The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-03-22
SAM JONES WARM
INDUCES in Some of His Old
Time Hot Firing.
Says Churches VIII Take in
Anybody
NO MATTER WHO 1T is.
DenOunces Club Members, Base
ball and Prize Fighting.
Those Who Are Waiting for the
Church to Get Right.
NO MATTER WHO 1T is.

Atlanta, March 22-San Jones
preached at the tabernacle last night
After the usual preliminary song and
prayer, Mr.. Jones rose to address 1000
people. He said:
I'VE will have the usual service as on
the days gone by. We have four more
days. Sunday morning at II o'clock
we will have a special service for all
who visit the city and all the working
men and young ladies who cannot get
out during the week. I'll take for my
text, What wait I for; my hope is in
God
This has in it question for each
individual In view of the past, pres
ent and future, and the uncertainty
thereof, What wait 1 for?
I'VE want to get down to the root
of the matter. Let's look the truth
square in the face for one time. am
going to help you to answer this mo-
mentous question. 1 don't believe there
is man in hell who intended to go
there.
Some will say, TN tell you what I
am waiting for; 1 am waiting to con-
slider this question; 1 don't want to act
in haste and repent at leisure You
want time to consider what is right
and wrong, honest or dishonest, good
or bad? Which is best, a drunkard or
a sober man? Whether 1 want to go to
heaven or hell? 1 believe there is not
sinner in this audience that has not
at some time settled these questions.
'EtOW much time do you want? There
is nothing to consider. God settles it.
1t is better to be good than bad.
Put up two blackbOards, one white
and one black. and I ask you which is
which and you say you want time to
consider. You need not wait for better
terms. Gods terms never change.
Gods terms are the same to rich and
poor. black and white.
Throw down your sins, that's the
terms. You say you are waiting for
the time when you can get drunk and
lie whenever you want to. am so
glad that God won't take a man up
when he drinks. am glad he said
had to stop all of my meanness. But
you needn't mind about the churches
in Atlanta; they'll take in anybody,
and keep them-drunkards liars. whore
mongerS and anybody.
IF you want the fence down lower
than that you amt fit to live. You just
wont the fence burnt away.
How sorry I am for church that
will act as a kind of feather bed for
the backslider to fall easily on.
What makes me mad is to hear a
little old Presbyterian or Episcopalian
say: Our church don't object to dane
ing or theater going. If they tell the
truth, I wouldn't stay in that church
long enough to get my hat. You ought
to change spiritual advisers.
Il was in a town the other day and
the whole village was on fire about
base ball. L learned that the Meth
odist preacher was one of the pitchers
and the Presbyterian preacher the UNI
pire. I'll tell you, 1 haven't got any
more use for base ball than have for
the Capital City club, and you know
how much that is.
Some say they are waiting for the
church to get right. used to be afraid
of the hyDOcriteS in the church but
they haven't been in my way in TWEEN
ty-five years. They are all behind me-
and amt a-going to back up against
them. But, after all, there are not near
as many hypOcriteS as you think there
are. Ninety-nine out of hundred in
the church are down in their hearts
trying to be good, but just afraid to. A
man stays drunk for a month, wakes up
at the end of the month and says he is
afraid ne is going to be a drunkard. A
man being a liar all his life and a-say-
ing his greatest fear is that he will be
a liar-he's little fool. An old citizen
will say. L have been trying to get that
church straight for twenty years. Why
don't you come in and help us, you old
hypocrite? There amt no life or
Stamen in a man who hunts for de-
fects-waitin' for the church to get
right
Its mighty easy to talk and criti-
else.
"A member of a church is like piece
Of canvas. Put mud on it and it will
show, but put it on an old rag of a sin
ner and it can't be seen.
There is a lot of difference between
a gentleman and a Vagabond. If Sam
Jones would go out on that street and
cuss a great big oath it would be tele-
graphed all over the country. But
there are hundred old fools in this
town that they don't pay any more at
tention to than a dog barking.
my idea of a circus crowd is a
drunkard, a one-eyed niger and a
bench-legged dog. The people watching
those bulletin boards about the Cor
t-Fitzsommons fight were not as
a cir ii nj h11Vr
Il loafer. a small boy and occasionally
a dude. III tell you that before
would watch such things as that,
would get me two old skunkS, put them
in a hole and bet some man that one
could out stink the other.
I saw people today that thought the
fight was going to take place in At
lanta. I tell you such Ignorance as
that is bliss"
Mr.. Jones turned to r little boy on
the front bench and said:
Were you in that crowd, bud? Have
you taken a bath before you come to
meeting? You'd better use some SapO-
lilo. You say you amt fit to join the
church. Well, you just come up to the
altar and get fifteen. My, my, my, you
can't hold out if you join? Do you know
the difference between a Methodist and
a Baptist? One is afraid he will fall
from grace and the other is afraid he
hasn't it. The Lord God makes them
so. If you do break down or fall from
grace you can find a shop in which to
mend yourself.
The rougher the road, the more plen-
tiful the shops"
MORNING SERMON.
Rev. Sam Jones is getting into his
old way of fighting the devil and is
Smelling the woods at a lively rate. The
audiences gather in larger numbers
y. hen they know that he is going to in
dulge in plain language.
His old time fire is returning to him
and his propensity for jumping is in
creasing. He said:
During the war we had many kinds
OF soldiers. The old majors and coloneIs
who stayed at home and would criticise
everything they were jaw bone soldiers
another class stayed in the hospitals