Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-05-14

the group or ministers Sedteu dt ohe
side of the platform and walked to
the side of the evangelist.
Let us pray" he said simply, and
then began the opening invocation.
There were literally thousands pres
ent that evening to whom sacred wor-
ship was something strange, but all
listened to the prayer Of the pastor of
the Central church, and thousands
added their silent Amen" to his earn
est petitions for Gods help in the
mighty conflict which was to be wag-
ed in the following weeks in Bronson.
After the prayer another hymn was
announced, and the chorus leader
again took charge.
An offering was taken to defray the
expenses of erecting the tabernacle
and heating and lighting it, the evan
gelist declaring that these offerings
would be taken up for a week or two
until the money needed for the ex-
penses Of the campaign were raised.
Remember this is not taber-
nickel" he exclaimed. Make the Of
fering a good one, as we want to get
these collections out Of the way as
soon as possible"
Announcements were made OF the
various prayer meetings morning py
morning and of the plans for shop
meetings and other special gatherings
from time to time.
Then the evangelist began his open
ing sermon. 1t was brief, pointed,
practical and altogether informal.
We'll just get acquainted tonight
he declared, with the smile on his face
which soon became familiar to his au-
ditors. 81 am here to help you. /
want to do my part in building up
Gods kingdom on earth, and If God
can build his kingdom better with me
in my coffin I won't kick. Let Gods
kingdom come, no matter what the
consequences may be.
1--WE will make a good deal Of sing
ing in this campaign" he continued.
There is great virtue in song. Great
revivals never come without song
Song is the ennobling element that
contributes to successful religious
awakenings. Song and revivals are
inseparable. I don't mean the kind
that takes the diaphram exercises to
produce" here illustrating in a vivid
way the gyrations that singers Of class
ical and high class music usually go
through. There was considerable
laughter among the audience.
That's right" commented Mr. Sun
day. You don't need to be afraid OF
laughing in my meetings. There Is no
command Of God, Thou shalt not
laugh but some people think they are
not religious unless their faces are as
long as a hore's face"
The audience was getting on friend
ly terms with the speaker and he con-
tinued in a more earnest tone:
I'VE need a revival of the old time
religion in Bronson, and 1 am going to
preach the old gospel. 1 am an old
fashioned preacher, Of the old fash
ioned gospel that has warmed this old
world for years, the gospel Of Calvary
Of salvation and Of atonement.
I'VE need to begin these meetings
right" exclaimed the speaker. IF you
want a revival of religion to come tc
Bronson you must take a piece OF
chalk and draw a circle around your
self and ask the Lord to begin inside
that circle"
Here Mr. Sunday showed how to dc
it, using a genuine piece Of chalk and
making a ring with It in the brussels
carpet which covered the platform.
Think of the drunkenness, the mis-.
cry, the lust, the gambling and the
sin in Bronson" he shouted. "Thinl
of the vice, the want and the squalor;
think Of the mountains of guilt ir
this city. IT, will not move easily
You've got )ray. This is cause
to demand an laborers, and I say
it reverently, f God can't get human
agents to do his work it will go un'
done''
He also chided inconsistent church
members with their failures to live the
right kind Of lives before the world.
"The bad sermons people preach
with their lives" he proclaimed
"overrate the influence Of good ser.
mons from the pulpit. You pray one
day and cheat somebody in a horse
trade the next day. l can tell more
about your religion by trading horses
with you on Thursday than by hearing
you yell 'Amen!' in the prayer meet
ing on Wednesday night"
There were a number Of the eager
listeners who nodded their heads a,
this saying. and Billy noticed it al
| once.
That's right" he declared; 'yor
know 1 am telling you the truth.
have come to Bronson to speak the
truth, and l will speak it. You have
a gang here, 1 know, for there is 6
gang in every town, but l am no
afraid Of them. l never back pedalet
for any gang yet, and l never will"
This emphatic statement was greet
ed with applause, and George Cald
we'll just happened to glance out int
the audience and saw Bud McCres
sitting near a side door not far from
the front. The dark scowl on Nc
Crea's face as he heard the evangelis
bid defiance to the gang was plainly
visible.
The speaker walked up and dowr
the platform as he continued:
| II know a man down in Illinois wh'
used to yell 'Amen!' at the praye
meetings and paid his washerwomal
so cents for doing the washing. ON
day he invited her to dinner, and theI
the miserable old scalawag docked he
% cents for the dinner when it came
to pay for the washing. A little late
during a revival meeting the old skin
flint scoundrel had the nerve to go vi
to the woman and ask her to be
| Christian.
You go to the devil was the re