RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 502, 8 May 1909, Page 9

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

"THE KINC'S BUSINESS." ' CHAPMAN-ALEXANDER MISSION. "Wo comincncod the mission in Melbourne seven years ago," remarked Mr. Alexandor, from ( his elevated stand on the. platforiia at tho Town Hall on April 23, "by singing 'All Hail the-Power of Jesu's Name.' Lef us liavo it again." Li tliis way (says the Melbourne "Argus") commenced tho welcome in the Town Hall last night to Dr, J. Wilbur Chapman, Mr. Charles M. Alexander, and tho other visiting evangelists. Prior to tho beginning of the. formal proceedings, Mr. Alexander and his audiencc indulged in some "choir practice." "W< have a' song hero that all Australia musi sing," ho said, "becauso an Australiar wrote it." In between working up the parts of tho song—its title was "Ho Wil Hold Mo Fast" —Mr. Alexander found tim< to win tho confidence, of his audience. : Brevity was tho feature of tho speeches of welcome. The chairman (the Rev. Alexander Stewart), president of the executiv< of tho mission, said that, the gathering wa: an inspiration meeting of the adherents o: tho Christian Church, tho forerunner, il was hoped, of a great'revival. "Wo ar< waiting," ho said, "for the Divine breall upon service. When it ; comes, then will bo a baptism of tiro—fire that will bun up all that it not of God; In .welcomim tho Evangelists, my prayer is that they ma; be the means of winning souls, not imiy ii Melbourne, "but throughout the Commonwealth." Tho speakers who followed were tho Rev S. C. Kent (Church of England), Kev. A Allan (Presbyterian), Rev. John Thoma: (Methodist), Rev. J. H. Goblo (Baptist) Rev. Ernest Davies . (Congregational),'am Rev. H. JeSs (on behalf of other denomina tion's). '' There was a rustle of expectancy as thi chairman handed tho meeting over to thi Evangelists. Mr. Alexander mounted hi staud, and in a miiiuto ' had the audienc< enthusiastically singing the familiar "Glor; Song," "Weil, I have never been so tho roughly welcomed in all my life," said Dr Chapman, as ho rose to respond. "We hav< put in almost 1 a week of welcomes, in you: , city, and my heart responds to them all." Cards bearing a red rise, with tho words "Tho King's Business" on it, were circu lated in tho hall. The people were aske< to take them-home, and display them con spicuously in tlieir front windows. "I feel 1 can choose no better text" thai this from the. 85th Psalm and sixth versi (said Dr. Chapman):—'Wilt Thou not revbi us again?' .The responsibility is with God It is not with us. It is wo who may detor mino whether wo shall liavo a revival, used to say that. I could see , a", reviva coming, that I could-se j, a cloud - the.. sizi of a man's, hand in tho sky. But now I hav< learned that God!s promises are written ii tho present tetf'so. (Amen I) If any .'city sags morally tho responsibility is not witl God, it is with tho people. And so, .if anj church loses its power, tho responsibility i: with the members of that church. Now, ! want to make' a plea for an old-fashionet revival—a revival Jiko that of Pentecost Somo peoplo say revivals are abnormal, bin ,1- say they aro not so. abnormal as the colt condition of tho church. .1 know some peopli say that revivals aro'.'always followed by' i reaction. That is not of necessity true. Bir if. it were true, it would pay us to have Te vivals; for after each one thousands. ar< brought nearer to 'Christ: I say tho histor of tha Church is a history of revivals. can't understand how any minister can > against a revival. Somo of the greatest moi in tho church to-day were horu in a revival.' Here Dr. Chapman broke off to tell a story Continuing lie said:—As much as imy mai I pay a; tribute to intellectual and social dis tinctions, but it is tho mih' who has tin .spirit of Christ,' and who preaches with tean and pleads with passion, that tells at revivals When a sharp lmo'is drawn between - thi Church and 'tho world—then wo : shall' : sc< peoplo seeking Christ.. What, sort of a re '.vival do we need?- First, it must bo'a re vival that is going to give us better homes Let God givo us a revival;:; In the secom place, wo need a revival that, is going t< givo.us-moro mcu in tlio ministry. In oui country tho peril that faces us is that oui yfiung men aro leaving tho ministry. ] !ihave been 26 .years in tho ministry, and 1 had rather -bo a preacher -.of.-., tho Gospe that 26 years than a king upon his throne (Applause.) Thirdly, we want a; roviva that will help us to do persoual work.-' Oh if wo could waken the church to that! 1 lift- my eyes and say; "Wilt Thou not revive us again—again—again—again?" Deal me, when you think of tho Lord Whc bought you, you: ought to do it. Think ol Him hanging on Calvary. Do it I Do it I. will not ask you to raise •' your hand, oi rise, or como forward. I will only ask yoi to pray silently, and to say "Wilt Thoi not rovivo us again?" ; Say it now after me "Wilt—thou—not—revivd—us—again?" Nov say it arjain all of you. ' V Dr. Chapman's methods aro of the quiot persuasive kind. He raises his . voice bui seldom. Consequently lie was- almost inaudible: at the,back of tlio Town Hall lasi night. Apparently he. failed- to realiso t-h( poor acoustic properties of -the hall. . Mr, Alexander Epoko always in a ringing voice in ; marked distinction to tho soft tono of Dr! Chapman, whoso most impressive passages woro lost to'peoplo even half-way down the hall. . . ; .." Tho .meeting was : concluded with a shorl service of song,,coriductcd by tho encrgctit and'untiring Mr. Alexander. , Tlie Evangelists' party comprises tho following members:—Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman Miss Agnes Pruyn Chapman (aged thirteen)! and Alexander Hamilton Chapipan (age seven), (Dr. Chapman's children); Mr. anc ■Mrs.. Charles M. Alexander; Rev. Ford C. Ottman, D.D. (evangelist and author), Mr. Robert . Harkness (pianist), Rev. and -Mrs, William (slum evangelists),- Mr. anc Mrs. Ralph C. Norton (organisers of personal workers), Mr. Georgo T. B. Davis (ol the Pocket Bible League), 'and Mrs. E. A, Davis (his mother), Mr. Frank Dickson (musical director), Mr. E. W. , Naftzgei (soloist). ! - ' Though no direct reply has been, received, thero is reason to believe that Dr. Chapman and Mr. Alexander will accede t-o the request' to conduct a mission in Now Zealand.; ,