The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-03-31
SAM JONES
Tells of Many Instances of Men Who
Rejected Salvation and Soon At
terward Passed Away.
atlanta Journal, March 20.

AtLanta Journal, March 20.
People who heard Sam Jones last
night for the first time could not i'm
agine that he ever INDUCED in witt
cisms and humorous sayings.
He preached one of his soul-stirring
sermons that only Sam Jones knows
how to preach, and his earnestness
was contagious. Before he finished
the effect upon the audience was per-
ceptible, and when the invitation was
given to penitents the largest number
that has been known to come UP, came
forward and said they surrendered to
God. Before Mr.. Jones began the
evidences of his deep feeling and ear
nestness we're plainly marked. His
face indicated the great responsibility
that was upon him. The following is
a synopsis Of his sermon:
"My heart is already growing sad
that l am to leave you soon. AS the
meeting comes nearer to close, 1be-
come more thoughtful and sad.
:'The city of Atlanta is our Georgia
city, city of pluck, energy and pro-
gress. If man is in Japan, China,
India or any other country, all he has
to say is that he is from Atlanta. 1t
is not necessary for him to say that he
is from Atlanta, Georgia, United States
of America, in order to make people
understand where he is from.
II would to God we beaded the pro-
cession in religious matters. In many
things we have model city, but we
have many things that God doesn' t
want US to have. Those who give
their hearts to God tonight will
change the future history of Atlanta.
II am going to ask you all to pray
earnestly and honestly that God s
blessing shall rest upon US this hour.
Such prayers would do great things to-
night.
aMy text is from the 29th chapter
of Proverbs and 1st verse: HE that
being reproved hardeneth his neck,
shall be destroyed and that without
remedy
''Ihe bare announcement OF GneSe
words ought to bring every one in this
audience to their feet and ask who is
the author of those words. If we were
to rise en- masse and ask who the au-
thor is the answer would come back,
God, who will finally summon us to
judgment.
Every man in this audience ought
to rise and ask whom does God ad-
dress? The answer would come back,
Surely he means me. | have often
been rebuked; surely he means me.
One thousand warnings, rebukes and
persuasions have been wasted on you,
and still you harden your hearts.
''Therc have been more sudden
deaths in the past 12 months than
in any preceding 12 months since the
morning and the evening were the first
day:
wrecks, shipwrecks, suicide, apoplexy,
accidents, murders. Every moment
that we breathe some man is being
swept suddenly into the presence OF
God.
"You become accustomed to these
things, but it is none the less awful
that hundreds of thousands are yearly
being swept away.
"Heaven and earth shall pass away,
but not one jot or one title of the law
shall pass away.
II have preached to thousands and
thousands that have passed away. l
believe there will be deaths in Allan
ia before I come again that will star
tie the community from center to cir
cumference in their horribleness.
II preached in Nashville once when
2,70O people joined the church, and l
was told by one of the ministers that
10000 people in radius of 30 miles
had been converted.
Captain Tom Ryman was one of
the most notable of all the CONVEX
sions. He was the owner of several
steamboats,, and as soon ashe was con-
verted he wired to every one OF his
captains to break every cask and bot
tie of whisky on his boats and empty
them into the river. At the old wharf
he tore down barroom, and in its
place he built with his own money a
union gospel tabernacle. Every Sun
day he has a gospel wagon in which
he carries preachers to the slums to
preach to those who never hear the
gospel any other way.
II took dinner with him once, and
at his house were several Of his cap
tains and the mayor of the city. Be-
fore going into dinner he asked me to
do what l could in pleading with these
men to be Christians. Two were seat
ed on one side of me and two on the
other side. I pleaded with them to
surrender, but they refused.
"Three months after that Captain
Ryman wrote of the sudden death of
one of his captains that set next to
me. Five months later l read of an
other, who dropped dead as he step
ped into his his house. Some time after
that saw by the papers that the may
or, while out hunting in Wisconsin,
had his gun suddenly discharged and
was killed.
"Every time a man turns deaf ear
to the pleadings and warnings of God
dares God to carry into execution His
work.
II was preaching in Grecnville, Mis-
sissippi, and | asked all the merchants
to close up their stores for one time
and come out to the mseting. Two
saloon keepers said they were not such
fools as to close up their business. |
told them to mark my words that [
had seen doors closed with Grape on
them. Both of those men fell dead.
"Depend upon it God will execute
His word. There arc men in Atlanta
who have pushed the battle with God
too far; and many Of you have lived
out your last year.
"Whilc an old preacher was holding
a meeting in town, some OF the young
neoplc said if he held the meeting