THE KING’S BUSINESS
519
com e, a n d as long as th e m ean s com es in fo r th is p u rp o se w e w ill co n tin u e to give th e m en som eth in g to e at ev ery n ig h t. W e also still h av e th e sleeping q u a rte rs, an d fro m tw en ty -fiv e to th irty -fiv e m en sleep th e re each n ig h t. A s th ey a re able to g et it, th e m en th em selv es h a v e been c o n trib u t in g a little to w a rd th e upkeep o f th e sleep in g hall. E ac h L o rd ’s D ay w e go to th e jail, th e larg e n um b er o f M ex ican s th e re affo rd in g a sp len d id o p p o rtu n ity fo r th e p reach in g of th e G ospel. W e a re giv en g o o d atten tio n , a n d th e officials a re v e ry co rd ial. T w o o f th e m en w e re b ap tized an d re ceived in to th e P re sb y te ria n ch u rch a sh o rt tim e since, an d also som e w ere received
in to som e o f th e o th er ev an g elical ch u reh es. W e can see a g re a t ch an g e th ro u g h o u t th e en tire M ex ican q u a rte rs o f th e city, d o u b t less a s a re su lt o f th e special in te re s t tak en in th e physical w elfare o f th e needy. T h e special o p e n -air G ospel m eetin g an d B ible stu d y w h ich w e h av e each L o rd ’s D ay m o rn in g , is n o t q u ite so w ell atten d ed , b u t w e h av e b e tte r o rd e r a n d atten tio n . T h e a n arc h ists a re n o t n ow so o p en in th e ir opposition. H ow ev er, th e leav en o f a n arch y is w o rk in g , a n d ev ery n ow a n d ag ain th e re is a fresh b re ak in g o u t. I t is n o th in g m o re th a n w e can ex p ect as th e days of th e “en d tim es’^ becom e d a rk e r an d d ark er. I t is b lessed to be able to p o in t lo st m en on to th e O N E , w h o se com in g alo n e can b rin g peace a n d rig h teo u sn ess.
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WORK IN THE OIL FIELDS
R. C. Isbell, Sup’t.
T ^ H E M O N T H S o f A p ril a n d M ay are b ein g sp en t in th e W e s t S ide fields, a t seven p o in ts ab o u t C oalinga, w h ere it w ill be p ossible to h o ld m eetin g s. A lth o u g h th e re is a v ery m ark ed in d if feren ce o n th e p a rt o f th e m en a n d w om en o u tsid e o f th e ch u rch , still th ey a re being d ra w n in. S om e w ho h av e been o u t o f fellow sh ip fo r q u ite a w hile a re g e ttin g in to line. W e a re striv in g by G od’s W o rd to sh ow th e C h ristia n s th a t th ey n o t only ow e it to G od b u t also to th e com m u n ity to live c o n s is te n t' lives an d be p erso n al w o rk ers. G od h a s blessed E zek iel 3 3 :8 to som e h e a rts a n d th ey a re g o in g o u t a fte r th e lost. W e h av e ex p erien ced som eth in g w hich w e h a d h e a rd of, b u t h a d n e v er m et b efo re. A y o u n g m an w h o h as liv ed in C alifo rn ia, in th e S ie rra N e v ad a M o u n tain s fo r ab o u t fifteen y ears, w h o h a d n e v er b efo re h eard th e G ospel, w h ich w as a n ew sto ry to him .
H e d ra n k in th e tr u th as th e d ry g ro u n d tak es up th e dew from h eaven. H e ac cepted th e L o rd a n d o n S a tu rd a y d ro v e a couple o f m iles th ro u g h th e ra in to com e o v er to o u r w ag o n to h e a r m o re o f H im . N o t lo n g ag o as w e w ere ab o u t to leave on e tow n , a b u tch e r said, “I ’d lik e to speak to yo u a m in u te .” G oing o u t in th e b ack p a rt o f th e shop, he lo o k ed up w ith te a rs in h is eyes an d g rip p in g m y h an d , said, “P ra y fo r m e. I w a n t to be a C h ristian , fut I ’m h av in g a h a rd fight.” A s sim ply as possible, he w as sh ow n th a t all th a t he co u ld do w o u ld av ail as n au g h t, b u t th a t it h ad a lre a d y been d o n e ; th a t th e p recio u s b lood o f C h rist w as th e only co v erin g th a t w o u ld clean se aw ay th e sta in o f sin, a n d th a t all h is sup p o sed good q u alities w ere b u t a s filthy rag s beside H is rig h teo u sn ess a n d th e rig h teo u sn ess G o d dem an d ed . P ra y fo r u s th a t w e m ay be g u id ed in follow in g th is case.
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