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The Commoner
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
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VOL 16, NO. .12
Lincdln, Nebraska, December, J9i6
Whole Number 692
BILLY SUNDAY AND HIS WORK
The six articles glyen b9low ''ere "written by
Mr. Bryan for the Boston Record during the
Sunday meetings there and are republished in
The Commoner by courtesy of that paper. Ed.
WHY REVIVALS?
Is the revival needed?- Yes; and needed most
where the opposition to, the revival is greatest.
If every. Christian lived up to his privileges all
the time the season. of special effort might not
bo required, but that day has not yet arrived;
hence, the almost universal approval of the re
vival by those most thoroughly interested in the
propagation of the Christian religion.
The revival has several advantages, ampng
which three may be named as Important.
First,, it is an occasion whlchwcan be utilized
for the awakening of the ckuhrnembqrshlp. ,
That is the first good effect notfceable. .Tjbe afc"
tendance at pray'er meeting increases; business
and worldly cares which have been allowed to
engross the attention and employ the time are '
pushed aside and the spiritual impulses reassert
themselves. The Christian who hibernates when
the religious temperature is low is quickened
into new life by the warmth and glow of the
revival. This, in itself, would justify the re
vival, even if no new converts were made. The
revival ordinarily pays for itself in the greater
activity which is aroused among professing
Christians, with the accompanying progress to
ward individual consecration.
But it is impossible to stir the church to ac
tivity without practical results in tlie way of ad
ditions. To the children of the church, who,
though reared under religious instruction, have
not yet taken a stand for Christ, the revival
furnishes the added impulse needed' to bring
them to a decision. T.his is an advantage which
can .not be easily overestimated, for the church
yiijGs largely upon the children of its members
CONTENTS
BILLY SUNDAY AND KIS WORK
TO HIGH SCHOOL" STUDENTS
FULL FED FATNESS
A DRY NATION IN FOUR YEARS
THE LESSON IN- INDIANA
THE PRESIDENT'S ANNUAL MESSAGE
ELECTION POSTSCRIPT -PROHIBITION
IN 1920
GENEROUS EXPRESSIONS FROM
FRIENDS
NEWSPAPER COMMENTS ON THE 19 10
ELECTION
MR. BRYAN'S PART IN THE CAMPAIGN
FOUR YEAR CAMPAIGN TO MAKE
NATION DRY
for the continuation of Its numbers. The child,
boy or girl, who reaches maturity without Iden
tification with tho church organization is harder
to reach in after years, for tho very reason that
early importunities, were resisted. Mr. Sunday's
powerful sermon to the high school studonts
Saturday night' gladdened tho hearts of a thou
sand parents by bringing tho children within tho
fold.
Thef successful revival does more than awaken
tho members; it does more than gather in the
children of the members; it reaches a larger
circle and adds to tho list of professing Chris
tians many who have wandored away from tho
teachings of childhood . and others who are
brought for tho first time to understand their
need of the Sayl6ur7?;
T-heseeo'nd't'adyanlftgeofmhe :tovival lsr to
bring Into the community7 a now religious force,
nn expert; so io speak, in th&tpresentationof th;
Gospel. The revivalist occupies a distinct place'
in the work of the church. By devoting himself
to this particular line of effort, he a'cqu'res an
experience and an effectiveness which seldom
characterize those who are compelled to dis
tribute their energies over all forms of pastoral
work. Tho preacher who Sunday after Sunday
addresses the same congregation, and who be
tween times responds to the multitudinous calls
made upon the shepherd of a flock, is rarely able
to conduct a revival in his own church as suc
cessfully as a new man who specializes In evan
gelistic work.
The interdenominational revival, and most of
the large revivals are now undenominational,
has a third effect, which is not Incons'deraTjfe.
It tends to bring the churches intp co-operation,
and this is always a gain. The various branches
of the Christ'an church are much nearer to
gether today than they were a half century ago,
and the interdenominational revival is, in part,
responsible for this more friendly attitude. It
does not necessitate a surrender of creed or of
any distinctive church doctrine,' and it does not
contemplate any future organic union. It is
simply proof of an increase in the spirit 00
brotherhood, and of a more harmonious co-op-
eration in the urging of the essentials upon
which all the churches are built.
The revival comes in response to a need a
real need. It is a legitimate instruraentalltyof
tho church, and its use is likely to increase ra
ther than diminish. While it is evidence of a
zeal already growing, it is the cause of still fur
ther widening and deepening of the Channel
'which is to carry spiritual enthusiasm from this
to future generations.
METHODS AND LANGUAGE
BillySunday's critics are. quite unanimous In .
condemning his methods as dramatic and hia
language as undignified. As to tho correctness
of the first chargo there is no doubt. Ho 1
dramatic. No other evangelist has approached
him in tho completeness with which ho "suit
tho action to the word." Ho needs a whole
stage- 'and a largo one, too. No "pout up Utica"
will suffice him for a platform, and it needs to
be as big up and down as from side to side. Ho
not only paces from one end of tho platform to
the other, but he often climbs on top of the pul
pit, and sometimes ho lies down on tho floor.
Ho tries to keop within reaching distances of hit
rising climaxes, and when ho is looking Into tho
abode of Satan ho gets as cIobo to tho lower re
gions as the platform will permit.
But why should his dramatic manner be
counted afi a fault? What are gesture for if
notto emphasize a point? .A'mVfttfo is in posi
tion to set bounds to tho gesture? It may not
be scholarly to gesticulate violently. If so, thpso
vKO'dfcmoto alixlduaVte' Tb scholarly than tobo
effective will avoid anything that seems too
emotional.
But Mr. Sunday Is not dealing with tho head
alone; he often addresses himself to tho mind,
and the scholar will find many splendid pieces
of literature in his sermons; but his aim ifyto
reach the heart, for "out of the heart are tho
issues of life." He is justified in swinging his
arms, his legs, or his whole body, if by bo doing
he can drive home the appeal which he is mak
ing and does he not do this very thing?
No two speakers are alike, and no speaker can
successfully imitate another. Each man must be
himself.
Nature has her cyclones, her deafening thun
der, her blinding lightning, her belching vol
canoes and her earthquakes. Sunday is a na
tural sort of a man; why should those who imi
tate the gentle zephyr find fault with him be
cause the hv.rrlcane Is more to his liking? The
fact that he patterns after the more violent man-
fyf The Commoner
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to Everyone, Every
where, and Forever.
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