The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-05-13
THE AFTERNOON SERVICE.
Rev. MIR. Stuart Delivers an Excellent
Sermon.

Rev. MIR. Stuart Delivers an Excellent
Sermon.
The afternoon service began at 3
o'clock by tho choir singing, II am
Glad That Grace is Free" then two
stanzas of 81 Will Meet You in tho
City of the New Jerusalem" These
beautiful hymns were led by Mr. Ex-
cell in his inimisable way. An eloquent
and fervent prayer was offered by one
of the visiting ministers, after which
Mr.. EXCEL swcetly sang that tender and
touching song, 81 Will Anchor My Soll
III the Haven Of Rest"
Rev. George II. Stuart came the front
AMI announced that Mr.. Jones would
preach at night at o'clock, and that he
would speak for Il very short while OH
Opportunity =
He based his brief but forcibe dis
course upon these words: And who
knoweth whether thou art como to the
Kingdom for such time as this" which
is fonnd in the Book of Esther, Ala.
The minister briefly related the bit of
history concerning the captivity of the
Jews and their being carried into Baby
IL,
was sent for to como down and show
her beauty and grace before the court
OF revelcrs she was disposed and Esther
4 beautiful little Hebrew maiden, was
selected to be the queen of Babvlon
liarman,a lSinsman of Esther, was placed
IN high authority, and by somo means
lnccnsed some of tho men in favor of
the king. who induced him to issue
orders that ali of the captive Jews be
put to death.
The text is the words OF Mordecai. a
prominent Hebrew. in Il message to the
young queen. Our opportunities are
given us from God. Sometimes we lose
great deal by not making the best of
the opportunities and influences that
God has given us. The first thing the
text teaches us is that our oppo' tunitics
arc brought about by our individualities
and sometimes by our features. Some
things are inseparably connected with
us on account of our nose, or an eve or
any special feature. How did you hap
pen to bee ome husband and wife? Some
people like you better than they do any
body else, and it's all because of YOUR in
dividuality.
II saved mans soul once with nv
nose. fellow walked no to man
once and said. Your nose is as big as
George Stuarts' Afterwards met the
man, when he told me that our noses
had been said to rescmb BILE; afterwards I
met him again and we gradually became
friends in speaking of that incident.
Little by little worked on him until I
was the means of his becoming con-
verified, and in that way saved the fol-
low. Some of the least things brings
us close to people.
- cOmmanpp6 hnlNiptr 1,, ~, 49,,
because got married AMI marri ed to
the woman | did. My wife was tho
daughter. OF an old Methodist preacher
and once | overheard him having family
prayers. When he had concluded /
went in and found him alone. | asked
DO you hold family prayers all by your
self?' He replied, Il always feel better
whom have family prayers
81 married into that home and | am
mighty glad did. When l married nv
wife asked Are we going TO have
family prayers | said, There are only
two OF us and Il looks like it's no use
She said She had never gone to bed in
her ITO without family prayers and did
not want to begin then. | commenced
then and have never got out of the habit
of IL.
"Do you know, my brother, how YOU
come TO get married? God never did do
greater thing for man than to give
him a good wife.
II tell you can take three pretty
girls and turn them over to the devil
and send one-half of the young men in
town to hell, or 1 can give them and
their sweet influence over to the Lord
and put them in the church and the
Sunday school and can lead them to
Heaven. This little Jewess Esther
saved her people simply because she
was the wife of a king. In your rela-
tions you can do some things that no one
else can do.
Some of you preachers here have a
grip on some one that no one else can
get and can use that person for good.
I'm not here to preach small sermon.
| want to get down TO work and I want
you TO get down to business. When
was thirteen years old the whole fam
lily Of us was at big meeting None
of the family except my mother were
Christians. After the sermon close
friend and schoolmate, little
boy, came up to mo and said.
George, God has saved me.
You have always been my schoolmate,