ALABAMA.
Revival in the Church and College.
REV. G. W. ANDREWS, TALLADEGA.
On March 2d thirty were received into our church, the fruits, in part, of a revival still in progress. It is the custom in the South to admit converts to the church on the first convenient opportunity, as in apostolic times, according to Acts ii. 47.
Of these thirty, seven were baptized in infancy, mostly by our own missionaries, ten years ago; three were immersed; the rest followed Ezek. xxxvi. 25. The youngest was not quite nine years old; the oldest was between sixty and seventy, and as happy a new-born soul as one often meets. Several were from forty to fifty. Five are heads of families, one of whom I have heard called “king of men,” because of his commanding influence. He says: “I mean to be as faithful in the service of Christ as I have been in that of Satan. I am now ready for any duty the church may impose upon me; be it easy or hard, it makes no difference to me.” His conversion has startled everybody. One little boy scarcely ten years old often prays intelligently and touchingly for a dear uncle and aunt, and asks others to join him.
All but two of the girls at Foster Hall are hopeful Christians; and of the forty-five young men who board at the same place, but four remain without a hope in Christ. Two in the higher normal room still refuse to enter upon the better life, and fourteen in the common school normal, out of the ninety in that department. The community outside of the college, our people say, was never before so awakened since the college was established here.
The meetings have been characterized by a wonderful freedom from excitement; indeed, I was never in a revival before where there was so little. It has pleased God in this instance to magnify preaching in a wonderful manner. Dr. Roy was with us a week lacking one day, and preached every night and on the Sabbath, interesting and profiting every one. One night many hearts were deeply moved by his tender recital of the “Old, old story of Jesus and his love.” We held extra meetings for two or three weeks. During the “week of prayer” and the remainder of January there were no conversions save one, that of “reckless George,” as he used to be called. He was one of our brightest young men, and his conversion made a deep impression. The revival did not commence in earnest until the first week in February, when there were twenty who turned to the Lord from the ways of sin. Since then the work has gone steadily forward.
This whole region seems ripe for a spiritual harvest; but whence are to come the reapers, as there is a limit to strength, and other duties press sorely. We cannot have many more extra meetings, though there are many inquirers; still we do not despair, as God has shown us how easily He can brush away all obstacles to the progress of His kingdom. He has again and again, during the continuance of these meetings, rebuked our want of faith.
The theological students have rendered excellent service by visiting from door to door. Christians have been fully awake. It is a glorious work to be instrumental in starting a soul in the better way; but there remains the work, greater if possible, of development through a wise Christian culture. We constantly remember Paul’s advice, recorded in Acts xx. 28.
I have time only for this hasty word concerning the work of grace here. I hope some one else may furnish you a full account. We all feel grateful for this quickening of our religious life, and this seal of our labors in the Lord, and our prayer is that an army of Christian young men and women may be raised up from this beginning of new life. While we “watch, work and pray,” we want to see the “desert rejoice and blossom as the rose.”