= fhe Revival in the Indian Church _ BISHOP FRANK W. WARNE tHe REVIVAL IN THE INDIAN CHURCH BY BISHOP FRANK W. WARNE BOARD OF FOREIGN MISSIONS METHODIST EPISCOPAL ‘CHURCH | 150 FIFTH AVENUE NEW YORK ‘Price 10 Cents i ¥ i Hii hid RRM alge z A teat 907. | NY WiAsN Arts a Sh ny) ‘it a hal es AT Da UE nue en (ay a Fry oa rity AN Nika ih Mp, nh KEY TO THE REVIVAL Woe to them that are at ease in Zion. Amos 6. 1. They ... first gave their own selves to the Lord. II Cor. 8. 5. Ask of me, and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Psalms 2. 8. I will call that my people, which was not my people... and it shall be, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there shall they be called sons of the living God. Rom. 9. 25, 26. Their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. Heb. 10, 17. I will putimy law ... jin their heart. Jer. 31. 33. The zeal of Jehovah Lord of hosts shall perform this. Isa. 9. 7. They shall all be taught of God. John 6. 45. All thy children shall be taught of Jehovah. Isa. 54. 13. O Jehovah, I have heard the report of thee. .. . O Jehovah, revive thy work.... Make it known. Hab. 38. 2. O. Zion, let not thy hands be slack, Jehovah thy God is in the midst of thee. Zeph. 3. 16, 17. Will you make this your DAIDYSERAY ER until the answer comes ? O LORD), send a Revival, and begin in me, for Jesus’ sake. Amen. Promises to plead. Isa. 57.15; Psa. 138. 7 Results to follow. Psa. 51. 10-15; Hos. 14. 4-8 The Revival in the Indian Church Introductory Statement After Pentecost, for the edification of the Church in the coming ages, an account of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the mighty works which followed was written by one who was an eyewitness. When the right time comes, a Luke will make a permanent record of the “Outpouring of the Holy Spirit in India” during 1905-1906. Having been on the “watch tower,” noting the movement of God in India during these years, I feel that I should not at this time withhold from the Church a brief account of what my eyes have seen, my ears heard and my heart has felt of God’s mighty workings in this land. It is with very special joy and gratitude that I write of a revival during the Jubilee year. Our Indian Christians call it the “Jubilee Revival.” I have several purposes in writing. One is that all who support our mission in India may be greatly encouraged by hearing of these gracious outpourings of the Holy Spirit. Another purpose is that all may be led to pray with faith that the revival may continue and prosper gloriously and thus greatly hasten the time when India shall be, not a non-Christian, but a Christian nation. Yet another motive is that the outpourings of God’s Spirit may inspire many so to pray that a like glorious revival may come to all those whose gifts have made the establishment of the Indian Church possible. It is the hope and prayer of our Indian Christians that this revival may be world-wide. It really began in Wales and was prayed into India. “Oh God, send this revival into all lands,” is the prayer now ascending from the infant Indian Church. If any of the outward manifestations of this revival appear to be different from those in other parts of the earth, it should be remembered that the Church in India is to the hundreds of millions of this land what the early Christian Church was to the non-Christian world of the age to which it belonged. We live in the midst of systems of religious thought which are centuries older than the New Testament and which have held in their power a large portion of the human race for “lo these many” centuries. We expect that before India’s proud millions submit to the lowly Nazarene there will be in India many more miraculous manifestations of spiritual power than those which I shall record. I have used care in choosing my title, “The Revival in the Indian Church.” The word Church does not refer to our mission only. I joyfully record the fact that the revival is spreading throughout all denominations, and the whole Church in India is being wonderfully awakened. The special features of this revival in the Indian Church show the evolution of a divine plan in the saving of Hindustan. Much has been said about “mass movements.” The question has often been asked, “Are the Indian converts really converted?” Shortly after 6 The Revival in the Indian Church my arrival in this country I heard an old missionary say, “The first necessity for a sculptor’s work is that the marble be taken out of the quarry.” He added, “We must first get the people out of the quarry of Hinduism, and they are ours that we may perfect them in the Christian life.” We should not under- . estimate the spiritual influences at work in the lives of these people before they break with hoary heathenism and come to Christ. But no missionary has considered that sufficient. Let me illustrate. An American Baptist missionary in India recently wrote as follows: In 1878 a great revival swept over Ongole and from June 16 to the end of December, 9,606 were baptized. This revival was genuine and lasting. The revival of 1878 took place among the heathen; this present one is among Christians. That resulted in a mass movement of the heathen toward Christianity, and a baptism of water; this is resulting in the breaking down of self in the individual, and a baptism of fire for the individual. That was a drawing toward God; this is an examination of self before God. What this brother has written concerning the two revivals in the Baptist mission is true of practically all the missions in India, but it applies to ours on a very large scale. We have nearly 200,000 Christians in our Jubilee year. These are now being awakened and equipped in such manner as the following pages will show. Imagine our joy and hope as we see the Indian Church being spiritually equipped for the work of the second half century, and it is our desire that the Home Church, by whose gifts alone our Indian Church exists, should share it. Fifty years ago, when our mission began in India, we had no Christians, no preachers, no literature, no presses, no property, no Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society. There was intense opposition from the heathen and comparatively little intelligent interest at home. But even from such a beginning much has been accomplished during the first half century; and we begin our second half century with about 200,000 Christians, 5,000 workers and thousands more in training in our schools, with much good literature and six mission presses, with a good property plant in many centers, with the wonderful Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society raised up to meet Indian conditions, with a mar- velous growth of intelligent interest on mission problems in the home church, with the opposition of the heathen breaking down, and with one hundred thousand more inquirers than we can receive and train. Whai seer can foretell the marvelous works that will be reported at our Indian Centenary Celebration? Our plan in writing is to give in detail the manner in which the revival came in a few places. These have been carefully selected as typical of the revival now spreading throughout India. Then there will also be given some of the distinctive characteristics and fruits of the Indian revival as we see them. The Beginning and Growth of the Revival The beginning of the general awakening in India is not easy to trace definitely. Since the beginning of this century, there has been in many places a spirit of special and earnest prayer for a world-wide awakening, and we believe that the Indian revival is part of the answer to this prayer. Through Welsh missionaries working in the Khasia hills, the general revival in India is believed to be very closely connected with the Welsh revival. As far, however, as such a matter can be traced, the revival in our own The Beginning and Growth of the Revival 7 mission has a very vital connection with the action of the General Conference of 1900, which appointed a commission for a spiritual forward movement in the United States. At that time I was very deeply impressed with the impera- tive need of a forward spiritual movement in our own mission. To this end, while crossing the Pacific Ocean on my way back to India after my election in 1900, I set apart one Sunday for prayer and fasting and I then received a great spiritual uplift, an assurance of God’s continued presence and help, and a vision of grace as abundant and inexhaustible as the ocean waves which surround all lands. After that, I expected marvelous things to happen in India. As an outcome of this experience, I find an article over my signature in The Indian Witness of Calcutta, dated September 16, 1900, part of which reads as follows: I was present at the first meeting of the Commission appointed by the General Conference to arrange for a special forward movement in the United States, and I was impressed that God was in it and would greatly use the movement. I am deeply impressed that we, in India, should inaugurate a similar movement. Then I proceeded to suggest a plan by which a commission might be appointed to direct such a movement in connection with our mission, and during the month of October, 1900, a commission was appointed to inaugurate the movement for a general spiritual awakening throughout our mission in India. Prayer unions, fasting and prayer, special faithfulness in family worship and definite personal work were earnestly urged upon all our people. From that time “praying bands” were formed in schools, leagues and districts, and prayer and expectation of a revival among our Indian Christians has been constantly increasing. Moreover from time to time we have had meetings of great spir- itual power. I find in my journal the following record made as early as September, 1901: I spent a Sunday in Penang and held a service with a Tamil congregation, concerning which the missionaries had been greatly discouraged because of the lack of spirituality on the part of these people. I preached at 7 A. M., and during the service the Holy Spirit fell upon this congregation with convicting power as upon the people on the day of Pentecost. As soon as the sermon was over, I had to leave to take charge of another service in the Chinese church. But the Tamil congregation remained and prayed until after midday, sending out for other members of the congre- gation with whom there had been trouble. They waited, prayed, and settled their quarrels and then resolved to be a temperate people and to consecrate themselves to a consistent and earnest Christian life. About two and a half years later, when I was again staying at Penang, I naturally asked about the Tamil congregation, and learned to my delight that “the people had indeed been transformed from the time of that service. Quar- reling, drunkenness and immorality disappeared and from then until now they have remained a happy, harmonious, aggressive, evangelistic congregation and have grown to such an extent that they are now practically self-supporting.” This long continuance of prayer and sudden transformation of lives was a forerunner of the revival. As early as October, 1902, I conducted a meeting in which the missionaries reported that all the bad and even the worst people had become powerfully convicted of sin. I saw strong men trembling and falling under the power of such a mighty conviction of sin as I had seldom if ever seen. I witnessed at that time some scenes which have since become frequent—that is, for hours the people continued to cry loudly for mercy, until 8 The Revival in the Indian Church deliverance came. I recall a meeting during September, 1903, in which I was expounding the third chapter of Saint John’s Gospel, and when I had reached the 14th verse, “So must the Son of man be lifted up,’ and was quietly explain- ing the place of the crucifixion in the plan of salvation, one man fell headlong on the floor as suddenly as if struck by power from an unseen world, and in great agony began to cry mightily for mercy. Then, as if carried by an electric current, the conviction of sin ran through the entire congregation, followed by such agonizing cries for mercy from all the people that my voice could not be heard. I had never before seen such a manifestation among our Indian Chris- tians. Suddenly the whole audience began to shake and tremble under the power of a mighty conviction of sin. This went on for hours and then marvel- ous blessings came upon the people. All this was but a forerunner of the revival. Again, in November of the same year, I had a similar experience at another place where two meetings held in one day lasted three hours each and several hundred people claimed to receive very definite spiritual blessings. There were wonderful manifestations of spiritual power, unmistakable convic- tion of sin and earnest repentance, a wave of prayer like the sound of many waters, followed by great peace and rejoicing. In our Jubilee celebration great emphasis was laid upon having a spiritual Jubilee. Tio this end, the Bishops of Southern Asia sent out a special appeal, calling upon the whole Indian Church to pray and work for a great advance in spiritual life and scriptural giving. This appeal gave a new impetus to the revival, and caused our people to call it the “Jubilee Revival.” At a district Summer School in Muttra, August 21, 1905, 500 or 600 students were present. I arrived on Friday morning and gave an address on “The fullness of the Spirit as necessary to a complete equipment for spiritual service.” The meetings on Saturday and Sunday were good, but not remark- able. At the close of my address on Monday morning, a young woman arose and asked, “Bishop, may I speak?” I replied, “Certainly.” She began: “On Friday morning when the address was given, I realized that I was not equipped for spiritual service, but I began to pray day and night, and on Sunday after- noon when alone in secret prayer, the fullness of the Holy Spirit came upon me.” As she was quietly telling of her wonderful blessing, suddenly a spirit of conviction swept like a tidal wave over the whole audience, and they groaned, trembled and cried aloud. There was a large vacant place behind the desk where I was standing, with two rooms on either side that were used for class rooms. I said to the young woman: “Come into this vacant space and ask the women and girls to join you in seeking the fullness of the Spirit for service.” Instantly, impelled by the power of the Spirit, about 150 women and girls, up to that time apparently unmoved, arose and followed her, and broke out in a roar of agony. For several hours there was such weeping, confessing, and crying for mercy, as I had never before heard among timid Indian women. In front of the altar the men, preachers, and other workers present, cried aloud for hours, under the awakening and convicting power of the Spirit. Lucknow Dasehra Meetings Government holidays, called “Dasehra,” are celebrated every year. The word comes from “dash” (ten) and “hara” (kill), that is, the killing of the ten-headed, and commemorates the mythological killing by Rama of the ten- headed monster Ravana, who had abducted Sita. For more than thirty years Lucknow Dasehra Meetings 2, our mission in Lucknow has used these holidays for a series of religious meet- ings. Though there had been much blessing in previous years the monster satan was killed in many hearts at Dasehra in October, 1905, and at that time the revival broke out thoroughly in our mission. A large number of our pastors and workers were present who caught and spread the revival spirit. Professor Badley of Reid Christian College thus describes one of the services: Saturday, October 7, had been set apart by Bishop Warne as “Decision Day” for our Hindustani meetings. It was the day when the young people were to decide whether or not they would consecrate their lives to Christian service. Two appeals were made, one for those who wished in a general way to make a more thorough conse- cration of themselves to Christian service, and one for those who desired to declare their intention of setting themselves apart for the ministry. Much prayer had been offered for that afternoon service, but the results exceeded all expectations. Those who had felt called to give themselves to the work of the ministry were asked to enter the vestry, and when the invitation was finally given, there must have been rejoicing in heaven at the sight. No rush was made for the vestry, but in a holy hush and in a calmness that signified deep, strong feeling, young men rose here and there all over that large congregation, and walked quietly into the appointed room. They continued to go until twenty-six had passed through that door—an open door of opportunity such as young men, of no preceding age, have had set before them. We rejoice that satan was not able to close it. It stood open till God’s chosen ones had entered and it was closed from the inside. What tides of surging selfishness were there hurled back, what worldly ambitions were there overcome none may ever know save the one who suffered there a notable defeat and Christ who gave the glorious victory. The vestry was not empty when the young men had entered it. There were assembled all the ordained ministers, visiting and local and (the significance of it) a band of six or seven missionaries and others on their knees in one corner of the room. There they had been during the whole service, praying as men of God can, praying as the greatness of the occasion required, praying that the work of decision should be com- plete. There is no time to relate all that happened in that room. It was a very Bethel to everyone who had entered. There was a beautiful consecration service of half an hour under the leadership of the venerable Dr. T. S. Johnson. Then the room was emptied of all save the young men and a few leaders, who continued to pray with and exhort those who had just made complete their sacrifice and were then breathing a new world. Such is a brief account of what took place in the Hindustani Church on ‘Decision Day.” It is not enough, however, to chronicle it. The significance of it must be pointed out, for there are some who fail to see what this event really means. The work of this “Decision Day” is in fact nothing short of epochal. The institution which in fifteen years had given but one man to our ministry has today within its walls nineteen men consecrated to this work. A new day has dawned. The tide of selfishness has been turned backward. A great reproach has been rolled away from an institution which, having experienced opposition even in its founding, has been thought by many to be doing very little real missionary work through all these years. And now at last Reid Christian College is understood—an institution at the very heart of success in this land. Even the most short-sighted cannot now fail to see the vast significance of its work, for a new era has come. Fully to appreciate what happened that day one must realize that these young men turned their backs upon attractive prospects in Government service and commercial life, which are rapidly opening to these young men of the Indian Christian community who have received such educational advantages as are given in our Reid Christian College. Graduates of our Reid Christian 10 [he Revival in the Indian Church College can usually begin their business life on a larger salary than they could expect to receive as preachers in our mission even at the end of their career. Yet these young men deliberately rejected the promise of lucrative positions and consecrated themselves to the work of evangelizing India. This spirit has steadily spread among our young men until now over 300 of the choicest students in our educational institutions have deliberately turned away from the prospects of a business career, and in answer to the Holy Spirit’s definite call to enter the ministry, have consecrated themselves to the preaching of the gospel to the non-Christian millions of this land, knowing that they will receive an allowance not larger than $30, $40 or $50 a year with which to support themselves and their families. Let me remind the reader that at the beginning of the first half century of our India mission we had not a single preacher, except one borrowed from the Presbyterians. In addition to our present force of Indian ministers, we now have 300 of our choicest young men, educated, intellectually equipped and far ahead of the vast majority of the non-Christian people, who purpose to give themselves to this work. With this thought in mind the reader can understand our rejoicing and something of the marvelous outlook and hope that this phase of the revival gives us. In the educational institutions of the Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society, there is a still larger number of young women who have dedicated themselves to this work. From these many of the young men will probably select their life partners. They will be fully equipped to care for the women and thus we shall have a great army of consecrated, cultured, Spirit-called and also Spirit-filled workers, as one outcome of this revival in India. The Asansol Revival After the awakening in Lucknow, the next outbreak of the revival was at Asansol, a city about 120 miles from Calcutta, and the center of a presiding elder’s district. We have there boarding schools for Bengali boys and girls and a church for the European residents. The Rey. W. P. Byers, presiding elder, writes as follows: The first news we had of a revival was in a Calcutta paper, in December, 1904, in which a brief description was given of the wonderful work which God had begun in Wales. In January, 1905, in a letter from Edinburgh came a little card on which appeared these words: Will you make this your DAILY PRAYER; Until the answer comes? O LORD, send a revival and begin in me, for Jesus’ sake. Amen. Promises to plead: Isa. 57. 15; Psa. 188. 7. Results to follow: Psa. 21. 10-15; Hos. 14. 4-8. We had several hundred of these cards printed and circulated among our people and then we began to pray for a revival. Each week our hearts were stirred by the accounts of what was going on in Wales, as printed in Mrs. Penn-Lewis’s letters in the “Life of Faith.” We scarcely dared to hope for such gracious manifestations for India, but we kept on praying. In the month of May we saw the first accounts of the revival in The Asansol Revival 11 the Khasia Hills, but we thought that this was connected with the Welsh churches, and what we had longed for seemed as far off as ever. In June we heard of the work in Pundita Ramabai’s Home, and in August we learned of God’s gracious work in Sialkot, in the Punjab. . Then we began to think that there might be hope for other parts of the country and for backward Bengal. On October 1 our bishops appointed a week of prayer for India, and we exhorted our people to give themselves faithfully to unusual prayer during that week. It benefited them so much and they felt so encouraged that they sent me word of their resolve to keep on praying even more earnestly and to spend more time in prayer until the revival came. By the close of October we began to receive spiritual “shocks,” and to experience the presence of God’s Spirit moving among us. Prayer had become a pleasure, and we all took delight in lingering at the Throne of Grace. Each day we seemed to advance, and to bring ourselves nearer Christ till at last it appeared to us that each day we could hear more distinctly the sound of His approaching footfall. On Sunday morning, November 12, 1905, as we started off for service the query in our hearts was, “Will the baptism come today?’ He said: “Not many days hence.” But will it be today? After the preaching, the Bengali pastor invited those who desired to seek salva- tion to come forward, and four of the older girls arose, came to the communion rail, and began to pray and cry out for forgiveness. T'wo of the older boys also came forward and presently nearly everybody in the church was weeping while the seekers kept calling upon Jesus to forgive and to save them. This continued amid the greatest lamentation for an hour or more and then permission was granted to those who wished to leave the church. The seekers all remained, however, and two other girls fell on their knees crying and praying. It was about twelve o’clock when they all became quiet and we could leave the church. This awakening was wonderful and everybody seemed overawed by the presence and power of God. -Passersby stopped and inquired what was the matter inside and why the people were all crying and calling out for mercy and forgiveness. Had we not been prepared for it, I am sure we would have been alarmed, for we had never before seen anything like it. While District Conference was in session we prayed that it might be a Pentecost and that all of our workers might be blessed and baptized with the Holy Spirit. We did not realize what we had asked for until a baptism of fire, such as that which fell upon the apostles, fell also upon us. ‘Then we could understand the second chapter of Acts and the prophecy made by Joel, and what Paul meant when he said, “Be filled [intoxicated] with the Spirit.” Oh, what glory was revealed, what visions were vouchsafed us at that time, and what blessed results have followed! We now realize more fully what a mighty work God has wrought and is carrying on among us. Our hearts leap for joy and we often clap our hands for very gladness of heart. Our eyes have seen the King, and the glory of the most High has overshadowed us, transforming life and making all a tender and deep psalm of thanksgiving. Hallelujah and praise for evermore! Amen! and Amen! We cannot estimate our Father’s great work or prophesy how far it will reach, but of one thing we are assured—that what He hath begun He will perform until the day of Jesus Christ, and the agonized prayers of His children will be answered. The spirit of prayer which prevails in this revival has taught us the, secret of power with God. The people pray audibly all together and they delight to spend hours in this attitude before God. Praying bands and prayer circles have done much to promote all that has been wrought this year. The victory is first taken on our knees. “If you ask—I will do,” and when the sound of prayer is bursting forth into constant praise, the victory is not far off. The most wonderful year in the history of mission work in India has just closed, and the year 1906 will ever be remembered as the time when thousands of persons came under the influence of the Spirit of God. “Glory and praise be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb forever and ever.” Amen. 12 The Revival in the Indian Church The Lepers are Cleansed Bishop Robinson was present at some of the meetings of the Asansol revival and has written much concerning it. I will quote what he has written about a meeting in the Asansol Leper Asylum, an institution containing about 120 inmates. Bishop Robinson, the missionaries and the Indian workers held a service in the asylum on December 12, 1905. After several addresses, testi- monies and prayers, half a dozen or more unconverted lepers asked for prayers on their behalf. Bishop Robinson writes: It was unspeakably touching to see in some instances the mere remains of hands uplifted. ‘The workers were deeply affected and when we knelt to pray, one and another opened their hearts to the Lord in earnest petition for His blessing upon the poor lepers. One lad of nine (an untainted child) prayed most fervently for the conversion of his unconverted mother, who was one of the company of lepers present. Mr. Byers tells me that she was happily converted some days later. Soon the power of God came upon the whole assembly, and they all prayed with one voice and with one accord. Then they began to sing, and such singing! In a short time all were on their feet, and shouts of praise ascended to God. Shall we ever forget that sight! 'The lepers seemed to have exceptional strength given them to stand upright. How some of them managed to balance themselves on feet from which toes and heels had been largely eaten away, was a wonder to us. But still more wonderful was it to behold scores of these people actually dancing, to express the joy of their souls! One poor fellow propped himself by'leaning his back against the wall, and thus supported he swung his arms back and forth and shouted aloud his praise of Jesus. That dear man, let me say, has told of his wonderful vision of Jesus. For a couple of days afterward he actually went about with his eyes closed, not blinded by what he had seen, but as though he desired no earthly sight to blot out the entrancing vision which had been vouchsafed to him. Among the women also there was great joy. One converted woman in whom the disease had been working a comparatively brief time, stood with closed eyes in the midst of the company and with a dignity and abandon that impressed us, passionately appealed to God for the salvation of all the unconverted women around her. These she indicated by outspread hands and significant gestures. It was a beautiful sight worthy of the pencil of a Raphael or a Rubens. In front sat the wreck of a woman, well stricken in years, unable to stand, huddled up in her cotton chaddar, swaying rapidly to and fro and praying most earnestly. On another young woman’s face was the “solar look’? betokening Christ’s great peace in her heart. Looking at her face one found it difficult to believe that it adorned the body of one doomed to a wasting death which was creeping on her apace. Going down the aisle and questioning the lepers here and there, it was a joy to find that God was blessing the poor souls and was revealing His love to their hearts. Some were carried away by the glorious experience of the hour, and found it difficult to tell, pefhaps, whether they were in the body or out of it. Such uplifting joy had never before struck their hearts. They seemed to be spiritually intoxicated, and the same might be truthfully said of others present. We listened with great delight to the beautiful unconventional testimonies of regenerated and Spirit-anointed lepers. My soul did magnify the grace that could so wonderfully transform these poor human wrecks. Think of it, readers! Gladness and joy filling the hearts of persons in such an awful condition, and they at leisure from their own desperate state taking upon themselves the burden and responsibility of intercession on behalf of the unsaved world, from which they are forever separated! Is it not wonderful that these terribly disadvantaged ones, with their apologies for bodies and mere remnants of limbs, should be capable of entering into fellowship with the Son of God and of becoming partakers of the highest blessings of our holy faith? Some are actually asking permission to visit nearby villages to bear their testimony for Christ. Moradabad 13 There was one dear fellow whose fingers were eaten away to their base and whose feet were about half their normal size. Dexterously balancing himself as he stood in the aisle, with his stump palms crossed upon his breast and his eyes lifted entrancedly to heaven, he praised God for his salvation in a most affecting manner. Moradabad Moradabad is the headquarters of a presiding elder’s district and is the city in which Bishop and Mrs. Parker did much of their life work. In that district alone there are now over 15,000 Christians. Beginning in a Girls’ Boarding School, a very gracious revival has extended throughout that district. The North India Conference was held at Moradabad in January, 1906, and at an after-dinner meeting on January 4, emphasis was laid upon the place of prayer in a revival. When the girls’ school was reopened, after Conference, a room was set apart for a prayer room, a prayer tent was erected for the mis- sionaries and the morning hour from seven to eight was designated for special prayer. These prayer rooms were regularly used. Early in February a num- ber of the unsaved began to seek salvation. One day four girls were clearly converted, and from that time on some one was saved nearly every day. There were no special meetings, there was no excitement, nothing but prayer. But the spirit of conviction was spreading and soon the school room had to be used as a prayer room to accommodate the increased numbers. ) wh Early in March the power of the Spirit came upon these girls. On the evening of the eighth they continued praying longer than usual and after nine o’clock the school bearer, Knowing that they were required to go to bed at that time, sent them out, extinguished the light, and locked the doors. But the giris could not stop praying, and instead of going to their rooms as usual they went to the prayer room and the veranda just outside. About eleven o’clock one of the Hindustani teachers aroused one of the assistants and asked her to go quickly and see what was the matter with the girls. She went to the prayer room as soon as possible and found all of them kneeling or prostrate on the floor, crying, praying and singing. Amazed and puzzled as to what she ought to do, she finally determined that as they had been praying so long and it was so late, they ought to go to bed, so she stepped in among them and told them so. But her voice was not heard on account of loud praying and weeping. Hesitating again but feeling that it would be wrong to allow them to stay there longer, she finally succeeded in getting them to their rooms. The same thing happened the next night, but the girls were allowed to pray as long as they wished and for several nights thereafter many continued till one or two o’clock, and some all night. While their strength was being used in this way their school work was reduced to a minimum, and although it was nothing uncommon for some one to faint while at prayer, no one seemed to suffer from the strain. Many were gloriously saved, and they looked like different girls, sang like different girls, and were different girls. Their own meetings were continued every evening, but though prayer was still the chief thing, they added praise and testimony, at the same time exhort- ing those still unsaved. Night after night they worked and prayed until finally every girl was converted. Then they began to intercede for their brothers, for Bareilly Orphanage, for Pithoragarh and for other places. Some 14 The Revival in the Indian Church had visions, others saw lights. Satan was not long in finding out about this revival and he became a real person to many. One night a few girls had planned to gather in the prayer room after the meeting, to pray for some special object. One of those most advanced spiritually was late that evening and as she came the others heard her talking and apparently quarreling with some one, and they wondered what had happened. She explained to them afterward that she had been talking to Satan, that he had been trying to keep her from going to pray, and was so real to her that she talked aloud to him and told him to leave her alone and be gone. In October the Rev. and Mrs. W. P. Byers and the writer went there for a few days of special services. The revival fire in the Girls’ School became a flame and broke out in the boys’ boarding school, where prayer continued all night and scores of boys and young men were converted, not so much during the meetings as during the prayer service that followed. In one of these meetings I remember counting over twenty testimonies given by young men converted between midnight and two o’clock in the morning, while lying awake and praying in their beds. The day before the closing meeting I announced that there would be a decision hour, when those young men who felt called of the Spirit to give up worldly pursuits and to prepare for the ministry might make known this decision. Christian young men educated as they are could commence business on a salary of Rs. 40 a month, rising to hundreds a month. But to enter the ministry meant that after graduating from the theological school they begin their work at Rs. 20 or less a month with no prospect of ever rising to one hundred rupees. All this was made plain before the invitation was given, but imagine my joy when fifty-seven Of our choicest students came forward without delay and kneeling around the altar consecrated themselves and entered their names as candidates for the work of the ministry. What an outlook is in that district for the second half century of our mission! Some weeks later the District Conference was held, at which were assem- bled the preachers, teachers and other workers among these 15,000 Christians. The usual business was transacted but Saturday and Sunday were set apart for special evangelistic services for the preachers and Christians on the Dis- trict. The meetings were held in a grove, in which a large tent had been set up, and the audience numbered over a thousand. About half past seven on Friday evening the spirit of intercessory prayer which is a marked feature of this revival came upon over one hundred of the girls from the boarding school and they began to pray. For lack of suitable places in their private quarters where they might kneel they prayed for an hour standing. Miss Means, one of the missionaries, was told about it and took them to a tent. There without a leader they prayed hour after hour for the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the encampment. At half past eleven they had been praying since half past seven. I walked around them and listened to their prayers. With the exception of one or two the girls were so completely in communion with God that they were unaware of my presence. If ever there has been such praying as this in the history of the Christian Church, I do not know where it has been recorded. I had intended to remain through the session of the District Conference but was summoned by wire on a matter of urgent business and had to leave at midnight. I shall let my wife, who remained, tell of the culmination of months of prayer: Moradabad 15 On Saturday night, the Rev. J. R. Chitambar, the Christian Headmaster of the Lucknow Boys’ High School, preached the sermon, after which a call was given to those who desired the fullness of the Spirit. The preachers and workers filled the altars on the men’s side, and the school girls and some of the women crowded the other side. Such praying to heaven as I heard that night I had never heard before. Timid school girls prayed in public for the power to work, for their fathers and mothers, for the Moradabad Church and District, and for the preachers and mis- sionaries. As we watched some of them, we wondered if it really were possible that Hindustani women could take such a part and have no fear. One little girl of four- teen or thereabouts had turned her face heavenward and was earnestly praying that Christ would come that night to the people of Moradabad. She was seemingly in agony. The fingers were clinched in the earnestness of her prayer. Then she said in ecstasy: “He is coming, He is coming.” A moment later came the glad word: “He has come, He has come.’”’ With a beautiful smile like heaven’s light upon her face, she stopped praying, and like a child who has received a gift from a friend, she laid her head on the platform and found the Saviour’s peace and rest. No one seeing this girl] would have said “hysteria” or ‘‘excitement,’” and yet she was but one of two hundred. After some time spent in prayer, testimonies were called for. Several workers rose and confessed that they had been careless and half-hearted in their work, that God had shown them their sin, and that they had repented and had received forgive- ness, but felt that they must confess their sins. One man with tears in his eyes said: “T have had hard feelings against another man for many years, but now I want to forgive him and he is dead. What shall I do?’ Several of the girls gave beautiful testimonies, and all told of praying for friends many months. One girl said: “I have a message. God gave me a vision on my bed last night. I saw God on His throne with Christ the Son before Him. The throne was surrounded by light as vivid as lightning and by great glory. The Father said to the Son ‘Go and judge the world. It is time.’ I heard Christ plead for the sinful world, and I saw the tears of grief running down his cheeks. Then I heard Him say, ‘Oh Father, give them more time at Moradabad. There are more that will turn to me there. Give them more time.’”’ The girl added, “It was not a dream, for I had been praying, and the Spirit came to me then.” Several others told how the Spirit had come to them in power. One girl, who had: been very unkindly treated by her father, told how she had been blessed, and added, “I am praying that father and mother may get the blessing too.” She had scarcely sat down when her father sprang to the platform and began to speak. We trembled, for we did not know what was coming, as the man had been in deep trouble, fighting with himself for months, although he blamed others. He had been one of our best preachers, but had fallen into discontent and unhappiness. He now confessed to unfaithfulness in his work and anger and cruelty toward his family, and especially toward this girl. He asked his friends to forgive him and begged his daughter to pray that he might again be of service. When he had finished speaking he called for the girl, and met her at the side of the altar, clasping her in his arms and asking her to love and forgive him. There were few dry eyes in that company as we all joined in a song of thankfulness. Just as this man came to the platform, a girl hidden from him by the pulpit rushed over to Miss Means, weeping and shaking as if in fear. Miss Means tried to quiet her, and asked what was wrong. The girl told her between sobs that she had been praying and had seen Satan on the platform be- side her as if he were waiting for someone. He seemed angry, she said, and fire darted from his eyes, but he grew more dreadful looking and seemed still more anxious to get some one who was coming to the altar. When the man reached the altar, Satan, she said, ran out of the tent. When she grew quieter she told us more about it. To those of us who knew the struggle that must have gone on in that man’s heart before he came out and was willing to confess, it seemed that Satan had surely been there, although the rest of us did not see him as the girl had done. Many others gave testimony that night to the great blessing, and we felt indeed 16 The Revival in the Indian Church that the Lord promised a blessing for the next day, the Sabbath. The meeting was dismissed and the people were told to be much in prayer for the services on the morrow. A quiet little prayer meeting for the work of the next day was held among the missionaries, and then we went to our tents.