The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1904-08-26
Splendid Sermons.

According to announcement
made In the NEWS OF last week,
Rev. Fred Shannon, formerly Of
Louisa, but now OF Harrisburg,
Pa, filed the pulpit of the South
ern Methodist Church last Sunday
morning and night. The announce
ment called out congregations at
both services which completely
filled the church, and these audi
ences listened with undiminished |
interest on each occasion to a SER
mon replete with fervid eloquence,
Astounding with beautiful thought,
and full Of an inspiration which
could come only from a preacher
devoted to his work and which was
gracious uplift to the thoughtful
listener.
Mr.. Shannon's subject in his
morning sermon was "The Evangel
Of Pain" taking as text Paups
declaration that'the whole creation
groaneth and travaileth in pain
until now.n Beginning with stone
age in the history OF Britain, when
the ancestors OF the highly educa-
ted, polished and refined Briton of
the 10th century, clad in the skins
OF wild beasts and living upon
roots and berries hewed the forests
with an ak made Of stone; and on
and upward until he learned to
fuse copper and tin and thus make
bronze; and so, through successive
ages until the mighty empire OF to-
day was made, II had been through
an agony OF blood and tears aad
pain.
And even in the world OF thought,
the world OF art, and through the
realm of music this evangel ofpain
had ever made its presence known
and felt He who wrote most Ct
the early Church, st. Augustine,
wrote while he grosned and ira
vailed; and these writings show
the Christening, refined influence OF
the Evangel. Tintorelto's immor-
tai canvases revealed the influence
OF this evangel with Its ministry,
and even the all but divine Chopin,
he Of the Funeral March, with all
its wonderful and wierd harmonies
must need write and play with the
gaunt fingers OF the skeleton press
ing upon his wrists.
And so, said the preacher, IL civi-
lization and thought and music
have Pain moving through and in
fluencing them, can We wonder IL
the soul has its Calvary? Through
Gethsemsne and the Cross man
has immortality, and the Evsngel
has done its perfect work.
At night a larger congregation,
even, than that which attended the
morning service listened to "The
Tragedy OF Vashtl." Reading a
part OF the first chapter Of the Book
OF Esther, and taking as a founda-
tion for his sermon that part OF the
twelfth verse which tells OF the re-
fusal OF Vashti to come forth and
show her beauty to the drunken
jewellers, and the anger Of the King
because OF her refusal. Mr.. Shan
non told very eloquently OF the
tragedies which have occurred in
other palaces OF the world. Alias
uerus, the Xerxes of history, could
raise the highest host ever seen
on earth, and could bridge the
Hellespont with ships, but with all
this power could not compel a
modest woman to expose herself to
the gaze OF drunken Court. 1t
was at this point the reverend
gentleman paid beautiful tribute
to the modesty OF woman. Then
he spoke Of the tragedy in Eng
lands palace, with Lady Jane Gray
as the victim. Then he rapidly
and wildly traced the rise of Cleo
patrs, the Sorceress OF the Nile, and
the tragedies which marked her
pathway from clark Actium's fatal
shore" to the day on the galley
when the asp sent its virus through
every fiber of her being,
Through both these superb SER
mons there We're striking morals
and instructive lessons, carrying
: wholesome food for all who heard.