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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."

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