The Portland daily press., 1895-03-20

bed repentance is not to be relied on,
/ ut the religion of the doleful Christian
is of the sort a man would want to get
iflhe got it at all just before going in
through the gates. We want to see the
joy OF the Lord If we would all show
'uAour lives the joy there is in religion
eopIe would flock to the churches. This
point was illustrated by the case of a dis
tinguished judge, who was converted
after 20 years of married life, by the
act that his wife suddenly found the JOY
there was in the real service of God. For
20 years she had been church mem Der
but when her religion was seen in her
life her husband found Christ.
There must be great self sacrifice. A
miner returning from California with a
bag of gold about his body, left it on a
sinking ship that unweighted he might
save the life of a child We may some of
us have to make the choice between the
gold and the child.
Then there is the agency of prayer.
What God wants of us is the simple trust
our children give to u.s. Great tender
ness is required. Harsh church mem
bers never bring souls to Christ. Scold-
ing Christians never do, neither do those
who are fearless. Like soldiers on the
battlefield we are leaving ones for dead
who are still living. You must choose
the right time. There are but two sue
cessful seasons, in season and out of seas
ON. If you have tried one and have failed
try the other.
Be persistent. Did you ever see COM
mercial traveller sell bill of goods to
man who at first didn't want to buy?
Did you ever see life insurance agent
get risk? How did Tou come to buy
your sewing machine when you didn't at
first think of doing it, How did you'ge
your husband to go to a concert when be
wanted to attend to some business? Per-
haps men may be angry it you speak to
them. All right. Ia rather man
should be made than not say anything.
1t shows that he's alive.
Be prompt. Now is the accepted time.
Remember that this service is only what
we agreed to do when we took the side
of Christ against the world. Will you
do it? Will you make a real honest,
prayerful, prompt effort to bring some
one to Christ? Rise if you will and we
will pray.
A large number rose, and thtn about
| 20 asked by rising for the prayers of the
people.
AFTERNOON MEETING.
| The meeting in City hall in the after
noon was attended by nearly two thou
sand, and was marked by a deep inter-
est and sympathy with the words of the
preacher. Father Randall, the venerable
Methodist, was conspicuous among the
clergy men on the platform. The open
ing prayer was by Rev. Mr.. Allen. of the
Vaughan Street church. He prayed that
streams of salvation might flow down
the streets OF Portland, and that tens of
thousands of people might be saved. Mr..
Mills read from the eleventh chapter of
John, the story of the raising of Lazarus
from the dead, and later took for his
text the verse, "The Master is come and
calleth for thee" The sermon was one
of Mr.. Mill's best. 1t was directed large
" to Christian people with the object of
|impressing upon them their duty to be
active and solicitous in behalf of those
around them.
In dwelling upon the Importance of
this Mr.. Mills said: 81 believe that If
everyone who bears the name OF Jesus
in Portland could be loyal, there would
not remain a man or woman unconvicted
of SIM"
At the conclusion of the service Mr..
Mills asked all who mad relatives or
friends for whom they wished to join
with him in prayer to rise. large
portion of the audience, evidently over
half, arose. Then Mr.. Mills asked such
as wished pray for themselves to Join
this nun ber By the time the prayer be-
gan fully two thirds of the audience
were standing.
EVENING MEETING.
The evening meeting at City hall was
very largely attended, considerably over
2, OOU being present. The aisles were not
crowded as on Sunday evening, but the
seating capacity of the hall was hardly
sufficient. The opening prayer was made
by Rev. Mr.. Bean Of the West End Con-
gregational church.
| A very impressive portion of the SER
vice was the singing of a song entitled
Mot Tonight" by Mr.. Hills. Mr.. Mills
| explained that this song had been writ
ten on the occasion of the death by &C
cident of young man who had just be-
fore depressed his inclination to stand
up in a revival meeting, with the mot
| Tonight"
| After this had been given the audi
ence sang the gospel hymn, Why Not
| Tonight
Thy heart is not right in the sight
of God" from the eighth chapter OF
Acts, was Mr.. Mills's text. 1t was
bout a third of the truth to say that
we are to be judged by what we have
done. We are to he judged also by what
We have left undone, and also by what
we are. If the heart is wrong we are all
| wrong An atheiStic heart is not right