The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-02-14
BEHOLD, A MYSTERY!
IN SPITE OF COLD THOUSANDS
HEAR THE WORD.
MIR. Moody Talked About the Bible at
the Afternoon Service and at Night
on Almost Reaching the Heaven
ly Kingdom.

1t was cold last evening for this eli
mate and Il popular comedy was an ar
traction at the opera house, yet from 4
partial count by Statesman reporter
there must have been over 1000 people
at the capitol to hear Mr.. Moody.
The Statesman has been here great
many years and has chrOliclel the
gatherings both secular and religious,
but never in its history has it seen the
people of Austin brave the cold aud turn
out in such numbers to hear any preacher.
Was it because Mr.. Moody is an ora
tor!
Verify no. He is no orator llc
doesn't claim TO be. Then why was it
hundreds of e1ple illei tia vast Ill of
representatives 10 hear him. Surely the
Word that has come down through the
ages is still a power and influences men
as nothing else on earth does. Last night
he preached from the text, "Thou Art
Not Far From the Kingdom of God"
He told his story in simple, plain, COM
mon sense language and it went home to
/ that vast congregation. He said "There
are Il great many men and women not
far from God, but some one besetting sin
keeps them from stepping over the line
into Heaven. They want to compromise
sin but they cannot do it. A sin is sin.
You cannot compromise it,"
lie also said that "a few years ago a
wave of intidelity swept over the country
hut it is now fast receding and there is
now Il wave of religion sweeping over the
country that | believe will be greater
than the wave of 1879. You don't see
much of it now, but You will, and out
of all our financial troubles we now have
great good will come. He APPLY illustrated
B biS tnSt b,, bn II flo nf Il inc IInro1 whom
he said got very near the Kingdom OF
! God. but failed to reach it because of Il
beSetting sin which he refused to con
TESS and give up. There are 500 people
men and women. in this house tonight
who want to be Christians and are not
very far from the Kingdom of God, but
they haven't the moral courage to stand
up and say SO. You are afraid of what
people will say or what some of youl
friends will say. If you want to be Il
Christian you have got TO put public
opinion under foot and come out boldly
He spoke Of the character and boldness
Of John the Baptist. whom he said he
believed was the greatest preacher this
world ever had. lie told men the plain
truth, and warned UerOd. the king, that
he was doing wrong to marry his broth
erS wife IF you've got preacher that
talks straight from the shoulder and calls
things by their right names, you've got a
man sent from God; but if you've got one
with IN oily tongue, and one who
smootheS over things and compromises
with sin, you've got one that is not sent
from God"
Mr.. Moody made no effort at Oratory.
He couldn't if he wanted to- but he held
that vast crowd as no orator ever has in
the hall of representatives, or anywhere
else in this city.
After the regular sermon he asked
those who desired TO hear how they could
become Christians to remain for 10 or
10 minutes, while those who wanted to
leave were given an opportunity to do
so.
Very few left, and Mr.. Moody proceed
ed to tell the congregation sow" vorr '''in
practical truths as to what they must d
to become Christians.
G'IIE AFTERNOON SERVICE.
There was another overflow meeting
at the First Presbyterian church when
Mr. Moody preached on the Binr Th'
sermon was powerful argument and
III cal for everyone 10 Stlrly t1a Word If
God, and it was listened to with marked
attention.