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Personal Work the Revival Key-note Thousands of Christians Stirred to Do Soul-Winning as Never Before Throughout Philadelphia By GEORGE T. B. DAVIS lERSONAL work in going after the lost Pone by one has been the keynote of the Philadelphia revival campaign during the past week. Day after day both Dr. Torrey and Mr. Alexander have plead with the throngs that crowded the Armory to make personal work the passion of their lives. Thousands of hearts have been fired with a love of souls such as they never knew before, and the entire city is feeling the effect of the great revival enthusiasm. Chris tians are casting aside their pride, and are doing personal w’ork on the streets, in street cars and in their places of business. The pastor of one of the largest churches in Philadelphia told Dr. Torrey that his church members had never been so aroused before to go out and win the lost. For five successive days this week, Dr. Torrey preached on Personal Work. One afternoon, in telling the people where to do personal work, he said: Begin at Home. “Begin first of all in your own home. Mothers and fathers, if you have unsaved children, begin with them. Wives, begin with your unsaved hus bands. Brothers and sisters, begin with those w 7 ho have not professed Christ in your own home. For years you nave been calling on people socially, or on business, or to get them to give a pin-cushion to a church bazaar, or to sell them a ticket to a con cert or school entertainment. Go and see them to morrow with the one specific purpose of asking them whether they have received Jesus Christ or not. Take your calling list and go to see those whose names are on it, to talk to them concerning their souls. “In Acts 17:17, we find another place to do per sonal work is on the streets. You will often see faces with signs of distress or dissipation depicted upon them coming toward you, and you can lead them to Christ. Some of the most thrilling con versions I ever heard of were the result of the w’ork of a woman missionary that I once employed to do nothing but work on the streets. “I was walking down the streets of Chicago one day in a great crowd, when I passed a man, and an irresistible impulse seized me to speak to him. I stepped into a doorway, and I said, ‘Lord, show me lx this is of Thee.’ I then turned and followed the man, and as he was crossing the road I put my hand on his shoulder: ‘Are you saved?’ I asked. ‘That is a strange question to ask a stranger in the middle of a crowded street,’ he said. He went on to tell me that his life had been wrecked by drink, though he was a graduate of Amherst, and that his cousin, a Chicago minister, had been speaking to him but a few hours before on that very subject. Several days later he accepted Christ. Carry the Spirit Into Your Business. “ Our Lord did personal work at the place of busi ness, as Mark 2:14 shows. He called Levi, the son of Alpheus, as he sat gathering taxes, and after wards made him an apostle. Speak to your em ployees, your fellow workmen and women. In a Liverpool soap factory there is a prayer band which goes out on soul-seeking tours as the result of a drunken fiddler being converted in our mission in that city. In the Sheffield warehouse one young man who was converted early in our month’s mis sion there brought thirty others to Christ before we left Sheffield. “Railroad trains afford one of the best oppor tunities, Most people will take up two, and, if they can, three seats on a train. I always move over to the end of my seat and leave room for another, and then I pray to the Lord to send me the person He wants me to speak to. Friends, let us turn the suburban trains into revival meetings. Let us do the same thing on the street cars.” The revival is awakening many backsliders and The Golden Age for March 1, 1906. giving them back their lost passion for souls. A woman who had been led away by the love of art and music wrote to Dr. Torrey saying: “I heard you today for the first time, and oh! how condemned I felt when you spoke of our home life and what a power for good it may be if only our life is consistent. Oh, pray for me that I may become more humble, for my greatest obstacle is pride. Only this afternoon a person whom I had asked to come to the meetings, asked me to pray for her. I said I would, but she don’t know how much I need to be prayed for myself. A few years ago God did use me as an instrument for bringing souls into His kingdom, but the love of art and music has caused me to become careless and indif ferent to Him; but I do want to come back. Pray that God may use me these months to be instant in season and out of season.” Last 'Sunday was the red-letter day of the revival thus far. It is estimated that not less than 15,000 people endeavored to crowd into the afternoon and evening meetings at the Armory, and during the day more than 200 men and women rose from their seats in all parts of the building and went to the front to publicly confess Christ. The -whole city is in the throes of the movement. It is the chief topic of conversation in the street cars and stores and wherever people congregate. Even political issues are being lost sight of in the revival enthu siasm. A Worker from Across the Sea. One night T was astonished to see a man in the audience doing personal work who had been one of the most active soul-winners in the revival cam paign of Dr. Torrey and Mr. Alexander in London and in Oxford, England. He told me has had come to this country partly to see a friend, but that lie had come at this time in order to have the joy of winning more souls to Christ in the thick of the revival movement. Numerous ministers and evangelists, many of them from a distance, occupy seats on the platform each night. One evening recently, Mr. Alexander no ticed among the visitors Dr. Cleland B. MacAfee. the well known Brooklyn pastor, who succeeded Dr. Theodore L. Cuyler. When called upon by the sing er to speaker, Dr. MacAfee said that he brought greetings from Ira D. Sankey to Mr. Alexander, and that no one was more keenly interested in the work of the evangelists or prayed more earnestly for their success than Dr. Cuyler. He said that Dr. Cuyler had expressed the wish only a few days since that he (Dr. MacAfee) might go to Philadel phia, see the work there, and bring him back a report of it, that he might add to his prayers his thanksgiving for the results achieved. Songs and Sermons Over the Wires. A modern invention has been introduced at the Armory which is probably unique in the history of revival meetings in America. A large megaphone has been hung a little above the speakers’ stand, through which the singing of the choir and audience, the tones of Mr. Alexander in conducting, and the sermons of Dr. Torrey are conveyed by telephone throughout the city of Philadelhphia. It is not now necessary for people to leave their homes in order to listen to the revival services; they can do so by simply taking the telephone receiver from the hook and asking central to connect them with the Armory. They can listen as long as they choose to the sing ing of Mr. Alexander, or the preaching of Dr. Tor rey. It is probable that before the revival ends some may be converted through the revival flame carried over the telephone wires to the enlarged audience. Although the megaphone has only been installed a few days, it is already proving a great inspiration to Christians who are unable to attend the meetings. At a testimony meeting this afternoon a large, black-moustached man, who is employed as a night watchman in a big department store of John Wana maker, stood up and said: “In Wanamaker’s store last night, praise God, I had the blessed privilege of listening to one of your sweet songs. I want to congratulate the man who sang bass so sweetly. While I had the phone in my hand, my arm fairly trembled, and I faltered out in my lonely position, ‘Praise God for the power that’s springing up in that meeting!” News comes that the fire is spreading to the vil lages round about Philadelphia. A correspondent wrote Dr. Torrey, saying; “A Christian young man, whose father owns a large mill out of the city, will bring the employees to the meeting tonight. For this purpose the mill will be closed early in the afternoon that they may make the train in time for the meeting. Will you please pray for these men. They are all uncon verted and some are addicted to the drink habit. The wife of the watchman of the place was present yesterday afternoon for the first time at the meet ings, and was clearly and powerfully converted. Her husband is now under conviction and wants to be saved. The woman is stirring the whole neighbor hood by telling of her conversion.” TALK. By Robert H . Harris. You’re “the center of attraction”— That’s talk! You’re “the acme of perfection”— All talk. This is just the situation:— All that fulsome adulation Comes from those who seek to blind yon— (They’re quite different behind you) It’s talk—all talk! Don’t believe a word they tell you— It’s talk; For a do’Hr thev would sell you. They talk Flattery, when they can use you, But they’re ready to abuse you, On the slightest provocation, If some gain be the temptation. They’re talk! All talk! “Just behold me! How religious!” That’s talk. And my piety’s prodigious! - More talk! Though in different language spoken, Just those words their acts betoken, Seemingly devout “believers,” They are often rank deceivers. It’s talk—all talk. Voluble, vehement, ranting- All talk. Whining, hypocritic canting— Worse talk. Watch them! ’Tis their aim to “beat you,” Scheming evermore to cheat you; They succeed in “gulling” many—- Don’t let them gull you any— They’re talk, talk, talk! “I”_yes “I”—“I, I,” you hear them— All talk! (Sad misfortune to be near them) Self talk. Hero, heroine—“l am,” ever— Other men or women, never; Ev’ry good thing “I” have done it, All the glory, “I” have won it! Talk—bosh! talk, talk! “I” will lead in ev’ry movement— All talk. “I’m” the “spirit of improvement!”— Stuff!—talk. But, you notice, it is ever Something to be—almost never Work accomplished—they are showing; “I am goin’ to,” alw'ays blowing— Gas, gab—all talk! 7