The weekly soliphone., 1915-05-21
EVANGELIST IS
GETTING CALMER
Preached Smokeless Sermon Last
Night to Full House-Took
Whack at Card-Players.
(From Thursdays Daily Press.

An impressive prayer by Rev. W.
/, C. Wood, than whom there is not a
more sincere, conscientious Chris
tian gentleman anywhere. featured
the revival meeting last night at
the First Methodist church. On ac-
count of the forced absence of the
pastor, Rev. G. M. Reves, who went
to Corning to attend conference,
Rev. Wood was asked to take his
place and direct the services. The
ly appropriate for the occasion and
touched a responsive chord in the
hearts of those who heard him.
The large church auditorium was
filled to its capacity when the hour
for services arrived and the keenest
interest was evidenced. Rev. Gull
pepper, the evangelist who is con-
Quoting the services, has succeeded
in getting himself talked about to
the extent that both the idle curl
lous and the sincere advocates of
!,
and give undivided attention to his
more or less impressive delivery. In
deed, not since Walt Holcomb spent
few days in Paragould several
years ago has an evangelist been in
vited to entirely disregard what are
usually considered good pulpit eth
les and department and wade blood
raw into the phantom legions of
sin and corruption which are so
vividly depicted as existing in Par
agould.
The sermon last night, however,
was devoid of the vermilion shades
which have featured in some of his
previous efforts since arriving in
the city. Taking as his text, For
God So Loved the World the
speaker Immediately launched his
oratorical craft into the sea of the
sublime and for five minutes or
more engaged his hearers in a very
attractive manner, His sermon, in
the main, was given over to an at
tempt to explain fully the meaning
, which were especially clever. If
one were asked to constitute him
self critic and pass fair judg-
ment upon Rev. Culpeppers ability
as a pulpit orator, frankness would
compel the verdict that he is in
teresting on account of the ex-
treme force put into his remarks.
though the trend of argument used
is slightly disconnected. In paint
ing a beautiful verbal illustration
of the Madonna he carried the emo
tions of his hearers to a very high
, pitch, but destroyed the effect of
the sentiment by referring to the
fact that the Virgin Mary never
neglected her duties to attend a
card game.
Rev. Culpepper acts well his SER
mons. He is not idle so much as
three seconds from the time he be-
gins until the close. Moving from
one end of the platform to the 9TH
!, er, up and down the aisles, he gen.
crates interest by his physical ac-
tions that supplement his sermons
:, to such an extent that one is kept
pretty well occupied guessing what
, the next climax will be. He sits,
stands, walks and runs, and withal
he keeps up steady assault with
rapid-fire of words calculated to
demolish the Notifications of Old
Nick himself and carry the stan
. dard of Christianity into untrod
paths. The evangelist is an intense
hater of shams and towards, and
paid his respects to those faltering
in their allegiance to Right. He
spoke of the denial of Christ by
Peter. declaring that II he had been
In the place Of the deserting disci-
pies he would have gone to the
very foot of the cross with the suf-
fering Jesus.
While last nights sermon was
not featured by any of the local
thrusts that have characterized
former utterances. this does not
mean that evil conditions incident
to Paragould are to permanently es-
cape his condemnation. In fact,
judging from the assaults already
made upon card playing and card
, players, the Ace, Deuce, Jack and
Ten are to be removed from Para
, gould homes. whitening, indeed
has been Rev. Culpepper's denun-
citation of ladies" and gentle
, men, who engage in the pastime of
dealing the deck. He classes card
playing with the sin against the
: Holy Ghost or robbing the dead.
: One of his remarks concerning
card-playing ia worth of asnac;aI |