THE SUNDERLAND MEETINGS.
The two days' visit paid by Mr Moody last week to this busy trading port proved fruitful in interest in many ways. The services were held in the Victoria Hall, and at the first gathering, on Tuesday afternoon, Mr Moody made special reference to the fact that some nineteen years ago, on his first visit to England, he began his work in Sunderland, where Mr A. A. Rees gave him the warmest of welcomes.
In the evening an enormous gathering assembled in the hall, which was densely crowded long before the hour fixed for commencement. The choir, organised by the Y.M.C.A., led the service of song admirably, while Mr J. H. Burke sang several beautiful solos.
Mr Moody addressed the assembly from Gal. vi. 7, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked. Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. He began by saying there was a class of people who thought because they did not want to believe a thing, that thing was false; but truth would stand, although people did not want to believe it. Referring to the traffic in strong drink, he said that if they planted public houses they would have drunkards. He would challenge any man who had sold whisky for twenty years whether he had not got a skeleton in his own family. He loved the publicans, but he hated their business with a righteous hatred because it was destructive of soul and body. It was making the homes of England like hells. He again challenged anyone who had been in the business twenty years whether he had not got a drunken son, or son-in-law, or relative of some sort. If there were any publicans there that night he advised them to get an axe when they got home, smash the casks, and run the iniquitous stuff down a sewer. He would sooner starve than go to meet his God with the blood of souls upon him. Property owners who let their property for the sale of whisky were as bad as the whisky sellers. If such people were church members
Mr. Moody gave his address on "Prayer" to a large audience on Wednesday morning, while in the afternoon and evening of Wednesday great Gospel meetings were held. Inquiry meetings, largely attended, were held in Bethesda Chapel hard by. The feeling of those engaged in the work is that God has used this short mission to the conversion of many sinners, and the restoration of wanderers.
From, "The Christian," August 25th, 1892.
The spot marked is the approximate position. Nine years earlier there was an apalling tradgedy there, when 143 children died in a stamped for free toys. The building was destroyed by a bomb in 1941.