New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-09
Morgan's Church,
In a Body, Hears
Sunday Preach
Fife and Drum Corps Adds
a Touch of Patriotism
to the Service
Old Foes Are Assailed
Billy Urges His Audience to
Let Jesus Come Into
Their Homes

The parish Of St. Georges Protestant
/ Episcopal Church moved in a mighty
army last night, and from bus and sub
way poured into the Sunday Tabernacle
until more than 1000 were quartered on
/ its hard pine benches.
The suave Rodeheaver was moved to
unusual praise. and even Billy had a
/ special word Of thanks when he, too,
came upon the platform and was shown
the impressive body from J. J. Nor
gan's church.
"My. what crowd" he exclaimed.
Eyes. sir, that's the biggest delegation
we have had yet. I've always said the
Episcopalians had the best organized
church in the United States. / never
had an organization back me better
than the Episcopalians of Philadelphia.
They have the wealth and they have
the power. and when they get squarely
into evangelistic work the old devil
gets cold feet"
Rector Heads Delegation
The delegation was headed by the
rector. She Rev. Karl Reiland. and ac-
companied By the St Georges battalion
of the Junior American Guard. an out
mt of 200 khaki-clad boys and hard
working fife, drum and bugle corps.
Twenty thousand people were in the
Tabernacle when the fife and drum
corps played its way down the trail and
two standard bearers planted the
guards colors under the pulpit. The
buglers sounded military calls, ana
quite an atmosphere OF patriotism was
created and later crystalllZed by RODE
HEAVIER in the singing OF Inc batue
Hymn Of the Republic.
Mr.. and Mrs. Herbert l.. Satterlee and
Mr.. and Mrs ". G.. Fowler sat on the
platform behind Sunday while he lam
basted the devil and rum and all his ola
foes in a sermon built upon verse
from revelations: Behold. stand at
the door and knock; if any man hear
Nv voice and omen the door ! will come
into him. and viii sup with MIN ana
he with Me-
spare Room" Pleases
"Some Of YOU haven't let Jesus far
enough into your homes TO make you
stop talking about your nelghbors'
said Sunday. NO, nor far enough to
stop the brewery wagon from calling.
Some of YOU have let Him in, but
you've got Him shut up IN the spare
room"
His hearers giggled at the nasal
tones Of spare ROOM" and so ne elab-
Grated the popular theme, giving a VIVID
and homely explanation OF what ne
meant by the phrase.
"The spare ROOM he said, grinning.
sis usually in the northeast corner Of
the house. It's about as cheerful as an
icebox, and I'd as soon sleep in one as
get in between the cold sheets OF the
bed in the spare room. | remember we
had one on the farm in Iowa. 1t had
red and green wallpaper and a HAIR
cloth sofa as slick as toboggan shde.
The bed-well. il was the old rope kind
that made your back look like waffle
when you got up in the morning"
Sunday reminiscent and anecdotal
is Sunday at his best, and he recalled
and described several interesting per
sonal experiences when he wasn't ham
mering his pulpit and pacing his plat
form while he expressed the fulness OF
his contempt for those who had not let
Christ into their homes.
Christianity No Dogma
Some people" he shouted, think
they're serving Christ because they eat
two meals on Sunday and cold supper
before prayer meeting on Wednesday
night
"Christianity isn't dogma, isn't a
creed can preach Buddhism without
old Buddha. but | can't preach Chris
tianity without Jesus Christ. I've
staked my life, not upon dead jew,
but upon a living Christ.
Don't get the idea that being a
Christian means wearing a long face.
Why, I'm hitting the high spots.
"If Jesus comes into your home out
must 90 some Of your sinful pleas
ures. and some of you will have to
disgorge your pocketbooks. Some Of
YOU parents are unwilling to give up
your cards and your liquor when YOU
know if you keep them up your boy
probably Will become black-lcg gam
bier or a vomiting drunkard.'
After talking for an hour Billy sud
denly said he couldn't think of any
+ thing more to say. whcreupon he sound
ed the call TO the trail and asked
the sailors and stenographers and boys
and bankers to come down and take
his hand and say they would let Jesus
! into their hearts and homes.
Girl Is the First
The first TO reach Sunday was a
young black-hared girl. who made her
way to the front alone and in perfect
3 silence. She was smiling and looking
unoasily from side to side, as If to
plead for followers.
She was not long alone, for sixty
boys Of the Junior American Guard got
up while the choir sang almost Per-
1 Suaded" and marched out into the saw
dust aisle and on up to the evangelist.
Members of delegations from the City
Bank Club. Girls Friendly Society and
the Central Branch. Young Mems Chris
/ tian Association. also took up the pro-
cession. In all. l.127 took Sundays
hand. In the afternoon the trail hit
! tiers numbered 362.