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Striking Scenes at the Revival Meetings
Multitudes Throng the Armory During the Closing Days of the First Part of the Revival Campaign.
Hundreds of Children Publicly Accept Christ.
By GEORGE T. B. DAVIS
HE first part of the Torrey-Alexander
revival campaign in Philadelphia has
closed with the whole city aroused as it
has not been since the work of Moody
and Sankey in the seventies, with many
hundreds of men and women definitely
converted, and with large numbers of
Christians set on fire with a passion for
soul-saving such as has rarely, if ever
before been witnessed in the city. A visitor who
witnessed the work in Toronto says of the cam
paign: “It is the greatest awakening I have ever
seen. It is astonishing to see how anxious people
are to do personal work in soul-winning.”
Remarkable scenes occurred during the last days
of the revival in North Philadelphia. Shortly after
the doors of the Armory would be opened the audi
torium would be crowded, while thousands of others
clamored in vain for admission. On the last night
there were three meetings in progress at one time
—the meeting in the Armory addressed by Dr. Tor
rey; an open-air meeting on Broad Street in front
of the Armory, where hundreds listened reverently
to the Gospel message; and an overflow meeting, at
tended by 1,500 people. The open-air meeting was
addressed by two visiting evangelists, Messrs. Chap
man and Robert E. Johnson, and half a dozen people
in their audience raised their hands to signify their
acceptance of Christ. At the overflow meeting in
the church the people were crowded into the aisles
and corridors in a manner which recalled to my mind
scenes witnessed in Swanson at the height of the
great Welsh revival. Evangelist Munhall spoke and
a considerable number of persons came to the front
to confess Christ.
Closing Scenes of the Meeting.
The sights seen in the Armory during the closing
days and nights 'were such as are only observed at
times of high spiritual fervor. The afternoon meet
ings began at 3, and did not end until after 5, while
the evenings were commenced shortly after seven,
and many of the people did not leave the hall until
after 11 p. m. Hundreds of people after attending
the afternoon meetings were so eager to gain admis
sion to the evening service that they remained in
the Armory during the interval. Some had brought
their supper, and to the others coffee and sand
wiches were kindly supplied by an officer of the
Second Regiment. It brought to mind the religious
fervor of great camp meetings to see the people
scattered about the hall partaking of a light evening
meal as the sun was setting.
After several days’ rest the second part of the
three-months Philadelphia campaign begins in the
Third Regiment Armory on the south side of the city.
The building there is said to be somewhat larger
than the Second Regiment Armory. The work will
be carried on there for four weeks, and then, after
a second rest, the evangelists will return for the
remaining three weeks of the campaign to the Sec
ond Regiment Armory.
Since coming to Philadelphia Dr. Torrey and Mr.
Alexander have held revival meetings in six col
leges of the city. It is said that such meetings
are unprecedented in the history of several of the
institutions they visited. About 2,800 different stu
dents were reached. At a recent afternoon meeting
Dr. Torrey related a striking incident which came
as a sequel to one of these college meetings. He
said:
Found Rest In Christ.
“I had a very interesting experience this morn
ing. We have been going round to the colleges of
the city holding meetings at the noon hour. The son
of a professor at one of these colleges who was very
kind to us, called on me this morning. He said, ‘I
couldn’t rest; I have come ten miles to talk with
you.’ He said, ‘I have been wandering over the
The Golden Age for March 8. 1906.
face of the earth for ten years. I am now thirty
five, and I must find rest.’ He came back to Christ,
and went away from my house rejoicing. He said
he couldn’t come to the meeting this afternoon and
tell about it, but thought he could get here tonight.”
Dr. Torrey had scarcely concluded when Mr. Alex
ander came to the front of the platform and said:
“I -want to tell you something good, too. A rail
road man told me last night that yesterday a man
went up and handed $3 through one of the windows
where they take in money for the railroad, and
said: ‘ This is money that this railroad was cheat
ed of twelve years ago.’ The man had been to the
mission, and the railroad benefited to the extent of
$3.”
“Now, if any of you like that story,” added Dr.
Torrey, “and you have any railroad money, or
street car money, or anybody else’s money, go and
pay it back.”
A great children’s meeting was held on the after
noon of the last day of the campaign at the Second
Regiment Armory. About 5,000 children with their
Sunday school teachers and friends, gathered in the
big hall, and were addressed by Dr. Torrey on
“What a Child can Do.” He declared that children
could plead for Jesus, and told of the remarkable
success which attended one child’s efforts during
their revival in Australia. He said:
Led by a Little Child.
“One day when we were in Warnesbool Australia,
I gave out the invitation in a meeting, and amongst
others who got up were a lady and gentleman sitting
side by side. A Congregational minister sitting on
the platform beside me, hit me with his elbow he
was so excited. He said, 'Do you see that man and
woman?’ I said, 'Of course I do.’ He said, 'That
is our former mayor. He is president of Wornes
bool Racing Association. I wonder what he means.’
I said, 'He means to accept Christ; that’s what he
is standing up for.’ When the meeting was nearly
over I got down beside him. I said, 'Good evening.
Do you really mean it?’ He said, 'Yes, we really
mean it; we have accepted Jesus tonight.’ I talked
with him a little and found out that they did mean
it. He said, 'Would you like to have me tell you
how we came here tonight?’ I replied that I would.
He said, 'My little boy was at your children’s meet
ing this afternoon, and accepted Jesus. He came
home and told his mother and me what he had done,
and said that we must come tonight and accept Jesus,
and that is why we are here.’ ”
At the close of the sermon, 450 children went for
ward to accept Christ.
A notable feature of the campaign during the last
few days was the visit of Rev. Melvin E. Trotter,
the famous rescue mission worker of Grand Rapids,
Mich., who was at Toronto during the closing week
of the revival there. Mr. Trotter has been speaking
twice a day during his stay here. With his breezy
Western style he has taken his audiences by storm,
alternately moving them to laughter and tears, and
scores have been saved in response to his eloquent
pleading. One day he gave an interesting talk on
fishing, in which he told why so many Christian
people lack power to bring others to Christ. He
said:
A Fisher’s Illustration.
“I’m a great fisher. You know we have good
fishing out there in Michigan. And I know where
the bass run, and where the trout can be found, and
I tell you I’m happy when I start out to get ’em.
But suppose my rod—it’s a steel one, and all put
up in a nice little case—suppose it said to me just
as I was about to cast into a deep hole, 'No, I don’t
like that dark, muddy place; I want to be used out
in the open where the water is clear and there are
no snags and twigs.’
“What would I say to that rod? Why, I wouldn’t
say anything at all. I’d just lay it across my knee
and break it into a few pieces and throw it away,
and then go and cut a willow switch and stick that
down into the muddy hole—the fish always like the
deep, snaggy places you know—and I’d catch fish
with that old switch, too.
“That’s the trouble with you people. You are
all patent, five-ounce steel rods, and while you are
complaining about being used where you may have
to he pushed down into the muddy water, God is
making use of old willow switches like me, and
catching a lot of good fish, too. Why won’t you
take a chance? You may lose a hook now and then,
but it’s worth it. And I want to tell you right now
that you’ll never have much peace until you are
where God wants you. to be. Throw away your old
fads and get to work for God!”
Beginning Work Early.
Good news continues to come from Toronto of the
progress of the revival there. Even the boys and
girls of the city are being fired with a passion to
win their playmates and companions to Christ.
Three girls—two eleven and one ten years of age—•
banded together and formed a prayer-circle to hold
weekly meetings at each other’s homes. Inside
of ten days they had won seven other girls, one of
whom subsequently led her uncle and aunt to Christ.
A letter just received from one of the three original
members of the circle says:
“Our meeting was a great help. I don’t think
there was a girl went away unsaved. There were
fourteen present. I notice a big change in the girls
at school. Two little girls I have been praying for
have joined the Church. I am not trying to tell
other girls of Jesus because I want to be praised,
but because I want to do it for Jesus’ sake.”
Another girl convert of about twelve years of age
writes:
“I am glad I took Jesus when I did, so I can lead
some of my playmates to Him. I am going to see
how many I can win for Jesus. I wrote to my broth
er George in Chicago and told him I was saved. I
am going to keep reading my Bible. I am going to
make a prayer list in the back of my Testament, and
if that will not hold them all I will get something
else. ”
The children are being filled with missionary zeal
as well. A 12-year-old boy, a convert of the mission,
and a member of another prayer-circle writes:
Sending the Word Abroad.
“We are thinking about supporting a missionary
(native). I am sure we will be successful, as the
Lord has answered our prayers and will answer them
again. Be sure and pray for our meetings, that the
Lord may fill us with His Holy Spirit, that many
hearts may be touched and led to publicly confess
Christ.”
While the evangelists were in Toronto, Miss Par
ker, Dr. Torrey’s secretary, spoke at a rescue home
for fallen women. At the conclusion of her address
thirteen of the sixteen girls in the home accepted
Christ. Miss Parker has just received a letter show
ing that the work was real and permanent. The
writer said:
“I thought you would like to know about the
girls in the home you spoke to. Miss G— took the
cards the following week and went over them clause
by clause, and then said she wanted each girl to
think well before she signed her name to the card—•
had she really taken the Lord Jesus as her Savior?
The next day I went with her and we had such a
happy talk with them, and as each girl left the room
they gave in their cards, signed—l 3 in all—and
by their faces they showed that they meant it.”
The three other girls in the Home have also accept
ed Christ, so that all of the sixteen inmates are now
saved and rejoicing in the Lord,
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