The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-04-11
REu i. Q. DIXON LAST NIGHT
He Preached a Powerful Sermon to an
Immense CONGREGATION.

Before the audience that crowded
!. the spacious church TO the doors, that
sat thronged in the aisles, crowded aud
packed IN the gallery pews and hung
ON his words even from the steps OF the
pulpit itself, Rev. 4. G. Dixon preached
Tor one hour last night.
During al that time the church was
still, the congregation scarcely breath
ed. 1t was the hush of interest, and
though the preacher swayed his hear
ers and made them respond as potter >
clay TO pathos and praise and humoT
it was only BY the look in the eyes that
enc could detect the peoples emotion.
The evenings discourse was taken
from John. It dealt with the power. OF
the crueified Christ to draw to him all
men; with the worthiness of Christ to
receive everything good and pure and
valuable possessed by his subjects on
earth.
He compared Christ to a magnet
There is something in a magnet that
attracts one; something IN iron that
responds to the attraction of the mag
net. So did Christ on the cross attract
and draw men to him. It was this IL
lustration which gave the preacher his
subject, THE magnetism of Jesus on
earth and in Heaven" and brought
him squarely and promptly to the
points of his evenings discourse
The sermon which followed was one
full OF power and absorbing interest.
The thought was deep and comprehen-
siye. the argument was clear and forcl-
BILE. the pathos was sadly sweet, the
II u nj a
The elements of this magnetism Of
Christ ON earth and in heaven are prae-
ticallv the same Jesus on the cross
attracts guilt with forgiveness. lie
compared Christ to a Governor: man to
condemned convict, seeking pardon.
A Governor has power to pardon;
Christ on thecross can forgive; and not
only does he give pardon. but Justiti-
cation. Then with Illustrations from
life. with metaphor and earnest words,
the speaker continued. He described
Christ as the flowing river, its shining
waters glistening ia the sun in which
the prisoner. his clothes polluted with
the filth OF confinement i'm sin, might
wash and be clean. Sinssis not only
guilty. It defiles. Christ cleanses and
gives a pure heart-sthe new nature
that fights against and oyercomes de-
Element; that thing about rs which IS
capable Of Ioving-that which loves
God puriffes and makes just as clean
as his own blessed nature.
Rev. Dixon defined sin: 1t IS the fall
ing short of doing Gods viii; it is
worldliness. Murder, theft. arson, pro-
family. these sins break commando
ments, but those things the command
ments forbid are not all sins. You have
seen those who profess never to have
sinned; they sin when they say il. lie
free from sin instead Of saying you are
free When the sun gets ready to shine,
it doesn't ring a bell; il just shines. Let
God and angels and men say you are
sinless. When comparatively yo1Ing
man. Paul wrote, 7 am the least on
the Apostles . Later on be wrote again:
u am less than the least Of all saints
when he vas about to become a martyr.
he said, ito save sinners, Of whom
am chief
1t took Paul life time Of cousecra-
ton and self-sacrifice to learn that he
was the chief Of sinners. Sin Is the
falling short of Gods growth.
Then, too. Jesus on the cross gives
safety; his bloQd protects. When the
angel Of DEATH swept over Egypt, he
wanted to find blood on the doors: d
live sheep would not have done. Those
who say follow Christ as an example.
and do not accept his blood are WRONG.
FAR wrong There IS a difference be-
tween brave man and fool The lar
ter goes into battle. He hears the roar
Of the cannon and sees the fash Of fix-
ed bayonetS; he goes ID laughing, not
approaching his danger-he IS B fool
Il
the danger, but for love Of country he
keeps on in the fight The man Who
says i Will be brave and meet the con
sequences Of my sin, and face God at
the judgment, and those have ruined
who are there to accuse me, Is not
brave; he IS extremely foolish. The
man who is sensible gets under tire
cover Of the cross for protection from
SIN.
Illustrations Of weak humanity Hy.
ing to the breast of d protecting Christ
followed. Each one vas gem. THE
most Gallons present we're touched,
those Of sympathetic nature Wept si-
lently
In some respects" said the preach
er, illustrating his point "the strong.
est person IS the weakest. 1T is weak-
ness that takes hold Of strength
Worthy is the lamb that was slain
to receive honor and power and wis.
dom and riches and blessedness
Raleigh asks what man Is wortha. So
many dollars Is the reply. In heaven
the standard is neither silver nor gold
but the worthiness of Christ on the
cross. If you could get ID heaven 0n
your morals, you'd make discord IN
the music there.
Rev. Dixon dwelf powerfully on self
sacrifice. We've a little Of it here, "
be said. Men who sacrificed themselves
and gave up their lives for others are
those we build monuments to; it is this
class that IS the most respected and
revered in life. An infdel said he didn't
want 10 he saved, If he got salvation
through the sacrifices Of others. Isn't
he free and citizen? Didn't his fore
fathers bleed TO give him those priyi-
leges? This portion Of the sermon also