Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1895-01-04
FROM THE PULPIT.
II. g. stivere speaks at fAs'
! Congregational Church
sunday Evening. :. I'M

The services at the Congrega tiOnai
church on Sunday evening were
more interesting than usual and
were witnessed by u larger audience,
owing. perhaps. to the fact that
Hon. H. G. Stivers,. of the Brainerd
Journal, was to deliver the principal
address Of the evening.
The services opened with singing
by "A chorus choir of twenty voices.
This was followed by reading of the
scripture by MIR. Harry Donovan.
son Of Il former pastor of the church.
Remarks were made by Mr.. H. N.
Harding and Prof. j. l.. Thatcher.
Then followed the address by Mr..
Stivers. There were those who ex-
pected Il sermon of the sensational
order and they We're disappointed,
but what they did hear was the sim
pie religion of Jesus Christ pro-
claimed and al arraignment of in
fidelity.
The speaker said that at an early
period of his life he had built up
religious house for himself, from
logical conclusions and the book OF
nature, but it fell, for the Holy
Ghost was not in it. 1t was built
upon the sand. He at that time
could not comprehend the plan Ot
salvation. He could not understand
why the innocent should he con-
lemned in order to save the guilty.
He was blind. He was an infidel.
and this intidelity was at the bot
tom OF all crime. He had made a
bed Uf unbelief aud infidelity and
tried to rest therein, but could not;
it was uncomfortable, it was u
death bed and healthful repOse
would not come to him there. FL
nally, after years OF suffering, he
heard the preaching OF the word; he
felt as if he lay beside the pool ri
Bethesda and the waters were
troubled and Christ said to him
"Take up thy bed and walk lie
did 50, he was born again and never
before had he experienced such hap
piness. He got Il new view OF the
plan of salvation. A man might use
logical conclusion and the book Of
nature in building his religious
house. but if it was not founded up
on the rock Christ Jesus he would
not have happiness and it would fall.
H. the army years ago lie heard
an infidel say that the religion OF
Jesus Christ was being explored and
that in twenty years it would he a
thing of the past. but these who live
now can see what a falsehood the
man uttered, as never before in the
history of the world had the
Christian religion made such prog
ess as in the past twenty years.
Intidelity brings no comfort,
POUNDS no hospitals, does good tono
one, and never has and never will
benefit the human family.
1t had been said that the Christian
religion tended to weaken men and
it was not those of strong minds
and great intellects who embraced
it. How was it then that Christ
suffered torture upon the cross for
six hours and that untold num-
bers of martyrs had met death with
smiles upon their lips? A man who
is O. Christian is the better and
stronger man.
A moral life is good enough as far
as it goes, but without Christ it
counts for nothing.
The speaker said he looked for
ward to the future of the Christian
religion with confidence and hope.
Never before were so many taking
an active interest in the work. A
man need not be an orator or in
tluential to proclaim the word OF
God. Each one has his place and he
should fill it.
Mr.. Stivcrs spoke for half an hour
and his remarks were well received
by the congregation who were fully
convinced that they had been listen
ing to a man who had suffered and
been born again.
Rev. William Moore followed with
a short address, and held forth the
plan OF Chris tian religion and cX-
and accept OF it.
Woodman Elect Officers.