The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-10-19
WHAT PREACHERS
THINK OF WORK OF
WONDERF Ill Gypsy
City Stirred as Never Be-
fore by Gospel of Love
and Forgiveness
1T is NOT EASY TO
BECOME CHRISTIAN
Pastors Pay High Tribute to Man Who
Has Been Conducting Meetings
Which End Wednesday
Night Next
ns ELLIS c. HoLLUMs

'.This is my beloved son, In whom /
am well pleased"
One can almost hear the Christ pro-
nouncing those words as he looks down
on the Gypsy Smith meetings now beins
held on First avenue. The large num-
bers of people being daily brought to
Christ through the instrumentality of a
simple gypsy boy is truly marvel. His
magnetic personality combined with
the happy faculty of being able to ex-
plain understandingly to the lay mind
the old fashioned gospel as taught by
Jesus Christ himself, is wonderful
That the city of Birmingham has
been greatly moved by the visit OF
Gypsy Smith no one can gainsay. The
immense crowds that have thronged the
tabernacle at his every meeting amply
evidences that the people appreciate
the old time gospel and that the new,
modern and s1ocalized" gospel is not
what they are hungry for. The preacher
who takes 1t upon himself to deliver a
sermon from the pulpit boosting the
candidacy of this or tnat candidate or
denouhcing this or that candidate Will
hardly have place now that the gypsy
has educated Birmingham in matters of
Biblical history. A fierce and fiery de-
nunciation of any evil viii not turn it
into good. The "blood and thunder"
kind of preacher could never bring to
God as many souls as has Gypsy Smith,
with his gospel of love and forgiveness.
Not Sassy to be Saved
The visiting evangelist has no pa
thence with those preachers who say
that it is easy to be saved; that all
one has to do is to believe. He says
that it is not easy to be saved and he
emphasizes the mot" Being saved is
process of conviction, repentance and
acceptance. And it is not done by the
mere statement of II believe" It Is ac-
complished only after one has seen and
talked to God earnestly and repent
antly. a
The ministers of the city are the
men who will be the first to observe
the good done by Gypsy Smith. They
will be the first to see the fruits of
his labors. But only time Will tell Of
r-2he vast good that has come to some.
AS one minister put it, one would have
10 read the hearts and follow the fu
,ure lives of many thousands to know
aow much good has been done. 1t can
standpoint The tabulation must be of
hearts and it is impossible to tabulate
such.
Rev. J. w. JOhns0n's Views
The Rev. J. w. Johnson, pastor of the
First Methodist church, In speaking of
Gpsy Smith. said: ut is impossible to
tabulate the results. You would have
to read the hearts and follow the fu-
sure lives of many thousands to do
that. l think there are few who at
tend the meetings who are not helped
4 in some way. | have talked with hum
dreds who have either decided for
Christ or for more out and out Chris
tian life. Most of them. however, have
been men and women who belong to
the church and have been made TO real :
ize that they are living below the priv
ilege of the gospel of Christ.
Il do not believe that any who have
heard will ever forget the wooing, be-
seeching note of the evangel the gypsy
has proclaimed l believe 1t will sing
in the ears and echo in the hearts of