After my return from England for another winter’s service in Gospel work among the people of the South, I began at

  WASHINGTON, D.C.

I had promised Rev. G.W.  Moore last winter, before sailing for my home in England, to assist him in special religious effort.  From the very commencement of the meetings a good spirit was manifest, which deepened day by day until forty or more persons professed faith in Christ, young and old being reached by the power of the gospel.  One man sixty-one years of age surrendered to the overtures of God’s love and received Christ as his Saviour.  Another of seventy-five years was pointed out to me as a hardened sinner.  When approached he was full of self and reason, “I don’t believe in mourner’s benches and such like; do you think my going there will make me a Christian or do me any good?” “No, but it will show the people you are intending to make a start for Heaven, and it will enlist their sympathy and prayers,” I replied.

Finally he knelt with me in the aisle with his head bowed on the end of the seat while I prayed.  Soon the big tears were dropping from his eyes and he went home that night under conviction.  The following night he returned.  He was again prayed for, but went away undecided.  The next night as soon as inquirers were given an opportunity to present themselves for prayers he was the first to respond, and the sinful man of seventy-five years had yielded his heart to Christ, and could sing from his heart “Happy day, when Jesus washed my sins away.”  His wife, who was present, rushed forward, and tears of joy ran down their cheeks.  Scarcely a dry eye was to be seen, while above all there was joy in Heaven over another sinner saved.  Deacon R. came to me afterwards and said, “Why, did you ever see what a change in the man in three days, and at last how he ‘caved in.’”

Ten persons made profession of their faith, in January.  Two of these were teachers in the public schools.  There were four conversions in one family.  Since these meetings, many extra services have been held, with fruitful results.  There are family altars where none before existed.  The work in Washington under Mr. Moore is very hopeful.  My next point was

  SELMA, ALA.

which I entered full of hopes as to successful meetings, and was not disappointed. {101} During my stay there, lasting three weeks, sixty professed to be converted.  Most of these, through the efforts of Rev. C.B.  Curtis and his wife, were formed into a “Children’s Band,” while others joined the churches.  This is a most important feature in pastoral work, where the majority of the converts are children.  They need to have something that will help them in their spiritual and new life and which may be instrumental in preserving them from temptations, snares and pitfalls, laid to entrap them by the enemy of their souls.

I never before realized how easily people are led away by false teachers, nor saw so manifestly brought out the fulfillment of the Scriptures, [2 Pet. ii, 1] “But there were false prophets among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.  And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.”