Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1895-03-19
THE SCHOOLFIELD MEETINGS.

MANY being turned away. 1t was
opened with the singing of several old
time hymns, among them "O!d lime
Religion and Happy on the Way"
the choir, which filled the platform,
and the congregation making the ola
walls ring. After several requests for
PRAYER had been read and prayer offer
ed. Miss Lille Smith sang most excel
lently q beautiful solo, "The Sinner
and Song" during which the usual
collection was taken up. Mr.. School
field announced that his subject for to-
night would be conversion-whati it is
in the Word of God. He announced
that he would remain for several days
longer, but could not say exactly how
long. He then read as basis for line
of thought for the evening st. Luke,
14th chapter, 16 to "a verse inclusive,
He said 1--WE are going to talk on the
general subject of excuses. There are
no class of people the Devil is so ready
to help as those who want some ex-
cuse to resist Gods invitation. In the
little revival work God has honored
me to engage in, l have met with ali
sorts of excuses, and l will speak OF
some of them tonight, and pray God,
the great Physician, to bless what l
saw, to the healing of your souls. First,
an excuse we hear frequently is, l
don't know what to believe, there are
so many different creeds. Dear broth,
err, the Lord doesn't say that you shall
be a Methodist, Baptist, Episcopalian.
Presbyterian, Catholic or of any other
particular creed, but He does require
unconditional acceptance of the Lord
Jesus Christ as your Divine Saviour.
You cannot purchase salvation. II
you ever get it at all, you must receive
il as a free gift from Christ Jesus. l
want to explain to you what faith is
and will get these boys to help me eX-
plain it, Here Mr.. Schootield took
a quarter out of his pocket and offered
it to boy sitting on the edge of the
platform and told him to take it, but
the boy would not axe it from him:
He offered it to several before he could
get boy to take it. At last one did
take. it Now, he said, "this is just the
way with sinners here tonight. These
boys were very reluctant to accept the
quarter and so,you, my friends, occupy
the same relation in regard to the Lord.
Jesus Christ has offered salvation as a
free gift, and you would not receive it,.
Have faith and lay hold upon it now.
Another class, says-I am an inlidel.
Read what God says in SD Psalm
to Sd verse. Do you believe religion is
oil foolishness? Do you believe all
this preaching of the Cross is foolish :?
If you are really honest and want to do
Gods will, receive Him tonight. But
you won't; you just put Him off with
these excuses. Infdelity is an effort to
justify ones self in sin. Another ex-
cuse, is, DON'T know that | am q sin-
ner. / have not done any crime. Look
in the mirror of Gods word, as laid
down in Gal. Sd chap. 10th verse. Now
let me ask, Have you kept all the laws?
have you sinned one time? if so you
have offended Him and are condemned
without the Lord Jesus Christ. Another
excuse, is, / can't give up the
world. Now don't barter away
your soul for the few jolly things
of this world. Another excuse, is,
l tried once but failed. Listen to
what God says, Return, We backslid-
ing children, and l will heal YOU Did
you never try to do something in world
ly life and fail and then tried again :?
If you miss train, is it any reason
why you should not try for the next
one? We trihe with our souls as with
nothing else In the world if you fail
once you say will try again. So if
you fall with your face Zionward, get
up and try again. Another excuse-I
am afraid / can't hold out. Please tell
me what you are holding to now. If
| were holding to the devil, like some OF
you, l wouldn't want to hold out. You
had better get hold of something worth
holding to. 1t is not question of you
holding out. You just let go and fall
in the arms of Jesus and let him do the
keeping; you can't. But the devil
says it is such a long way, brother.
Don't bother about that, just live for
Christ one day at time and then you
will get strength to carry you through,
daily grace for daily need. Another
excuse-Not tonight. l believe more
people are in perdition tonight from
that excuse than any other. Christ
may be nearer some Of you tonight
than he will ever be again
unless you accept salvation. Sinner,
the virus of sin is doing its deadly work
in your heart tonight and the antidote,
Jesus Christ, is put before you. You
say there is no use being in hurry;
you have plenty of time. Gods word
says to you to-day, Come now, not to-
morrow Another excu5e-O, well, l
am better now than many people in the
church. l would be a Christian but
there are so many hypocrites in church.
| grant you there are some bad people
in church and one of the twelve was,
but you tonight were going to pick
out good and true man, you would
go to the church to find him and you
know it. The only way you can get rid
of keeping company with hypocrites for
ever, is to turn and go to heaven.
There will be no hypocrites there. We
see man going around with great
big rotten log of wood in his eye and
complaining of the splinter in some one
else's eye. 1t reminds me of an Incl
dent read when boy, of man who
said he saw an elephant in the moon
ard telegraphed it all over the country.
The next day in cleaning his telescope
he found a mouse inside. It's that way
with you, sinner. You magnify
the splinter in some ones eve.
Gods law is for every one to
sweep in front Of his own door.
Another excuse-Deterred by friends.
The Lord says Come out from the
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