The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-02-22
EVANGELIST HINES SERMON.
a Large Audience at the Tabernacle
Meeting Last Night.

WGGtfAS @sa@A u.s.
large audience greeted the Evan
gelist last night at the Tabernacle.
The singing was spiritual, and the
first half hour was spent in a song
and prayer service, and the good re-
suits OF Thursday night seemed to
have come over into the service of last
night, and to have helped in the sing
ing and praying.
The evening Scripture lesson was
taken from the sixteenth chapter Of
John. After prayer Mr.. lines sang,
THE Spirit, oh Sinner,
In mercy doth move"
The text was taken from Gen. 6:3:
MY spirit shall not always strive with
man. God loves the sinner, while he
hates the sin, and does everything he
can to save him; and while he is doing
this many have resisted the spirit so
long that God has turned them over to
hardness of heart Noah preached
righteousness 100 years without con-
vert, because of the hardness of mems
hearts, and of their unbelief. The men
who worked on the ark did not believe
the message of Noah and We're lost.
There was time when the doors of the
ark stood open, and Noah believed God
and went in, but not so with the peo-
pie. When the mad waters began to
rise, how gladly would they have gone
in, but the door was shut and they
could not. We can do nothing without
the Holy Spirit. Every good thought
or deed is given to US by him, and if
men refuse to follow his leading, they
will be lost. lie God withdraws his
spirit, who is there to convince us of
sin? No one, for God has sent him
alone to do this work. The soul that
is abandoned by the spirit is the most
pitiable sight imaginable. Left alone
by God, they 60 on and on in wicked
ness, without any desire for better
things or any hope of heaven. Lost!
Lost! There is a time we know not
when, a place we know not where,
that marks the destiny of men for glory
or despair" If we should send to a
starving family the things needful for
them, and they should reject them
and tell us to take them away, we
would say, s.let them die, we have done
what we could" Yet, God has sent his
Son and We have rejected him, and
HON liz SIAsto Lis apiJjt-s Will w ~
iect him also2 He will not always
strive with men. He strives with men
through the conscience, moving men
TO accept Christ; he strives through
the preached word, urging us to turn
to God and live; he comes to us through
friend, begging us in kindly, loving
manner, trying to get us TO turn to
the Lamb of God for forgiveness.
God so loved the world that he gave
his only begotten Son that whatsoever
belieyeth in him might not perish but
have everlasting life and yet men
reject this love. He stroye in answer
to the prayers of Gods people. II men
will surrender to Christ, the spirit will
guide us into all truth. 1t may be
that in answer to prayer Gods spirit
is striving with some Of you. VIII you
yield TO him and give him your hearts
and lives, and thus have mothers tears
and fathers prayers answered? The
closing appeal was beautiful and inn
passioned, and the large audience was
often moved to tears.
Many stood for prayers. The au-
dience was then dismissed, and the
after-meeting was held, which seemed
full of the spirit.
There will be no services to-day or
tonight. Services at the usual hour
on Sunday. Evangelist Hines will
preach.