Smyrna times., 1893-03-15

the hands from one Of the converts.
They would go forward with express
ions indicating burden on their hearts
and arise in what seemed a very short
time with bright but suffused faces, as
if they had gone out of a region of
clouds and darkness into another of
sunshine. Some seemed to hardly, if
they did at all, reach the chancel rail.
before they felt new light break into
their imprisoned souls.
The Evangelist stood, as it were, a
great big magnet, surcharged with the
spiritual influence that seemed to 20
out IN all directions. For two hours
was this kept up, the altar being swept
twice of penitents, and when the meet
ing closed, for further material, a little
before two O'Clock, thirty-seven per-
sons had prOfessed conversion, some
ten OF whom were, however, reclaimed
hacksliders, who had lapsed into sinful
practices, but whose names were still
on the church record. To the old
members, who, in their young days, in
seeking relief from the burden of sin,
hammered it out penitently for days
or weeks at the mourner's bench, the
easy new way of renouncing sin and
accepting Christ by the simple act of
faith, was indeed a revelation, but
accepted without criticism, as the
result seemed to be the same.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
ln the afternoon at the close Of the
lesson in the Sunday School, the evan
gellstic work was taken up where it
was left OFT up stairs. In the space of
an hour, or perhaps less time, twenty
seven of the scholars had in the same
manner as in the public congregation
gone to the front, and soon returned,
protesting to have found salvation in
renewed hearts. Whatever th ere may
have been in easiness of impressment
on young and tender hearts or the
readiness in youthful years to initiate
the movements of associates, the advo-
cats of early conversions point to the
unerring facts in the records of relig-
iOus societies that nine-tenths of them
came into church membership
thus early in life, and when under
careful training, are quite as steady.
The list Of 81 in the morning, 27 in the
afternoon and at night. made the
grand total of the day 68. At the
evening service 49 Cf these gave their
names to the church, which, with the
10 of Sunday morning, converted prev
iOusly to Sunday, made SO that day.
The testimony of all who were in the
noon meeting was that they had never
seen and felt such a manifestation of
Divine power.
AT NIGHT.
The evening services had been prev.
iOusly set apart and arrangements
made for the Sunday School Mission
airy Anniversary, with more than half
the auditorium reserved for the chill
dren. The news of the Pentecostal
visitation had, however, spread through
the community, and at night thew
poured into the church from all points
of the compass, filling every available
seat in the gallery and below, and lin
ing the aisles with chairs. To such as
came from curiosity only there was
measurable disappointment.
Across the organ loft, Just in the
rear Of the pul pit was a stage repre-.
sentatiOn of the "Open door" where
the five wise virgins entered into the
feast with lamp trimmed and brightly
burning, and the five foolish virgins,
who had no oil in their lamps, were
shut out, the pastor not forgetting to
give point to it as an illustration of the
condition of the sinner. The following
was the school programme:
Organ Voluntary, Virgil Gordon Prayer by
superintendent John II HOffecker: Scripture
reading, VIM. f. Brown Infant Glass Song; Ad-
dress, open Doors OfIndia," May FAIRIES; Open
Wide the Doors, Song by School open Dotrs OF
Africa, Edith Beck open Doors Among the
Isles OF the Sea Gilbert Jones; "Open Doors Of
China, Hilda Wells; Infant Glass Song: Open |
Doors OF Japan" Clifton Collins: plea for Mis-.
sions, Maggie Robinson: Collection (supplemen-
tai Si4) Reports of the Smyrna Landing and
Jerman Chapel schools, and the execution Of the |
drama scene of the wise and foolish virgins !
above referred to, which was finely executed
All of this was very much out of line |
with the revival work which attracted |
the large crowd, including the changing
about and departure of the smaller
children, but Notwithstanding the late
hour, Mr.. Galloway entered into it the
best be could under the circumstances.
and four penitents presented them,
selves and professed conversion.