The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1905-03-14
TOLD SECRET
OF REVEALS
1T Is the Love Of Souls Says
Rev. Vim. J. Dawson Of London
CLERGY SHOULD Be EVANGELlSTS
Every Church Should Sc an Evangelical
Csntre, No Matter What tNs coagrs-
gatIsn, He Told Ministers.
CLERGY SHOULD Be EVANGELlSTS

| Clergym~n from al! over the state were
4 present al the AFT ernoon meeting at the
I Hcnehcent Congregational church yeSter-
/ doy as well as large representation of
! the lsymen and Evangelist william J.
Dawson addressed them on Evangelism.
speaking first upon the power Of the
united pray meeting.
he said when we read OF 10000 CON
verts in Wales last month. which we may
safely say was the result 81 united pray
or We NAV look Cor such a meeting az
that arranged Cor tomorrow evening ns
/ having the way for a revival Of GOD
Lieat work In this city
Goo doesn't love tho Welshman any bet
/ tee than he does the American. have
/ heard speakers say that In such and such
a year there was n great revival move
mtnt with the result that the Holy Spirit
! came into the world
dissent from the implica ton suggested
/ ir this statement that God Is absent the
/ rest OF the time. My theory Is that We
have TO put ourselves into a condition of
receptkity IN orde- 10 feel the presence
/ OF tho Holy Spirit.
The same power ls welded by the Holy
Spirit AZ the present day as was manifest
on the day OF Pen.scost. The moment we
/ are in the proper condition Of receptivity,
/ tia, moment will tho power Of the Holy
Spirit manifest Itself
II put a sheet OF paper into my ko-
oak and sit down and wait for the light
! what will he the effect? None. What is
] reedel is the sensitized hlm. In the same
I manner may we become the sensitized
/ power OF God. and arrive at receptivity
through prayer.
Al a certain meeting in London the
ministers all agreed that we ought 10
Z ~. MI 10 yniDigtAra and
after the expression had been unanimous
on that point an hour was spent in dis
cussing the most convenient day for the
Meeting
A. length one wearied brother arose and
Suggested that the day that was most In
convenient for the greatest number be Sc
lected Don't try 20 cheat God by praying
AT home and letting that answer; but pray
together.
NORMAL EVANGELISM
am going to ignore all those present
except the ministers this afternoon. and
10 YOU ministers | want 10 speak You
have the right TO ask me for what ]
stand. I stand for what venture to call
normal evangelism
This means. first, that every minister is
ellie. If he will, 10 become an evangelist
for Jesus Christ; second, that every
church should be an evangelical centre.
whatever the local conditions. whatever
tho makeup Of The congregation. whether
rich or poor. according TO what ts op-
portpnity may be.
When q church ceases 10 be such cen
tre its object Is gone. II may he an ex- /
Cellent club. but not a church II may be I
an organization Of worthy people. sympa- /,
thCtic and congenial in their tastes, but |
please don't write the name OF Christ over /
You will never get an ethical revival /
uutil you get n Gpiritual revival.
Two years ago ] came 20 pause in /
my ministry. Not that / didn't have all !
tho signs az success found i'm crowded /
church clubs. great missions and all /
signs of activity. But I came often TO !
have q sense OF tho unreality Of II. I felt /
as though IL was n sham fight had been /
engaged I'm. But for tho question Of live
lihood l would have turned my back on
the pulpit, for preaching had become n /
WEAKNESS. and didn't know why.
Il went 10 a great meeting Of the J
council that draws from every church 7
IN the country and the discussion there !
frightened me. The question was how 10
get at the people outside the church.
APPEAL TO THE LOST
The result was that big midnight
parade was organized in Brighton. At
1890 o'clock 1000 men bearing torches and
headed by a band went out TO find the
streets and they went into the saloons
TO lnd him.
They returned Al II o'clock with their
numbers swelled 10 1000. They had got
the man In the streets Al Last. and ne
was very drunk I'm some cases and I'm
others scornful and curious He was en-
trely out Of his element But when the
hymn. Rescue tho Perishing was start
ed, I can only say that wish ! could
hear an American congregation sing II
the way that drunken audience sang II!
And when the appeal was made 20 those
men In bondage 10 turn 10 Christ ! saw
what | hadn't seen since I was a hoy.
That night found what was lacking IN
my preaching-the note Of appeal to the
lost
The next day mission was proposed
In my church. and ! found that under
the polished surface Of that respectable
church was flowing warm current Of
Christian zeal There was more people
right I'm my congregation crying for the
gospel than / knew of
II believe that this ls so In all the
churches today Where our prayer meet
ings had been attended by half n dozen. /
though the Sunday services were crowded
they soon became 40 large that we needed
the largest room for them Soon young
men prayed there In public. and women
who had never before opened their lips
In public That church was changed be-
fore the mission came. And when n was
started | saw people I'm the congregation
who had done nothing for years. with
faces afame trying 20 reclaim the lost
! saw my own daughter with her arm
around a poor lost woman Of the street
inspiring her with new hope
TRAGEDIES UNDER SURFACE.
81 used 20 think that there were oon-
gregations that comprised no immoral
people But ! have found that behind
the smooth surface OF the respectable
congregation there are grim tragedies
preached 90 p murderer two years In my
church before found ~ out
~ have found that there are awful
tragedies Of life beneath the surface and