The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-01-20
The EvangeIist's Sermon Of
Thursday Afternoon.
HIS SUBJECT WAS "oBEDIENcE." /"
The Interest I'm the Big Revival Con-
tinues Unabated and Thousands
Daily Crowd Music Hall to Listen TO
the Words OF the Great Preacher.

ence," the big Music nall was CROWDED Win
an interested audience. The great work
of the famous revivalist continues with
unabating success. THE NEWS presents
to its readers tonight the full text OF this
grand sermon,
This afternoon am going to talk about
subject that you will not like very we'll. but l
found out long time ago that the medicine
we don't like Is the best medicine for us. IL
there is anything that throws sort of n cold
ness over q meeting II Is TO talk obedience.
You can talk about love and heaven and all
those things, and people get so warmed that
they shout; but when you talk about obedi- u
ence there Is sort OF coldness over the
meeting Like a man heard OF
duringN tue time OF slavery. He
was preaching with great power. he was a
Save, and his master heard Of 1t and said,
81 understand you are preaching, and they
tell me you are preaching with great power"
"Yes.vs said the slave: "Well. now" says the
master, II will give you all the time you want
and you get up sermon on the command
ments and preach on the commandments. and
bear down on their stealing. for there Is
great deal OF Stealing on the plantations"
The mans countenancc fell at once. lie said
he wouldn't like To do that, that there WASN'T
the warmth in il there was in som, things,
and / have always noticed those kinl OF
People don't like TO be told about
them you know. They don't like
anything said about II, you know. because IL
comes little too near home. Once 4 heard
aDou a young minister who took the place OF
an old pastor. and he began to bear down
pretty hard upon the people! A man
came TO him and said, snow look here, Young
rxn. IL yol expect to hold this pulpit you
have got TO stop that kind OF preaching. for
the people won't stand IT," There are good
many people that are delighted when you talk
about the sins of the patriarchs, and the sins
of those Bible characters, but when you come
down here in Providence and touch upon the
sins OF Providence. that is another thing
They will say. II don't like his style" No.
nor his matter either, ana perhaps you won't
like this subject of obedience. But l tell you,
we are told that without faith IL is impossible
to please God. and you will find that IL is i'm
possible TO please God without obedience. Your
faith don't amount 10 much without obedi ience
Fifth chapter of Hebrews, ninth verse, "And
being made perfect He became the author Of
eternal salvation unto all them that obey
Him." Eternal salvation unto all them that
obey Him; not all them that feel Him. talk to
Him. all those that say, Lord, Lord" but
those that obey Him. Eternal salvation
means eternal safety. Did you ever notice all
but the heart of man praises God? II you look
right through history. you will find that every
thing but the heart of man obeys God. In the
beginning God said," Let there be light and
there was light; let the waters bring forth, and
the waters brought forth abundantly." And
one OF the proofs that Jesus Christ is God was
that He spoke To nature and nature obeyed
Him. AT one time lie spoke TO the sen.
and the sea recognized and obeyed Him.
He spoke to the ng tree
and instantly 1t withered and died.
1t obeyed literally and at once. AS told you
last night, he spoke to devils, and the devils
Al
obeyed Him and gave back its dead. But
when Ho speaks to man, man will not obey
Him;that is why man Is out of harmony with
God. and IL will never be different until men
learn 10 obey God. God wants obedience and
He will have 1t. or else there viii be no har-
mony. In the lst eplstle os John. I'd chapter,
18th verse, we read, And the world passetb
away. and the lust thereof, but he that
doeth the will of God abideth forever"
" He that doeth the will OF God abideth for
ever. he shall never die" He says in another
place that IL we keep His sayings we shall
never die. People say, We'll, don't you
thing IL very unreasonable in God TO punish
Adam because he transgressed once?" Some
years ago superintendent telegraphed to
man not to turn the bridge until a special
train passed. They waited and waited. and
the man stood firm: until one man overper-
suaded him and he opened the bridge. lie
thought they would have time to let the
boats pass and swing the bridge back before
the train came. But he hadn't got IL
more than opened before he heard the
coming of the quick train. He hadn't
time TO get the bridge BACK, and there was a
tremendous accident and lives we're lost. The
man went out OF his mind and was sent 10
madhouso, and his cry for years, until death
released him, was: IF only had; IL l only
had" IL hc only had whats lIf he had only
obevcd, those lives would not have been lost
Why hers in New England not long ago
switchman just turned the switch at the
wrong time, and 20 men we're hurled into
eternity. and a good many MANNED and hurt
for life. lie only just disobeyed once. Peo-
pie don't seem 10 think there is anything in
disobedience that needs to be punished. Men
think that il is hard because He is going TO
punish disobedience. Now, If we want TO get
near God. the quickest way 10 get near Him is
obedience. Matthew xIr:46 "While he yet
talked to the people. behold. His mother and
His brethern stood without desiring TO speak
20 Him. Then one said unto Him. behold. thy
mother and Thy brethen stand without, desir-
ing 10 speak to thee. But He answered and
said unto him that told Him, who Is My
mother? and who are My brethren? And He
stretche His hands toward His disciples and
said. behold My mother and Ny brethren. for
whosocver shall do the will OF Ny Father
which Is In Heaven, the same is My brother.
sister, and mother" ri
~
Hin, that is the quickest way 20 get near Him.
Obedience Is n matter ~ the heart, IL isn't n
matter OF feeling; and tue iruest sign that we
love God Is that we obey Hlm. You couldn't
have better sign than that Now
you notice. lie takes those into tho nearest
communion with Himself that Just obey Him
II isn't n matter of just feeling or picking out
things we like to do. but IL Is doing wli~r lie
com nands US 10 do. And the man or woman
In Providence that Is nearest 10 God Is the
man or woman that Is just obeying Him.
They are nearer than His own motherif she
didn't obey Him. There Is no friendship
without obedience. Now notice, Adam lost
everything by disobedence, and the second
Adam gained everything by obedience.
Again, let me call your attention to Sam
uel. chan. XIV, v. 22-"ADd Samuel said. hath
the Lord rs grcat delight In burnt offerings
and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the
IordS Behold to obey Is better than sacrifice
and to hcarkcn than the fat OF rams" What
does your work OF charity amount TO II yoa
are not obrdient. God doesn't want sacrifice
ifthcre l. disobcdicnce. Whom we bring lamb
10 the altar that l. sacrifice, but u We arc liv-
inc in disobediencc to Col that Is no sacrifice.