The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-05-11

more in his life than he did sitting
there listening to Professor Smoker
talk about an owl and ella mon
ster. And / never heard of anybody
who had interest in an opposum but
colored man. Ny friend went out
and said,
IF a man can talk about those
things and keep man awake, and
even laughing and crying, and while
am talking about Jesus Christ, they
will sit and yank and pull their
watch, then know there is something
wrong with me, and l have lost my
vision"
Wants to Interest
People in Christ
If l can't interest people in my
Christ, and the gospel, and if
can't interest you more in trying to
get you to go to heaven than trying to
keep you out of hell, will consider
that there is something wrong with
me.
preached some years ago out in
Boulder, Colorado. Have you ever
been in Boulder? Oh, that's a pretty
town! 1t is beautiful city. 1t lies
up about 5000 feet high in the Rocky
Mountains. l think Boulder and Col
preaching there. and they had there
the annual picnic where the men
from the mines all around, from the
gold and silver and the lead mines,
come to Boulder with their families,
for their annual picnic. They have
various races and entertainments.
They have three-legged races and all
that sort of thing and among other
things they had, there was a baby
show, and they asked me to serve on
the committee to give the awards, and
III be darned if l wasn't fool enough
to do it, The Lord forgive me. |
will never do it again.
| voted to give the prize to a red
headed kid. He'd stop a street car
he w2< so ugly. There was a mother
there, she gave me pain. She kept
saying, "Oh, l know the judges will
take one look at Harold, and | have
never liked the name since-"and
they will vote unanimously to give the
little dear the prize"
Nothing doing!-although he was a
nice looking kid. But voted to
give the prize to the red-headed kid.
Men Try to Win
Prize
Among other things they had was a
drilling contest. They had a piece of
granite-Oh it weighed tons, and then
the miners would come and they had
drills all the way from three inches
to three feet long and they were strip
ped to their waists like men from a
battleship. Great bundles of muscles
would stand out like steel on them,
and those husky miners would grab
the drill and hold it and a man would
take 16-pound hammer and he'd
pound the drill, to start it. They had
a bucket and siphon to run the drill
in. And he'd pound and pound and
when he got tired out, he'd drop the
hammer and this fellow would pick it
up. They stood with their watches
to see how deep they could drill into
that granite in 10 minutes. Well, sir.
the people stood on their seats, they
waved their hats and their coats. thew
shrieked and they screamed, they
took sides. 1 found myself picking
out a couple of fellows as my favor
ties, and I'd say, GO to it Jack, that's
the stuff, now you are going"
Why, the perspiration rolled down
their faces and their backs as they
pounded and they drilled 26 inches in
10 minutes.
] said, "Oh, if two fellows can take
drills and pound in the granite and
stir an audience of a thousand men
and women until they will shrek and
scream like maniacs, and when /,
stand up to preach about Jesus Christ,
they yawn and go to sleep, have lost
my vision! l have lost my vision!
Pastors often To
Blame
Many time the people are denied
theirs because the preacher has lost
his. That's why they are not catch
ing glimpse of Jesus Christ and his
truth.
DR.. Arnold of Rugby, wrote a letter
to Dean Stanley saying, "If ever the
day comes that I can receive a boy
into my school without feeling myself
swept with feelings of emotion over
the fact that the parents are willing
to trust him to me to the develop !
ment .of his character and his morals, |
then / will feel that | have lost my
vision in life and it is time for me to |
resign and be Off"
All right If the time ever comes
that I can look into the face of an
audience large or small and not be
enthused and stirred to the depths of
my soul; and il the time ever comes !