The morning journal-courier., 1908-12-28
MR. FENNO'S TALK
Departure from Usual Plan at Y, M. c. A. Exercises Yes
 terday Afternoon,
FIVE HUNDRED ATTEND
Ways In Which Christian People Fail to Carry Out Plan of
 Christ.

A departure from the usual plan of meetings in the Young Mems Christian association on Sunday afternoon, drew good audience to hear W. F, Fcnno, the New York evangelist, yesterday. The departure was union service to which those who attend the usual mons meeting were permitted to bring their wives, mothers and sweethearts, About 500 were present to hear one of the strongest addresses of the season, Mir Fenno was scheduled to speak on The Devils Masterpiece" but an nounced change of theme using as his text, Philippians 9;14--'I press to- ward tho mark for the prize of the high calling of God In Christ Jesus" He said that there were four ways |
 in which Christian people failed to carry out the plan Of Christ for tho | 1 world. The first one was that they | did not know their bible He told a story of an old lady who wanted to purchase bible She went to store and asked for one The clerk asked | her which version she would prefer Will you have the authorized. the | l American revised the English revised | or any other?" asked the clerk. Well l l don't know" was the reply, but guess l will take tho one that st. Paul used. lt was good enough for l him, and l guess it will do for me" Then said Fenno, Now l just know
 from the looks of your faces that there are many who do not know that
 have cracked a joke" He stated
 that he would hate 10 embarrass the
 crowd by asking how many would
 know how to lead a soul to Christ by
 using the bible, II Is the most popu-
 lar book to be bought but the most
 unpopular to read
 In the second place, we need
 deeper experience. He contrasted our
 present prayer meetings with those of
 the olden time. Then people used to
 got mp and say that they were happy
 in the joy of a Christian life. or that
 they found Joy in His service To-
 day some weak voiced brother gets up
 and says in an ctlemnatc tone T don't
 know whether l am saved or not.
 Another says l am trying Co do His
 will Another says T am trying to
 follow in His footsteps, but am making many mistakes, and hope
 you will pray for me and thus help mc Co continue
 In the third place, we need consist
 oncy of life Ono of the main ohicc-
 tions that mon in the army and navy or on the railroad make to living
 better life Is that tho church people ! are Inconsistent They arc using the : church for all sorts of things but the one for which t was intended For ! social position and many other things.
 We should rcaI2e that in tho apple oi Christs eye Is the church of God. We
 must show by our lives that the gns.
 pol has power Co save
 ' In the fourth place, we need more ! effective service Too many of us are
 rontented with fourth class lives. How ! many business men would he satisfied , with the kind of assistance that . Christians give. If the world is 10 ' be saved, it must he done by those ! who are not In the pulpit one must [ supplement tho other Tho hunger o' l tho world Is not for pictures of Christ , hung upon the wall but for Christ on. I throned in tho heart.
 We need certain motive powers to ' help us carry out this plan We noed a
 great deal He reminded hls audience or 2 the days when some of them were boys
 and looked forward to the days when theN might ba a conductor and rdo on E tho top of flying train, or of the time @ when some of them ran around tho foot l of East Rock with q wooden gun and Imagined that they were Indians or , pirates Those were Ideals, and while ! they were not practical they were a - great help. lIc said some had dauEh- 5 tors, and when they were little girls ] they looked forward to the timc when r they might marry rich man. perhaps l count hut as time went hy they de- f eided that after all count was rather n an expensive luxury, and changed their n minds
 - In tho second place, we need a great s purpose Paul said. 'T press" W. - have got too many sermon soaked y saints today, They have no purpose E in life, They go and listen to a ser. - mon and when they come home some s one asks them how they liked it. "Oh !, l don't know. I didn't like it very well 2 The speaker wasn't logical" or "Ic O wasn't dgnihed" or His English wa, - on the blink" or "He uses slang" Fen.
 no said he used t. He had picked il
 up among Christian people By this = time he had his audience in a gonf
 mood TIe said he had heard that tho
 biggest knockers in the world lived |, right in New Haven. but he did not |, care, There were only two people q whom he was afraid of and neither was
 there. His wife, who always looked af.
 ter his hair and his daughter who al. f, ways looked after his tie They were |, real knockers. His point which he now
 drove home with great power was that
 onc must not wait for an ideal presen.
 tation before he got to work. Peter 1, l .It.