The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-12-30
SERVICES At
OPERA HOUSE.
Major Hilton. Speaks AT
Y. m. G. A. Gospel
Meeting.

/ AA0AO Wen q I0s 10 0uulCuCC 0u vi
Opera House yesterday afternoon, Il
spite Of the inclement weather an
it was amply repaid by the stirrinI
address given BY Major George A
Hilton. He spoke under she auspice
of the Y. NJ. G. A. and his remark
were full Of striking truths.
The service opened by singing sew
eral selections after which the Rev
John Shape offered prayer, whicl
was followed by the reading Of 4 les
son from the Scripture by the Rev
William NJ. Jefferis.
Major Hilton, In opening his ad
dress said that all men are weak and
that when men discover their weak.
ness, instead of it making thems trong
1t makes them apologetic. They
are always finding excuses for their
weaknesses. The man who drinks
can always give what he considers a
good and sufficient reason for drink
Ing. Some say 1t is hereditary. God S
grace Is as strong as an earthly her
itage.
1t Is remarkable how easy 1t is for
man to learn things that are bad. II
a man lives among evil companions
and evil surroundings, he will soon
become evil himself. He gets SELF
polluted with his surroundings and
1t Is above this self pollution that he
should lift himself. 1t is not the
things that pollute the man, it is the
man who pollutes himself. When
Moses came down out of the clouds
and saw the children Of Israel wor-
shipping the golden cafe, he told
them to beware or they would poi.
lutte themselves.
Some men have an idea that God is
arbitrary, stands over them with a
lash and Furnishes them for each in.
fraction OF the divine law. God does
not punish man. He will chastlse
his children just as a man will chas-
tise his own children, but man pun.
ishes himself through his ignorance
by self-cofruption. The man who
goes wilfully to the devil will learn
only what the devil has to teach.
Society as it is constituted today
is self-polluted. 1t is polluted when
1t says that man can do things that
a woman cannot 1t requires more
courage for man to serve God In
this early part of the twentieth CEN
tury than it does to stand up and
face storm OF bullets.
Major Hilton dwelt at some time
upon gambling, saying that 4ny man
whether he is business man or a
professional gambler, is a gambler so
long as he takes from his brother
man something for which he does not
give in return something of equaI
value. No gambler ever succeeded.
John Morrissey was probably the
greatest gambler in this country,
and today his wife is living in the
fifth story of New York tenement,
making shirts. Phil DAILY, another
great gambler, died an imbecile, un-
able to recognize the members Of his
own family.
"Gambllng," declared Major Hill
ton, 's on the increase In this coun-
try. II it is not the faro bank and
the sweat cloth, 1t is the counting OF
beans in glass jar at the church
fair. 1t is gambling all the same.
Father, If you put deck Of cards in
the hands of your son now, and when
lie is 81 years old, you find him in a
faro bank, you have no right to chas-
tise him, for you started him there.
They don't make gamblers in gam.
bling dens. They are made before
they 60 there. Some are made in
the social set. Some nice looking
young woman hands young man a
deck of cards and invites him to play
a game for fun. That may start him
That young woman and the cards are
a acorrupting powerand when young
man puts himself under corruptinp
power he is going to be corrupted.
Society may call the games progress.
sive euchre or whist but 1t is really
damnation. "
Notwithstanding the very inclement
weather, the Rev. William Doane
Manross, the new rector of 81 Mich.
ael's Church, Chestnut and ms
streets, was greeted by fair congre-
cation Yesterday, when he delivered
his initial sermon. The high cele.
bTaton was beautiful and impressive
and the discourse was appropriate to
the Christmas season, the rector
drawing lessons from the Logos. lie
pointed out the humility of Christ |
and the meaning of the Christmas
festival. Referring to the dlfferen.
ways of bringing the truth to the
people, the rector told of how he had
|abored with one congregation dur
ing his mission work, but seemed to |
be unable 10 bring home to them the
truths of the incarna tion. Finally
he tried symbolism and before ser.
vice he had a miniature stable and
manger built and a repres entatlon of |
lhe birth of the Saviour. On that
Christmas day he preached as usual
but still those who heard did not re-
ll'ze. Then, to their surprise, he
showed them the represent ation and
his seemed to bring home the truth
If the gospel and the great humility
II the Savior.
Colored folks Of this city have de-
,ided to have a general observance
II Emancipation Day, by holding
'ervices In many Of the churches on
l. The morning service at
10. 80 O'Clock, will be held at Gilbert
Presbyterian Church, Thirteenth and
French streets. There will be a SER
non by Rev. II. T. Johnson, pastor
II Mount Joy M. L. Church. The
In the afternoon will be
acilpaad ut 0 tal L. l