MRS HAMPSON'S MISSION

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2483, 22 March 1882, Page 3

MRS HAMPSON'S MISSION

A very large meeting was held in the Theatre Royal last evening. Before the time for the commencement of the service the building was crowded in every part. The service was commenced by the congregation singing hymn No. 20 of Mr Sankcy’s collection. Mr Twenty man, junior, presided at tho organ, and, with a choir of thirty or forty voices, led the singing. After which hymn No. 197 was sung. Then Mrs Hampson read Isaiah 55th chapter, making a spec al appeal to business men as she proceeded. If they forgot every word spoken by her, they were asked to remember that God himself was putting a question to them of the 'kind that they were daily putting, a question of profit and lose—“ Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which satisfioth not.” God would not deal with them as with a machine: he would draw them with tho cords of a man. They wore asked to lift their reason up into contrast with its creation—to reason with God—to answer a question jput to them through the Divine Word—“ Wherefore, &?.” When they came to reason with God they would find that God’s thoughts wore not their thoughts. Perhaps, if God would come down to them and save them in a way of their own they might condescend to be saved and go away with tho title-deed* of heaven in their consciences and their hearts, but they must come and reason with God and be saved in His way. When they were thus appealed to they might say it is a solemn thing to preach, but did they ever think of standing with the great white throne before them and the flash of God’s eye upon them and seeing every sermon they had ever heard pass before them as in a great panorama, and of being called to give au account of the effect of these upon them and tho use they will have made of them, and did they never think how eolemn a thing it was to hear the Gospel. After this another hymn was sung, then Mrs Hampson led in prayer, after which she delivered a long, very interesting and powerful address, taking as her text tho words—- “ The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” She spoke first of what was implied in tho word lost. In Liverpool in some seasons of the year the word “ Lost” might be seen in large letters posted in the most conspicuous positions. The ship with its cargo of gold and silver and gems gone down_ to the depths. But this was not all. Precious souls, infinitely more precious than the gold, and the silver, and the gems, precious souls were gone down to the fathomless depths of the sea, and out into the vast eternal, unseen, unfathomable unknown. Nor was this all. There was tho widow’s groan, the orphan’s tear, tho desolated homes, the withered prospects, blighted lives ; in fact, it would be impossible to measure what was implied in that little word “Lost.” Then the lots of a child from home, and tho anguish of the parents until it was found. The loss of health, tho loss of character, and the consequences of these momentous losses and their infinite consequences, though resulting from the operation of little causes, were very eloquently and thrillingly spoken of. Then the lose, tho eternal loss, of the soul was very effectively described. After this Mrs Hampson spoke of tho seeker, saying that upon the background that had been shown God hud been pleased to show the brightness of His deathless love. This love was set forth in very glowing language, end several illustrative anecdotes gave great interest to an address of marvellous power. A large number of inquirers remained to tho after meeting. Mrs Hampson conducted a service in the Theatre Bcyal at noon to day. A largo number of persons were present, soma just for a few minutes, others longer, as it had been intimated that persons not able to stay the hour might oomo and go at their convenience. The number of requests for special prayer was so great that they could not all be read publicly, but Mrs Hampson promised to summarise them by to-morrow, if practicable, or at any rate to make them matter of special prayer at home. A sample of requests was read, and several persons, ministers and others, lad in prayer, each one praying about a minute. Mrs Hampson then delivered a short address. Tho subject selected was “Jacob wrestling with tho angel of the covenant,” This evening Mrs Hampson will address a meeting in tho Theatre at 7.30.