Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-04-30

ASpS1I lOAI VI IikC SOhSo, anu LdSLl oiS0A
Billy Sunday. with coat and collar re-
moved, with perspiration pouring from
his face and his clothes soaked, had
preached by far the most eloquent SER
mon he has delivered yet, from the
words Choose We this day whom We
will serve" Joshua xxiy:15), from
the vast audience, only third Of
which were processing Christians, only
sixteen of the thousands came forward.
The protesting Christians among the
G.. A. RS marched uI and down the
aisle beneath the stars and stripes, but
only sixteen made the surrender. About
fifty lifted their hands for prayer.
Sunday was almost in tears. 1--WE
looked forward for days and weeks to
this meeting, and I've hoped and pray
ed. There ought to be hundreds OF
men on these front seats. Here we are,
only one-nalf or one-third Of those here
protesting Christians. Come on and
give your hearts to Cod
The sermon plead for men to stand
out for. God and Christ. and pointed
that some things will be useless If they
are all that are possessed In the judg-
ment day Among other things ne
said:
"You say you do not want to become
a Christian because of the ridicule you
will receive. You ara afraid of the
horse laugh that will greet you from
your old companions. Some of you ex-
pect to be a Christian but not now.
Other say you won't because you never
have been. That's like a fellow who
won't work in the afternoon because
he laid off in the morning. He has
reason to work twice as nard because
OF the time wasted.
Men Greatest Sinners.
"The church of God needs you, men;
you need the church. The church is q
greas institution; there is nothing but
1t 7 existence that could be wiped out
ap be forgotten before the sun sets
! " want the comfort Of the church
| Il nen your wife is sick unto death, hr
then you listen to the clods dropping
INTO the grave of your daughter or son,
Then you want the comfort Of Gods
| church.
"The church of God needs you.
throw the doors open for you. Seven.
| ty-two per cent of the church mem
bers are women. tell you to the teeth
that it Is a disgrace that the church Of
God is without men and the haufits OF
men or the women? The men, Who
| fill the gambling hells, the men or the
women? The men. Who crowd the
race tracks to bet, the men or the
women? The men. si
/ What will you say when you meet
your wife at the Judgment seat? What
| will you say when you meet your
mother, your children, your neighbors
members Of your lodge or post, or YOU
business associates? What will yor
Sal, when you stand before God?
/ Men, you are harnling your wife
1 children. lodge and community because
you have not taken your stand FOL
God. Your children never heard yot
pray or read the Bible. You nsvei
pronounced the name of God or Chris
except in profanity and derision.
"You are as much obligated to helI
others whether you are a Christian OF
not as any preacher on this platform
4 1t doesn't let you out by being or mo-
/ being member of the church. A ply.
stefan is under just as much obligation
to help you to God as to give you 4
prescription. II you sell lumber, silk
sugar or porous plasters, you are JUS
as responsible.
Men, think I'd rather become &
i pauper and beg the bread for mysel
and my family from your door u
i yours, sleeping with them in straw
stacks; believe I'd rather be ston'
blind or racked by every disease ant
4 ruin, and be able to say, I know tina
I. |, MY redetinr liveth,, THAI be the licles