The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-03-21

Joined Inc praying band IN one glorl-
GUS shout of praise to God for salva-
lion through Jesus Christ. The servi.
Ices were commenced by singing,
dent OF the band, Bro. Butler, and
sung with spirit and power by the
vast audience. after which prayer was
offered up by Bro King OF Scott Nj. L.
hurcb. who seemed to BIO lifted up,
and In complete tonch with God.
At this point Brother Hanna came
into the pulpit accompanied by that
grand old man of God, Brother
Trance. of Scott, who always makes
my Imagination, when 1 see his bright
ly lit mp face. run along the line OF
ecriptural faces till 1t comes to Enoch,
who walked with God and there it
resie, fright there. God bless nim
/ Brother iianna then al ose and took
tho general lend of the meeting as
well as II was possible for any one to
lead meeting OF its kind. as, when
men and women get full of the Spirit
lof the LORD, you cannot do much but
llct them alone, for where the Spirit
leads they surely will follow.
BRO. Hanna announced that first, to
give tone 10 the meeting, a collection
would be taken ana a neat sum was
the result. after which he called for the
reading of the Praying Bands little
history, OF their origin. which was
lgathered from the older members OF
THE band, and read by their secretary,
land was US follows:
The origin or commencement of the
Asbury Praying Band. we lind to be in
the period OF Bro. Hanna's pastorate,
land dates back to 1890. At the sugges-
Ition of one Of the brothers In confer.
ence with Bro. Hanna, @ little company
Was formed and named or styled, the
AsDury Guards,and consisted of male
members exclusively. the first ca plain
being Bro. Hanna, and the fret lieu
tenant, Bro. Maxwell. This was in
November, 1890. Soon after this in
anotber band consisting of sisters
Ionly, and this organization was styled
The alsters Praying Bnnd,' sister
Scott being its leader.
After the lapse of a few months Il
was mutually considered expedient t.
consolidate the two organizations, ano
, they were merged into one and styled
the "Asbury Praying Band" which
name 1T still bears to-day. A president
: vice president. treasurer and secretary
CONSTITUTE their officers. and are elect
led quarterly by the mem bers. on the
first Monday evening of March, June
iar meetings are held In the churct
parlor ON each Monday evening during
he year and in addition TO this from
one to two meetings In each week are
lhe!d wherever the Lord seems to d.
rect.
We find no continuous record OF
their meetings, by which we could
give detailed account of their con
tinuous labors, but We readily account
for this. Oh the ground (and we know
whereof We speak) that tho ..AsbuIy
Praying Band" was conceived in the
spirit o. the Master. and somehow or
other we see the finger OF God in Its
organization. shaping Its course OF
! action and GROWING it's efforts with
success on its onward movements.
and buryinR all human traces and
leaving the record to be kept by Him
who remembers US in our low estate
and will give grace and glory; and no
Igood thing will lie withhold from
them that walk uprighIly.
Truly the Lord has been their help.
er, and while we have no record on
paper by which to trace their foot.
steps from mere handful to a mighty
host yet, thank God, we believe the-e
is a record written in the memory oil
God, and they will be rememt tered fol
ali they have done. The salvation oil
sinful men has been their most de.
termiDed object. and their motto
= Rescue tho Perlshirg." From house
to house they have carried the mes
cage OF Salvation, and In the name oil
Christ they have looked after the
Z wants and necessities OF the poor IL
hese melancholy days, and many dis
:. tresses relieved. Neither do we fine
any record OF the numbcr OF converts
'' which have been gathered Into the
/. told during their m nstratlon, and
:, through their instrumentaiity. but We
. 10 know that q guodly number has
been added 10 the list of saints
n gathered up from here and there along
he path of the "fraying Bands
March"
!. And very many have become strong
faiti full workers In the Church. And
this is q source of comfort to The
" Praying Band that they have been
faithful and earnest, and tile power
of the Lord through them has been d
power In tile Church-a power in the
community, in the DIRECTION of bring
ing sinners to Christ. And thsy are
fully satisfied to leave the matter oil
, the number gathered in with Him
) who will never leave nor foIsaks those
4 who trust Him, ana VINO will faithful
d ~ count them as his Jewels, and give
= them crown in the Kingdom OF God
Bro. Hanna then ndded u few re.
=. marks Ia regard to the lIeIpfulness OF
h The Praying Band III holding theil
) meetings OH Monday evenings, max
= ing 1t a place where he could TURF
over penitents which the sabbath day
services had, in tue providence of Goo
produced. lie also told how the Az
4 bury Guards and the Sisters' Praying
II tr in nj IL
amused the audience. After which he
said, row let us all praiea the Lord In
L an old fashioned experience meeting
Lex US lose sight OF everything else
Tor tile time being, and let us have a
j pentecostal shower here this after
noon. and do not IN Ike mention OF me
aor the Praying Band; let us prals {
God. As hymn was on the eve oil
being sung. Bro. HUMPHREYS modest.
ly arose to call BIO. Hanna to order,
, as he had little matter to settle be
!, tween the Praying Band and the pas
!, tor, and complained that the pastor
/. had knocked him of his line of action
!. in saying that be desired no mention
of him nor the Pray ing Band In what
= might he said.
But Bro. Humphries was equal tc
the emergency, and soon collected
himself. and In q neat speech and titly
spoken manner, feelingly presented
the soon retiring pastor with a hand.
some Cambridge Bible. a gift OF the
Praying Band, In token OF their appre.
: citation OF him as faithful, earnest
Christian and pastor, who had labored
Z 30 faithfully with them for live long
Z years Bro. Hanna then thanked tbs
I PRAYING Hand for Their Kind rstnsm
. ersncs Of bfn. and for the warm place
> re knew they had for him in their