The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-07-22
PLAIN FACTS FOR THEM
PENTECOsTERS EXCLUDE AEsTHET-
ICIsM FROM RELIGION.
Familiar and Realistic illustrations
Used by Preacher to Explain
Cleaning the Soul.

The Pentecosters, after Saturday even
irg's several hours Of exultation, slept
we'll in their tents under the trees of the
grove at Thirty-fourth and Pennsylvania
streets, where the breezes had every
chance to get at them, and yesterday
morning they awoke refreshed and ready
for the day of worship. singing their JOY
and moaning their anguish of spirit. Meet
ings were held from an early morning hour
until the hour for retiring at night.
The members of the Pentecost Bands were
reinforced yesterday afternoon under the
big tent by sympathizers or curious per-
sons from the city, and the benches were
we'll filed. AS usual. the most earnest
workers sat on or close to the platform,
and most of these were men and women OF
middle age or past it. a set Of plainly-clad
felix, they are anxious to feel the spirit
every moment and ready to express their
feeling vociferously and unabashed.
In the continuous praying, exhorting,
singing and grooming there was no hint Of
sy mpathy with different interpretations of
the Bible, or sectarianism. The Pentecost-
ers know nor want 10 know anything OF
ethics, aesthetics, poetry, mysticism, higher
criticism, or the thousand and one vague
doctrines over which the different schools
Of theology and theosophy worry them
selves. The Pentecosters have the printed
Bible and with the words they are content.
Mr.. Nelson. the leader, dallies not with
psychologist phenomena as related to re-
ligion-he regards the simplicity of his
people and expresses the spirit in simple
~languag and forceful rhetoric.
TYPES OF SPEECH-FIGURES.
For instance, yesterday afternoon he set
about explaining to the crowd that before
the spirit of God can fill a human being
he must be emptied Of his corruption. In
his discourse he illustrated with the filling
OF a tooth, the working Of a purgative and
several other familiar realities.
Not long ago. he said. Il had TO have
a tooth filled. First the dentist scraped 1t
clean and that hurt very much, and a
great deal of foul matter was taken out
OF 1t. but when he filed the cavity l could
was
Again: Not long ago l was at a camp
meeting where they were singing:
Fill me now fill me now;
oh, blessed Jesus,
Fill me now
II wanted them to sing:
Empty me now; empty me now:
oh, blessed Jesus,
Empty me now.
I'VE must have God empty us before He
can fill Us with HIS blessed spirit. The
DEVILS purgative Is honey, sweet. and when
he has purged US he fills us with his devil
try, but Gods purgative is hySop, bitter,
and when IL has emptied us He fills us with
sweetness. Hallelujahl And I'll tell you,
my friends. that when God purges a man,
log chains. turkeys, chickens, pigs, fence
rsils and the plurality of wives come out.
Bless the Lordi'
Mr.. Nelson's realistic discourse provoked
laughter and applause from, both women
and men. There were numberless "Amens."
CAN'T BE TOO MANY "AMENS.'
MANY women said the preacher. say
they cannot give up their fashionable
dresses. as the Bible bids. Many men say
they cannot get along without their to-
bacco: when they smoke a cigar they
must have a chew behind II. When was
a young man l loved nothing but shoot
Ing galleries. boxing rings and bowling al
legs. and l thought could not be happy
without them, but the Lord cleaned me
out and filled me with Ills blessed spirit.
! Praise the Lord
The Pentecosters shouted Amen IN
Discriminatory. apparently under the theory
that no Amen or Praise the Lord
could go amiss. The preacher told a story
o. a Frenchman about 10 be guillotined,
who was given q glass OF water. Don
tremble so. my man." said the prince that
was conducting the he-ad-remoVing enter
you won't be killed until YOU
drink the water" At that the condemned
cried, Il am saved. and the prince was so
appreciative of the wretch's quick wit that
before the preacher had time to draw his
> lesson from this tale, his congregation sent
up a storm OF "Amens' and True. true
1 that almost drowned his voice, thereby
showing that they needed no word OF his ia
show them the way, but We're engrossed
with the working of the spirit within
themselves.