The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1895-09-26
A VERY SOLEMN SERVICE.
THOUSANDS HELD SPELL BOUND
BY SAM JONES
Association Determines Character and
Character Fixes DesJIny-A Ser
mon FIR IN an Intense Prayer
The EvangeIist's Purpose


The EvAngeIisGs Purpose.
The most densely packed audience
since the meetings opened gathered at
the warehouse Tuesday hight, Sept.
lTuh, Signifylng increasing Interest in
TINS wonderful service.
Before taking his text, Sam Jones
said he wished we had :, place large
enough to hold the people. The inn
mense crowd defeated largely the very
end towards which they preached.
lie would preach tonight from one
of the most Intense prayers ever utter
ed IL was from PSa,mS, xXvI, 9:
Gather not my soul with sinners, nor
my life with bloody men This
prayer was preceded by the declara-
tlon: Lord, | have loved the habita-
tiOn of thy house, and the place
where thine honor dwelleth.
Our association in this life de
teTmineS or character, and our
character fixes our destiny. He had
said enough for every man TO take
away and ponder and pray over With
whom we associate in this world viii
determine our association in the world
TO come. Character changes Just as
association changes. Very few are So
strong in character and VIII that they
can live free and independent OF the
intluenceS that are thrown around
them every Gay Look up and say
with whom you shall be gathered in
yonder world TO think Gl spehdiuss
datcless eternity with the vile The
tOrtuac wucltd DC uncomfortable and
almost uuthlnkable 'lOSpend etcrni-
ty amid the whirls of the ddmued
The preacher described visits TO
nltenJidrieS where he had seen men
who had been raised in Refinement
and who had good, open faces, and
who had in moment of passion com
mlttcd crlmc-LhcSc men chained
side 10y side with the vile and harden
ed criminal. This was picture Of
| association with the wicked Ia tuc
world 10 come. The human mind re-
| V, IT. AT it,
Ii is pathetic fact that 50 many
| boys are going 10 their destiny If
every father ana mother here knew
| how their boys spend their hours from
home. they would spend the night in
| this warehouse on their knees praying
| for them. He would cIcdu up the
surroundings around every young
| man
The preacher said mHuy peopie did
not understand him MANY preachers
do not appreciate wat he is try ing 10
| dc. His purpose in This town Is to
| make il easier to do right, harder TO
| do wrong. Since he has been here ne
Las oeen trying To lift up the cDmmG-
nifty and make church members oteLer
| and convert sinners
No man or woman who c0nSOrts
with the wicked here is fi5 for dsS9cia.
tIon with God and the angels.
Gather not my soul with sinners"
You can't afford 10 run with the
Swearer, the gambler, the liceutiouS,
or anything or anybody that God
Almighty can't associate with.
4 Rows | warn Won. Girls. he careful
with whom you associate. Your as
Sociation will fix your habits here and
settle your destiny and your aSS0cIa-
tiOn in the world to come.
If you are convinced there is no
God, no heaven, no hell, there is the
best reason left why you can't ailprd
| To be Il sinner. If you have Il wife and
children you can't afford to be "A drink
ing, swearing, Goddess old sinner.
/, Children following in your footsteps.
Gather aOt my precious children with
the lost and damned forever. What
mother can gather her children aud
dart off to he'll? What father can
take his child TO the river Of death
: | and float off to hell ? LOOK at your
+ life and hear the footsteps of your
children following you tonight. lie
might endure the horrors and fangs OF
e the damned, but if in some quiet
/ | moment in the world of despair he
| should see his child floating on tht
foam-crested waves of hell and point
e ing at him say, Pm in he'll and y0t
e are the cause of it," hell would be un
}. endurable. The preacher drew a horri
y bly, vivid picture of a family in hell.
/ May heavens benediction be- upol
+ you and cause you by the thous and
to utter the prayer: "GaUher not m
e soul with sinners, nor my life witt
II bloody men" He loved to associat
with good people here and he believe
y God would let him live with them /
D heaven.
This was a very strong and solem
d sermon and the immense audience, i
the intense heat, sat spell bound III
IS der its delivery.
lg In response to propositions, thol
lie sands arose to their feet.