Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-07

Ior nelD Ior an VINO were trying to break
from evil habits, especially from drunken
ness and for the young men who were
struggling to free themselves from the net
of evil companionship. He prayed that the
saloons of the city and the houses of crime
might no longer draw in. as into a whirl-
pool, the souls of the young men, and these
young men should realize that that is the
surest road to the souls damnation. II
there were any men before him who fire.
qpented such places he did hope that they
might realize the error of their ways and
turn before it was too late.
Then Mr.. Sankey sang the hymn. "Over
the Line" which tells in beautiful verse
how a young man stepped boldly over the
line that separates good from bad, and
came out firmly on the side of Jesus Mr.
Moody read the Goth chapter of Exodus the
one that contains the decalogue and these
simple but all embracing Ten Commandments
he read in a plain, uneloquent manner, as
| though he were laying down rule Of life
so right and clear that 1t needed neither
stress nor explanation.
After Mr.. Moody had spoken a few words
regarding the meetings that are to be held
In this city after he goes, the oongrega-
ton, under the leadership of the great choir
sang Rock of Ages
Weighed i'm the Balance.
| Mr.. Moody took for the text of his dis
course the 9th verse Of the 5th chapter
Of Daniel "Tekel, Tekel, thou art weighed
in the balances and art found wanting"
Mr.. Moody said that he was going to try
to weigh his audience and find out what
they were worth and IL they were found
to be wanting and light ia weight and did
not like it they might get up and go out
Belshazzar was giving great feast when
on the wall appeared the words of his doom
and Belshazzar offered great rewards to
any man i'll the realm. who could read the
writing the wall. Daniel came in and
told the great king of the doom that was
hanging over him, and that night there
was blood mingled with the wine, for retri-
button came swift.
Belshazzar said Mr.. Moody, sinned, but
he would not compare him to modern sin
ners, for he did not sin against light and
knowledge. He had no Bible, as we have.
We sin knowing what We DO, and We know
clearly what is right and wrong. And
now" said the preacher, Il want 70 take
you all and weigh you. What with" you
ask. With the ten rules for the conduct Of
life that l have just read to you. They
are very simple laws. and many a congress
and legislature is re-enacung them. We
have laws against murder, and theft. and
adultery, and no man, believer or unbe-
lever, can say that they are too severe or
in any way not right. Take the first law
of all-''Thou shalt have no other Gods bat
me-" Isn't that good law? Yes hear
you, say. but We have no idols here No
idols? What difference does that make.
Why, brethren, tell you you don't have to
go to China TO get false gods. Why, TO
many people the acquisition of wealth is
their only divinity. 1t doesn't make any
difference to Satan whether your God is of
brass or of gold, so long as you don't wor-
ship the true. the living God, Jesus Christ.
Thou shalt not take the name of the
Lord thy God in vain. for the Lord will
not hold him guiltless that taketh His name
in vain Brethren, don't believe any bias
phemer can enter the kingdom of God or
would want to If he could. unless he re-
penis. Heaven is a prepared place for pre-
pared men. and 1 don't believe God can
make an evil man enjoy heaven. Bias
int Ia 49, ~
weigh yourself against this law of God.
Have you taken the name of the Lord thy
God in vain this day? then how can you
raise your voice in prayer tonight?"
Against Work on the Sabbath.
So Mr.. Moody went on to take each one
of these laws of God in turn. and showed
his hearers what it meant. He was par
ticularly urgent and firm in the matter Of
the observance of the Sabbath, and called
their attention to the fact that as soon as a
nation loses its respect for the Lords Gay
| just that moment that nation begins 10 90
down the scale. He was very severe upon
corporations and other employers who
compel their employees to do unnecessary
work on the Sabbath. He did not like 20
/ speak in favor of strikes, but he did wish
that when the next great strike comes IL
will be made on this very line. refusal to
| increase the profits of employers and the
size of dividends by working for them on
the Sabbath.
Il have never known a young man who
lacked respect for his parents but what
came to the lowest depths. Are You kind
! TO your mother, my boy? How often co
you write home? Are you really good to
the dear old lady who has loved You and
cared for you, and now, in her old age,
only wants your love? Are you willing to
| step into the balance and be weighed
| against the law of the Lord? Don't You
think it would be 'Tekel, thou art found
! wanting?
Thou shalt not kill Oh, you think.
there are no murderers in your midst, AID
that l might as well pass over this COM
mandment Do you think so? Why, /
want to say right here that We don't hang
! our worst people. If man should come
! into my room tonight and kill me for the
| sake of my watch and little money the
chances are that he would be hanged. Yet
! that man is a nobleman and a prince
among men compared with the young man
who comes home at night drunk every
night, and breaks his fathers heart My
| friends, have two sons, and if they want
| to do me harm L would rather they would
Kill me with knife and do 1t quick, than
have them take five years by living a
drunken and dissolute life and bring me
| to my grave with a broken heart
| Are you drunkard? Then are you will
! ing to enter the scale tonight? Brethren.
do not believe a drunkard can enter the
kingdom of heaven unless he repents and
wants TO be saved
When he reached the commandment.
| Thou shalt not commit adultery" Mr.
Moody was particularly severe on all those
who had violated the law. He character
lied as one OF the foulest blots on our civili-
nation the manner in which the world
treats woman after she has been seduced
by sweet words and fair promises, while
the man goes unscathed. and is regarded
as reputable and decent member of So
ciety because he has wealth. OF the com
mandment aimed at the bearing Of false
witness, Mr.. Moody said that If one-half Of
what is said about them is true, there is
not man IN public life in WASHINGTON
who should remain there. The same holds
with ministers; everywhere there IS too
great a tendency to spread evil reports
about our neghbors.
| And now" said Mr. Moody I'm closing
II think can hear some one out in the
audience asking If 1 am ready to enter the
scales tonight and here say YES: I en-
If an archangel should come down frcn,
heaven right now and say: Moody how,
about yourself? Are you ready 20 he
weighed| l would jump into the
scales with a shout. not because I am a
perfect man or anywhere near it. but
because Jesus Christ is on my side
would like TO ask you ministers here on
the platform and you God-fearing men an
over the house would you Ike to be tested
unless you have Christ on your side?'
! There were cries OF mo no." on all
sides. Mr.. Moody said that as the series o.
meetings drew so near TO a close he had a
great feeling of regret. Never had
he enjoyed preaching more than he had the
thirty DAYS he has been in Washington,
/ L.,tH II