Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-24
THE ILLUSTRATED BEE.
Largest Church
(ContInued from Fourth Page.l


Arrived in Philadelphia, he found the
real membership Of the Grace Baptist
church to be ninety-seven. The first year
seventy-seven new members were received,
the third year the membership was in
creased by 277; then for five years and
three months every Sunday seven persons,
no more, no less, were baptized into the
church.
The Samaritan hospital started with seven
persuasive patients, one doctor and one
nurse.
Seven persons laid the foundation for
Temple college. They were young men
who came to DR. Conwell and asked him
to teach them theology in the evenings.
He did SO in the church's basement.
OF the $3.50, 900 which Dr.. Conwell has
raised for the support of his various insti-
%tutlons, only SIT has ever been received
from another church.
Instances are beyond naming where the
~favorite numeral Of the bible appears in the
history of the Temple. In fact seven has
cropped out so often and so Unexpectedly
that DR.. Conwell confesses that he Is super
s~titious on this point. II have come to
look upon the appearance of seven as a
sign from God that II is right for me to
undertake the thing that l have asked his
advice about" he said. "a few weeks ago
| was considering an important financial
problem. / prayed to be guided. At the
prayer meeting following seven persons
stood up and declared for Christ. The next
day / put through the financial deal. II
seven had not stood up ! would have known
that the Lord did not want the step taken
"And here is another instance" the
preacher continued. 81 wanted a pipe organ
in the. Temple. 1t would cost $1,000. The
trustees we're opposed; said we had debt
enough already. I prayed to the Lord. At
the next prayer meeting, scarcely before l
had finished the invitation to Join, seven
persons sprang UP. l went to the trustees.
Gentlemen / said, we must have that
organ. I'll furnish the money for It. So l
paid down $500 of NY own money and gave
notes fOf the remainder. The organ was in
stalled.
1.-THE first note to fall due was for 81, 800.
Three days before 1t was due, while in the
middle west, l received a letter from my
wife telling me that the organ firm had in
quired about the note; said IL must be met
on the date due, as their business integrity
depended on the cancellation of certain
debts with the money. I was overwhelmed
Not a cent in sight. l hurried to Phila-
! delphia. l reached here Sunday morning,
two hours before church time. 1 went to
the church and with a heavy heart entered
the pulpit. Just as l was about to begin
the services a woman of the congregation
walked to the side Of the pulpit. My
father she said, lives in Massillon, o. He
has always admired you and he has sent this
check to help pay for the organ l looked
at the little piece of paper. 1t was worth
$500.
THAT morning my sermon was the
worst that ever came from my pulpit. My
brains went wool gathering and l caught
myself constantly repeating: The Lord
showed you the figure Z, why-why did
you doubt?'"
DR.. Conwell paused a moment. Then he
added:
but to me the most remarkable mani
festation of the figure Z occurred when
a class from the Princeton Theolog-
ical seminary came here to investigate the
story that for four years seven persons
had been converted each week. They, with
others, doubted the facts, and wanted to
make a test.
"'Come and see for yourselves l said.
They came. At the usual time / gave the
Invitation. Gradually four persons arose.
Then, after a pause, a fifth, and then a
sixth. l waited. No one else stood up.
The P~rincetonians looked triumphant.
Once more 1 earnestly, desperately,
pleaded for one more. two more, any num-
Der, to rise who felt that they needed
Christ. And no one arose. ! went to the
organ, announced the closing hymn aud
began playing. Scarcely had we started
on the second verse when from away down
in the congregation a man rushed down
the aisle. crying bitterly. and sprang on
the platform. He implored the congrega-
lion for its prayers. Afterward he told
me who he was. He had come down from
Shamokln that day for the express purpose
Of asking US to aid him, but when he got
in the prayer meeting courage failed him
and did not return until my heart had been
all but broken"
The Prineetonians were convinced.
Despite his go years, DR.. Conwell is as
full Of energy as he was twenty years ago.
His large frame is still supple and age has
not put a white hair in his head. Once,
for fourteen years. he was so busy that he
could not find time TO spend a single even