Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

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, 7