The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1901-12-06

bnt revival HplIlt III lHt atmosphere,
because of the way the people sung A
dumb devil was a hard one 10 arrive
out. He delighted TO get hold of good
men ana women. He stirred up tie
bad people and kept the good ones
down. The fine congregational sing
ing was driving out the dumb devil.
Mr. Stewart preached from 2nd
Thessalonians 3;l-"Finally, breth.
rem, pray for us, that the word Of the
Lord may have free course, and be
glorihed even as it is with you.
Mr. Stewart said that it was prayer
meeting night all over the United
States and he felt like exhorting. He
believed God called men TO preach. He
believed that the Holy Spirit spoke TO
them so plainly they could understand
the call to preach the unsearchable
riches of the Lord Jesus Christ and he
believed that preachers become Cmist'
words of love to the world Christ
spoke with authority. The apostles
were commissioned to preach with
authority, and the ministers of the
gospel should do likewise Some
people might say il WAS not right TO
use homely illustrations to drive home
| a.
glory. Spurgeon said Il fine sermon
was to be judged by its power to save
men, and not by its eloquence aud
rhetorical beauty of speech There
was so much twisting of scripture
these days to suit a bodys own views.
The strength of the scriLtCre-es-
pecially OF these epistles-lay in know
ing four things: Who wrote them; to
whom. where, and under what condi-
lions they were written. People fire.
quertly quoted st. Pauls saying Let
women keep silent, " etc. In the same
chapter the apostle tells the men to
keep silent twice, which gives the
right of way Of talking to the
women. The badge of manhood and
wOmanhood III olden times was hair
now it's dress. He thought Colum-
bia had more card playing and world
illness in its homes than any place of
its size in Tennessee If he should be
asked "Where is the best place to
locate, taking in consideration the
beauty of landscape, fertility of soil,
pureness of air, water, climate, and
50 on, he would name the blue grass
regions of Virginia, Kentucky, Knox
vile and Columbia but Columbia was
the garden spot of the world, and
if any place on earth should be noted
for its piety, it should be Columbia
While Columbia was 50 worldly and
ungodly, there was circle of as good
Christian people here as ever walked
the earth, and he asked them to pray
for him. He believed in prayer
Some people criticized, instead of
praying for the preacher Many crit
cized his illustrations and slang Mr.
Stewart said He graduated at Emory
and Henry College, capturing five great
medals, and when he started out to
!, preach he tried to be very learned and
preached George Stewart dignified,
, instead of Jesus Christ crucitied. " He
had quit all that now. People had
been so learned and elegant that they
: had let the world go to the devil
Elegance and learning was all right,
but the world must be saved at any
cost He asked the congregation to
consider him as their boy, and like
mother, pray for 1.-The boy and lay
down all criticism-don hackle, but
pray for me. If he could have the
prayers of 100 good women, he would
tackle hell-if it was missionary
ground. He wanted prayers that God
, would empower His spoken word
through him, so that his sermons
, would catch ahre like a sedge grass
field. He wanted prayer that God
, would save the boys, men, women and
: children of Columbia.
At the close of the sermon he asked
that all who would pray for the saving
of souls and the outpouring of God s
7, Holy Spirit to come and shake hands
with him. 1t seemed that half of the
immense congregation responded He
then asked that all-church member!
{ or sinners-who felt like they were no
: right in the sight of God, and wanted
= TO get right, to come and give hin
, their hands. Quite number respond
= ed to this proposition The benedic
! ton was pronounced and all went
. home feeling it was good to have beel
=, there