New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-04-24
THOUGHTS ON REVEALS.
LECTURE BY HENRY WARD BRHCHER

resuun the subject OF Reviyas and treating Of va
rious meth,,fs 20 be pursued.
The results at which aim In REVEALS Of religion. he
said are two-Sold first, the Immediate conversion Of
men from sehsdness and wordlneSs TO Christian aud
godly life and secondly, the eXaltaGon Of Christian
hapaeter IN the csrch higher plane, nobleF form
OF DEVELOPMENT Even n there 10 pc ingatherng
for shall consider for a moment the last hrs-from the
world 1t is oftentmes that refreshing grace CAS- Cs
called the old fashioned langage in tbs ghureh ~ pre-
emInently desirable preemtnently blessing rom Ood'
though may stop with The members OF thc Church; Tor
our power numerical but moral-t is not so much
how many members we have in the church that deter
mines it, power, it il the quality Of that which we
have. church of 20 who are eminent IN
grace and goodness 10 larger church,
If you measure size by power than achuroh ~ AOOJ
that are living very low worldly form OF life. go that
where men in the church have been living in routine
Christianity without any very active developments of
personal faith and the sweetness Of the Christian gees
It may OfteGtmes be the that revival Of religion
will be the Divine work Che church, and though many
not added the church, the church itself Is ion,
mensely strengthened It's power is augmented so that
while sometimes you shall find men ambitious of Large
roll of members gathered tho community, this is
not the most important part important as II is IL Is
still more important that in gathering in these men
those chat gather shall themselves Dc built up-shau
thu mselves he developed and made more powerful.
As 10 the other we seek in revival OF religion the in
gathering of men TO a life. / read--almOst had
said, with regret" Ye must be born again in the
Word, because my heart looks at It in such way that
feel instead OF being duty IL the greatest privilege
it wonder OF almost contravening tho order OF
nature "Ye may be born again. as II IL we're per
mission. would to me almost better rendering.
It is Imperative Ye must be-" bat after
all il comes still more sweety and not less mperatycy
% We may" II man, after he had lived IS or 90 years.
had committed such and mistakes as to be com
PEELED to retire into private life bankrupt, all
his business experience showing him how he
had wrong. ana could then have tho priv
uege OF beginning again just fresh and hopeful
as If he had never made mistake what boon that
would be- He cannot The community have learned
dstrus him He has credit, and there is no time
years old and the ordinary tenure Of life for
10 make up the lost time. The circumstances are
all against him. and he must go and probably end his
life in poverty. SO 1t is with Christian character The
community is unspeakaby lax than God, and per
mits all manner Of Drevarcations all manner OF de-
ceits all manner OF cruelties. While morally
respectable winks at them, permits indulgences IN
them, until D man goes below certain line,
and then there is nothing that has such
hons teeth as q community and II. when man
Is broken dOwu'Dy transgressOn, when be has stoeh
when he betrayed duoary trusts, when he has been
convicted Of public crime, and every man stands
against hun with ferceness, yet with cold dis
trust and with unwillingness 70 help him-f then
man could come back from Wethersheld State PRISON.
and have people say him. NOW behave yourself, and
let your future conduct be good and You can stand Hst
IA well as you did before in the community.
what grace it would bel God Is gra-
eious mercifuI slow to anger. abundant in
goodness giving niquy tran erosion, and SIN and 1t
is this one thing that mndthe possibility of
renewing the moral character Of men The great point
Of doubt has been whether is possible 70 renew moral
character suddenly whether 1t DO done by ai1aus
No. it cannot That Is, character is thing that grows
slowly; but the beginnings Of 1t can be established the
foundations of be read Of elements which 80 to
establish character on a new basis very suddenly. A
gambler may cease in a moment 90 gamble aud never
touch again the instrument Of deceit drunkard may
In one single moment come TO purpose by which he
shall never again touch fatal cup. The effects OF his
past mi sconduct will pass y at once Dut the man
has made stand that viii affect his whole character
lis the knowledge OF this that inspires us 20 work in
reviyals OF religion. Men may be changed. We do not
get up, therefore, 1ous enthusiasm IN socal IOIh
simply enjoy ourselves and 20 eXaC the feeug OF the
erated Won can develop In wicked OF lie
when il would seem difficult develop under any
rience and observation, and not OF theory.
The first question we would naturally come 70 IN treat
of affairs begin with the church, or shall lac begin with
the community, in working Tor revival OF resl9h "
that cOursetO refuse 10 one single word 20 sinners
until he had dealt with the church dc usually called
them together, set their sins in order before their
eyes. and demanded Of them certain explAtOry
experiences, and when he had got the church
other sinners and opened the doors or hope ana grace
for them don't say tIat sLat u noS PiUpi ,i ~,
the theory that IL is 20 expect that anything can
ba d0ne vim men out OF the church when the stun
DIinShIo"k Of the church lies right in their way.
Others have pursued "a directly opposite course, anu
c baTn FIRST no deal with the CONGREGATION at large.
am MOT here % crtcise these but this there
m M detefnine circumstance In my ministry
how der
outside al sinners together ana WeIAeu lOr
tLe Whole buneh taxing them all together. l. is true
tbat united church brought INTO high spiritual state
viii have a very powerful moral influence upon me
world outside: but Is just that one single con
version outside Will be Jrumpet-cal that VIII WaAe up
As 70 the means that are 10 be employed 70 develop
revival In the church, first and foremost mention
preaching, and In order 10 TINS comes your own
sts OF mind think that almost always man mas IN
bis own heart the prophecy OF these things. 1 nave
found IN my own ministry when my heaft WIS reauy
for this work Of God, somehow had u brought 70 me
under conditions in which felt courage and ze2 ana
purpose an Intensity that showed Was-Well, L come
TO feel as going ~ sueceed-not Du1 the grace
Mr. Beecher alluded incidentally this point TO the
necessity OF humbng yourself before God, IN the toi-
lowing vigorous phrases beseech OF % avoid that
KIND OF crawling that prosraton THAI taxes the man
have a man crawl before him like worm. don't tmnk
be is any pleased that than you would oe 70
see your children act So have htte dOS At 1ne m
that when come home Is so exceedlngy SaI thp
lies down and sqlrins ana Tolls over Oh as 10 atbon~5
1 want 10 Kick MN Inat SAINT uo-, sA''a -
he rs so affectiOnate, will steal chickens NOW, dog
"A
me as hiuk that II they hulnDie themselves De
fore God and all manner Of scrOucnlIg thlugs lnat
will liz them for the There no maliness N lls
No doubt they enough 10 confess out God wanseh
TO come TO Him though they were hls sons. M.
Beecher then continued saying Jnat the great elements
10 DO secured III reylVais OF religion were the resOD' the
moral influence, the moral sense OF Voh-
science and the Imagination OF men, Tor tlGy
work more by imagination than Is supposed. he
characterized The instruments 10 De employed IN 'Ao
work OF reviyals preaching, the multiplication Oh
meetings and prayer meetings, protracted meetings,
calling upon persons to address me meeting, al4Ons
seats, inquiry meetings, camp meetings, which, now
ever belonged, IL would rather 10 past time ana
10 new countries and nnaly the work OF eVangeists
or reylvass who should De selected with extraordinary