The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-08-13
$4,000 Contributed for Mission
Work Yesterday,
AT. THE CAMP MEETING, IN RE
SPONSE TO AN APPEAL.
This Was the First Collection Taken Dur
ing the Session and Yesterday Rev. Mr.
Simpson Made An Eloquent Appeal to
the Largest Audience of the Season With
the Above Result-Closing Scenes of a
Remarkable Season of Healing.
Especial to the Press.l

the Above Result-Clos1ng Scenes of q
Remarkable Season of Healing.
Especial to the Press.l
Old Orchard, August bit may well be
doubted IL in tho history of the world, a
collection like that received here today was
ever taken up"
The wonderful series of meetings held by
the Christian Alliance ended practically this
evening. but.not without remarkable series
of closing gatherings.
This morning, Rev. Stephen Merritt, led
Testimony meeting" which was attended
by thousands, and which Mr.. Merritt later
pronounced perfectly unique in the history
of the work of the Alliance
Not one only, but at times a dozen were
on their feet at onoe, and testifying to
cures wrought through faith in God, and
in answer to prayer. Mr.. Merritt did not
attempt to catch all that was said. No one
could have done it. John Henry Small,
locally so well known, told again the story
of his wonderful cure. How he went about
seeing glimmering of light, and how
year ago God healed him, restored his sight.
and kept him a well man. That testimony
was one of the best of the-many given at
the opening meeting.
But others as marvellous were given. One
man simply said that his sight had been re-
stored, but man, not worker, or even a
Christian, as the term is understood said to-
day that he met him before he was healed
and that he was completely blind Satur-
day he saw him on the beach reading the
Bible and at his request he read to him from
the word. Rather doubling whether after
all the man, who had been blind was not re-
peating rather than reading, he handed him
a paper, and asked him to read paragraph
for him, which he at once consented to do.
"That convinced me-" said the man land
went to one of the meetings for the first
time in my life this morning and gave them
SIS. That man was cured in answer to
| prayer
That.meeting abounding as it did in the
most stirring sort of testimonies prepared
the great audience to look for remarkable
things to come and they were fully ready to
help forward the work. After literally
hundreds Of testimonies given by men and
women of every walk in life it was i'm
possible to doubt the reality of the cures
that had been wrought.
Then followed the second great meeting,
when DR.. Simpson made his impassioned
appeal for help in the work of winning the
world for Christ. and making ready for his
second coming. The entire address was
production of great power and at times the
distinguished speaker rose to the highest
eloquence, anG carried his great audience
with him.
DR.. Simpson is a man who is in earnest
tremendously SO, and thoroughly impressed
with the truth of what he breaches, and he
seemed today fully able to inspire his
audience with something of his cwn ZEAL
The address was a clear and full statement
of the needs of every mission field. 1.-THE
world for Christ" was the central thought
of this powerful sermon. '.WilI you help to
win it?' the question asked of ALL
1t should besremembered that this was the
one collection taken up during the session
of the convention. That not a single person
had been asked in advance to give cent.
That on that one sermon, marvellous in its
results as it proved to be. rested all the
financial success of the convention.
| 1t should also be understood that while
Christ had been fully presented as the great
| physician, and as the coming Lord, that the
necessity of helping in the work of reaching
| the world. had been presented by every
| speaker who had been heard during the
! the final result was as much due, perhaps
\ to others, as to the preacher.
| DR.. Simpson closed his sermon. and then
for the first time an opportunity was given
| to all who desired to give, and give freely,
One man gave $4,000, but would not allow
his name to be published. Mr. bennett OF
New York, gave $4,000, and SO it went from
| one section of the ground to another
/ ELL IL
| in on those who carried around the boxes.
| And this continued until DR.. Simpson was
able to announce that the marvellous sum OF
nearly $4,000 had been given and pledged
| and later it was found that $1,000 had been
| overlooked. AT the afternoon session an.
| other collection was taken up, with result
| not announced. and many quietly handed
| in large sums. One Portland man gave Rev
| Stephen Merritt $3.50, with AN expressed
hope that Gods blessing would go with it
The sum total of the money contributed
| will not, it is thought, fall much if any
under $50. 900. most .marvelous.result, but
one that did not astonish DR.. Simpson. He
had felt, so one of his friends said. that he
| must have money for his missionaries anG
had been confident that it would come.
But the activities of the day did not enc
here. Meeting followed meeting, and the
crowd seemed to increase with each. Rev
DR.. Peck of Boston, held meeting at the
little side chapel at the church on tht
grounds. This me citing was attended onl!
by those who desired to be healed. Th'
meeting was held largely with the hope tha
they might be led into the proper spirit st,
receive the great blessing DIR. Simpson
and those associated with him do Lot holt
that a man who has not been converted
will be healed. but that spiritual, must g,
before physical healing, DR.. Peck and othe
| workers prayed, and talked with perhap
| fifty afflicted ones.
There was then held an impressive service
| on the beach. when many of those con
| verted during the meetings were baptise,
by Rev. Stephen Merritt, and othe
ministers.
Rev, DR.. Wilson addressed a meeting o
children, then was called to pray with
woman too sick tosbe taken to.the church, ,an
then took part in the afternoon missionar
meeting, led by DR.. Simpson. At that meet
ing for the first timeaDr. Simpson tried t
ascertain in some degree the results of tn
convention. Those who had been healed
helped or converted, were.asked to indicat
II ricip oil