The Washington times., 1917-02-10
Classes of Girls Among Those to
Shake EvangeIist's Hand
When Sermon Ends.
CITES BILLY SUNDAY CASE
Recites Incident of Converted
Drunkard Who Became
Truly Repentant.

Gypsy Smith, Jr., through his ser
mon Repentance" made more con-
verts at the large tabernacle at Six
teenth and V streets northwest last
night than at any previous service
during his stay in Washington. One
or two large classes of girls who
went forward in a body to shake the
hand of the evangelist, helped to
swell the numbers last evening.
As the preacher began his sermon
last night only about two-thirds OF
the large tabernacle was full, due to
the extremely cold weather. During
the entire service men and women sat
In heavy coats and furs. The evangel-
list seemed to be hampered by q slight
oold, and as he progressed his voice
broke several times, causing him to
stop for a few moments.
Pleads For Repentance.
Telling his hearers that they sell
dom repented until their sins had
been found out, and illustrated his
point out the story Of the small boy
who was not sorry for lying until
caught by his father, the evangelist
pleaded with them to change their
mode Of living and truly to repent be-
fore too late.
81 would do anything on earth, I
would undergo any privation, IL
could bring you to God and make you
truly repent" he said at one time.
But 1t wouldn't do any good. You
yourself must repent and be born
anew"
Gipsy Smith, jr., seemed rather tired
and worn as he stepped TO the pulpit,
but as he warmed to his subject he
seemed to be carried out OF his fatigue
by his earnestness and desire to awaken
his hearers.
An Unpopular Doctrine.
Repentance" he said as he began his
sermon, 'is the doctrine that we preach
ers talk SO much about. know YOU
don't like to hear it. You like to have
US talk about the love Of God You have
heard US talk so much about the love
OF God that you are lovesick But re-
pentance Is taught and urged sixty times
In the New Testament
Repentance Is the most unpopuIaI. Of
doctrines in the Bible But John the
Baptist preached repentance. He didn't
tell Herod Of the love Of God II he had
Herod wouldn't have beheaded him. In
stead he told him Of his sin, an unlaw-
full sim
The great Jonathan Edwards
thundered against sin and urged re-
pentance. Billy Sundays doctrine is
that sin is real, like a disease Of the
cuticle."
Cites Billy Sunday Case.
The evangelist then told of a man
who had been converted by Billy Sun
day after having been a drunkard all
his life. The convert was carried to
the hospital directly after his con-
version, suffering from delfrium
tremens- So saturated was he with
whisky that the physicians pronounc-
ed 1t necessary to administer a small
dose OF alcohol Before I'll touch
another drop OF that cursed stun, I'll
die" said the man. And he died"
said Gypsy Smith. within the hour"
"Friends, that man went to his God.
That was true repentance.
''It is my commission" continued
the evangelist. 'to tell you that your
sin is rotten. and that it must go. I
must tell you to repent"
Tells BOyhood Incident.
"Christ never made 1t easy to fol-
low Him. He held up the cross and
said, IF any man will be my disciple,
let him take up his cross and follow
me- We tell people It is only a step TO
Jesus. Friends, 1t is the hardest and
the biggest step we ever took. We
are so crazed to get church members
that we go out and get anybody. II
the devil would come and take half
of our church members with him, we
dare not shout stop thief because
he is only taking his own"
Here Gypsy Smith relaxed a little
as he told of his boyhood, when he
was gathering foreign stamps for a
collection. His father, who was then
on q tour around the world, sent him
stamps from every port stopped at.
Instead of saving them, as he had
promised, Gypsp Smith, jr., traded and
sold them to his friends. Upon the
return Of his father the boy was
asked to show the stamps. He lied
out of 1t, and was caught In the lie.
"I wasn't sorry that 1 had sold those
stamps. 1 was only sorry that had
been found out; that 1 had to take a
licking"
Repentance Not Fear.
"And so it is with you," thunder
ed the evangelist, stepping to the
front of the pulpit and leaning to-
ward the audience. you do not re-
pent until you are found out. You