Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-04-06
MILLS FIRST DAY.
The Revival Work Well Under
Way at Salem.
YOURSELF MORE THAN YOUR MONEY.
And Those Il hat Are at Ease in
ZiOn-His First Two
Texts.
AFTERNOON MEETING.

a r lEhNOON
The house was nearly full at $3.50
p. M. Tuesday, in spite of the steady
downpour of rain, to hear b. Fay
Mills opening service at Salem.
After prayer by Rev. Whitaker, he
spoke from III Cor. viii, 5, and it
was pronounced by all a mastery
effort. All the ministers of the city
nearly were present and all agreed
that it was a powerful effort. Que
remarked that he had not been so
moved in a spiritual way since he
had been on the coast. Others said
it was the grandest pulpit talk ever
listened to in Salem. Several de-
clared that Mills was in every way
the superior of Moody, in short was
the greatest living evangelist.
THE SERMON.
No man can really give money to
the Lords cause who has not first
of all given himself. Three things
are characteristic of a gift. 1st-It
must be voluntary. If there is
measure of force employed it is not
a gift. God does not force men to
give themselves. 2d-It must be
unselfish. If any price, even the
smallest, is paid it is not a gift. 1t is
good that we are not required to
pay any price, for nothing that we
could pay would buy one moment
of eternal life. Every effort of man
to create life, even in it's lowest
forms has failed and must fail.
Eternal life is the gift of God, and
mans gift of himself is not any
part of the price. 3d-It must be
irrevocable. Not as the child who
gives and takes again. Men must
give themselves wholly to God. The
emphatic word of the text is first.
The beginning of the Christian life
is surrender to God. Some leok for
christian experience before they
give themselves to God. This
wholly reverses the natural order.
Men must give themselves to God
in order to get a Christian ex-
perience. The most intellectual men
are utterly incapable of finding God
without a surrender of themselves
to God. This point was strictly
illustrated by reference to the con-
version of Horace Bushnell, al
though skeptic, believing only in
the existence of Him and the differ
ence between right or wrong. He
gave himself up to do Gods will as
it might ne made known to him.
His coversion was complete and
great his after service as religious
teacher. The conversion of Bush
nell was compared to the conversion
of a poor heather who had never
heard the gospel, but being convicted
of sin gave himself up to do the will
Of the "Great Spirit" and thus found |
the truth. Instances were cited of un-
educated men and women who had
worked nightly for God through |
His complete possession of their
hearts. He defined life as consisting |
Of knowledge. experience aud ser
vice. Have you given yourself to
God? People sometimes ask how | |
want to begin, with Christians
alone, or with the unconverted,
with men or with women. want
to begin with my own heart. The
appeal to God ia the words
Of the Psalinist, which followed was
even to the most careless,
as was also the heart-searching APP
peal to the pastors and people. The
sermon closed with tender, search
ing prayer of self consecration.
THE EVENING MEETINGS.
The house was filled at an early |
hour and at 7:30 the aisles were filled !
10 Il crush for standing room. After |
song~ Rev. Gwynne offered prayer
in a most effective manner. Mr.. |
Greenwood, sang "ThrOw Out the
Lifeline" and the audience took up
the chorus.
B. Fay Mills Low read from Rev.
Iii, 7. "Jesus of Nazareth Passeth :