THE KING’S BUSINESS 9 Great Revivals and Great Evangelists. Harry M oo reh ou se By J. H. HUNTER (T auffht by h isto ry th a t God h a s alw ay s used the re c ita l of p a s t out- Dourings of H is S p irit upon individuals and comm unities to arouse and aw a k e n 3H is people to seek an o u tp o u rin g in th e ir own day, we Purpose t^ n u b U s h each m onth e ith er a bio g rap h ical sk e tch of some m an whom God w as Pleased to use, or an account of some of the g re a t rev iv als which HedbIstow ed w hen H is people, som etim es a very 'f o f n ^ h e of H is prom ises in “effectual fe rv e n t prayer. W ill th e re ad e r join m e w rite r in p ra y e r th a t God w ill bless these a rtic le s in th is w ay?) H ARRY Moorehouse was one of a remarkable group of men who were
shall ye algo appear with Him in glory” (Col. 3:3, 4), was God’s message to the awakened conscience, and John Hamble ton found the “peace that passeth knowl edge.” He threw himself into the work of open air preaching and won hundreds for Christ. He became Harry Moore- house’s teacher, after the latter’s con version, and his bosom friend. A third convert was Joshua Poole, or, as he was often called, “Fiddler Joss.” Joshua Poole and his wife were of those who stroll from place to place in Eng land and pick up a precarious living on the streets and in low class saloons, by their playing and singing. His wife had him committed to Bradford jail for threatening to kill her. While in prison he had an attack of delirium tremens. On recovering from this he began to read the Bible in his cell, and soon found Christ. Reunited to his wife, who had also been saved, the two went forth in faith to sing and tell ,of their “wonder ful Saviour.” Time and space will not permit me to say more of these men, or to speak of the others associated with them, but these will help us to understand some what the atmosphere in which Harry Moorehouse lived and worked, for these men far from seeking to out-distance one another, traveled together, and work ed together when' circumstances per1-' mitted; when separated, prayed for one another, corresponded, and rejoiced to gether in God’s using them to bring men to the Saviour, whom they loved and served. But to return to the special subject of our sketch: Harry Moorehouse was born in Ardwick, Manchester, September 27th, 1840, and entered into his Saviour’s pres ence December 27th, 1880. His father was a working man, a pious Christian, and a Sunday school teacher in Bank Meddon Methodist Church. The lad was brought up to attend church and Sunday school, and
awakened by the Spirit of God during that great period of revival which began in the United States in 1857, and in the north of Ireland in 1859, and which spread from Ireland to England and Scot land. Many of these men were rich and cultured, like Brownlow North and Reg inald Radcliff, and they joyfully yielded themselves and their possessions to their newly-found Saviour and Lord. Others, like Harry Moorehouse, Richard Weaver, John Hambleton and Joshua Poole, were uneducated and had no earthly posses sions, but they gave themselves to their Lord for use as He saw fit, and He saw fit to use them all mightily. Of the last mentioned group, Richard Weaver was a drinking, cursing, poach- ' ing, prize fighting coal miner. His com mon name among his own set was, “Un daunted Dick.” One night he came home from a fight, his face all smashed and bleeding. His old mother weeping, wash ed his battered face, and knelt down and prayed for him. He swore he would murder her if she did not stop, and he actually jumped out of bed, caught her by her gray hair and shook her. She took him by the hand and prayed, Ah, Lord, this is hard work; but bless my boy and save him.” God not only saved him, but made him one of England’s mightiest savers of other men. He and Harry Moorehouse were loving co work ers, and Moorehouse owed much to his friend. John Hambleton was another of the group. He wandered over the world, in his unconverted days, and had many wonderful escapes from sudden death. Awakened, apparently without any spe cial human instrumentality, he sought peace in reformation and good deeds, but in vain. A sermon in an Episcopal church on the text: “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God; when Christ, who is our life, Shall appear, then
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