Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 January 1912 — MANY ATTENDED SUNDAY NIGHT UNION SERVICES. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

MANY ATTENDED SUNDAY NIGHT UNION SERVICES.

Presbyterian Church Overflowed and Large Audience Went to M, E. Church and Heard Rev. Morrow. The "Sunday night evangelistic services which all the pastors of Rensselaer are conducting proved such a big attraction Sunday evening that the Presbyterian church was overflowed before the time for the service to begin and the ministers hastily decided to hold an overflow meeting in this Methodist church across ' the street. There were enough who could not crowd into the Presbyterian church to fill the main auditorium of the Methodist church. It is probable that close io a thousand attended the two churches. The big union choir furnished some excellent singing at the Presbyterian church under the direction of Horace J. Kurtz, the Chicago singing evangel -

ist, whp is proving himself a good leader and rapidly increasing the size and efficiency of his choir. A special choir practice was held Sunday afternoon. Mr.,Kurtz is anxious to have all the singers in Rensselaer in the choir and an invitation is extended to all. Come out and take part in the meetings every night. The new songs are inspiring and the spirit of the songs is in the singers. Rev. Winn preached at the Presbyterian church and Rev. F. A. Morrow, of Morocco, filled the pulpit at the M. fxchurch, both delivering strong Sermons. Rev. Winn part: -

In the 12th chapter of the Gospel according to St Luke is recorded the story of the Rich Farmer. His fields were fertile and brought forth a rich harvest. This man was not foolish in the common use of the term. He was rich in his chosen vocation. He was versed in the science of eugenics. He was wise in the science of agriculture. As a farmer he was not a failure. In what then did his failures consist? In no recognition of God; no thought of his fellowman; no sense of a moral duty. Failure No. 1. He was concerned more about grain than he was about God. He said: “1 will pull down my barns and build bigger ones and store my grain and goods in them.” He planned as if he had no soul. He gave expression to his plans as if he were an animal. Store my grain then go into his hole and spend the “winter of life” eating and drinking and spending his life in idleness. What about men oftoday? Our chief concern is what to wear, what to eat, what to drink. How can I increase what I have already accumulated? The paramount issue today is: What shall I do with my increase of grain? Instead of how shall I develop my character. I have no,quarrel with the man who is industrious, ingenious and independent, but I do think that such a man makes the same failure as did the man of our lesson tonight when he reasons as this man did and thus displays a higher regard for his grain than he does for God. He left God out of his calculations. He forgot that it was God who gave him health and strength with which to harvest his crop of grain. Dr. Reid says: “Thy goods? Th corn? Thy soul? Thou Infinite Bar! God’s goods. God’s corn, it grew jn God’s earth and was watered by God’s rain, and was moved upward by God’s sunshine. Thy barns? God’s bams. The timber waAgrown In God’s forests, and it was hewed and brought and put into place by the strength that God gave thee. Thy soul? God’s soul, given thee by God to beautify and culture and prepare for eternity, and he can call it forth when he will.” A man once said to Dr. Talmage: “You see all .1 own, I am a self-made man.” I am glad to hear it,” said Dr. Talmage, “Yo« have relieved God of a great responsibility.” Business, professional and mechanics to whom do yon own all that yqu are today? Ybu belong to God. • .. ,v - ■ Failure No. 2. He was concerned more about self than he was about service. “What will I d<*” said he. The emphasis laid upon the personal

pronoun, I, lr me, me, mine, mine, all the way through his reasohing. He forgot about those who helped him to gather his harvest. Where were those who tiad worked for him during the busy season? Had they been paid a sufficient wage to live comfortably, to educate their children and to pay their honest debts? Had this man considered his stewardship in this light? Whenever we build larger barns let us -consider out stewardship in the light of God’s own word. “Behold the hire of your laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath.” Jas. 6:4. The reasoning of this farmer and of wealth has caused more lockouts and strikes and disasters than any one thing of which I know. This man stored up and controlled a large ambunt of grain. The Sherman law saws: “You cannot build bigger Barns, and store up the commodities of life without reckoning with God and humanity.” Oil, sugar, beef, steel, bathtub, shoe machinery and the turpen* tine forests all have or will have to tear down their new barns and distribute their products. The storing up of grain in barns is more far reaching than simply working a hardship on you and your neighbor, but it has produced crime. Last year in the United States were recorded 12,242 suicides; 71 lynchings, 8;272 homicides; 12,000,000 of dollars stolen. During the year $260,000,000 was giyei for benevolence. Barns were not built, but the crops were distributed and humanity was aided. What was the peewit of this? The figures for 1911 recorded above are $13,000,000 less than in *l9lO. 166 suicides less; 700 homicides less; and 30 less legal executions. The economic pressure was taken off of humanity to the extent of the amount given for philanthropy. The economic conditions as we face them today will be changed for the better in proportion to our consideration of our fellowman..

W. J. Bryan was askgd the other day, what is needed most toward bettering social and economic conditions. His answer: “A greater appreciation of the dignity of labor.” The national child labor committee will meet in Louisville, Ky., Jan. 2528 to improve the welfare of children in the industrial world. Though more is needed, when we stop to think of children in the Gulf Strates shucking oysters for 5c per day, when we consider the child labor problem in the cotton mills of the south. These mills. build big barns, but how about the child’s life dwarfed in this production. Failure No. 3. He was concerned more about time than he was about eternity. “Now you have plenty of good things put by for many a year.” “This very night your life will be demanded.” _ V .. ••• : ‘ • : —— This man was thinking about spending many years with his barns and grain. While God had already started the messenger to call him home. Give your soul a fair show. Tonight Rev. J. P. Green, formerly pastor of the Baptist church, will preach. The meetings will be held at the Presbyterian church all this week and next Sunday will begin at the Christian church. While there have been no additions to the churches yet, the awakening of the Christian people is having a splendid effect and will accomplish much good. The ministers hope to have crowded audiences every night this week and next.

The singing evangelist who is developing a splendid union choir at the evangelistic meetings.

HORACE J. KURTZ.