Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-12
BILLY SUNDAYS SERMON TODAY

was a liar, and the doctor who prescribei
beer is nothing but jackass. used tC
go to theatres. Some shows are rotten
some only half bad and some good; some
actors are as good as YOU or I. But
haven't been inside theatre for Is years
except to preach the gospel. don't want
to go. And can go into any theatre In
the country and not pay one cent. In
the summer time a ball player is flush
and lends money to the actor! In the
winter time the actor has cash, while the
ball player Is hitting the free-lunch
| counters: and some OF them eat so much
| bologna sausage they come near having
hydrophobia. They lend money TO each
other. / used to hit the booze. but don't
any more 1 haven't touched drop for
| more than a quarter Of a century. /
haven't any desire God has taken the
desire away. and He'll do the same for
| you IL you give Him chance.
II give my heart to Jesus Christ, and
curl UP on the paw of the Lion of Judah,
and then say: Come on The Lord will
take care of you, and He'll remove the
desire. 1t ls the motive God looks at and
not the act. What motive prompted you
to join the church, Was II because you
thought you could be a better man or
woman? Or was 1t because you thought
1t would get you votes or trade; was 1t
to afford you an opportunity TO walk
down the aisles late to show what fine
duds you wear7 God will Judge accord
ing to the motive.
"Do you lean toward the world and sin
or toward the church, What is your
trend2 The ball player gfves the trend
to the ball and causes Il TO shoot straight
into the hands of the other player, or to
bend and curve this way or that, by the
NaN.f A. Il a a.
There is point some place between
heaven and earth which Is known as the
point of equipoise. Anything In that
point will stay hanging unsupported in
midalr II 1t deviates up, It will go to
the sun; II II deviates down, 1t will fall
to the earth.
You are balancing between the devil
and the church Which point draws you?
The Spirit of God will come in and help
you over the acts you fear in the world,
and holp you to do something nobler for
the good OF humanity.
God shows some duty, but they re-
fuse to obey; He shows some a hill to
climb. but 1t is too steep and they re-
fuse; He shows some path, but they re-
fuse to tread 1t because 1t is rough and
dark, and they will never be blessed In
the world.
God may not ask your life, but He
wants you to be ready in case He wants
1t. If He thinks I can advance his cause
better In the coffin than out, am ready.
1 believe God. Do your II you do, don't
loan yourself to the devil. Your husband
wouldn't stand it for you to live with
him part of the time and the rest of the
time with another man. And God says
ye cannot serve God and mammon.
WOULD CONVERT PREACHERS.
HE began with the priests. That was
tba arst aot " tbo Arst ,,,or+h Of Ahaz'a
reign. If God would convert all the
preachers until they would stop fighting
their little theological sham-battles and
stop preaching hypnotism and shams and
fol-de-rol and anarchy and clean up,
you'd see the greatest tidal wave of re-
llgion since the Pentecost.
stop your worldliness; burn the cards,
break the Jugs and bottles, and then
you'll have more influence and take the
word of God to church and teach your
children to love truth and hate lie, and
you'll see the greatest tidal wave of re-
ligion that ever swept the land. You are
going to the devil.
Second Ahaz cleaned the inner part of
the houses of the Lord. You'll find that
represented in the Sunday schools, the
teachers and officers. One-half of the
teachers in the Sunday schools never had
religious experience and they try to
teach your children of the Lord on Sun
day and through the week go to card
parties. theatres, drink beer or cham
pagne. And you never even read the
Bible in your own home No wonder the
children are growing up like wild asses.
If took a superintendency OF a Sundoy
school I'd never allow a teacher to bring
a lesson help into the building.
Restore the vessels OF the house OF
the Lord. we must restore the Bible;
bring the Bible back TO the home, the |
church, the Sunday school and the pulpit |
Many preachers are unfortunate to have |
been followers Of hlgher-critlcs who took |
their sermons from literature or novels. |
and not from the doctrines in the book |
of God Some have stopped reading the |
Bible in preparation OF their sermons and |
their efforts are nothing more than liter |
ary compositions. The preachers have |
got hard job to bring the Bible back |
1t in the prayer meetings and |
In the homes. There was never a time |
when more subtle influences were at work |
to get people to sneer at the Bible. You |
ought to know by a sermon II YOU are |
lost. No mere platitudes go.
Prayer is not merely a performance
1t is when the heart feels what the lips
say; 1t is not an attitude OF the BODY.
One OF the biggest farces OF the church
today is the prayer meetings. There are
scores of church members who do not 20.
You say you can't CO. You lie. You can
come here night after night, but can't
go to, prayer meetings. / want the
preachers to take a good look at you;
they'll not see some OF you again until
the next revival, They are GLAD to know
you. to get acquainted with you They
never see you except at funeral or a
wedding or a reception.
'Kindle fire in your heart start fam
iy prayer; do something for Christ, and
begin to sing. The church needs purify
ng, and when It is clean, It will again
begin to sing and take the place In the
world 1t ought TO have"