, 1875-03-29
REVIyALISM.

REVEALS AND THEIR EXTRAVAGANZA
BERAoa DY THE REV. ARTHUR swAzEI.
Tho Rev. Arthur Swazsy preached yesterday
morning to tho congregation Of tho Ashland
Avenue Presbyterian Church On royivals. taking
A. his text:
eut my srifs upon al aesh; and your sons sn! your
daughters shall prophasy. your old men ahall DREAM
youI 5euns msa ,hal SEQ Visions; md .Iso upon ths
out my spHk-Joei, il, ,2s-.9.
Nothing ia known Of tho prophet joel beyond
tho scaut Information that he was the son Of ono
Pethuel, OF whom wo know nothing. Tho
tina Of shlB prophecy is uncertain. The
prophecy Itself Ia marvel OF composi-
sion. Whether Of allcgorctl or literal meaning.
scholars arc not agreed. It Is \ most vivid de-
scripsion dRs = great drought and locust or
graenhopper invasion, with tho famine and desc.
lation which follow and, aomehow, Joined with
It, tie shadow Of an Invading army from the
North tho conclusion, through tue goodHoas OF
God, being the roturn OF plenty, and thu out
pouring Of the spirit on the minds Of men.
Peter quotes it rs prophecy Of tho scenes Of
Pcntccoat, narrated III the second chapter Of tho
Acss Of tho Apostles. The Christian ministry
hts been In tho habit Of quoting it ~
prophecy OF all the great arakoningp
Of Christian history. And do no. doubt tho
correctness Of the common Interpretation.
Without proposing thorough treatment,
oner 4 few remarks On tho "reviyal" move
mcuts OF our own and OF either times.
Tho sea cannot remsIn quiet, even though all
tia winda OF Heaven bs iulied to uitonce. No
moro can tho human mind. There Ia a7etywhore
as tho world turns round. tho "pull" Of run and
moon On the great ocean Of thought; here a
geutle rise ~ the ges rises on tho coast Of Fori-
da, and thers raging lood, as when the aea
d1ives into the bay Of Fundy. Aud the greatest
movements Of Ill arc tho religious movements.
We may have ono opinion or smother, but wo
caunot despiss them. ~ though they wero the
foam Of diaoEdcred minds ns though the eternal
love, OF rather the great God, wsro not breath
Ing into the souls II welt ~ INTO tho bodies OF
men.
There Are those who doubt tho reasonableuesa
pf any kind OF religious anxiety. as though tho
great Power aboye wonla take caro- OF > man'a
ioul whether b. himself oares for 1t or not; ~
shoueh solicitudo, oarnestneas, and coucent,a-
lion Of euergy wers conditions Of avery Nud Of
good, except soul'good; "a though It wero
every department Of ambition OF actir.
lty, except toward tho harmony Of
he conscience and The heart with God
There arc othess who object TO any religious
movement which does not follow In the grooves
already dug for 1t. or which Is not ATTENDED WITH
nj the projrieties. conventional and real, which
culture and good taste regMd. A bishop Of
certain o{daf Of belief would not Allow religious
Beryeea to forgotten aud fAmiBhed people un-
less tho ''cAuoos" wore III observed. And
read. roeeutly, III leading Presbyterian paper. =
6eTica Of questions which seemed to trouble tho
mind OF tie writeY. one Of which WAS, whether
the work OF Moody and Hankey was not likely 70
bring TO disbonor the ministry ~ divine ap-
po!nsneot for The conversion Of tho world lie
seomed TO forget that God has not fa1med out
Tho world 70 the ministry, u sn assurance COM
pany farms out Cook County, OF Illinois, to -
agent; that, whiis the regulars arc seut to fight,
u red-tAPe, and book-drsll, or Incompetence, OF
1lenees, ot anything else, prevents vigorous war;
fare, tho volunteers with fxrmer-Csptains arc
called out 10 whip tha euemy! II tha Clluych
prays for rain 1t must not Aud fault with tho vay
Of ths Wind when the rain falls, And man
who has contracted to make lumber will not lind
fault II somebody drains larEs areas OF matsh
land Into his empty m,ll-pond! II tho wntes
alluded to will study ths New Testament only
~ much ~ he skudien his c2sechism, he will t,ud
tuat tho ministry IL chiefly valuable, first, ~ !
atimulAtoF, aud, second, - conStvatoE Of Z
universal activity in the Church he viii loaru
that tho spirit 70 given 70 young men AID
1raIdens, old men and ehildsen, a. we'll ~ Ia
pastora snd deAeons, and that true Now Teslt.
lnent church Is alivs With gifts il al in mem
bars.
In all Rreat movements thers are isTegulsri
ties MEASURING things by calm aud ttls
ttaudatd. 10 In religious movements. But
they are none the less divine for al that. The
spirit Of God does not set aside tho common
thorough gentleman coprertsd to God. tAs oon'