Arizona republican., 1898-03-22
SONG AND SERMON.

The series of meetings in progress at the Baptist church is one of the most remarkable ever held in Phoenix MT. Cairns is a man Mlo would hold an audience anywhere because of his eloquence and his gift of song, and there is manliness and sincerity about him which wins the admiration as we'll as the respect of lis hearers. One of his recent sermons was on fol- lowing in the steps of Christ, and his texts were found in First Peter 2:21, That ye should follow in his steps, ," and First John 4:17, Because as He is, so are we in this world" Some of his striking sentences were: "There is no greater mystery in the bible than is your own life. Man cannot life for God until he is born of God. We are born to grow. Pastors break down because the churches are full of babies, who have to be rocked. There is no place in Gods economy for lazy man. When I was an old bachelor, I used to give lectures on how to bring up chil- dren. 1 don't do it any more. We eX- pect too much of the young converts. Too often when we are misunderstood, we talk back, we do not suffer in si. lence as did our Savior. The signs of the times portend the swift coming of the King. I believe that there are peo- pie alive who will witness that coming Are you ready to greet Jesus? For He is coming again" There were more than fifty persons at the o'clock morning prayer meeting, and the church could not hold all who came to the morning preaching service. In the evening the Presbyterians cour- teously offered their Baptist brethren the use of their church, and MT. Cairns preached a powerful sermon on "The Agreement of Christianity With In fidelity Both the church and the Sunday school room were filed to Overfiowing and many people remained standing during the sermon. Dr. Me Kinney, Dr. Halsey and Rev. A. B.. Tomlinson took part in the service, and Miss Sargent sang a beautiful offertory. The meetings will be con- tinued at the Baptist church during the week, with preaching every even ing at 7:30 and bible readings at 3 D.. m. The Sunday afternoon meeting for mon only was one Of the nest rema' k able services ever held in Phoenix. The Baptist church was filled with men, many of them gray headed Very few were under the age of twanty-one. MT. Cairns has had no more attentive audience than this. He spoke with earnestness and pathos, and imprs ss- iveness. When he referred to the evil results of gambling, one of the most dangerous enemies of business pros perity, he received round after round Of applause, and after the lecture was over sixty-four of the men present among them were number of prominent citizens, pressed forward to sign the following pledge, which was brought to the meeting by one of the younger citizens of Phoenix It is modelled after a pledge used in the state of New Jersey, which recently placed in it's constitution an article prohibiting gambling in any form: Relieving the gambling evil is curse to the fair name of our territory and menace to our future prosperity, hereby pledge myself not to support for public office with my vote any man who will not openly pledge him self to do all in his power to secure legislation to make it illegal and to suppress the same"