The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1874-03-11
OUR KNOXVILLE LETTER.
THE GREAT REVIVAL.

KNOXVILLE, March 5. 1874.
DEAR GAZETTE: You and your
numerous readers will pardon me for
seeming long neglect My apology
is, business before pleasure" 1t is
a real pleasure to write to the GA
zETTE, and then to see-.'all in the
eye" mind you-the eager readers
seeking for John Us letter. Our
two papers. .both dailies,' keep
you posted-if you read them
about the great revival of religion
going on in our midst. It is truly a
wonderful work.
"God moves in mysterious way,
His wonders to perform"
Men have made profession of
religion, who short while since
only spoke of it as a by-word, or at
most, as old women's consolation.
But men, and women too, are think
ing, thinking, thinking! and with
thinking comes reason, and with
reason religion. Come, let us rea-
son together, saith the Lord If all
men would think, and think humbly
and inquiringly, all men would be
religious. 1t is because we do not
think, that we do so greatly err.
Preaching, prayer and praise are
not religion. They are only the
ceremonial. Religion consists in
uses, in doing good, in acts and works
of charity. in loving the neighbor,
and IN manifesting that love in car
ing for his interest. and helping him
Se need. Two shining examples.
doubtless more acceptable to God
than any amount of ceremony and
of sacrifice, were given our commu-
nifty few days since. Parks plan
ing mill was entirely consumed by
fire the other night. One of the un-
fortunate parties interested was a
Mr.. Hinman, an Englishman, lately
settled in our town. He is a sensi-
BILE, industrious, worthy man. Per-
haps all he had vanished into smoke
that Saturday night. Monday morn
ing, that was used to the din of in
dustry, found him stripped of all
but energy. Here was rare chance
for our capitalists, and for our Chris
tian men to show their hands and
their hearts. I have heard of only
two who have availed themselves of
the opportunity-Perez Dickinson
and Victor Berger. Mr.. Dickinson
met the gentleman spoken of on
the streets and handed him a paper,
and passed on. 1t was a check for
money. Mr.. Berger found Hinman
without a house to work in. He
opened his house on the corner of
Gay and Main streets, and invited
him in, to use it until he could do
better. No rent is charged, no COM
pensation will be expected or taken.
Is there not more Christianity in
this than in burnt offerings? Do'not
the angels smile with heavenly de-
light, on hearts like these2 Berger
is said to be q Jew. If so, his acts
show that true goodness. and chris
tian charity may swell the heart OF
q Jea0 as well as of Gentle, and
when these are judged according to
the deeds done IN the body" they will
not be asked, where were you born,
or to what church did you belong
More has been said on this subject
than l intended, though not more
than the subject deserves. Nor is
it as we'll said as / could wish; but
let it go. Put it in your Sunday
column. 4 ah
Rev. David Sullins is expected
here to-day to help at Broad street
church, and his Thousand and one
friends are all aglow with delight
at the prospect of hearing his voice,
calling sinners to repentance. The
meetings are all the talk here, and
and there is nothing better to write
about than religion. Let as replen-
ish our stock, and fill our hearts and
souls with the genuine article, and,
ever and anon, let it crop out in
deeds of charity, in looks of love,
in words of kindness and of cheer,
in forgetting ourselves in doing
good to others, so that when the
Master calls, and we are weighed in
the balance, the addenda will be.
81 Well done, good and faithful SER
want" aaTe JOHN ].