The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-12-29
MATTHEWS URGES
LESS CAR0USMC
Says End of Year Should be
Time of Solemn Medi-
tation.
IS
E. TEACHER"
Pastor Preached Closing
Sermon For 1918 Sum
day Night.

Experience. memory and conscience
are Gods great teachers, according t"
Rev. w. II. Matthew VS.. who preached
his closing sermon for 1918 at the
First PRESBYTERIAN church Sunday
night.
Mr.. Matthews declared that the last
hours Of the old year should he spent
in solemn consideration OF Gods
meaning In past events
Careless consideration of the clos
ing hours of the year does not change
facts. II We have wasted our sub
stance during the past year: if We
have neglected our opportunities. the
reckoning day will come notwith-
standing an attemp, to dodge the. dis
agreeable TRUTH, he declared.
For this reason he condemned the
custom of spending tho last hours of
h year in Il mad carousal. Il see in
the reservation of seats in the large
cafes Of u cities a desire to escape
the solemnity of the last hours Of 1913
10y drowning care in drink, dancing
and dissipation" he sad.
At the close Of the year according
to Mr.. Matthews we should consider
whether experience has enriched or
impoverished II lives.
Meant by Col Us Teacher.
cLNlpcTleOCe, TIC ueCldTeU, III
meal by God to he a great teacher.
school. Men Of experience are men of
power. St. Paul was Il man OF power
because of his personal experience of
h saving power of the gospel. 1t is
only by experience that we can truly
come to know what the gospel
means"
The second appeal which Gods
makes to us, said Mr.. Matthews, is
that of conscience. 1.-THE fact that We
have a conscience telling US that we
ought to have done better this past
year indicates that God is within us.
speaking to the highest and best in
our nature. =.
1T speaks to- us in a special way at
the close of the. year. and a us
that it doth not. profit u man to gain
the whole world, and lose his SOUL
said the preacher.
Gods great appeal" declared Mr..
Matthews. "is also an appeal to men,
Dry. The natural. thing at the close of
the year is to recall the past. God
speaks to lis as we recall that past.
and makes his appeal through it.
"Many Christians forget that Christ
has saved them They go on in the
Christian life: they study the scienc-
es: they mark the progress Of the
world, and begin to act as il evolu-
tion saved them instead of Christ.
Sometimes we fail to appreciate Gods
method. and have a confidence which
does not honor him at all.
Part OF Appeal.
There is a part, Of Gods appeal
which some think might be combined
with his appeal Of experience. con-
science and memory. 1t il his appeal
to the emotions. God appeals to all
parts of our natures, intellect, feel
ing. and will, but I think the special
appeal to the will and reason belong
to the first of the year, and the spe-
cial appeal to the emotions to the
last Of the year." .. g..
Elm conclusion" declared Mr.. Mat
thews. leach hour Of the old years is
a John the Baptist, crying repent,
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand
SHALL we content ourselves with
spending the last. hours of the year
in a herod-like revelry. calling for our
daughters of Herodias to dance the
tango. beheading the John the Bap-
fist as he thrusts himself into our
consciences, or shall we break the I'M
holy alliance with evil. and stand
forth or the threshold Of the new
year. new men in. Jesus Christ, our
Lord ."