REVIVALS.
STRAIGHT UNIVERSITY.
Those acquainted with the history of this institution affirm that it has never before been visited by just such a work of grace as is now gladdening many hearts.
The year, unlike some that have preceded it, has been free from serious and protracted interruptions. Neither Expositions nor epidemics have made great breaches in the classes or diverted attention from matters of first importance. Though our classes have been unusually crowded, the amount of faithful scholarly work accomplished has been greatly above that of ordinary years. There has been a quiet, intense determination on the part of pupils to master the subjects in hand, that has greatly encouraged their teachers. Many pupils have expressed a praiseworthy dissatisfaction with their work and a longing to do it better, and have seemed glad to devote recreation and holiday hours to gain a better mastery of difficult subjects.
Accompanying this zeal for the acquisition of knowledge there has been, from the week of prayer, a deep and growing tenderness on the subject of religion.
While there have been no special revival services, the regular weekly religious meetings of the University, both voluntary and those in the regular order, have been attended and sustained with the most earnest enthusiasm and by about the same numbers.
Some four weeks ago a request was made after the Sunday evening preaching service, that those who had lately become Christians would remain. Several who had given good evidence of a change of heart were absent from the service, but fourteen remained and bore glad witness to personal experience of the Lord’s saving power. Since then the work has gone on steadily, and about one soul a day has come into the light. The Spirit is revealing His presence in all grades of the University, and boarders and day pupils are witnessing to His saving power. The work is very quiet, deep and wonderful. There are over forty-five who give evidence of having been “born from above.”
The following incident illustrates the peculiar graciousness of the work as it was modestly related by one of the teachers last evening in Faculty meeting: “Yesterday noon, as my scholars were passing out of the room, a boy stepped out of the line and stood waiting to speak with me. When all had left the room, I said: ‘Well, B., what can I do for you?’ With a voice broken with emotion, he exclaimed: ‘Oh, Miss P., I want to be a Christian; I have wanted to be one for a good while, and I want you to pray for me.’ I was surprised, as he had given me considerable trouble for weeks, and I had not thought him seriously inclined till that morning.
“‘I certainly will pray for you,’ I replied; ‘would you like to have me do so now?’
“‘Yes, ma’am,’ was his earnest response.
“Turning the key in the lock, to avoid interruptions, I knelt with him and asked the Lord to help him give up everything. He tried to pray, but could only say, ‘Oh, Lord! Oh, Lord!!’ and broke into sobs. I then opened the Bible and read, ‘Come unto Me,’ ‘I am the Way,’ and other passages. He having regained his self-possession as I opened to him the Scripture, I said: ‘Now, is there anything you have not given up—anything you are not willing to give up for Christ?’ ‘No,’ he answered, firmly, ‘I do not care for anything; I want to be a Christian.’ I was obliged to leave him here, and did not have a chance to speak with him again that day. This morning he was a little late, but something in his face as he said ‘good morning,’ told me that the struggle was ended. This noon he again left the line, and without waiting for his mates to pass out, held out his hand, joyfully exclaiming: ‘Miss P., I want to tell you that I have found Jesus; I found him last night, and I am happier than I have ever been since I was born; I mean to serve Him as long as I live.’ I never heard a more earnest and hearty confession of Christ.”
The frequent occurrence of incidents like this fill all our hearts with deep awe and invest every act and word with a tender solemnity. We feel the majestic presence in our midst of One seeking and saving that which was lost.
Pray for us, brethren, that the will of God may be fully wrought among us, and these youths, so eager for that education which is so necessary for the future well-being of the South, be enriched above all other getting with “the gift of eternal life.”
M. L. BERGER.
FISK UNIVERSITY.
The time has come in the religious history of the year in Fisk University when an account of the work done may be given. I have no doubt that it will interest and encourage the friends of the Association.
During the week of prayer for the Y. M. C. A. among colleges, the young men of the institution who belong to the Y. M. C. A. of Fisk held meetings and did good work among the young men who do not profess to be Christians. As a result, three or four were hopefully converted.
The week of prayer was observed in the institution, meetings being held immediately after supper. From the beginning to the end the attendance was large and the interest great. The meetings continued four weeks, and have just closed. Twenty-five of the students have been converted, including the three or four who were converted during the week of prayer held by the young men. The interest culminated at the meetings during the day of prayer for colleges.
The afternoon meeting of that day was one of the most remarkable ever held in the University. At the beginning of the meeting, President Cravath gave the following statistics of the higher grades: Students in college, 42, professing Christians, 37; Normal students, 40, professing Christians, 36; College preparatory students, 46, professing Christians, 34. Total number in higher grades, 126; total number of professing Christians, 121, or about 86 per cent.
The key-note to the meeting was given by George McLellan, a former graduate, who had studied theology at Hartford for a year. He said that in a meeting at Hartford he found that Fisk had a larger percentage of Christian students than any other college represented in the meeting, but that the students of Fisk were not entering the ministry in such large numbers as the students from other colleges were.
The key-note once struck, a most interesting discussion arose as to why the students of Fisk were not entering the ministry. Different causes were assigned, which may be reduced to one or two. There is not sufficient inducement offered to the young men to become ministers; the claims of the ministry are not presented with sufficient stress; the churches are so few and so small that the prospect is very discouraging; if a young man offers himself for the ministry, he must go North to study theology, where he is in danger of being educated out of sympathy with his people. The Southern schools have no well-equipped seminaries in which young men may be educated.
The meeting closed with this question still uppermost, and at night it was taken up by common consent and another hour spent in considering it. It was felt by all that the time had come for the establishment of a well endowed theological seminary for the schools in the South.
H. S. BENNETT.
SAVANNAH.
The revival in Savannah and vicinity began with the church in Woodville in November, spread to McIntosh, thence to Savannah. Results: somewhat more than two hundred appear desirous for the Christian life, and great renewal to activity among the members in these churches. The presentation of the sole essential—a crucified Saviour; Scriptures linked in argument like shields in the Phalanx, and pressed day after day by Evangelist James Wharton, of Barrow-in-Furnes, England, are not to be lightly esteemed if no conversion had resulted. The man who holds that the congregations gathered in A. M. A. churches cannot be moved by the Book, was not present during these services. March 6, at our feast of in-gathering, the Savannah Church gave the right hand to twenty-nine new members, in part the fruit of this revival.
Tender and thankful were the tears of joy shed by the faithful teachers as those converted in answer to their prayers stood forth to confess the Saviour. The harvest from seed long sown was there in the converted mother, at whose recall a Magdalen home is purified, and a son and daughter stand on either hand, making the gracious picture complete. Let Shelburne, Mass., hear this testimony, “I have never been at rest till now since I was in one of Miss Hardy’s mother-meetings long ago.”
DANA SHERRILL.
STORRS SCHOOL.
The last has been a month of much labor and of much rejoicing as well, for the Lord has blessed us—in school and church—we feel. Nearly one hundred conversions in our school and in our Sabbath school, and a great quickening among those who had grown indifferent. I never felt so close to the Master, more that His spirit was so in our midst; and yet there was no excitement—just a ready willing surrender of the heart and life to Jesus. Some of the converts are “little ones,” and some are youths and some are in mid-life. In my own class of young men, ten have found the Saviour and eight of them are to unite with our Church next Sunday. I think there are forty who are proposing a public uniting with us at that time. It is a time of great anxiety for us. The young feet will wander if not guided by earnest Christian admonitions. I need not say we are tired and trying to rest a little before our spring term opens next Monday.
H. J. M.