Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-08-28
Sam JOnes's last Sermon at Emory
Grove.


Sam Jones's last sermon at Emory
Grove Camp meeting was preached
Tuesday morning of last week, in a no.
tice of which reporter for the Balti-
more Sun says
"Mr. Jones's morning sermon was
Gospel Sermon" without anecdote OF
spicy slang He began by comparing
the Bible with large department
store whose proprietor offered him
premium if he would mention any
thing that he did not have in the
store.
"Open this Bible," he said, land il
you cannot find everything you want
there, then the angels will give you a
fail, but the Christian will never fail il
he sticks to this book. You must take
unto yourself the whole armor of faith.
| dare say that many of us own our
failures in serving God to the fact that
we were not equipped according to His
word. He is in the fullest sympathy
with you, brother, and will never mis-
understand or misjudge you.
"A man once culled from the Bible
8, $50 promises-God's promises. Just
think of it! Nearly ten for each day in
the year. Promises for the sick, for
the well, for the young, for the old, for
the diving and for those who are wing
ing their way home to Heaven, and
He is never slack in His promises,
brother.
II have heard of an old woman who
had her Bible marked all the way with
the letters ''T. p written on the mar
gin opposite the promises she found.
When she was asked what it meant
she said Tried and proven
"There was a book published once
called The Promises of God and an
other old woman wrote to the pub
fishers for a copy of it. Their reply
was that The Promises of God were
out of print, but she took down her
Bible and read it and exclaimed,
Thank God! the promises of God AL
mighty are not cut OF print
IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS"
1--WE read great deal in theology
about imputed righteousness. That
reminds me of lazy boy at school who
gets through on the recommendation
of the faculty alone-imputed educa-
ton. l believe in impaired righteous
ness, and l don't like the righteous
ness that is used as an Indian rubber
cloak to be stretched over ballroom,
a card table, or theatre, while you say
YOU are good. God knows you amt.
If you believe that way you make God
out a liar and humanity a sham.
People have said that Sam Jones
did not believe in reformation. They
are wrong. l believe in reformation
for the race and regeneration for the
individual.
"Some of you people say you can't
believe all these doctrines because you
don't understand all of the Bible.
Well, if l could understand it and
everything in it, then I would know
that some man like me wrote it. But
no mind ever solved it's mysteries and
made plain it's inscrutable secrets. For
that reason know that it was inspir-
ed by One greater than me. The mys-
teries of the Bible don't worry about,
but confess l am bothered by the
Ten Commandments. | understand
them. and it is trouble enough to prac-
tice and keep them. There will be
time enough in eternity to study the
mysteries of the Bible. What we all
want to do is to practice what we I'm.
derstand.
"HAvE YOU GOT IT?"
"Oh, the sympathy 1 have for a
drunkard, for one held by the disease
of drink like an infant beneath a lions
paw. If a drunkard wants to be cured
for this world and the one to come also
| send him to Christ, the great physi
clan.
"God never put man into hell fol
what he had done, but he has con
demned, oh, SO many for what they
didn't do. 1t is neglect that curses
the world to day and it is all because
we have failed to come up and be made
partakers of Christ's nature. Our ia
theirs and the old ministers used tt
talk great deal about getting relig
ion, and tell you it's a good thing tt
get. If you haven't got it you dom
know what it is. Have you got it
own minds Don't let another sur
shine on you till you get it.
| You must have the supernatural in
your religion. If you take it out yor
have but fiimsy creed. The preach
er that don't believe in the spirit OIL
God was never called to preach.
can't understand 1.-THE supernatural
but there are very few things in this
life we do understand. l don't under
stand life. I don't know why my
heart beats, but l know that it does
beat. 1 don't know why my lungs
breathe, but do know that they do
breathe. l don't know how God came
into my heart, but l know that He is
there. Did you ever try Him, brotheri
You do what you can, He will do His
part, ind there will be a grand result
| tell you there is nothing better on
earth than religion. It's good now,
and later on it's going to be better
Try it, brother, and Heaven will bless
you"