A SABBATH AT NAIRN
A three-day mission in this flourishing seaport and fashionable resort was well begun on Sabbath last. There has been much hearty union among pastors and people in smoothing the way for the evangelists. All the ministers are in full sympathy except the incumbent of the Established Church. Mr Moody preached in Mr Lee's spacious and handsome Free Church in the forenoon on “the Holy Spirit as a Power for service” He was guided so as to meet objections, to disarm criticism and to prepare the hearers for the more direct Gospel preaching of afternoon and evening. For these two latter occasions the services some of the other churches were given up so that all could be concentrated in the Free Church. There were vast congregations. Mr Sankey had recovered to a large extent and sang with much power, especially in the evening, when he gave a fine rendering of the old favourite, “What shall the harvest be?” Mr Moody’s sermons at both services were marked by all his intensity of thought and forcefulness of expression. There was a large second meeting in the evening, and in a third meeting inquirers were conversed with. The influenza plague is right in Nairn at present, and the fact that a young man had succumb that day, announced by Mr Moody, in closing his evening sermon, served to heighten the impression made during the day. A large children’s meeting in the evening was addressed by Mr Sankey and other friends
Between Christmas and the New Year Messrs Moody and Sankey will have meetings at Elgin, Forres, Keith and Huntly. The week of prayer will be given to Aberdeen.
THE SCOTTISH CAMPAIGN.
Mr Moody is proceeding through the northern parts of the kingdom on his evangelistic quest almost by forced marches. In fact, he is the modern Hannibal of Evangelism, and there is no danger of him seeking to winter in any Scottish Capua.
It is only the naked truth to say that he is the best possible illustration of his own remark, that a Christian ought not to have a lazy hair in his head or a lazy bone in his body. He seems to enjoy addressing as many meetings as he eats meals in a day, with, perhaps, a couple of after-meetings thrown in. When ten o'clock comes he is a little weary and fagged out, but eight a.m. next morning finds him refreshed and recreated, and ready to raise the chorus of his favourite hymn—
Then shall my heart keep singing.
This gem of sacred song is one of those that Sankey has lately secured. It was immensely popular at the recent Northfield Convention, and its catching refrain became the watchword of the hundreds of young men and maidens at Mount Hermon and Northfield. Mr Moody's preference stamped it with universal approval, and the young ladies of the Seminary harmoniously struck it up when their beloved "D.L." made his appearance at morning worship, and it was sung as a serenade the evening before the evangelists' departure for Europe. At Mr Moody's suggestion the song is given on another page, and he hopes it will be sung around thousands of Christians' hearths and dinner tables at this social and festive season. It is this buoyancy and cheerfulness of spirit that enables Mr Moody to go through his herculean labours as he seeks to wake up the drowsy Christians, sound forth the Gospel call to the unsaved, and then passes on to another town or centre of population.
THE TIDE OF BLESSING
swells as the Mission proceeds. Argyllshire and Ayrshire gave the first droppings of the shower. Inverness and Ross shires showed an advance. Nairn was yet more manifestly fruitful in proportion. Caithness overtopped all the rest with its three days at Wick. At the moment of writing, the Thurso work is still in the womb of the future, but hope runs high. All these things show that the heritage of God in northern Scotland has grown weary, and is longing for times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. A competent observer gives it as his solid belief that never since the memorable days of '59 have there been such widespread tokens of desire and expectation as to coming blessing.
NAIRN AND CAWDOR.
On Monday of last week the evangelists rested. Even in these short and dark December days, Nairn is a pleasant place to live in. The ozone from the ocean is not too keen; the fine stretch of sandy beach tempts the sojourner to healthy and appetising strolls; and the climate is so mild that plenty of roses have been blooming right along till the severe frost of last week blackened the petals somewhat.
Some enthusiastic Nairnites are bold enough to declare that those who winter in the Riviera, instead of patronising this “Brighton of the North," are to be charged with folly, both as to health and as to prodigality of purse. However, that may be, the Nairn climate last week was as changeable as any chameleon could desire; one forenoon it was freezing hard, but between the afternoon and evening meetings it was a perfect downpour of blinding, sleety rain.
On Monday evening there was a very interesting prayer meeting in the lecture hall of the Rev A Lee’s Free Church, the pastors presiding. A stream of earnest prayer went up for heart-whole consecration among the Christians, and for a breaking down among the careless and the undecided. Mr W. Robertson, of Edinburgh, told of some memorable seasons at Carrabber's Close, when the assembled Christians were led to see that the command, "Be filled with the Spirit" is as binding as any other. Mr Moody related the case of a young lady typewriter in Chicago, who got a baptism of the Spirit, and for the last five years has been a very successful soul winner. Mr Moody urged that the free use of the blessing we have got is the surest way to get more.
Influenza has been very rife in Nairn, and no doubt that, as well as the weather affected the attendance at the meetings, which, nevertheless, - was large.
It was delightful to see the spirit of cordiality and brotherly feeling shown among the ministers of the town. Mr Lee, of the Free Church, is a man of indomitable energy and of deserved influence in the community. His excellent management of this Mission, and the way in which he drew his brethren in the ministry around him greatly conduced to the smoothness and the success of the work. The young pastors of the United Presbyterian and Congregational churches, Messrs Macmillan and Martin, were also very active in their co-operation. On Tuesday afternoon there was a well-attended Bible reading, when Mr Moody spoke on "Grace for Service." The home-thrusts as to the loss in public testimony through inconsistencies in private life were keen and many. At the close Mr Sankey sang a couple of solos, one of them being the favourite already referred to, "Then shall my heart. keep singing." Mr Moody assumed the role of choirmaster and got the congregation to chime in the chorus till they had pretty well mastered it.
MR SANKEY
was quite refreshed by the day or two's rest in Nairn, while his colleague was hoisting the Gospel standard and rallying the Christian friends at Cromarty and Fortrose. On Saturday evening, Mr Sankey was present at a crowded meeting of seamen in Nairn. He sang the new song, "Throw out the life-line," and the sea-going audience took it up very heartily. He also taught it to a gathering of children in one of the meetings held for them in the lecture hall of the Free Church. This hymn has become quite popular, and the fact that the great majority of the meetings have been held close to the coastline has added point to the lesson it teaches. There have been many inquiries for it; friends will be glad to know that it, and a number of other fresh songs are just issued by the publishers of this journal in a sixpenny book under the title of " New Hymns and Solos." It will be found to contain many other beautiful gems of sacred song that will be sung as solos during the present visit of Mr Sankey.
"FIRE IN THE PULPIT."
One of the most interesting meetings of this northern tour was that held on Tuesday noon in the Free Church at Cawdor, a pretty village some five miles from Nairn. The day was very frosty, and the temperature low. By the hour appointed the lower part of the church crowded with country folk, many of whom had come considerable distances. Mr Moody drove out from Nairn with a party of friends; and as he was entering the church he inquired of a companion if there would be a fire in it. To have a church open in the dead of winter without a good-going stove seems a thing incredible to a North American. The friend replied, "No, there is no fire in church; you will have to kindle it in the pulpit." In commencing his sermon Mr Moody repeated the remark, and then proceeded to say that he had chosen a text which of itself ought to warm up the coldest heart. The text was, " God is love," and the sermon was one of the most thrilling and moving utterances that the present writer has ever heard from Mr Moody's lips - and that is saying a great deal. In the course of the sermon the preacher spoke of the sovereign grace of God in putting away human sin – behind his back, into the depths of the sea, and SO on. Rev A. Lee, of Nairn, and Rev W. Ross, of Glasgow, were sitting just below the pulpit, and to these Mr Moody appealed in confirmation of what he was saying, "Where are your sins, Mr Lee?" "Behind God's back." "Where are your's Mr Ross?" "In the depths of the sea.
"Is it presumption to believe it?" "It is presumption to doubt it." How the sedate and sober-looking rustics gazed and listened! But Scotch congregations, in any case, are splendid listeners. At the close of the sermon, everybody stayed for the second meeting. Some friends. Went through the crowded pews, and sought to engage the people in personal conversation with more or less success. After a time, Mr Moody re-entered the pulpit and pressed home on the patient, but very reserved audience, the acceptance of the truths he had been proclaiming concerning the love of God. Fortunately, a series of special following-up meetings is to be held at Cawdor when the fruits of this hour's work will, no doubt, come to light. The Established Church Minister of the parish was present, and Mr McNeil, the Free Church pastor, is very warm in his sympathies.
THE CLOSING AFTER-MEETING
at Nairn was one to be long remembered. The weather that evening was execrable, but there was a large turnout, and Mr Moody's final message from the pulpit was as full of pathos and power and importunate entreaty as he could make it. The lecture hall was fairly well occupied for the after-meeting, and Mr Moody spoke again with great simplicity, but with deep feeling, as he gently strove to woo his hearers into a conscious experience of God's forgiving love. He sounded out that passage from Isaiah xii., which he is so fond of quoting, "Behold God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid.” When the supreme moment came for testing the positions of the inquirers, the responses poured in with a rapidity and volume that must have been quite overwhelming to any Mr Little Faith who chanced to be present. Rows of young people rose in quick succession and told out firmly and deliberately their determination to “trust and not be afraid’ Some who had been prayed with and spoken to most earnestly during the preceding two days yielded up their wills and came out clearly as confessors of Christ. "There was great joy in the city" that night, and Mr Moody must have felt that it was a happy send off to the cold and distant north.
The Nairn mission was continued on successive evenings by Rev J.J. Mackay, of Glasgow, and Dr. Black, of Inverness, and the fruits, as reported, were very encouraging indeed.
From, "The Christian," December 17th and 24th, 1891.