Wichita eagle., 1888-02-02
THE GREAT REVIVAL.
A POWERFUL APPEAL TO CHRIST
IANS TO WORK.
The Smouldering Fires Of Religious
Zeal Bursting Forth Into a
Flame Of Enthusiasm.

Inc heavy fog that hung over the city
by 2 o clock in the afternoon appeared to
be coming down in mist of rain, which
rendered getting about rather uncomfort-
able This in some manner accounts for
the fact that Mr.. Wilson's afternoon
meeting was not so largely attended as
! heretofore. There was, however, a good
congregation present, and it was evident
that very few of those present were at
tracted by mere curiosity. This meeting
in point of interest was very remarkable
! The smouldering fire that has hitherto in
some places sent out volume of dense
| smoke and in others shot out tongues of
! fire, indicating that hidden combustion
was going on, yesterday afternoon broke
| out in a dense volume of flame that seemed
| to envelop all in the grand confagraiion.
| The brethren gathered in groups inside
the altar and in the aisles and
| clasped each other by the hand like old
| friends who had met for the first time in
many moons. About fifteen persons were
| present at the altar. of prayer, and when
Mr.. Wilson called for every one who was
willing to pray for the conversion of sin
ners to kneel, a very large part of the audi
ence engaged in prayer. The evangelist
seemed to be inspired in the cause and his
afternoon lecture which in this case par
took more of the nature of an exhortation
showed that the speaker was powerfully if
earnest. He called attention to the fact
that repentant sinners were at the altar
in advance of the church members: that
some were inclined to turn away when a
great work was before us. He claimed
that less than two hundred
people had received the bless
ing during these three weeks
when there should have been more than "a
thousand. He appealed to the members to
come up to the help of the Lord, so that
people can not say we did do all in our
power to bring people to Christ. Mr..
Wilson asserted with great earnestness
that he would rather tramp up and down
these muddy streets and beat an old Saliva
ton Army drum if by that means he
could bring sinners to Jesus, than talk in
a fine church and sinners not be saved.
He thought it was hard for churches to
realize the Importance of saving sinners
that they would sit down and say amen to
the preachers efforts while if building
across the street were ON fire and some
one in it they would not sit down and
would all rush out to help them out. He
said "A minister once asked an actor
why it was that people would pay to go to
the theatre rather than come to the church.
The actor replied because you people
preach the truth like lie and act lie
like the truth. He urged those who pro-
fessed holiness to live it, that he said was
the only way to keep it.
When the hour had arrived for the night |
service and the evangelist came upon the |
platform for silent prayer the main body |
of the church was filled, and the people |
were filing into the west wing from the /
two side doors. Mr.. Wilson did not an
nounce any text but said the book which |
he held in his hand the Bible |
was the standard by which every
Christian must measure his conduct. |
He made powerful appeal to members of |
the church who had professed sanctifica- |
ton to live up to their experience. He !
claimed thai the old Pharisees We're better |
than a very large number of church mem
bers Mr. Wilson spoke of the duties of |
Christians and of the experiences whereby
they can know if they have been home
again He held his audience spellbound
for more than an hour, during which time
there was perfect silence 50 that whis-
pered word of the evangelist could be
heard in all parts of the great house.
When he spoke of the spiritual birth and
said some Christians never got any further
along than being born, and com
pared them to great lot of
overgrown babies lying in their cradles
there was ripple of laughter and a rustic
in the congregation as if they were just
where they were
When Mr. Wilson closed his sermon and
asked all who had the evidence that they
were sanctified, and were willing to work
for the salvation of sinners, to rise, about
half the audience seemed to be on their
feet. He then called for all the uncon-
verted who were determined to seek
salvation to rise. There appeared to be
forty or fifty more answer this call.