The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-02-21
PRAYED before Nothing else will save

% God. Pray with mel Save me!
Oh. save RE from my HE'LL" cried
Brrns. and the bishop kneeled hy him
in the hall and prayed as only he could
After that they arose. and Burns
Went into his room He came out Of it
that evening like a humble child, and
the bishop went his way, older from
that experience, bearing on his body
the marks OF the Lord Jesus. Truly he
was learning something of what it
means to walk in his steps
But the saloon! It stood there, anc
all the others lined the street like so
,lany traps set for Burns How long
would the man be able to resist the
smell of the damnable stuff? The bishop
was out on the porch The air of the
whole city seemed to be impreguated
with the odor of beer sHow lcng, O
God. how long2" the bishop prayed
DR.. Bruce came out. and the two
friends talked over Burns and his temp
tation.
..Did you ever make any inquiries
about the ownership of this property
adjoining us?'' the bishop asked.
..No: haven't taken time for it. I
will now if you think it would be worth
while. But what can we do, Edward,
against the saloon in this great city 1t
is as firmly esta tablished as the churches
or politics What power can ever re-
move it?
..God will do it in time as he re-
moved slavery" replied the bishop
gravely. s.N1eanwhile think we have
a right to know who controls this, saloon
so near the settlement.
ell find out. said DR.. Bruce.
Two days later he walked into the
business office of one of the members Of
Nazareth Avenue church and asked to
see him few moments. Ee was cor
daily received by his old parishioner,
who welcomed him into his room and
urged him to take all the time he
wanted
II called 70 see you about that prop
erty next to the settlement, where the
bishop and myself now are, you know
l am going to sneak plainly because
life is too short and too serious for Us
both to have any foolish hesitation
about this matter Clayton. do You
think it is right to rent that property
for a saloon?
Dr. Bruce's question was as direct
and uncompromising as he had meant
it to be- The effect OF il on his old pa
rishioner was instantaneous
The hot blood mounted to the face of
the man who sat there. picture of
business activity in d great city. Then
he grew pale dropped his head on his
hands, and whea he raised it again DR.
Bruce was amazed to see a tear roll
over his parishioner's face.
Doctor, did you know that ] took
the pledge that morning with the 9TH
egs?''
'.Yes. remember. .
.tBut you never knew how l have
been tormented over my failure to keep
it in this instance That saloon prop
erty has been the temptation Of the
devil to me. 1t is the best paying in
vestment at present that | have. and
yet it was only minute before you
came in here that was in an agony OF
remorse to think how was letting G
little earthly gain tempt me into denial
of the very Christ l had promised to
follow I know well enough that he
would never rent property for such a
purpose. There is DO need. dear doctor
for you to say word more. Clayton
held out his hand. and Dr.. Bruce grasped
it and shook it hard. After little he
went away. but it was a long time aft
erward that he learned all the truth
about the struggle that Clayton had
known 1t was only a part Of the his
/ tory that belonged to Nazareth Avenue
church since that memorable morning
when the Holy Spirit sanctioned the
Christlike pledge. Not even the bishop
and DR.. Bruce. moving as they now did
in the very presence itself of divine I'M
pulses. knew yet that over the whole
sinful city the Spirit was brooding with
mighty eagerness. waiting for the dis
ciples to arise to the call of sacrifice and
suffering. touching hearts long dull and
cold. making business men and money
makers uneasy in their absorption by
the one great struggle for more wealth
and stirring through the church as
never in all the city s history the church
had been moved The bishop and Dr.
Bruce had already seen some wonderful
things in their brief life at the settle
ment They were to see far greater
soon, more astonishing revelations OF
the Divine power than they had sup
posed possible in this age Of the world.
Within month the saloon next the
settlement was closed The saloon keep
er's lease had expired. and Clayton not
only closed the property to the whisky
men. but offered the use of the building
to the bishop and DR.. Bruce for the set
tlement work. which had new grown so
large that the building was not sufn-
cient for the different industries that
were planned One of the most lmpor-