The Golden age. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1906-1915, April 26, 1906, Page 7, Image 7

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DA Y OF FASTING AND PR A TER Stirring Testimony Given at the Revival Meetings.—How Dr. Torrey Regained Power in Prayer. Notable Conversions at the Revival Rooms. NE of the most memorable days of the revival in Philadelphia was Good Fri day, which was observed as a day of fasting and prayer. In announcing such a day, Dr. Torrey declared that al though great things had been witnessed in Philadelphia, yet far greater could be seen before the campaign closed if the Christians would pray much more O earnestly and agonizingly than they had been do ing. He said: “Such meetings have been held in almost every city we have visited so far, and the greatest spirit ual good has always resulted from them. I have every reason to believe that the same results will follow our meeting to-morrow, and I ask for prayer from all, Prayer is what counts with God, and it is prayer we want. Pray! Pray! Pray!” From beginning to end the day was one of glo rious victory. Meetings were held almost contin uously from six o’clock morning prayer until the uast persons left the building at 11 p. m. It is estimated that 11,500 people attended the various meetings which were held throughout the day, as follows: 6 a. m 600 persons. 10 a. m. and n00n2,500 persons. 3 p. m 3,000 persons. 8 p. m 5,500 persons. Total 11,500 persons. One of the most striking features of each ser vice were the glowing testimonies which were given by the converts and by the revived Christians. Home Prayer Meetings. At the 10:30 a. m. service many arose, and with radiant faces told of how God’s Spirit had been present at the cottage prayer meetings held in their homes at the suggestion of Dr. Torrey. One lady stood up and said: “We had a meeting at our home, and invited our neighbors across the street to join us. One of the neighbors came in. She was not converted, but before she left the meeting she was converted. ” Another said that she and her husband had a prayer meeting at their home, and then went to the home of a colored washerwoman, read the 19th chapter of St. John to her, and had prayer. Before they left her home two were converted. Throughout the day scores of stirring testimo nies were given and many touching letters were read by the evangelists, some full of praise, others asking prayer for unsaved friends. One letter read by Dr. Torrey, told how a revival fire had started in one church, which resulted in 50 conversions in two weeks. The writer said: “My dear Brother: I have attended your meetings very often. It seems the past few days you are distressed because Christians are not doing their duty. I must say if you could see our church you would have much cause for rejoicing. We were dead spiritually, but we who had attended your meetings were revived and began praying and doing personal work in our church. Praise the Lord, near ly fifty have been saved during the pa«t two weeks. It seems Hymn No. 11 was the starting of it. I made them sing it over and over again until the fire began burning.” The hymn referred to is “The Old Time Fire,” the chorus of which is as follows: “Send the old-time fire upon us, Lord! Send the old-time fire upon us, Lord! Send the old-time fire upon us, Lord! And burn up all the dross.” The Traveling Power of Prayer. At the evening service Dr. Torrey read a letter from a Hollander showing how the revival fire is The Golden Age for April 26, 1906. By GEORGE T. B. DAVIS making itself felt even across the sea in Holland. The letter was as follows: “Dear Dr. Torrey: Being a convert of your mis sion, I want to inform you of a pleasing incident which shows the power of prayer. Since I became a Christian I have been endeavoring to have my parents and brothers and sisters and their families take Christ. They had not been to church for years. They were not wicked, and did not lead an evil life, but they had not taken Christ as their Savior. About two weeks ago I sent a letter home speak ing about my conversion, and last Monday receiv ed a letter from my eldest sister saying that she and her husband had been converted, and the pe culiar part of it is that the letter my people sent to me must have been sent at the same time I sent mine to them. I am going to do as I said before— go to Holland and preach the Gospel to my coun trymen.’ ’ On the afternoon of the day of fasting and pray er, the audience was deeply moved by Dr. Torrey’s sermon on “Hindrances to Prayer.” He told how a sin which he was holding on to had once kept him from having power in prayer. He said: “It was at a time when I was running a mission entirely on money gained through prayer, and one day it looked as if we would have to close the doors if some cash did not come in. I and my associates had prayed and prayed, and as everybody knew the mission was supported solely through prayer, I was fearful lest men and women might scoff at the power of prayer in case we had to close. “One night while I was staying alone in my house, I woke up about midnight with severe pains in my body, and, getting up, I prayed God to relieve me physically, and send me the money we needed for the mission. But it was just like praying to a sky of brass. There was no answer, and my pain was getting worse and worse all the time. Then the devil took advantage of the opportunity and tried to make me believe that there was no God. and that I was deserted. But I kept praying, and after awhile I thought of a certain sin of mine, which I knew was a sin, but which I had compro mised on, and I told God that I would drop that sin if He would tell me it was a sin. Still a sky of brass and my pain getting worse every minute. “Then I told God I would drop that sin which I had known all along I should have dropped. In a few minutes I was sound asleep, and the next morning I was as well as I am now. And the next morning brought the money needed, too.” Results of the Revival Rooms. The Revival Rooms recently opened in the Hale Building, where a man may go and talk over spir itual things, have proved to be most successful. Men have gone in there burdened with sin, and have come out with hearts full of joy and faces glow ing with the light of Christ. During the first three days after they were opend, four men were convert ed outright, five backsliders were restored, and twelve persons were given spiritual help. Among the visitors to the rooms are all sorts of people—business men, traveling men, drunkards and criminals; some of them want to find Christ, and ethers come after advice on spiritual things which have perplexed them. The man in charge of the rooms, Rev. W. S. Jacoby, is an ideal man for the position, for he is filled with the Spirit of God. and his past life as a drunkard, policeman and sailor enable him to cope with all kinds of men in all walks of life. When I asked Mr. Jacoby to tell me about some of the men who have come to him for help, he said: “Grace Enough fcr Me.’’ “One of the cases dealt with in the Inquiry Rooms, was a gentleman who came in and said that there was something wrong with his Christian ex- perience, and wanted to know what it was. He had seen in others an experience which he did not have, and said, ‘I want it.’ For example he told me of a young man who worked under him who was an habitual drunkard; the minute his wages were put into his hands he would go off to the rum shop, and in a little while he would be penni less. He was fast becoming a hopeless case. One day recently this gentleman was in the Academy of Music, when he noticed in front of him the young man who had been a drunkard, singing ‘Grace Enough for Me,’ with a look on his face such as he had never seen there before. He met him shortly afterward and asked what had caused the change, and the former drunkard replied that he had gone one day to the Academy of Music, with his bottle in his pocket, and they had sung ‘Grace Enough for Me.’ The power of God came down upon him through tins? words, and he was con verted, and has since become so active in his work for Christ that his companions have dubbed him ‘Torrey the Second.’ “This gentleman said to me, ‘Now he’s got some thing that I haven’t, and I want it.’ After a little conversation the gentleman went away convinced that his trouble had been unbelief, and that he had not stepped out on the promises of God and press ed forward in the work for the Master which will surely bring victory and joy to any soul who is dead in earnest.” Mr. Jacoby also told me of an attorney who had come into the rooms burdened with sin, but went out radiantly happy. He said: “One of the cases dealt with in the Inquiry Room was an attorney who came from the West to Phil adelphia to transact some business, but getting ac quainted with a woman and becoming enamored he was drawn away into sin, and for several years had been away from home and wife and going deep er and deeper into sin. He had almost come to the conclusion that he had committed the unpardona ble sin, for he had once known God and Jesus as his Savior. In showing him the passages of Scrip ture necessary for one in his condition, he finally, through God’s Spirit, saw the truth that there was forgiveness and mercy for him, accepted it, and in leaving the room, said: ‘My heart has not been so light since the day I was born.’ ” B. Y. P. U. Convention. The Fifteenth International Convention of the Baptist Young Peoples’ Union of America, at Oma ha, Neb., July 12-15, 1906, will be housed in one of the finest convention halls in the United States. It was built five years ago, and has a seating ca pacity of seven thousand. Great preparations are being made for the entertainment of this large con vention, and the indications point to a great meet ing. The local committees are already at work, and the Omaha Convention already promises to be unique in itself. Some important changes have been made in the program, which will add strength to the convention. There will be afternoon meetings in the great hall aside from the usual rallies. Thus the convention seems to be organized for stronger business than ever. The first Bible which ever reached Japan was washed ashore at Nagasaki Bay about fifty years ago. It was a Dutch Bible, which the finder could not read. Some time alter he met a traveler who told him the book was Dutch, and added he could get the same book in Chinese. Being curious to know the contents, the finder sent to China for a Bible, and the result was he became a Christian and an earnest worker for the salvation of his friends.—Exchange. 7