Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1893-07-17
BEGINNING OF A REVIVAL
SERVKCEs AT THE FIRST BAP.
TIST CHURCH.
DIR. H M. yVha1 ton of Baltimore
Begins a Meeting in Asheville
A-ast Evening, Preaching to a
very Large Congregation.

The First Baptist church was literally |
packed from pulpit to gallery last even
ing. " hen Rev. DR.. II. M. Wharton of
Baltimore began his series of meetings. I
The Doctor had expected to preach in
the morning but telegram received
Saturday afternoon stated he had missed
connection and could not get here until
Sunday afternoon.
Pastor White and other ministers of
the city have becne conducting prepara-
tory services at the First Baptist for a
week past and everything was ready for
DIR. Wharton's coming. The musical
feature had been looked we'll to and the
congregation saw and heard a choir Of
40 or so voices. led by Mr.. and Mrs. |.
S. Field of Baltimore, DR.. Wharton's
prcccntors. The singing was grand, and
was taken part in by the congregation
with Il readiness that betokcncd hearts
interested in the work Of revival just
beginning.
DIR. Wharton is most impressive
speaker. He does not make his points
by violent gesturinG; but the few gest-
ures he uses are effective. His voice can
be as winning as woman's or awfully
stern, and he can narratc an illustration
with a power cqualcd by few preachers.
He believes in laughing in church and
| carries his hearers from grave to gay
| and back to grave again with an case
that shows the wonderful power of the
man, His work here will surely be
richly blessed.
DIR. Wharton preached last evening from
| the text:
Unto me, who am less than;the least Of
s TIC the
| riches of Christ.-Eph. 3s
"Thosc who have visited Washington"
| said DIR. Wharton. "have noticed on the
sides of the cars the names OF the places
| to which they are Golng-the Navy yard,
| the Treasury department, etc. Across
| my text tonight see words like these:
| TO Gods Treasury department. Come
| AMI go with me. But first let me call
your attention to the humility Of the
| Apostle Paul. God loves humility.
| don't think God can do much with the
person who walks through the world
| with his head up and SAYS I'm not a bad
man Who doesn't prefer the humble
lilv to the suntlOwcr, which saws:
| Look at ms; don't you think I'm
| pretty ?
There are three kinds of preaching:
Proclaiming, cvangeliziug and conversa-
tional preaching. Tie sermon that
made the greatest impression on me,
perhaps. was preached to me by my
mother"
| DIR. Wharton then took his hearers
through Gods Treasury department"
This he diyidcd into three rooms. The
first room he called "thc unsearchablc
riches of His redeeming power" the sec
ond, 1.-THE unsearchabe riches of His
pardoning love-" third, "the unsearch-
able riches of His grace" The Doctor
dwelling on the evils OF strong drink
said that the only time he had ever seen
his father in a bar room was one morn
ing about 4 o'clock. at the old home in
Amherst county, Va, and on that oc-
casion the father had gone there to per
suadc his son the preacher who related
the incident) to go home with him. And
Wharton, that is the way itgoes-w when
your children are little they tread on
your toes; when they are grown they
tread on your heart"
On the subject of laughing in church
DR.. Wharton said: 81 don't find any
ing in the Bible that says: Thou shalt
not laugh l see no objection to laugh
lug in church; not bit. When you see
these long g-faccd. solemn Christian pco-
pic and are caught in the dark with
them, keep your hand on your pocket
book
To-day there arc plenty of you who
arc being tolled by the devil to destruc-
ton. Satan says to the merchant, DO
YOU want riches P Yes We'll, get
down on your knees before mc-Set
down, get down. 1t is the same way
in politics. Why, you can hardly get
any Office, from a crossroads postmas-
tcrship to the presidency, without going
down on your knees before Satan. And
it's the same way about society.
The devil can quote scripture. lie
tempted the Lord Jesus and tried to get
Him to doubt God. That is what the
devil is trying to do with some of OUT
preachers today. Once i'll awhile we hcai
of one of these new theology fellows
who are finding some fault with the
Bible. They remind me of the boy who
goes off to school and receives letter:
from his old mother. The good old sou
does not spell correctly, and does MOI
know the rules of capitalization, but hel
letter brcathes out the love she ha
for her boy. He takes the letter ant
shows it to his schoolmates and laugh
at the inaccuracies therein. He ought t.
! be taken by the heels and worn ou
against the college wall, and I'd like t.
be the man to do 1t.
The sermon, which was listened t,
with the deepest interest, closed with a
exhortation to the unsaved to tur
away from their sin and live a Christa
life.
{. TOday's service.
At this mornings service DR.. Wharto
preached on the subject "How may
know that l am Christian" 1t wa
a sermon OF great power. These mornin
services will be specially helpful to Chris
tians. DIR. Wharton sang a solo with
=, tenderness that touched every heart. LIZ
the people take advantage Of these da
Z. services. Mr.. and Mrs l. S. Field hay
charge of the music, and the congrcg;
q tional singing is an attractive feature
the service. Mr.. Field has a voice
:, great compass and sweetness.
This evening at $50 DR.. Wharton wi
preach especially to young men. I'll
&C. public generally. however, is invited.
At the ~. M. e. a. Meeting.
DIR. Wharton came in yesterday
time to fill his engagement at the Y. n
c. A. mems meeting in the Grand oper
house at 4:3O. The lower portion of Il
~ house was packed and every man presel
enjoyed the talk immensely. DIR. Wha
tons discourse was powerful and
more than once moved many of h
hearers to tears by his touching appeal