Invitation
Illustration★★★★Society for, A gentleman residing in one of our cities was deeply impressed and grieved by seeing multitudes who neglected public worship, and he determined to make the effort to induce some of the Sabbath-breakers to frequent the house of God. It required some little effort at first, but he overcame his timidity.
The Lord’s day evening he went forth with his holy purpose, and, meeting a young man who did not appear to be on his way to a place of worship, he respectfully addressed him, got into conversation with him, and persuaded the stranger to accompany him to worship, and as an inducement offered him a seat in his own pew. Succeeding in this, he was emboldened and encouraged to proceed in the line of Christian activity and usefulness. And now mark with what a blessed result.
He was the means of leading one hundred young men to become stated attendants at the sanctuary, many of whom have been truly converted to God. A minister of the gospel mentioned this at one of his prayermeetings, when the idea was caught up by some persons present, who at once said, ‘“‘ How admirable a plan this is for doing good!”
A little association was immediately formed, called “The Invitation Society.” In sixteen months two hundred persons were persuaded by eight or ten of its agents no longer to forsake the assembling of themselves together in the house of prayer. One of these agents, an earnest Christian in humble life, devoted himself to this work, and was the means of bringing forty to hear the word of life. J.
A. Adams,
J. A. Adams.
The point
A shy man overcame his timidity to invite strangers to worship, and his effort grew into a society that led hundreds of young men to regular church attendance and conversion.