The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-11-05

men NEE TING
OF GRE,A POWER I {. R
Secretary Smith Holds Remarkable
1lsetvice Here,
I.
ONE HUNDRED CONVERSIONS.
The Academy Crowded. and Many Turn.
ed Avay-Great Numbers Dc
clare They VIII Live
Tor Christ.
ONE HUNDRED CONVERSIONS.

Tho mer.s meeting conducted at the
Academy of Music Sunday afternoon by
Mr.. Frederick b. Smith, the noted
evangelist and secretary OF the lnterna-
sional y. NJ. c. a., was one of the most
remarkable eyer held in lichmond-
The audience packed the large play
house TO the DOORS and would have been
Uuch larger If more people could have
gotten in; The music was inspiring; The
address OF Mr.. Smith was one of great
earnestness and power, and over one hun
bred men am boys accepted his invita-
ton anu declared their purpose to leaG
better lives.
Seldom does a meeting of such magni-
tude start on time, and the intense inter-
est created will be evidenced by the fact
tina the meeting commenced fifteen min
ues ahead of time, with every possible
available space in the house occupied, and
hundreds o. men were turned away This
4 great @1neeting was held under the aus
pices Of the Young Mems Christian Asso-
citation. ana sfor2lays. much time had been
given TO make every detail perfect. IL
there was a man in Richmond who did
not receive an invitation TO attend. it was
his own fault. Mr.. Smith. III speaking
! to a leading business man Sunday night,
I said the arrangements were the most per-
feet he had ever seen outside of a great
SUhNeullOIi. lJuTlllS l1lC past week ID 10y dl
committee of workers had been faithful
in their cooperation with the secretaries
/ and on SUNDAY afternoon as the doors
opened for the service fully two hundred
men We're in their places as ushers or
workers. or in the male chorus. Rarely.
If ever. has there been such a marvel
Gus outpouring of men, ready to cooper
ate heart and hand.
GREAT RELIGIOUS WORK.
N ifSSgisscpnfipn hp Nn1Inn Mems Chris
tian Association stood for distinctively
religious work. The addition of the edu-
caticnal and physical departments has
not lessened the Importance of the re-
5igicus, and to-day, as ever before. the
first aim and work Of the association is
the. growth of men in their spiritual
lives. and the enlistment of these men in
the spiritual welfare of their fellowmen.
There were fully fifteen hundred Chris
tan men at the Academy Sunday, and
if any man has ever had the impression
that Christianity was represented by
weak men, it WAS totally disappointed
Sunday; there they sat, strong, Gphysic-
j ally. intellectually. and with spiritual
strer 9Th because of their Christian faith.
/ General Secretary Mckee was in charge
! of: the work. and the male chorus of fully
Seyenty-fire voices, under the direction
of Mr.. Shepherd Webb opened the SER
vice with two stirring hymns. Mr.. d. s.
SSdi tplT was dI liz riIiN <itsSl ..
Richie and Wren, cornetists. and Mr.. w.
p. Talliaferro accompanied on the violin.
Such anthem Of praise has scarcely
ever been heard as that which arose as.
the men joined in singing the first hymn,
'tAll hail the Power Of Jesus Name.
The great audience then arose and Joined
with inteIse earneStness and devotion in
singing Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus
after which DR.. r. j. Willingham led in
a most earnest appeal for the blessing CT
God. The Virginia Glec Club sang in a
most effective manner, I'm Pilgrim,
I'm a Stranger and one could almost
have heard a pin fall i nthc perfect 81
1cncc.
Mr.. Smith then made an appeal to the
audience for offering with which to
meet the expenses of the work and to
provide funds for future work of
EImilar character. stating emphatically
that not che penny of the amount would
go to linn. After earnest prayer by DR..
Hawthorne, Secretary Mckee, of the
Young Mems Christian Association
nounced the meeting for next Sunday.
which will be held in the Association hall. !
: led by DIR. Willingham. a man of God and
powerful speaker, extending at the
same time most cordial Invitation to
the mem 10 join i'll the study of Gods
word i'll one of the Bible classes CON
Quoted by the association, stating that
IF other classes We're needed TO suit the
convenience Of the men. they would be
provided for. Then in a brief word of
introduction, he presented Mr.. Smith.
whose coming had been awaited with in
tense interest by the great audience that
literally packed the theatre
MADE A FINE ADDRESS.
AT exactly o'clock Mr.. Smith began to
speak. and not over dozen men of the
2 over two thousand present. left the house
for a nhour and a half, and six or seven
hundred We're standing during all of this
time. Mr.. Smiths address orl.-.A Strong
Man" was q matchless argument for
Christian manhood. simple in style of
Intense interest and earnestness. apt in
illustration, and held the undivided at
tentlon of the audience, and two or three
times they broke into a. perfect storm of
applause as he drove the nail in and
clinched it. He showed the qualities
which go TO make up a, truly strong man,
proving that an educated man. or a man
physically robust. is not necessarily a
Strong man. though these are valuable
Points The really strong man. he de-
cla-ed to be the one who, through hard
fight resists a temptation to do wrong.
He closed with a vigorous plea for men
to take stand for Jesus Christ and the
eloquence of his appeal is attested by the
fact that fully one hundred men then and
there made profession of faith
at the close OF this eloquent and power
ful address over one hundred men re-
ouested to he remembered i'll the PRAYER
offred ny Rev. W. w. Lear. AR Hadion
S. Watkins then sang. in Ills sweetest
voice and with great heart a solo that
kept every man quiet.
MANY COME OUT FOR CHRIST.
Mr.. Smith gave an intensely earnest in
ritaton to every unsayed man to take
stand for and confess Jesus Christ and
over a hundred men arose throughout the
house. Then came the most Impressive
scene of ALL The great audience was d y
missed. the benediction being pronounced
hy Re-. DR. Z. a.. Peal. MIR. Smith asked
every man who had made a profession OF
faith to come and take a seat in the
front of the house. and asked every Chris
tian man Nho cared to do so to remain.
From all over the house one by one