The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-10-16
RELIGION MORE THAN
SINGING HYMNS
Gypsy breaches on Modern
Pools of Bethesda
WANT OF SYMPATHY

Burden Christ Has to Bear-Re-
fers to Mining Disaster in
Cardiff, Wales
'Tf | had another hour I would prove
to you that the churches Of your city are
modern pools of Bethesda declared
Gipsy Smith to an audience of more than
7OOO last night II would prove to you,
he continued in ringing tones, that there
are in the hundreds of persons striving
/ to get into the pool that their misery
/ might be alleviated-- hundreds waiting for
the waters to be troubled
! The evangelist took his text from the
i book of ST John, fifth chapter. He read
from the scripture of the pool of Bethesda
at the gate of Jerusalem; of the multitude
of lame and halt and afflicted that waited
at that pool for the waters to be troubled
i by the angel that they might step in the
water and be cured of their Ills
Tells of Visit to Pool
And reading from scriptures he told of
! the visit of IT,, Christ to the pool and of
the Son of Man asking one man who had
been bed-ridden for ss years why he did
not get into the pool and be cured. And
the man told Jesus that he has friend
to carry him and that he could not walk.
Christ then told the man to rise. take
up his bed. and walk The bed ridden
wretch did so and was made whole.
/ Mr.. Smith called attention to the fact
that Jesus and the pool of Bethesda were
mentioned together. He asked where We're
the priests, the pharsees and those in the
high places in Jerusalem He wondered
If they knew of the pool of Bethesda and
/ of the hundreds gathered around 1t trying
to be cured of their ills He then an
! swered his own question by saying that
the pool was in very public place and
| that they could not have helped but know
| of it, And then he told of the visit of
Jesus to the place. There was no one to
meet him. No large committee spreading
/ flowers and carpets before the Christ.
Jesus was a very lonely man then
said the evangelist "and he is lonely STILL
The greatest burden he had to bear was
want of sympathy, and he still bears that
burden
I'VE are in the sight of misery and 1t
doesn't move u.s. Do you pray and try
to help the misery about you. The flip
pant, the superficial and the shallow
can't pray. 1t is the broken-hearted that
KNOW GOu II Is tile DTOken-HedTltu WHO
feel with Him the face of misery; who
understand Him.
People Don't Care
Mr. Smith said that the great difficulty
in curing people of their ills, of stopping
the modern pools of Bethesda was the
lack of interest of the people. They don't
care, he said The people who profess re-
ligion don't care for the things that God
cares for, he declared
DO you care. my brother?' he demand
ed. do you care, my sister? Have you
done anything then? Have you done any
thing to help somebody? How much do
you care? Religion means more than sing
ing hymns and getting happy 1t means
bearing a cross. 1t means getting hold of
somebody and saving them for Jesus
Christ. You sang just now Rescue the
Perishing.' but some you want to do 1t
| with salt bottle in one hand and hand
kerchief in the other. But that Is not
| the way it is done. You must soil your
hands; must roll UP your sleeves, take
off your gloves and get right down to
the work. Jesus Christ soiled his precious
hands with blood to save and you have
not got to do 1t. too.
Have you seen the pools in your city
that want cleaning out? Tt is no use to
sing Rescue the Perishing in lovely
drawing room when the perishing are 10
miles away in a cess pool of iniquity. You
have got to get close to them; there is
nothing like close quarters for effective
fighting. These pools of Bethesda have
got to be wiped out"
When the evangelist asked for sinners
| to come forward the first to come was a
little barefoot boy. And following close
upon his little bare heels were several
men who had passed the prime of life and
some OF them were in their declining
years 1t was estimated that as many as
$50 went into the inquiry room and the
ushers distributed number of cards upon
which penitents wrote that they cared
and that they wanted to be saved. A
large number of these cards were signed
and returned to Mr.. Smith.
Prayer for Kennamer
Just before the services began Gipsy
Smith stepped to the edge of the platform
] and read request for prayer from J Fl.
kennamer president of the United Mine
: Workers. who, the note stated was sick.
The evangelist said: LET US pray" And
he led the congregation. b
Judge Henry Neil of Chicago, father of
the mothers pension BILL recently passed
In Illinois, seated on the platform
and Mr. Smith asked him to stand that
the audience might see him. The judge
arose and received hearty welcome.
Last night for the first time Gfpsy Smith
referred to the horrifying mine explosion
In Wales which entombed nearly 400 men.
Mr. Smith has many friends in Wales and
seemed much affected He said: Il have
been thinking all day of the terrible ac-
cident in Cardiff where those poor men
were entombed." Mr.. Smith told his audi
ence that the home of Stephen Allsop.
director of the choir, was only SIX miles
from the scene of the explosion
Alton People Attend Revival
Dr. j. f. Huey, physician of Alton.
was In the audience that heard Gipsy
Smith last night. DR.. Huey has been a
regular attendant at the meetings and
says that large number of people from
his section have been coming nearly every
night. The doctor comes down in his au-
tomobile and returns home after the meet
ings.
Alton Is small mining town about IL
miles out of Birmingham on the Louis
vile and Nashville road. DR.. Huey has
been practitioner In and around the
birmingham district for many years and
has many friends in birmingham.
A party of about 100 residents of Marvel
VIII hear Gipsy Smith tonight They will
came in body and space Will be reserved
for them
NORTHERN PRESS
Il C0NnEMNC A TT1 (vLT