A FURTHER REPORT OF THE MAMMOTH MEETINGS DEALING WITH THE GREATEST RELIGIOUS QUESTIONS OF THE DAY, AND PRESENTED IN THE LIGHT OF THE SOON-COMING WORLD'S CRISIS
By BENJAMIN G. WILKINSON
Sunday, April 16
TO-NIGHT is the fifth of our big meetings in the theater. After so splendid an audience last week, what shall we have to-night? We are glad to know that Dr. Morgan has again come from Philadelphia to play the organ, and I am sure that everything conspires to make a favorable evening.
This is true. We have to-night the largest audience we have yet had. Every available seat and all standing space in the building are occupied. The ushers are even obliged to clear the aisles, in order that the fire laws may be observed. About three thousand people are present, while hundreds have been turned away. The building was fairly well filled by 6:45, and many of those who came at the 7:30 hour, which is the opening time, find themselves either without a good seat, or without any seat at all.
The subject of this lecture is "The Saints' Inheritance." The people listen to the exposition of the majesty of God in the creation of His universe, and to the thrilling Scriptural evidence that there are unfallen worlds which are inhabited. The Saviour's promise that "the meek shall inherit the earth," presents not the only legacy which is in reserve for those who love Him. The matchless universe, with its hundred million worlds that the telescope has already revealed, to say nothing of what stands yet unrevealed, constitutes the Saviour's domain; and every evidence goes to show that this little earth, the one sheep that has strayed away from the fold, is soon to be back safe with the other ninety and nine. On this earth the great conflict between good and evil is being fought out to a finish. The signs of the speedy return of our Lord make us believe that we are privileged to live in the greatest time in which it was ever given any mortal to live.
Again to-night a large number of names are passed in for reading matter, and the offering of the evening is $112.
Sunday, April 23
THIS is Easter night; and in all the churches, cantatas, oratorios, special orchestras, and musical programs are the order of the day. Many of our friends have told us that they cannot be with us this evening. Therefore we do not look for any such large audience as we had a week ago to-night; but when the hour for opening comes, we are pleased to note that the main body of the auditorium and the boxes are filled, also the second gallery, and part of the third gallery. It is estimated that some fifteen hundred at least are present.
The subject of the evening is "The Millennium." No effort is made to combat false theories on this subject. The speaker plunges at once into a consideration of "The Millennium: When and How It Begins; What Occurs During the Thousand Years; When and How It Ends." With manifest interest, the audience sit throughout the evening, no one leaving the auditorium. They want to know what is the true light of the Bible upon this important question; and as the speaker pictures to them from the Scriptures the coming of the Lord to this earth, the beautiful journey past unfallen worlds to the throne of God, and the great changes that are yet to come and are evidently soon to come, the audience manifest every sign of indorsement.
After the benediction is given, the crowd still linger, as if unwilling to go. They seem to say that contemplation of the things of God gives greater joy than anything else. In fact, one man in the audience, as he went out, spoke to one of the associate workers, saying that he had made up his mind that by the grace of God, he would stand at last on the sea of glass. He made an appointment for two of the workers to call at his house the next day, and give him a Bible study.
It was pleasing to stand at the doorway, and see the great streams of people coming down the stairs, and pouring out of the doors; and as they passed one by one, some gave their cards to the ushers, asking for reading matter upon the subject of the evening. We are pleased to learn of one man, a bond broker in the city of Pittsburgh, who publicly disclosed his intention to quit his tobacco, which he has used for many years, and to begin the observance of the Sabbath of the Lord.
Sunday, April 30
THIS is a great day in the history of Pittsburgh. This afternoon, there has been a big debate in the Pitt Theater, on the subject of preparedness. The speakers, unable to terminate the debate, and the judges, unable to decide it, have begged the crowd to adjourn to another theater, in order to make way for our coming meeting. But that is not all. The street car men are threatening to strike. At midnight, every car line in the city of Pittsburgh will be tied up. In the other theaters, there are assemblies of strikers addressed by fervent labor union chiefs; and we wonder if providence will be propitious to us, and has left us any vestige of a chance to have an audience.
However, yesterday — Saturday — we held our first public Sabbath meeting in the Moose Auditorium in the city. Nearly three hundred people assembled to worship with us on this Sabbath afternoon. So although to-night three thousand five hundred street car men will "walk out," and to-morrow or Monday the street car company will lose one thousand two hundred dollars in nickels, yet we hope for a hearing.
We are not disappointed. About twelve hundred people are present to listen to the subject of the evening, which is "The Second Coming of Christ." Of course, it is impossible for the speaker to avoid saying anything on the sign of capital and labor as seen in the epistle of James, chapter 5. We are told that one Sunday school teacher is out with all his class. A Jewish lawyer who has attended every meeting, expressed himself as believing that these meetings will be of great interest to the Jews, because emphasis is laid upon the true Sabbath of the Lord.
Sunday, May 7
WE have an excellent audience again to-night, fifteen hundred people filling the main auditorium and the boxes, and also nearly filling the second gallery. The electrician of the theater expressed his astonishment in the vernacular of the day when he said, "You certainly are getting the people." And this is now the eighth Sunday night meeting we have held in this theater. The subject of the evening is "Spiritualism, or Preparation Against Unseen Aggressors."
Emphasis is laid on the fact that all classes of society are dabbling in these mysteries, or as Dr. J. Raupert, a great scientist, says, "The tendency to occultism has been encouraged by men of science, by exalted personages at various courts, and by disinterested inquirers." "Among the intellectuals, we read further, are thousands of men and women who, after abandoning Christianity, have, in the search for some kind of spiritual life, plunged into 'occult science.' Society women and shop girls, clergymen in large numbers, city clerks and young men with a smattering of self-taught culture, are rushing to séances, crystal gazing, and the invocation of spirits to an extent incredible to one who has not kept track of this cause of emotional disturbance." (Current Opinion, April, 1914, page 283.)
After the speaker leaves the stand, he is5challenged by the leading spiritualist minister in the city to debate this question. As he goes to the door to shake hands with some of the stream of people coursing down the stairways and out of the aisles, the editor of one of the leading papers in the city steps up to him to ask him a question. He is interrupted about thirty times by those who pause a moment to address the speaker and say a few words on the subject of the evening, until the editor remarks, "You certainly have the people stirred."
That these meetings are not without influence upon people's lives may be seen by the fact that since these public meetings began, something like nineteen persons have decided to begin the observance of God's true Sabbath. Yet not a word has yet been said in public on the Sabbath question.
