The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-05


ministers have it continuously. Not more
than one out of ten thousand christians
have IL ali the time. Given in abund lnce
these last ten years Of the nineteenth con-
terry would accomplish more for God and
the church and the world than the previous
ninety years Of his century.
A few men and women in each age Of the
world have possessed 1t. Caroline Fry, the
immortal Quakeress, had it, and three
hundred Of the depraved and suffering II
Newgate prison under her exhOrtation re-
pented aud believed. Jonathan Edward
hsd Il. and Northampton meeti & house
heard the outburst OF religious EN- tion as
he spake of Righteousness and judgment 70
come. Samuel Budget, the Christian mer-
chant, had it and his benefsctions
showered the world. John Newton had
it. Bishop Latimer had it. Isabella
Graham had II. Andrew Fuller
had it. The great evangelists, Daniel
Baker and Dr. Nettleton aud Truman Os-
born end ChariesyG. FuRney, had it. 10 my
boyhood ] saw Truman Osborn rise TO
preach in the village church at Somerville.
n. J. f.. and before he had given out his text
or uttered a " ord, people in the audience
sobbed aloud with religious emotion. IL
was the power from on high. All in a
greater or less degree may have it. 0 CO
get it and nothing can stand before you.
Satan goes down. Caricature goes down.
down. All opposition goes down.
Several times in the history of the church
and the world has this power from on high
been demonstrated. In the seventeenth
century, after a great season Of moral de-
preston, this power from on high came
down upon John Tillotspn and Owen and
Flavel and Baxter and Bunyan, aud there
was a deluge of mercy higher than che tops
of the highe { mountains of sin. In tie
eighteenth century, In England and
America, religion was at a low water mark,
William Cowper, writing OF the clergy OF
those days, said:
Except few with ELS spirit blest
Hophni aud Phineas may describe the rest.
The infidel writings Of Snaftesbury and
Hobbies and Chubb had done their work.
But power from on high came upon both
the Wesleys and Lady Huntington on the
other side the Atlantic, aud upon William
Tenant and Gilbert Tenant and David
Brainerd on this side the Atlantic, ana both
hemispheres felt the tread of pardoning
God Coming to later da g there may be
here and there IN this audience an aged man
or woman who can rem ember New York
in 1881, when this power from on high
descended most wondrously. IL came upon
pastors and congregations and theaters and
commercial establishments. Chatham
Street theater, New York, was the
scene OF a most tremendous religious
II
gentlemen called upon the lessee Of
the theatsr and said they would like to buy
the lease OF the theater. He said, What
do you want it for p They replied, "For a
church" For what r. said the owner.
''For church" was the reply. The owner
said: "You may have it, and | will give
you thousand dollars to help you on with
your work" Ar hur Tappan. man might
fly prosecuted in his titue, but 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 theater as the
actors we're closing their morning rehearsal
and said: There will be preaching here to-
night on this stage" ard then gave out and
sang, with such people as were there, the
old HYMN
The voice of free grace cries, escape to the
For all that believe Christ has opened foun-
tain.
The bar-room of the theater was turned
into a prayer-roon, aud eight hundred per-
sons we're present at the first meeting. For
seventy successive nights religious services
were held in that theater, such scenes
of mercy and salvation as will be subjects
of conversation and congratulation amo 1g
the ransomed IN glory as long as heaven
lasts. But l come to a later time-lS57-
remembered by many who are here I re-
member il especi lily as had just entered
the Office of the ministry. 1t was year Of
hard times. A great panic had flung hua-
dreds of tho sands of people pc niless.
Sta walton en- cred habitations that had
never before known a want Domestic
life, in many cases, became a tragedy.
Suicide, garroting, burglary, as as
sination were rampant What an awful
day that was when the ba ks went down.
There has been nothing like it in thirty
years, and pray God there may not be
anything like it in the next thirty centuries
Talk about your Black Fridays! 1t was
Black Satui day, Black Sunday, Black
Monday, Black Tues lay, Black Wednesd ay,
Back Thursday, as well as Black Friday.
This nation its extremity fell helpless
before the Lord aud cried FOR pardon and
peace, and upon ministers and laymen the
power from on high descended. Z gine-
houses, ware rooms, hotel parlors, museums,
factories from IL to l o'clock while the
operatives we're resting, were opened for
prayers and sermons, aud inquiry rooms,
and Burton's old theater on Chambers street.
where 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 deck OF ships lying at the wharf,
people sang, "All hail the power of Jesus
NAME" while others cried for mercy A
great maSs-meeting of christians on a
weekday, in Jaynes hall, Philadelphia,
telegraphed to Fulton street prayer meet
Ing, III New YORK, saying: Nv hat hath
Goa wroughtr and a telegram went back
saying, Two hundred sous s1ved at our
meeting to-day" A ship came through the
NArrows into our habor, the captain re-
porting that himself and all the crew had
been converted to God between New
Orleans and New York. In the busiest
marts Of our busiest American cities, where
the worshippers of Mammon had been
counting tue golden beads, men besan to
calculate, "What shall it profit man if he
gain the whole world and lose his
soul" The walters in restaurants after the
closing of their days work knelt among the
tables where they had served. Policemen
asked consent of the commissioner of police
to be permitted to attend religious meet
ings. At Albany members Of the New
York legislature assembled in the room OF
the court of appeals at half-past eight
O'Clock in the morning for prayer and
praise. Printed invitations were sent out
TO the firemen of New York saying: "Come
as suits your convenience best, whether in
ire or citlzs s. dress, but comel come y
Quarrymen knelt among the rocks. Fisher
men knelt in their boats. Weavers knelt
among the looms. Sailors knelt among the
hammocks Schoolmasters knelt among
their classes. A gentleman travelling said
there was line of prayer meetings from
Omaha to Washington city, and, he might
have added, line OF prayer-meetlngs 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 turnings to God, what recital Of thrill