The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-03-18
FILLED CHURCH
AND THEATRE TOO
Remarkable Service Conducted by
Evangclis. Small at Academy
of Music.
THOUSANDS TURNED AWAY
Overflow Meeting Was Held at
Scventh-Strect Christian
Church.

Not since Moody's great tabernacle
stood at Fifth and Main Streets has
Richmond turned out such Sunday
audience as attempted TO hear Evan
gelist Small at the Academy Of Music
last night. Before 80 o'clock tho
house was well filled. and ten minutes
later the doors had to he closed. The
police sergeant on duty estimates that
four times as many people were turned
| away as could be accommodated. A
continuous stream poured down Eighth
street for nearly an hour only to DO
| Informed by the ushcrs In charge that
the limits OF the house had been reach
ed,
Tho Seventh street Christian Church
was hastily opened and almost as
4 ing. under the directionof Rev. Henry
| Pearcc Atkins. n.th both houses
! opecu, more than 5000 people were
s.rl unable To secure seats.
Need for Auditorium.
| TIE nred fer lb1sc auditorium In
I !NcimDnd vas NOS. strikingly em-
phasized ms car after CARLOAD OF dis
appointed people went back up
town, or scattered TO the neighboring
churches A large chorus choir OF over
400 voices was seated on the Academy
+ stage the music beingiunder direction
OF Mr. Leroy NJ. st. John, who, baton
In hand, lead the great choir, some
I limos Win and sometimes without
piano accompaniment.
A unique feature OF the service was
the solo, "Thc Holy city by Mr.. St.
John, the song being illustrated by
stereopticon views. tr,,,,,1
|, MIR. st. John also sang with great eff
feet. 'Purer In Heart" The full chorus
rendered Lead, Kindly Light" and as
the audience were leaving the house.
Joined In IN Live for Thee"
Evangelist Small is preacher Of power
and magnetism. He has the gift OF de-
scrptlon, and makes every gesture tell.
HIS use OF the emotional and pathetic
In illustration Is particularly striking.
His logic IL clear and convincing, and
he has the power OF holding the attention
OF his hearers throughout his address.
Mr.. Small expects to preach each night
this week mt the Seventh Street Chris
tian Church, the subject Tonight being
Can Man Be Saved Out of tho
Church,"
Sermon Last Night.
3 The evangelists text last night was
III a man die, shall he live again." He
0 said In part:
r "a great speaker once said that Il Is
no more wonderful to live again than It
I Is to live at all; II is less wonderful to
: continue to live than It is to begin tn
live. for II God gives us beginning once.
It Is certain He can give us another, or
\ COIltluNe LIlS DeRIuIlIIlH III u WOTlO DCs
= You'd this. This IL scientifically. phIo-
sophically and scripturnlly true Reason
shows the possibility and the probability
n OF It.
Q Tho soul has longings that earth cam
! not fill. Years ago there appeared a
). sombre and powerful study Ct life In a
e French provincial town. 1t described a
v young man, who grow tired OF the same
: people, and tired OF repeating the same
. round. and at last he grew tired OF lie.
:, and bade 1t good-by
The thought OF future, where there
= is pleasure without pain. and where
suns never set and where there Is
9 eternal service without WEAKNESS, Is
q stimulus to men and saves the soul
;, from monotony.
= Cry of the Soul.
ut Is tho cry OF the soul, which 10
greater than It's environment, What
we need In such circumstances Is ex-
pansion. We must add another
"A province. Inland nations. like Russia,
have an unqucnchable desire for sna-
Is board: by an instinct they push their
ID way to the ocean.
I'd with only one port they would be
&c In touch with the outer world; through
AZ that single avenue the commerce nj
as distant lands could come. Their life
10 would cease to be provincial; II would
'll be imperial.
~ "And when a commonplace life ID
~ touched with the unseen Its poverty
Ia is redeemed and It's limitations broken
adj There Is nothing ordinary in It now:
or neither the cleaning OF the kitchen. mol
80 tho keeping OF accounts. nor the max.
ing of ditch. nor the, writing of a
letter. Life has now Its outlook--lts
spiritual seaboard andits opportun.
ity. Everything we touch then. every
e book we read, may be a. window into
the unseen" VIE
en- The evangelist went on to show thai
re reason builds an argument on the I'm
nd perfections OF lifo. There is nothing
no imperfect outside OF man" he said
60 60 Ills life alone is fragnientary.'
Ith God, to be a perfect worker, mus
ev finish his work. or man would only b.
IL, spiritual abortion.
no Does Work Live?
IN "The thing that controls Is Away
above the thing controlled Does man
;. 1t and executed 1t die? Is Shakespeare
works here, and la there no Shakespeare
-. Does the work live and man perish? !
''S matter ever destroyed? Can mind be?
Man Ia like some kinds Of fruit
/, a takes him two seasons TO ripen. He
iii not yet ready to be plucked. God save
md men. MS wc save wheat We do nc
ger save II In March, but In May and Jun'
81 81 We must walt until 1t Ia ripe SO Go
h r, must wait and does walt until wa al
ad- ripe in faith and hope and love-"
Then Mr. Small concluded by shown
'rn that faith made 1t certain, "Tt
n y blessed Saviour rose from the grave III
trvS. Samson, and felt for It's pillars, an
ion bowling himself in the very weight
TO His divinity he arose triumphant fro
the grave and left the temple Of deaf
le!f In ruins for every obedient believer. Fl
'e'- word and power and promise Is OF
guarantee and that is enough"
1ms Win God 'oThe grave then. viii ha,
we'd ",N. ar.n.s N ui1I 49,, ~" ,,a,t,r
nge room where man is robcd for ilnmo