Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-01-06
SUNDAY N THE CHURCHES.
Dr.. Riker DiScOurSeS at the Fourth
Street on a Timely Topic.
How Leisure Moments Should be
Employed - Interesting Lecture
by the Rev. R. r. Bigger-Dr'
Swope Tells What War Means
Other Matters.

The subject presented by the Rev. Dr-
A.. B. R.ker at the Fourth Street NJ. u.
Church. last evening, to MS congrega-
ton. was some aspects Of human les
ureo blended with Scriptwal doctrines
and thought Taking as his subject
Looking at the future through the
things which are behind" and as teX5
Feel. j. 9: The thing mat hath been,
it is that which shall be; and tnat which
IS done. is that when snail be done;
and there is nothing new under the
sun"
The future, said DR.. Riker, IS Ike a
leaden wall. NO one can see through
Il. or grasp the things on the other slue,
ard this is true III all thOuglj IN the
uure The subject and text is suscop-
tible Of application 70 a score Oh suo-
jects, ana presents great questions LOT
meditation l desire simply Tor THIS
evening TO touch up some thought IS
TO the question o. human leisure. The
thought III my mind OF application TO
lle text ana suDjec, 5 tnaC God mas
gwen humanity chance 10 develop IL
self N way S IOr good. Looking back
ward We can see cuat the tine mas CONS
when humanity has tle chance TO devel-
op every sU0d ,ra.J Of human character,
and t1e ques ION presented TO US 5, are
We 10 so forward from where We now
stand. or 30 backward?
Garfield when visiting his old college,
.. f- a 81. ID
giOried in Jhe leisure they h8d upon
Their hands TO examine themselves N
all respects. The students sad if they
Only had time what work they
could accomplish and do, but
there is no way of measur-
.ng what they might have done
II given that opportunity and time. But
to-day The American people have les
ure on Their hands by reason Of wealth
and inversion. One hair of The men IN
America can produce all that is neceS-
s9ry for the whole American people
BY the use of machinery in three or
four days Of the week all that IS necss-
s3ry for us can be manufactured and
the whole American people are called
upon to face leisure All nations Of the
earth have faced le.sura When It
came Rome and Babylon went down
and decaysl. The thing which has
been shall be. We are facing i- all to-
day. VIII the people be able TO keep
on the summit of the hill or will they
go down and backward? Ieee IN Amer
Tea the deal republic. with every hing
that is grand and noble. I see people
who have leisure and abundance.
see people using that IN cultivat.ng the
mind and intellec, in that which IS
noble; and I see q great class Of Amer
.cans who are using leisure and abund-
ance for that which is base, and life
Of dissipation
These two conditions cannot exist
side bv side, and we are now facing
that problem. It is now upon us. Is
there anything that can save us for the
future? l answer there is. lust
one thing, the Lord Jesus Christ. He
alone can save IFS. Christ has been the
stimulus of all that is progressive. It
has been Christ that has inspired all
in human affairs and applied the same.
and Will do so for the future. Ii is
Christ who can inspire men when he
nus 4U4'"AS ~ "o SooI. III conclusion,
let me say that the salvation Of all
Americans is to be secured by faith in
Christ. Then all leisure will be of
universal good, otherwise a curse. If
we are not loyal to our opportunities Of
leisure, that which We have shall be
taken away from us. lie. me suggest
TO every man, woman and child in the
land to put on the armor of Christ. and
then cur leisure viii be of service and
for The p-lnrv of God