The Washington union., 1858-03-28
Observation-Disclosures.
cosrl.sD ios ss rH. wsssfsoros rsios.

H.
The dge iaseau,g Of religious excitement nov weep
ing in afood tide this nation Justly styled one OF
the most remarkable movements since the reformation
From every hamlet and village aud town from the for
ests OF Maine the crowded city ports the manufacturing
towns, the new cities of the West from the villages OF
the Southwest and from the mines and mountains
of California we have constant reports OF the profound
religious feeling and interest OF the people this great
subject Travellers relate that and steamboats,,
in banks and markets. everywhere through the interior,
this matter rs an absorbing topic Churches are crowded
bank directors rooms become oratories school houses
turned into chapes converts numbered by the
scores OF thousands embracing all classes and conditions
Whatever may be the essential character such
ment it demands now from the extent and the depth of
s workings throughout the nation respectful treat
ment The truth is that in the various absorbing employ
mepts OF such life prevails in this country forget
what man really is We people sunk in business,
lost in the plots of politics, enjoying society here and
there and they utterly matter fact and worldly,
and given up to having good time while they live, and
very much forgetful Of everything else so whole
nation appears to foreign travellers Yet it is not 1T
all. The dry sharp man who meets you change, or
talks politics eagerly in the morning car very posi-
bly, fighting within hmsefa struggle to which all the
strifs of business and politics chds play. We do
not know mcnea each man sometimes becomesaware what
it is to live. The tremendous problems of existence
sin, character salvation then and press earuily
upon him, and drive out for period every other inter
est II il most impressive 10 think that this great
land tens aud kfties OF thousands Of and
putting to themselves this time in a simple, serious
the greatest question that ever before the hu
man mind, .'What shall do TO I've saved from sin p
Canmtie~ have come upon the people and have taught
how unreliable mere material good must be that fray
be occasional OF this general feeling but the
secret cause is individual it is in the stirring of the in
divdual consciousness in and women, however awk
ward which reveals 70 them their weakness in the pres
Of the strong trials and Of the armed temptations of
| life.
Religious Meetings. are held everywhere in theatres, in
churches in counting houses in the forests the far West
in the OF the eastern cities and allare well
attended No dt,bt the number of hopeful conversions
might be- reckoned by housitid-, including many who
have hitherto been regarded hotel&t1S abandoned
The OF few such have been most notorious IN the
annals of the 'sage ''ring of necessity obtain
prominence but as general thing the work proceeds
| quietly and the result will never be fully dvulged be-
fore the day of final account This religious movement is
characterized by features which give it the impress OF
Divine origin, and to ascrbe it to human agency is lit
tie short of baspbemy On many former occasions, great
clerical demonstrations have been made and all the
crtions put forth which usually resorted to for the
purpose of awakening public attention but with little
effect when the false prophets cried all day long Baa
| hear us Now, astonshed than the
clergy themselves when the fire Is to descend and
consume the sacrifice.
Tie Largra AsstnJage meets daily at Jayne Hall Pha-
dephia, where three thousand souls at once,
week day after another at its busiest o bux together
before God in prayer ior the revival Of his work Minis
tiers and people, men and women, of all denominations,
all welcome all gather. THERE'S no noise
confusion. laynlan conducts the meeting. Any sua-
bic person may pray speak 10 the audience for five
minutes only IT he do not bring his prayer remarks
to close in that time, bell Is touched and he gives way
One or two verses of the most spiritual hymns 80 up
like the sound of many waters requests for prayer
for individuals sometimes read la ynan hIiis-
ter succeeds another, lii perfect order ahd quiet, and
after space which seeis few minutes, strange,
absorbing, interesting Is the stefc the leader
ces that 1t Is oe clock, and punct,al to tile moment
minister pronounces the bcnedicon aud the i'm mensc
audience, slowly quietly in perfect order from the
hail. some ministers remaining to converse in small
room off the platform, with any who may desire private
conversation or instruction. No man there, man,
perhaps living dead has ever stf stythinglk it, On
the day Of Penccost Peter preached Luther preached rd
Livingston Wesley, and Whitcteld and the Of fire of
the great Western Revival of 1901 Great spiritual
mcnts have been usually identified with eloquent
voice. But name, except the name that is above
every name, is identified with this meeting. The
mcnt not clerical. In New York the meetings
ided III different churches and at the principal
place OF assctblage there three meetings at
All attempts to clfhge the form OF the asselnlagG at
Jaynes Hall are silently ,Iis,pprovtd There hot
few who say the meeting is too large that we cannot
hear with perfect dsnccss that there might be Confu-
sion But the people gather together like mighty spring
flood, and judgment is that they had better not be
disturbed As long three thousand souls wish to infect
and look into each others faces and pray TO God let
them meet The Spirit who has brought them together
| is not spirit Of confusion
The Secular Press has provoda powerful auxiliary to
the spread Of this revival and nearly every paper
extensive list Of exchanges has something say
its favor Column after column Is devoted to the record
os religious experiences and revival intelligence is made
much "a feature financial of political news This
is quite unprecedented and shows the extended useful
OF the press of late years. Certainly was re-
gieus propagandism thoroughly carried out Printed
hymns tracts pacarts everywhere remind the nattcn-
tive of their duties Girls and young visit families
by the block, giving them tracts, urging them to repent
offering them free seats in the neghboring church. and
taking an inventory spiritual Of the number
and conditiopof the households Altogether the revival
may be pronounced the most striking phenomenon of the
day.
The E,cyooas Of the strictest class decidedly op.
posed to the revival spirit and their organ the New
York Churchman, dcnounces the meetings held in that
city Is only calculated to foster excitement After
giving the remarks of young manat Burons theatre
it 'fhs not the way pursued, according to the
accounts read in Holy Scripture of the of
sinners in the times of Saviour His Apostles We
read, lh instance, that when the publican became
vinced, did the young who thus in theatre and
before excited crowd stood up to declare that few
young men had sinned more than he had he went not
to the play house but 10 the temple, to pray. Two
went up into the temple to pray, the words of
the divine record, the phariscc and the other
publican ; and, the account continues, the publican
standing aiar off, would not lift up much as his
eyes unto Heaven but smotc upon his bienst saying,
! God bs nacrciful unto sinner. He did not
do this TO be Of men, do modern 'revi-
vass but he sought God in His holy temple, and there
in the solemn quiet and sacred repcss of that holy place.
Of none probably, God only standing afar off
from the pharisee who had gone there also made
hearty and confession Of his SIN aud besought the
Divine mercy and pardon sinner And it because
this great revival asit is with little reason,
cannot but fear boasted to be, il manfcsting itself in
7 contrary o pnvthinp of VIII have