The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-01-04
OUR pARKERsBURG LETTER.

ARK ERsBURG, Jan. 3, 1878.

IAhh EhsbUhtJ ohn. % io'S' |
New Years day was spent by our peo-
pie lust as Christmas, attending the meet
ings-forauOOn, afternoon and night
The church beng filled during the day,
and over fillec at night, when at the
close of the sermon, the Christians not at
work, were asked to 90 home, and letthe
crowds about the doors have their seats.
The results Of the watch meeting the
night before, was manifested IN many ex-
periences, witnessing the wonderful fruits
of the deep solemnity OF that midnight
hour when, while that intensely absorbed /
congregation was bowed low in agonizing !
PRAYER, the city bells chimed out ut once |
the knell of III and the jubilee of rs.
Among the late converts are .. q. !
Schofield, of the State Journal, who is |
now ten miles IN the country working in |
a revival kindled from the fires burn
ing here. DR.. Jones, tie dentist; w. A.
McCosh, CITY Recorder, an educated
LAWYER, who had spent long
life at hard drinking and wee;
a noted ganhier. at the city, who was
lately scqu lee. OF zoe charge of murder,
another young leader of fast boys, who,
IN earnest of his sincerity, yesterday was
busy hunting up the victims he had
swindled and retuadiDg 10 them the
money he had wrongtully taken. Among
them are also fallen women, rs we'll as
fallen men. Indeed, it now seems to
be q special feature OF the
work that it is particularly reaching
infidels, and characters Of the lowest and
hardest vices. Last night over two hun
dred men and women stood, while pray
crs were invoked and sung tor them,
mid spiritual influences seemingly al
most tangible and most profound y I'M
pressive. The tImony of the ministers
and workers generally, is that the inter-
est is still widening, deepening and in
creasing in every way. The people OF
Bepre have caught the spirit
OF the work, and the revival
there is absorbing the attention OF the
whole town, very many having professed
conve! sion.
1t was announced in this mornings
meeting that few above three hundred
had already signed the coveneut book, in
which converts, VINO are satisfied that
they have been born again, are requested
to record their names.
The covenent reads rs follows:
1--WE, the undersigned, hope that
we have found Jesus Us our
precious Savior, and We promise with
HIS help to live rs His loving children
and faithful servants all our lives" 1t
was also stated that many converts, not
being urged to do So do not feel free to
sign the covenant 50 that it is safe To say,
without having gathered the facts par
ticuIar,y, that more than three hundred
naye been converted in Parkersburg
already during these meetings, and
the work only just begun, /!
the Christian people are only
n mind 10 have it so.
To-day Il bent old man, above 10,
trembliugly stood up, anG through child
like sobs and broken words, told how,
after long life OF sin and trouble, he
had just found the way TO Christ and re-
celved pardon, peace and JOY. There
upon Ok'y j Johnson rose, and asked the
Christians whether they thought 1t pos
sible for = man who had rejected Christ
eighty years TO be saved, and many
hearty responses coming in the stiirma-
tive, he said, Then l have u request 10
preset. Grandfather Hatcher, clerk OF
our Court for many years, whom We "ll
nave respected, honored ard loved rs u
noble and charitable citizen, mas st last
wearied o. his long rebellion and il
anxious to be reconciled to God, and asks
the prayers OF HIS children that he may
be enabled TO speedily find Christ and
earnest, successive petitions were sent III
for Father Hatcher and all his house.
And so the work goes on, every day
and every meeting bringing its new IN
cldents, new developments and new sur
prscs. A worker told me this morning
that he had u list OF seventeen young
friends for whom he had been especially
praying and laboring, and that twelve Of
them were already cOnverted-and the
testimony is abundant tina. special effort |
j. being especially blest. In the praise
meetings, which nave become
intensely interesting, and useful in pro
noting public WORK, volunteers are asked
to rise up and thank God for one thing
particularly on their hearts-%nd here
stand up the Lords witnesses and testify
to the power of prevailing prayer. An
old lady thanks God for the conversion
of twenty-three of her Sunday School
scholars; young lawyer thanks God
that AL his class OF young ladies'
have become Christians, tour OF them
during these meetings; q ray haired !
patriarch than ks God that He has con-
tiuuslly heard and answered his prayers |
during forty years Christian pilgrimage.
A little child springs up with uappy |
face and thanks Jesus tor new heart, |
and so on; an excellent school surely for
weak Christians, doubtful OF Gods |
promises, and many such are testisyins |
TO renewed lille, faith and HOPE.