The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-01-05
"Why A RevivaI?"

"Why A Revival!
In opening his address Rev. Smith
referred briefly to the illness which
had made it impossible for him to
be in Mankato to open the meetings
on the date set, and which had caus-
ed him to break a record Of twenty
years during which he had not miss
ed such an engagement. He stated
that he had also broken his record in
another way, in that he had not been
to church for two successive Sundays
on account of his illness.
; On Wednesday night he said he
would preach from the subject, "Why
a Revival?" but that tonight he would
only speak briefly. In making the
announcements for the Wednesday
night program Mr.. Smith invited ev-
eryone to bring their friends to
church, and said that some very good
music was in prospect, including solos
by Mr. Griebenow and songs by the
quartet. Prayer meeting would be
held at seven o'clock, and would be
led by Rev. Hobbs, while Professor
Gilmore would have charge of the
song service. Messrs.I Gilmore and
Smith are down for a duet number
on the program tonight, and the quar-
tet will sing a Welsh song.
His Text Last Night.
Rev. Smith took his text from the
scripture lesson previously read by
Rev. Hobbs and from the lines there
was no room for them at the inn,' he
wove an eloquent plea that all hui
mainly should make room for the
Son of God in their hearts. Mr..
Smith illustrated his talk with clev-
er stories from real life, and scored
the "garret' Christians, who turned
the Master from the pleasant room of
the temple of their heart, and would
hardly admit him to the "garret, -
along with other half forgotten
things.
Too Little Room in Church.
There is too little room in the
church of Jesus Christ, in the church
that bears His name, for Jesus. There
is too little room for Jesus Christ in
the home. Too many homes are
'Christless' homes, where there is no
family altar, no blessing asked at
table, and the name of Jesus heard
only in profanity. There is no great
er curse than Christless home such
as that, Rev. Smith described some
incidents that had happened to him
personally, the claiming Of errins
fathers, who desired that their sons
walk not in the footsteps of their
fathers" and told how the father had
been brought into the Christian fold
by a desire that his son might live
right, and the grace of religion.
There is too little room for the Son
of God in society," went on Rev.
Smith. Society is broad field, and
/ want to say to you frankly, yet low
ingly, that modern society, friends, is
just as. Christless as a modern saloon.
When society begins to live for Christ
and with the church, then / will be-
come a society man, and not before.
There is too little room in our lives
for Jesus. If it were not for the fact
that there is too little room for the
son of God in the hearts of people
this church would be packed to- the
doors tonight. 1 am not complaining
because, it is not, am only talking
about conditions. There is too little
room in the hearts of the church peo-
pie for the word of God. Behold,
stand at the door and knock May
you open the door of life, and let Je-
sus Christ come in is my earnest
prayer tonight Following a selec-
ton by the quartet the benediction
was spronounce&s by Rev. Seiwerth,
closing the program.