The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-08

Agreat many churches In this city have had and
are still having meetings every evening in the
week. and some have two and even three sessions
day. This work is going on very quietly. but It's
results are certainly very satisfactory. The Bap-
fists OF Brooklyn show record OF ZIG. who in Feb
! ruary were received by immersion, while those OF
Boston nave list OF l43 for the same period linear
that In nearly every Methodist church in New YORK
protracted meetings are held. These people are
always hard at work. They begin ut sunrise and
end some where near midnight, and then unw-
morning and walking two miles TO prayer meeting
/ When man does that you may rest assured he Is
greatly concerned either about his own soul or
about some ones else. 1t Is one thing to doze
until nine, then lazily dress ones self and sit down
to divine service by span OF blood horses, and
quite another thing TO get up In the cold gray
freezing point, and then, without one's Mocha, to
trudge mile or TWO with the hope OF getting
p Still, with ali the good which they undoubtedly
accomplish, can never quite get used to an old
fashioned Methodist prayer meeting l attended
lie. The people worked themselves, by slow and
regularly graduated degrees, into q kind OF
ecstasy losing control Of themselves at times andl
pressed with the consciousness that great deal of
machinery was being used. AS the electrician
sends at first very gentle current through YOU,
increasing 1t by mechanical means until you feel
as though you were being struck by lightning, so
began their work in the ordinary tone Of voice and
gradually increased the pitch and force,
ACCOMMODATING Lucm WIN Wild Still
wilder gesicnlations, until the congregation was
emotionally beside itself and ready for any
thing. doubt very seriously whether this stale
Of mind leaves good spiritual effect behind.
don't much believe In pumping religion into peo-
pie, or rouslng them 80 much beyond the ordinary
level OF excitement that reaction is sure to en-
sue. Reactions are bad, and, like the undertow OF
the sea, sometimes sweep away more sand than
SeuaRt that the Holy spirit acts most as eectVsy
when a man Is calm and thOughtfuly quiet aud I
am inclined to believe that the more noise man
nnEo "a no NOT 10
religion that makes man sell unadulterated cOf-
fee and sugar can't Judge of what he really is
how much religion he has the moment open
bargain with him. Less noise and more honesty
necessary when q man has a great deal ro confess
but when one is honest In his dealings he can tell
the whole story In q i've minute prayer.
There are two classes OF men l always avoid
First, those who pray twenty minutes, because IL
man IS 80 bad that he requires that length OF time
TO run over the catalogue OF his daily misdeeds
do not want to trade With him second, those who
profess to be perfect and who run the rounds of
sin and boastng that for ten or fifteen years they
have done no wrong. II the statement Is untrue,
then want little TO do with man who Is self
deceived or else hypOcrlte, and II the statement
Is true. then am consumed with wonder that he
should have been overlooked In the death list, Tor
have been translated long ago. These citizens OF
the New Jerusalem who still roam the earth are
sorry companions. and are sometimes respectfully
shrewd at a bargain.
One or two very interesting questions have
arisen rom the meetings referred to- 1t has been
pretty well settled that the pastor OF church. as
soclated perhaps with his brethren in the neigh
bornood, Is the right and the only man to begin
and to conduct revival in his own congregation.
Evangetsts, who make 1t a business to WorK up
religious interest, VINO go from church to church,
carrying their patented machinery with them are,
they ought TO be- dead failure. There Is some
thing exceedingly repusive to me IN the idea Of
importing man who expects to use sort Of mill
tary strategy to flank and capture the enemy. Every
minister knows his his own people best and each
Sundays sermon has for its end the awakening OF
religious interest The preacher Is watchiul OF the
enect OF his words, and whenever he finds an I'M
usual thoughtfulness on the part Of his congrega-
ton he increases the number OF his meetings. lie
talks with the doubling, cheers the respondent,
and makes such plain and simple exposition OF
Scripture that men deliberately and knowingly
and prayerfully accept the new light and the new
lie. Such conversions hold last. Men and women
VINO enter the Church in this way are like vessels
tide Or cSrrent can the or the
hawser. But 10 say TO ones sell, 'Now, III get up
revival" as one would get up tea party and to
put the whole matter into the hands of an evan
gelist, as one puts the tea party into the hands
OF q caterer, VINO is to furnish dishes and
uas%sn mocker, ' Sena al the eVsngssts
home, and do the work yourself IS the better way
man can do in his pulpit what he cannot do; and
1t demOralizes the congregation to feel that when
lever any real religious interest Is to be awakened
their own minister Is unequal TO the work.
There is one other matter OF which wish to
speak In this connection, and which deserves the
are made up OF men and women who are intensely
human, even after they become Christian there
acter, among them, as to the numbers received.
large membership always indicates strength.
Now q reception by letter Is nothing particular
to boast Of, since 1t is simply transfer
rom one church to another, and does not indicate
any increase IN the great catalogue OF member
hahd is something to be proud or since 1t md
Gates conversion from the ranks or the world to
those of the Lord. have heard of one or two in
stances when a little clerical sharp practice has
given the community wrong impression We
read OF large number having been received by
profession, and, on investigation, find that too
great proportion OF that number consists OF per-
sons who are already members OF other churches,
who have been persuaded to ignore that fact and
to enter the new Church as though they had
been converted recently. This is unworthy of
any minister. 1t is a KIND OF spiritual buncombe,
exact truth in the church II we never do IL else.
where. TO create a sensation by prevarication is,
at least, very questionable. TO give the impress.
SION that you are gathering in from the world,
when you are simply sweeping out neighboring
courtesy TO ones brother minister's as well as an
equyocaton Let 1t be stopped, say L; and II 1t Is
persisted in give us the names OF those who in.
dulge in such questionable practices.
May the good work 60 on. We cannot have too
great revival of the right kind CLIMAX.
The Jesuit Mission ut St. CecfIia,s
Church-The Church Crowded Day and
Night-PrOgramme for This Week.
The citizens OF the upper part OF the city are
hooking in great crowds to the day and evening
services Of the mission given by the Jesuit Fathers
at st. Cecilia's (Roman Cathoc) church, corner OF
1o5th street and Second avenue. Rev. Father
Flattery, the energetic pastor OF st. Ceclias, has
done good work for the Catholics OF Harlem in
procuring the services Of the Jesuits at this mis-
sion. Father Damen's powerful discourses have
already worked immense benefits. Several nom
Catholics have been admitted into the IOld of this
church since the commencement OF the mission
Thousands have received the blessed sacrament at
the daily services. All day long and far into the
hearing confessions. The programme OF exer-
cises for to-day and part OF this week Is as FOL
lOws:-At hal-past ten O'Clock mass to-day Father
Damen breaches on the "Prodlgal Son. He also
breaches at vespers at three O'Clock. On Monday
evening he preacnes on "The Real Presence" and
on subjects OF popular controversy. There will be
confirmation Tor children and adults on Wednes-