The Washington times., 1917-02-14
25 HIT CINDER PATH
AT EVENING SERVICE
Exhortation of Gypsy Smith, Jr,
Deeply Stirs Big
. Crowd.
COSMOPOLITAN AUDIENCE
Declares the Damning Crime of
Capital Is In
difference.

UiIICI CiiCCs
A lighthearted crowd filled the
tabernacle at Sixteenth and V streets
northwest, last night. The crowd
came to hear what Gypsy Smith, jr.,
had to say. a very different crowd
left the tabernacle after it had heard.
The crowd was a thinking one, quiet
and solemn, and twenty-five members
of the congregation had publicly &C
knowledged Christ before $500 per-
sons.
Gypsy Smith. jr., seemed to reach
the height of his dramatic powers in
his sermon on What Must 1 Do to
Be Saved?" For the second time since
coming to Washington he pitilessly
flayed tho mechanical Christians"
those who 60 to church because it's
correct" And he plead for the man
and woman who had sinned to wash
the stripes" for it is the only way
to be saved.
The congregation was in a way the
most cosmopolitan which has yet
filled the tabernacle. Cards had been
distributed among girls employed in
many availed themselves of the-Uppor-
tuntty to hear the evangelist. There
were delegations also from several
OF the churches in and around the
city, while here and there in the
throng could be seen members Of
Washington's society set.
Must Begin AsaIn.
sAnd while the mixed congregation
sat breathless, Gypsy Smith, jr., ham
mered home the lesson that to be
saved, one must start all over again,
wash his stripes. and take Christ for
his guide
And at the end Of the sermon. the
evangelist held what he calls q "si-
lent prayer"
Those who wish to be remembered
in the prayer which win follow" he
said, hold up their handS." And
here and there a timid hand would 90
up and as quickly come down. "Gou
bless you," the evangelist would say,
and as another man or woman
would hold up q faltering hand, just
for a second, Gypsy Smith would say:
Yes, see you, thank you; may God
bless you"
As the silent prayer continued, hand
after hand rose, and others gaining
the confidence first lacked, followed
the example set by others until the
scores OF uplifted hands increased to
hundreds.
The evangelist prayed for the con-
fidence he Knew those needed who
. would later come before the congre-
cation and acknowledge Christ.
Tread the CiHders.
A the choir sang soetIy they be-
gan to step into the 'cinder path"
and with eyes TO the front. march
down the aisles. Going before the
evangelist, they would reach up, re-
ceive his strong hand clasp, and take
their seats on the three benches re-
served for them in front.
One policeman who has been IN
duty in the tabernacle, walked to the
front and took his place on the bench.
Here and there came a mother, with
a pale-fsced girl. Two roughly dress
ed mechanics sat down, their faces
beaming with a strange light. Two
little high school girls, both wearing
their sweaters, walked up the aisle.
A middle-aged man, his hair iron gray
around his temples. led his little son
TO the front. Both took their seats
on the bench. A girl who had sat on
gave Mr.. Smith her hand.
TSnIdity Overcome.
''Just take your seat here. he said
pointing TO the bench.
No, no" she whispered. Il can't.
really can't. wish could. but"
Yes you can" said the evangelist.
and then seeing the look of fear in her
eyes, he patted her shoulder and said.
God bless you. little girl" and she
left.
In his sermon Gypsy Smith said the
greatest fault with modern day Chris
tisnity is that the same doctrine is ad-
ministered to everyone. The reason
Paul told the man who asked him what
must he do 10 be saved, to believe in
the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved,
was that the man was an atheist. For
him to be saved he must first believe,
declared the evangelist.
But I'll venture to say there's not
a man in Jail tonight for some crime
who does not believe" said the revival
list. Every man and woman in this
tabernacle tonight believes. and the devil
believes in God and fears him. The
trouble is. you don't live for him.
Merely Indifference.
The damning sin in Washington is
not crime or immortality. it is the men
and women who are Indifferent Every
man and every woman in this congreEa-
ton knows that he has some damnable
ain. some sin from which all other Of
his faults spring. II you can pluck
that sin out Of your soul by the roots.
all the others will disappear
Until then, though. you will not be
saved. To be saved you must take out
that bad. rotten spot. although it bleeds
and nearly kills YOU with pain.
Some people hold a hymn book in
one hand and shake hands with the
devil with the other. DO you think you
can put over some rotten deal during
the week and be saved by coming TO
church on Sunday?
The Hidden Sins.
There is woman here tonight who
has some hidden sin. concealed perhaps
from her husband. There is a man here
tonight who has a little child some
where. starving and pitifuI because he
has not been given the name of his
cowsrdly father. There is a woman
somewhere teary-eyed and weak with
despair, because some man in this con-
gregation tonight has deserted her.
Wash your stripes. sir. Listen! Be-
fore you wash your stripes. go back over