The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-11-16
REV. DR.. CUNNINGHAM
Delivers an Interesting and Thoughtful
Sermon nj tho Presbyterian Church.

Delivers an Interesting aud Thoughtful
Sermon nj tho Presbyterian Church.
Rev. DR.. d. a. Cunningham delivered a
very impressive and interesting sermon
last night Mt the First Presbyterian
church. which was listened 10 by largo
congregation. The pastor took his text
from portion OF the seventh and eighth
verses OF the one hundred and twenty
fourth Psalm. "Our Soul IS escaped as Il
bird out OF the snare OF The fowlcrS. the
snare IL broken. and We are escaped.
our help Is In the name OF the Lord
who made Heaven and Garth"
He explained how the text referred to
the church's miraculous escape from n
snare set by Satin, but while 1t prlmar-
lily meant the church. It applies to the
condition OF individuals who arc caught
In the snare OF sin; and who arc now
crying ont, What must | do to he
saved" Satin Is the power who lays
snares for our souls. We fall into them
and our only hope is the Lord. The text
calls forth two points. the first IS the
cntrapplnE; the second the escape.
The trap Is always concealed. Satin
approa chrg us in disguise, and We are
cntrapped before We know II. II sin
would come before us singing her song,
and telling us what she really Is. we
would rccoil from her. and she would
accomplish nothing She therefore
comes To us as much like nm angel of
light as possible Sin comes 10 US In
different forms. We are lurcd on until
at last too late we are cnsnared. Look
around and you will find thousands who
arc now pursuing the way Of sin who
can trace their downfall TO n dccoy.
The second thought Is the escape. The
bird canno: free Itself from n snare. The
snare must be broken. What breaks
the snare? 1t Is the hand OF God. Are
VIC willing TO be rescued from peril
Gus position. Jesus Is ready and will
Ing to rescue us, but IL We are not will
Ing, he will not save us. There Will be
no man forced into Heaven. We can
implore men to be saved. but we can
not force them. The man must be made
willing TO be rescued.
How often do we find n group OF young
men who nightly spend their precious
lives In riotous living Their leader Is
n whole soulcd fellow, witty and elo-
Qucnt, and far above any of them In
the ways Of vice. Seated In the midst
of sin some night he is suddenly
stricken by IN unknown force, with n
thOuSht mat brings BACK the memory
OF precious days long gone by, OF his
mother. long since dead. who In her ten
der way taught him his evening prayer
as he kneelcd at her side The thought
| comes to him of how she warned him
Of the dangers OF the very road he was
then traverslng; how she prayed for
him and with him. His heart Is touch
ed; he puts down his glass. rushes from
the room. resolved never again TO fol-
low sin. lI0 has escaped from the snare
which was broken by the hand Of God
The memory OF loving mother had
saved him.
Two more thoughts wcrc brought out
by the pastor. one that delay Is always
deadly, the other, that tho Christian
needs watchfulrcss and effort. Illustra-
ting the first, he described vessel icnv-
Ing the dock when one step would put
one on board In safety. but n moments
delay and the boat was gone. He con-
cluded his sermon by admonishIng his
hearers to watch and pray lest they
yield to temptation.
The choir rendered appropriate
hymns The services were concluded
with the singing of hymn No. 7G5.