New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-09
Sunday Offers
To Empty Hell
In Is Minutes
Tells Eighteen Thousand
He Could Do 1t with
One Sermon

Billy Sunday is sure his sermons
would 20 over with wallop in hell
He revealed this extraordinary faith IN
his prowess as an evangelist last night.
when he stamped his feet on his pulpit
smiled convincingly at the $4,000 peo-
pie in tho Tabernacle and sercnely an
uouuced:
"Why. folks listen 10 me oh, if God
Almighty would let me 60 down to the
internal regions and preach a sermon
7 could depopulate hell in fifteen min
utes. Ycsi That's what could do
His audience cheered its approval
and showed that it, too. admitted no
limitations Of Billys power.
Don't think that you can wait until
the day you die TO accept Cod con
tinued Billy. scowling now. Gods as
particular as you are about his com,
pany. Don't think he'll take any old
bum who comes along into his arms
ard give him a front row IN heaven
And don't think. either, that God IS a
dog and will come TO you every time
you snap your fingers.
"O-o-o-h moi He won't do that. Not
on your life. And don't persist IN
thinking that because you don't belleVe'
all's well with you. pity YOU my
friend. If your minds IN any sucn
state. You'll go to hell whether you
believe in it or not.
"The plan is fixed. the die Is cast
n swell IN like a poisoned pup and tell
God that your tiny, puny' clcudeu'
nigmv. four-fushing. false-alarm IN
tellect don't approve of his plan OF sal
vGtion."
Billy himself gave better picture
than could any observer OF the way ms
sermons affect those who throng to the
Tabernacle nightly.
Describes His Effect
owe watched YOU" he mosned last
night. give seen the way the hand or
God moves around this Tabernacle
night after night. I've watched you out
there in the white glare of the lights.
I've seen women grab the backs OF the
wooden seats in front of them. I've
seen them reach for their handker-
chiefs and daub the tears that start TO
their eyes as 7 speak to hem. I've
seen you men turn pale and blanch
white and hurry out. Oh, ! know the
way the hand of God gets under your
skin.
~ know men in this town who are
afraid to come 10 this Tabernacle be.
cause they know if they do they'll
have to give themselves to God. There s
one fellow. a big business man in New
L. Ill lr,,C W "a
man told NE in his Office one day that
he wouldn't come here. I'm afraid,
Bill he told me. IF I come up you'll
get me- What do you think Of that?
Afraid to be decent, afraid to embrace
God. I'm sorry for that fellow, that's
what | am
Reverts to Johnstown Flood
In his "call TO the trail" Billy told
the story of the Johnstown food. and
of how the people OF that town scoifed
and laughed at the horseman who clat.
tered down the valley warning them Of
impending disaster. lie ended with
the injunction:
"And tonight. my friends. the un-
known dead sleep on the hills OF Johns
town There was a dead silence in the
Tabernacle. Billy continued: Poor
old Avery cllnglng 70 tne rOchS just
above Niagara wasn't in as much dan
+ ger as you are, with the pit Of hell
/ yawning just beneath you.
"The way to heaven isn't by way Of
Harvard, or Cornell, or Princeton, OF
Yale" he went on. OTIS by way Of
/ God.
Has Done His Bit
ooh. God. when | meet the people
here IN this Tabernacle tonight in
/ heaven. my hands will be clean of their
blood for I've done all 7 could. Yes
I've done my bit It's up to them now
Billy won 1,42s converts last night
making the days total number of trail
hitters 1925. Among those who shook
4 the eyangelist's hand last night was
John Whalen, president Of the Ameri-
can Federation Of Catholic Societies.
Sunday made his customary pleas for
the Liberty Loan at both services, and
in the afternoon denounced "slackers
and pro-Germans." and added: "They
ought TO be shot"