Evening star., 1901-02-11
Evangelistic Effort by the Young
Mems Christian Association.
ADDRESS BY WILLIAM PHILLIPS HALL
Service Of Song and Prayer
Precedes Regular Program.
APPEAL TO THE AUDIENCE

at the Columbia Theater. Every seat in the
building was occupied, and hundreds of
men stood throughout the exercises. The
music was under the direction of Prof. F.
II. Jacobs of Brooklyn. n. Y, who was for
seven years associated with the late d. L..
Moody in evangelistic work.
Mr.. l.. L. Pierce, general secretary of
the Y. NJ. c. A, presided. Previous to the
beginning OF the regular services sacred
concert was given by a large male choir,
supported by cornet, a piano and several
stringed instruments.
Mr., Jacobs announced as the first piece to
be sung the hymn commencing I'm the
cross of Christ l glory" Two verses were
few persons in the audience were taking
part. Stopping the choir. he addressed
those present, saying that it seemed either
that his hearers We're letting the choir do
all the singing or that those in the audience
We're not acquainted with the tune, and If
they were not it would look as though they
had not been to church for twenty years.
BY request of Mr.. Jacobs, the singing of
the two verses was repeated, and from
every part of the building came the strains
In one grand chorus. Two other hymns
We're sung. at the conclusion of which Mr.
Pierce asked every man who had ever of
fered prayer to unite with him in short
Invocation. and most of the men did so.
Mr Jacobs sang solo, as did also Mr.
j. ID. McFall, and after the choir and
audience sang The Son of God Goes Forth
to War Rev. DR. l.. B. Wilson. pastor of
Foundry NJ. f. Church, offered prayer.
Announcement was made by Mr.. Pierce
that at the meeting to be held in the same
place next Sunday the speaker Will be
Rev. Maurice Penfield Fixes 'the man who
is stirring Baltimore and as he is having
series of meetings there Mr.. H. B. f.
Macfariand has consented to go to that CITY
and take Mr.. Fixes place while the latter
is in Washington.
Address by william philliDs HnIl.
After some further singing Mr. William
Phillips Hall Of New York who is known
as the businessman evangelist, the speaker
OF the occasion, took his place on the plat
form. He first asked that every one join
with him in prayer, and when this ended
he told his hearers that it was almost I'M
necessary for him to say that it gave him
decided pleasure to meet so many of the
men of Washington. He gloried in this
city, for every citizen of the United States
could call 1t Our Washington''-it belongs
to the entire republic.
The signs of the times, he went on to
say, show that not only in this country
but in Great Britain men are thinking
more on the subject of the necessity for
leading Christian life than has been the
case for many generations The time has
arrived he thought, when all who are
Christians should join hands in attempting
the evangelization of the world. The fol-
lowers of Christ number one-third of the
earth's population, but he had the utmost
confidence that the period will arrive when
all will be Christians.
For his text Mr.. Hall selected the 33d
verse of the sixth chapter of Matthew, a
part of the Sermon on the Mount-"Seek
ye first the kingdom of God and all things
necessary shall be added unto YOU This,
he thought, Should he the motto of the
Christian church during the twentieth CEN
tury. He had been asked, he said, why
1t was that he, man of large affairs, Wis
tied the cities and sought to bring men to
Christ by preaching as an evangelist, when
he got no money for it. He explained, in
answer, that it was because of his desire
to benefit his fellow man.
There were some people, he remarked,
who placed a money value upon every sort
of service. but if the religion of Christ was
not practical it was nothing. He Illus
trated this by telling an incident regarding
a shpwreck on Lake Michigan, in which
one man was particularly anxious to have
owed him 30 cents. He did not want his
debtor to be drowned. lest he should lose
the amount of the debt.
ProftabIe Investment.
''The most profitable investment in the,
world said he, lis a partnership with
God, which can be secured by following
the words of the text, and the firm of
Jesus Christ e Company never goes bank
rupt.''
For twenty years, he continued he had
been a member of that firm. He told how
his father, long since dead, had impressed
the truth Of this on his mind, and said
that ever since that time he had made
his affairs the subject of partnership with
God. Twenty years ago. he went on to
say, II made up my mind to go to New
York, and l had but s. in my pocket Be-
fore leaving my home which was some
distance from that city, 1 knelt down and
said to God: You have seemingly closed
all avenues OF employment to me here.
Now l am going to New York, and I want
you to take care of me and help me-
Upon reaching the big city ] called at the
place of business of "a man 1 knew to ask
him for employment. The man had gone
to lunch, and / decided to go the
street to see a man of whom 1 had heard,
intending to wait there until the other
man got back from lunch.
As / entered the second office the pro-
pretor looked up and said Hall. this is
certainly singular. l was Just about to
write to you to come down. Our firm has
invested considerable money! in a corpora
ton and we want you to represent us in
the business Before l left the office I
had secured position at a salary Of $500
a year.
do you wonder he asked, why 1 say
| know that to lead a truly Christian life
pays?' He was glad to know, he said, that
religion is practiced in Congress and in the
White House. and told how, many years
ago, the President, then young man. stoed
up in religious meeting in an Ohio town
and avowed his purpose to be a Christian
Mention made that Washington, Lin
coin and Grant were all praying men, and
he could. he said, mention the names OF
many others who had followed Christian
lives and become great.
About year ago, Mr.. Hall said a long
ing came over him to live better life than
he had ever before As already said, he
had long lived as practical Christian, but
be wanted to live closer to God, and he
made the matter subject of very earnest
prayer. He asked God to remove any OBJ
stacle that might be in his way. About a
month later his little son was taken III and
died. This led to his devotng himself to
the work he is now doing, in preaching the
gospel He urged that only moral courage
was needed by many men to come out on
the side of religion, and entreated all who
heard him to have that kind of courage
Makes an Appeal.
At the conclusion of his sermon Mr.. Hall
requested those who were processing Chris
tians to rise. and probably four-fifths of the
audience did so. Next those who desired to
lead Christian lives for the future but had
not already done SO, were asked to stand
up, and about two hundred persons did this.
These latter gathered in the orchestra after
the remainder of the audience dispersed,
and the evangelist and others present talked