The Portland daily press., 1895-03-22
EARNEST WORDS.
Spiritual Cleanliness Urged by Rev.
Mr. Mills.

An Effort to Have Stores Closed Next
Tuesday Afternoon to Enable Clerks to
Attend-The Meetings will End Next
Wednesday.
Yesterday afternoon B. Fay Mills agai n
preached to congregation fully testing
the capacity Of City hall. His subject was
the test of Abraham's faith in the command
of God to sacrifice his son Isaac. Mr.. Mills
vividIy portrayed the Gift of Isaac, the
spiritual soul of the aged father and moth
er Of Isreal. The world wide blessing
promised Abraham through his seed must
come by the only son. yet God asked Abra-
ham to give up Isaac. True to the test
Abraham bound this last and best gift up
on the altar when relief came. God then
said: Because thou hast done this thing
will bless this and make thee blessing, -
and Abraham became the father of the
faithful and the greatest man God ever
had except the Divine Nazarene. The
preacher exhorted his auditors to placa--tbe
/ last idol at the feet Of Jesus. In closing
be asked all who could to sing the hymn,
"Jesus my cross have taken" Tickets
were distributed at this service for Sunday.
Sunday forenoon only non-church member s
will be admitted. The afternoon meeting
will be for women only and the evening
meeting for men only.
Mr.. Hills being confined to his room by
illness, c.. f. Jones. ESQ. lead the music.
A large part of the audience was COM
posed of out of town people.
THE EVENING SESSION.
Mr. Mills deliyed what was. pehaps, the
most eloquent and effective sermon he has
delivered in Portland. He felt the influence
of that great audience, and some of the pas
sages of his sermon were delivered with al
most wonderful effect. He took for his text
Luke xvii, l4-"It came to pass that as they
went they were cleansed."
he apostles had just asked Jesus that
their faith might be increased, and ne had
preached the sermon that have just read,
and he was about to give the applica tion
when the lepers asked his mercy. He
taught by various methods, and they were
all gathered in one on that occasion. He
had preached the sermon he had taught
them in parallels and he had given the ap-
plicatioL. In effect he told them to do
their duty, and not boast about tito do the
next prac .ical thing and do it In humble
spirit, and that was his reply when they
said to him, increase our faith
To the lepars be said, go show yourselves
to the priest.'' The priest was the health
officer, who would certify to the people
that cure had been effected, and no leper
bad right to go before the priest unless
he believed that he was clean, and when
Christ said to the them, Ego show your
selves to the priest,'' it as the same thing
as saying, "believe that you will be
oIeansed and show by your acts that you
believe. Co." l want to impress this
thought on your hearts. There are many
gates but the only gate that leads to God
is the gate of duty. Do what -God--wants
you to do, and on the way. or while in the
way of dutysyou will be clsansed.
Now what is your plain duty2 First you
are to make an honest effort to forsake
known sins. God doen not save a soul that
pei sists in sin. The dutysof the sinner Is
He must go from them. and as he leaves
them he will be cleansed.
Then there must lie an honest effort to
know the truth in order 10 do it. The man
who wants to know truth for the sake of
truth, that is in order TO get information
is wrong. the man who desires to know
truth for conducts sake is right.
There must DO an open confession of our
adherence to what righteousness we know.
Every man has more or less influence over
others. and every man owes it to his fel-
low men to use that influence rightly. and
n man is doing bis duty until he is trying
his best o lead others to Christ. No man
can come 10 Christ without feeling the in
fluence of that law Of love that brings with
it knowledge of God. You must take the
first step and ou will be led to God. and as
you go You will be cieansed.
This will lead to knowledge of sin and
a sorrow for it and sorrow for sin will show
itself. 'Do not make one, very common
mistake, 1t is not the greatest sinner who
is the most concerned about sin. The least
sinner is the most sensitive. and has the
larger portion OF godly sorrow. Then some
people think that if they are only sorry for
their sins God will be satisfied, but God
does not want your tears. or your sorrow
but repentance and obedience. 1t is not
hard. Start in the way TO Christ, and as
you go you will be cleansed.
Some fear to start because they thin 4
they can't hold out. .and that they may bring
reproach on Jesus. Some start the wrong
way. A man asked for prayers one eve
ming. and the next said he wanted to ac-
knowledge that he should have first asked
for forgiveness. He had said there wasn't
a Christian in that church. d ow do you sup
pose you are to come to Christ if you won't
take start.
There must be an effort. young man
asked to be admitted to "a church. He
said il was darkness with him but he pro.
posed to try and do the will OF God. ''But
if you can't get light what then?' was
asked, and ne said "l'll keep on trying to
do the will of God.' AS he came up out
of the water he was saved. As he went he
was cleansed.
There may be people here who are wait
ing for flash of the heavenly light. Start
in the darkness. Go. His fervent appeal to
those out of Christ was rewarded by the
rising of fifty-five persons in different parts
of the hall.A very impressive second meet
ing followed, the most impressi se of the
kind in the history of these meetings.
A MID-WEEK SABBATH.