Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-03-01
MINISTER
CALLS SUNDAY MAN
BLESSED OF GOD"
Hopes capital of the South
land" Will Have the "Privi-
lege Of Hearing Sound of
Evangelist's Voice"-Praises
His Methods.

By the Req. DR.. w. Asbury Christian
head of the Richmond VA delegation
sphtoh attended servioes IN the tabernacle
and tnvtted Chilly" Sunday to hold 9
revival campaign in the Virginia capitol
To a virginian II is a great pleasure ia
visit Philadelphia. There Is something In
the atmosphere Of the old city which Is
delightful to him. The universal
tesy of her citizens, their kindness and
consideration together with their desire
to have strangers feel at home ana know
their great city, make 1t especially at
tractive to Southerners. To the Rich
mond delegation there was one thing
more interesting than the city. 1t was
the great religious meeting in progress.
1t is doubtful IL such a meeting can be
held In any other city.
In its compass, operation, spirit and
results, It has not been surpassed, II
eaualed, by any similar meeting in the
history of the Church. One man preach
ing to millions of people eager to hear
the Gospel. and more than q, 900 profess
sions of faith in Christ. is surely a e
page in the history of the Church. When
before did one corporation bring 5000
men to hear preaching, as did the Penn
s~ylvania Railroad on Wednesday night,
February II? A splendid body of men 1t
was, too. It is no wonder that the
"Pennsy" should take the position of
one Of the leading railroads of the world
with such men as appeared there, from
the president down, to manage its affairs.
The centre of the great meeting is the
great preacher, for, let the critics say
what. they are minded to, Billy sun"
day is a great preacher. He has SPLEEN
didly organized his work so as to get the
very best results, and that in itself Is a
valuable lesson to the Church; she needs
to learn that there must be business in
t-t ~. N~Y,l. a-- 49, .,.- t. -
ligion in business. Either one is badly
hindered without the other.
What of the preacher himself? Well,
the message he brings Is the same that
the world always has and always will be
eager to hear-the Bible message OF sail
walton. How often is 1t the case that
the beauty and simplicity of the Gospel
have been obscured or covered up under
the cloak of literature OF science, or have
been lost in the mists of philosophy or
the mazes Of metaphysics, until the rest
less and weary people have cried aloud:
rs there rest for " sin-tossed soul, and
where may that rest be found?"
Billy Sunday breaches the simple and
powerful Gospel of Jesus. He does not
preach 1t like any one else. How could
he, and be what God has designed him
to be? It has pleased the Lord to speak
through personalities, and they are as
varied as personal appearances. To criti-
else "Billy'' Sunday for his "Sundayisms"
is to criticise him for being born w. A.
Sunday instead of Tom Jones. His pecu-
liar expressions and characteristic gestures
give an interesting and delightful in
dividuality to his sermons
There is an evident sincerity and can
dor in the man that soon becomes adj
mirable to the hearers, and finds an echo
In every heart, Personality, like sound,
echoes back its own quality and tone. To
my mind Billy" Sunday is to the Ameri-
can pulpit today what Thomas Carlyle is
to English literature, with this differ
ence, that Sunday speaks from the sun
shine of his soul rather than from the
dark of a dyspeptlc body. In his char
acterlstic and powerful declaration of
truth and in his contempt ridicule
of shams Sunday forcibly reminds one
of the sage of Chelsea.
The earnestness and enthusiasm of the
at once command attention. He
not only has a message. but with all his
soul he believes his message and is Eager
to make others believe 1t. He is nc actor
using his art to mako fiction appear real.
J "a is a soul OF fire. with a great truth
1ch he cannot but tell forth with all
power. It is ever true that "he that
AXIS what is really in him will find men
~listen, though under never such i'm
pediments."
"Billy'' Sunday impresses you as a man
of prayer n of great faith, n while
he modernizes biblical scenes and expires
sions, ne is never irreverent nor flippant.
The power with which he grips his great
audiences and holds their attention to the
end is one of the remarkable gifts of this
remarkable man. He has a valuable help
er in his gifted wife. Mrs. Sunday.
Philadelphia will not forget the great
meeting, and generations to come will rise
up and call this man of God
Richmond greets Philadelphia n hopes
ere long to have the privilege of hearing
the sound of BILLY Sundays voice in
the capital of the Southland.