Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-05

saw Truman Osborn rise to preach in the
village church at Somerville, N. j., and be-
fore he had given out his text or uttered a
word, people in the audience sobbed aloud
with religious emotion. 1t was the power
from on high. All in greater or less degree
may have it. Once get it and nothing can
stand before you. Satan goes down. Carl
cature goes down. Infdelity goes down.
Worldliness goes 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, alter great season of moral depres-
sion, this power from on high came down
upon John Tillotson and Owen and Flavel
and Baxter and BunYan, .dAd there was a
deluge of mercy higher than the tops of the
highest mountains of SIN. In the eighteenth
century, in England and America, religion
was at a low water mark. William Cow
per, writing OF the clergy of those, said:
Except few with Eli's spirit blest
Hophni and Phineas may describe the rest.
Result of Infidel Writings.
The in6del writings of Shaftesbury,
and Hobbies and Chubb had done their
work. But the power from on high came
upon both the Wesleys and Lady Hunting
ton on the other side the Atlantic and upon
William Tennant and Gilbert Tenant and
David Brainerd on this side the Atlantic,
and both henispheres felt the tread of a
Y pardoning God. Coming to later date,
there NAV be here and there in this audi.
ence an aged man or woman who can re-
member New York in 1881, when this
power from on high descended most
wondrously. 1t came upon pastors and
| al 4 otol
establishments. Chatham Street Theatre,
New York, was the scene of a most tremen-
dous 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 for?" They replied:
''For a church." "For wh-a-t?" said the
owner. "For a church, "was the reply.
The owner said: "You may have it and l
will give you thousand dollars to help you
on with your work"
The bar-room of the theater was turned
into prayer-room, and 800 persons were
present at the first meeting. For 20 sue
cessive nights religious services were held in
that theater, and such scenes of mercy and
salvation as will be subjects Of conversation
and congratulatiOn among the ransomed in
glory as long as Heaven lasts. But come
to later time-1S57-remembered by many
who are here. 1 remember it especially as
l had just entered the Office OF the ministry.
1t was year of hard times. A great panic
had flung hundreds of thousands of people
! penniless. Starvation entered habitations
| that had never before known a want Do
nestle life. in many cases, became a tragedy
Suicide, garroting, burglary, assassination
were rampant. What an awful day that
was when the banks went down. There has
10 in Il
God there may not be ANYTHING like il in the
next 80 centuries. Talk about your Black
Fridaysl 1t was Black Saturday. Black.
Sunday, Black Monday, Black Tuesday
Black Wednesday, Black Thursdy, as well
as Black Friday.
ACry for Pardon and Peace.
This nation, in its extremity, fell helpless
before the Lord and cried for pardon and
peace, and upon ministers and laymen the
power from on high descended. Engine
houses. warerooms, hotel parlors, museums,
factories, from IL to 1 o'clock while the
operatives were resting, were opened for
prayers and sermons, and 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. peo-
| pie sang, "All hail the power of Jesus
NAME" while others cried for mercy. A
great mass meeting of Christians on a week
day, in Javne's Hall, Philadelphia, tele-
graphed to Fulton street prayer meeting,
in New York, saying: "What hath God
wrought 2" and telegram went back, say
ing, Two hundred souls saved at our meeting
to-day" A ship came through the Narrows
into our harbor, the captain RIP ,rting that
himself ana 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 worshipers of
Mammon had been counting their golden
heads, men began TO calculate, what shall
| it profit man If he gain the whole world
and lose his SOUL" The walters in restau.
rants, after the clo'ing 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 meetings. At Albany men,
| bers of the New York Legislature assembled
| in the room of the Court of Appeals at $50
o'clock in the morning for prayer and praise.
| Printed invitations were sent out to the fire
men of New York saying, "Come as suits
your convenience best, whether in fire or
! citizens dress, but come! come!' Quarry
meu knelt among the rocks. Fishermen
knelt in their boats. Weavers knelt among
/
mocks. Schoolmasters knelt among their
| classes.
A Line of Prayer Meetings.
A gentleman travelling said there was a
| 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. Law
renee to the Cult OF Mexico.
| In those days, what songs, what sermons,
what turnings to God, what recital of thrill
ing experiences, what prodigals brought
home, what burning tidings OF souls saved,
what ser. dom OF sin emancpated, what wild
rout ofthe 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 Americas most
| glorious blessing. How do you account for
1857, its spiritual triumphs on the heels OF
its worldly misfortune? It was what my text
calls the power from on high.
That was SO 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 to have aud NAV have the
scenes of power IN 1857 eclipsed by the
scenes of power in 1891? The circumstances
are somewhat similar. While we have not
had national manic, and universal prostra-
tion as in 1857, there has been stringency
in the money market that has put many OF
the families of the earth 70 their wit's end.
Large commercial interests collapsing have
left multitudes of employees without means
of support. The racked brains of business
men have almost or entirely given way.