The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1920-02-16
DIR. REES MAKES
POWERFUL PLEA
FOR CHRISTIANITY
Evangelist Addresses Three
Large Audiences OH Sun
day Despite Storm

At the union meeting at the South
church in st. Johnsbury Sunday
morning Dr.. Rces took for his text
Luke q, 40. "Tal1y yc-until We be
endued with power from on high"
There is one universal desire among
men, the desire for power. With some
it is the power of wealth, with 9TH
ers the power of culture, OF politics,
power in war, social power. But no
power is so essential as the power of
intercession; Of being in touch with
the Infinite. Power came to the
apostles from the presence of Christ.
Before his death he commanded them
"Go ye-for | am with you" At his
ascension "a cloud received him out
of their sight but only out of sight
not out OF contact, not outeof SYM
pathy, not out of hearing. Our SUI
preme need is the Holy Spirit. Even
Christ did not enter upon his minis
try until the Spirit descended upon
MIN. II - IcSOiuCu Hou tHlOlul-
ed Jesus with the Spirit, and he
went about doing good" Such spir-
tual annointed is sorely needed to
make our work effective and persist
ont today.
We need the Spirit because Of the
exigcncy of the hour. Since the War
the world has set the pace, and the,
church has followed, whereas the
church should have led. The world is
dancc-mad, card crazy, and movie
foolish
If Il Christian has "lost power" it
must be with him as with the auto
mobile. The car refuses to go, and
stands motionless and its owner finds
he has no gasoline, no power" He
must go back where power is and
bring it, then he may go on his jour-
rey. So the Christian must sgo
back" where he "lost power" to
Bible study, to prayer, to unselfish
Christian living.
This "power of the Spirit" is not a
vague, impracticable thing, it is Of
the most pressing practical value.
1t is needed in business, it is needed
in the home, it is needed in social re-
lations, it is needed in politics, that
all these may be Informed with the
miAd of Christ" The presence of the
spirit in mans soul transforms him.
Peter, without the Spirit, was afraid
of little maid; with the Spirit, dar-
ed to face all human power fearlessly
! The possession of the Spirit is def
mite experience; you'll know when he
| is present, even if you cannot when
or how he came,-and others will al
so know it. Jesus thought the pres
ence of the Spirit in his life was es-
sential: is it less so for us? Have you
definitely prayed for the Spirit? If
you have lost him, will you go back
where you "giieved" him, and seek
him again? Then you will have
peace, and you will have power
DIR. REES TALKS TO
LARGE AUDIENCE OF MEN
In the afternoon DR.. Rees address
ed large audience of men at the
Globe theatre. After the service he
had special talk with those who be-
lieved in Christian life and more
than half his audience gathered about
the front seats.
The subject of his sermon was the
Twentieth Century Sodom." He said
the great avenues of city were
worldliness, self-righteousness, indif-
ference, neglect and infidelity. He
spoke of those who lived on such
streets. He condemned profanity and
intemperance but he said greater
crime was immortality. He said man
was fool who assumes that he can
be guilty of immortality and it will
not be known.
"Be sure your sin will find you
out" | can't understand how young
man, reared in a home as pure as the
sunshine will leave the purity of that
mother and go out into that life OF
which the Bible says "Their feet take
hold on hell" It's more difficult tt
understand how a man will win the
uHecC1On OI duOLHcI anu oCCuIc ilCi
pledge to matrimony and when thu
clergyman asks: "Wilt thou have thi
woman to be thy welded wife to liv'
together after Gods ordinance in th'
holy estate of matrimony, wilt tho'
honor her, love her, comfort hel
keep her in sickness and in healtl
and forsake all other, keep thee onl
unto her as long as we do both live,
: and you said: 81 will" Withou
;, you having said this you could neve
y have been married, and then have fol
gotten. One out of every IL maj
rages solemnized in this country re
suit in a divorce. How many al
: there here who would live with you
Continued on page four)