The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-12-17
A SERMON

Rev. DIR. L q. BrougAton DT1oee oomo
Piaan Facts Hone Co The People u Nsr-
folk-If Christ Shoala C00s, eAo 8voa9e-
liss Tells whist He WoslA K1nd.
There Is prubabay not In the south .
figure more picturesque and striking
thar tina Of the Rev. DR.. L @. Brough-
ton. the evangelist. who preached at
the Academy OF Music Sunday AFTER
noon upon theme: If Christ
Should Come 10 Norfolk" Likewise
there vas probably no discourse de-
iivered from n pulpit in the land
more striking and picturesque Those
who attended the services-and the
Academy was packed from pit to
dome-will o soon forget the w
pfctures-the picture OF DR.. Broughcon.
angular, ungraceful, m
phatic, inspired: the picture he drew
h coming OF Christ, the heavens nh
ed with brightness and melody, the
yawning graves giving up their dead
the living in Christ snatched into the
air TO NEE. the coming King, thec chain
ing of the devil and thruSting him into
the bottomless pit, there to remain for
a thousand years, while Christ rules
the world. probably from Jerusalem.
where he had suffered So much, a
been despised. rejected, crucifed.
Il would like to see Him when he
chains that old devil" said Mr. rough-
ton, Il would like to help put the lid on
when he is cast into the bottomless
pit"
The preacher, who was applauded at
various potts of his discourse, began
by proving from the Bible that Christ
would come again at IN hour and on a
day known to no man. He argued that
the pre-millennial theory was the cor
rect one, and declared that while he
was ready for coming OF the Lord,
let it he when it might, and he expect
ed it any moment, he rather hoped 1t
would be on Easter. when SO many
people were at church, and the theatres
We're closed.
If Christ should come to Norfolk
now, he said, He would find the wick
eldest city within the borders of the
state, the most ungodly spot in the
confines of h commonwealth. No
town or city in the state was there
where there was such reckless disre-
gard for the Sabbath. He compared
Norfolk to Roanoke in this respect. and
the advantage was decidedly with the
Magic Slly.
The evangelist next got m to the
trail of the courts. He was very bit
ter against those judges, who, in the
course of their prescribed business is
sued licenses for barrooms. Such
judges, he said, ought t. be turned out
of the church. or resign from the bench.
With this proceeding, after a while.
according to DR.. Broughton, there would
be hone on the bench, but devils
doing the devils work. 'and hat is
about it amounts to now" ne
added tentatively. He threw hot shot
into the police because the laws We're
not executed, particularly referring to
the several hundred houses of ill-fame
in the city kept open in direct violation
of the law. Speaking of the billboard
posters he found in the city, he said
they were obscene in the EXTREMIST de-
gree n would he torn down in TWEEN
ty-flve minutes in Roanoke and the
posters arrested. 4
Coming to the churches, he bitterly
denounced those which paid three dol
lars to a paid choir to one dollar for
the service of the Master, a paid choir,
he said, which sang classic music,
which on an average had no more re
ligiOn in it than a Dutch waltz. This
church, he declared. Christ would close
up the first thing when He came.
DR.. Broughton touched upon other
features in connection with the church.
es and then turned his attention to the
home and heart, telling what should
be their condition when Christ came.
He dismissed the congregation as they
remained seated.