Wheeling Register

SAVING SOULS.
A Rousing Revival Meeting at the
Fourth Street Methodist Church,
Miss Jennie Smith, the Railway Evangelist, Leads
on the Mighty Hosts-Stirring Appeals
to the Sinners-Several
March to the Altar.
The series of revival services which
have been going on at the Fourth
Street Methodist Church for the past
month under the lead of the pastor,
Rev. A. B. Riker, reached a climax last
night in one of the liveliest soul-testing
sessions held in this city for a long
while. Up to last night there had been
103 conversions, and many more sought
the fold last night.
The particular attraction last night
was Jennie Smith, the renowned Rail-
way Evangelist, who has visited this
city in other years, and has always
aroused great enthusiasm. The meet-
ing was held in the basement of the
church, and the room was crowded to
completion. The ante-rooms leading
off from the main apartment were
thrown open, and these, too, were filled
and yet crowds stood in the hallways
and doorways, unable to gain admis-
sion. There seemed almost every type
of humanity included in the ranks.
men, women and children, matrons and
maidens, sprightly, bright looking
youths, and gray haired sires, and sur-
prising above all were the presence of
many seldom seen within the sacred
walls.
There were enlivening hymns, effect-
ing prayers, and many of them; elo-
quent
addresses
and
stirring
appeals,
exhortations
powerfully
touching,
and
altogether
it
was a rousing session. After a few pre-
liminary remarks by Dr. Riker, and the
singing of several opening hymns, Miss
Smith, the Evangelist took the floor,
and for over a half hour riveted the at-
tention of the large gathering. She
was warmly in favor of shaking up the
dry bones of the community, and was
unmistakably emphatic in expressing
it. She referred to the frivolous dudes.
and the giddy, gay whirlers of fashion.
how attention should be especially di-
rected to them to persuade them from
the evil ways. If I could but have the
hearty co-operation of all the churches.
childhood would become a power for
good in the land. In the last thirty-
four months I have looked into the
faces of 50,000 school children.
In every human being there is an im-
mortal soul to be saved. I have been
in a position to see that God can take
every kind of a character and make a
Christian out of him. God is no re-
spector of persons. The sins of omis-
sion are harder to meet than the sins of
commission. If we could only realize
what there is in one opportunity we
would be amazed, as well recall the ut-
terance of that queen who exclaimed,
"A million for a moment." You will
notice that I had to use a new Bible to-
night. My old one is used up from con-
stant contact, but I never think of the
old book, but that it recalls the thou-
sands I have met with it. God bless
everybody I have met with the old Bible,
and now bless everyone I will meet with
the new one. I have been wonderfully
impressed with that sentence "To him
that hath it shall be given, but to him
that hath not, from him shall be taken
that which he hath not." This looks like
a singular statement to take something
from a man when he hasn't got it. But
it is right here. You have an oppor-
tunity-all of you, but if you don't im-
prove that opportunity, if you don't ac-
cept Christ, you will never see Heaven.
Give your heart to Christ and get etern-
al life. It don't mean to simply lay
your head on Christ, but your heart al-
so. Head religion don't amount to
much. It pays to be a Christian on
earth. You can't find a solitary Chris-
tian that regrets he has found Christ.
This life is only a preface to the blessed
life to come.
Miss Smith next spoke of a remarka-
ble conversion she made on one particu-
lar Saturday night of an old gentleman
who had not been inside a church for
eleven years. It is rather unusual, to
be sure, to hold revival meetings on
Saturday night, but I believe in conver-
sions on any night. I don't believe in
giving over Saturday night to the
Devil. Miss Smith closed her remarks
in a powerful exhortation to all to come
forward and seek Christ. And during
the subsequent singing of hymns sev-
eral responded. In one instance a hus-
band and wife sought the Lord, and
Miss Smith made a special address on
this phase of conversion, believing that
the prosperity and happiness of families
depended much upon the united accept-
ace of the faith.
The last half hour of the meeting was
devoted to praying and singing, the ex-
ercises being conducted by Dr. Riker.
At the close of the meeting, shortly be-
fore ten o'clock, many remained to
shake hands with Miss Smith and quite
a prolonged love feast ensued.
Miss Smith, while in the city, is the
guest of Mrs. M. Stevens Hart, on
North Main street, and will remain over
today and again deliver an address at
the church to-night. In anticipation of
a large throng of people the exercises
to-night will be held in the main church
up-stairs. This forenoon Miss Smith
goes to Moundsville to speak to the
convicts, and especially one of the
prisoners who attempted suicide on last
Saturday. Miss Smith's evangelistic
work has been especially among rail-
road people, commercial travelers, fire-
men and policemen, and she earnestly
requested all to ask some one of them
to be present at the meeting to-night.