Evening journal., 1916-01-24
Leaving Thy First Love
in the Tabeac yesterday morning BY Dr. Lyon

tiOn OF this world. ~ on nave DttA
so busy that you have found no time
for the development OF spiritual life.
You're like the case of the little boy
who was asked. "Is your papa going
TO heaven?" The little fellow answer
ed. "Oh. no. Papa couldn't leave the
store long enough"
You have been starving and sitting
the spiritual life. You have been
simply dying at the top. You have
lost your first love. said the evango-
list. as he described a series of ar
ticles appearing in a popular maga-
zine. written by a prominent psychol-
Ogist. and dealing with the Diary
OF a Neglected Wife" lie recounted
the story OF the husbands unfaith-
fulness in this narrative, and the dis
covery by the wife OF the husbands
deception. who was paying attention
to another woman.
Can you imagine the feeling of
that heart-broken wife as she went
back TO her home to eat her evening
meal alone, queried the speaker. Is
there anything more pitiful and pa
thetic than to see n household where
a husband and wife still live in the
same house, eating at the same table,
going through the formalities before
company and society. of married life
but love dead? Friends, that is
hell
There is only one thing worse than
that. and that is for a preacher OF
| the gospel to preach week in and
week out. just because that is his
! profession, because he took course
at a college and theological seminary
I and its the only thing he knows how
to do. That's how he makes his liv-
/ ing. Just preaching from mere rou-
! tine, just cold-blooded dry, dead! Or,
for Sunday school teacher merely
TO teach from a sense Of duty or for
1 a church member to attend relig-
! ious services, or read the Bible or
! say a prayer in that dull monotOny
and routine from a sense Of habit.
| lust that wheel turning around,
merely on lost TO the momentum
that il had previous acquired. but
now without energy. without vital
| ity. heart or life. Friends, that is
/ hell, too.
I Is that your condition? First love
gone? II first love is gone. every
thing Is gone Your name may still
! be on tho church rolls. you may still
/ have your place as a teacher OF a
Sunday school class. you may still
have O place in the pew in the prayer
meeting. in the class meeting or
= evening service. but If that warmth
Of affection for the personal Christ
/ is gone. cold and barron is your life
If first love is lost. God says ev-
orything is lost
faII
fore. from whence thou are fallen
/ (Rey. ,: 81. and repent and do the
first worker. or else I will come into
thee quickly and will remove the
candlestick out OF his place, unless
thou repent
The Crisis Has Come.
Friends, the crisis has come. You
cannot go out OF this tabernacle this
morning the same as when you came
In. You are going TO come back TO
first love You arc going to see that
. vision OF the crucified Christ His
hands extended on Calvary's cross,
bleeding and suffering and praying
for the sins of the lost world, or you
are going to drift farther and farther
away and become hardened in heart.
These three words He gives 10 you
Remember. repent and return.
Remember from whence you have
, fallen. Contrast your life with what
II used to be with what il is now.
Repent. Change your mind. Turn
away from the thing that is coming
between you and Christ. You may
love it dearly. but IL it is hindering
your spiritual life give it up now
a. YOU value your eternal soul.
"Return-Do again the first works
as you did when you began the Chris
tian life. You have turned your
back on the old life-don't you want
TO be known as child Of God
Hear the words OF Jesus Christ to
you-'Repent. and do the first works.
Have you been known simply as a
good citizen. or have you been knowr
in the church and out of the church
as out and out for Jesus. Business
men. professional men. society wom-
b en-have you been putting the same
earnestness. the same thought ant
the same interest in your religion as
you have in the affairs of business
q and society? Friends. there arc
hundreds here who can make the
, concession il they are honest-'No
I have not"
The Regenerated Love.
. In the closing moments OF his pow
, erful sermon. Dr. Lyon told OF th'
7 conversion I'm New York City, OF Mr.
: and Mrs. Whittemore. society people
p who attended a meeting at jerry
q McCauley's Water Street Mission
Just out OF curiosity-a new sort o
amusement They were converted b,
. the force of his message, and CAV
i their hearts to Christ. becoming pow
-, erful workers for the transformation
u OF social life in New York City.
The charming story of the regen
r Grafton in the life Of Henry "
: Grady. editor OF the Atlanta COnsti
II tuition. brought tears to the eyes o
G hundreds in the big tabernacle. AL
d though the whole country was shout
y ing his praises. following his grea
i speech on the New South" at
T Boston BANQUET. Henry W. Grady fel
Il that he had lost his vision of Goo
p Calling members OF his stan into tn
T. office. he told them to look out 70
; the Daper for a few DAYS. as he wa
1 going away on a vacation. He wen
. back TO his little home in the noun
D tains and spent day with his moth
e er. his head in her lap, as he sat 1
q the days when he knew God bes
D And then at night. when his mothe
told him il was time TO retire. h
climbed the little. rickety ladder tina
" led to his room. and knelt by his be
II to pray. Before he was asleep, hi
u aged mother came to him, as she ha
+ in the "auid lang syne" 10 kiss hir