The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-04-02
BIG UNION SERVICE
 BY PRESBYTERIANS Dr. Thacker Begins Meetings
 at First Church
A BIG STAGE IS BUILT
Charms of One Hundred Voices Will As- siat-The Preacher Describes the Great Meeting Held in Bos-
 ton Last Winter

The first great union revival of the Presbyterians of Birmingham in ID years began last night at the F1rst Presbyterian church. pr. J. Ernest Tnacker who holds the same position with the southern church as the famous pr. Wilbur Chapman occupies in the north. reached Birmingham yesterday and found everything prepared for his work. A big stage has been built over the pulpit to accommodate the chorus | of 100 voices which will be led py George A. Fisher of Boston and ms wife, who are experts.
 Last night all those workers who will assist in the rivlval, the commit | foes ministers. church officers and Sunday school forces of the district were given their inspiration for the acAlve work which will begin tomor- | row in earnest.
 | Tomorrow afternoon at S:3O o'clock a young peoples rally will be held and pr Thacker will speak on The Max | ing of a Modern Man. At night all | the Presbyterians of the district are exnected at the opening service. when Dr. Thacker will discuss "The Church, Her Complaint and Its Cure
 pr. Tbacker announced that he would take for his subject the great evanse- listic meeting held under the direction of pr. J. Wilbur Chapman in Boston last winter. pr. Thacker had charge of the meetings in one of the districts of the city, but he did not tell the neople last night of his own part Tn | if nor that more people united with the churches in his district during and fter the meeting than any other. But
 he did tell with moving eloquence and
 power of this meeting, one or the
 greatest In the history of the church {; ike Pentecost In it's power and re-
 sults: greater he averred. than any pr. Chapman experienced in his recent evan gelistic tour of the world. cover inr a distance of 36,000 miles. In this
 Boston meeting 15S churches took part; sra Ooo people altogether attended the
 services; 55s meetings were held; Sooo singers were in tho choirs, and So,ooO
 people confessed Christ.
 Dr. Thacker described this meet
 ;pp under the heads of those features
 ,h.+ most impressed him, in each case making a forcible and telling applica- tior of the truth contained to the pres | ent audience.
 I, First he was impressed by the rnitv of Gods people manifested in this meeting. All the churches With out regard to name or sect, uniting III the fellowship of common faith ana love to illustrate the great essentials or the gospel; to worship the same rather and in devotion to the same Christ Jesus. unity" declared the speaker ",naans power" He congratulated inc Christian forces of Birmingham mon having thus united to push tba gospel out into the hearts and homes of all the people of the town.
 2. He was impressed with the iaci that inc Bible was upheld and preached as the inspired word of God. the only infallible rule of faith and practice. And this, in day of rationailstic Vie"s' ana Tn Boston. the hotbed of isms and heresies.
 The sneaker uttered glowing eulogy or the Rihle. the indestructibe word Of God and it's increasing power in the world. Because of it's influence more tnan s1 oOc. 900 was given last year in adVance over the year before for the evangeh1a- ton of the world 1663 more missionaries were sent to foreign lands last year; oso,- 900 converts were gathered III hea'heh lands during the year. A.
 8 Another impressive feature was the
 oorner in which Jesus was lifted up be- fore the people as the only Savlor or
 so we need to uphold Him today ..Som chow we have lost step with Jesus, said the preacher Maybe at the card table. the dance or the theatre. lie said he had no denunciation 'o inahe or these things in themselves, whether there could be innocent participation in then, ar not was for every individual to judge for themselves But there were some atmospheres that were always spir- itually depressing, and whenever any pleasure usurped the place of Christ or any religious duties in the affections and the life. then 1t surely became an evil and an enemy. But there were other forms of worldliness besides these forms of pleasure There might just as easily be worldiness in business, in the home in ordinary and legitimate pursuits. when these absorb the interest and energies that rightfuly belonged to other things, our duties to God and our brother What have they seen In thy house?" Jesus? Faith? Love? Loyalty and devotion to Christ? We need to catch step with Jesus again. And the unsaved need to catch step with Him, who Is the way, the truth and the life
 side track self and let Him have the right of way. Begin this hour. Do 1t now
 1. In the Boston meeting the preacher had been wonderfully impressed with the power of Jesus to save; to draw men from sin and its guilt and epslaving power
 He had witnessed this power over all kinds of men and in all manners of ch- cumstances Down in the slums at midnight meeting Old Jerry, Gs years old, apprenticed to sin at the age of 8; member of the legislature and a man of culture, historian of the city of Bos- ton. irreligious and skeptical confesslng Christ as His Lord and Savior; man af hopeless and ruined life on his way to