The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-05-14
THE EFFECTS OF THE LATE RE.
LIGIOUS MEETING.

The Sam Jones ana George Stuart
meetings have come to Il close in this city.
During the morning, the afternoon and
evening of yesterday these earnest men
preached their last sermons and have tax
| en- the train for their Georgia homes. Now
comes the rub. Hundreds of men, wom-
en- and children in this city have come
out before the great congregations and
declared that hereafter they would be
followers of the meek and lowly Nazarine.
The excitement of the fervent and elo-
quent appeals, the impulse given by sa-
cred song from the uplifted voices of
thousands, the natural chords of sympathy
touched and toned by the pressure of cor
dial hands and encouraged by tender
words of love, are no more. The scene
has passed away, and although its pano-
rama may long last in the memory of
many, the question comes home to all:
"llow are we, unaded by all this and
standing alone, depending only on our
selves and God, going to keep these vows
that we have made before high heaven
and such cloud of Witnesses" Some
will fall by the wayside, but are the 9TH
crs going to help them on their feet again ::
Some will drift back into their habits in
spite of every moral and Christian influ-
ence about them. We are all familiar
with the parable of the sowing of good
seed, and we know that this parable
teaches the great truth that the growth
of the seed depends upon the soil in which
it is sown.
Men and women OF strong personal
character will not falter in their allcgi-
ance to the vows they have made. They
will look beyond the exciting scenes
through which they have passed, beyond
even this world to higher hopes and heav-
emily aspirations, and with their eyes fixed
upon the heavenly goal and their tread
firm they will move through temptations
unassailcd by them. 1t will become the
main object of their lives to stand loyal
to the cross and faithful soldiers under
the banner of the Captain of their saliva
ton. The weak and irrcsolutc, the tickle
and unstable can not depend upon them
selves ut all; they must still have the
supporting arms of Christians about and
around them. They may fall frequently,
and there comes in one of the greatest
Christian duties-to lift them up again
and again until they are able to stand
alone with their God.
The duties left upon those who came
out for God before the great congrega-
tons are not the only duties left upon this
community. They but multiply the du-
ties of older Christians. Their ward
ship is largely increased, and the final
effects of this meeting depend largely
upon how the members of the churches of
this city will meet their additional du-
ties. They have been greatly aroused
and revived, their hearts have flowed
with new fervor. 1t will not do to
permit themselves to fall back into the
old sluggish channels. The new recruits
appeal to the fathers and mothers in
Israel to drill and train them into an I'M
accustomed service. AS this duty is
performed will the effects of this meeting
he marked. These earnest and fervent
Christian ministers have opened up to the
members of the church new fields of
thought, entailing greater religious enter
prise all along the old and new lines. The
way these fields are cultivated, the man,
ner in which these great truths are hus-
banded and cultivated will decide the eter-
nal destiny of many Il man. woman and
child in this city.