Smyrna times., 1896-02-26
AMONG OUR CHURCHES.
Interesting Services at the NJ. E. Church.

Interesting Services at the NJ. E. Church.
Sunday came with bright morning
and the breath of spring. 1t was
day when those who had been impris-
Oned by the severe weather, both
young and old, could get out, and very
naturally the Episcopal, Presbyterian
and Methodist churches were all well
filled.
The presence of Rev. w. X. Gallo
way and his evangelistic services very
naturally augmented the membership
at the latter church. A very pleasing
feature to the audience facing the pull
pit was the large number of young
people who filled up the seats in the
organ loft at the rear of the pulpit and
united their voices with the swelling
notes that came from the organ joined
Inscriptions of praise to the Author of
all blessings. In addition there was
the presence of Rev. W. S. Robinson,
a former pastor, whose opening prayer
seemed to be an endless succession of
objects named to be thankful for, that
placed the subject under obligations
that only the devotion of the heart
could be an adequate compensation
Pastor Stengle, after the proper an
nouncements, put the services in the
charge of Rev. Mr.. Galloway, who
took his stand iii The clh.ancel. An
nOuncing mOdestly the 'lifting up of
Christ as the subject for considera-
ton, he dwelt on this theme enforcing
it i'll eXhOrtation to each of his hearers
that the practical way to do this was to
accept him in their hearts. Creeds
and church records had little to do
with the heart-ftness which is neces-
sary for more blessed inheritance:
there must be repentance, and with
earnest repentance there will come
forgiveness. He closed his discourse
with an earnest invitation to any one
who felt himself burdened with sin to
come and seek forgiveness: none re-
spending he extended an invitation
to church members and especially
those who had come to the altar at the
morning service three years ago to
come and take him by the hand, the
congregation singing with him in the
meantime, They Are all Taken Away,
&c"
The minds of those present natur-
ally reverted to the wonderful the
PentecOstal scene of three years ago,
when the cOnvicting and converting
power was SO great that the meeting
held till half-past one o'clock, the list
of persons who thus went to the altar
and professed conversion numbering
&c. Such scenes are not often wit
messed in life time: it had not been
seen before this by any one who was
present, and may never be again, but
while this is so, the same Divine con-
ditiOns exist any and everywhere to
those who come to him with true peni-
tence. The services closed Sunday
before the noon hour.
The announcement in the morning
that Rev Mr. Robinson would preach
at night Che had not preached before
since the close of his pastorate, though
he had been in Smyrna on several oc-
casiOns) together with the natural in
cidents in connection with the work of
Mr.. Galloway drew together CON
gregatiOn that suggested Conference
times-a packed auditorium with a
large rumber of the seats of the gallery
fillen.
Mr.. Robinson took for his text,
Nov abideth Faith, Hope and Love,
but the greatest of these is Love. :"
The discourse was thoroughly Rob
insOnian-unlike that of any other
minister, of immense mental grasp.
more especially manifest in the part
defining Faith, elevating in moral and
religious thought-a beautiful cOmbi-
nation of bellies lettres and theology.
The central idea was that the basis of
the religious life consisted in mani
tested love for others in sharing with
them their condition, sorrows or
whatever from sense of the Divine
love may be helpful to better life.
The sermon occupied an hour and was
listened to with marked attention. A
discourse on the line of the higher con-
ceptiOns, and thus given at long range,
was hardly in harmony with the hand
to hand method that characterizes the
assault on the enemy of souls by the
evangelist, but Mr.. Galloway arose to
his work with his usual simplicity,
earnestness and directness. 1t was
soon evident, however, that from the
long service, general callousness or
some other reason, the special work
desired and expected of the day would
not be reached, and after a half hour
of warming at the altar fires, the con-
gregatiOn was dismissed.