VOL. Vili
MARCH, 1917
No. 3
The King's Business “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.**—Rev. 1:5
PubÙshed once a month by the BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES LOS ANGELES. CALIFORNIA, U. S. A.
ONE DOLLAR A YEAR
üto King’ll Instoss MOTTO: " / the Lord do keep U, I will water it every moment lest any hurt it, / w ill keep it night and day.”—Isa. 27:3. R. A. TORREY, D. D., Editor T. C. HORTON, J . H. HUNTER, WILLIAM EVANS, D. D., Associate Editors A. M. ROW, Managing Editor Published by the BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES, Inc. Los Angeles, California, U. S. A. Entered as Second-Class M atter November 17, 1910, at the postoffice at Los Angeles, Cal., under the Act of March 3, 1879. Copyright by R. A. Torrey, D. D., and Bible In stitu te of Los Angeles, for the year 1916.
DIRECTORS
R. A . T orrey, vice-president Leon V. Shaw, treasu rer. William Evans.
Lyman Stew art, président. William T horn, secretary. T. C. H orton, superintendent. H. A . Getz.
J. M. Irvine.
Nathan Newby
DOCTRINAL STATEMENT We hold to th e H istoric F aith of th e C hurch as expressed in th e Common C hristendom and including: C reed of Evangelical T he T rin ity o f th e Godhead. T h e Deity of th e Christ.
T he M aintenance of Good Works. T he Second Com ing of Christ. T he Immortality of th e Spirit. T he R esurrection of the Body. T he Life Everlasting of Believers. T he Endless Punishm ent of the Im penitent. T he Reality and Personality of Satan. (7 ) Bible Women. House-to-house visitation and neighborhood classes. (8 ) Oil Fields. A mission to men on th e oil fields. (9 ) Books and T racts. Sale an d dis tribution of selected books and tracts. (1 0 ) H arbo r W ork. F o r seam en a t Los Angeles harbor. ( 11 ) Yokefellows’ Hall. T horoughly manned. O u r Mission for m en w ith Street Meetings, and Bootblacks and Newsboys Sunday SchooL (1 2 ) P rin t Shop. For p rin ting T esta ments, books, tracts, etc. A complete establishment, profits going to free dis tribution of religious literature.
T h e Personality of the Holy Ghost. T he Supernatural and P lenary au thority of th e Holy Scriptures. The Unity in D iversity of the Church, the Body and Bride of Christ. The Substitutionary A tonem ent. T he Necessity of th e New Birth. • T he Institute trains, free P u r p o s e . oi cosU accredited men a n d 'women, ■ in th e know ledge and use of th e Bible. . ( I ) T h e Institute Departments: classes held daily except on Saturdays and Sundays. (2 ) Extension work. Classes and conferences held in neighboring cities and towns. (3 ) Evangelistic. Meetings conducted by o u r evangelists. (4 ) Spanish Mission. Meetings every night. ( 5 ) Shop W ork. R egular services in shops and factories. (6 ) Jewish Evangelism. Personal w ork am ong the Hebrews.
SCOPE OF THE WORK
* THE KING’S BUSINESS VOL. VIII. MARCH, 1917 No. 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Editorial: Poisoning the Sunday Schools—Demoralizing Effect of the Theater— “Notwithstanding, Christ Is Preached”—America’s Peril—The Need of the Hour — Is Peace at Hand—How to Use The King’s Business —Drink’s Strangle-hold upon British Law-Makers— Is the Ape a Progenitor of Man or Man a Progenitor of the Ape?—The Demoralizing Effects of War—A Foolish General............................................... ............... . 195 Does God Answer Prayer? By Rev. Benjamin Cox............. 205 The Institute Family...............................................................— 2 10 The Business of the Whole Church. By William Evans, Ph. D., D. D........................................................................ 213 Puzzling Passages and Problems............................................... 221 Evangelistic Department. By Bible Institute Workers.......... 223 The Narrowness and Bigotry of So-Called Liberals................ 233 Homiletical Helps. By William Evans......... .......................... 237 The Far Horizon.....:........................ ............................................ 241 Through the Bible with Dr. Evans............................................. 243 International Sunday School Lessons. By R. A. Torrey and T. C. Horton....................... ....................... ............ .......... 249 Daily Devotional Studies in the New Testament for Indi vidual Meditation and Family Worship. By R. A. Torrey j...................................................... ;......................... 263 SUBSCRIPTION PRICE In the United States aiid its Possessions and Mexico, and points in the C entral Am erican Postal Union, $ I p er year. In all oth er foreign countries, $1.24 (5s. 2 d .). Single copies, 10 cents.
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THE KING’S BUSINESS
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© = THE KING’S BUSINESS n = Vol. 8 MARCH, 1917 No. 3
E D I T O R I A L
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Our attention has been called to the character of some of the notes in Tarbell’s Teachers’ Guide for the Sun- day School Lessons of 1917. This book, in the early issues of former years, was one of the most satisfac
Poisoning the Sunday Schools.
tory books published on the Sunday School Lessons, but Miss Tarbell has gone over pretty thoroughly to the enemy. She has adopted views about the authorship of Isaiah, and regarding the book of Daniel that are entirely unwar ranted mid thoroughly vicious, and she does not hesitate to exploit these views m her Guide. It is now an altogether unsafe Guide. She seqms to think that her views are accepted by the best scholarship. They are views that were very widely held by the destructive critics, but they have been thoroughly •exploded and many who once held them have given them up. The acceptance of her views would lead logically to the discrediting of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and Miss Tarbell has become an altogether unsafe guide for Sunday School teacheps. The destructive critics are not content with poisoning our theological seminaries, they are now trying to corrupt our Sunday Schools. study. In a recent interview ©n “Night Life in Lon don, General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien says | “At the present moment thou sands of men, who would otherwise be in the fighting line, are physically incapacitated. During the first six months of the war we lost through this cause alone the services of—well, I am not permitted to state exactly how many, but I may say a number equal to quite a big force! Here is an enemy in our midst, sapping and destroying the energy and vitality of thousands of our best men; and yet, in a spirit of mock modesty, we must veil the facts and only whisper the tru th !” The General goes on to blame the stage for much of the evil. He indicates that latitude is degenerating into license, and says: “So much that is lewd, suggestive and excitable prevails.” What General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien says about the stage in England is equally true of the stage in America, and the moving picture stage is worse than the regular stage. Things are put on in moving picture shows that no one would have dared or dreamed of putting on the regular stage. In fact, the overwhelming proportion of the moving picture shows make their appeal to that which is vilest in men and women, and because of the low price of admission these shows are attended by a great company of immature boys and girls. It is impossible to imagine what the result will be in the demoralization of our youth. The stage seems to be going from bad to-worse. Its demoralizing effect upon women and men is evil beyond any thought of those who have not made1 it a Demoralizing Effect of the Theatre. , ,, .
THE KING’S BUSINESS One of the most/significant and suggestive utterances
196
“Notwithstanding, in the book of Philippians is that contained in the Christ Is Preached.” eighteenth verse of the first chapter, “Notwithstand ing, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.” We have been hearing recently of some things in connection with various evangelistic troupes touring the country that have made lis sad at heart, and we have given a good deal of thought to the question whether something effective could not be done in the way of protest against the methods of some who seem to be mere adven turers. But a few days ago the verse quoted above came to us with great force, and in the midst of our sadness over the trailing of evangelistic work in the dust of commercialism and self-exploitation by some, there came the joy of the thought that in spite of all this “Christ is proclaimed,” unworthily pro claimed it may be true, as in the case of those at Rome to whom Paul refers, but nevertheless He is proclaimed, and in many cases where there are many features-of the work that sadden the heart of a thoughtful Christian, it is beyond a question that there are many genuine conversions. will be taken that will require military training on the part of all our boys and young men. We talk about the curse of militarism in Germany, and the great ness of that curse we have never seen over-stated, and yet we are now pro posing to introduce the same system into our own land. Two years, two of the very best years, have been sacrificed from the life of practically every young man in Germany by this military system that it is proposed to adopt in our own land. Those who advocate it say they are doing it to keep us out of war, but this is the very thing that has plunged^Germany and the other nations into war. There is no prospect of a great war for America for some years to come. Whoever wins, the nations of Europe will be exhausted by the present war and unable to fight anyone for years to come. What is. the use then of military training for our youth now. Furthermore, military methods are constantly changing. If we had trained our young men for military life five years ago that training would have been of little practical value in a war conducted as wars are conducted today. If we should train them along the methods that would fit them for war as conducted today, it would not fit them for war as war will be conducted five years hence. The military training that has been given at West Point has been largely a farce. It would be of little value in war as it is conducted today, but such military training as would be given in ordinary training camps would be far more a farce than that given at West Point. Our great need today is not so much well trained privates as competent officers. We do not so much need universal training as satisfac tory training of the men who would be in command if a war should come. We read a great deal about the fiasco of the militia on the frontier, but what about the Columbus fiasco ? This was not militia, but our regular army officers and soldiers. xOf ¿ourse, the attempt has been made to whitewash the whole busi ness, but there are many who are tempted to smile when they read the com- A great many Amejicans, especially a great many of our legislators, have been swept away with the military frenzy that seems to have taken possession of the whoje earth. There is great danger that some action America’s Peril.
THE KING’S BUSINESS 197 ments of the officers in our regular army, upon the militia, and then think of how the officers and soldiers at Columbus were caught napping. ' It is to be hoped that intelligent people, and above all Christian people, will resist to the uttermost this attempt at universal training, with all its countless attendant evils.
When Mr. Moody was holding his first great mission in London, Canon Conway of Westminster invited him to meet a few friends at luncheon. Among these friends was Dean Stanley, one of the most command
The Need of the Hour.
ing men of his day in the Church of England. Dean Stanley and Mr. Moody had the largest share in the conversation. The subject that they discussed was how the church could best influence the masses. Dean Stanley stated his views very fully: he said that he was familiar with labor leaders and they told him, as Well as men of all classes, that the clergy and ministers failed to interest and attract the people in proportion as they neglected to preach about popular questions, such as The relations of Labor and Capital, Social Reform, and Science. He went on to say that if preachers would frankly handle these questions that people would be more ready to hear what they had to say about Religion and Morals. Mr. Moody is reported as saying in reply: “We tried your plan, Mr. Dean, for a whole year in Chicago. We got the best thinkers and speakers in America, and crowds came to hear them. But there was not a single conversion. Then we got what you might call a fool to preach Jesus Christ, and hundreds were converted in a very short time. Let me tell you, Sir, we mustNpreach a living Saviour for lost sinners; nothing else will do.” Mr. Moody’s experience of forty years ago, as thus stated, has been repeated time and time again. The people who are now advocating the “social uplift” movement as a substitute for the Gospel think they have discovered something new, but it is old, very old. The plan has been thoroughly tried out and failed. The plan of preaching the Gospel in the power of the Holy Ghost is also old, even older, and that has been tried out and succeeded every place where it has been tried out. cannot see many indications of it. The .English on their part/ as speaking through Lloyd George (and we think he represents the attitude of the English people as a whole in this matter), demand “complete restitution, full reparation and effectual guarantees.” The Germans on their part have no disposition to make “complete restitution” and “full reparation,” and if they had the disposi tion it is to be questioned whether they have it in their power to do it. The longer the war continues the less will they have it in their power to make “complete restitution” and “full reparation,” and if England and hei\ allies demand it to the end, then the war must go on until Germany is completely crushed, or else until the Central Powers gain a complete victory. There is no prospect that Germany and the Central Powers will be crushed within a short time. | On the whole they have had the best of this year’s fighting. The There are seemingly an increasing number who cherish the hope that peace between the warring nations of Europe is near at hand, right at our doors. We could desire with all our hearts that they were right, but we Is Peace at Hand?
V.
198 THE KING’S BUSINESS Allies have made advances on the Somme and have had the best of the fighting at Verdun, but the advances made are very meager in comparison with the expenditure of money and life, and at the present rate of progress it would take years to crush Germany and her allies, and it would take expenditures of men and money that are not at the disposal of the entente allies. Of course, England and her allies could not take definite action looking toward peace on such alto gether indefinite peace proposals as were made by Germany. We believe that President Wilson has done a wise and righteous thing in asking a definite state ment of the demands of the different parties to this awful conflict. Without definite statements there can be no intelligent action, and a prudent government would not take any action at all without more definite statements. We regret that President Wilson’s reasonable suggestions were received so unkindly and were so misunderstood as they were in many quarters. • We have recently received from one of our sub- scribers a letter which we publish herewith, not merely The King’s Business, because it commends T he K ing ’ s B usiness , but because it suggests a way in which the readers can make their use of T he K ing ’ s B usiness profitable to others: “I cannot write you a formal business letter. I am too deeply grateful. I have been drinking at your fountain every day for a year, and, please God, will continue to dd so while we both shall live. More and more you help me shift all responsibility on the Great Teacher. I go to my class of seventy-two men with your lesson safe in my heart, feeling humble it is true, but with the spiritual irresponsibility that means joy. I am a messenger—an envelope around-a letter, the string that holds together the garland, nothing more. At the close of the day, past to me, but present with Him, I think of the silver miners in Peru, who, standing on cliffs, lift great burdens to the man above calling out, ‘It is up to you.’ When we meet in our Father’s house I hope to show you some results of the 'King’s Business.’ Until then will you pray for my class composed of timber inspectors, railroad and mill men, postmen, carpenters, and drift wpod? And for me, dear Dr. Torrey, that the blood of the Lamb may keep my heart clean like Abraham’s heart, so that the Heavenly Guest may enter?” How to Use England has at last come to the place where the most Drink’s Strangle-Hold drastic legislation in the control of food stuffs has Upon British become necessary. There has been a very serious Law-Makers. threatened shortage of food. It has been deemed necessary to check" luxury in almost every directibn by stringent laws, and yet in face of these facts it has been found impossible to check the drink evil, this has been allowed to go on without interference. Thousands of tons of the most valuable forms of food are allowed to be wasted every week in the manufacture of the drinks that are destroying the national life, interfering with transport facilities both on sea and land, rendering the soldiers ineffective, and interfering with the preparation of the necessary munitions. And yet every attempt at prohibitory legislation is thwarted, even when it is thought to be necessary to prohibit a generous ,use of meats and other necessary foods. What is the explanation ? The liquor interests control the government of England. England and her allies would have been much farther on toward victory today, even if complete victory had not already been accomplished, if it were not for the malign influence of the liquor interests.
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THE KING’S BUSINESS
Is the Ape a Progeni- Th e President of á prominent scientific school in the tor of Man or Man a east has called our attention to the following editorial Progenitor of the Ape ?from the New York Herald, December 30, 1916, under the heading, “The Ape as. a New Relation “Of course.no large scientific meeting could come and go without our old friend the ape cropping up as an ancestor of man and the question of the missing link getting due prominence, and the present session of the American Association for the Advancement of Science is true to type in this regard. A notable change of view has come over scientific thought in this matter in very recent years, however. Above all, there is quite serious question now whether the ape is related to man by ascent or descent. One of the recent authoritative German publications, “Man and His Forerunners,” by Von Buttel-Reepen, quotes Klaatsqh, the well known anthropologist, to the effect that “the apes are to be regarded as degenerate branches of the pre-human stock.” Von Buttel- Reepen himself says that “This conception can be crudely summarized in the statement, Man is not descended from the ape but the ape from man.” There,- the secret is out at last! We had gotten hold of the family strain from the wrong end before. Now every thing is clearer. It must not be imagined, however, that this is a joke. It is quite serious science written not for' popular interest but for scientists to ponder over.” To the editorial he adds this comment: “Truly, the evolutionists have gotten themselves into a sorry position.” It has often seemed to us that there was far more reason to suppose that the ape was a degenerate man than there was to imagine that man was an' improved ape. We are glad to see this con firmation of this theory from so authoritative a source. Certainly if Klaatsch is right one of the props upon which the evolutionists have leaned most heavily is knocked from under them. The evolutionary hypothesis has réceived a number of stiff blows within the past years. However, the evolutionists have never been greatly disturbed by facts. Instead of constructing their hypothesis from the facts in the case, they start out with the hypothesis and then try to distort the facts to make them fit their theory. at the front, but in the lives of the wives and children at home. A statement was issued by the United Board of Sunday-school Organization in England. This Board, we understand, represents the Sunday-school organizations of Congregationalists, Baptists, Presbyterians, the Society of Friends, and Moravians. The statistics show an appalling increase in juvenile crimes of a serious nature since the outbreak of the war. It is said that during the last few months of 1915, delinquency in children has increased 40 per cent. The explanation given was that “war has created excitement in the minds of children.” Sir .Edward Troup, permanent Under-Secretary of the Home Office, says in a circular to the magistrates thqt he “has under consideration representations respecting the recent increase in the number of offenses by children and young people under sixteen years of. age.” 1He goes on to say that “punishable offenses have ,grown in seventeen of the largest towns of England about 40 per^ cent.” He says further that there has been an increase of nearly 50 per cent in the cases of larceny. It is reported by the United Board referred to above that there has been a great loss of discipline in a great many places in England, largely owing to the fathers being away, and also to We do not hear as much as we did about the ennobling effects of war, and we are hearing an increasing amount of the appalling demoralization caused by war. This demoralization is not seen merely in the soldiers The Demoralizing Effects of War.
200 THE KING’S BUSINESS a decrease in educational efficiency caused by the fact that larger classes are necessitated because of a lack of teachers and then only part-time sessions, and scholars are leaving school at an earlier age. One authority states, “Between 150,000 and 200,000 children between the ages of 11 and 13 have been released from school to do war-time work.” This work has brought wages to the children, and the earning of large wages in this work has led to “impatience of control, unwillingness to learn how to do things in the best possible way, and a rush to amusements which have the same general tendency.” It is also said that there has been an “unsettled state of mind among the ypung, leading to a desire for adventure, for excitement, with the attendant impatience with ordinary tasks and with true discipline, accompanied by a great increase in truancy.” But not only is there this demoralization among the young, but the entire higher educational work of England is upset. Both Oxford and Cam bridge have been depleted. The best men in both universities have gone to the front. It is reported of one college in Oxford, “before the last vacation only thirteen were left as students, they' being six Orientals, two Rhodes scholars, one candidate for the ministry,” and only four others. One young man, a recent graduate of Cambridge University, is quoted as saying: “All the best men have been killed—all my friends haye been killed.” This is doubtless an over-statement, but there is a sad measure of truth in it. the letter of Rev. J. B. Cambrell, Secretary of the Executive Board of the Baptist General Convention, regarding the matter. Major General funston hasxseen fit to rush into print in the New York World regarding the matter, with an attempt at defense of his conduct, but the defense is more extraordinary and more unwise, if possible, than the original pffense. It is humiliating to think that a Major General in the United States Army could stoop to the methods employed by General Funston in his letter. The matter was of altogether too serious a character for any one of any judgment to attempt to be funny, but General Funston has fallen into a puerile and bullying attempt at. ridicule that is certainly unworthy of any officer in the United States Army. We hesitate to give a specimen, and yet the Christian public ought to know. In his letter General Funston imagines the Rev. J. B. Cambrell saying to himself, “Why, the idea of that obstinate little cuss not letting me do as I please, and presuming that he knows more about what soldiers like than I do; I will warm his jacket and make it just as disagreeable for him as I can!” One can hardly believe his own eyes when he sees a Major General of the United States Army condescending to this sort of public discussion. He does not s6ern to have any realization of the seriousness of the matter, nor of the Conduct becoming an officer, especially a high officer in the United States Army. General Funston tries 'to explain what he said about not wishing the men to be taught that they were “lost,” by saying that the actual case was that he “resented the implication that because a man had put on'his country’s uniform he was necessarily lost, or worse than other men.” But to any. man of ordinary intelligence the. fact that it was desired to prdach the Gospel to the soldiers We made reference in a recent number of T he K ing ’ s B usiness , to the extraordinary conduct of General Funston in regard to permission to preach the Gospel among the soldiers, on the Mexican frontier, and to A Foolish General.
THE KING’S BUSINESS 201 contained no implication that a man, “because he had put on his country’s uniform was necessarily lost, or worse than other men.” This is puerile fool ishness. General Funston goes on with an attempted definition of a revival. His words are, “I am justified in giving the word ‘revival’ its usually accepted meaning—a series of meetings Continuing day and night for an indefinite period, with loud exhortation and singing and much emotionalism.” If General Funston had known anything about the Subject about which he attempts to write .he would have known perfectly well that this is not the “usually accepted meaning” of the word “revival.” Revivals are very seldom, if ever, character ized by meetings “continuing day and night for an indefinite period.” In some revivals there are meetings in the day time and also at night, one lasting an hour in the day time and another meeting at night lasting from one to two or three hours, but that is not “ continuing day and night,” revival meetings seldom if ever continue day and night. . Neither are revivals universally or generally characterized with “loud exhortation and much emotionalism.” Of course, some revivals are, but not such revivals as would be conducted under the auspices of the Secretary of the Executive Board of the Baptist General Convention. There was a revival in the camp at Chickamauga during the Spanish-American war. Many meetings were held, and there were many con versions, very much to the help of the morals of the army, but seldom, if ever, were there meetings covering an hour in the day time and an hour in the night time in the same regiment. There was no loud exhortation, nor was there much emotionalism, but there were many radical changes of character. General Funston asks, “How about the rights-of men who do not want to attend revivals and who do not wish to be disturbed by them ? Are they to be compelled to leave the camp, which is their home, and wander about down town or through fields to get away from them ? -Has a man no rights because he is a soldier ?” I f General Funston had taken the time to look into the matter, and had given the matter some calm thought he would have known perfectly well that there would be no infringement upon the rights of men who did not wish to attend the meetings. They would not be compelled to attend, and there would be plenty of places in camp where they would not be disturbed. They would not have had to leave camp nor to be bothered. The writer is writing from experience in this kind of work in the camp at Chickamauga during the Spanish- American war. As a matter of fact, a very large proportion of the soldiers did elect to come to the meetings, but they were not required to come; they were not disturbed if they did not come. General Funston goes on to say, “There are many religious people who disapprove strongly of revivals, with their attendant emotionalism. And, anyhow, be a man religious or irreligious, be he Christian, Hebrew b r Mohammedan, no other person has a right to rub his belief or his worship into his face—that is, to bring it into the place where he has a right to be, and where he cannot escape from it without abandoning that place.” This hardly needs an answer. There is never an attempt, in meetings of the character that Rev. Mf. Cambrell wished to hold, to rub ones belief or worship into the face of another, and as already said, any one who does not wish to attend the meetings can escape -without difficulty and without abandoning the place where he has a right to be at that particular time. The tone of the whole letter is saddening. The General has evidently lost his temper, which is a very bad thing for a General to do anyhow. He seems to realize more or less clearly that his action was unjustifiable and indefensible by reason
202 THE KING’S BUSINESS and common sense, and therefore resorts to this puerile form of'defense which will deceive no one, but which will lower General Funston in the estimation of fair-minded men. We are all liable to make mistakes, but when we have made a mistake so serious as was made in this case, the wisest thing to do is to own up our mistake. It is to be hoped that the Executive Board of the Baptist General Convention will press this matter in the quarters where it ought to be pressed, that is before the United States Government, and not through the public press.
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THE PURPOSES OF GOD MRS. EMILY LEADER In the Christian Workers Magazine T HE purposes of God! Displayed in every flower, 1 In sun, in moon and firmament, e’en in the summer shower. In dancing, glist’ning sea-waves, in tower ing mountains grand, In every whisp’ring brook and stream which ripples through the land. The purposes of God! How grand and wondrous sweet, - To know that in His purposes my life is all complete! Though threat’ning low the clouds may hang, though wildly storms assail, Secure and strong my anchor! His pur poses never fail. The purposes of God! Though earth with . blood be red, Though death and carnage everywhere in boldness seem to tread. Though pity seems forgotten and men their brothers slay, I know Gqd’s purposes, His plan, will be revealed some day. The purposes of God! There rests my weary soul, As on a rock in angry sea« when wild the billows' roll, There may I lay life’s mystery, its deepest grief and pain, Secure that over all'supreme, God’s pur poses do reign.
THE KING’S BUSINESS
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WORKERS APPRECIATED Commendation of the Excellent Work Being Accomplished in the Northern Part of the State by Mr, Wicker and Mr. Luther A S AN EVIDENCE of the excellent work being done in the neglected dis
It has long been a problem with the churches of the county how the spiritual needs of the many communities which have no churches near them might be ministered unto. Occasionally a minister would make a visit to some neighboring community and hold a religious service, but these have been very infrequent, and very little has been accomplished. Just when the local ministers were earnestly seeking for some plan whereby they could provide for dispensing the
tricts of California, through trained work ers of the Bible Institute, George -P. Wicker, who, with his wife, is supported in the field by the Christian Endeavor Society of the Church of the Open Door, has effected a complete interdenominational organization of Colusa county, and Edgar Luther, also of the Bible Institute, has been
GEORGE P. WICKER AND EDGAR LUTHER The former with his motor, the later with his cayuse, in Colusa County
selected as the evangelist and is now in the field. This is only one of the things Mr. Wicker has accomplished. The Colusa Daily Sun, in a recent issue, made the fol lowing statement, giving endorsement of the work: One of the very favorable signs, and one of special local interest, that Christ’s Church Universal is getting closer together, and in its various branches becoming more harmonious, sympathetic and co-operative, is to be noted in a new work just being started in this county, which will be known as the “Colusa County Church Extension Work.” v
Gospel in some effective manner in the neglected communities, George P. Wicker, a field worker for a Los Angeles Christian Endeavor Society, happened into the field and laid a plan before the ministers of the county whereby the problem bids fair to be solved. The plan provides for the employment of an interdenominational county evangelist whose time and energies shall be given solely to traveling over the county and min istering to the needs of the different fields without church advantages, by holding Gospel meetings, organizing Sunday Schools, and wherever he finds a family who have no opportunity of attending an organized Sunday School, and they will
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agree to teach their children the Sunday School lesson, they will be furnished with the denominational literature, by one of the pastors of the county, of that partlculaf denomination, thereby getting every family in touch with the pastor of its choice. This is one of the most worthy religious enterprises that has ever been launched in A STUDENT of the Correspondence Course on “Personal Work” writes the following interesting and vitally im portant letter : “Pardon my long silence. You must have .wondered why I have failed to send for the second examination. It has been partly owing to my having been out of town, which preverited studying such a very long and difficult lesson, but largely to^a fact which I will tell you, and which I am very sure will explain all and be clear to you. “When I studied the section on ‘Man,’ after finishing the first examination, I was conscious that I did not have fu ll victory in my life, and experience; in fact, it was the heart cry after it which caused me to desire to make a real study ; and when I to the superintendent of the Bible Institute: “Things are so absolutely dead in this old stronghold of orthodoxy and blue laws that, coming from the breezes which blew upon me from the Bible Institute, I am almost fainting under the deadly calm. There is a great work of awakening to be done here, and I want to help to undertake it, though I feel so weak and greatly handicapped. “The situation here is peculiar; an old- fashioned, proud community, priding itself upon being in a sacred circle, quite distin guished and apart from common Yankee- ,dom; quilje a number very rich, quite a number with comfortable incomes, a large proportion of good, middle-class people, Italian workmen and remnants of old Yan A N Eastern visitor, upon his return home, addressed the following letter
this county,¡and it is receiving the most cor dial support of all the churches. The county officers selected by churches of Colusa county to head this work are: G. A. Ware, Williams, president; George Corbin, Delevan, vice-president; C. D. McComish, Colusa, secretary; J. M. Stovall, Williams, treasurer, and George P. Wicker, Los Angeles, secretary. noticed in Section 6, that one had to know this in personal experience to be a personal worker, I closed the book and set out to find it by prayer and His Word. I could not go on until I knew the secret of His fullness. Later in July I went to a Christian Girls’ camp, where ‘Victory1 was the chief theme, and there I learned the blessed Truth, and now am free to go on and take the examination when I have committed the texts as I am now endeavoring to do. In a very real way I desire to work for Him. How slow we are, even after knowing Him as. our Saviour for years, to take Him as our Victory! I thank Him for using these lessons to arouse me, with the prayer that He may truly bless your work, and I thank you for your prayers.” kee working people; a few quite religious. all priding themselves in their old Congre gational Church, but a great many dead on their feet as to real service in the Master’s cause. The proximity of a large city with its wealth makes this a favorite suburb and place for a flourishing Country Club. There are lots of people of kind hearts and many desire a warm religious life and experience. “It is with the humble class here that I would begin to work. My own church, Episcopal, is as frigid as an arctic winter, and I have been in conference with our rector as to methods of procedure. It seems almost a situation to despair of. I will be glad for a word from you and for your prayers for this community, that I may be instrumental in trying to point the way of salvation.”
AN AWAKENING
------------O AN EASTERN BLAST
DOES GOD ANSWER PRAYER?
Memphis Noonday Meeting
By Rev. Benjamin Gox Pastor of Central Baptist Church Memphis, Tenn.
Note.—We met, at the October Bible Conference in Chattanooga, the Rev. Benjamin Cox, P astor of Central Baptist Church, Memphis, Tenn. At the Conference he told the story of the Memphis Noon P rayer Meeting. Not only we, but others, were greatly stirred by it. He^ was requested to w rite an article describing this meeting for the readers of “The King’s Business,” and we take great pleasure in presenting it, in the hope th at it may stir up others to faith and good works. Mr. Cox has not mentioned the fact th at when he took the Central Baptist Church it was in a p art of the city from which church-going people had moved away, and the outlook of the: church was not hopeful, but through the prayer meeting, and through the general work of the pastor, a new day seems to have dawned for the church. Doubtless there was opposition from many persons in the staid and conservative church against the new methods th at were introduced, but as the methods were of God, and along biblical lines, they were honored of God. Perhaps it ought to be added th at a free lunch is given at the close of the prayer meeting for the poor and hungry. This doubtless draws many to the meeting, but it has been a source of great blessing, not merely to the hungry ones who have been fed, but to the rich who have been brought into con tact w ith the poor, and whose hearts have been opened and who have been led to give largely to the work. A t the Bible Conference in Chattanooga Mr. Cox gave a great many striking instances of conversions and blessings of many kinds, and of answers^ to prayer th at went up in the noon prayer meeting, th at are not recorded in this article.r-Editor.
^111 T IS with pleasure that I f j j JMJJ w k accept the invitation of Dr. Torrey to write an article \ip5nBe'. about our noon prayer meet- ing, which started with eight present in the pastor’s office, January 19, 1914. Many people have asked me: “How, came the movement to start?” The answer is found in the fact that a few of us who realized that we were spending all day down town, felt that it would be advan tageous to set apart thirty minutes (12:30 to 1) for a praj^er meeting. Pretty soon the papers had something to say about it, and it was not long before requests for prayer commenced coming in. Some would
write, “I have decided to join your prayer league,” At first we had no thought of forming a league at all, but since so much interest had been taken we prepared cards with the following pledge to be signed by those who wished to do sot THE PLEDGE “Believing in the powier of united prayer, I desire to become a member of the Noon Prayer League. I will endeavor to be in prayer some time between 12:30 and 1 p. m., daily, if possible, for the requests presented at the meeting.” Since that time this pledge has been signed by a great host of people in thirty different States, and hardly a day passes
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“Some time ago I entered your church for the noon prayer meeting. I had a heavy heart and troubled mind, for I was a great sinner. My stepfather a Jew, my mother an ignorant Roman Catholic, I had never had proper training. I heard of your noon day meeting, and was curious to see and hear. Oh, I wanted help; needed help for soul, mind and body. The service was interesting and instructive to me. I won dered all through the hymn, sermon and prayers: ‘Will Jesus save me? Will He blot out my sins? Will Jesus wash me in His precious blood?’ How I longed and prayed for Jesus to lift me up and make a worker out of me. I promised God that I would go out into the world and bring others to Him. From that day I have been a witness for the Lord. All my people have turned against me. God is my only friend and helper—no earthly props to lean o n - only the mighty arm of God who is able to lift me from earth to heaven. Jesus is able to heal soul, mind'and body. If He had not taken charge of me I would have lost my mind and haye been now either in the insane asylum, or in hell. Praise the Lord, I am now in my right mind, and I hasten to send you these lines' begging.you for your prayers that I may continue to grow in grace, as I want to become a soul-winner. I do hope God will use me among the sick and' afflicted.” FOUR RUNAWAYS One Saturday three boys came to the meeting and occupied the back seat; when the men went in to lunch they went also, Mr. Cole, the pastor’s assistant, found upon inquiry that the boys had all run away from their homes in a Mississippi city the week before. They were not only willing, but anxious to return home if the way were opened. There was another boy with them who hadn’t come into the meeting, making four in all, ages ranging from 12 to IS years. Mr. Cole telegraphed the mother of One of the boys, and the next morning the father of one, and the brother of an other, came and took them home. The next day we found that the father of the
that new members are not received into the League, either in Memphis or out of Mem phis. In this connection some very inter esting things happen. For instance, an old lady who has been an inmate of a Roman Catholic hospital for a year has sent in over 100 signed pledges, comprising doctors and patients in the hospital, coming from many States. Within the last few days a batch of pledges has come in signed by con victs of a State Farm in the; South. These signatures were gotten by a man who in the early part of his imprisonment felt very hard and bitter, but who is now living a very happy and useful,Christian life. Our Father has manifested Himself very graciously as the prayer-hearing and prayer-answering God. He has shown that no case is too hard for Him. A man came into my office, desperate and weeping. Between sobs he said: “Pray for me, for I am a sinner. My sister died and my brother committed suicide, but I have been afraid to think o f my own con dition for fear I should be forced to the conclusion that they were both lost.” Earn est prayer was made at once and for some time thereafter at the noon prayer meeting. Soon after he made a bright profession of religion and entered very heartily upon the Lord’s work. He shows much evidence that the Lord has called him to preach and is on-fire for the salvation of souls. Before leaving for his vacation this sum mer he came to my office and said: “If Jesus means so much to me, He ought to mean something to the other members of my family. I want you to pray for them.” While he was away the good news came to us that his sixty-year-old mother and two sisters had confessed Christ as their Savior, and that his father was almost persuaded to take the same step. This young man has been getting along wonderfully well in a business way. A recent letter says: “I have been appointed manager of Mr. Blank’s store. Please pray for me that I may make good.” A GRATEFUL WOMAN A letter signed “Mary Magdalene” says:
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third boy was a chief railroad dispatcher, so we got the dispatcher here to wire him. In response the father telegraphed trans portation, and said he would meet the 2 a. m. train next morning. Mr Cole found that the mother of the fourth boy was a poor widow, so he bought him a ticket home. The boys came to us at Saturday noon; by 5 o’clock, Monday, they were all at home or on their way. Two months later we wrote to one of the mothers to know how the boys were getting along. She replied : “The boys are all at home safe and sound. Thanks to you a thousand times for what you have done. My boy is all the time talking about you, and when we come to Memphis I am certainly going to take him around to Central Church to see you again.” The mother of one of the boys died last Sunday. A PREACHER’S TROUBLES A Presbyterian pastor requested prayer for a friend in another State, who was unsaved, ■ sick, a drunkard and dope fiend. After weeks of earnest prayer the news came that the one for whom we had been praying had been converted, was improving in health and had quit his dope and drink. He wrote : “The people here all know my past, and it is hard for me to get a job; pray for me that I may soon find work.” A few days after this he secured a. good position. This impressive letter was received from St. Louis, Mo. : “I guess you don’t know me-—I am one of the four boys that asked you to pray for them at one noon-day service. I am the one that told you I was from Louisville. I want to. say the Lord has. dyne lots for me since that day. I came to St. Louis right after leaving Memphis and saw mother. I told her I was going to Canada. She begged me to stay home withrher in St., Louis, so I did. The second day I went to work at my old job and have worked about a week. I want to thank the Lord for providing such good luck for me. But I also want to thank the young lady that invited me in the church that day. I do not know her name, but she will know.
It did me so much good when she came to me after the service and stretched out a warm hand to a ‘no-count’ hobo. She told me she was glad I came in. I was certainly glad I came myself. It woke me up. I was coming in with the intention of getting nothing but soup, but I got more than soup. If possible I would like to get that young lady’s address, so as to thank her for the good she did me that day. I want to thank you one and all for the good will you showed me while there. I remain, your friend.” The lady he speaks of in the letter is a young married woman who had been very close to death’s door with a serious illness. As soon as she was able to go out she came to the noon meeting and gave a testimony of thanks. This occasion was the second time she had been out since here sickness. CAUGHT BY THE WAY During the Gypsy Smith, Jr., meeting at our church, a young man started to the red- light district. Noticing that it was early he followed the crowd to Central Church, where he met Jesus. Through his sobs and tears he told us at the close of the meeting how thankful and happy he was that he followed the crowd that night. The next day it was found that a letter had come to the noon prayer meeting from this man’s sister, requesting that we pray that he be sent around to the Gypsy Smith meeting. He has quit drinking, joined the church, settled down and is managing his mother’s plantation in Mississippi. Early in the history of the movement a woman came one morning seeking a per sonal interview with the pastor. “I wish to ask you a very frank question: If a woman has gone wrong, do you think there is any hope for her?” I replied: “The same hope as for a man; otherwise, I would not preach another sermon.” She told me her sorrowful story of the trouble she had been caused by a man’s unfaithfulness. She accepted the advice I offered, stayed for the noon prayer meeting, and became one of the leading supporters of the movement; joined the church and since then has been.
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and useful members of our church. She is a full-blooded Greek. One week the meetings were led by peo ple of the Memphis Blind Shop. T. B. King, superintendent, spoke ori Monday. On Tuesday a man, stone-blind; delivered the address. This was the first time a blind person had spoken at the meetings. A noon prayer meeting calendar has been published with a text for every day of the year. These texts are usually read at the meeting, and it was a striking coincidence that the text on the day the blind man spoke was: “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom though now ye see him not, yet believing ye rejoice with joy unspeak able and full of glory.” ' RICH AND POOR The democracy of this movement is very impressive. I have been Strongly impressed sometimes to see ladies of wealth and prominence coming in theif automobiles to the meetings, and going up the church steps at the same time with cripples just out of the City Hospital,1without money, home, friends or health. The sight impresses me with the text, “The rich and the poor meet together, the Lord is the maker of them all.” Almost every day quite a number of people want to see me privately after the meeting, sometimes representing families of wealth, and sometimes down to the very poorest. During recent months letters have been received, illustrating this truth in a very forceful way. One was from a man about 65 years old, who had been taking our free lunches for a while, and then decided to go to Arkansas to pick cotton. He was furnished money to cross the river, and soon after wrote that he was happily at work picking cotton, but had not forgotten the noon meetings, and asking that we pray for his success. In about two weeks he wrote again: “I would like to see you; I trust you will remember me in your prayer meeting; write often to your friend and brother,” The other case was that of one of America’s greatest preachers, who, on account of overwork, had a serious break-
happily married, and is very active in church work. This letter, comes from a man who is exceedingly grateful for a small favor: “Dear Brother Co'x: Along about.the first of March this year I came to you at the church and borrowed a dollar because I was. in great need, and you gave me the money* freely. I am now sending you the money back, because I have not forgotten yOu, neither has my wife. We have had some mighty hard bumps since that time, but most of them are forgotten. We only wish to remember the good and let the bad pass out. ShoUld we ever return to Mem phis, which is quite probable, we will call upon you. If there is any service we can render you at this great distance, we shall count it a great privilege to be permitted to serve you. Wishing you a most happy Christmas and a uSeful New Year, We are, sincerely yours.” This man is now manager of a film agency in a northern city. MONEY HELPS An Episcopalian friend, who was badly in need of $50 to save his home, made a request one day. God answered this prayer through some one who was at the meeting. After he had repaid the loan he came to give a testimony of thanks, but was too full for utterance and had to get some one else to give the message for him. Some wonderfully good work has been done by small loans, at a time when the need was very urgent. A letter came one day from a very superior little woman, that she was in deep trouble and did not wish to apply to the Associated Charities unless it was absolutely necessary. My wife and I went to call on her and found them living in one room, everything neat and clean, and a bright little bOy sick with pneumonia. After prayer I handed her $2, and she said, “Husband, you Can now get the prescription filled.” The husband seized the prescrip tion from the dresser and hurried to the drug store. The little boy recovered and by our help the husband has been able to get work. He and his wife are now happy
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