The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-05-28
STUART HAS GONE
ONE OF THE EvANGELIsTS CLOSED
HIS WORK IN SAVANNAH.
NO LONGER AT TABERNACLE.
HAS GONE TO HIS HOME IN CLEvE-
LAND. TENN.

Illness of Mrs. Stuart Responsible
for Mr.. Stuarts Departure in Adj
vance of MIR. Jones-Mr. Stunrt's
Impressions OF Savnnnah-Has
Many Splendid Churches, but They
Are Empty-Preached His Last
Sermon at Tabernacle Yesterday
Afternoon-Many Told Him Good
bye and Thanked Him for the Good
He Had Done Them.
Rev. George Stuart closed his connec-
ton with the revival meetigs yesterday
afternoon. when he preached his last ser
mon to Savannahians He left at night
for mis- home. Cleveland, Tenn, whittier
he was called by news of the illness of
his wife.
A representative of the Morning News
asked Mr.. Stuart what he thought of the
success of the meetings. as shown thus
far He replied that he<'thought a great
deal of good has been accomplished for
the Lord. Savannah" he said. is one
of the most beautiful and attractive cities
physically I have ever seen. To an in
spection of its outw ward vestments, it
yestigation reveals its rottenness. 1t has
too many saloons, too many gaming
houses too many houses of i'll fame
Physically. it is beautiful; morally, 1t is
corrupt
Savannah has the most beautiful and
spacious churches I have ever seen in a
city of its size. And it has more Of them.
Int
that is all. On Sundays they are empty.
All without is perfect. but on the inte-
rior there is lacking that which makes
the church what it should be-a large
congregation"
After his sermon at the Tabernacle,
hundreds crowded about Mr.. Stuart to
bid him goodbye Regret for his departure
was expressed, and many told him of the
great good that he had done them dur
ing his stay.
Mr.. Stuart's closing sermon was an
exhortation TO his hearers 10 prepare
themselves to meet their God. He used
an argument for hypocrites that had been
made by Mr.. Jones. saying that the peo-
pie who hang back from joining the
church. because hypocrites are already
in. are greater hypocrites themselves.
Their effort should rather be to get in
so that they might cleanse and purify.
He gave apt illustrations of his meaning.
Evil thoughts were inveighed against
the preacher saying that one cannot har-
Dor an evil thought without being the
worse for its communicating effect. A
coal of fire, he said, he could hold for a
moment in the palm of his hand without
its burning him, but an evil thought he
could not hold even so long without his
mind being soiled. The man who looks
TO lust, he declared, is as guilty in the
sight OF God as the man sunken in the
lowest depths of degradation; the man
who thinks murder, Is guilty as the
one who draws his pistol and sends bull
let crashing through the brain of his
fellow
The evil influences that are exerted over
children who are brought in contact with
the ungodly were exhibited by the preach
er in stored illustration. Speaking of
one of his experiences in having sought
10 save the girls of a seminary, he said
that he sometimes thinks it is a snare
for girl to be pretty. When a girl
finds out that she is pretty" he said,
she has usually found out about all she
is ever going to-"
From several points. Mr. Stuart dis
cussed influences that are brought TO bear
to prevent those who would do so from
turning to the consideration of things re-
ligious and giving themselves to God. So
cial clubs, he said. are compact for the
devil. illustrating his point by a story of
q young man of Chattanooga who was
lost because he was laughed out of his
salvation by fellow members of his club
Touching upon a personal phase with
which Mr.. Jones has created no little talk
Mr.. Stuart declared that he was not
worth a dollar in the world save for the
possession of his home. which, he said
is equipped with modern improvement
In the shape of a mortgage. The remark
was made in connection with his relation
of an incident in his career. in which
he paid off a mortgage upon the home OF
a friend.
After the sermon Mr.. Stuart invited
penitents to come forward, and they re-
sponded in great numbers. There was
deep earnestness shown. and a large
proportion of the large congregation
grasped the hand of the preacher.