Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-04-05

vsrts were received into the fold.
Pine Meeting Last Night.
The orea, building was filled last night
n,,,h neonle eager 10 hear the great evan
,'e,,s, special provision had been made
sor vvorklnemen, and large numbers OF
,hem were present. There was de-
IIghtful song service, and In the devo-
tional exercises Rev. J. w. Lee. OF North
caroIina offered fervent prayer. in
which he asked that the unconverted
might be touched by the spirit of God
and brought TO repentance at this SER
vice. Lead Me. Oh Thou Great Jeho-
yah." was rendered by the choir. after
which Mr.. Jacobs sang Where Is My
Wandering Boy Tonight and this ten
dor and affecting song has rarely, II
ever, been rendered III more touchlhg
and pathetic manner. The utmost quiet
prevailed through the vast congregation
and the words seemed to reach every
heart While the collection was being
taken the choir sang Far From Thy
sacred Courts Ny Tears" Messrs. Ben.
pett Smith. Hunter and Henning sang
"Vhv viii You Do Without Him" These
oentienen have contributed materially
IA the musical part Of the services this
,veek their voices blending very harmo-
nlousIy together and their selections al
yays being in touch with the other part
OF the service. Rev. W. l.. Wright offer
ed prayer, and Mr.. Moody announced
that he will preach this afternoon by re-
quest on Overcoming Light" He also
called attention to the morning prayer
meeting at the Second Baptist church
from 7 10 s o'clock. and to the after meet
ing at the Young Mems Christian Asso-
citation Hall this afternoon at the close
of the tabernacle service to which all
having spiritual troubles are invited.
FROM a TRIPLE TEXT.
Mr. Moody as a basis for his sermon,
read a portion of the first chapter OF
John. 81 want" he said. "to call your
attention TO three texts-hrst. "A question;
second, an exhortation; third. a COM
mand. The first part is in the first chap
ter of John. What seek YEP They are
the first words that John, the beloved
disciple has recorded as falling from the
lips of Jesus probably the first that
John heard. Andrew and John were the
two disciples that followed Jesus when
he bade them Come and see They evil
dently found something that other men
did not find IN him. So many of them
turned back. They must have found
something in him that other did not.
Is Christ partial? Well, think he is.
| think Christ had his favorites. John
was nearer to him than the other
eleven, and why? Because John
loved him more. and II we love
Christ he will favor US Again, some
sought him with the wrong motive. for
what they could get out OF him. AS he
told them on one occasion, You are after
the loaves and fishes Some OF these
followers would say one 10 the other:
do YOU think he will make any bread
or fishes here to-dayY They didn't care
for what spiritual blessings he would
confer on them. but they simply wanted
the food that they thought he would
create. 1t was a low motive, and lots
Of men have the same motive to-day.
AFTER TEMPORAL THINGS.
Then there were some that were after
temporal things. They thought Christ was
going 10 set up temporal kingdom, and
they wanted office. They cried: 'Hoeanna
Hosanna,' until they found He was
founding a spiritual kingdom and they
dropped Him Wrong motive, don't you
see?
Then again some wanted to get Him
in the clutches OF the law Others
sought Him because they thought tho
crown was going that way. and they want
ed 10 go the way the crown did. Others
sought Him for what He was, like An
drew and John"
What motives have broucat this large
crowd together tonight? why a hundred
different motives. 4 pc could get into
your hearts
Some OF You have come here for the
singing. Others come because their
wives have worried them into coming.
We'll, its a low motive, but I've known
men TO come with that motive. and its
been changed into = higher one"
Mr.. Moody related an incident Of a
man in Philadelphia who came 10 tho
meeting an hour before the service In
order to see HOO empty chairs before
the service began, and before he left he
found Christ. He referred to another case
that happened in Glasgow OF a man who
came into his meeting one night perfectly
callOus and Indifferent and stood at the
rear OF the hall, looking up at
the roof of the structure think.
ing to himself about its construction. lie
was suddenly startled by hearing Mr..
Moody say: Young man, will you accept
eternal life as Il gfft?' The Scotchman
thought the speaker referred to him per-
sonally. and ne said to himself: well. I
would be stupid if | did not. I'll take
it," and" Mr.. Moody continued. 10
use the mans own words. God came to
me right then; that very minute"
Mr. Moody said he liked quick work
and had heard Of quick conversions, but
that was the quickest that he had ever
heard Of and II was lasting, too. as
he saw the man eight years afterward,
and he was one OF the most active
workers in Glasgow
SEEK THE LORD.
"The next part Of my sermon is the
cXhortatiOn Seek the Lord People say
they are seeking the Lord. but they are
not. They are seeking wealth. happiness.
anything but the Lord. oh, seek the
Lord. and you will find Him. when you
search for God with all your heart you
will find Him.
Strive To enter in. If you ever get
into the kingdom Of God you have got
TO be I'm earnest
There Is no trouble about getting in
when you are in earnest. God is not a
hard taskmaster.
"'How do you seek Him. from the
heart? Mr.. Moody l have been asked
Go ask the pleasure seekers how they
do. They put their heart right In It.
! When men put their heart into spiritual
affairs they have no difficulty about
finding the kingdom
"If / lost a diamond IN this building
tonight and would offer $4,000 for It's
recovery how much of my sermon would
be heard? Why choir ministers, and
congregation would stay here all might
and the next day. If necessary. to find IL
/ Why. you would rush all over the place
break all the chairs in the place.
/ OF INFINITELY GREATER VALUE
/ Now let me ask you one question
Isn't eternal life worth more than $4,000
(Cries of yes from all over the taberna
cle)
Life without end Think OF IT, win
what tenacity We hold on TO this life
We will submit to surgical operations
TO lengthen our life five years. Look a
the wretchedness of life. Your aims
houses. your prisons. your hospitals, you
! families broken by sin and death.
/ Some one has described this earth as
( funeral procession. Look at your gra,
, hairs here tonight. The Lord is bearin,
down on your track, but, oh, my friend
look for one moment to that city who's
builder and founder Is God. A city with
/ out a cemetery a city without sin. with
out death. and all this as Gods free gift.
} Mr. Moody's words at this point wer
4 OF an intensely dramatic and powerful
/ character The whole congregation wa
! greatly moved, and when he asked 1
Christ could be fotsd here tonight, h
was answered by responses from all owe
| the house
He continued: II believe that Christ 4
here tonight. Pray the prayer that tn
| IN do.