The Big Sandy news., 1910-07-22
UNION SERVICES
Held at the Two Methodist
Churches Sunday.
Rev. T. F. Shannon, Of Brooklyn,
Preached to Large Congregations
Both Morning and Evening.

A very large and intelligent audi
ence had gathered in the NJ. E.
church, South, last Sunday morning
when the Rev. f. F. Shannon, of
Grace NJ. Z. church, Brooklyn, arose
to preach a sermon, as is his GUS
tom when he makes his annual pill
grimage to the city Of his birth. His
first words were expressions Of
pleasure and qualification at being
present He had preached in many
places and many churches, he said,
but he would RI her preach here in
his old home ian in any other
place on earth. He looked forward
with pleasure to his coming to us,
and he arrived with gladness. AL
luding to his former calling. he
remarked that IL had been said Of
him when he began to preach ten
years ago that he had gone from
the devil to the preacher. He
was still the preacher and was
agian with us. He had no new
story, he said, Just the sweet, sim
pie story OF Christ and His gospel,
and he could find no better ted
fer sermon than the 2lst verse
OF that chapter so full OF the;
which was so comforting and full
Of humIu interest. which he had
read rs a lesson the 18th chapter
Of the gospel by st. John: The
same came therefore to Philip.
which were at Bethsaida Of Galilee,
and desired him, saying, Sir, we
woulG see Jesus.
His theme would be The Deepest
Need of the Soul. Jesus was the
deepest need of the soul, was as
essential to 1t as the sun is to the
universe. He would give three
reasons why Jesus is the souls
greatest need: First, Jesus is the
Savior. The first words of angels
concerning Him declared that He
should be called Jesus because He
would save the people from their
sins. The blood OF Christ saves,and
it must have been from association
of ideas which made his little Lou
lisa friend say that to her red was
most beautiful color. 1t saved from
sin, that little word of three letters
-s-i-n which like the ghost in the
tragedy. would not down. Mr. Shan
non told very simply and very beau
tifuHy, as an illustration at this
point. of having seen an the par
lor of Mr.. Gilbert, the father OF the
great sky-scrapers a most beautiful
picture of Crucifixion A wretChed
outcast on his way to the East
river to lose himself forever in
the gloomy depths, heard as he pass
ed a building where Mr.. Gilbert was
holding Y. NJ. c. A. meeting a
line of Rock OF Ages. He paused,
hesitated, went in, and, lifted up
by the strong, clean hands of Mr..
Gilbert, was saved and became a
new man. He returned to his pala-
tial home in Germany, told his story.
and his father sent the picture to
Mr.. Gilbert in token of his appre-
citation of what he had done for his
10y.
A second reason why Jesus is the
greatest need of the soul is that
he is a comforter. No other where,
in no other place, have such COM
forting words been heard as those
uttered in that Upper Chamber.
And touching eyes, ears, hands
and feet Jesus restored sight, hear
ing and made the halt to leap with
joy-comforting as only He, Jesus
the Saviour, could comfort
The great Whitfield, when among
the Scotch hills, was trying, but
vainly, to bring a man to Christ.
Time and again he brought all his
great logic and eloquence to hear
upon the man but the efforts we're
fruitless. At last, when all but de-
spairing, in one of his walks he
saw a woman trying to soothe a
sick child. She tried all a woman's
gentle words and ways without
avail, but an older woman said,
"Lippen to me! lippen to me-"
Trust 1t to me. Trust 1t to me-"
and the child yielded and was calm
ed. Here was the lesson Whitfield
needed. He found way. used II