River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1908-08-06

The great revival
under Ezra began
In the open air, as from his pulpit of
wood he read the Scriptures and
expounded their meaning. Christ
preached his great sermon in the open
air and proclaimed the gospel to
the woman by Jacobs well in the open
air. Most of his miracles and teach
ing took place in the open air. His
disciples were chosen in the open air.
The Apostle Paul was converted in
the open air, and no wonder he be-
came all through life an open-air
preacher, proclaiming from Mars Hill
Jesus and the resurrection, and press
ing into the market places where the
people thronged. Jesus was crucified
in the open air, and from the top
of Olivet he assembled in the open air.
Its History.
The first mention of church houses
is found in the writings of Tertullisn
at the end of the second century. JUS
tin Martyr was converted by the testi-
mony of an old man preaching in the
open air. Augustine preached to King
Ethelbert of England in the open air.
Wycliffe's poor priests carried on their
ministry almost exclusively i'll the open
air. Peter of Bruys would not preach
under roof. Arnold of Brescia stood
among the people in the open air and
preached until he was thrown into a
dungeon, from which he went to a
martyrs glory. Peter Waldo and the
Poor Men of Lyons" were open-air
preachers. The Franciscan, the Do
minican and the Cistercian monks
preached to the people constantly in
the open air. In 1882 there was pre-
sented to the parliament Of England
by the clergy complaint against
street preaching. John Huss, driven
from his pulpit, began the Bohemian
reformation in the open air. Luther
preached in the open air at Zwickau
to $4,000 people. At Goslar a student
from Wittemberg gathered the people
under lime tree and eXpounded to
them the Scriptures, founding thus q
society known as the "Limetree Breth-
rem"
The Methodist Revival.
The preaching of Whitefield at
Kingswood colliery is familiar to evcry
student of the great Methodist revival.
Wesley believed that everything should
be done decently and in order, and
he first thought that preaching in the
open air might bring the movement
Into diSrepute; but when he saw the
power Of the gospel upon these col
liery people he yielded and began him.
self to preach in the open air. When
Whitef1eld left Kingswood for Lon.
don his brethren urged him not to
carry this innovation with him into
the city. He knelt down and asked
God to keep him from doing anything
rash or unWise; but when he reached
London he could not restrain the fire
that burned in his soul, and he was
soon standing among the thousands
at Moorsfield, preaching to them in a
voice of thunder.
Better Than Policemen.
The burgomaster Of The Hague is
reported to have said: zone street
preacher is worth ten policemen" ST.
Mary's church, in Whitechapel, Lon
don, has a pulpit built in the corner
of the outside, from which the preach
er reaches more people than he can
induce to come within. The open-air
mission, known as Gamblers Close
in Edinburgh, has resulted in the con-
version of thousands. The pastor of
the Somerstown church, in London, de-
clares that two-thirds of his 1000
members were converted in the
streets. One Of the presbyteries of
Great Britain requires that all it's
ministers shall preach several times
during the year in the open air. Bishop
Aldheim, of the seventh century, find
ing that he could not draw the peo-
pie to his church, took his harp, and,
standing on the corner, played sweetly
enough to draw the crowd and then
preached to them the sweeter message
of grace. If his spirit should seize
the pastors of our city churches and
send them out in pleasant weather to
their front doorsteps or to an adjoin-
ing vacant lot they might increase
their audiences ten-fold.
1t is evident that the Holy Spirit
who came at Pentecost as a rushing.
mighty wind would lead us into the
open air with the message of salvation
for lost sinners. Yield to his drawing
and let your voice be heard this sum
mer in song and testimony in the
open air.
If our churches, Sunday schools and
missions should organize for an open
air evangelistic campaign covering
Chicago this summer, might we not
preach the gospel to every person in
this great city?
Rather a "Josh."