The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-01-30
AN INTEREsTIFG SERVICE.
Rev. DIR. Hatcher Preached n Great Ser.
mon Last Night.

NV III. hhtCher GreaCn6d q Great SER
mon Last Night.
Seated on the broad pulpit were the
choir. In the great auditorium was
packed six hundred people; in the gal
lery were two hundred and fifty more.
This was the scene at the First Baptist
Church last night when DR.. Hatcher
walked in on the pulpit. looked stern
and con(dingly at the immense audi
ence and then seated himself on the
left.
Prayers had already been offered by
two of the brethren in the audience and
several hymns sung, when the doctor
arose, dark figure in scholastic black,
iron gray whiskers and hair, erect and
firm in every movement
Sing Bringing in the Sheaves,'" he
said, land want the choir to sing a
verso and then stop. Then want the
congregation to sing the chorus"
Then the we'll trained choir took up
the life-inspiring old revival song and
skipped mechanically over the first
verse. Then they stopped. The organ
went on and few voices in tho congre-
CATION dragged over the chorus. 1t was
not near SO loud as the choir, that sound
that went up, and the doctor looked
moro stern and determined.
81 want all to sing" he shouted.
Let everybody sing this.chorus. Don't
let me have to tell you to sing again"
The choir and organ skipped over the
second verse, and down came tho doc
tors hand on the Bible Then he beat
time.
Infringing in the shcaves,
Bringing in the shcavcs,
VIC shall come rejoicing,
bringing in the shcavcs.r
SDCh n l.Oar wont mn Icro,,, tl,ro.
was opened, and the grand old chorus
swelled and heaved with melody be-
meath the high roof. With ono mighty
impulse the congregation caught the
spirit Of song, and carried it through.
DR.. Hatcher's text was: "By faith
Abraham, when he was tried, offered up
lsaac;" Hebrews Xi. II
He began by telling OF Gods promise
to Abraham, and how his seed should
be as numerous as the sands of the sea-
Yet he and Sarah were both old and
were fruitless. Then he told of Hagar
and Ishmael, and then how Isaac was
born, and that there might be peace in
the household, Ishmael must go. That
was another great trial, but it being
Gods will he murmured not
1t was grand description of that far
Oil country whore he told of the old
patriasch's journey to Mount Moriah
with Isaac to be offered up as sacrifice.
Three days journey it was, and the
hearers were led step by step When he
camped at night and Isaac laid down to
sleep, and the old man wandered around
the tent, his soul appalled, with agony,
there was tho seen right before the i'm
mense congregation, and breathless
suspense reigned. Whe the crown
like summit of Mount Moriah rose in
the distance all could SEQ it. All saw
the old man plodding up tho mountain
and the frolicsome youth, inapprehen-
slve OF danger, playing at his side.
SO vivid was the scene that the cords
which bound the helpless child. and the
burning fagots on the altar could be
seen. Abraham picked up the shining
| knife and the audience held its breath.
The knife cleaned in the air and poised
a. moment as it hesitating to descend to
its bloody work. Amid tho death-like
silence God called from behind and the
faith of Abraham was complete.
DIR. Hatcher offered tho sermon as a
test OF the faith of mon, and concluded
with touching appeal to the uncon-
verified. Several persons stood up for
the prayers of the church, and the in
teiest in the meeting was quickened at
every point