The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-03-14
Putting Things in the Papers!
1t Makes Me Sick!"


1t Makes Me Sick!"
Sunday had only been preaching
few minutes when suddenly a pierc-
ing scream cut the air like a knife
1t came from some point near the
southern section of the great choir
of singers. The speaker paused fol-
an instant. There was slight
craning of necks in the direction OF
the sound. A newspaper reporter
just in front of me turned quickly
in his seat and looked back, then
hastily arose and began to pass out
and back. Sunday saw him, and fire
flashed from his eyes as he spoke up
sharply, why don't you sit still?"
Then he continued, as the reporter
vanished from sight. Putting
everything in the papers! 1t makes
me s-s-sickW Then he went right on
with his discourse.
"People Do Not Like
To Hear the Truth"
Billy Sunday briefly told the story
that led up to the words of his text,
Master, is it II" He recited the
incidents of the supper at which the
Master and his disciples sat when the
words were uttered. He had told
those about him that one of them
would betray him. Immediately they
began to ask him the question, their
voices full of quivering anxiety. FL
nally he said that old Judas had the
nerve and the consummate gall to
ask the question, Master, is it II"
when he knew that he was right in
the very midst of his dastardly deed
of betrayal. The traitor thought that
perchance he could deceive God.
The Master told the traitor the
truth.
" People don't like to hear the
TRUTH" declared Sunday. They
don't like to have the doctor tell
them the truth when diphtheria is in
the home, when they have the ap-
pendicitis, or when they are told
about hell. He declared that Judas
represented large class of church
members, and they hated the truth.
He declared that those who told the
truth would not be popular, that they
would have many enemies, and that
the very worst thing the preacher
could say over you when you lay
in your coffin is that you had no en-
emies. "Woe unto you when all
ed is Gods way of stating truth.
In speaking of the power of sin he
said that one act of a man might
cause much sorrow; one act would
break a wife's heart; one act might
break Christ's heart. Christ shed
his blood that men would serve him.
He wanted active, earnest service.
'1f you won't serve, then get out of
the church," he fairly shouted. He
declared that the churches of to-day
are great social organizations; that
more time is given to the social than
to the spiritual; that what man
kind needs is more of God and
less of dress.
woman went to her pastor and
wanted to know what she could do
to win souls to Christ. He told her,
" You can't win anybody for Christ
the way you live!" She didn't get
angry, but got right, and after her
husband became one of her converts
she asked him to tell her why he had
not started sooner. He said: "You
asked me to go to church, to prayer
meeting, to the church suppers and
socials, and I went / asked you to
go to the theatre, the card party, the
select dance and to places where we
had fine wines, and you went. In
short, l went where you went, and
you went where l went. Where was
there any difference in our lives?"
She saw! He said anybody who
couldn't turn down a card party to
go to prayer meeting should get out
of the church. He declared that this
is the age of the fashionable church
with religion left out, and that peo-
pie shouldn't shout any louder than
they lived.
The Three Groups in the
Garden of Gethsemane.
From the supper scene Billy Sun
day carried his hearers out into the
garden of Gethsemane. There he
divided the disciples and Himself in
to three groups. He took eight and
placed them down in one part of the
garden. He said to them, "Sit ye
here!" He said no more to them
that night. He knew that was all
they would do, anyway. There was
no need of telling them to do any
thing else. He said the eight repre-
members.
hC pCCOIlu SlOup was SOLlpO VI
three-Peter, James and John, his
chosen ones, his very best members,
the ones he had a right to think he
could depend on. They represent
another, a smaller part of the church.
He told them that His soul was eX-
ceeding sorrowful, and that they
should watch and pray. They were
his best, his chosen members, and
they were a disappointment to him,
for they did not pray, but went to
sleep.
He, all alone, represented the
third group, and He prayed. First
He prayed that if it were possible the
cup might pass from him. Then he
prayed the prayer of submission,
" Nevertheless, not my will but thine
be done!"
AT this point Sunday told his audi
ence in a very graphic manner where
the majority of church members fail.
He spoke very rapidly, repeating
over and over the expression, Not