This article concludes Mr. Bowen's interesting series. Great truths have been presented in an absorbing story form. Doubtless you have friends in whose hands you will wish to place the five numbers of the "Signs of the Times" containing the recital of Princeton's great awakening. If any of the back numbers are missing, they can be obtained from the publishers. EDITOR.
IT was early in June. Princeton had already begun to take on a changed appearance. Thriving places of business occupied the fine corner locations and other good places in the city where the saloons had held forth. The police force had been reduced by more than one half. The jail had only a few inmates, most of these being long-term victims of drunken rows; and the city was really different.
"I have just learned to-day," said Mr. Wilkinson, as Tom Jones sat down beside him on the suburban-bound trolley, "that we are to have a cotton church out our way."
"Is that so? Where?"
"Down on the corner of Thirty-third and Pine streets. Its services are to begin a week from Sunday night."
"I wonder who the folks are."
"Don't know for sure, but I think they are the same people who had those big meetings in the hall last winter."
"Well, if that's the case, I am going," said Tom.
"I want to go myself. Yes, here it is in to-night's paper. Evangelists S. F. Cummings and R. E. Lockwood to be in charge. We will watch the papers for further notices."
Present-Day Problems
A NEAT, large tent auditorium was soon up on the beautiful corner lot. It was comfortably seated with chairs, the platform was tastefully arranged, well lettered Scripture mottoes adorned the interior, and the tent was lighted with electricity. Everything was in readiness for that first Sunday night service.
It was a lovely evening, and the tent was packed with people. There were many, like Tom Jones and D. K. Wilkinson, who wanted to hear a connected line of Scripture that might throw some light upon present-day conditions and problems which were really troubling them. Besides such as these, there were many others there out of sheer curiosity.
That evening, Mr. Cummings took for his subject the question Pilate asked Jesus on the day of the Lord's mock trial, "What is truth?" He showed that the most important thing in the world to know and cling to is the truth. Among other things, he said: "Like Pilate of old, many ask, 'What is truth?' and as he did on that occasion, before they get Jesus' answer, they go out into the rabble of the world, the confusion of business and gain getting, and hence really never get God's clear answer as to what truth is. Jesus, in that last prayer with His disciples, said, 'Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth.' Thus God's word, all of it, is the truth. No one knows what truth is unless he knows what the Bible says.
The next night, the meetings on Thirty-third and Pine closed with a large audience in attendance.
Dust Off Your Bibles
"ALL questions of belief must be brought to the test of the word of God — the Scriptures. Doctrines that cannot endure the test of the application of the Scriptures, have no truth in them. All falsehoods sooner or later will perish. It behooves us, therefore, to study the word of God. That Word will explain its own deep mysteries, if we but study it. In all the subjects to be considered from this desk while we remain with you, this test of 'What is truth?' is to be the measuring rod.
"No doubt things will be presented that will at first seem strange to you; but we earnestly invite your candid thought to each subject, with this burning question of Pilate's ever uppermost in your minds, 'What is truth?' You should get out your Bibles. Dust them off, and begin to hunt through them as for hid treasures. We should be very glad to have you bring your own Bibles with you to the tent. Read for yourselves the passages quoted.
The Good Old-Fashioned Days
"We do not ask you to take our word for it. Prove for yourselves 'what is truth,' by searching the Book of books, the one Book that is the unerring standard by which we all must ascertain 'what is truth,' and by which we are to be judged in the last day."
On the way home that night, Mr. Wilkinson said to his wife: "To me, that sounded good. It brings up afresh some of those good old early Methodist days my father and mother used to talk about, when Bible religion was in vogue; when the preachers stuck to the Bible, and gave some meat that was really 'meat in due season.' I am going to take Mr. Cummings's challenge, and prove 'what is truth' by finding what my own Bible says."
"But if you don't know, then you are not accountable. The Lord will not punish you for anything you don't know about. I am not very anxious to find out, for I may have to give up some things I don't want to give up," retorted Mrs. Wilkinson.
"Possibly the Lord will hold us accountable for what He knows we might have known," suggested Mr. Wilkinson.
Found in Grandmother's Bible
THOSE meetings continued just ten weeks. It was astonishing that so many subjects could be found in that old grandmother's Bible, so largely discarded by the preachers of to-day. "The History of the World in Advance," in several lines of prophecy, was given. "What Daniel Knew of Present-Day Events," "Do Men Have Immortality by Nature?" "Jesus Our Sin Bearer," "Our One Mediator," "Jesus at Work Now — Where?" "When Is Christ to Become King?" "Is There Bible Authority for Infant Sprinkling?" "When Is God's Law to Be Done Away?" "The Christian's Sabbath," "What Takes
Place During the Millennium?", "The Place Jesus Has Prepared for Saints — Where Is It?" "Events Showing the End of the World Nigh," were some of the many other equally interesting topics considered.
Twoscore Take Up the Cross
ONE night about two weeks before the tent was to come down, late in the summer, Mr. Cummings, at the close of an earnest discourse upon the subject of "The Importance of Walking in the Light, Lest Darkness Come upon You," invited all who would like to take their stand upon the truth of God's word, and walk in the pathway of His commandments, to arise.
Among those first to get up were D. K. Wilkinson, Tom Jones and his wife, Mrs. Lewis and her rescued-from-a-drunkard's-grave Ed, and about twoscore others who had, like these, been studying their Bibles. Many of these who arose had hitherto made no profession of religion, nor been members of any of the churches in Princeton.
The next Sabbath (Saturday), these who had arisen, and any others who desired, were invited to come to the tent at ten o'clock. A good sized Sabbath school was that morning organized, and classes were formed for all, including the children. Mrs. Lockwood had for some time been having children's meetings just before evening service, two evenings each week. Following the Sabbath school, Evangelist Lockwood spoke a few minutes on "The Blessedness of Taking Up the Cross and Following Jesus."
A "Sheep-Stealing" Business
AT the close of the short sermon, opportunity was given all to speak. It was a blessed meeting. Eyes filled with tears as different ones told of their joy in finding the truth, and of the perfect satisfaction they had experienced in stepping out from the world to follow in the footsteps of Jesus in the keeping of His Father's commandments. In Brother Wilkinson's testimony, after expressing his gratitude to God for what he had learned at the tent, and for the precious truths found in his Bible, he referred to a thrust he had heard a few evenings before about the work done at the tent being "simply a sheep-stealing business."
"I have been thinking about that expression," Brother Wilkinson said. "Yes, indeed, stolen away from the sandy foundation of 'papal traditions' and 'doctrines of men,' and brought to the sure foundation of God's holy word; stolen away from the law-nailed-to-the-cross8delusion, and guided into the shining pathway of God's blessed commandments; stolen away from the lulling-to-sleep fallacy of the age-to-come theory, and awakened to sense that the day of salvation is almost over, and that the day of the pouring out of God's wrath upon a sinful, disobedient world is nigh at hand. For all this blessed deliverance, I for one am devoutly thankful to my heavenly Father.' Many hearty 'Amens' were heard as he took his seat.
One week from that day, thirty-two went down 'into the water,' as did Philip and the eunuch, to be buried with their Lord in baptism, arising from their watery graves to walk with their Lord 'in newness of life'—Christ's instituted ordinance to commemorate His death and resurrection. A church was then organized. The next night, the meetings on Thirty-third and Pine closed with a large audience in attendance.
Cotton Gives Way to Brick
THE last announcement read from the desk was this: 'We take this occasion to invite all our friends in Princeton to join us in raising funds for the purchase of materials to erect a church on this lot, already purchased, which has been so beautifully dedicated to the gospel by the presentation of the truth from this desk night after night the past few weeks. Subscription papers are prepared, so that should any of the friends here to-night consider it a privilege to assist in the purchase of materials for the erection of a church on this spot, to be dedicated to the further worship of God, they can do so. Such assistance will be thankfully received.'
'(Signed)
'D. K. Wilkinson.
'Thomas Jones.
'Edward Lewis.'
BEFORE the severe winter weather set in, a neat little church edifice adorned the corner of Thirty-third and Pine streets in Princeton, where met, as the weeks went by, an ever growing congregation of believers, whose aim, in all their daily walk and conversation, is to keep the commandments of God, including the stigmatized 'Jewish Sabbath,' and to keep burning brightly upon the altars of their hearts 'the faith of Jesus.'
