The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-10
NO CHURCH LARGE ENOUGH.
MOODY COULD PREACH TO TWICE
As MANY PEOPLE.

The Independent Church Crowded at
Both Services Yesterday and Hun
dreds Were Unable to Gain Adj
missiOn-A Series of After Meet
ings Begun-The EvanseIist's sub
jects To-day.
The people still flock to hear Moody.
The Independent Presbyterian church
was packed to the doors last night.
The service was begun with a fervent
prayer by Rev. L. c. Vass. followed by
the hymn, Seeking for Ne" Mrs. Out
ten sang the solo. Sometimes Wen IN
derstand." After a prayer by Rev. T. ].
Shpman, Mrs. Williams and Miss Geor-
gia Howard sang a duet
Though Your Sins be as Scarlet, They
Shall be as White as Snow" was the
evangelist's theme.
Mr. Moody then read Isaiah Lv: rs, Let
the wicked forsake his way, and the I'M
righteous man his thoughts; and let him
return unto the Lord, and he will have
mercy upon him; and to our God, for he
will absolutely pardon. For my thoughts
are not your thoughts; neither are your
ways my ways. saith the Lord
The evangelist called attention to the
five things embraced in the text. The
least three were human-wickedness
thoughts and repentance; the other two
were of God-mercy and pardon. The
first three, the preacher said, are the
stumbling blocks to sinners. They must
be given up before communion can be had
with God. He cited how Adam lost favor
with God and was turned away by sin.
He alluded to human wisdom and relig
ion.
"An." he said, have religion-even
the drunkard rum seller and gambler.
One thing is reasonable and Chairman
ought to be willing to give up sin. There's
nothing so ruinous-its mans worst en-
envy. There could be no greater miracle
than for God to make a bad man happy
in heaven. Why is it some men say they
can't get to God? Because they have some
besetting sin"
The evangelist illustrated-two drunk
en- men row across a river-they drank
more whisky-returned to the boat and
rowed and rowed until daylight, when they
found out they had never united the
! recrossed the river. So it is with some
men. They are anchored TO some SIN
and wonder why they don't get on to-
ward God. The question is, viii you give
up your sin and vice and secure eternal
life or cling to sin and go to eternal con
There are some things God can't do; He
can't forgive man if he does not want to
be forgiven. It's true, whether you be-
Mr. Moody illustrated this by disobe-
sflent son who would not take his fathers
forgiveness. How" he said, ''can you
forgive, if your enemy won't let you?
There must be true repentance" he
said, before we can see Gods kingdom.
| Must be born again-n6t through the mer-
| its of another. These are old doctrines,
but are just as true as when they were
written. True repentance OF sudden rear
and terror of impending danger to mans
body" The preacher illustrated by ship
| in storm, where fear aroused the peo-
pie aboard and they became suddenly
pious. 1t is astonish hing, he said, how
men change their thoughts so suddenly
! when at death door. Fear is one thing
and repentance another he said. 1T
men, me he looked for repentance ita on rSta
He thought it struck one like lightning.
Penance, he said, is not a sign of true re-
| pentance, nor remorse, nor conviction-go
| to the depot to take a train for Charles
| ton-get on the train. Some one tells you
| that train goes TO Jacksonville; he knows
| it; you remain on that train and it goes
/ to Jacksonville. Your conviction is to take
! that train, anyhow. If you don't act
against your conviction you so to Jackson
| vile. Every drunkerd and gambler knows
| he's wrong. His conviction does not stop
him, however. True repentance is getting
| on the right train.
! Il once asked a soldier what was true
| repentance. He said, halt, attention, right
/ T.. u
Your thoughts" the evangelist said
! ARE not Gods thoughts, nor are your
/ ways his. God < plan of salvation is diff
! ferent from mans. Mems plan of saliva
| ton is education. That won't save if he
| be a slave to his passions. Man is lost to
! God and must repent and be born again
! into ChriSts fOld-muSt fOrSake his and
! accept Gods way. The will must be con-
/ quered. The Drodigal son said l will
! arise and go 10 my father. He had made
| up his mind-conquered his will. Submis-
sion is another essential. When you
| humbly submit and confess your sins
| God holds out a helping hand to lead you
Mr.. Moody related several pathetic
/ stories along this line and pleaded with
his hearers not to delay salvation. True
| repentance is also forgiveness. He told
I graphically of the Chicago fire of 1871,
| and a train wreck where many persisted
| because they delayed salvation.
| If there's a spark of repentance in your
| heart don't smother it-don't spurn eter-
nal life concluded the speaker.
| Another large gathering assembled to
| hear Mr.. Moody in the afternoon.
| The service was opened with the hymn
| Come Holy Spirit" followed by prayer
| by Rev. j. M. Lovett of Grace Methodist
/ church. Holy Spirit, Faithful Guide"
was sung Mr.. Moody then invoked the
blessing of the Almighty to send the Holy
| Spirit in the meeting Miss Georgia How
ard sang. the solo, Nothing but Leaves.
/ The Spirit Guides
| The evangelist prefaced his remarks with
/ the announcement that he would preach
/ on the Holy Spirits office and would re-
sumo the subject this afternoon. showing
the power of the Holy Spirit. Tomorrow
| afternoon he will preach on "Assur-
! ance" Mr.. Moody said he had
| interested himself in the last
| year in the work among criminals ana
/ prisoners. January, a year ago, while en-
/ route to Texas and Mexico, lady in New
York told him that the statistics show
! 100000 criminals in the prisons of this
| country. He decided to and did investi-
| gate the matter. and found that there were
| 100000 criminals in the prisons of the Unit
| ed States and 100000 more criminals out
| of custody In Massachusetts in 1850 there
| was a prisoner to every 800 peo-
pie. In 1880, the ratio was l
! to 500; in 1895. to 225 He
| visited the prisons in Texas. where there
are 200 and found that no Christian work
was being done for them, most of whom
were young men. He pictured the hard
| ships of their life. He remembered one
/ prisoner who had been confined fourteen
| months awaiting trial Forty per cent
| Of them could not read.
Some of them asked him, he said for
| something to read. He told of the books
| and tracts. etc, which be had supplied
/ to thousands Of cells. He said he had
| never done work be fore which had bless
a.n 4.