Milford chronicle., 1905-03-03

While Dr. Shaeffer was taking the
children were learning the sweet gos-
pel message. They were being led to
trust in Christ and to give their young
lives TO him. / said to myself: why
is If that we ministers cannot preach
like that? Why do we not talk in the
simple. earnest, straightforward Ian
quage of these evangelists? They take
for granted that most people in this
Christian land believe in Christ. Their
great and sole purpose seems to be TO
lead people to decision to give them
selves to him. Cannot we, as gospel
ministers, do the sameF
Tho Lords Work n business.
But another weighty lesson is pressed
upon our hearts by this series Of meet
ings. That is this: The Lords work IS
a business. 1t is not a hysteria. 1t is
not few holy calculations. 1t is not
lifting your head above the clouds so
that the mists blind your eyes ana
chill your enthusiasm for practical
dutv on earth. 1t is not a few spasms
and few temporary gospel gymnas-
tics 1t is a business-a business which
we should study carefully and plan
Systematically and press strenuously
with all our faith and energy.
When these eyangelists began their
work. as far as human agency was con
cerned they had almost perfect sys-
fem of machinery. DR.. r. A. Walton
was the advance agent, who taught us
how to perfect this machinery. First,
the meetings were Systematically and
completely advertised; second, all the
workers of a district were gathered TO-
gether under one head. Some went i'll
to the choruses. Then other workers
were detailed to certain sittings. Ey-
erv three or four pews had their over
seers or gospel sentinels. No sooner
was a hand raised for prayer than
Christian worker was by that persons
side TO lead him or her to Christ.
Then. not satisfied with all this. one
night General J. Wilbur Chapman-for
he is a general of men-marshaled all
his forces for grand charge upon the
citadels of sin. That night the Chris
tian evangelists and their followers
came from all over the city. Down in
to the saloons and the places of evil
resorts they went. Everywhere the
right hand of Christian brother or sis
ter was extended. Everywhere plead
ing voice said to sinners, Come, we
want YOU for Christ" These valiant
soldiers of the cross did not wait Tor
sinners to come to the gospel banquet.
They literally followed out the COM
mand Of Jesus, which said, GO We out
into the highways and the hedges and
compel them to come in, that my house
may be filed" And come they did.
They came by the hundreds and the
thousands. The drunkards, the liber-
tines the outcasts-they came. Oh, how
they longed to come! Can any one who
Witnessed that wonderful and inspiring
meeting in the Grand Opera House Of
Los Angeles Feb. 8, 1905, ever forget
the revelation?
An Impressive Spectacle.
The elements seemed to cOnspire
against the effort. When the hours
drew toward the evening Of that Won
derful night we said to ourselves, Can
we go out into this storm, even to
bring sinners to ChristY' The rain
then was falling in torrents. All the
batteries of the elements were un-
Iim5ered. Crash, crash!' went the
booming of the thunder, "Zigzag"
went the lightning. An electric thunder
bo. struck the North Methodist church
of asadena and set it on fire. The
car; we're blocked. Freshets We're every
Vice. After the theaters and places
of amusements were emptied. long aft
er most of the great city was asleep,
hundreds of men and women marched
through the flooded streets, sometimes
wading above their ankles in water.
They marched singing and praising
God. They marched down TO the
haunts Of sin. Then, after they had
collected the Magdalenes and the hui
man prodigals who had been wallow-
ing in the swine troughs of the far
country they started back to one of
the largest theaters in the city. There
in that theater were crowded 1t least
1000 men and women. Many were in
rags. Many faces were Scared and
scared with the awful marks Of sin
All, whether outcasts or rescuers, were
anxious about souls-anxiOus about
their own souls or about the souls OF
others. Some curiosity seekers may
have come to that meeting to scoh, but
nearly all before they left prayed as
the poor publican prayed. There were
tears-penitent tears-which welled NJ
from breaking hearts. Yes, those tears
were glorious tears, flowing unbiddeI
and unchecked. -Four thousand mel
and women, many Of them criminals
gathered together in the midnight houl
during the tempest to seek Christ. Die
YOU ever see or hear the like Of it
Can any one who witnessed tina
s-.-- ef,a,Nfr ~