Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-03-16
HITTING THE TRAIL"
IN OUR TOWN
Remarkable Scenes Witnessed Last
Night in Union Evangelistic
Service.
SERMON ON RICH MAN IN HE'LL.
Good Effects Of Meetings Among Mem
bers of All Churches of Annapolis.

The First Methodist Episcopal Church
was again the scene of remarkable
proceedings last night, when, in re-
-spolse to the call of Evangelist Faul-
coner. a number OF persons, to current
phrase. hit the rail-" or went for
ward 20 make confession of their
purpose 70 follow the Christian life
But this was not all that occurred.
OF an unusual nature. The evangelist
called upon the people who are mem
bers of the various churches who real
ized that their lives were not up to
their best, to come forward with the
intention of consecrating themselves
TO fuller devotion OF their ideals
The response to this was almost
Overwhelming. With one accord the
people moved out from the seats unit,
the major part of the congregation was
massed about the altar of the church
Young and old without regard to
church affliation, in twos and threes
the movement kept up until the scene
became the most impressive that the
Oldest church folk has ever witnessed
in this community Il was night
that people viii remember for long
time to come
Mr.. Bennett sang with good effect at
the meeting last night II often hap
pens that people who attend services
like those now i'm progress fail to real
ize the wonderful possibilities that lie
in the singing of gospel truth Mr.
Bennett, himself, is a Christian man
and when he stands up to sing it is
with a due sense of his responsibility
This viii account for the good that has
ben done here by the gospel message
in song. Mr. Bennett Will sing at each
service while the meetings continue.
Plans have not yet been announced
for the coming Sunday, but it is ex-
pected that there viii be an afternoon
service as we'll as that of the evening
The prospect is that the capacity of
the church in which the union meet
ings are being held will be oyertaxed
The leaders of the evangelistic cam
paign are looking forward to scenes
which viii surpass the wonderful oc-
clrrences OF last Sunday Due an
nouncement viii be made of the pro
gram for the coming sunday.
Last night Mr.. Taulconer preached q
rorceful sermon upon the story of
Dives and Lazarus. taken from the
sixteenth chapter of the Gospel of
Luke He said that the purpose of
Jesus in speaking this parable was to
give a correct view of the invisible
world Il does not matter what people
say they believe or do not believe
about the future Jesus Christ is the
only authority; lie has spoken with
the full knowledge Of hell
The parable presents a picture OF
two people,ohe rich and the other poer
The mere fact that one was poor did
not admit him 10 heaven, nor did the
fact that the other was rich, exclude
him from, heaven. God takes notice OF
His peop G who are poor. This beggar
was carr ed by the angels into heaven
The rich man had nothing in heaven
but Judgment against him. The para
bic teaches that the Christian believer
in his death goes straight TO heaven.
THE rich man lifted up his eyes
from nell to heaven. He asked God to
send an evangelist from heaven to his
brothers on earth to warn them from
the pit He did not ask TO so himself
because he knew that a request from
him to get ont of hell would not be an
swered. He wanted his brothers to
know that his state was fixed and TO
keep them out of the pit Of destruc-
ton.
THE answer of Jesus TO this man
was one of the most impressive things
as1z 81
that his brothers would not repent al
hearing an angel when they had al
ready refused TO hear Gods messen-
gers. We are very easily deceived
about ourselves The divil fools us
badly Human nature is easily misied.
The one great thing that this man
III he'll believed in was repentance.
How can we bring men TO repentance p
Nothing but the goodness of God can
do il. While a man is sinner. ne
loves sin. He cannot he true to God
unless be loves God. Repentance is
the work of a redeemed man. Of man
who has become a new creature Re
pentance which is merely feeling sorry
needs itself 10 ne repented of. Re
pentsnce is a lifelong effort
People think that they can get re-
lirion easily ait any time they may
please, th~t they can become Christ
ians on any little spur. at almost any
second they choose. Jesus declared
that this is a mistake Human nature
Is sinful 20 the bottom Nothing vii,
suffice but the most thorough repent
ance. When a person is going on
vacation. he does not wait until the
train is at the station TO begin to pacl
his trunk 1t is sad 70 see any one put
OF the salvation of his soul until death
Nobody can bribs death. It mat
ters not whether n man is pauper or
? millionaire. death pays no attention
re such matters r. one OF us should
die tonight and Jesus should stand
here and tell where we were. as He
lid il the case Of this rich man. where
would re say we wereT
Mr.. Faulconer made no effort to pre-
sent his message in a blood-curdling