Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-09-11

tion in the city. Last nights meeting
was record-breaker, for attendance,
nearly $500 people being present,
many standing outside the tent,
openings being made so they could
hear.
Indications are that the present
week will be big one as interest in
the meetings has been steadily grow
ing. The work of the large choir,
has been most praise-worthy. A
male chorus of some rs voices rend-
cred excellent music last night, and
Saturday night as we'll. Practically
all the various churches in the city
were closed last evening in order to
give the people an opportunity to at
tend the services.
Saturday evening Mr.. Smith spoke
on "Partakers of the Divine Nature.
The preacher took his text from the
epistle of Peter, and for something
over an hour spoke to the congrega-
ton on the Christian life. He said
that the tendency of today was to
cheaper Christian life; that today
there were men and women in the
church who never could have been
called believers in the good old days.
stTo be a true follower of Christ a
man must have the three requisites
of Christianity; he must be par
taker of the divine nature, par
taker of His suffering and par
taker of His Glory.
"In the old days the living of a
Christian life was warfare; it was
pilgrimage. Unbelieyers used to
come to the altar rail and be prayed
for by their Christian friends, who
stayed all night in prayer if needs
be. 1t used to be that one would
pluck out the right eye sin, the
right arm sin; it used to be that one
would be manned. would become
blind, would even die for God. Now
you don't see that, We've cheapened
the Christian life. We've taken away
its vital points.
'I've seen in the olden days, and
many Of you remember them, when
man would be called fool for
Christ. / remember one Sunday af
ternoon, as my father was leading
band of faithful workers through
the slums of London, teaching and
preaching of Gods word, drunken
man picked up rock and threw at
him. Today he bears the mark of
that rock. But he was willing to
have that mark for Christ.
IF we are going to follow Christ
we have got to stay with him. The
disciples didn't start on the road to
Damascus when they saw he was go
ing to Jerusalem to be crucifed.
They stayed with him. Do you think
woman who plays bridge while
her son hugs bar is following
Christ? Do you think she would tell
you, if you We're to say to her that
her son was in a saloon, and she was
playing cards. Il am following
Christ? You can't follow Christ and
have beer in your ice box. The
trouble with US is, that We are will
ing to follow Christ just as long as
it is convenient, as long as it does
not interfere with our plans. )"
:" My wife and l could play cards
without any harm to us. But we've
got boy ten years old and I don't
know what it might do for him. I
could preach an easy gospel that
would crowd the aisles with people
to join the church. But l won't. l
don't want to get into heaven by the
skin of my teeth.
Last Evenings Service
Previous to the sermon Miss
Choate of Rockville, Md, and Mr..
Smith sang a duet entitled Sweet
er AS the years go by" The an
nouncements followed, after which
came the sermon.
tssWhat must I do to be saved" was
the. theme last night. Among the
attention-arresting statements the
evangelist made were these:
What is the predominating evil
that stands between you and Christ !?
If its drink. you must let it go. If
it's untruthfulness You must let that
go. If its some rotten deal, YOU must
stop it and make it right. Go back
and clear up the mean things you
have done and put right things first.