The Reformed Presbyterian Standard and also 0\ir ... - Rparchives.org
The Reformed Presbyterian Standard and also 0\ir ... - Rparchives.org
The Reformed Presbyterian Standard and also 0\ir ... - Rparchives.org
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August 26, 1914.<br />
A FAMILY PAPEH<br />
vival as would cause them to seek the out-pouring<br />
of the spirit of prayer upon themselves.<br />
With this idea in mind I wrote home to the<br />
people at Quinter what was taking place at<br />
Synod, urging that they be muc-h in prayer<br />
that the blessing might" be received by them<br />
<strong>also</strong>.' <strong>The</strong> first Sabbath after Synod I took a<br />
few moments to tell of the wonderful revival<br />
prayer-meetings at Synod <strong>and</strong> then led in a<br />
meeting of prayer for the out-pouring of the<br />
Spirit of God upon the congregation <strong>and</strong> the<br />
unsaved into the community around us. <strong>The</strong>re<br />
were several members of the congregation who,<br />
through confession of sin <strong>and</strong> prayer, received<br />
a great blessing, <strong>and</strong> many others who did not<br />
pray or make confession in public, as it turned<br />
out afterwards, were greatly blessed with the<br />
tor's sermons began to have more point to<br />
tliem, more of a definite end in view. <strong>The</strong><br />
messages were prepared not merely for the<br />
minds of the hearers but for the hearts. <strong>The</strong><br />
needs <strong>and</strong> difficulties of definite individuals<br />
were in the mind in the preparation of each<br />
sermon, <strong>and</strong> preaching, which was, in a measure,<br />
hard labor, before, became a matter of<br />
great joy <strong>and</strong> delight.<br />
<strong>The</strong> principal church <strong>org</strong>anization which was<br />
put into use was the prayer-meeting. <strong>The</strong> town<br />
prayer-meeting which met only every other<br />
week, began to meet every week <strong>and</strong> the extra<br />
meeting was devoted exclusively to the confession<br />
of sin <strong>and</strong> prayer. A number of families<br />
in the country came together in prayer circles<br />
on week evenings. <strong>The</strong> young people at their<br />
own suggestion started a prayer circle <strong>and</strong> set<br />
aside the firsthalf of their meeting each Sabbath<br />
evening for confession <strong>and</strong> prayer. A<br />
great many of the people of the congregation<br />
received most precious experiences in answer<br />
to these prayers.<br />
<strong>The</strong> methods used in connection with prayer<br />
<strong>and</strong> the preaching of the Gospel were, the<br />
use of cards with the announcement of Evangehstic<br />
Services, the subject, <strong>and</strong> an invitation<br />
to come to church on Sabbath. <strong>The</strong>se cards<br />
were usually printed <strong>and</strong> circulated among the<br />
non-church goers in the town on Saturday<br />
evening. <strong>The</strong>re were always some who came in<br />
response to these invitations. Personal work<br />
was taken up more persistently than ever before,<br />
<strong>and</strong> both pastor <strong>and</strong> people got a new vision<br />
of both the duty <strong>and</strong> privilege of laboring<br />
with Christ for the ingathering of the unsaved.<br />
But it was not the special sermons or the<br />
<strong>org</strong>anizations, or the methods which were used<br />
which brought revival, <strong>and</strong> conversions, but<br />
the Lord poured out the spirit of grace <strong>and</strong><br />
supplications upon the congregation <strong>and</strong> led<br />
them to ask for these blessings <strong>and</strong> then he<br />
*as faithful <strong>and</strong> answered their prayers <strong>and</strong><br />
gave the blessing. And, Glory be to His Name,<br />
He did the work <strong>and</strong> gave us the unspeakable<br />
blessing of knowing that He was present <strong>and</strong><br />
of seeing the mighty works which His h<strong>and</strong> had<br />
wrought.<br />
Three things may be noted in closing: That<br />
God is willing to bless Evangelistic work done<br />
by the regular pastor <strong>and</strong> personal workers in<br />
a congregation, as well as that done by "professional<br />
Evangelists <strong>and</strong> workers," providing<br />
there is present the same spirit of prayer <strong>and</strong><br />
anxious concern for the unsaved; that the<br />
Psalms are admirably adapted for Evangeliatic<br />
services; <strong>and</strong> that people when truly converted<br />
under Covenanter influences <strong>and</strong> leaders,<br />
are perfectly willing to enlist under the<br />
banner of "Christ's Crown <strong>and</strong> Covenant.''<br />
spirit of humility <strong>and</strong> contrition. <strong>The</strong>se meetings<br />
for prayer <strong>and</strong> confession of sin were continued,<br />
in connection with the preaching of the<br />
ROOSEVELT AND THE COIN DESIGN.<br />
Washington, Aug. 2.—"<strong>The</strong> one conspicuous instance<br />
of <strong>The</strong>odore Roosevelt's misreading public<br />
opinion," said John H. L<strong>and</strong>is, of Lancaster<br />
word, for three Sabbaths, <strong>and</strong> in answer to<br />
earnest requests the spirit of "grace <strong>and</strong> supplications"<br />
was poured out upon the congregation.<br />
County, "was when as President in 1907 he ordered<br />
the motto 'In God We Trust' taken oil our<br />
Preaching took on a new interest. <strong>The</strong> pas<br />
coins for so-called artistic reasons."<br />
Mr. L<strong>and</strong>is, who has just retired from the<br />
superintendency of the Mint at Philadelphia, after<br />
a service of more than 12 years in that capacity,<br />
was a central figure in the storm of disapproval<br />
that followed the President's act, because<br />
by reason of his official place some people<br />
In remote parts of the country considered that<br />
Superintendent L<strong>and</strong>is was responsible for -ihe<br />
disappearance of the motto from the coin.<br />
"<strong>The</strong> man chiefly responsible for crystalizing<br />
public opinion against the order of President<br />
Roosevelt" said Mr. L<strong>and</strong>is, "was the late Dr.<br />
Louis Klopsch, the publisher of a New York religious<br />
newspaper widely known throughout 'the<br />
country, <strong>and</strong> indeed the world for his interest <strong>and</strong><br />
participation in a number of notable philanthropies.<br />
Mr. Klopsch's attention to the matter<br />
was called by a letter written to him by C.<br />
R. Gehrahart, of Lock Haven, Pa. Mr. Gehrhart<br />
told in his letter the story of the motto 'In God<br />
We Trust,' how it had heen put on the coins in<br />
the first instance by the suggestion of a former<br />
Governor of Pennsylvania, James Pollock, who<br />
had been appointed Director of the Mint hy<br />
President Lincoln <strong>and</strong> who had been connected<br />
for many years with the Sunday school <strong>org</strong>anizations<br />
<strong>and</strong> work in Philadelphia.<br />
"Doctor Klopsch repeated the story of the motto,<br />
protested against its removal <strong>and</strong> began a<br />
systematic movement to secure an expression from<br />
the citizens of America. <strong>The</strong> response to the<br />
appeal was immediate <strong>and</strong> overwhelming. <strong>The</strong><br />
dem<strong>and</strong> that the motto be restored to the coins<br />
of the United States took definite form in congressional<br />
legislation. <strong>The</strong> bill restoring it passed<br />
the House of Representatives by the signlucant<br />
vote of 259 yeas <strong>and</strong> 5 nays. When the bill providing<br />
for the restoration became a law I had become<br />
so interested in Doctor Klopsch's extraordinary<br />
zeal <strong>and</strong> effectiveness that I took the precaution<br />
to see that the firstcoin stamped with<br />
the restored motto should be carefully put aside<br />
<strong>and</strong> forwarded to the New York publisher. I am<br />
told thai at the time of Dr. Klopsch's death, ivhich<br />
occurred in 1910, this coin was among the souvenirs<br />
of his very active life which he regarded<br />
as one of his cherished possessions."<br />
ONE-FIFTH OF THE WORLD'S HEBREWS IN<br />
THE U.NTITED STATES.<br />
"Easily one fifthof the Hebrews in the world<br />
are with us," says Professor Edward Alsworth<br />
Ross in his article on "<strong>The</strong> Hebrews of Eastern<br />
Europe in America" in the September Century.<br />
* •- * * "Migrating as families, the Hebrews<br />
from eastern Europe are pretty evenly divided<br />
between the sexes. <strong>The</strong>ir illiteracy is twenty-six<br />
per cent., about the average. Artisans <strong>and</strong> professional<br />
men are rather numerous among them.<br />
<strong>The</strong>-' come from cities <strong>and</strong> se'ctle in cities, half in<br />
New York. Centuries of enforced Ghetto lite<br />
seem to have bred in them a herding instinct. Ko<br />
other physiques can so well withst<strong>and</strong> the toxins<br />
of urban congestion. Save the Italians, more<br />
Hebrews will crowd upon a given space than any<br />
nationality. As they prosper, they do not proportionately<br />
enlarge their quarters."<br />
<strong>The</strong> Secretary of the Religious Education Association<br />
has been giving addresses to the colleges.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Presbyterian</strong> has this note in regard to the<br />
position of the Association he represents:<br />
'"Rev. Dr. Henry F. Cope, Secre'tary of the Religious<br />
Education Assooia-tion, who was formerly<br />
so much interested in the production of Sabbathschool<br />
lessons, sends the following to the Chicago<br />
'Tribune':<br />
"Sir: <strong>The</strong> Religious Education Association is<br />
probably the only religious <strong>org</strong>anization in the<br />
world in which all creeds <strong>and</strong> faiths meet on a<br />
common platform—Jews, Catholics, Pro-Lcstants,<br />
Buddhists or whatever they may be. This as-sociation<br />
has headquarters in Chicago, <strong>and</strong> members<br />
in every l<strong>and</strong>. Much criticism has been poured<br />
on the <strong>org</strong>anization for its liberality, but recent<br />
press dispatches have called its caLholicity into<br />
question, stating that Rabbi Wise, of New York,<br />
has asserted in public that Jews were excluded<br />
from its work. In reply, the general secretary.<br />
Dr. Henry F. Cope, insists that all persons are<br />
treated without consciousness cf their faith. He<br />
offers the simple statement of facts that no -fewer<br />
that six Jewish rabbis have given principal addresses<br />
a-t the annual conventions of the association<br />
in the last six years—Rabbis Moses J. Gries,<br />
David Phillipson, Emil G. Hirsch, Louis Grossman,<br />
Maurice Lowenthal, <strong>and</strong> Stephen S. V/ise;<br />
many prominent Jews have participated in other<br />
programmes; a large number are found in -the association's<br />
membership, <strong>and</strong> for the last four<br />
years they have been represented on the executive<br />
board, while numerous other offices have been<br />
tendered them.<br />
"This is full evidence that the Religious Education<br />
Association is not Christian, <strong>and</strong> cannot be.<br />
It is simply the baldest naturalism, dealing with<br />
<strong>and</strong> appealing to those native religious susceptibilities<br />
which belong to man by creation. It has<br />
no other information to give than that which ia<br />
common to the nature of man. It was well thac<br />
the Bible-schools of the Church were promptly delivered<br />
from this baneful influence."