Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1840-02-03

GREAT REVIVAL AT THE PREspYrERIAN CHURCH
IN MERCER SrREEr-THE PRE ACHING oil THE REV.
Mr.. KIRK, fEsrERDAy.-The Presbyterans of this
city have Tor some time past been endeav oring ri
val the Methodists and the other in the
fervor and vividity of their reyvals and in the en-
thusasc zeal of the beaur ser who do so much good
the love feasts of the followers of Whitefed and
Wesley. contest has thus sprang up which may
generate hot spirit of rivalry between the two
sects The ladies, of course are deeply interested
in the result and for time past the mos lovely
as well as the most intellectual women about town
have been exerting themselves behalf of the Sc
veral conycntcles TO which they happen to be at
tached. Those belonging to DR.. SINNERS church
in Mercer street, had heard much of the learning
talents, fine person, zeal good manners religious
thusasm, and eloquent preaching, Of the Rev. Mr..
Kirk, who lately created such an immense sensation
among the fair fashionabes well the stad deni-
ofthe city of brohery love and they according
ly invited him to this city, for the purpose of
bringing about revival which should lead to the glo
rifcation of the Lord. The Reverend Gentleman of
course, consented, and yesterday was appointed for
his debut At early hour, the beautifnliGothic
edce, in Mercer street, was the centre OF attrac-
ton all the young and intellectual religious ladies
of the city. Drest in {" silken sheen" and 8 be-
decked with ewls rare" they could be seem before
pews, where personal comfort and their own bright
beautiful forms could be best consulted, whilst, at
the same time, their eyes and could be within
reach of the charmer, who, that OCCASION was
to be
"The observed of all observers"
The Rev. Mr. Kirk has travelled extensively in
Europe-visted England, France, Germany, Swift
zerland, and the Netherlands. He is about thirty
five years of age, ieee above the middle height of
plain manners, and aims to charm by alarming the
tmid rather than convincing the proud He preach
ed few times in London, and for a whole in
Paris, where he created great sensation among the
Protestant members of the haut ton. He possesses
good memory, with happy expression OF face, and
q tolerable voice, but he is eloquent, in the
mon acceptatons of the term. He makes no brilliant
periods, and his defamation is rather designed to
electrify by the bodness of the denuncia than
draw his hearers to his opinion by the beauty of
his dicton the poetcal language with which he
illustrates bis ideas, and clothes his thoughts. To
our mind his eXh0rtations appeared rather affected
than real and we thought that, at the time when he
appeared most earnest in his endeavors to convince
his congregation of the terrible punishment of the
damned that he himself did not believe Jot OF the
doctrine he was preaching SO much for the Rev
MIR. Kirk and has manner-now Tor his DISCOURSE
The text was taken from OF the most expressive
and poetcal ofthe Book of Psalms When he max
eth an nquistion of blood, he remembereth therein
all your sins" nc.
sFThs psalm" said the orator, Hwas composed
when the sons of Israel were suffering under the
terrible tyranny of the Philistines. When that
God, whose law they had greatly offended, had de-
termined TO come out of his hiding place. and to
make an inqusiton Of blood as an atonement for the
manifold sins of those who had offended him
1.-The idea of retributive punishments," said Mr.
X. is becoming questionable. 1t is the corner
stone of all the iniidety with which the scoflers /
and the sceptcs have deluged the land; but am on
my way 10 Justice saith the Lord, and certainly not
one who hath caused the destruction OF a human
soul shall escape me-" +" know that il is painful .
10 mention the words hell and damnation TO po-
lite but | say that the preacher who assumes the /
holy office, and negects the painful duties which
thereby has devolved upon him, is guilty of i'm
fraction of the law and has caused the murder Of a
human soul, for which one day other he shall be
held accountable. Our duty here is painful one, /
and beset with thorns II Is 10 warn you of the guph
which you stand, and To do this in the soft
st voice, and with the ducet notes with which
Their would lull her sleepy iniantl No. We must /
do il with stentorian power. We must alarm You
for your safety warn you OF the precipiee winch
you stand and declare To your afirghted vision the
near approach of the fell destroyer This is the
preliminary essay To the subject of my discourse.
Every adj yancemcnt, continued the preacher.
" into civilization, calls for fresh provision for the
defence Of personal rights" Every body has
rights, and all those rights must be defined by the
constitution under which they live" lie then went
to draw parallel betweenthe civil and religious
governments of a civilized people, and those laws
which he assumed had been handed down by Jeho-
yah, for the government of the descendants Of .
Adam. In doing this he displayed considerable inge
nuity and made IL appear that the punishment of hell
names iOliOW the system OF TINS lc. De-
cause no government could exist earth without /
the ability enforce those laws which the goDoTn
ed had resolved ON, either BY their own votes or
those Of their representatives"
In illustrating this theory he said Z" the go
vcrn wCnt of heaven merely peculiar mo-
Obligation of some Of the governments carth.'-
Whether IL was monarchy or republic, he did
not say; or whether the locofocos or the wings had
majority there he did not inform us.
lie then adycrted to the case Of Cain, when God
came in person 10 arrest the murderer, and said %
him, " The voice of thy brothers blood cryeth 10
from the ground, and I have arrayed in
the robes of justice, to searchfOr his murderer and
make IA inqusition Of blood From this early in
stence in biblical history. he made sudden leap
to the fall Of Jerusalem under the conquering ban
ners of the Roman army, depicted by JosePhus.
The suffering Of the jews, nj that day, he laid,
proved that God did occasionally make an inqui-
sition Of blood and when the fiat went forth, no
one could tell where the aycnging sword would be
stayed"
" II is not" said the preacher, 4" that this nquis
ton NAV be made because soul has been lost, but il
viii come upon you IL you prevent one from being
saved God, said he. " has created this world Tor
the theatre Of his glory. and other creature but
can him. trace the ethereal finger of the
Deity moves amid the brightness Of eternalspace
God made for himself and he said, am jealous
God But man must needs magnify his own import
ance, aud take II upon himself to say how far Gods
laws must be obeyed and to inquire how far the in
functions of the Most High suit his petty convc-
nicnccs and tastes.
The Reverend gentleman then divcrged 60 another
division Of his discourse. and made IL appear that
man would be held accountable for his emitting to
make converts, well as for any backslidings which
he might suffer himself or induce others TO fall into