The American Missionary — Volume 33, No. 04, April 1879Various
History
The American Missionary — Volume 33, No. 04, April 1879
Various
Congregational churches -- Missions -- Periodicals; Home missions -- Periodicals
On March 2d thirty were received into our church, the fruits, in
part, of a revival still in progress. It is the custom in the
South to admit converts to the church on the first convenient
opportunity, as in apostolic times, according to Acts ii. 47.
Of these thirty, seven were baptized in infancy, mostly by our
own missionaries, ten years ago; three were immersed; the rest
followed Ezek. xxxvi. 25. The youngest was not quite nine years
old; the oldest was between sixty and seventy, and as happy a
new-born soul as one often meets. Several were from forty to
fifty. Five are heads of families, one of whom I have heard
called “king of men,” because of his commanding influence. He
says: “I mean to be as faithful in the service of Christ as I
have been in that of Satan. I am now ready for any duty the
church may impose upon me; be it easy or hard, it makes no
difference to me.” His conversion has startled everybody. One
little boy scarcely ten years old often prays intelligently and
touchingly for a dear uncle and aunt, and asks others to join him.
All but two of the girls at Foster Hall are hopeful Christians;
and of the forty-five young men who board at the same place, but
four remain without a hope in Christ. Two in the higher normal
room still refuse to enter upon the better life, and fourteen in
the common school normal, out of the ninety in that department.
The community outside of the college, our people say, was never
before so awakened since the college was established here.
The meetings have been characterized by a wonderful freedom from
excitement; indeed, I was never in a revival before where there
was so little. It has pleased God in this instance to magnify
preaching in a wonderful manner. Dr. Roy was with us a week
lacking one day, and preached every night and on the Sabbath,
interesting and profiting every one. One night many hearts were
deeply moved by his tender recital of the “Old, old story of
Jesus and his love.” We held extra meetings for two or three
weeks. During the “week of prayer” and the remainder of January
there were no conversions save one, that of “reckless George,”
as he used to be called. He was one of our brightest young men,
and his conversion made a deep impression. The revival did not
commence in earnest until the first week in February, when there
were twenty who turned to the Lord from the ways of sin. Since
then the work has gone steadily forward.
This whole region seems ripe for a spiritual harvest; but whence
are to come the reapers, as there is a limit to strength, and
other duties press sorely. We cannot have many more extra
meetings, though there are many inquirers; still we do not
despair, as God has shown us how easily He can brush away all
obstacles to the progress of His kingdom. He has again and again,
during the continuance of these meetings, rebuked our want of
faith.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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