Chapter I: Front Matter

"BILLY" SUNDAY

THE MAN AND HIS MESSAGE

WITH HIS OWN WORDS
WHICH HAVE WON
THOUSANDS FOR CHRIST

BY
WILLIAM T. ELLIS, LL.D.
AUTHOR OF "MEN AND MISSIONS"

Authorized Edition

PHILADELPHIA
THE JOHN C. WINSTON CO.
PUBLISHERS

COPYRIGHT, 1914, BY
L. T. MYERS

CAUTION

The entire contents of this book are protected by the stringent new copyright law, and all persons are warned not to attempt to reproduce the text, in whole or in part, or any of the illustrations.

Authorized by Mr. Sunday

This work contains the heart of Mr. Sunday's gospel message arranged by subjects, and is published by special agreement with him for the use of copyright material and photographs, which could be used only by his permission.

A WORD FROM THE AUTHOR

Because he is the most conspicuous Christian leader in America today; because he has done an entirely unique and far-reaching work of evangelism; and because his words have a message for all men, I have written, at the request of the publishers, this narrative concerning Rev. William A. Sunday, D.D.

The final appraisal of the man and his ministry cannot, of course, be made while he is alive. "Never judge unfinished work." This book has endeavored to deal candidly, though sympathetically, with its subject. Mr. Sunday has not seen either the manuscript or proofs. He has, however, authorized the use of the messages which he is accustomed to deliver in his meetings, and which comprise more than half the contents of the volume.

The author's hope is that those of us who are just plain "folks" will find the book interesting and helpful. He has no doubt that professional Christian workers will get many suggestions from the story of Mr. Sunday's methods.

I would acknowledge the assistance of Miss Helen Cramp and the Rev. Ernest Bawden in collating and preparing for publication Mr. Sunday's utterances.

WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

SWARTHMORE, PA.

CONTENTS

PAGE

Preface 5

Contents 7

CHAPTER I

One of God's Tools

God's Man Sent in God's Time--Sunday's Converts--Religion and the Common People--A Great City Shaken by the Gospel--Popular Interest in Vital Religion--Sunday a Distinctively American Type 15

CHAPTER II

Up from the Soil

Sunday's Sympathy with Every-day Folk--Early Life--The Soldiers' Orphanage--The Old Farm--Earning a Living--The School of Experience--First Baseball Ventures 22

CHAPTER III

A Base-Ball "Star"

Fame as a Baseball Player--Eagerness to "Take a Chance"--Record Run on the Day Following his Conversion--The Parting of the Ways 33

CHAPTER IV

A Curbstone Recruit

Mrs. Clark and the Pacific Garden Mission--Sunday's Own Story of his Conversion--Winning the Game of Life 39

CHAPTER V

Playing the New Game

The Individuality of the Man--His Marriage--Mrs. Sunday's Influence--Work in the Y. M. C. A.--A Father Disowned--Redeeming a Son--The Gambler--A Living Testimony--Professional Evangelistic Work 45

CHAPTER VI

A Shut Door--and an Open One

Sunday Thrown Upon His Own Resources by Dr. Chapman's Return to Philadelphia--Call to Garner, Iowa--"This is the Lord's Doings" 57

CHAPTER VII

Campaigning for Christ

Splendid Organization of a Sunday Campaign--Church Co-operation--The Power of Christian Publicity--District Prayer Meetings--Sunday's Army of Workers--The Sunday Tabernacle--The Evangelist's Own Compensation--Personnel of the Sunday Party 61

CHAPTER VIII

"Speech--Seasoned with Salt"

Vivid Language of the Common People--"Rubbing the Fur the Wrong Way"--"Delivering the Goods"--Shakings from the Sunday Salt-cellar 69

CHAPTER IX

Battling with Booze

An Effective Foe of the Liquor Business--"Dry" Victories Following Sunday Campaigns--"De Brewer's Big Hosses"--The Famous "Booze" Sermon--Interest in Manhood--Does the Saloon Help Business?--The Parent of Crimes--The Economic Side--Tragedies Born of Drink--More Economics--The American Mongoose--The Saloon a Coward--God's Worst Enemy--What Will a Dollar Buy?--The Gin Mill--A Chance for Manhood--Personal Liberty--The Moderate Drinker--What Booze Does to the System 80

CHAPTER X

"Give Attendance to Reading"

Sunday's Reverence for "Book Learning"--No Claim to Originality--Some Sources of His Sermons--God's Token of Love--The Sinking Ship--"What If It Had Been My Boy?"--A Dream of Heaven--The Battle with Death--"Christ or Nothing"--Calvary--The World for God--A Word Picture--The Faithful Pilot 121

CHAPTER XI

Acrobatic Preaching

Platform Gymnastics--The Athlete in the Preacher--Sunday's Sense of Humor Stronger than His Sense of Pathos--His Voice and Manner--Personal Side of Sunday 138

CHAPTER XII

"The Old-Time Religion"

Sunday's Power of Positive Conviction--His Ideas of Theology--The Need of Old-time Revival--The Gospel According to Sunday--Salvation a Personal Matter--"And He Arose and Followed Him"--At the Cross-roads--"He Died for Me" 146

CHAPTER XIII

"Hitting the Sawdust Trail"

Origin of the Phrase, "The Sawdust Trail"--Impressive Scenes as Converts by the Hundred Stream Forward--Vital Religion--Mr. Sunday's Hand--All Sorts and Conditions of People 158

CHAPTER XIV

The Service of Society

Social and Ethical Results of Sunday's Preaching--The Potent Force of the Gospel--Religion in Every-day Life--Testimony of Rev. Joseph H. Odell, D.D.--Testimony of Rev. Maitland Alexander, D.D.--The "Garage Bible Class"--Making Religion a Subject of Ordinary Conversation--Lasting Results--A Life Story 167

CHAPTER XV

Giving the Devil His Due

Sunday's Sense of the Reality of the Devil--Excoriation of the Devil--"Devil" Passages from Sermons 182

CHAPTER XVI

Critics and Criticism

Storm of Criticism a Tribute--Preaching "Christ Crucified"--Recognition from Secretary Bryan--Pilgrimage of Philadelphia Clergymen--Heaven's Messenger--Plain Speech from Sunday Himself 188

CHAPTER XVII

A Clean Man on Social Sins

Clean-mindedness of the Man--A Plain Talk to Men--Christian Character--Common Sense--No Excuse for Swearing--Family Skeletons--Nursing Bad Habits--The Leprosy of Sin--"But the Lord Looketh on the Heart"--The Joy of Religion--A Plain Talk to Women--Hospitality--Maternity Out of Fashion--The Girl Who Flirts--The Task of Womanhood 202

CHAPTER XVIII

"Help Those Women"

Sunday's Honor of Womanhood--The Sermon on "Mother"--A Mother's Watchfulness--A Mother's Bravery--Good Mothers Needed--God's Hall of Fame--A Mother's Song--A Mother's Love--A Mother's Responsibility--Mothers of Great Men 231

CHAPTER XIX

Standing on the Rock

The Old-Fashioned Loyalty of the Evangelist to the Bible--Some of His Utterances on the Bible 249

CHAPTER XX

Making a Joyful Noise

No Gloom in a Sunday Revival--The Value of a Laugh--The Value of Music--The Tabernacle Music--The Campaign Choirs--A Revival of Song 261

CHAPTER XXI

The Prophet and His Own Time

The Evangelist's Arraignment of the Sins of Today--His Treatment of the Church and Society 267

CHAPTER XXII

Those Billy Sunday Prayers

Unconventionality of the Prayers--Specimen Prayers--"Teach Us to Pray"--Learning of Christ--Pride Hinders Prayer--Praying in Secret--Praying in Humility--Men of Prayer 271

CHAPTER XXIII

The Revival on Trial

The Sea of Faces--Laboratory Tests--"The Need of Revivals"--What a Revival Does--Revival Demands Sacrifice--Persecution a Godsend 288

CHAPTER XXIV

An Army With Banners

Unique Plans for Reaching the Masses of the People--Visiting Delegations--Parade at Close of Campaign--"Spiritual Power"--Derelicts in the Church--The Meaning of Power--Church Needs Great Awakening--Lost Power 299

CHAPTER XXV

A Life Enlistment

Some Notable Instances of the Lasting Results of Sunday Revivals--"Gospel Teams"--Sermon on "Sharp-Shooters"--The Value of Personal Work--"My Father's Business"--Feeding the Spiritual Life--The Dignity of Personal Work--Five Classes of People 311

CHAPTER XXVI

"A Good Soldier of Jesus Christ"

Astounding Number of Conversions--Statistics of Campaigns in Various Cities--Sunday's "Consecration" Sermon--God's Mercies--The Living Sacrifice--A Glass of Champagne--Denying One's Self--Thinking for God--What God Asks 326

CHAPTER XXVII

A Wonderful Day at a Great University

Visit to University of Pennsylvania--"What Shall I Do With Jesus?"--"Real Manhood"--"Hot-cakes Off the Griddle"--Comment of _Old Penn_--Opinions of Students--Comment of Religious Press 343

CHAPTER XXVIII

The Christian's Daily Helper

"The Holy Spirit"--No Universal Salvation--Happiest Nation on Earth--Ambassadors of God--Holy Spirit a Person--The Last Dispensation--"Little Things"--The Fame of a Christian 359

CHAPTER XXIX

A Victorious Sermon

Conquests by the Sermon on "The Unpardonable Sin"--What It Is--Resisting the Truth--"Too Late"--Representative of the Trinity--Death-bed Confessions--A Forgiving God--Power of Revivals 370

CHAPTER XXX

Eternity! Eternity!

"What Shall the End Be?"--Men Believe in God--At the Cross--The Judgment of God--Glad Tidings to All--The Atonement of Christ--God's Word--Eternity and Space--God's Infinite Love--Preparing for Eternity--A Leap in the Dark--"The End Thereof" 383

CHAPTER XXXI

Our Long Home

"Heaven"--"I, Too, Must Die"--No Substitute for Religion--Morality Not Enough--The Way of Salvation--Rewards of Merit--A Place of Noble People--"A Place for You"--The Missing 404

CHAPTER XXXII

Glorying in the Cross

"Atonement"--Suffering for the Guilty--Jesus' Atoning Blood--No Argument Against Sin--"There is Sin"--"How Long, O God?" 424