The Portland daily press., 1895-03-27

$500 and 5000. There seemed to be in.the
great audience subdued feeling, as if
of regret that the meetings were SO soon
to end. A large number of the stores In
the city had put up the mid-week Sun
day cards and closed for the afternoon,
allowing the employees to attend. The
Mayors Office and most of the other city
offices were closeo.
After the usual singing service, Mr..
Mills read selection from the tenth
chapter of Luke, wherein Christ utters
his impressive warnings to those who
had neglected the great works of his
ministry.
Mr.. Hills follow ed with solo, "The
Harvest is passing"
"They stumbled in the MONDAY as at
night" was the text of Mr.. Mills's ser
mon.
These words apply to all of those living
in Christian and who are not openly
followers of Christ. 1t requires a ire
mendous courage Tor a man to live in
a Christian land without being Chris
tian himself. He cannot escape his ac-
counta bility before the bar of Gods JUS
tice. The words of the text apply also
to those who live under especial Chris
tian inflence without taking advantage
of their opportunities.
The preacher once knew a man who
boosted that he had read the Bible
through many times, who for forty years
attended church regularly, but yet was
one of the narrowest, crabbedest old skin
f1ints alive. He stumbled in the noon
day at night. The ingratitude of those
who know the story of Christ's sacrifice
and yet allow themselves to be in a po-
sition where their influence will count
against the people Of God, is of the bas-
est kind. A youth once helped boot a
lame man whom he saw going along the
street. Shortly after the boy returned
home and found the lame man there.
Here" said the mother TO her son, is
the man who saved your life when you
were baby. He famed himself perma-
nently in doing it. "Shamefully mean"
you say, had been the act of that boy,
but it's meanness is nothing TO that of
the man who denies Christ after all
the Saviour suffered for him.
There is no other way to get into the
Kingdom Of God except through an en-
trance that is in sight of aid the world.
There are no secret. entrances. All must
acknowledge Christ openly. Do you
not see that if there were secret way
of getting into heaven, man who
1,o 10 4aI1 ~ i
be too mean TO stay in heaven. He
would only be. fitted for hell. How could
such man join in the. grand anthems
of the saved?
There are people in this city who, if
they do not give themselves to God with
have Christian relatives, friends or
neighbors, who should have the most
solicitous interest in them. This is
time of the greatest Importance.
The preacher waseonce in aplace where
a woman disturbed the audience by
loud shrieks of "Save my husband; be-
lieve that this is his last chance.n But
some of the ladies about her treated
her very coolly, and when it was ssug-
gested that she might be moved by the
Holy Ghost, they would not entertain
the idea. The next morning those wo.
men heard with pale cheeks of the sui
eide of that woman's husband.
think that woman may have been
given by the Holy Spirit prophetic in.
stinct, and that if those people who
were so cold had been more sympathetic,
the poor man might have been saved.
Speaking of the present situation, the
preacher said that the very atmosphere
palpitatedwith the spirit Of the word,
and there never would be day when
it would be easier for you to turn to
Christ. God has been melting the chains
of pride. Friends, will you not allow
yourself to become children of God?
There are two great reasons for men to
enter the kingdom of God. Youth is the
first reason. Two thirds of all the Chris
tians are converted before they are 81.
Mr.. Mills here asked all present VINO
commenced to be Christians before 81 to
arise. Many arose, Mr.. Mills estimating
the mum her at 1000 or 100. Those who
began after 20 and before 80, arose,
about $50 in ALL For the ages between so
and 40, 35 arose; between 40 and SO, IA;
between SO and 60, s; between 60 and 70,
l. When Mr.. Mills asked for those to rise
who had begun Christian lifeFafter 70,
no one arose. Four-ffths of all who be-
gin the Christian life do SO at revivals.
Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. This is
not the first invitation that you have
had; but it may be the last.
This appeal the preacher closed with
the story of the man who was being
swept away by the food at Pittsburg
His friends let down to him rope from
bridge He missed it. second rope
from second bridge likewise slipped
out of his hands. "There is ONLY one
more bridge" shouted his friends as they
ran to it and let down the rope again.
AS he was swept under, the drowning
| man seized it with all his might. and
was saved. The application of this