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Graham Closes Out Harvard Stay, Thirty-One Drop Cards in Box

By David M. Gordon

The Rev. Billy Graham wound up his crusade at Harvard last night in the fullest sense of the word. Speaking to about 250 in Rindge Tech Auditorium and to about 250 in Burr B later on, Graham used a myriad of tones to induce his audience into a commitment for Christ.

During his talks, Graham spoke with soft words and with harsh threats, quoted both modern statesmen and the Scriptures, and even reasoned with his audience to lead them to choose a "life with Christ." And when he met with a smaller crowd in Burr B. Graham was a grammar school teacher speaking to his children telling them what a commitment might mean in everyday terms.

At Rindge, Graham was more harsh than soft-toned. "The Bible says God will judge the secrets and intents of our hearts," he intoned. "Jesus said: 'Except ye repent, ye shall perish,' He called for conversion. Conversion will make you free."

Graham even told his audience what it would be like to be freed. First of all, he said, a commitment "frees us from the penalty of sin. There is nothing on earth like knowing that the past is forgiven and that you won't be held in account for it. What a tremendous sense of reliet!"

"Remember," Graham said, "you're going out into a world almost on fire. Go with Christ in your heart. I'm fool enough to believe something can be done about our world. Together we can change our world. Christ started with 13 apostles. It only takes a handful; you could be that handful."

When he finally called for a commitment from his audience, Graham asked them to join him in prayer, then to fill out cards with name and address and to put them in boxes. There were two boxes, one for Harvard and one for Redcliffe. Thirty-one cards were dropped through the slots.

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