The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-12-12
RESPONSIBILITY OF MAN.
A Fine Sermon by Rev. Frank L.
Smiley.
Al FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
Large ana Interested Audience,
How to Reach the Nnssrs--iSo II
Through the Individual.

The Rev. Mr.. Smiley preached hts sec.
ond sermon last night at the rlrs, FROSTY.
terian church, TO another good au,.ienoc.
He read FROM the 10th chapter OF Mat.
thew and took his text from James. v. 20:
Let him know that he which convcrteth
mo sinner from the error Of his way shall
Nave a soul from death and shall hide a
multitude Of sins"
lie said IN part. ono OF the nerplexing
problems OF these times ,stth Christian leo.
rlc is this; How shall sc reach The mass
ca This is the question that You Will lind
on the programme Of every tht sin ~ con-
ference. II is asked L., our mlulsters' meet
ihss psreta are prepared and read rpon Il
and looks are now being Written and quite
an extensive literature has grown mp
around the pros and cons Of that question,
think the question can he answered salts
tactortly In single sentence. Reach the
masses by reaching the individual Some
say reach the masses by combined and
united Efforts. Very good; they may be
reached that way. ilNt believe II tho
Chr,ston people of today. as individual
Christians responsible to God for the tai
cntF which He has given them, would 30
TO work and try and reach one other soul,
ans II that could ne repeated the world over
and as soon as one siuner WAS brought To
christ. he would seek and bring another.
" Nuuiu ltol .lhkf very man, Years 10 evan
rclizc the Whole round earth
We are ap; In these days Of association
ANA combination IN business and religious
work 10 depend upon the multitude. fco-
pie like to be In the majority. and We all
like TO be in a crowd, but ii we could see
men Ms God aces Them We would never tee
a crowd God sccs people rs individuals
God calls them by name. The very hairs
OF your head are all numbered with God
< A. Ia a ins.
tonight He does not sec Il as VIC see itas
unit He sees MS as individuals. He Is
looking at vcu. my sister, lie is looking nj
you, my brother. aud you, and YOU. end all
uf ma stand alone IN Gods birht AMI that Vs.
the way We want TO come mp"c and more
10 see rcoplc and look at people, 10 value
lcss the crowd and the masses, but value
moro and nnrr The 'naiNilutl.
My dear friends people are not saved
that way al all. God does not gather them
in as multiudes and as masses into His
Kingdom. God picks them as individuals
one by one soul by soul are they saved
1t was SO on the day OF Pentccost when
5000 believed on Jesus IA God and Savior.
1t was SO in all the revivals narrated In the
history OF the early church. They wcra
saved as individnals-evo one OF the 1900
on pentecost ana every one Of the 5000
gathered in a little while nftor. Every one
of the multitude spoken OF In the seventh
chapter of Acts were not saved as 2oep or
1000 or as multitudes, but We're Haved ns
individuals. God picked hand picked
| have friend who has a very profitable
apple orchard. and one summer as ] was
Visiting him | was struck by the various
ways IN which he gathered his fruit sonc
trees were shook and the apples came
falling down upon the ground. other trees.
noticed. had "A ladder against them n
man climbed up and carefully picked the
rln Ina "a ali nd
down and as carefully placed It In the bar.
rel. | said to him; why do Won make this
difference between your frui, ?" He siii:
This is the best fruit this is the most
costly fruit: this must be hand picked -
My fellow Christians Gods fruit must be
hand picked every bit Of II. ! trust You
Will learn tonight. father, mother, the
value Of ,ha, boy. of that girl. | trust the
Sabbath school teacher viii learn tpnigGt
the value not so much OF the GLASS, but
the value Of each Individual scholar IN the
class. | hope tonight that these young men
and young women, representing many OF
these societies of young people in the city
may learn the value of each Individual
who Is not a Christian with whom he
comes In contact.
Men aud women. you will have an op-
portuniiy during these coming days TO
build for yourself n monument that shah
never perish, not OF wood. ioi of hay or
stuhble, A monument Of gold and silver,
or precious stones More than thnae II
shall last throughout eternity WIN you
not make up your minds this very night
that God helping YOU during these serv-
Ices. when men and women will he talk
ing about religion when their hearts are
susceptible CT the truth. when emporium iiex
viii be offered you w.ll you no, make up
your minds that you Will never lei an op
IOrtunity nlip?
Tho tnppt ing will no hold this aftprnnnn