The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-07
EVENING MEETINGS.


topics.
EVENING MEETINGS.
Address by Rev. j. e. Pounds, of In
dianapOlfs, I'm Tent WfllistOn.
DETROIT, July 6.-Ten thousand people
crowded into Tent williston for this even
ing's exercises. The decorations or Tent
Williston are similar to those which embel-
lish Tent Endeavor. and fully as elaborate
President Clark presided over the meeting
and p s. Foster of Washington, was musi-
cal director. The devotional exercises were
conducted by Rev. W. Z. Strong, OF jack
son, Mich. and the ten minutes OF Quiet
Meditation and Prayer" by Rev. Clarence
K. Eberman, of Lancaster, Pa. The two
principal addresses in Tent Winston were
delivered by Rev. John E. Pounds, of In
dianapolis, and Rev. DIR. p. s. Henson, of
Chicago, the former on Dollars and Duty"
and the latter on Satan and Cities" Both
were listened to with undivided attention
by the great audience and bursts OF ap-
plarse were frequent
DR.. Pounds said, In part: christian En-
deavor is ceasing to be an experiment, and
is becoming more and more an experience
{, real part of religious life. The glorying
may have passed somewhat, but the glory
remains. The Boosting of the future will not
be so much of the increase of size as of the
decrease of sin. True. Endeavor is changing,
changing from Boosting to business, from
firecrackers to Mauser rifles. from the kite
string to life line. from doll nursing to
motherhood. AS children. We built fires in
the back yard for the smoke that could be
produced; but becoming men, we use
smokeless powder, judging success by the
execution done.
And such a change such a growth Is
but the unfolding of the real life and pur-
pose of the society. Christian Endeavor is
not intended to be an institution but an in
spiration. 1t has served an end when 1t has
caused service to begin. 1t does not aim at
triumph but at training. 1t prefers service
in the slums to seat IN the synagogue.
The greatest word among its members to-
day is service, and this is WELL The spirit
of the pledge, to do what He would like to
have me do is active, it should be.
There are three nerve centers in the
spiritual man: The head, the heart and the
pocketbook. The reason congregations start
when money is mentioned is because the
last Is the most sensitive of the three. And
yet, did they but understand it. the philan-
thropists are the happiest of men. True joy
Is in giving. not in getting. The child who
runs after the rainbow, expecting to find the
end of 1t resting in pot of gold, is not more
sadly disappointed than the man who runs
after pot of gold expecting to find it rest
ing on the rainbow of joy and peace.
The fault is not wholly with the pew,
either. When darkness covers the preacher.
gross darkness will cover the people. Self
seeking should have no place at all in the
pulpit. When every man is for himself, the
hlndmost Were the Master on earth again
the man who views his preaching on Sun
gay as necessary preliminary to drawing
MS salary on Monday would be driven out
OF the pulpit with whip of small cords III
your congregation can get certain preach
er by Offering him an increase of salary
uon get him. For he who mistakes the
jingle or the guinea for call to preach will
mistake the tread of the wolf for the rustic
OF the doves wing. and the flock will be de-
stiCyed After all, the worst that can be
said or Judas was that he was mercenary
For the love of the money was the root of
all the evil. The Judas kiss of to-day be-
trays the love OF women, well as the
lover of men.
The true preacher chose the ministry on
the principle not that the world owed him
living, but that he owed the world a life
Inc noblest gift Is TO put ones self beyond
the power of making gift. The greatest
Peier .SiISs1 are nose VINO can say with
such as L have give 1 thee The most
princely gfvers the world has never seen
are the Judsons and the Livingstones who
sometimes begged to be fed with the crumbs
that fell from the heathen's tables Yet
Livingstone said he had never made a
ssa a The Lord owned the man. and
always characterize the pulpit. The min
istry must live before it can lead The
walk is more needed than the words Peo-
pie are guided by the footprints rather
than sign boards The sheep will follow the
shepherd, whether he leads them in green
pastures or not. The heroic spirit of Civ
ing must be begotten of the ministry
The go-as-you-please method-taking a.
collection-is really the lack of a method
give than be bothered. and leads to the
time when people would rather be bothered
than give at all. When collection is taken
up for missions enthusiasm for missions is
taken down. The missionary Offering should
be the elimination OF the years work
When the hat is passed the opportunity for
large gift passes with IL. The preacher
who merely passes the hat deserves to lose
II, for he had no head TO wear it on.
Most business men give enough to MAIN
tain good standing with their fellow mem
bers. but thus measuring themselves by
themselves and comparing themselves
among themselves they are neither wise
nor liberal. And as the standing with men
becomes more assured the giving becomes
less so. Liberality naturally diminishes as
trumpet-biow method sounds Well b nf
is generally lacking in sense and always
in dollars. The giving a part of what is
appeal is always uncertain in its present
effect for good and certain in its future eff
feet for evil. The people who have given
because of your passionate appeal will aft
erward feel that they were trapped and will
harden themselves against you in the flu
ture.
'"The laying by part to give. the deep de-
votional method. is commended by prac-
teal wisdom as by scripture precedent If
there We're no authority for any method
the obligation To have the best one would
be sufficient. That Is not deficient In the
DRY which is efficient in practice. Laying
by part Is pleasant way TO give. Hav-
ing made a decision once for all one Is
not always torn between his desire TO helm
and his desire TO keep: between his con-
science and his courage, and God loves
a cheerful gfver.
And then. giving by a regular method
tends to give through regular channels, a
most important consideration. And giving
a tenth leads to larger things. IL IL not
ideal. maybe. but II Is educational II
! teaches " how little we have given. Q les