Messrs Moody and Sankey were yesterday in Edinburgh, and in
connection with their visit a series of meetings took place in the Free
Assembly Hall. In the forenoon there was a crowded attendance to hear an
address from Mr Moody. Admission was by ticket up till a quarter before eleven,
but so many non-ticket holders put in an appearance as to block the approaches;
and to a large extent those who had tickets and those who had not were on the
same footing as regards admission. The gathering was so large that it was found
necessary to have an overflowmeeting in the Free High Church, which was
addressed by Dr Andrew A. Bonar, Glasgow.
At the Assembly Hall meeting, in
addition to the general audience, there was a considerable gathering of
ministers from various parts of Scotland, among them being Principal Rainy and
Principal Cairns, and the members of the professoriate of the Free Church and
United Presbyterian Church Divinity Halls. Principal Cairns was out for the
first time for several months. In the preliminary devotional service Mr Sankey
sang a couple of solos to his own accompaniment on the American organ, and
Principal Cairns and the Rev. Dr Stalker, Glasgow, engaged in prayer. Mr MOODY,
in an address lasting nearly an hour, spoke on the subject of "The Holy
Spirit," and in particular the work of the Holy Spirit. In the first place, he
said, the Holy Spirit convicted of sin. That was why a good many people did not
like to go to religious meetings where the Holy Spirit was at work. He made
them "kick up cross," and go out of the door and stamp their feet. It was
better that way, however, than that they should go to sleep. People said, Our
minister is eloquent, and so forth. Why does he not convert men? But if the
angel Gabriel wore to drop down from heaven with every hair on his head lit up,
and to preach for five hours, there would not be one convinced if the Holy
Spirit was not there. The Holy Spirit, he went on to say, shed abroad love in
the hearts of men. That was the atmosphere in which it worked, and it was
because of the absence of that atmosphere that they had the spectacle of
several ministers living in a small town and not speaking to one another. The
Spirit of God imparted hope and gave liberty. The ministers who were present
knew what was meant by the lack of liberty. He did not think an angel from
heaven could come down and preach if people only took their places in the pew
to say, We will sit down here and watch that man. They wanted to get that
accursed spirit of criticism out of the pews. One man wanted an appeal to his
emotions, another to his intellect, as if he had any. They took a man to pieces
and wondered why he had not any influence.
Mr Moody went on to say that the
Spirit of God testified of Christ. There were a good many who had the spiritual
life without power. Their spiritual well was dry in the summer and frozen in
the winter. They had in Spurgeon an example of the man who was filled with the
spirit, and from whom there flowed accordingly rivers of living water. On the
other hand, they had the example of a man in the pulpit whom they saw pump and
pump, and they heard the pump squeak for the reason that there was not much in
it. They sometimes saw notices of shops to let "with or without power," meaning
that there was an engine at the back which could be turned on if need be. It
would be well, when a member wanted to join the Church, if it were put to him
whether he wanted to join with or without power. If the latter, they might tell
him they had enough of that kind already.
In the afternoon a conference
took place on Christian life and work, which was largely attended.
Mr J.
Campbell White of Overtoun presided, and among the speakers were the Rev. Dr
Andrew A. Bonar, Glasgow; the Rev. Dr Stalker, Glasgow; the Rev. John Smith,
Edinburgh; the Rev. William Ross, Glasgow; and the Rev. William Robertson, Home
Mission Deputy of the Church of Scotland.
Dr BONAR argued that expectation
was one of the great means of getting power, and Dr STALKER said that God's
power went in the channel of our honest efforts. People blamed such a movement
as that of Mr Moody's when it passed away without much effect, but it might be
that the servants of God did not gather where He gave. In the course of the
proceedings prayer was offered by Professor Blaikie on behalf of the Royal
Family.
In the evening a united evangelistic meeting was held in the Free
Assembly Hall. Professor Simpson, M.D., presided over an attendance which
filled the hall in every part. After prayer and praise, the Rev. R. J.
Drummond, Lothian Road United Presbyterian Church, Edinburgh, delivered the
first of a series of addresses, the other speakers being the Rev. James E.
Houstoun, Dundee, and the Rev. Alexander Leo, Nairn. The proceedings, which
lasted two hours, were also taken part in by the Rev. John M'Ewan, John Knox
Free Church; the Rev. George Davidson, St Mary's Free Church; and the Rev. Mr
Grant, Bristo Street Baptist Chapel, Edinburgh. In the course of the prayers
and addresses feeling reference was made to the death of the Duke of Clarence.
The meetings of yesterday were organised by an Edinburgh Committee, of
which Professor Simpson is Chairman and Mr G. A. Barclay is secretary. The same
Committee are arranging Mr Moody's other meetings in the East of Scotland.
In Dr Bonar's diary this day is mentioned as
follows:
Thursday 21st January 1892 - "Yesterday memorable because of
the funeral of the prince (the Duke of Clarence), all the nation feeling it as
a calamity. But in another way yesterday was memorable (like 'the year that
King Uzziah died'); we had a remarkable meeting with Moody and Sankey at
Edinburgh, and a day of prayer for the Holy Spirit.
We were seeking that
like Isaiah 6 ministers especially, but also all God's people, might be visited
by the outpouring of the Spirit. This is our Communion week. The Lord helped me
greatly yesterday at Edinburgh when called upon quite unexpectedly to take an
overflow meeting. It was a time of great blessing".
HTML transcription files copyright © 2006. Jane Newble
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