit of Christ, and
as you look upon them as they now are.
rememb bering what they once were, tell
me, If you dare, that the man is not wise
who wins souls to the Master
HE is A BLESSING TO THE COMMUNITY.
s'And not only is the soul saver and the
saved blessed also, but the community in
which they live is benefited l would
dislike to live where there has never
been any conversions and do not believe
you would desire q habitatlon among the
ungodIy any more than do. The thing
that makes this world SO pleasant to live
in is the fact that soul savers have been
industriously at work and SO many souls
have been won
"When men are converted their hearts
are made soft, their homes happier, their
surroundings morally more healthful
and wholesome, incomers breathe diff
ferent atmosphere. This Is noticeable
whenever the miracle of a conversion oc-
ours. Look at Madagascar. When the
first Protestant missionaries embarked
for that region they were told that they
might as well try TO convert cattle as to
make Christians of the Malagasy. But
they went and Madagascar has been we'll
nigh redeemed On the island are 1,200
Protestant chapels. every one OF them
self-supporting, and during the last ten
years 81. 0O0, 600 has been contributed by
the aforesaid cattle" for the support of
the Gospel
''The other day. when the government
of that island was brought face to face
with the settlement of The liquor prob
lem, the Queen of the aforesaid cattle
saic:--'I cannot take a revenue from any
thing that would debase and degrade my
subjects Oh, that the American people
might sit long enough at the feet OF this
modern Zenobia to learn of her this
lesson of statecraft and morality"
The main object u the church's insti-
tuition, MIR. Wick further said. was 10
lead men to give up their meanness and
turn to Jesus Christ to foster their
morality and spirituality.