St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-05-25
WOOLLEY'S WORK.
ThesAbIe Lawyer Draws a Temp,

ThesAble Lawyer Draws a Temper
ance Lecture From His Life.
The lecture room of the Central Pres
byterian church was nearly flied yes
terday afternoon with unexpectedly
half of them less than twenty-five years
old. and all but some twenty claiming
to be Christians to hear John G. Wool
ley preach a gospel temperance sermon.
Forty months ago Mr.. Woolley, as de-
scribed by himself, was ''a husband
without a wife, a father without chill
dren, a lawyer without CLIENTS, a man
who had been trusted as few in the
state had been, but would no longer be
trusted by any II that knew him to a
penny-a drunken vagabond." But at
about 5 O'Clock IN the morning Of Jan.
81, 1883. in New York, whittier he had
fed IN despair seeking for help to con-
quer his drink appetite. he asked Jesus
Christ to deliver him, and was SO COM
pletely delivered that he has never
since known desire for liquor. He is a
a of superior talents and strong
character, has come to a front, if
not the very front, place as a
temperance evangelist, is free from
self-conceit and self-righteousness, is a
strong, loving and useful man. His
thorough education makes him show to
conspicuous advantage in his peculiar
sphere.
His theme in this service was the
question of the PSalmiSt: where
withal shall a young man cleanse his
way:?" and the answer, "By taking need
thereto according to Thy Word" In an
of serious humOr, he brought ouJ the
Siunjficancn of uariOuc words i'm tho
text, "A Young Man." Old men don't
change, OF but rarely do. An old drunk
ard will drink on; an old tobacco-user
will remain a tobacco-1Ser: IN old thief
will go on stealing; an old libertine will
be a libertine to the end. Cleanse his
way" not improve his way; there is
nothing in the Bible about Improving
ones way. Not cover it up; a recipe
for concealing a mans way would
find a large sale in st. Paul.
His way" that is, some of his habits.
There is little use in a mans turning
from one evil course if he keeps on in
others. What is needed is that he
should be cleansed i'll his heart-the
fountain from which all his habits
flow.
"By Taking Heed 1hereto"-FIrst
of all a man must want to cleanse his
ways; And it is Ibis" way that he must
want to cleanse. Many a man COM
plains that he can't live right because
he has a hard wife. OF has to live with
his mother-in-law. But the Bible
doesn't tell a man anything about
cleansing his wife's or his mother-in-
laws way. 1t only tells him how TO
cleanse his own way. III tsa.
He must apply himself to the work;
must carefully construct a safe track
for his life to run on, aid keep it in re-
pair, as a railroad master mechanic does
for the trains.
And he must take his instructio rs
tee. Bible is true? AS a man knows
Whether a peach is sweet. by tasting
and seeing. | know the Bible is true,
because it gives me the help l need,
just as l know my watch is good because
1t keeps the time right. A man may
open it and tell me there is a sewing
machine wheel in it, or that the hair
spring is three inches too long, but l
will tell him to get away with his non
sense. / know my watch is all right
because it runs all right, and L know
the Bible will show men how to be
cleanSed, because they are cleansed
when they follow its Instructions"
These meetings that the Young Mems
ShllSlidu ASSOcldIlOl ID lOluilS III ll6
Central Presbyterian lecture room are
being well-attended, because speakers
are being secured that are worth hear
ing. And none need try better than
John G. Wooley. He combines intelli-
gence with Christian zeal. He has 10
hobbies that run all religious thinking
into a fog-covered case-that after all
may be only a mirage. His clear-cut
thought and style are shown by this
sentence: Repentance is taking stock
by Gods current prices"