The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-01-21

pastors and congregations and theatres ana
commercial establishments. Chatham
Street Theatre, New YORK, was the scsne OF
q most tremendous religious awakening. :.
A committee Of Christian gentlemen called
upon the lessee Of the theatre, and said they
would like to buy the lease Of the theatre.
He said, "What do you want it FORT" They
replied, "For church" 'tFor wh-a-at?'
said the owner. For a church." was the
reply. The owner SAID, you may nave u,
and will give you thousand dollars to help
you on with your work." Arthur Tappan,
q man nightly prosecuted In his time but o
man, as saw him in his last days, as honest
and pure and good as any man ever ~ knew,
stepped on the stage Of old Chatham Theatre
as the actors were closing their morning
rehearsal and said, There will be preaching
hera tonight on this stages" and then %ave
OUT ana sang w1Ln sucn people as were unere
the old hymn:
The voice OF free grace cries. escape to the mount.
For ali that believe Christ has opened fountain
The barroom Of the theatre was turned in
to q PRAYER room, and eight hundred per-
sons were present at the first meeting. For
seventy successive nights religious services
were held In that theatre, and such scenes OF
mercy and salvation as will be subjects or
conversation and congratulation among ths
ransomed in glory as long as & heaven iasss.
But I come to q later tims-1657-remem-
bered by many who are here. remember
It especially, as had just entered tho oftics
OF the ministry. It was year OF hard times.
A great panic had flung hundreds of thou
sands OF people penniless Starvation en-
terel habitations that had never before
known q want. Domestic life in many cases
became a tragedy. Suicide. garrotinS,
burglary, assassination were rampant. what
An awful day that was when the banks wen,
Jownl There has been nothing like it in
be anything like it in the next thirty ce2-
turtles Talk about your Black Fridays! 1t
was Black Saturday, Black Sunday, Black
Monday. Black Tuesday, Black Wednesday,
Black fburSday as well as Black Friday.
This nation in its extremity fell helpless
| before the Lord and cried for pardon and
peace, and upon ministers and laymen the
bower from on high descended. Engine
houses, wararooms, hotel parlors, museums,
factories, from 10 to o'clock, while the oper-
atives were resting, were opened FOR prayerSi aS
Burton's old theatre on Chambers street,
wher. our ancestors used to assemble to
laugh at the comedies, and all up and down
the streets and out on the docks and on the
ecxS or SHIPS lying at the wharf psople slng
..All hail the power Of Jesuss name" while
otuers cried for mercy. A great mass meet
ing Of Christians on week day, In Jayne's
Hall, Philadelphia, telegraphed to Fulton
Street Prayer Meeting In New York, saying,
wsnt back saying, "fwo hundred souls
saved at our meeting to-day" A ship came
through the Narrows into our harbor, the
captain reporting that himself and all the
crew had been converted to God between
New Orleans and New York.
In the busiest marts Of our busiest Amer
lean cities, where the worshipers OF Mann
mon had been counting their golden beads,
men began to calculate, what shall it pro
fit man If he gain the whole world and lose
his soulf' The walters in restaurants after
the closing Of their days work knelt among
the tables where they had served. Police.
men asked consent Of the Commissioner OF
Police to be permitted to attend religious
meetings. At Albany members Of the New
York Legislature assembled in the room OF
the Court Of Appeals at haf-past eight
o'clock in the morning for prayer and praise
Printed invitations were sent out to the hre
men of New York saying, Come as suits
your convenience best, whether In ire OF
citizens dress but come! comep Quarry
men knelt among the rocks. Fishermen
kneIt in their boats. Weavers kne!t among
the looms. Sailors knelt among the ham
mocks. Schoolmasters knelt among theiI
classes. A gentleman travelling said there
was q line OF PRAYER meetings from Omaha
to Washington City, and he might have
added line Of prayer meetings from the
Atlantic to the Pacific coast and from the
St. Lawrence to the Gulf Of Mexico.
In those days what songs, what sermons
what trrnings to God, what recital Of thrill.
ing experiences, what prodigal5 -bbfaSaught
home, what burning .tidEigs Of souls saved,
what serid0m OF sin emanoipated, what
wild rout Of the forces Of darkness, what
victories for the truth What millions on
earth and in heaven are now thanking God
for 1857, which, though the year Of worst
financial calamity, was the year OF Amer.
ica's most glorious blessing. How do you
account for 1857, its spiritual triumphs
on the heels Of its worldly misfortune'
1t was what my text calls the power from on
high. =,
That was thirty-thre, years ago, and
though there have been in various parts OF
the land many STRINGS Of the Holy Ghost,
there has been no general awakening
Does it not seem to you that we ought &c
have and may have the scenes OF power ID
1857 eclipsed BY the scenes Of power in 1921
The circumstances are somewhat similar:
While we have not had national panic and
universal prostration as in 1857, there has
been a strinzency in the money market that
has put many of the families Of the earth to
their wits end. Large commercial Interests
colapsing have left multitudes Of employe
without means Of support. The racSe
brains Of business men have almost or ell
tirely given way. New illustrations all owe
the land, Of the fact that riches have not on
feet, on which they walk slowly as they com
but wings on which they speed when the:
20. Eternal God IT hou knowest how crampeo
and severe and solemn time it is with maoy
And as the business ruin OF 1857 was .oi
lowed by the glorious triumphs Of grace. le'
the awruI struggles OF 1890 bs followed by
the hallelujahs Of nation saved in 1891.
Brethren in the Gospel ministry! II we
| spent half as much tips in prayer as we do
| in the preparation Of our sermons nothing
could stand before US. We would have the
power from on high as wensver had it. Private
| membership Of all Christsndom! II we spent
half as much time in positive prayer for this
influence as we do in thinking about it and
| talking about it, there would not be secre-
/ 'taries enough to take down the names OF
those who want to give in their names for
enlistment.
As the power from on high in 1857 was
more remarkable in academies Of music and
lyceum halls and theatres than in churches,
| why not this winter Of 1891 in these two
academies Of music, placas-of secular enter.
tainmeut where we ore during the rebuilding
Of our Brooklyn Tabernacle, so grandiy and
graciously treated by the owners and lessor:
and lessees; why not expect and why not have
the power from on high, comforting power,
arousing power, convincing power, convert
ing power, saving power, omnipotent .power'
NY opinion is that In this cluster Of cities by
the Atlantic coast, there are five hundred
thousand people now ready to accept the
Gospel call, if, freed from all the convention,
alities Of the church, it were earnestly and
with strong faith presented to them.
| In these brilliant assemblies there are hun.