CHAPMAN-ALEXANDER MISSION

Otago Witness, Issue 3030, 10 April 1912, Page 37

CHAPMAN-ALEXANDER MISSION

TUESDAY EVENING. "LOSS OF POWER." A. ■••ery large crowd assembled in the Brydone Hall on the evening of the 2nd inst. . Dr Chapman preached from the words in the sixteenth verse of the twenty-eighth chapter of Jeremiah: "This year shalt thou die." It was, lie said, the sentenco of God against a man who was a false prophet, and it was one of the sharpest and, at the same time, one of the most solemn scriptures with which he was familiar. He repeated the text, and stated that it was a prophecy of someone in the building. Whom it might be only God Himself knew, but he drew the bow at a venture and gave them the words, not that he might appeal to their fears, but that he might, if God would help him, cause them to stop and think. The preacher spoke of threo kinds of death. He first referred his hearers to Revelations iii, 1: "A name to live and dead" ; then to Romans vi, 23: "The wages of sin is death"; and, third, to Luke xvi, 22: " The rich man also died and was buried." The first, he said, was death to peace and death to power; the second was the sin concerning which he had spoken a week previously—the sin for which God had definitely said there was no forgiveness; and the third was physical death. Speaking with reference to those under the first death he said God had perhaps used them in a wonderful way as superintendent of a Sunday school, teacher of a Bible class, leader in a church, or steward in the House of God They had had family worship in the home, and they had led their littlo ones into tho presence of God like priests of their own household, but now they were shorn of power. Thero were, he said, several reasons why this was so. Sometimes it was the outcomo of living in too close touch with the world. He was not in the least fanatical about the things people should do or not do if they were Christians. Ho knew, however, that there must bo a difference between himself as a Christian and his friend who was not. or else the world would think little of his profession. He knew there must be a sharp line between the church and the world, or the church would lose its power over it. A touch with the world robbed himself and every other Christian in the world of power. His rppeal was, therefore, to all those who were really church members and who really knew Christ. Ho asked them to look into their hearts and see if they had the old time power, to look into their work and see if they had lost any of their grip upon God, to look into their household and see if they had lost their hold upon their children. Then let, them go do.vn upon their knees until God had searched them through and through, and when they roso get right with Him at any cost. He had. he said, been speaking so far only of individuals, but there, wore churches which had once possessed a splendid membership, a magnificent choir, an eloquent preacher, churches standing high socially and having a great evangelical influence, but which had been shorn of the power of God. There were several reason for this. In the first place the, Spirit of God was not given His rightful place as tho leader and director of their work. When tho Spirit of God was given His rightful place the, minister could preach, and tho people could sing with such power that those who passed through the doors of tho building would feel that they were standing almost at the gateway of Heaven. This, however, was not the only reason. There were churches where the music was such a.s it should be and where the minister was possessed of a passion for souls, but in which tho wheels yet seemed to bo stopped. If their life was not right, and if there wero any in tho audience who had been covering secret sin, he appealed to them to get right with God. No man could cling to a sin without hurting himself and without hurting others. The preacher proceeded to deal with the second death, tho wages of sin. It meant death to everything that was worth while, to satisfaction, to peace, to strong character, and to tho best manhood and the best womanhood. It camo by trifling with God's mercy, and by resisting his grace, by saying " No " to His call, and constantly refusing. He pleaded that none should resist. Speaking of the third death, the physical, ho pointed out that no man could say at what moment it might overtake him. He wanted to say to them. •• This year you shall die," and asked them to repeat it* after him. If this was tho vear then were thev ready? So many were s<, near. Would they accept the invitation ? WEDNESDAY EVENING. EFFECTUAL FERVENT PRAYER. Dr Chapman said that his text that evening was extremely important. They would) find it in the 16th verse of the sth chapter of James, " The effectual fervent piuver of a righteous man availetll much." it had been suggested, he said, that prayer was the power that moved the arm that moved tho world. If that was true, then tbero was no subject he could bring to them at that stage of the mission which would 'no ouite, so profitable. Ho did not know a stronger Scripture on the subject of prayer in all the Bible. Thero seemed to bo peculiar emphasis in the words. If they had simply read "the effectual prayer of a righteous man." or " tho fervent prawnof a righteous man." or even if they had dropped both words and read "the prayer of a righteous man availcth much," It would have been a strong expression. He did not see how they could have in all the New Testament a stronger incentive to prayer than the words which formed his text, 110 liked the word " righteous." A. great many people would find in that Scripture the, reason for their unanswered prayers. They had said their prayers ,-uid had not prayed. Tho word " righteous" in that connection meant "holy," and the mer.ninsr of the passage was that it was tho man with the holy life that had the rijrht to pray. That was the prayer that was going to bring tho answer on behalf of others. Prayer was marvellous. When ono man was on his knees m prayer in the city of New York the revival of 1859 went sweeping through the country. When one praying Presbyterian elder was on his knees in the State of Pennsylvania the 1 whole of the State was moved, the whole of the eastern country felt the touch of God. and some of the greatest benevolent institutions they had in the United State; wero the result of that

revival. Ur Chapman referred to certain great Biblical illustrations of prayer, mentioning specially the story of the Shunamite woman and Elisha, and Christ's prayer in the garden of Getbsemane, " Being in an agony He prayed." And that was the kindred prayer to the text of that evening. He had never known it to fail. Men told them that the Gospel had lost its power, that the Bible was out of date, and that the old-time preaching was i not for now. He dared to say that the Gospel • would shake the world, and the Bible would enlighten the world, and the old-time methods would be greater than any modern methods if they preached with a passion and preached from their knees. W by should they not pray like that? Such a spmt always moved the unconverted. They could not get. a spirit of prayer surging through the city without having men stop on the streets to say, " What must we do to be saved?" When souls were really burdened '• for others they generaJly gained the desire of their hearts. They needed this spirit of j prayer, and he believed God would give it to them. Ho was waiting to do it that nighi—a baptism of the spirit of prayer—and when they had it then let them make j ready for the sweeping victory. How could j they get this spirit? Could they will it jup or work it up? No, they must let God I lead them to the place where they coidd ! sav, " I believe that a man without Jesus j Christ is lost," and they would have it. | God bring them, to that place ! How in the world could he as a Christian hold that book in his hand and say he believed it to be God's Word and then not trv to preach with an aching or a breaking heart and pray in the spirit of the text? He urged upon them their responsibility for those with whom they lived and worked', and for all with whom they were constantly coining in contact. He concluded with a brief appeal to these who were not Christians. He wished that God would give him such a conception of the crucified Saviour as ho had never had. He died for them. He lived to plead for them. Would they take Him?

THURSDAY EVENING. " FULLER CONSECRATION." The Easter holidays appeared to interfere a little with the attendance at the Brydone Hall on Thursday evening, and in the choir especially there were many vacancies. The audience itself probably numbered under 3000. Dr Chapman based his address on tho words in Deuteronomy i, 19: "And we came to Kadesh-Barnea." The Old Testament, lie said, was a book of _ thrilling stories and most wonderful situations, and yet a great thing about it was that while these stories were so thrilling and the situations so remarkable they were true. The text he had chosen was one of the most wonderful in the Bible. Ho liked to think that the people of Israel really lived and turned their faces to the land of promise. But, alas, they turned again to the wilderness. They might have gone straight into Canaan if they had taken God at Hi.s Word'. They listened to the ten and failed to hoed tho advice of the two, and were buried by the wayside, not one of the company over a certain age, except Caleb and Joshua, and perhaps the tribe of Eli, ever again seeing the land. Before arriving at Kadesb the people had been having times of failure, but had they gone in they might again have erected the altar and communed with Jehovah and had fellowship with Him. The preacher made the application personal to his audience, the ministers, office-bearers, and members of the Christian Church. Many, ho said, were at their Kadesb-Barnea—the place of crisis. The question was not whether they could keep from sdn. Of themselves they could not. The question was whether Christ could keep them if they put their trust in Him, as to whether Ho could overcome it if they should walk with Him and talk with Him and yield themselves entirely to Him. It was surrender with God in possession, Christ on the throne, and the Spirit of God rilling them and thrilling thorn. He pleaded that they should pass through Kadosh and on to victory. There was no thrill ■ to bo compared to that which belonged rightfully to a man when lie was all for God'. He related the story of a young Boston lady, high in social life of that city, who attended one of Mr Moody's services. She was a Christian, but had never given up her all. The preacher was the Rev. F. B. Meyer. What he said he himself had never been able to find out. but she was so influenced that she .surrendered wholly and when she came to die, said she had never known such joy at any time of her life as after her submission—a statement to the truth of which her mother testified'. He drew glowing pictures of the thrill attended success in various walks of lite. They could not all be great, an men counted greatness, but not one of them, no matter how poor, weak, humble, or despised, but, could be great with Cod. He pleaded with them that they should give God a chance, and that they showld lei Ilim have His way. G<!OD FRIDAY.

THE GREATNESS OE THE SAVIOUR. The crowd ai the Brydone Hal) was very lar"o. and even in the choir there was scarcely a vacant seal to bo found. Dr Chapman took as his text the words in the nineteenth chaper of St. Luke and the ninth verse: "This day lias salvation come to this house." It must, he said, have wrought a wonderful change. No life could lie complete without Christ, and it necessarily followed that no home could be complete Without Him. No matter what their present life might be, it would be stronger if they accepted Christ as their personal Saviour, and whatever might bo the attraction of the home, it would be vastly better if it were Christian, and if the parents frequently read the Bible with their children. It was a sad thing that many a boy grew up to manhood without, ever hearing his father offer a prayer under his own roof. The speaker referred bade to the story of Zacchacus to give the text its setting. They had, ; n this instance, a seeking Saviour and a seeking sinner, and the two met, salvation being the result. Those who were not Christians often said it wa-s because they did not understand the message or know the plan of salvation, but he believed that if there were any in the audience unsaved it was simply because they had not sought Jesus in the right spirit, for if they would go to Him with all their doubt He would set them free, with all their sins He would blot them out, and with all their difficulties he would solve I hem. The seeking sinner and the seeking Saviour would meet and salvation would come to them and

theirs even as it had come to Zaccheue and the others long ages ago. The speaker proceeded to refer to the greatness of the Saviour. He called Himself the Son of Man. That, he was the Son of Cod they knew, but when they thought of Him as such they did not seem to get quite so near as when they thought of Him as the Son of Man. The two aspects were the divine and the human, the laying hold upon God and the other upon einfiu humanity. As the Son of Cod He was His equal in power and authority, but as the Son of Man, with helmet and plume laid aside and with pleading voice, he cried: " Turn unto Me." He was not only great in His name, but He was great in His Mission. To the man who was lost to holiness, to happiness, to heaven, and to the truest manhood Jesus came, saying: " The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." They did not need to understand ths mysteries of the Biblt to solve the problems'of redemption, or to explain the atonement, but only to interpret their own heartaches and weakness, and feel the sins of their nature, and then lay hold mx)n Him. If they did so every doubt would vanish, every sin would pass from them, and their weakness would be lost in strength. He appealed to them to do so. They were miserable in their sin, crying out in their despair, and here was Jesus looking down into the very depths of their soul. He appealed to them to trust Him. The speaker emphasised the need of repentance. No one need expect to be a Christian if he was covering a sin. If they had defrauded any man they would have to make it up, if they had been covering over a sin their wife did not know of thev would have to confess it. if thev had committed a sin that only God and themselves and another knew they would have to make it right. Jesus was a great Saviour, saving great sinners, but the condition attached was a great repentance. Ho appealed to them to take Him ; they would have no peace until they did so; their life would be despair and their death indescribable. At the close of the address practically everyone present indicated a desire to become better men and women by rising to their feet. Ur Chapman said it was one thing- to sav thev wanted their lives better, but another thine: to say they wanted Ihoir lives right with God in Jesus Crhist. A great many then expressed their desir' for special prayer, and these, with many others, crowded into the Victoria Hall. Here Mr Norton. Mr Naftzger, and other members of the party conducted an after-meet-ing, during which some 20 or 30 professed conversion. In the main hall Dr Chapman himself continued the meeting, and there also some came forward to make profession of faith. SUNDAY, APRIL 7. YOUNG PEOPLE'S SERVICE. Tile service in the Brydone Hull was devoted to young people, the centre seats in the building being reserved for Sunday school and Bible class scholars, together with their teachers and any other young men and women who wished to attend. Those of older years were heartily welcomed, and accommodation was provided at the sides of the building. The attendance was very large, numbering quite 3000 when the service commenced at 2.45. and many more arrived afterwards. Dr Chapman chose as his text the words in the thirty-fourth verse of the 12th chapter of Matthew, "Thou are not far from the Kingdom of God." He related the story of a great and famous clock in one of the cathedral towers of the Continent. At a certain time enchanting music was played as if the angels had come forth to sing, and a procession of the apostles appeared. The work, however, had not been paid for, and the man who had made it, stole into the tower and touched a certain spring which prevented it from displaying its wonders, although the works were in no way damaged. Then the people paid him for his services, and he returned and again touched the spring, with the result that at the appointed time the music recommenced and the procession appeared. All it needed was a touch of the master's hand. It was a sad thing to find in the world lives like that, having many things, but lacking the one essential. There were many of his hearers who had been reared) in Christ ian homes, who regularly attended Christian churches, and who were familiar with the plan ol Salvation and faithful, at hast in a degree, in their attendance at the Sunday school. If he asked them did they believe Christ to be the Son of God they would answer "Yes," but were ho to ask them if they had confessed Him they would answer, "No." There were many things they did, but one thing was lacking—tho personal acknowledgment and public confession of Christ. The, speaker then refered to his own first personal acknowledgment in just such a meeting as the one lie- was conducting. L'p to thai time lie had had a certain measure of confidence in Christ, but afterwards he had a vision of Him and a low for Him such as ho had never had before. He wished them to take this last and important step, the public acknowledgement of Jesus Christ as their own Siaviour. Proceeding, he pointed out that it was not necessary that they should understand all the doctrines of Christianity in order to be received into the church. The only question that any minister would ask them was, "Do you believe in Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour?" In _ the 18th chapter of St. Matthew, at the third verso, they would find tho words, " Verily I say unto you. except you be converted and become as little children." There was no mention of philosophies or of great intellectuality. It. was "as little children." If there was anything that children had in perfection it was trust. His hearers had heard ai! this before, and they understood it, but tiot only was that so but they had been moved by the Word of God, and stood not far from the kingdom. Yet one thing was necessary, and that was that thev should make up their minds whether thev were going to be for Christ or against Him. They must settle the point and decide immediately. If their parents or their ministers or teachers could settle it for them there, would bo no hesitation, nor would there bo if the Master Himself could do so. But they must do so of themselves, and they must do so for Christ. He gave several reasons for this, but emphasised chiefly its influence upon others. By not doing so they would act as stumbling-blocks. Cue of tho teachers had told him that as a result of tho mission one girl had decided to_ offer herself for work in tho foreign field, but whether their life* was to be lived at home as a sweet, gentle. and obedient child or in the presence of the world as a great Christian

, worker mattered nothing. If any of thorn wvre wondering what they must do in order to be a Christian then lie would say farst that they must acknowledge their need of Chnst. No one would over tike Hun until they felt the need of Him. He would help them in time of temptation and m tunc of trouble, and would support them m the hour of trial. Second, thev must accept Him as their personal Saviour. lhat meant that the need in their hearts here could be mot bv Him $~ In*" J m US r S Hed u P° n Calvary the 3 knew He died for them, that through His crucifixion they felt they had the only way of the approach to God. Third, they must ask God to forgive their Sins. Fourth, that when they rose from their seats and eft the building they should say, I will go back to my home, ?■ echool, to my life, and act as I think Christ would act." Thev must be kind in the home, obedient to their parents and thankful and helpful to others. Ho ended his address by a strong appeal that they should decide for Christ. He would strengthen their manhood, beautify their womanhood, and make life worth livinjr and heaven assured. SERVICE AFTER CHURCH. I lie holding capacity of the Brvdone Hall was taxed to its utmost on Sunday night, but by using vacant choir seats and the steps or the platform accommodation was eventually found for all. The text of Dr Chapman's address was Genesis xhv 34. " How shall I go up to my Father, and the lad be not with me™ They might change that text, he said, and, he behoved, emphasise it to many, by making ,t read. -How shall I go up to my lather, and my husband, my wife, my triend, the one by whose side I have worked for years be not with me?" He vividly set out the dramatic Old Testament, story of which his text formed a part, and the circumstances leading up to these words of Judah. Two tilings he learnt from the story in passing, and the first was that what a man sowed he reaped. Jacob deceived his father, and a day came when his own sons deceived him. The second was tint Judah had a great feeling of responsibility for Ins brother Benjamin. If they believed the Bible, the only hope of salvation was m Christ; yet they lived with people, travelled with them, worked side by side with those whom they know to be unsaved, and they had east aside their responsibility, stopped their lips, hindered their influence, and stayed the progress of their spiritual development, Thev were responsible for their influence. If it was against Christ they must explain it to Him. It it was for Christ they would reap the reward. God meant that thev should hold then- children and one day present them to rlim. Ihey should be concerned for the unsaved in the first place, because there was .irreat danger for them. He knew it was true that if his child or their'e died before the age of accountability then bv the infinite mercy of God and the grace of Christ it would pass immediately into the presence of Christ; but how could thev say w . h .e« A child passed the age of responsibility.' .Some passed it at four, some at eight, some at 10. Nobodv would bo concerned unless their eves were opened to see the danger— not general danger, but specific danger. There were times when ib was easy to speak to those of their friends who were unsaved. This was such a time. «henever God was saving one He could save a multitude. He believed they could take a man into the Church when ho was too old, but he did not believe they could take one in too young. If they were fo win their households, save their friends, and if their lives were to count, they must be right. They would have to seek a favourable time to speak, and they must not be too late. Dr Chapman concluded With an earnest appeal to those who were riot Christians to let Christ control their lives. MONDAY EVENING. An audience of some 3500 assembled early in the Brvdone F T ill on Monday night, and the song service started sooii alter 7 o'clock. Dr Chapman chose as his text John 111, 1- ", Y « " lUst be born again." What a wonderful thing it would be, he said if men could only begin to live their li'ves over again. How many things they would leave undone; how many sins they would strive to keep out. If ho could say to them that all their past could bo blotted out and their life commence anew he had no doubt that ho would carry hope arid cheer to many of his hearers' hearts; vet, as a matter of fact, that was exactly what God offered them. To be born into tho world in natural birth was one thing, but to bo born into the Kingdom of God bv the spirit was quite another. Life that was lived before redemption did not count for eternity except it should count against them, but if thev accepted the teaching of God and laid hold upon Christ their lives would be. new. Every s' i put behind Cod's back counted as if it were not, hurled from them as far as the east from the west, and they would stand justified in the sight of Cod. That really meant that so far as God was concerned every sin with all iis scars was put away. If such was the teaching of Christianity then how in the world, fie asked, could men refuse to accept the Saviour? The speaker proceeded to give a lengthy dissertation on tho word " regeneration. It was not of necessity going to church. There was never a church door thrown open that Satan did not enter. Nor was it of necessity baptism. One might offer himself for all the forms of baptism known in the church and yet, never know Christ. Neither was it tho saying of prayers. A man might, say so many prayers and yet never really pray. It was not of necessity belonging to tho church. It was quite possible to be-long to tho church and yet not bolong to Jesus. If they read tho margin they would find the words '' Except a man be bom from above." Regeneration was not the result, of a man's effort. It was the accepting of Josh- Christ, God entering the life and makinir it a new creation. If they accepted Christ as a personal Saviour thev would bo born again, they would receive a new spirit, a new heart, a new mind and a new will. Things that perplexed them to-day would begin to be plain to-morrow. Tho things of God were spiritually discerned, a.'.d they need not expect to understand them merely on an intellectual basis. The speaker proceeded to refer to the meaning of tho term water. " Except a man l>o born of water and of the- spirit." lit; offered tho evpU-.a'it'rori that Christ was talking to a iri,\n fffst* was a Jew' and who know the Old Testament Scriptures, and who, therefore, was aware that water was always a symbol of the Word of God. Whether the various churches represented would accept that ex-

planation or cot, ho was sure all would l-roe that no man oooid bo born into the Kingdom except by means of the tible seed which was the Word of God Then according to that Word, it fas not a queetio© of their sin for no matter how for they had wandered if accept God's plan as outlined in the Scriptures and Btand upon Hi* promises, they would come to know Jesus as their personal .Saviour. Speaking of the influence of the Spirit, he said that it made use of every agency. Jto took hold of a mother's prayers, the lingering memory of a song, the godly example of a "righteous man, of death, sickness, and the hand of a child. He gave several pointed instances of conversion under influences of such a nature. Christ proceeded. '• \ 9 Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness." They had only to look up. He liked to see people shout their way to Christ, sob their way to Him rise and announce their decision, but they could come as quietly as a summers day was born. He liked to see people come with the whole plan of salvation open up just as the whole of Nature glowed in the, rising sun when the sky was without a cloud but he also liked to see them when they said they had many perplexities, many doubts, and many fears. All they needed to do was to look up. H they could not turn a.nd could not cry they could still do that and they would be saved. The speaker then made an eloquent appeal to his hearers, and after a fervid prayer ho askcdl Mr Naftzger to sing the hymn ' You must do something with Jesus," after which the usual invitation was extended to attend the after meeting in Victoria Hall which was conducted by Dr Chapman. Many o t all a»-es and both sexes came forward to make public profession of faith, and were spoken to by Dr Chapman and other members of the party together with Christian workers.