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THÈ KING’S BUSINESS
T h e b a ck slid e r excused him self b y saying he h a d a lam e leg a n d could n o t w a lk ; b u t th e p re a c h e r p rom p tly offered to ca rry him th e ten m iles o n his back . W ith th a t all excuse v an ish ed a n d th e b ack slid e r cam e a n d w as conv icted . Som e w ho h a d no in ten tio n o f com ing to th e m e e t ings w e re p ra y e d fo r a n d co u ld n ’t rest, an d cam e an d w ere b ro k en . So pow erfu l w as th e p resence of G o d in th e te n t th a t fresh b a n d s b ro u g h t in w ere alm o st in stan tly conv icted . E ven h e a th e n said th e p ow e r of G o d w as so g re a t in th e te n t th a t as soon as th ey go t inside th e re w as m igh ty pressu re u p o n th em to go up to th e p la tfo rm a n d confess all sin. I w en t ou t an d sta rte d th a t m o rn ing m eeting on th e te n th d a y righ t a fte r th e Chinese h a d th e ir b re a k fast. It w as h a lf p a st one b e fo re w e closed, y e t 1 h a d no tim e to give an y add ress, fo r dozen s of h e a rt b ro k e n m en a n d w om en, boys an d -girls, p re ssed to th e p la tfo rm to co n fess th e ir sin. In this G o d ’s w o n d e r ful p ow e r w as seen, fo r I d id n o t urge an y o n e to g e t up an d confess; bu t, a cco rd ing to m y usual m e thod , a fte r each a d d re ss I to ld th e p eo p le th a t th ey m igh t p ray. Confession and Restoration. T h e p ra y e r spirit b e c am e so in tensified a n d G o d seem ed so w on- d rou sly near, th a t it d id n o t seem possible fo r th e p eo p le to p ra y one b y one. G re a t w aves o f p rayer, in which all seem ed to join, an d m any w eeping, w ou ld sweep ov e r th e a u d ience ag ain a n d again. T h is a lte r n a te d w ith b u rsts of trium ph an t, v ic to riou s song, as if inspired. Som e of th e m o st hopeless, w h e th e r a t th e m eeting o r in th e ir d ista n t homes, w ere p ra y e d for, an d in m o st cases in a few h ou rs o r a few .day s they w e re seen in agony b ro k en in th e a s sem bly. T hese p ro o fs o f G o d ’s
th e sam e time. U p to th a t tim e th e m o re th a n sev en ty school boy s h a d n o t y ielded , a n d th e girls w ere p ra y ing fo r them . L a te r w e le a rn t th a t while th e girls w ere praying, th e boys, b o th up stairs an d dow n , were b ro k e n w ith agon ized conviction a n d w ep t an d .p ra y e d fo r a b o u t two hours. T h e friend s no ticed th a t fo r a coup le o f d ay s th e a fte rn o o n m e e t ings w e re n o t ac com p an ied b y th e sam e m igh ty m an ifestation s of pow e r as d u rin g th e fo renoon . It occu rred to th em th a t it w as a call fo r m o re p ra y e r; th erefo re, a lthough all th e tim e was a b o u t fully occupied, y e t th ey m an ag ed to in sert a p ra y e r m eeting b e fo re th e a fte rn o o n se rv ice, a n d from th a t on th e a fte rn o o n services seem ed th e m o re pow erful. T h e realized p ow e r o f G o d w en t on intensifying until th e te n th m orning, w hen th e Chinese le ad e rs sen t in to ask m e to sta rt th e m eeting right a fte r b re ak fa st, giving as a reason th a t m an y in th e ir room s w ere w e e p ing h e a rt-b ro k e n ov e r th e ir sin. T h e y said som e h a d b e en w eeping since m idn igh t an d co u ld n ’t wait. Through to Triumphant Victory. M any h a d go t th ro u g h to trium p h a n t v ic to ry b e fo re th e te n th day, b u t these w eep ing ones w e re fresh relays of C hristians th a t h a d com e in. It so h a p p e n e d th a t as soon as anyon e go t righ t w ith G o d an d re a l ized w h a t th e gift o f th e H o ly Spirit m ean t, h e comm en ced to p ra y fo r lov ed ones a t hom e, an d th ey could n o t p ra y long in th e Sp irit w ithou t acting. Som e be c am e so b u rd e n e d fo r o th e rs th a t th ey co u ld n ’t sleep an d w ou ld sta rt off in th e nigh t an d go ten o r tw en ty m iles a n d alm o st com pel th em to come. O n e o f th e p re a ch e rs w en t ou t ten m iles to w here a m an h a d b a ck slid d en an d gon* o v e r to th e R om a n Catholics.
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