The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-05-08
REV. SAM JONES.
Continued from page 1.

teenth century has been worth more IN
the cause of God. Not only did lie dcdi-
cate and change the saloon that he
owned there on the banks OF the river
into beautiful little chapel To save
souls, but he wrote me the other .av
Brother Jones, we are justnow iinishi,lr
up our magnificent Union Cos pei rahcr.
naclc. IL will cost about $50, 900 and is
the most magnificent place ever bull,
Tor tho salvation OF man.
After his conversion in that mrctinr
when | was preaching there he said
'Brothcr Jones. will you come TO tako
dinner with us? Ii will be ioy TO nv
wife and children TO have aronnd the
table tho man who took me to God
told him would go with him the next
FRIDAY and after preaching on that
morning got into his buggy and rode
up TO his homo with him. And il was
magnificent home, too. When we
walked into the double parlors there
were some twelve or fifteen men sitting
IN thero. lio introduced me to them
anu shortly afterward his vito an
nounced dinner. lie took nv arm
ana as we walked out through the hall
TO the dining room and SAID. Brother
Jones, | have got six OF my steam boat
captains, the mayor Of the city and Il
number OF M old friends here ! want
Jou W ."ik 10 thcGl To-Day. ] have in
vlted them here to meet YOU and want
you to bring grace and salvation TO mt
friends
I'VE sat down to the table. tho mayor
of the city sitting just to my right. u
Steamboa captain next to him, and two
steamboat captains on my loft. ad-
dressed my conversation mostly TO
those four men, pleaded witt, thom and
begged them to surrender to God Now
listen. Not one Of the four who sat
next to me took any stock in the meet
ing that we knew Of. had not been
gone from that city moro shan, | think,
about three or four weeks, whom Can't
kyman wrote me and infocned me that
the captain wno sat next 10 mo at the
table had fallen dead on his bout, and
had never b-catLed after he fol to the
floor.
ut was not more than thrcc months
from that day until ne wrote me that the
captain who sat next TO the mayor at the
ia BILE walked into his mouse and fell on
the floor and never br.a,hcd after his
wife got to him \ few weeks later
picked up paper and saw that tho
mayor OF Nashville, while Cunning in
Wisconsin, had accidentally discharged
his gun and the whole load had gone
into his brain and he WAS killed A few
weeks later Capt. Ryman wrote me that
the captain who sat second u my left at
the table mad died suddenly, and bt fore
was away from Nashville twelve
months the four men VINO sat right at
my side AT tho table had been swept
suddenly into eternity.
81 was preaching in Nashville about
eighteen months ago and stood in nat
great tabernacle, then unfinished, and
told the very incident an telling now
1y,1 n,Nt -, y.
ence, nodded his head and spoke out
and said, That is true AS little as YOU
may think of it, mark my words, these
hairs are not many of them gray and ]
am comparatively ycang. yet | say To
you in all kindness and low. ! have
preached the gospel of Jesus Christ TO
thousands Of men who have como sud
denly into the presence Of God unpro-
pared and it friGhtcns me. My God.
did do my duty: did plead earnestly
enough? was | faithful enough when
these men were having their last chance
and turning their back on God for the
last time.
sat a mass meeting in Charlotte. y
c., invited mon To c3mn " God A
great many came and ono Young man
about twenty-five wears old came down
the aisle, got ab3ut naif way and turned
suddenly and went back. do not know
whether II was the scot of II friend or
the jecr Of companion that tnrncd him
back. He was Il conductor on a railroad
and the next morning hr started out on
his trip. He ran donna few miles and
met another passenger train. Ills train
back onto Il side track on which stood 4
box car and they backed aguinst that
car and that poo: fellow fell down under
the stroke and wheel ran over him
from head 10 foot and crushed the very
watch in his pocket AS thin as Il piece Of
tin. That man was suddenly swept into
the presence OF God in less than eigh-
teen hours from the time my voice died
out in his ears.
81 WAS preaching at High Bridge,
Ky, and a man stood up just as some OF
those men are standing around that
window tonight, and pleaded with
him. Tia. fellow turned around with
an oath and said that ne had enough of
that and walked up the road cursing to
the depot. Just about the time no
reached the depot freight train was
passing at the rate of eight or ten miles
an hour. He made grab for the last
car but lost his grip and rolled under
the wheels and that man WAS in eter-
nifty before his oaths died out in the hills
around where no stood and blasphemed
the name of God.
Il was preaching at Greenville. Miss.
and ono night said to the merchants.
Il wish you would close your stores and
como down 20 the meetings and bring
your clerks The next afternoon gen.
tleman told mo that two saloon keepers
were cursins mo and saying, Il wonder
if Sam Jones thinks am fool enoue b
to close my place Of business and come
down and hear his idiotic vapors.' l re-
piled that had seen doors closed with