Newspaper Page Text
( April 21, 1909. THE PRESBYTERIi
ren about the resurrection. He surprised me by saying
that a party in his church held that the only resurrection
is that of the soul to righteousness. I recalled
several cases where they had divided on other doctrines.
Away back seventy years ago a party called The Two
Seed Baptist split off. Later on there were the Wayside
Baptists.
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uikx an innuemiai cnurcli tliey are gradually dying
out, not for lack of piety or zeal or orthodoxy, but because
they refuse to engage in foreign missionary work.
It is strange how they fail to see God's purpose and
> command to go to all nations.
They are extremely prejudiced on the doctrine of predestination
and have little scruples in condemning any
contrary belief.
Their aggressive antagonism towards all faith and
practice contrary to their own is wholly out of harmony
with the spirit of the age, and the world will soon
leave them far behind. We are growing into a unity
of the Spirit in the bonds of peace. We are learning
to pray together, preach together, work together for the
one great end that men may he saved. It is a peculiar
fact that few young persons ever unite with that church.
May we not conclude that this results from their failure
to have Sabbath schools, failure in fact to recognize the
claims of the young upon the church?
Thus a Church with orthodox creed and nrarti.-ni
piety in many respects is decaying because it fails to
recognize two great practical methods of building up
the kingdom of God.
J. A. M.
HOW THE WORD OF GOD WAS EXALTED IN
CHICAGO.
By Ezra Westcote Clark.
An experiment in instructive evangelism has been
successfully tried in the heart of Chicago's great commercial
district by Dr. James M. Gray, dean of the
Moody Bible Institute, who has just concluded a series
~ f i
ui noon-ciay meetings lor business men and women
in the Great Northern Theater, located adjacent to
the great department stores and office buildings which
make the city the "Great Central Market" of the
country.
Dr. Gray believes in the Bible. He believes in it not
as a literary classic, or collection of interesting traditions.
He believes in the Bible as the inspired Word
to God. To him it is meat and drink. It is the revelation
to him of the divine plan of salvation.
His meetings have been unique. Departing from the
usual methods of evangelism he discarded all attempts
at emotionalism and the telling of catching stories.
The gatherings were the most deeply spiritual and reli
giously instructive that have been held in Chicago in
a generation. Not for years has the city given
enthusiastic support to a series of religious meetings.
The building was crowded at all times, and the attention
accorded to the speakers and singers was little
less than remarkable.
The power of Gospel singing was strikingly illustrated
throughout the series of meetings when time
and again the great audiences, packing the theater from
i
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K.N OF THE SOUTH. 9
pit to balcony, were wonderfully swayed by the singing
of Dr. D. B. Towner, the well-known Gospel singer and
hymn writer. Assisting Dr. Towner with the music
were a male chorus choir of students from the Moody
Bible Institute, the faculty male quartette and a ladies'
quartette from the Moody church.
"Five Roman Jewels" formed the subject of Dr.
Gray's daily message. It developed that the jewels
were really the five fundamental principles of the Gospel
as revealed in Paul's epistle to the Romans, as fol1
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iuws. oaivanon, ^atistaction, Sanctification, Security
and Service.
"Chicago needs a revival. If it is to come it must be
by the Word of God pressed home in the power of the
Spirit of God not by means of a worldly philosophy
or scraps of poetry, as some seem to think." Thus did
Dr. Gray on the opening day announce the need of
Chicago and tell how it must be supplied. * He held
true to this platform in every meeting. Never, since
the days of Moody, has Chicago hjard the Gospel more
clearly and forcefully proclaimed. The people hung
upon the words of the speaker hungry for the Word
of God. It showed unmistakably that the power to
attract, hold and interest people has not departed from
the Scriptures.
Dr. Gray is essentially a teacher. He has the happy
faculty of interesting and holding the attention of large
audiences. For years his services have been in constant
demand at large Bible conferences and conventions,
his engagements along this line carrying him
into all parts of the country, and annually for a number
of years across the ocean.
Ministers nnd nn?tnrc - i
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part of the constituency of Dr. Gray as an expositor of
Biblical truth, due in large measure to his ability to
work on friendly terms with representatives of the
different denominations, and the breadth and fairness
of his interpretation.
It was from the late Dwight L. Moody that Dr.
Gray got much of his inspiration for this work. Prior
to his cominsr into relationship with th??
gelist, Dr. Gray was engaged in the work of the regular
ministry, giving part of his time to lecture work
in various theological seminaries. At Mr. Moody's
earnest solicitation and cordial co-operation he determined
to give almost his entire time to Bible evangelism.
The recent work in Chicago has followed along the
same general lines as his former efforts, except that
certain innovations, most adaptable to the scene of the
meetings, were introduced.
Each day the text and Scriptural context were displayed
across the stage in letters eight inches high on
an immense screen. Pointer in hand Dr. Gray led the
vast aildipnrP in tllP rpaHinw nf flip \\rr??-U
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turning toward the assembly, he expounded unto them
the meaning of the verse or verses. In the midst of
an explanation he would wheel around, and, pointing
to the screen, call attention to the particular word oj
phrase he desired to fix in the minds of his auditors.
It was no small undertaking for the Moody Bible
Institute to attempt the holding of such a series of religious
meetings in the heart of Chicago's business