The Wichita daily eagle., 1893-11-21
CHURCH WORK.


1 -
| An unusual degree of vigor seems to
have been developed in several of tile
Wichita church organizations this season
and the prospects are that notable and val
liable results will be achieved in the near
| future. The campaign against the world
the flesh and the devil'' is now being
pushed with accelerated earnestness, aud
evil-doers are undergoing a general shak-
| ing up along the lines known to the
churches. At present there are no less
| than four protracted meetings in progress
| in this city, and from each comes the most
encouraging reports. An EAGLE repre-
| sentative, in his travels yesterday, had
short talk with Rev. Don S. Colt, pastor of
the First NJ. Z. church located OF Law
| renee, between Second and Third. one OF
| the largest and most influential
| religious organizations of Wichita
who has been conducting series
| of services nightly for the past week. The
reverned gentleman's pale, scholarly face
! flushed with modest earnestness as he
spoke OF the work he had undertaken. So
far his efforts had been directed to arous-
| ing his church mem bership, as he thought
, the best work and most permanent results
| could be secured By such policy before a
| religious revival could be hoped for. A
deep feeling of eaInestness was being de-
veloped. The audiences for the past week
have been large and each might WAS
marked BY indications that public interest
was being awakened to such degree that
magnificent results are confidently antici-
pated. During the present week a more
extended effort is to be made to further
increase the interest in these meetings,
which are to continue for several weeks.
At the First Presbyterian, corner First
and Lawrence, a protracted meeting Is
also in progress. A call on the pastor,
Rev. David Winters. resulted in the i'll
formation that the attendance for the past
week has been eminently satisfactory, and
the interest manifestly Increasing. On
Wednesday evening his pulpit is to be
filled by Rev. DR.. Ray, an eminent minis
ter from Chicago The meetings are to be
| continued indefinitely.
Services have been held nightly at the
Oak Street Presbyterian church for the
past two weeks in charge Of the pastor.
Rev. Mr.. Fazel. assisted for one evening
by Rev. Mr.. Smith Of the Lincoln street
church. The interest developed has been
general, and twenty four conversions are
reported. 1t is expected that these serv-
ices will continue for several weeks. as the
| church building is crowded each evening
A series of meetings are also in progress
at the South Emporia NJ. f. church. The
services on Sunday were of special and in
creAsing interest. Several stood up for
prayer and a number of others were at the
altar. Beginning with today, there will
be II o'clock service, as we'll as in the
evening.
On Sunday evening Rev. L. A. Hall of
the First Baptist church spoke from the
theme: How Man Can Increase Gods
Wealth" The reverend gentleman's re-
marks were OF such a nature AS to inspire
everyone who listened to his eloquent pre-
sentation of the subject. The text was
Luke xii, 81: $50 is he that layeth up
treasure for himself and is not rich
toward God" The phrase, "rich toward
God" was defined by illustration, thus:
The east is rich toward the west in manu-
factured products; the west toward the
east in agricultural products that the
east needs Ons mind is rich toward
another by having mathematical, in
ventlve, musical or art talent that
other minds need. SO we may be rich
toward God by possessing holy charac-
ter God in creating man with divine
attributes-a free moral agent makes
it possible for man to add to
GODS wealth by giving to Him pure
heart, and in no other way can man add
to the true wealth of the universe except
by surrendering his will to God and add
ing a holy character to the soul that he
possesses. Tho illustrations of supply
and demand and the relation of value to
articles were apt and suggestive, and the
power of God as related to man was con-
clusiveiy shown. Not a word of mans
duty to give anything but holy charac-
ter was uttered. There is no demand in
heaven for any other. Therefore Dimes
WAS pauper with his selfish, narrow
SOUL where it was not in demand. while
Lazarus was so rich that he was awarded
a nigh place there. No synopsis can do
justice to the sermon delivered. and
those who missed it do not know how rich
their pastor is toward them in deep
thought.