The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1920-01-23
BILLY SUNDAY
WON HIS CROWD
Famous Evangelist Came And
Conquered, Elizabeth
City
BY JULIAN w. sELIG

=. L
Rev. Billy" Sunday amazed,
amused and thrilled an audience
of over one thousand people here
afternoon in a sermon
delivered at The First Baptist
Church Not displaying all the
for which he has
gained nationwide fame, such as
running back and forth and leap |
ing-up and down the platform
with the agility Of trained ath-
lete, Rev Sunday hurled forth
epigrams and pithy sayings with
the rapidity of trip-hammer.
Never did. he fail to make it
known that he was. the devils
greatest enemy and he conveyed
the general impression that he
was the chief exponent OF right
eousness. Admitting early in his
sermon that it is never too late
to be converted, he laughingly
remarked that all of us are
ashamed to look back5too far. He
laid down in plain, unvarnlshed
words the duties we owe to our
selves, our children and our
Ineighbors. Smiling one minute,
Hooking very sober the next, the
audience were with him from the
very beginning.
/ Choosing as a text: s'Is it we'll with
thee? 1t is well with thy husband? is
it well with thy child"'. he launched
forth in his original style, telling why 1t
is necessary to follow Jesus Christ if
one seeks good health and happiness.
! lie urged upon his hearers to ask COO
! for forgiveness before it is too late, to
make amends for their past wickedness
before the undertaken backs up to the
door. He gave striking examples OF the
influence of association and his remarks
at time brought forth sounds OF appro-
i val as well as an occasional amen Dy
some of the congregation who were
greatly touched by his -oratory. heV.
Sunday urged the necessity OF cur
few law in all towns. stating that child
rem could learn more devilment between
the hours of seven and ten at night than
any other hours of the day. In speak
ing of the boyhood and girlhood of to:
tlay he said: I'VE have got boys today
that haven't sprouted long breeches thai
know more about the devil and sin thai
1>L hn
wears old. And we have got little trlz
zlc- headed sissies that haven't sproute'
= lonk skirts yet that know more abou
= dcvilmtnt and sin/than their grandma
= Tiers knew at 80.
In speaking of Christianity in tn
modern home. he dwelt upon the laxlt
with which the parents of today rals
their children in regards to the churcl
He pointed out the fact that i'll som
profesSed Christian homes, prayers wer
never said To quote IF your chll
goes to heaven or is kept from the dowl
ward path to. He'll. it is because som
other person has taken more of an IL
tercst in his welfare than you have. 10
let your child grow up in ignorance
the teachings of God, 1t is always SON
outsider who tells the child the nece'
sity of constant prayer. How maj
= = homes today have daily family prayer
. Only few
. Telling of the influence of mother
- love and how elastic this love is. he to
. of his early childhood days in Iowa,
= Ibis father answering the call to the u
- il War and of his never returning to II
. fircside. He told of his days when
= played professional baseball with tl
= lChicago White Sox and how this a
- almost caused his mother to loose 1
. flucnce over him. And it was while
was still playing ball that voice fro
= iHeayen told him of his transgresslo
= and urged that he go forth as an apo
= tle nreaching the cause of Christian
j. and righteousness to his neighbof.
- was this description in which MIR. Su
day was at his best, completely swa
ing the large congregation from tea
= one moment to laughter another. It
X description of a visit to his chlldho
home where he formerly went huntl1
- or MIXED the cows, or did the lam
no chores, was in itself wonderful and ga
10 his hearers chance to see what co
~. ,o.nd he had of effective picture Wo1
md ing, as well as modern slang Whlch
G. often made use OF.
v. While not diverting from his chos
text, he occasionally illustrated ste
. from actual events which he knew to
true and in these illustrations he alWs
made it ii point to get good knock
the use of whiskey. Never did he i
. TO deliver John Barleycorn good bl
- when he could possibly get the chan
a And by his mannerisms, by his magne
lr appeals. and by his earnestness OF
pression he firmly convinced all
hearers of his great sincerity OF p
pose.
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