The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-09-11
EVANGELISTIC MEETING.
Religious Scrviccs-Large Attendance
of the People.

We have been for several days passing
through series OF religious services, and
nightly large audiences have assembled at
the tent of the EvangelistS. where good sing
ing and earnest talking have been heard from
the altar.
The evangeliSts, Messrs. Klnard and McCon-
nell, are Jealous workers in the cause OF our
Redeemer, and il may be that numbers Of
their hearers have been greatly impressed.
Every seat in their large tent has been oc.
cupied every ght while great crowds nave
assembled on The adjoining ground to lSten
to the words OF service as they fell rom lhe
lips OF earnest speakers.
The large audiences and the enthusiasm
with which our people attend these services,
as compared with the slim attendance upon
the services at our churches must mean
something.
At least twenty-five vehicles bringing peo-
pie from the country were here on SUNDAY
n light and the number of wOrshippers from
town and country has been large every night.
Now, as plain practical question, why the
difference in the attendance on the services
OF these evangeists and the services IN the
churches?
II cannot be that these evangelstS have bet
| ter education, or kEow more theology, than
| the regular orthodox preachers, whom the
Lord has called and chosen from amongst US
| to preach his word.
Then why the difference? Why do the
evangeliSts gain the attention and excite the
interest of the multitude. while our preachers
deliver their sermons TO so many empty
benches in our fine churches?
There can be no doubt that there Is in our
hearts an unquenchable thirst for spiritual
consolation. Then, is the inbred and eternal
hunger and thirst for spiritual bread and
wine satisfied at our churches on Sunday
morning?
1t would seem that there is something lack
ing. If there was not, even after making due
allowance for novelty and curiosity, why
is 1t that so many people remain away from
the open doors and inviting seats OF our
churches willie Hooking to hear evangeliSts.
The Press and Banner would account for
the difference partly this way. The evange-
lists are mainly practical men, who endeavor
to get in sympathy with the people and thus
be enabled to touch their hearts. They seldom
bones of mythical history nor do they under
take TO feed their auditors on theological
skeletons.
Instead of trying to preach sermons at
which nobody can take exception, they deal
In plain facts and inveigh against the sins
which may beset u.s.
Instead of trying to explain the actions of
| Moses and the Prophets they come home TO
our hearts and conScienceS, while teaching
good and wholesome lessons in our every day
life.
From the pulpit we hear not enough of the
necessity for pure living-not enough OF the
i'm Importance of living clean lives. We hear OF
the world TO come and ask great gifts OF the
LOrd-gifts which are even greater than those
for which we can render an itemized bill.
We hear of faith while the evil nature that
is within our hearts is neglected.
We are not sufficiently impressed with the
fact that a pure heart Is always an acceptable
offering TO the Lord our God, but we are
taught that faith is the great thing, no mat
| ter how foul our hearts may be, or how un-
| clean are our hands.
Only have faith in the leniency and
| forgivlng spirit Of the Lord our God, and all
will be we'll.
Our preachers seem to forget that God is
angry with the wicked every day, and that II
| is possible for us to presume too much on his
| forgiving spirit.
But, we want to take whack at the man.
| ner and methods OF the evangelistS. In their
speech they are not more reverent than the
preachers. These eyangelists who are now
drawing such crowds TO their tent. it seems to
| US, use the name of the Lord our God most
| flippantly and irreverently. In forty min
uteS one of them must have used the name OF
the Lord at least one hundred and fifty times.
II the Press and Banner were to compare
The manner of these evangelsts with that OF
the lessons OF the MaSonS, we would say
that every Mason is earnestly impressed With
the fact that he should never take the name
Of the Almighty upon his lips, except IN reVer-
entail awe.
Now, we submit that no creature can take
the name Of his Creator on his lips hfty times
In one short hour and do 1t with reverentia!
awe, and then, If not in reverential awe, ne
must take that sacred name on his lips Flip
PANTY and rreverently-profanely.
We would suggest that our preachers, ana
these evangelists, preach at least one sermon
of the Lord thy God in vain.'
II they will make it plain TO us how they
may disregard plain command, they may
| relieve themselves Of suspicion of profanity
in the pulpit.
Excepting from preachers, not one
man in twenty that we meet ever utters the
name of the Almighty, but let halt dozen
laymen meet preacher on the square, and II
he does not in five minutes talk, mention
the name OF the Almighty, 1t Is ap exception,
and we leave 1t for others 10 say, If the name
is not usually called in about the same degree
of reverence that we would manifest at the
mention the name OF Bob Ingersole or Sam
SmallS.
Now, let no man misunderstood US. We
would not willingly injure the usefulness OF
any evangelist or any preacher. We merely
mention what we believe to be the besetting
sin Of this age, namely: The irreverent use
Of the name Of the Almighty. The average
layman will hear the name called in the DE,
| livery or one sermon about as often as he Will
hear 1t elsewhere, and from other lips In a
whole year.
The evangeists that are with US are able
and earnest men, and no one can listen 10
| their services without being impressed with
their fervOr and earneStneSs. Every one
should go out to hear them. Those who do
will certainly be benefited. Their words ap-
| peal to the heart, and their discourses APP
ply to our every day lives-to our character
and home life. They do not feed their
hearers OH dry bones.