THE AYRSHIRE MEETINGS.
The evangelists will clearly not have much leisure during their brief visit to the county of Ayr. The Ayrshire Christian Union is a very live institution, and has brought the Christian workers near to each other not only in heart but in united effort. Thus the way of the evangelists has been well prepared, and the conditions are of an unusually favourable kind. Among active workers of the district is Mr John Galloway, of Kilmenny, Ardrossan, and he is entertaining Mr Moody and Mr Sankey. All of the evangelical denominations are heartily uniting, and there is every prospect that the work of the week will be harmonious and fruitful.
Sabbath morning is usually given to rest when the workers have travelled all day on the Saturday, but in this case both were at their post in the forenoon and continued till the evening hour. Ardrossan and Saltcoats being only about a mile apart, the meetings are distributed between the two places. Rev J. D. McCall's Parish Church,
Ardrossan was occupied in the morning, while Saltcoats claimed the workers' afternoon and evening in the Free and Established churches respectively. During the rest of the week there will be afternoon Bible-readings in the Free Church, Saltcoats, and evening Gospel meetings in the New Parish Church, Ardrossan.
On Sabbath morning Mr Moody preached powerfully on "Assurance"—a quality not too common in Scotland, where it considered, especially in the northern Highlands, that certainty of salvation is presumption. Some of the causes of this religious indecision were pointed out, e.g., a spirit of doubt and a lack of love for the brethren. On the latter point the preacher was severe on the quarrelling and backbiting among fellow-Christians that seems so sadly prevalent in these days, and that is the direct foster-parent of infidelity. The Agnostic and the light literature that is largely read was also heartily condemned. Mr Moody departed somewhat from his usual custom at the afternoon meeting in asking, before his address, for a show of hands as to those who were professed believers. Seeing that there were a good many who did not respond, he directed his remarks to the unsaved on regeneration. There was an overflow in the evening at the West United Presbyterian Church, Saltcoats, where Mr Sankey took charge. At both places after-meetings were held, and the reaping work was well begun.
Mr Moody addressed the noon prayer meeting at Glasgow on Tuesday, the Christian Institute being crowded. Mr Campbell White presided, and a warm welcome was given to the evangelist. Before the meeting, Mr Moody met the Glasgow and Edinburgh Committees to discuss the arrangements for Scotland. It was decided that the remainder of the year should be given to places about the north of Inverness; after the New Year, Aberdeen will be visited, and other places, as the progress of preparation may point the way.
The week's work at Ardrossan and Saltcoats has been marked by many signs of real spiritual awakening and decision, as well as much refreshing of God’s heritage. A very happy spirit of union has prevailed among the ministers and workers, and during the latter half of the week much reaping work was done In the inquiry-room. The crowds that attended have been large, and they were gathered from a wide area. Every day numbers drove to Ardrossan from places beyond walking distance, and a specially late train to Kilwinning enabled the travellers there to attend the evening meetings and return home the same night.
Moody's addresses have been perfect marvels of impassioned utterance and burning appeal. On the Monday evening, in the Parish Church, Ardrossan, he spoke to workers, and a double portion of the Spirit seemed to rest on him. His words flew right and left like red-hot balls of fire. The remaining evenings were given to expositions of the Gospel, or, rather, to a driving home of the truths with which the people are so familiar. For Mr Moody is fond of telling Scotch congregations that it is not theology they need so much, or even Gospel preaching, as the resolve to act up to and live out the knowledge they have. His appeals, therefore, have been addressed to the heart rather than to the head. He has held up a living Christ, and with all the energy at his command has invited his hearers to lay hold on Him by faith, not only for pardon and peace, but for power to overcome sin and to testify to others of His redeeming love and grace.
The crowds were so large on the last evenings that Mr Moody had to request some of the Christian people to gather in the adjoining hall for prayer and vacate their seats for late comers, who would probably be of the careless class. From the pressure that was needed to effect this one would have supposed that few Christians were present; but there is much excuse for the desire, even among well instructed believers, to hear the evangelists as often as possible, and to drink in some of the inspiration that is conveyed through their speech and song. At these prayer meetings, held while the service was in progress in the church, many touching petitions were presented for the conversion of relatives and friends. When the after-meetings came to be held in the hall, the prayer meeting was transferred to the church.
INQUIRY-ROOM INCIDENTS.
The later inquiry meetings were very solemn seasons. On the Thursday evening the number of those who rose to confess decision for Christ was particularly large. At such a time many a strange and interesting chapter of the great drama of human life is revealed. It fell to the lot of one worker to converse with a middle-aged woman who seemed in much anxiety. The tears fell as she sat quietly and listened. Presently, Mr Moody stood up on a seat and asked the workers to stop conversation.
After a few simple and earnest words of guidance to the inquirers, he called for open Confessions of Christ. The responses came quickly. The woman referred to hesitated for a while, and then rose in her place to indicate that her mental struggle was over, and that she wished to take her stand. During the after conversation it was discovered that she was the mother of eight children, one of whom was present. Her husband, she said, was a Christian, and he was also in the room. When the worker asked her to point him out, she looked round, and there he was almost at her elbow. He had evidently been watching the course of events, and in reply to a remark of the worker, said: "Has she come home at last? She has been long prayed for." One can faintly imagine the joy that would reign in that home when husband and wife returned to it with both faces turned Zionward.
THE BIBLE READINGS
in the Free Church, Saltcoats, on the weekday afternoons were full of interest. They were very largely attended, numbers of ministers coming to them from the surrounding country. At the last meeting, on Friday afternoon, some twenty ministers might have been counted around the pulpit, besides others scattered through the church. One afternoon, Mr J. M. Scroggie, the evangelist who was conducting a mission near Kilmarnock, was present and led the meeting in earnest prayer.
Mr Moody took for his subject on three afternoons the Gospels of Matthew and Luke and the Book of Acts. These addresses were packed full of good things and intensely searching in their application to the everyday life and testimony of the Christian. Prayer meetings were held at the close of each Reading, when the burdens of many hearts for the conversion of friends were gathered up and laid on the mercy-seat.
The original programme of the Mission only included Ardrossan and Saltcoats, but Mr Moody's
WONDERFUL APPETITE FOR WORK
Active workers and singers from Ardrossan went out and visited many of the homes, inviting the people to attend just as they were. We heard a devoted young married lady (who is a great blessing to many), who went into some of the public houses with the invitation. enabled him to meet the wishes of friends at Stevenston, a town of considerable size beyond Saltcoats, and chiefly inhabited by miners and their families, and workers in Frobel's explosive works. Two meetings were held there at noon on Wednesday and Friday in the U.P. Church and Free Church, respectively.
In one place they asked her to sing. She at once gave them "The Ninety and Nine," which completely melted down her rough audience. Here, as elsewhere throughout Scotland, the drink curse was awfully prevalent, and its fatal effects on domestic life were frequently unfolded in after-meeting conversations. Many working mothers attended the meetings, babies and all. On the whole, the babies were good, but such small interruptions as they made were turned to splendid account by Mr Moody, whose great and tender heart always goes out to the helpless infants. In some cases where the babies could not be taken to meeting, lady workers undertook to nurse them, and the mothers were able to go. At the Friday's meeting, Mr Moody's discourse on the love of God was one of overwhelming pathos and power; it was a study to observe the faces of the many grave and reverend pastors present as they listened to the moving speech of the fiery ambassador of the Cross who had come among them. The after-meeting, though very short, was a time of real decision to many.
One of the ministers present was Rev John Robertson, of Gorbals, Glasgow, who offered prayer. He was also at the evening meeting in Ardrossan and conducted an overflow in the hall. Mr Sankey's part in the Mission was well sustained, his solos, new and old, being as finely sung and as impressive as ever. He received every assistance from a well-trained local choir. The Ardrossan friends are continuing the meetings, and we trust they will have a great reaping time.
From, "The Christian," December 3rd, 1891
No longer a church