Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-02-21
REV. M. g. WILLIAMS, THE EVANGELIST
An Interview with the Bible-student on
His Early Life and Conversion.

An Interview with the Bibie-Student on
His Early Life and Conversion.
Rev. VI. B. Williams. who is conducting
such successful meeting at the SECOND
Baptist church, was born IN SamdcI'
Oneida county. n. u. October 81. ioSv.
His family moved to Newark, n. J., IN MS
4th year. and Milan grew mp IN that tilne
one of the widest of all wild boys, q leader
in everything that was fast ana riotous.
MIR. Wlliams's father was an intidel or the
rankest type and was forever teacnlnS MS
infdelity before hrs children, while his
mother silently prayed God TO overcome
these CD banerul influences. HIS older
brother was always tractaole, STEADY, anu
good natured His younger brother was
too small TO develop any evil tendencies,
while Milan Williams was left TO be the
black sheep and the sorrel OF the famiIy.
Again and again his father would say
"Milan. youll never amount to anything
az long az Won 1--we" And If | had fol-
lowed his infdel teachings says Dir. VII
llams. his prophecy would have been iui-
filed to the letter"
CONVERTED AT NINETEEN.
Milan continued on in this way until the
winter after his nineteenth birthday, at
which time a great revival sprang up in
the town under the leadership OF Evan
eelist T.. L. Davidson. a Methodist minis
ter, who was holding union meetings.
IL :" says MIR. Williams, with about thir-
teen Others, members of a musical CLUB,
swore an oath that we would not attend
the meetings if they continued all winter.
They had gone on five weeks. Thus Tar
we had kept our promise. A kind Baptist
lady came TO my fathers store, wherel was
working to invite me TO tho meetings. j
laughingly told her l could not at
tend, as | had to attend dance
next night. Through all these years L
have never forgotten her sad face and LOOK
OF deep concern. My. mother SAID put
little, but prayed much. Soon my elder
brother was converted. And one night,
calling me aside. he told me he had given
his heart 10 God. and III broken words
begged me TO go with him. L turned on
my heel and left him without word. and
he went sadly back TO his desk, thinking
he had spoiled II all. But went back
into nv hers store, lowered tho cur
talns. turned out the lights, locked the
doors, and cried. God be merciful to me:
sinner This was the first prayer had
uttered since early childhood. Then and
there | resolved to lead Christian iiie'"
BOYS OATH.
Now the question came" continued
Mr.. Williams. how L could be aChrlstian
anu Vet Keep my Oblu. blh iAtoOif'H AoAth-
with TO tell no one of my change or lnten-
tions until the meetings had closed, when
| would drop into some mid-week prayer
meeting of the Presbyterian church and
announce the startling tact. God didn't
see hit to honor my plans. For nine days
| held out and said no word, but the bur-
don instead Of becoming lighter grew
heavier day by day. went to the dance
but found no pleasure there. In spite OF
all NV efforts an oath would now and then
slip FROM my lips-to my sorrow. shame,
and chagrin, until at last | exclaimed
Milan, YOU are making a failure OF
the whole thing II was the tenth night
shall never forget 1t. | had started for
supper. but the supper remains UNLISTED to
| this day. Instead of going home | sought
the Methodist parsonage where the evange-
| list was stavipg. Iran IN and was shown 70
his room. Icseems he had invited me to
call, but had forgotten the fact. / told
HIM my experience and my growing bur
den. He said he was not surprised, as God
| did not usually convert people III that
way. Opening his Bible, he read: lie
that confesseth me before men. him will
confess before my Father and Holy Angels.
| IL thou shalt confess with thy mouth the
Lord Jesus, an shalt believe IN thy heart
that God hath raised him from the
dead, thou shalt be saved said
tell me what to do and I'll do it. He said
A bad promise Is better broken than
kept. and you would better go oyer 20 the
church and tell the people replied
| All right: but let me go home and tell
my mother frst.' | did as | was told
made public confession of Christ; and
next week my father was converted. also.
Within the next two years God called him
home to Heaven and me to Christian work.
Father spent the last years of his lie try
ing to undo the evil he had DONE"
HIS WORK IN THE ASSOCIATION.
Mr.. Williams spent six years in local and
State Young Mems Christian Association
work, being for three years State secretary
| of Georgia. This position he left TO enter
upon the eyangellstic field three years ago.
The first year he devoted to Bible exposi-
tions, giving them day and night. lie was
seized with great hunger TO carry the
| Gospel TO the masses and lead the Church
| in that line of work. With this In view
Mr.. Williams preached in tents. taber-
nacles, opera-houses where the churches
would unite TO move out upon the IN
saved community. During tho past
two wears Mir. Williams has been made
happy by having 5000 persons profess
faith in Christ, and by giving his hand
to about $500 who applied for member
ship in various evangelical churches.
Mr.. Williams's meetings at the Second
Baptist church followed the recent Young
Mems Christian Association Convention.
I'm which he led in the Bible Studies. Min
lsters of all denominations are co.opera-
ting with him as the representative OF the
aggressive spirit of the great organization
i'm which he received his training, and
which represents the unity of Protestant
ism.