New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-03-15

DIR. BELLOU-S on THE REVIVAL.

IN. bhLLOb CAN LEi6 tx
-
DIR. Bell ows's Church Cnitsrianl was crowded laA
evening. having been announced on Saturday thst
he would speak on the revival Dr. Bellows read the
very liberal fourteenth chapter Of Romans, and ia has
Introductory prayer blessed God that seets had forgot
their ferepces in their pesent meetings for prayer.
He preach ed from John XII. % He ead he woxh
first examine the relation OF TIE miraculous 10 the
natural The text furnished an instance IN which 4
was net easy TO determine whether the voice OF n
al gel was mistaken for thunder or thunder tor the
voice Of an angel the probabilities must be in favor
of the latter. lie cited the effect Of the telegraph asd
seambc at upon saysges as instances Of the difficulty
of ds,ine uishing between the natural and the super
natural Still il was idle TO say that miracles were
impossible. The rational mird only asked that the
occasion should be worthy OF suspension 1.-The laws
of nature Miracles being then actual and possible.
though most rare we could see how much more pos
sbe would be limitations OF miracles here IN tne
te.t was an instance of the tendency ct the human
i'm soiuston 10 make miracle out OF natural occur
renee The natural powers Of CHRIST were such a. 70
render his sctiop almost preternaiuTa. no nimsest
held them OF value except AS proofs OF hs divine
uissiop Dr. Bellows supposed that Christ knew q
little Of the mode IN which they were Pet,ormea Nwe
did II was not forthis that We veneraed MIN, but t1
his grand neral inspiration, bis opepne'S spntus
renepce-a susceptibility shared by the good IN
I'll noes The miracle CT the multiplication OF tho
S 90 .rd fshas was far less lesson Of diyini-
~ than the yearly multiplication of the gfaos o.
wheat and the spawning OF the usnss. We sousa
never 30 Justice TO life until We recognized It, mme-
dis,e spiritual basis. We rested ON God he ws
ALWAYS waiting to be gracious anf whispering
words of joy to our heats. lie spoke sometmes
in nature in mountain or dew-dropi scme-
times by humanity, by beautiful womanhocd o.
touching childhood; sometimes through our Goa
science. DR.. Bellows did not desire to dspsrsgs
the extraordinary because ,, wss 40. sIo o-
am extraoroiiary religious excitement IN tho GUY
especially evident by the fact that the secular
pres gave so , much SSSs 70 osstS s%'' with
= meek seriousness that was most offensive,
we might be cure that the press anew TOO wee
what was interesting to its readers, " MAKE tae
mistake of dwelling upontopics when were
He could not sympathize with those who thought tns
excienaent unw,se. lie did not Think tnar gree, H
was likely TO ensue from this special excitement. SONG
said that this would be followed by an apathy OF reac
ton; but although 1t was tue that apathy wouie
follow upon excitement, II was equally True tnet
tbis excitement had grown out of previous apathy.
None could deny that healthy religion was moro
desirable; but when We had one extrems,
we must look for the other Many weuis'
ak II this were not moral ST. Vp1s ahce-a sor, Of
nervous influence. There eoul ne no doubt that there
was strong nervous pD1,uence; but who made our
nerves? When he say boarding school afflicted With
nervous dlseasr instead of snying with the doctor
that they Heod toncs and dispersion, he fet tha' TINS
.N7'otlVbNi WHICH somewhere n61
an honest ahd wholesome place in the order OF things.
a.. So he could not object If thrills hap
rened to be struck while people we're under religious
excitement. Nor could he object TO the machinery u
the revival, so long as It was not concealed, dishonest
and not overworked. The ministry, the babb lih,
public worship, all were machinery, and al could
be properly increased at special times. wa
had political reyiyals; why not religious, slsof
Thougnaul spd Instructed natures would not Geek,
would lot peed the Influence OF these excitemens in
politics OF religion. OF course, when the nervous
sympathy was gone. those who had felt nothing ess
would relapse but some would DO led by their peryous
excitement into moral awakening, which would net
die out with the excitement. Of camPmeetng con.
versions. rot one in hundred effected any useful
change OF character But under the moderate excite,
NEXT of this revival he supposed that the permanent
changes of heart would be considerably greater II would
beexacy proportion to the culture ofthe personscon
verted Contrast the FreeSol excitement Of lS48 with
the excitement in the Harrison campaign, where the
only thing gained was a very bad bankrupt Law.
There wac coed and bad excitement, and the good
excitement, though many who were prominent IN Il
bad gone over TO the enemy, had been productive Of
great permanent good while of the bad nothing w2
left. The present excitement was good. He thought
it natural reaction from the previous spathy-a
assertion Of the place which piety occupies In tho
normal man. II in this excitement Cnitsrians did
not participate, It was because they bad not
participated in the precedent apsthy, because
their regular ordinary religious feeling was NOT -
weak to render such stimulus Necessary The habit
us application Of unexcited conscience TO dsly affairs
was Tar greater evidence OF felRop tndn Tue uoeS
intense religious excitement. wise word might have
great effect upon boy, but 1t would not do to rely
upon one word for the boys education. Religious
like all other knowledge, could not be
gained by temporary excitement, however strong:
Every man, Of course had crises In biz SPIRITUAL
growth but they did not amount 70 what was me ant ny
conversion. With proper religious training Of chill
dren continued through life he saw no reason for tho
Lecersty for conversion. He supposed that hardly
Sabbath passed in church where some soul did not
fr the first time feel It's harmony with the Divine.
But the truest examples Of this were the quietest Il
was easy for theory Of conversion TO work itsef into
sctuality; the spntualistic delusion example
Of that. with true and truly evangelical teaching
of religion there could be such thing these fresh.
sts feeling. The great harvest now ingstherng wass
,ad commentary upon the efficiency Of past feapeu
He would not undenate the work Of emotion; but IL
could not do Times great and solemn work
Jud not form habits or even break their power.
he dTUnkafd who reformed had nevertheless drunk
aids body ard q dIuDkards soul; and 90 the hard
eted sinner who suddenly became converted could
cot GLANCE his nature at once. This revival we must
cleo me az we did violent thunderstorns after long
and moderate rains, but still better than no raa.
There was none too much religion about thus
He believed that the irrehg1on OF the 20
called gous OF the CITY was in no small degree re-
Dol sble for the inmoralties prevaens ihls move
uept xss An 1euressble Outburst OF the Popt-up re-
oious feeling Wild had found no HE IN the faulty
tbeoloov and the dead Teachings Of those who should
a. Zen its religious teachers. Let the Cnhansas
Gid at TO what good, look down from the serene
L;cL,s OF their moral underground upon this and
e,ci,euepts ard envy not the methods OF increasing
be- church which their fathers had long since over
lyed.