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THE WORLD-WIDE REVIVAL
The Mighty Working of God's Spirit in Lands Far and Neat
By GEORGE T. B. DAVIS.
I.
THE OUTPOURING AT MADANAPALLE.
LJ_J
LMOST every week comes tidings of
some new pentecostal awakening in In
dia. The wonderful scenes recently en
acted at Madanapalle are beautifully
portrayed by Mrs. L. B. Chamberlain,
of the Dutch Reformed Church in the
Christian Intelligencer. She says the
scenes were almost too sacred to write
J about, but the people will wish to
■know them:
“It has long been the custom of the Arcot Mis
sion to hold an annual conference among the help
ers for the deepening of spiritual life and this
year the people in Mandanapalle asked that they
might have it separately and in Teluga, so that the
women and the purely Teluga-speaking people might
be benefited by the meetings.
“For months before this a few men had met with
my husband regularly to lay before the throne
of grace their plea for India’s people, and above
all, for this people here at our door, our own
Madanapalle peoples Then came the conference,
beginning on the afternoon of Wednesday, the sth
day of September. Here were gathered not only
all the station Christians, but the catechists, and
most of their wives from the villages and out-sta
tions, as well as the* teachers from Punganur and
Vayalpad. Some of them came forty and fifty
miles.
“A characteristic of the meeting was that there
was no set program and little talking, only fervent
and believing prayer. God’s leading was sought
and looked for. At first there were two subjects
that seemed to take hold of the people, Achan’s
sin, keeping part of the devoted thing; and that of
Ananias and Sapphira, keeping part of the price.
“On Saturday the work of grace and reconcilia
tion began between those who had beeu estranged,
and a deep sense of personal sin was felt by some
of the men. Later in the day, the women and girls
in the boarding school were touched.
‘ 1 Sunday was literally a day of prayer and sup
plication. My husband and Dr. 'Scudder and most
of the congregation were in the meeting without
interruption from nine o’clock in the morning till
seven in the evening. In the aftelrnoon, after a
prayer, which seemed to carry the people right to
the feet of Christ, the flood-gates opened, and I
cannot describe to you the scene. The men were
those chiefly affected, and one after another broke
down completely and confessed, some of them to
secret sins which they had been carrying for
years.
“The Hindu nature is not, as a rule, excitable,
not at all like the negro, and is not easily moved,
but it was as if all barriers were down, and sobs
filled the little church. One man became uncon
scious, and all were much overcome. I had read
of scenes like this in Wales, and in parts of India,
but had never seen anything like it. I feel that
it is almost too sacred to write about, and yet I
know that you, who know and love the people here,
will like to know of it.”
11.
THE MOUNT OF TRANSFIGURATION.
The climax of the meeting, however, says Mrs.
Chamberlain, came on Monday. She continues:
“After the day’s meeting they met again in the
evening for prayer, separating only at midnight.
On Monday, after the sunrise meeting, with which
each day began, the congregation gathered at nine
for the communion, which had been prepared for
Sunday, but which had been delayed by the evident
working of God’s will. Even on Monday, the peo
ple knelt in almost an agony of prayer for two
hours before partaking of the sacrament. Then,
during the singing of “Just as I am,” came the
final triumph. Men and women passed up and down
the aisle into each others’ seats, clasping hands,
The Golden Age for January 10, 1907.
begging forgiveness, acknowledging wrong, seeking
reconciliation, confessing specific sins, while others
rose and it seemed with broken hearts, owned to
having wrongfully withheld or misused public
money, and pledged with written paper to restore
such. All this, with broken sobs and groans, and
I am sure there was not a dry eye in the church.
Yet all was done reverently, and with a solemnity
that was sacred. Truly the Lord dealt mightily
with us, and it seemed that his power was never
more manifest. Nothing but God’s grace could
have so wrought upon these men and women.
“On Monday afternoon was held a praise service,
which, before closing, turned into one of inter
cessory prayer. Young boys prayed for comrades
who had previously left the meeting untouched, and
who returned in less than half an hour through no
human agency and gave themselves later on in
full confession of and in contrition for sin, to
their Savior.
“The conference drew to a close by common com
sent through the working of the! Spirit at midnight
on Monday. Without suggestion from missionary,
they seemed to realize that they could not stay on
the Mount of Transfiguration alway, but must re
turn to daily life and work.”
111.
PRAYING DOWN A BLESSING.
The Christian Ende'avor revival campaign is now
under way and many are entering upon it with earn
estness and zeal. Dr. F. E. Clark, the president
of the society, suggests individual prayer and
prayer circles as the best method of bringing down
a revival. He says:
“The question naturally arises, What shall we
do, and how shall we do it? The first word, and
almost the last, is: Pray. Desire the blessing; ex
pect it; pray for it. It will come in no other way.
But there are, also, methods that may be employed,
and which God will undoubtedly bless.
“One of.these is the establishment of prayer
circles and neighborhood meetings. In one famous
girls’ college of which I know, during the winter
season recently, there were more than twenty
prayer-circles for the conversion of- the comrades
of those who joined them. In former days much
svas made of neighborhood meetings, parlor gath
erings of acquaintances and friends who lived ac
cessible to each other. In a great many communi
ties such special meetings can be inaugurated dur
ing the next month or six weeks.
“Great numbers should not be sought in these
meetings, but large churches should rather have
many small groups, meeting in different parts of
the parish to pray for the one 'great result.
“The most important thing to do by those who
have given themselves to prayer for this subject
is to study their own situation, the needs and possi
bilities of their community, their school, their
church, their Endeavor society.”
IV.
A NIGHT OF PRAYER IN MADAGASCAR.
In Madagascar the effects of the recent awaken
ing are still visible. Mr. Claries Collins, writing
to the London Missionary Chronicle from Ambo
himahasoa, says:
“There are many diviners or witch doctors among
the Betsileo. They amass money and become rich
on the gifts brought to them. They claim to cure
the sick, to expel evil spirits, to arrange fine weath
er for journeys, and to have power over life and
weather.
“One such diviner has long had great influence
in this district. He was a bitter enemy to the
Christians, trying by all means to belittle their
work and to prevent others from joining them.
“As his bad influence was constantly experienced,
the Christians of three adjoining villages close to
this town determined to use against him the only
weapon they possessed—prayer. They had come
under the influence of the recent spiritual awaken-
ing, and felt certain God would hear them if they
prayed in faith.
“So, one afternoon, at one o’clock, more than
thirty of them met together in a village church
about a mile from here, and they literally prayed
for that man’s conversion, until four o’clock next
morning. All through the night they prayed, their
one burden being, ‘Lord, save Raz.au Akombiasal’
“At four o’clock in the early meriting they left
the church, but not to go home. No, they repaired
to the man’s house and preached Jesus to him.
God heard their prayers. He answered their peti
tion, and there and then gave them what they
asked. On the spot the man became a Christian,
threw away all his charms and divining implements,
and with in his eyes, asked to be named
paoly (Paul).”
V.
FOUND CHRIST AT LAST.
How one Hindu sought for seventeen years to
find peace and happiness, enduring untold hard
ships in his quest, may well inspire Occidentals to
greater zeal and perseverance in proclaiming the
Gospel message. The Missionary Intelligencer tells
the story as follows:
“In Swami Dharmanandg, a Hindu ascetic, of
Bengal, we have an example of willingness to give
all that one has for life.
“He sought life by visiting 230 Hindu holy
places in India; like Naaman, taking a little of the
earth from each to have with him. He sought life
by learning Arabic and studying the Koran and
Mohammedanism. He sought it by learning He
brew and Greek that he might study the Bible in
the original. He sought it by travel, going to
Mecca, to Rome, to China and Japan. After sev
enteen years of study of Buddhism and Mohammed*
anism and Christianity, he has now declared his
faith in Jesus Christ, the only Messiah and Savior
of men.
“Such a life history means a shcter earnestness
of purpose that every Westerner has not.”
&& ■
The Year 1906.
(Continued from page 2.)
worth has been sold during the year 1906. This
would seem to indicate that the meat packers have
not materially suffered because of the government
exposures connected with the plants.
The Passing of the Grdat in 1906.
Each year must hold its full quota of those who
have joined the “vast majority,” but in 1906, so
many ejminent men have passed away that the list
is worthy of more than casual attention. Among
those whose lives have counted most for the general
good of the race, and in this list we mention the
name of the Rev. Sam Jones, of Georgia; Father
Capon, the brave priest who gave his life to the
cause of the Russian insurrectionists; Mrs. Mar
garet Bottome, the national president of the King’s
Daughters, and Miss Susan B. Anthony, a leader
in reforms for women, and in heilp given to them.
Among the prominent capitalists and men of af
fairs, we note the name of Russell Sage, Alfred
Beit, the diamond king, Marshall Field, the Chi
cago millionaire merchant, 'Slamuel Spencer, thc|
great railroad president and Sir Sidney Waterloo,
the ex-Lord Mayor of London.
The fields of literature, journalism, bench and
bar, art, music, politics and diplomacy have all
added their quota of distinguished names to the
many who have died, until the list is longer than
our space permits us to use in its entirety.
And thus world history is made; progress and
advancement, gain and loss, all uniting to form a
perfect social and civic whole, until the entire pat
tern of the general plan is slowly revealed, piece
by piece, until, at last, all unite to give to man
some faint intimation of the “great Divine De
sign.”
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