The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1910-02-12
THE LAST SERVICE
Hundreds Are Turned Away-Dr.
Thaeker Believes the World Is
Getting Better.
A PURSE FOR Mr.. AND MRS. FISHER

y The closing service of the grea
Ihacker-Fisher meetings took place a
the Opera House Wednesday night
The building couldn begin 70 hold tn,
vast throng that crowded to the hous,
Tor entrance. Before O'Clock the,
were gathering. and before Z o'clocl
they had filled every available space.
DIR. Thacker asked that the pastor
OF the city give their testimony as L
the meeting, and they were all of on,
mind that the meeting had proved o.
great benefit to the city, making tn,
work of the churches easier and ad
vancing every good cause. The har
mony that exists among the pastors OF
the city is very beautiful and attractive
TO the people.
Dr. Thacker, in gracious and kindly
words, thanked the people for theil
free-will offering to himself and hi.
work. and explained that this free-wil
offering was all that he had for his owr
maintenance. He receives no salary,
except what is given through the offer
ings.
The good Doctor has greatly endearec
himself to our people, not simpl~ by his
strong Gospel preaching, but DIV his
genial and winsome personality, his
kindly spirit, his broad-minded views OF
life and his stalwart and fearless Chris
tianity.
In expressing his gratitude he tried
to include everything and everybody,
and If he didn't succeed il wasn't be-
cause he did not want 70. After the
service the people crowded around and
hundreds shook his hand and babe him
Godspeed. He goes from here to Lou
isvllle, KY, where he commences an
other meeting next Sunday.
Tho &c H.
and Mrs. Fisher-have steadily grown
in the affections and admiration of the
people. and when the leave-t taking time
came the chorus was lavish in its praise
of their director and his accomplished
wife, and evidently were genuinely
grieved that they had to go. After Mr..
Fisher, in a few well chosen words. hac
hidden goodbye TO his chorus. thanked
them for their kindness and suggested
to them that they continue TO meet to.
gether and sing. Mr.. j. w. Adam.
came to the front, and address
. ing Mr.. and Mrs. Fisher. mad,
beautiful little speech in behalf
of the chorus, and then presented ;
purse filled with shining gold TO Mr.
, Fisher and a beautiful bouquet TO Mrs
/ Fisher as a token of the love and afrec
ton of the choir. II was nicely ant
! gracefully done, and while il evidentl,
took Mr.. Fisher by surprise. he wa
, equal to the occasion, and told in repl,
, an ancedote about an Irishman, VIII,
coming up hill with his cart filed witt
apples, was beset by some bad boys
who shook the apples out Of the cart
and when the Irishman had reached tn,
top of the hill and saw his apples in on,
continuous path from the top TO tn,
bottom, he said that he didn't hav.
words TO express his feelings" ian,
that, said Mr.. Fisher, was exactl,
! his condition.
: DIR. Thacker's sermon was a splen
did effort. giving in clear and unan
swerable terms his reasons for belev
ing that the world is growing better
lie said he was an optimist, not a pes
simist, and that he believed he hal
, good grounds for his COW ction.
His text was in Acts 1893, "For W,
are the offspring of God" and then h,
pointed out his reasons for his Opt
mism.
l. Because even in this American
life of our the moral tone has bee
, greatly lifted. He showed this by in
surance Investigations, the Limitations
: Of trusts, the great temperance move
ment, the laymen's movement in tn
churches, in the type of moral man
hood as seen in such men as Folk, o
Missouri; Hughes, of New York; Glenn
= of North Carolina
= 2. People are coming up from creed
TO profound convictiu ms, and he mean
by this that il is a big difference be
tween having a belief and having
conviction. a man may hold to a be
lief. but conviction holds the man
The American man staggers at moth
ing. He harnessed the lightning. i'm
. ] nrfQnnAd the al 10.
of the air and stood on the Pole of tn
North, and when he had gotten
conviction as to Jesus he would shak
the universe for the Son of God.
3. Because men are coming up on
t~ra gospel of expediency to a gospe
sic ~tby Mr.. J Me- today are learniaj
stro, Is vs. a 1ToestAer TX tqof5s,
ay fire s idaYs-s5Scsssss 80" principle
= ~areI coming up from an idea
! OF personal righteousness to an ideal q
: civic righteousness, j. e., men are com
! ing 70 see and accept that what
morally wrong can never be politicaII
right, and that what is WRONG for on
man to do can never be right for
company of men to do.
o: Men are coming up from ideals n
INDIVIDUAL rights to ideals of .he rioht
OF others. The nation is getting NOR,
ana more TO see that thew have N,
right to take the peoples monev-anS
that blood money-to justify the legal
ized liquor traffic. The need of toaax
Is the home spirit and the family ri,
tars TO be built IN again.
o: Men are coming up from selfish
Individuality to a great Christian
Brotherhood, and when this condition
prevails among men it will be the soIn-
tion OF all problems that affect the
home, the State. the nation and the
world.
z. Because the Kingdom of God ;s
slowly, but surely coming.
There have always been pessimists
SAID the preacher, from the time thai
EhJah sat under the juniper in the
eeptn OF despair down to this good dav.
put al the evidence points to the com.
ing or the kingdom. The propaganda
OF the church today, 1.-THE evangeliza-
tion OF the world in this penerafIon'I
mas never been known before
The preacher in conclusion lifted nm
Him. accept
All the churches of this citv have
oeen pleased with the work of the
meeting. Nearly 200 professions and
the work in not yet done. The GOOD
wishes of the people of FREDERICKSBURG
60 with DIR. Thacker and his associafas
MIR. and Mrs. Fisher.