Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-12-15
CITY MISSION WORK.
ADDRESS or Or. II. NJ. WHARTON BE-
FORE THE BAPTIST SOCIETY.
he Urges Christians TO spread the Gospel
aud Explains why SO Many Persons Are
Unconverted--An Effective Sermon.

The annual meeting of the Baptist CITY
Missionary Society was held last night st
the First church. and the main auditorium
and galleries Of the edifice we're well filed.
Nearly all Of the Baptist ministers of the
city were present. and in the pulpit sat
Rev. DIR. II. VI. Wharton. who was TO de-
liver the address Of the evening. and
Drs. Cooper. Landrum. and Rev. Messrs.
Clopton, Williams, Wright. Tucker, Pro-
fessor II. II. Harris, and Dir. Joseph Mont
/ gomeTy.
After q PRAYER by Rev. s. c. Copton and
devotional exercises, Dr. Cooper com
menced the meeting with few remarks
concerning the purposes Of the society.
/ lie said the time would come when the
/ objects and work OF the organization
would be more fully appreciated aud the
/ power Of ITS influence more felt.
DR.. Harris then presented Rev. DT. H..
NJ Wharton 10 the meeting, aud in his in
| troductory remarks alluded % him as one
| whom Richmond people always love %
hear, and one thoroughly IN sympathy
| with the work.
DB. wHABToss ADDRESS.
There is 10 subject" said the distin-
| guished divine in his opening remarks,
upon which ! would rather address you
| than the one tonight. not because II Is 50
| popular, but because II needs 20 be DIS
! cussed. There are more sinners II the
world to-day than on the day Christ died.
There are" he continued, " bO.y0,O ,OJ0
| people IN the United States, and not 90
J 600. 100 of them are Christians. There are
/ 900 600 il Virginia, and 100000 are not
| Christians. There are 90,OOOin Richmond,
| and $1,000 do not even 60 70 church. II IS
/ worth our while 70 think of this and Won
] der what must be done.
| Something is wrong, either the Gospel
/ Of Christ u a failure or the fault lies 20
those to whom It's spread has been entrust-
! ed. II the Gospel Is a failure why should
we palm it of any longer! Why not 60 at
something else? But II IS not necessary
to prove that the Gospel Of Jesus Christ Is
not q failure.
WHAT TIE GOSPEL PRoFE3sEs.
"The Gospel processes TO make us know
how to live and die; 70 give US the highest
| idea Of human life. Not only does II give
US the precept. but the model. Ii teaches
a man to be pure. TO keep away from sin,
! which brings SO much misery and despair.
! Ii teaches a man faith: 1t supports hin
| when the very foundations seen
| 20 be giving away under him.
| am talking % men and women who know
that sometimes everything IN tins life falis
! except faith. The Gospel teaches men
| duty. Where on earth do we find such a
| precept Of duty as IN the Gospel OF Jesus
! Christ? II teaches work. What life OF
| love. forgiveness, and tenderness Christ
| taught Us. , =.
THE man who leads a Christian life"
! DR.. Wharton said further on. lis a living
testimony that the Gospel Is not a failure.
| When he dies he does not die; be Is like
the setting sun. When we see II gong
| down we do not realize that it is still
| shining on other countries.
| Whats true IN the individual life IS
| true IN the home. What's true IN the home
is true in the community. All that we
| ask Is that the Gospel may have a snow.
| Wherever il has gone 1t has shed lts light.
| Then if the Gospel Is not q failure
| where does the trouble lie? At the door
| OF those 70 whom 1t has been entrusted.
ONE TO SIX thousand.
There is an average of only one mis-
| gionary 10 every 5000 Protestants.
What's the trOubler The Gospel ls
not reaching the people. You might have
| the best medicine in the world and If you
do not apply 1t the disease VIII not be
| cured.
| Physicians are having good time with
! we'll people while the sick are dying of ne
| glect."
The speaker then told a very amusing
| incident connected with the political cam
| paign Of Governor NOrthen, Of Georgia.
| His Excellency was "stumplng" o rural
! district in the State. when he met mem
1 Der OF the Legislature, and inquired now
| he lNOrthenj was getting along. Fine;
| fine" said the member of the General
| Assembly. The conversation then drifted
| TO other subjects, and the Governor asked
What ere the geological formations
here? :" They are mostly Baptists,
! crayely replied the Georgia politician,
| who was not so well educated as the mem
bers Of our Virginia Legislature. DR.,
Wharton then alluded 10 the lO,OUO Bap-
fists in this city as being somewhat IKE
! geological formations in their inactivity
/" We are not preaching 20 the uncOn,
| verted." continued the preacher. Our
churches are well built and they have
| Dlenty OF members, but do the people I'LL
them? Here's a pew worth $50, but no
body in il. 1 don't know what's the mat
ter. We are preaching those away who
do come.
Brother Kirk told mea good Joke. An
old preacher kept on feeding the sheer
and they kept on getting fewer and fewer
until one day there were only three peo
pie left for him 10 talk TO.
The pastor kept on talking 10 these
three and nnally two of his CuditOrs-
young men-gOt up and lett. Only one
individual remained. he was an old GRIP
pie ; be couldn't get away.
" At the close of the sermon the ole
preacher announced that there would b,
services the next day, but the crippl,
smoke Up and said: Brother. it's no ust
saving that: 1 can't be here tO-mor
row.
HOW TO REACH The UNGoDLY.
"HoW can we get the uncOnverted? 2
| asked the preacher. I'VE must 90 afte
them. Christ did this: 81. Paul did this
| / believe the sooner We preachers learn q
stand in the stream and fish the better i
will be. You men who hunt don't SIT IL
the house with your dog by you and ex
peet a partridge 20 fly IN. lou Young fel
lows who fish don't sit in your fathers
narior. bait your hooks, throw out you
lines. and wait for a hsh % jump out o
tie waters of the majestic James. You e
after them. This Is what the preachers
should do. They should do persona
The speaker referred to the 500 member,
of the society as the light brigade" he
said they were especially light" Il
finances.
Don't YOU see these $1,000 we want L
save? il wouldn't be long If all the con
yerted were 10 90 10 Work and say thes'
people must be saved. Land booms, poll
tlcs good streets, Christmas presents, snC
! eyervthing<elSe must be secondary. IheI
we would save them. People don't wan
10 be saved. The devil IS holding then
captive. Temptations are around then
| everywhere; bar.rooms on every corner.
Christ does not ask you 10 do thes'
things by threat. He asks: DO yOl
Love Ne?" The last command be CAV,
was; Col Col" You can boil all tn
GOSPEL into two words" Come!" com
away from all evils. Then he says: " Go
Go! and keep gong"
Yonder sits a man that God helped M
TO save tie Is an engineer on the Chesa
peake and Ohio railroad. He doesn't pu
All the power On his engine at once. i
would blow it all 70 pieces, He puts OF
enough 10 start and then keeps adding
That's the way. go and keep going"
PICTURE OF HEAVEN.
| In his concluding remarks DR.. Wharton
| cave a beautiful description or Heaven
He told Of man who dreamed be was II
the celestial abode, looking at the multi
tude Of radiant angels. He saw the Apos
ties, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and the martyrs, ant
upon being told who they were cried on
that he was unftto stand IN their presence
Finallv he saw another vast throng, ant
I was informed that these were the sinner
saved. Then he knew there was hope 10
him.
.