Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-03-08
SUNDAY IN THE CHURCHES.
Sermon By Rev. Mr.. Doggett at st.
Luk8'S P. Z. Church.
Yesterday Morning-An Eloquent
and Thoughtful DiscOurse-The
Cunningham Memorial Services
Yesterday Afternoon - Services
at the First Christian Church.
Other Religious Matters.

OLAO4 G0CllR4OQ5 MdGJtIS.
The Rev. Mr.. Doggett, of Fairmont,
who is conducting a mission at ST.
Luke's P. E. church, preached TO
large congregation yesterday morning.
He took his text from Eph. 4: 19-
Who being past feeling" In his
Introductory remarks he referred to
the race of Red men who peopled
North America, and who are rapidly
disappearing before the encroach-
ments of civilization. There was one
thing about them in particular, their
power Of depressing the slightest out
ward exhibition of feeling. 1t is Curl
Gus to think, in this respect, how
much the extreme of civilization and
the extreme of barbarism approached
one another. Greek philosophy cen
turtles ago, and the modern refinement
in its last polish of manner, alike
recognize that there is something
manly, something fine, in the repres-
sion Of human feeling
Yet St Paul was right, when speak
ing of people who had become hope
lessly and fearfully bad, TO mention
as symptomatic of their case, that they
were past feeling They were
thoroughly hardened. 1t is one OF the
last and worst symptoms OF the soul
condition, when feeling is gone. 1t is
so sometimes with th0 body. The text
does not describe a state to be found
only among the most degraded. On
the contrary, it names a spiritual con-
dition only too common, and which
must be daily striyen and prayed
against.
There are no colors in the human
language dark enough to describe the
state of being past feeling, in that
saddest sense. that religious words fall
with little meaning on the ear ana
with no impression at all upon the
heart: past feeling in that saddest
sense. that to all spiritual truths, TO
all CONSULTATIONS and entreaty, 10
Gods Astounding mercy, to Christ
blessed sacrifice. to the hopes or
Heaven and the fears of hell. the
understanding may indeed yield a tor
mid lstless assent, but the heart is
stone The preacher pictured a man
whose senses were all destroyed, and
comDared il with one who stands in
all eternity. dead in all his spiritual
sensibilities to the influences Oh Gou
and the realities of Heaven. There IS
an inner consciousness that tells every
man that there is life beyond tAe
present. and he cannot torsaNe Gou
without a feelig Of alarm ana SorioW'
The progress Of the soul 10 SpllI'-
nal insensibiity is gradual After
each relapse a man is weaker IMAM ne
fore harder TO be aroused. ana less
sensitive when he is aroused, until at
last he begins to wonder how IL couIu
ever be that he once felt alarmed
about his soul. n,
,,,an avnects to lose his soul II ne
knew that beyond certain fixed ana
evident point he could not be saved
me would doubtless be careful to oD-
serve more closely his place upon the
scale of life and death. But there Is
mo- such evident point, and hence ne
has no irresistible exterior evidence
of his spiritual condition. Inc soui
is horne along by so equable ana
smooth a movement that at no polhl
is the sinner sensible how lar ne mas
strayed from his God His transient
seasons of spiritual sensibility. instead
Of being used as opportunities TO re-
~ tnrn to God. are made to strengthen
his delusion. being interpreted as eyl-
dences that he is still capable OF emo mo-
morally nor, dead yet, and therefore con-
a aiOt e. that he can delay little longer
- c5reIessness and sin. His very
III I,t hereafter to repent, then
tIinds his eyes to the process OF de-
cav that is constantly going Oh IL Ms
heart.