The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1858-03-18

sion" So speaks the outside world rs
she looks gravely, sadly, not scofing ly,
on the spectacle of thronging churches
and opening prayer-meetlngs, ---and her
demand is just.
There is something in q right name.
The term ''revival" seems BY general con-
sent to have been adopted ipto our Ian
guagc as expressive Of these seasons; but
we should much prefer term formerly
much employed among certain religious
Observation-Disclosures" Instead
Of the great rcuioot Of 1893, we should
be happy to read the 9regt reformation
If 1888.
Many worldly people, aad SONG very
Christian people, havea prejudice against
anything ike pcriodicity ln religious im-
pulse. They dislike revigals. Why
Should the Divine One, who is always
lQye, say they, be copsidereq as operating
imp9lsiyely and periodically Gp the hp-
man soQi, sometimes shining and s9me-
tnnGs withdrawing? Il is urged further
more, that the expectation Of suph sea-
sons becomes in the eud motive for
sloth and inactiop ard neglect qf an
even and constant culture Of tbs reiisious
nature.
All this may haye soma truth in 1t !;
but, Eeyeptheieas. it is fact that reIig-
ious impulses, Ike all other impulses,
have always GQWG over the world in waves.
To begin With the day of Pentecost, iii
which three thousand were converted in
one day, we find all along the line of the
History Of the Church that there were
seasons when religious impulses were
more than usually fervent, aud religious
iabors successful.
There were reviyals under the preach
ing Of Augustine and Chrysostom; and
the great force of the Reformation was
not merely politica! or intellectual, but it
was the deep uphcaving Of the religious
4lcment, bringing all other reforms in its
train. The Ret1rmation ras re1jvui
2f rc}igion. The revivals in England
under the Wesleys and Whitfield inau-
curatea now era there, which is felt to-
day in the power Of the dissenting ele-
ment and the improved state of things in
the Established Church. The preaching
Of tho We>leys, the Fletohers, and OF
Whitfell, to the colliers aud eottars of
England, was the first movement for the
general religious instruction of the mass
eS, and led the way to the multiplied la
bors of that kind with which England
now ab1unds. 1t is a noticelble fact in
all these cases, that they were followed
by political and moral reforms the
work proved itself divine by its bcnGieent
results. This is a fair test. "Ile that is
of God, doeth the works of God;" and by
this test should every so-called revival be
Judged. Revivals which make men bet
ter, and bless society, have been and may
be realities. But the rule is without ex-
ception, that every trul y valuable thing
has its counterfeit. When we read OF
great reYivals, where the Christian con
verts claim as sacred right the privilege
of selling the members of Christ for mon
ey; whore they defend the breaking OF
the marriage covenant at the will Of the
MASTER and take away from the colored
member the right of testimony, and are
so lost to all moral sense as to see no harm
in any Of these things, we hold that that
revival has been spurious and counter
felt. SO also as to Northern churches,
which for reagons Of expediency, and to
carry ends Of ecclesiastical politics, have
refused to testify against these sins, we
hold that a revival Of religion that brings
no repentance and reformation is false
and spurious,
We believe in no raptures, in no exta-
cies, in no experiences that do not bring
the soul into communion with Him who
declared He came to set at liberty them
that are bound and bruised ReviyalS Of
religion have not been confined to Chris
tian countries. Old heathenism had
them. Popish Rome has them. Mod
crn heathenism has them. One and all
Of these have had turns of unusual fcryor
in their way. One and all have had their
frances, Examinations, and mysterious ecs
tacies. But those only are Christian re-
vivals which maka men like Christ; or,
if they DO not make them like Him, at
lesat set them on the road of trying to be
like Him. We say, therefore, to our
friends, that the period of great relig-
ious impulse has come; that there will be
revivals all oyer the land, either false or
true-either of Christian or heather
type; and by their fruits shall ye know
them. We are glad to hear that some Of
the most effective revival preachers con-
fine their attention very much to preach
ing to the church, We are glad to hear
that. 1t is quite necessary that those
who profess to be the cxpopepts of relig-
ion before the community, should have
some deeper and higher ideas of what ro=
ligion is.
So that when they 90 forth with the
Apostolic message, Repent and be con-
verted every one Of you," they need not