The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-11-27

to come to us telling of the duties and res
possibilities of such work, and the inquiry
naturally arises, how shall we endeavor tc
fulfill this duty? How shall we best per.
form revival workp
Some perhaps may be shocked at this in.
quiry, and ask IL revivals are a result OF
methods employed by menp Are they not
rather the work of God?
The speaker before he answered this,
asked a question himself. How is 1t that
some people are always having revivals
while others who work hard are sci.
dom so blessed? Why does one minister's
work always produce an abundant harvest
while another's gathers but small, scat
tering oneP
The speaker believed that revivals which
followed the labor of certain preachers
were the result OF methods employed by
them.
He would divide revivals into two classes.
| The first kind was prevalent to great
| degree in New England. He would call it
"Doing the Lords work by the job. y
| There were certain epasfnodc times at
which revival. would take place as certain
men thought, and during those periods OF
intense excitement was the time to work.
1t was almost useless to attempt at any
other time.
The annual revivals which usually begin
| in December or January and continue for
two or three months, come under this class.
| The work Is continued for two or three
months and then, as he had heard it ex-
pressed, it was adjourned for year. This
expression seems almost sacrilege, yet 1t Is
| in accordance with the practice of great
many.
Tie second class was the continuous revi-
vival. 1t was like the progress of the waves,
gentle and undulatory, but slow and coutin-
uous. Sometimes the waves are dashed into
almost tempests. So in the church some
times the work becomes very earnest and
enthusiastic, but there Is always indeed an
| advance. We have abundant evidence that
| this continuous work 10 possible and that,
as in the awakening which follows the
| preaching of such men as DR.. Chaplin, it is
the result of methods employed.
We are co-laborers with God, but only
as we work does the work go on. The
work is Joint, therefore there is " ork for
us. If we trust to methods alone we shall
fail, but if, using methods, we work to-
gether with God we shall succeed. There
are certain times when the meetings should
be multiplied. AT these periods every
christian should be alert, should be
minute-man, should feel a personal respon-
siblity.
Prayer meetings, if rightly conducted are
a strong aid. They should not he the place
for instruction-that should come from the
pulpit. 1t is no place for the display OF
eloquence. The prayer meeting should be
social and informal each should make
known his feelings. The meeting should
not be taken up by two or threel but all
should take part. 1t is almost the only
opportunity for those who are being moved
by the spirit to take decided stand.
And here the speaker considered the
question Are union meetings desirable
Wrongly conducted they are not an aid.
There must be some one to direct them.
There must be leader, else, to use a
homely expression, too many cooks spoil
the broth. He thought some evangelist
should conduct union meeting for the To-
cal ministers hardly had the requisite faith.
Therewa no practical good in union
meetings without a head. In business
firm, though both parties have equal IN
terests, yet one of them is the head, the
leader. So it should be in union meetings
II at any time or by any acts Of his he
had not seemed to enter into the work with
others it was not because of no sympathy
he had withdrawn himself that there might
be the greater harmony in the work.