The Tupelo journal. (Tupelo, Miss.) 1876-1924, 1907-08-16

also repeated as the brother took
his place in the chair at the be.
ginning of each meeting, ano
whenever anything specially
good took place at any and all
times. Bro. Gates is a wonder.
full leader and guider of men,
ruling with gentle but firm
hand, so that the very best OF
order prevailed throughout the
meeting. The truth is the peo-
pie were so anxious to hear ev-
cry word which fell from his
lips tnat they fixed their eyes
and attention on him from the
time he came into the house.
Now, then, you ask me for the
secret of his power. He is sim.
| pie in his manners and plain in
his speech. He took no orator.,
cal flights and indulged in nc
clap trap, nor did he tell a lot of
funny anecdotes, but he preach
ed the plain, old fashioned story
of the cross. He has not for
gotten that God has said in His
Book, there is He'll, and that it
it is a place of fire and brim-
stone, and that men must repent
of their sins and believe on Je-
sus Christ and be born again in
order to attain salvation. This he
preached all the time. putting it
in different forms, and urging
home to the sinner at every SER
vice these truths. He believes
in the old fashioned mourner's
bench, but with the distinct
statement that Jesus could and
would save in a moment, when
ever the sinner repented of his
sins and, prayed to be saved and
claimed the promise of God to
save all who would confess and
at the same time surrender their
lives to God and His service.
Was there any manifestation of
the Spirits power during the
meeting? Yes, many. The
truth is men and women had to
stay away from the tabernacle
unless they expected to be
touched by the power of God.
| give you two instances OF
this wonderful mower. A Young
drummer living in the city said
just as the preacher came here
that there was nothing in him,
that he was a fraud, and his
forte was to work on the women
and children and get them hog
wild, and thus conduct the meet
ings. His sister said to my wife,
II am not going to join the
church while Bro Gates is here.
and you need not mention it to
me-" All right, what was the
result? The young drummer
had set apart money to go off on
his trip. The young lady left
the city to get away from the
meeting and from God! But the
heart burdened mother and
friends were praying for them.
Monday morning came, but the
young man did not go on his
trip, and the young woman had
to return home to the meeting
Monday evening, and that very
Monday night they both realized
that, whether there was any
thing in the preacher or moi
and whether they intended te
join the church or not, there was
something in the power of Goo
/ to break down the hard heart
and the stubborn will and subdu>
them to Himself and make then
willing in the day of His power,
God moves in a mysterious
way His wonders to perform. -
For some days and nights the
services were very much inter
rupted by the noise from the
trains on the Frisco road. Bro
Gates announced at the moor
service one day that we woule
have to move the services from
that place unless the noise o1
the switching could be cut ou
during the services, and asked
the committee and the business
men of the city to communicate
by wire with the authorities O
the road to see if they would no
stop the moving trains from II
to IL o'clock in the morning ant
j from 8 to 10 at night. We frs
tried the authorities at Amory
and the reply was that they
would do the best they could, bu
the work would have to be done
We then appealed to the officers
at Birmingham and the genera
manager said yes, he would Gu
it all out during those hours al
together, The promise of th'
general manager was kept re
markahly we'll, and the people
feel very grateful to him and tn,
employees of the road for theil
kindness. But the thing tina
surprised everybody so mucl
is that the request would hav'
/ lbeen granted at all. But Bro
Gates went at it by prayer-tel
J; egrams to heaven as we'll as b.
/ telegrams to the general man