Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-11

LA Il - "A ~ ~ "A ~ u
YOU do III win you go out in His
/ Manner"
Hands flashed high into the air, many
jumped to their feet in fhe far-away
\ corners. All. 80 Il seemed, were Will
ing to pray for BILLY" and the success
/ of the campaign. and TO make personal
/ efforts TO make It come. Then there was
a long pause, after which the evangelist
| spoke and started the men and women
to Init the trail"
The hour is coiaev How many of you
men and women will come up to me-
grasp my hand and say. Here's my mana.
give my heart for God, and VIII go out
to live my best in His name?
How many Of you? How many OF
your How many OF your
lie was humping the pulpit until u
quivered with every question Suddenly
ne stllled his shouts, leaned out over the
throng, and in a voice-a soft voice.
sweet voice, a voice he had not used In
Philadelphia before-he cried;
"Then, comel"
when the rush had subslded, Sunday
mounted q char. 1is coIiar was limp,
his hair was ruffled and perspiratlon was
flowing from his face.
"Ohl Obi" he shouted. pray, you
Christians. Pray, and your prayers will
shake the world and shake the gates of
tttdNeH4 lnlS 10 OUlN bll lnulCdNiDI VI
what God will dol We verge on the
greatest time for God that His church
has ever Scent
II seemed that men and women were
fighting their way to feel the touch Of
Sundays hand. Two women and man
tainted Cards were passed to them by
the personal workers and secretaries, and
the men and women wrote their names
and addresses on the cards and expressed
the church of their preference. Then, in
unison, they chanted after BILLY" the
words, "I accept Jesus Christ as my per-
sonal Saviour"
AS the "trail-htters" surged forward
the tune was changed to that grand, old
revival hymn, 81 am Coming, Lord" and
this chorus rang out In the building over
and over and again:
IT am coming, Lord.
Coming now to Thee;
Wash me, cleanse me in the blood
That flowed on Calvary"
10000 HEAR SERMON.
"The Hour Is Come" Billy Sunday
gave that powerful sermon twice yestcr-
day. Forty thousand persons heard
1t, 10000 at night and 5000 at the after
noon service. With his morning congre-
CATION, Sunday reached approximately
$1,000 persons, while nearly 10000 more
struggled vainly to hear him. If he was
powerful in the afternoon, he was
even more so at night, when, banging
away at the same things-dancing. cler-
gymen, apathy, lack of faith, and the
work of the devil"-he made his great
plea for converts.
you've resisted Christ so long shouted
Sunday. that you come here with not a
koI H., o,,d
dlton.
when Adam and Eve ate the apple
they incurred the penalty of death. That's
the reason I've got to die, and I'm cut
ting 20 years of my life, the doctors tell
me, by showing you hell and heaven as
do-that's the reason you've got to die.
That's the reason they back the white
hearse up to your house and take your
baby away"
Rage at parish house dances turned
him OH the ministers. "Oh, why do you
swell up like poisoned pups?" he snarled.
He stood before their section. He shook
his fists His body quivered from crown
to toe. He stamped. where did you
Methodsts come from, Bishop Berry,
If not from the blessing of God on
Charles wesley?" 1t was the first time
he had spoken a mans name from the
pulpit and a sharp breath sprang up
from the audience, aghast at what might |
follow. But Sunday went on to the other
denominations.
Where did you Lutherans come from,
II not from the blessing of God through |
Luther? Where did you Presbyterians |
come FROM If not from the blessing of
God through John Calvin? Where did |
you all come from, Bplscopalians, Bap-
lists. Disciples, all of you, If not through |
the blessing of God?
1.-THE hour has come for plain speech |
about religion. Thank God don't wor-
ask you to worship, dead Jew sleeping |
In the garden of Joseph. Suppose Jesus
Christ hadn't triumphed over death and |
the angels harps had been still and the
angels voices silent. But he did tri-
umph." He shouted 1t again. HE rose
up. He threw aside the napkin, He walked
out of the sepulchre, He conquered earth |
and hell, He was the victor over the dark
domain, and He lives.
"The old ceremonial law ended with the
cross, and the living gospel is what we
live by in Philadelphia today"
He flung out again against the church.
'Oh, the churches that think that the
sole end is membership! They're not
blessing to anybody The churches are
here to save Philadelphia for Jesus
Christ You can preach to more culture
anu more InOHey lHdn lHSTe SNtT was
In the world. before and less relgion
preach In churches where they won't
let the servants i'm the pews, and they
pat their sleek sides. and the old town
all the time is hitting it straight for
hell"
why, II you had to wait until that
bunch did things you'd be dead and
buried and the devil would have you 40
years before anybody noticed It," he said.
Gospel service would be some innovation
TO that bunch" he grinned.
But he told how a "liye wire got a
bunch of gospel hymns anyway, and
advertised "A real gospel meeting in the
slums and the red'light districts and the
saloons, and everywhere else ''lmpossi-
ble," and how they came "They sang
Ring the Bells of Heaven, for There's
Joy Today" he shouted, "and the old
elders voice rose above the voice OF the
$4,000 soprano, who didn't understand a
word OF what she was singing. That old
elder had voice that was a cross be-
tween a klngbill and a donkey. but he
knew what he was singing that night, all
right"
He made a blazing climax with a story ]