The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-02
LYRIC HALL,

Raps at Religious Revivais and kevi-
vaitsts--PhilosoPhy of Piety and Pam
fcs-Sermon by Rev. o. Il. Frothing-
ham.
The revival OF religion was the subject Of Mr..
Frotninghams discourse yesterday morning These
spiritual COMMISSIONS he began, always follow very
closely on the heels OF commercial disaster be-
cause such disaster throws many men out
OF employment and reduces so many to poverty.
War is certainly worse than commercial disaster,
because 1t brings greater misery. And YET war is
not followed by spiritual COMMISSIONS, because war,
instead of throwing men out OF employment, hnds
work for all. 1t kndles the flame of combat in
them, and even in defeat the passion OF rage is
their consoler. War nerves men commercial dis
aster unnerves them. War shows men what they
can do; out a commercial disaster shows them
what they cannot DO. Therefore
COMMISSIONS OF RELIGION
follow hard alter panic. and not The very
word 'revval' is suggestive Things that are re-
vived are supposed to have existed once. In the
fourteenth and fifteenth centuries there came the
revival OF letters, as IL Is called. The Greek mind
seemed TO be obsolete. Men were thinking OF saw
ing their souls and OF otner things. People were
not aware that there had been living mind. This
mind snone through The dismal sermons and
ghastly songs They saw tue orators, poets ana
dramstists, and the INTELLECTUAL world was re.
vlved. Ii was elt all over Europe; IL was spon-
saneous II came Ike spring alter winter. There
u
epeclaI SCHOOLS OF poetry. ana revival OF PHI
losophy or SPECIAL phases OF philosophy. The relig
10us sentiment is deafness sentlment--wben
6ometung IKE nope, trust. and desire for some
thing outside themselves, makes them hunger for
perfection or for the ideal. But certainly We can
not foresee the time when this Is coming. A thou
SAND things VIII trample II down in the dust: put
sooner or later II viii show Itself again and break
the soil. 1t viii show itself hrst IN thirst alter
good things in respect Tor character In reverence
Tor pure principles, in generosity and in devotion
10 the grand concerns OF lite 1t Will also snow
a Of
and in reverence Tor The Infinite love. TINS VIII
NATURAL REVIVAL OF RELIGION
1t win come without any machinery without ropes
or pulleys 1t Is sweet and beautiful. and may
come tomorrow. This Is not what people gen
orally mean when they speak OF reylylng religion.
What they wish 20 revive, then, is something pc
cular. IL is not Joyousness Oi nature. IL IL
something grated upon the man--sopethlng alto.
gether by Itself. Religion, as commonly consid-
cred rests on TWO conditions, Il assumes two
truths The first is the belief In the sinfulness OF
human nature; the second, that through the
efforts OF Christ that sniulness can be washed
away. FIRST the convection that you are sinner
anu second, that through the grace Of Christ you
are saved. Are they artificial beiefs and
chanicai efforts OF Of S he peopjeq Tue Ia m
1aith ID the stniulness Of human nature and the
need o. sayauon natural faith Man IL a sinner
ana ne nsecs tne salvation which Is offered. The /
winter may be long, weary and cold the furious |
blasts may ol3w: Look abroad upon the earth
there ~ no coiof, III IL all darkness and tempest.
But by and by, when the hard grinding winter is
gone, The ice.fetters are broken, buds appear Ia
sweet sounds and everything is green and beau.
tiiu. BE not siraid because the winter il long
and severe. in preaching, music and writing these
beliefs have been declared. How did they yet into
INC human mindY Certainly 1T Is true that pas
sIonate, crude people should suddenly in
y mood or depression and despoDdency
believe in these gloomy things. Preachers giIt ID
WIN lurid eloquence atng rhetoric upon the TAXED
SOUS OF men and women. These evil SPECTATORS
IN feeling go about with their cases of tools in
tneir pockets, ana use them on unsuspectlng
people. TO great many revival OF religion is a
matter OF lie and death. In revival OF religion
10 rpnst Lnok al thin1s AZ tbay are. SONG try 10