The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-01-15


It and nothing can stand before you. Satan
goes down. Caricature goes down. Infdeii
ty goes down. Worldliness goes down. AL
opposition goes down.
Several times in the history OF the church
| and the world has ispower from on high
been demonstrated. In tho seventeenth cen
fury, after great season of moral deprss
sion, this power from on high came down
upon John Tilotson and Owen and Flave
and Baxter and Bunyan, and there was q
deluge of mercy higher than the tops of the
highest mountains Of sin. In the eighteen tn
century. in England and America, religion
was at q low water mark. William Cowper
writing of the clergy OF those days said:
Except few with Ellis spirit best
Hophni and Phineas may describe the rest.
The infdel writings OF Shaftesbury and
Hobbies and Chuhb had done their work
But power from on high came upon both the
Wesleys and Lady Huntington on the other
side the Atlantic, and upon William Ten
nant and Gilbert Tenant and David Brain
erd on this side the Atlantic, and both hem
ispheres felt the thread Of pardoning God
Coming to later date, there may be here and
there in this audience an aged man or WON
an who can remember New York in 1881
when this power from on high descended
most wondrously. 1t came upon pastors
and congregations and theaters and com
mercal establishments. Chatham Street
tHehCei, VIEW 1OFh, Nu5 Ule sCeuo VI q uOst
tremendous religious awakening A com
mittee of Christian gentlemen called
upon the lessee Of the theater and said they
would like to buy the lease of the theater.
He said, What do you want it for" They
replied, "for a church." For VIII. a. t?
said the owner. "For church, was the
reply. The owner said: "You may have it
and l will give you q thousand dollars to
holp you on with your work" Arthur
Tappan, a man nightly prosecuted i'll his
time, but man, as l 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 were clos.
ing their morning rehearsal and said:
"There will he preaching here tonight on
this stage and then gave out and sang with
such people as were there, the old hymn:
The voice of tree grace cries, escape to the
mountain,
For all that believe Christ has opened a
fountain.
The bar-room OF the theater was turned
into prayer-room and 500 persons were
present at the first meeting. For 70 sue
cessive nights religious services we're held
in that theater, and such scenes of mercy
and salvation Us will be subjects OF CONVEX
sation and congratulation among the ran
somed in glory as long as heaven lasts.
But l come to later time-1S57-
remembered by many who are here. l
remember it especially as had just entered
the office of the ministry, 1t was d year of
hard times. A great panic had flung hun
dreds of thousands of PEOPLE penniless
Starvation entered habitations that had
never before known q want. Domestic life,
in many cases, became tragedy. Suicide,
garroting, burglary, assassination were
rampant. What an awful day that was
when the Banks went down. There has been
nothing like it in 80 years. and pray God
there may not be anything like it in the
next 80 centuries. Talk about your Black
Fridays! 1t was Black Saturday, Black Sun
day, Black Monday, Black Tuesday, Black
Wednesday. Black Thursday, as we'll as
Black Friday.
This nation in it's 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, museum =.
atives were resting, were opened for prayers
and sermons. and inquiry rooms. and Bur-
toms 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, IAN hail the power of Jesus
name," while others cried for mercy. A
gIeat mass meeting Of Christians on week
day., in Jayne's Hall. Philadelphia, tels.
graphed to Fulton street prayer meeting in
New York, saying: What hath God
wrought" and telegram went back, say
ing. Two hundred souls saved at our meet
ing to-day A ship came through the Mar
rows into our harbor the captain reporting
that himself and all the crew had been con-,
yerted to God between New Orleans and
New York. In the busiest marts of our bus
lest American cities, where the worshippers
OF Mammon had been counting their golden
beads, men began to calculate. :'What shall
it profit man if he gain the whole world
and lose his soul.' The waiters in restau-
rants 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 meetings.. At Albany mem
bers OF the New York legislature assembled
in the room OF the court Of appeals at $50
o'clock In the morning :or prayer and praise.
Prlnted invitations were sent out to the
tremen OF New York, saying, Come as
suits your convenience best whether in fire.
or citizens dress, but come! come!" Quarry.
men knelt among the rocks Fishermen
Enelt in their boats. Weayers knelt among
the looms. Sailors knelt among the ham.
mocks. Schoolmasters knelt among their
classes. gentleman travelling said there
was line OF prayer.meeting from Omaha to
washington City, and. he might have added,
to the Pacific coast, and from St. Lawrence
to the Gulf OF Mexico.
In those days, what songs, what sermons.
what turnings to God, what prodigals
brought home, what burning tidings ofsouls
saved, what ser!dom of sin emancipated.
what wild rout of forces of darkness, what
victories for the truth! What millions on
earth and in heaven are now thanking God
Tor 1887, which, though the year of worst
financial calamity. was the year of Americas
most glorious blessing How do Won ac.
count tor 1857, it's spiritual triumpns on the
heels of it's worldly misfortune? It was
what my text calls the power from on high.
That was 33 years ago, and though there
have been in various parts of the land MANY
STRINGS of the Holy Ghost there hos been
no general awakening. Does it not seem to
you that We ought to havo and 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 prostration as in 1857. there
mas been stringency in the money mar.
ket that has put many OF the families OF
the earth to their wits end. Large com.
mercial interests collapsing have left multi
tudes OF employees without means of ann
port. The racked brains of business men
nave almost or entirely given way. New
illustrations all over the land OF the fnct
that riches have not only feet, on which
they walk slowly as they come; but wings on
which WI they speed when they go. Eternal God
Thou knowest how cramped, and severe. and
solemn n time it is with many. And, as the
business ruin OF 1857 was followed by the
glorious triumnhs IF rroco Inf Aha Mt,