Observer, Mar. 1, '75.

did." Brethren can we not bear the same testimony as did this woman? Surely we know far more of Jesus than she did. We have seen farther into His loving heart and know more of His word. He has told us all things that ever we did; and, bless His holy name, He has blotted out of His book of remembrance all our bad past, and we can sing:

"I came to Jesus and I drank of that life-giving stream,

My thirst was quenched, my soul revived,

And now I live in Him."

But are we doing as this woman did? Are we saying to our fellowmen, Come see this man through whom is preached the forgiveness of sins? If we are, I know no reason why the same results should not be produced. The woman said, "Come see," not "Go." It was not, Well I have been and got a blessing, now you go and get the same. It was

Come," I will take you, I will go with you, I will be your guide. Let us go to friends, neighbours, relatives, and even to strangers, and say, "Come thou with us and we will do thee good, for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel." We can all do this. It is not the work of the Evangelist only. It is the work of all the regenerated. The only qualification needed is love to Christ and a heart filled with sympathy for the lost and for those who are out of the way. The poor as well as rich, the illiterate as well as the educated, females as well as males, can all join in this important mission. For The Spirit and the bride say come, and let him that heareth say come." Depend upon it if we attend to this work God will bless us and we shall experience the joy of knowing that Jehovah is pleased to crown our feeble efforts with success. "And they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word," and it was this everywhere preaching the word that caused the church to increase mightily.

It relates more to

There is one other case that I must mention. the church and to our duty to one another. At the first interview which our Lord had with His disciples after His resurrection Thomas was absent. We do not know the cause of his absence. It is hardly likely that he was ignorant of the meeting. But from some cause Thomas was absent and so lost a great blessing. The other disciples went to him and said "We have seen the Lord." How often have we seen the Lord at the weekly prayer meeting; and what a precious hour that has been to us-a season of refreshing from the Lord, a light by the way, a stream of living water in the midst of a sandy and parched desert, at which we have drank and gone on our way rejoicing; and yet it is lamentably true that many come to the prayer meeting so seldom, and that some we never see there. These brethren know not their loss. We, who do attend, can tell something of it, by the great gain it Let us do with them as the disciples did with Thomas, look them up, visit them, talk with them about it, and tell them how we have seen the Lord at the prayer meeting. Then again we see the Lord when we gather at His table; O yes, and a most precious and endearing sight do we get of Him there. He makes Himself known to us in the breaking of bread. We gaze upon that thorn-crowned brow. We

is to us.

See from His head, His hands and feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down,

Observer, Mar. 1, "75.

and as we look are compelled to exclaim,

Did e'er such love or sorrow meet,

And thorns compose so rich a crown?

In all this we are taught the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and we covenant afresh to battle with it wherever we find it. We also see the infinite love of our dear Redeemer, and we covenant afresh to love Him more and to serve Him better. We thus meet together to show forth our Lord's death, that we may go into the world to show forth His life. Notwithstanding all this there are many who stay away from the Lord's feast. Surely they think not of the loss they sustain! Let those of us who do value this privilege seek out those who do not, and lovingly talk to them about the necessity of availing themselves of these means of peace, that they also may rejoice with that joy that flows from the knowledge that we are doing the things well-pleasing to our Heavenly Father. We are to a large extent our brother's keeper, and we ought to watch over each other with a godly jealousy. Our religion is personal. I cannot be religious for my brother. We are saved one by one. We shall die one by one. We shall be rewarded one by one. To all who have done well the Master will say, Well done, good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." every Christian this year determine in God's name and strength, to bring at least one soul to the Saviour. Then shall those who are spared to see another Annual Meeting be able to thank God that a large number have been added to the saved.

66

B. ELLIS.

A FORTNIGHT WITH MOODY AND SANKEY.

Let

EDITORS, generally, have deemed it desirable to discuss the merits of the current revivalistic operations. We had no intention to deal with the subject, but numerous requests seem to demand some measure of attention in that direction. Having attended nearly the whole of the meetings held by our two American friends, during their stay in Birmingham, we shall note events as they passed under our own observation,

At

THE FACTS. The Meetings commenced on Lord's day, January 16, in the Town Hall, at eight o'clock in the morning. Admission by ticket issued only to Christian Workers." The hall, which seats 3,000 people, was filled before the time announced. Mr. Moody gave an earnest address to believers. The hymns sung by Mr. Sankey and those by the audience were selected to accord with the discourse. three o'clock the hall was crammed in every part. There could not have been less than 4,000 present, and apparently there were as many who could not get in. A church opposite was thrown open, and an address given by the Curate; the Moody and Sankey Hymn-book being used. In the evening Bingley Hall was filled an hour before the time; and, perhaps, such an indoor meeting was never before addressed in England. The hall is a vast building erected for Cattle Shows, and holds some 16,000 persons. Crowds could not obtain admission, and another meeting was opened in the neighbourhood.

Observer, Marl.. '75.

Each night in the week this hall was filled in the same fashion, and two other large meetings were addressed by Mr. Moody each day: one at twelve o'clock and the other at Three. On the second Sunday the eight o'clock meeting of "Christian Workers" was an immense gathering in Bingley Hall. At eleven the same hall was filled by persons who professed not to attend regularly any place of worship; admission by ticket issued only to that class. In the afternoon it was filled with females only, and at night by men only. During the second week the crowds and meetings were undiminished. There was also an "all-day convention," when addresses were delivered by Messrs. Moody and Sankey, leading ministers from London and other large towns, and also by Birmingham clergymen and ministers. A large concourse of children were also gathered on the Saturday morning. On several occasions the Town Hall was filled by the overflow from Bingley Hall.

The mid-day meetings were mainly for prayer and song. Numerous written requests for prayer were read each day, generally without the name of the writer. The following are a sample:-"For a drunkard who has been the subject of thousands of prayers and tears, that the Lord would convert him."-" That the Lord would change the heart of a wife whose temper is a sore trial to her husband."- "For an outpouring of the Spirit upon several towns and cities named."-" For God's blessing on the Police of Birmingham."-"For the Medical men of Birmingham, that more of them may be converted."-"For the Post Office men." "For the conversion of a young man who cannot believe." -"For God to bless certain Tracts written by a Christian friend.""For the conversion of two brothers." The last request was read to the Children's gathering, with special desire that all the children present would pray for the salvation of the persons alluded to. The daily mode of dealing with written requests for prayer was that of asking the audience, while sitting, to bow their heads. While so bowing, the requests were read from the platform, two or three seconds intervening. When all were got through some one immediately and briefly asked God to hear and answer the requests thus presented. The brevity of the proceedings certainly would not allow the people to fix their minds severally upon the requests. It appeared to us a somewhat sad formality, out of harmony with the other proceedings.

The evening meetings terminated with special instruction to inquirers. At the close of his discourses in the large hall Mr. Moody would request those anxious about salvation, and desirous of being prayed for by all Christians present, to stand up. Perhaps fifty persons would respond. Looking anxiously over the vast throng he would say, "Are there any more?" Yes, there is another; thank God!" and so on. All the anxious would be requested to resume their seats, and all others, excepting "Christian workers," who remain to talk with them, would be told to retire during the singing of a hymn. A given portion of the building would be then assigned to the inquirers and their instructors, many others remaining as lookers on, and mingling more or less, so as to be in part counted for inquirers. On one occasion the inquirers were sent to St. Mark's Church, and young men were directed on most occasions to the Presbyterian Chapel for special addresses.

Observer, Mar. 1, '75.

On the second Friday evening the proceedings were to terminate. The weather was unfavourable, but the hall was crowded. Mr. Moody announced that permission had been obtained to hold the hall another week, and he wanted the audience to decide whether the committee should carry on the work for that period, getting help from London. He would not be present during the week, but would return on the last night and take his farewell. The people were invited to pledge themselves to come and fill the place by bringing others. Nearly the whole assembly responded by rising to their feet. But, alas, pledges are often not redeemed. The Birmingham Post reported the Sunday gathering as consisting of between 3,000 and 4,000 people, whereas some 14,000 gave the required promise to attend. Through the week the hall was but half filled, till the Friday night, when the multitude came as freely as before to hear Mr. Moody's final address.

Throughout the whole proceedings Messrs. Moody and Sankey have been surrounded by the leading ministers of the so-called evangelical denominations, including several clergymen of the State Church. All were ready to speak, pray, or be silent, as directed by their American visitors.

a

There was much deep feeling in some of the meetings, and solemn earnest attention in all. Their was no noise; nothing of the Methodist prayer-meeting. Shouts of glory and the like were not heard ; suppressed, or almost whispered, "Amen," now and then seemed just to float over the heads of the people, but nothing more. The Inquirers' Meetings were still more quiet. Those who knelt to pray either offered silent prayer or so subdued their utterance as to be inaudible to their neighbours. No announcements were made when individuals declared they had found peace.

The music had no small share of influence throughout the proceedings. Mr. Sankey's solos, with instrumental accompaniment, and other singing led by him, is a vast attraction. After the first day he requested a choir to be selected from the choirs of Birmingham congregations, and the wish was fully complied with. Thousands of people were in the hall an hour before the time fixed for service, and these, aided by a leader and part of the choir, sat and sung from the Moody and Sankey book, with but little intermission.

Throughout the proceedings there appeared a marked desire not to afford facilities to reporters. Remonstrance not producing any change, "the gentlemen of the press" were somewhat indignant and the papers out-spoken in complaint. The Liverpool Mercury, on Mr. Moody's first day in Liverpool intimates that cards were sent, by the committee, for reporters, and table and seats provided, but that Mr. Moody ordered the table to be removed and discouraged taking notes; the reason for so acting, in the estimation of the Mercury, being that his stock of discourses and illustrations delivered pretty much alike in each place, will not bear the strain of newspaper reporting. In this there is regretable littleness. His printed words would reach hundreds of thousands who can never listen to his voice. Why not give them the opportunity of getting the good derivable in that way? Only think of the Apostle Peter objecting to the circulation of his sermons in writing because of his intention to preach them from town to town.

Observer, Mar. 1, '75.

To describe the preaching is a somewhat difficult task-the several attempts we have seen in print do not, in our opinion, meet the requirement. Mr. Moody talks to the people in any way that suits him. His longer discourses, called Bible Lectures, are prepared, and repeated in place after place. His method of preparation is to take a word, phrase, or topic, as "Sin," "The Blood," "Salvation by Faith," and by the aid of Concordance and Bible Index select a number of texts in which the word, phrase or topic is found. Each text is then contemplated, and certain special comments and illustrative anecdotes associated with it, and so on till the whole has been gone through. A certain number of discourses thus construed are the staple of his lectures. They are, however, not repeated with exactness, but with additional and varied illustration; such as you would expect from a man who, spending most of his time in preaching, seeks to gather up facts and incidents for the purpose of illustration. The shorter preachings are very much pieces of the longer addresses, so that even in the brief space of a fortnight we had an amount of repetition that most preachers would hesitate to exhibit before the same congregation in the course of a year. Earnestness stands out in all Mr. Moody's talking. You feel that one is speaking who means what he says. He gives large scope to imagination in describing the unseen parts of Bible narratives; and this is not always so accomplished as to avoid doing violence to the feelings and tastes of persons who could not be considered over fastidious. He preaches first and last and midway, some of the grandest elements of revealed truth. The love of God to a world of sinners lost; the death of the Christ for the whole race; the sufficiency of His death; the utter and eternal loss of the sinner who rejects the Gospel; the completeness of justification by Jesus Christ, without merit or goodness on the part of the sinner. With him, too, the Holy Spirit is omnipotent in the sinner's salvation. The Spirit could convert that drunkard yonder, "as easily as he (Mr. M.) could turn his hand". "He has power to save all Birmingham." Mr. Moody makes no attempt to move his hearers by picturing the suffering of the lost; he uses the word hell but rarely but when he does, out it comes as from one who believes in its reality and is not ashamed of it. Throughout, he speaks as one who has faith in all he utters.

RESULTS. Birmingham is not converted; nor is it perceptibly changed. Public-houses and Music Halls are not less frequented, and street profanity and crime are undiminished. We do not intend to insinuate that there are not good effects discernable by those who seek for them. For instance, at the concluding meeting some 14,000 persons were present. We do not know that any had to go away unable to obtain admission. A central portion of the floor was railed in for persons who had obtained, on personal application, tickets exclusively provided for converts and inquirers. We believe that there was a strong desire that those tickets should be used only by the class for whom they were intended. Each person upon receiving one was requested to write his name and address upon it, with the name of the church or minister to which he desired to connect himself. There were thus issued nearly 1,600 convert's tickets, and about 650 for inquirers. That some of those tickets were possessed by persons who