Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1906-03-08
IN ADDRESS
ON TRUSTS

Rev. Thomas Houston, the blind
evangelist who preached at the East
End Mission last week, addressed
meeting Of men in association hall
Sunday. Those who had not heard him
on any of the previous occasions awoke
to the realization that Danville has
within it at present man of remark
able power.
The hall Sunday was well filled
with men, in the number being a few
boys. The speaker was introduced by
Hon. H. NJ Hinckley, who told with
what good results the Lord had used
the blind evangelist at the East End
Mission.
Rev. Houston read the scriptures us
ing a Bible for the blind. He is a most
accomplished reader AS he went over
the characters with his fingers, with
charming emphasis and without the
least hesitancy, he uttered the words
aloud. There was nothing to Indicate
that the reader was blind man.
Before proceeding with his address
Mr.. Houston sang "The Holy City. "
Had the evangelist stopped right there
there was not one present, but would
have felt himself well repaid for hav
ing attended the meeting. As a gospel
singer it is doubtful whether the blind
evangelist has ever been equalled by
any one visiting Danville. He has a
deep, powerful voice and the solo was
rendered in faultless manner, accom-
panied with an effect that was nothing
short of inspiring.
The evangelist took his subject,
TRUSTS and how they are abused. . 1t
was in this address that he demonst"at
ed his penetration of thought, his sense
of justice, his contempt for selfshness,
self-indulgence and license and on the
whole demonstrated his wonderful
power. As he looked out over the lives
of men and raked up the vices and the
sins prevailing, i'll effect he said TO ev-
cry person III the audience: Thou
art the man and it is doubtful wheth
er there was any one present so good
as to wholly escape pang akin to
remorse and self condemnation.
Dwelling upon Ahab-the trust COM
mitted to him, which he abused and for
which he suffered, the speaker stated
that it is with him matter Of doubt,
. great as is the future punishment for
sin, whether the penalty i'll the next
world will be any greater than is suf-
fered i'll this world for sins commit
ed
He cited the case of McCurdy and
! HYDE and other insurance leaders to
! illustrate the punishment, the real mis-
cry and suffering following the abuse
of an important trust committed to Il
mans care. He was present, however,
| he said, to address the men of Danville
on their own sins and he took up in
/ succession the various trusts of IN
fuence, - Time, Passion, Fam
iIy." and "Wife'-trusts which have
been committed to man by God. but
which are abused every day Of our
| lives.
Time is frittered away i'll the lodge
room, the club room, or III politics,
yet every minute spent in this world
is going to increase our happiness in
! l,aa,-n,, or IN, % Il ia
not take the position that politician
can not be a Christian. He cited the
cases of Mckinley, Roosevelt and John
! Wanamaker to show that even active
politicians can be good Christians, but
he inveighed against the uuprincipled
! politician who is i'll politics merely
for the sake of getting there. The
lodge room, too, may have place, but
is secondary to the church. The
lodge and the club room, he said, carry
with them a slight to the fair sex, as
the man who is welded to either of
these is bound to neglect the weaker
sex.
Then came the trust of Influence, "
in dwelling upon which the speaker
made a most telling appeal to fathers,
who for the sake of the boys and those
who follow after should guard we'll
their actions and be ''men" in all that
the term implies.
His remarks on the trust Of Pas
sion, >" which had to do with social
purity, made an especially deep i'm
preston, as did also what he had to
say on the trust of Souls. " With re-
gard to the latter it is for us to decide
whether we will be true or faithless
to the trust reposed in us-whether
our souls be saved or lost.
His remarks on the trust of Pam
ily' and trust OF "Wife" had especi-
ally TO do with the home and were
very touching. He urged the fathers
to be true to the trust in the gift of
children and for the sake of the boys
to be Christians and to set the pace for
the religious life.