The Golden age. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1906-1915, October 25, 1906, Page 3, Image 3

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New Campaign Begins at Nashville Great Crowds Mark the Opening Meetings of Dr. Torrey — Mr. Alexander Goes to China With His Wife. FTER three and a half months spent in resting and addressing religious con ventions, Dr. Torrey began his fall re vival campaign at Nashville, Tennessee, last Sunday. The opening was marked by the same throngs which have made the meetings of the evangel ist around the world so memorable; and before the first day ended a number A had arisen to publicly declare their acceptance of ■Christ. Preparations for the crusade have been made for months by large and enthusiastic committees, and a glorious work is confidently expected. The meet ings are held at the Hyman Auditorium, a perma nent structure in the down-town district which ac commodates, with standing room, nearly 6,000 per sons. At the first meeting in the afternoon a large audience gathered; while at night the big structure was packed to the doors and even then so many were unable to get in that an overflow meeting was held in the First Presbyterian Church. T’ne chorus choir of 600 voices is one of the strong features of the campaign which helps to at tract the multitudes to hear the gospel message. It has been admirably trained in the revival hymns, and was led, in the absence of Mr. Alexander, by Professor I). B. Towner, who is the co-editor with Mr. Alexander of “Revival Hymns.” The piano was brilliantly presided over as usual by Mr. Rob ert Harkness; while Mr. Charles Butler delighted the great audience by his solo singing. His ef fective singing on Sunday night of “The Ninety and Nine” deeply touched hundreds of hearts and brought tears to many eyes. During the preliminary song service at night the audience sang “The Glory Song.” But the render ing of the first verse did not at all satisfy Dr. Tor rey and he urged the people to greater fervor, say ing: “Some of you are not singing. Everybody sing this time! Even if you don’t know the words of the tune, sing! Shout right out as if you did know I hem! There’s nothing like a song to make you feel better.” A rousing volume of sound from the thousands in the audience followed this exhortation. Before beginning his sermon Dr. Torrey made the following announcements: There will be prayer meetings at noon daily, except Saturday and Sun day. These will be held in the First Presbyterian Church. There will be services in the Auditorium at three o’clock, which will consist of songs and Bible study. Night services will begin at 7:30 o’clock and the first half hour will be devoted to songs by the chorus. There will also be two meet ings every Sunday, but no meetings whatever on any Saturday. Dr. Torrey’s opening sermon was his well-known powerful and passionate plea for every Christian to become a soul-winner, from the text: “He that winneth souls is wise.” In the course of the ser mon the evangelist declared that those who were not trying to save others were not really converted themselves. He said: “There are many reasons why we should save souls. One is because Christ commanded it, not on ly to the apostles, but to all people. That was the command of the great Commander-in-chief, and all Christians are soldiers. You know what a se rious thing it is for a soldier to disobey orders, es pecially so when they come from the highest com manding officer. 'So you can see what an impor tant thing this is to you. “I want to say right here that no one is a Christian who does not try to save souls. Christ came into the world to save souls, and every true follower of him must be ready and willing to suf fer all that he suffered. If you are not willing to do as he did, even to dying as he died, you are not a Christian.” In speaking of the opening meetings the Nash- By GEORGE T. B. DAVIS. The Golden Age for October 25, 1000. ville American says, the work “bids fair to be the greatest religious revival Nashville has ever known.” Will not the readers of this paper pray earnestly that such a result may come to pass through the mighty outpouring of God’s Spirit up on tiie city? It is a matter of the deepest regret that Mr. Charles M. Alexander will not be able to co-operate with Dr. ’Torrey in the meetings during the coming winter. His wife’s sickness, however, compels him to be absent. This summer Mrs. Alexander was at death’s door at t'neih home at Birmingham, Eng land, and it was as by a miracle—in direct answer to thousands of prayers which ascended in America and England—that she was raised up. Even yet she has not completely regained her health, and the doctor has ordered a long sea voyage as the best method of regaining her strength. Through his own choice and also at the imperative behest of Dr. Tor rey, the singing evangelist will remain with his' wife for the present, accompanying her to China, where her sister, formerly Miss Margaret Cadbury, is a missionary. Dr. Torrey, writing a friend regarding the necessary separation of himself and Mr. Alexander for a time, said: “I cannot tell yon how I regret that we are to be separated from one another for a few months, but I see the necessity of his being with his wife in this time of her physical weakness. It was a won derful sacrifice on his part for him to leave her all these months to follow the call of God to sing the Gospel in this country; but I could not consent to his being longer away from her at such a time, even though he were willing to. I hope that our separation from one another may be as short as possible, and that we may be soon reunited to gether in the work to which God has called us.” Mr. Alexander conducted half a dozen great ral lies of the Torrey-Alexander converts in different English cities during the months of September and October as soon as his wife’s condition permitted his leaving her side. The greatest enthusiasm pre vailed at the meetings showing the permanent char acter of the work of the evangelists. At Birming ham it is estimated that 6,000 people, and at Liv erpool 5,000, packed the big buildings where the reunions were held, while large numbers were unable to secure admission. At one of these great rallies Mr. Alexander told a touching incident which occurred in Ottawa, Can ada, a few days before he returned to England. One day Mr. Alexander was told about a young fellow who was lying dangerously ill in the hospital. He had attended the meetings of Dr. Torrey and Mr. Alexander in the Royal Albert Hall, London, and he wanted to see Mr. Alexander. Though he had not much time to spare, Mr. Alexander obeyed the summons and as he entered the ward in which the young man lay, the nurse whispered to him that her patient had undergone an operation for ap pendicitis and that he was not getting along very well. “As I went in,” said Mr. Alexander, telling the story, “and saw that nice little red-cheeked, curly headed boy gasping for breath, a smile came over his face. It was a bare looking room. There was a table in the room and just one book on it. What do you suppose it was? The Bible. I tell you that lifted me when I saw that there. 1 said, ‘Do you know me?’ ‘Yes, you are Mr. Alexander,’ he re plied.” Then they had a talk together. The boy told Mr. Alexander how he had emigrated to Canada and had been employed on a farm some distance from Ottawa. Hearing that the revival meetings were being held in the city he came in to attend them, but was soon stricken down with illness and was taken to the hospital. “Do you remember the meetings?” Mr. Alexan der asked. “0 yes,” was the answer, “I went ev- ery time I could to the Royal Albert Hall.” “Do you remember any of the songs?” “Yes, and I have been singing them ever since.” “Which one do you remember most?” “T’ne Glory Song.” “In addition to the ‘Glory Song,’ which one do you sing most while you are away out here from your home?” Then his lips quivered as he replied “ ‘Tell Moth er I’ll be there’ because I am away from my mother.” A few days later the little fellow died, and since returning to England Mr. Alexander has had beau tiful letters from the lad’s father and mother thanking him for his interest in their boy. There is a wonderful power in sacred song, and God is always blessing it. This incident should enconraer? every one who is working for the Master. We know not what glorious fruitage may follow from the least seed that is sown in the name of the Master. Hey-Day. By WITTER BTNNER. Come and go a-berrying. Would you wiser be! Come and learn that everything Younger is than we— We who almost dared to think In our wearying 'There were no more springs to drink, No more pails to swing! We were dusty with our books. Come and let us go Out among the lyric brooks, Where the verses grow. Where the world is one delight, Made of many a song, Lasting till the nod of night, Lovely all day long. Till the smallest glimmering nook Holds the moon in glory; And the heavens are the book And the stars the story! There the peaceful earth is sweet, Either way it lies— Under unacquainted feet Or on tired eyes. —-Century Magazine. Willie’s Confidence. * t Little Willie, who had been many times the victim of his brother John’s pranks, disliked the idea of going with him to bed. “Mamma, won’t you go upstairs and watch me till I go to sleep?” he asked. “God will watch over you, Willie,” answered his mother. “Yes, but I’m afraid God’ll just monkey around and let John scare me again.” Eternity. “Paw,” asked Tommy, “ain’t there no end to eternity?” “No, my boy,” said Mr. Tucker, “after millions and millions of years have passed away there will be just as many more years to come as when you began to count them.” “Then what’s the use of my spending so much time over this dog-blamed old ’rithmetic? Won’t I have plenty of chances to learn it after I die?” Twenty-five or thirty years ago the Rev. Charles G. Finney, president of Oberlin College, was carry ing on a series of revival meetings in Boston. One day a gentleman called to see him on business, and was admitted by Mr. Finney’s daughter, perhaps five years old. “Is your father in?” asked the stranger. “N 0 replied the demure maiden, “but walk in, poor, dying sinner; mother can pray for you.”— Detroit Journal, 3