The Great Acceptance: The Life Story of F. N. CharringtonThorne, Guy
History
The Great Acceptance: The Life Story of F. N. Charrington
Thorne, Guy
Charrington, Fredk. N. (Frederick Nicholas), 1850-1936; Poor -- England -- London
sect, or preaching a particular doctrine--my most earnest
and heartfelt sympathy in their enterprise."
Such an inspiriting speech as this, from a man so well known and of
such high place, who was a life long friend of Frederick Charrington,
was the happiest augury for the success of this new departure.
Success it was, and in the highest degree, but everything to which
Frederick Charrington has put his hand has been a success. Already my
readers will be wondering at the ceaseless activity of this still very
young man and his band of devoted workers. They are, however, as
nothing to what is to follow.
"Rescue bands" were organised at this time.
The various mission halls, and the great tent were in full swing. Upon
the hoardings of bare spaces of the East End the texts of Holy
Scripture were seen on all sides, interspersed with advertisements of
Christian literature, and advertisements of forthcoming meetings.
Crowds of people were daily gathered round these stations, eagerly
reading the words of life. On Sunday mornings working men, taking
their weekly stroll, men who had never opened a Bible in their lives,
would stop to read the parable of the Prodigal Son. In the dead of
night the poor lost girl, as she passed along to her via dolorosa, was
startled to see the familiar text which she had learnt as a child in
the Sunday schools. The guardians of law and order on their solitary
beats at night turned the lights of their lantern upon the hoardings,
and in the darkness and the silence of the night read the story of
Christ's love for them--the profligate returning from scenes of
revelry was arrested for the moment by the words "Prepare to meet thy
God!" Such a revival, at such a time, was absolutely unknown. A great
light, growing larger and larger every moment, began to shine in upon
the dark places of the East End. It was as though some great
lighthouse of God had been built by living hands, growing rapidly,
like some building in a fairy story, and flooding this part of London
with radiance. And in the height of the tower, directing the
unflagging rays of hope, was Frederick Nicholas Charrington.
The Rescue bands which he organised and accompanied himself,
penetrated to the lowest, and often most dangerous, neighbourhoods.
London has changed since those days, and not, perhaps, in the
direction of the picturesque, and the earnest workers for Christ moved
among the strangest scenes imaginable. Space will not allow me the
pleasant task of recalling some of those vanished scenes, but I may
make a passing reference to one environment which certainly holds the
imagination.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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