MOTHERWELL
is in the Hamilton district and was passed by when the evangelists were there, for reasons of local convenience. To it therefore they directed their steps for Thursday and Friday. The growth of the industrial population has been rapid and of course the devil has taken good care to impress the licensing magistrates into his service. The Christians have not been asleep meanwhile and the Lanarkshire Christian Union, which has its headquarters here, is doing all it can to drive back and arrest the tide of evil. Its President, Mr Colville is also Provost of the town, and no doubt if he were able to exercise a benevolent autocracy, there would be a short shrift to the drink shops. But in this democratic era every community has to work out its own salvation – generally at a heavy cost in blood and tears and the souls of men.
The meetings in the Public Hall were in every way encouraging. On the first afternoon, Mr Moody expanded the doctrine of the resurrection of the body. Next day his congenial topic was the second coming of Christ. His address on that comforting truth fairly warmed up some of the congregation to shouting point, while many others were suffused in tears by some of the pathetic passages. At the close of Mr Moody‘s last evening address to a densely crowded house, the kingdom of heaven seemed to be very near. In urging the bold and open avowal of faith, he took the unusual course of asking all who truly believed in Christ, or desired now to confess faith in him, to rise. It seemed as if nineteen-twentieths of the congregation took to their feet. At the afternoon meeting Mr Moody had specially requested the Christians to stay away and allow the unconverted to get seats. If they complied with the request, the manifestation in the evening was a truly wonderful one. An interruption on both evenings from a man under the influence of potent liquor gave Mr Moody opportunities of delivering his soul on the whiskey question in a way that thrilled everybody and must’ve staggered some. The overflow on Friday evening was conducted by Mr Sankey and Rev Mr Hutchinson of Coatbridge; the latter, with several other ministers, will help in the work of following up every evening this week.
From, "The Christian" March 10th, 1892.