The Savannah morning news., 1901-05-26
SEA OF DARK FACES
CONFRONTED REV. SAM JONES IN
THE PARK TABERNACLE.
"G0, QUIT YOUR MEANNESS,"
WAS THE EVANGELISTs MESSAGE
TO THE CoLORED PEOPLE OF
SAVANNAH.

Crowds of People Lined IL en- Its
Three Open Sides-EvangeIists
Jones and Stuart Both SpOke-An-
other Jibe at the Expense of the
POIice-They Get Nothing But Ne
Eroes and Poor Whites - Policy
Playing and Gambling Generally
vigorously Condemned.
A great, throbbing. pulsating sea of ne
gro faces. extending from the rear of the
building to the front and to both sides,
fringed about with the faces of at least
two or three thousand white people. made
up the scene which was presented a the
Park Tabernacle last night.
1t was an occasion that must be mem
orable to everyone who witnessed 1t, such
a one as comes rarely in any mans life
time, and that having come and gone
leaves an impression that will not fade
You are a religious people," said Rev.
George Stuart, addressing the negroes,
who made up the greater portion of the
audience, and in every dusky face, in
every glistening eye. in every resonant
tuneful voice. uplifted in some old negro
melody of praise or devotion, was the
Astounding verihcation of the truth of this
statement. Applause, fervent "Amens,"
the deep hum that everywhere expresses
the approval of the negro multi
tude and its sanction of what
appeals to it as the truth-these
frequently interrupted the speakers.
There must have been 5000 negroes in
the tabernacle. On the platform were
the evangelists, the white ministers who
have been their co-laborers in the evan
gelistic work they have been conducting
in Savannah. and a dozen or more color
ed preachers. These in addition to the
regular white choir. the members of which
filed their accustomed places.
The services opened with some hymns
by the choir and then the negro congre-
cation took up and sang these songs of
praise They were not new-fangled hymns
that came from the threats of these peo-
pie, but the good, old-fas hioned, camp
meeting songs, that an Older generation
grew to know and love- The volume of
music swept up and through the air and
rolled away, with a sweetness, a sympa-
enthusiasm that only a negro congrega-
ton, singing such old-fashioned gospel
melodies, could have produced or evinced.
They sang, That Good Old-tim Re
hgion," when the Final Roll Is Called,
I'll be There" and a number of responsive
hymns, in which one led and the con-
gregation, with swelling fervor. carried
the refrain.
Mr.. Jones read a telegram from a wo-
1ixvip
which asked the prayers of himself and
the congregation for her son, who, the
message stated was in the Tabernacle
The man to whom this message refers, g"
said Mr.. Jones, was gloriously and hap
PLY converted three nights ago.
Mr. Jones then announced that, in ad-
dition to the sermon he would himself
deliver, Mr.. Stuart would preach to the
colored people. IF you will give him
your attention." said the evangelist, you
Will hear things that will be good for you
and a better sermon than I can preach"
Mr.. Stuart preached a strong sermon.
With closest interest and attention the
congregation followed him through his
sermon, which was made up of good ad-
vice and good sense. This was followed
by some singing and then Mr.. Jones adj
dressed the great audience.
His text was the entire Fifteenth Psalm,
tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy
hill?" These questions form the first verse
of the phalm, and the remaining four are
made up of abe answers to these ques-
tions. "A fair reading of the opening
verse of the text" said Mr.. Jones,
would be, Lord. who is fit to be in thy
church, and who will ultimately get to
heaven "
t. e. h. In, ohx,
know when you say a man or a woman
isn't fit to be in the church you mark
that man or that woman as a pretty mean
sort of character. She may be a pretty
good dancer, or a fairly good liar, but
she's not fit TO be in the church; he may
be fair sort of drunkard and an expert
chief but he won't suit for the church.
Who is the man who is fit to be in
the church? You or 1 may have our opin-
ions on the subject. and these opinions
may be right or wrong. But God, thong h
all men may be liars speaks always and
nothing but the truth. When the car
penter wanted to raise that pillar and
see that it was upright, he used his spirit
level to assure himself it was so; when
the mason built yonder pile of brick. he
employed a line and plummet to assure
himself that his proportions were true.
My friends, when you want to see II your
church. apply to 1t this blessed spirit level
of the Bible and measure it by the line
and plummet of Gods word.
And first of all the book says the man
who is fit to enter the church Is He that
walketh uprightly.' Give men such a man.
one who does something for himself and
something for his church, but not one
who spends ten dollars on whisky and to-
bacco for every ten cents he spends for
church work. When a man walketh up
rightly he can listen TO the truth and
have it do him good, but when his life
and his heart are impure, he gets up out
of his seat and walks away cursing the
man who has tried to do him good It's
true, it's not only true Of colored folks
but it's true of white folks, I've run some
of 'em off already"
Mr.. Jones discussed briefly other sec
tions of the text, applying further the
standard of fitness. He that worketh
righteousness and speaketh the truth In
his heart"
He backbiteth not with his tongue
That's II. You know what the word
'backbite' means. 1t means to come up
behind man and get him when he's not
looking. j want to say to you that you
colored people have done yourselves more
injury, with your own tongues. than all
the white people in the country, In every
way they have employed.
Il was born. bred-and buttered-among
you colored people, and l know you.