The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1875-11-03

the boldness of faith that is manifested both
by the Evangelists and their Christian coad-
tutors generally. What do you think is their
talk ? Why, it is of converting this whole
nation The gist of Mr.. Moody's preliminary
discourse was in the words of Caleb, We
are well able to overcome it." They are not
thinking merely of Brooklyn and Philadel-
phia and the other cities they expect to be
able to visit in person. They think their
present mission a universal one, and consider
themselves preaching already to- every city
and village Of the United States. Nay, more
than preaching. They ask and expect the
Spirit of the Almighty to come down on saint
and sinner in every place. Mr. Moody says,
we have been asking the Almighty for small
things long enough ; it is time we paid His
promises and His power the respect to ask
the greatest things we know how to. "And
so say they all'' This is not self-conceit.--
Without any false modesty or affectation OF
humility in tone or manner, these mon forget
themselves in the power of God that is with
them, or remember themselves only for their
insignificance.
In fact, there is nothing remarkable about
either of them from a natural point OF view,
if the plain truth must be told know the
philosophers of the press, seeing the wonder
ful phenomena attending these services, feel
bound to find cause for them, and give their
explanations with much confidence but to
do this on mere common sense principles, they
have to do violence to truth, and exaggerate
both Moody and Sankey very grossly. Mr..
Moody said to the Brooklyn Christians yes
terday: Preaching amt what you want here.
You've got plenty of ministers here who
preach great deal better than | can. 1t amt
singing either you've got plenty of singers
that can sing a great deal better than Mr..
Sankey can. What you want is consecration
and praver and faith in God
/ should not say that there were many
prea cheers in Brooklyn so well adapted to
seize and hold the attention of an audience of
all sorts and conditions of men as Mr.. Moody.
In this respect he is among the foremost
preachers / have heard chiefly because he is
plain man and speaks right on, and is too
healthily in earnest to be paying any atten-
tion to his manner or effect. But with this
Iiproviso, my conclusion is the same as his.
There is nothing remarkable in these men but
their simplicity, their humble self-conseera-
ton, their business-like energy, and their
faith.
Moody's preaching and Sankey's singing
are alike plain repetitions of familiar truth.
To be sure Mr.. Moody's wonderful experience
enriches his familiar truth with grand Illus
tratiop F; and In .homeiy Illustration TOO. lie
is the peer Of that other plain man, President
Lincoln. But his plain reasoning, rarely and
but temporarily warmed with passion or
pathos, being evidently but an inadequate
cause for the effects observed, the newspaper
philosophy has, to fall back heavily upon San
keys singing, Sankey's hymns and Sankey's
music, all three of which are absurdly overra-
ted
Mr.. Sankey in manner and matter is moth
ing but good plain singer of words and
music Of the ephemeral type that easily catch
the popular ear and easily give place to some
thing newer Of the same sort. That, | admit
is good adaptation for pleasing mildly a
popular audience, and even starting suscep-
tible tear or rousing chorus. But If any
body can imagine it has anything in itself to
do towards crowding the Rink and streets a
round it with eager myriads OF people and in
spring them to press into the Kingdom of
God almost as one man--such a soul must be
singularly untramelled in his expectations by
any sense of proportion between cause and
effect as we'll as by the teachings of common
observation.
No! There is no natural philosophy in
these things at all. Believer or skeptic, if
you are man of sense and candor, you must
give that up, at least. You may relegate
Moody and Sankey to the unknowable, if you
like, but don't tell me, after have heard and
studied them both through five services that
there is anything of sensible nature to ac-
count for their peculiar success. l see more
as singer, to that end.
/ have always maintained that the conduct
of musical worship ought to be as holy and
devout as that of praying and preaching but
/ never expected to live to see my idea reali-
zed 1t is, however, Mr.. Sankey's idea, and
that, too, precisely. He won't have anything
to do with it in any other way, and he is go
ing to inaugurate, if l mistake not, a hallow-
ed revolution in this part of public worship,
tl,ake 81, oil lxe mir cta vo
are, for piety not less than for talents and
training. Sankey won't have an unconverted
person upon the platform with him, If
he knows it, More than that, he prays with
them at his rehearsals, and exhorts them up
to spiritual concert pitch. l heard him do so
at the Rink on Saturday night, and he plainly
though gently intimated then that If there
should be any light conduct ON the platform
during the services it would be necessary to
supply the places Of those who should so for
get themselves with others who felt the sac
redness of their work of praise. Neither
would he allow the usual intoxicating in front
Of the choir, as it attracted attention, he said,
which ought to be Otherwise fixed. The
choir must take the time from his prelude,
and then keep it the best they could. Again,
at the service on Sunday, as he was about to
sing his first solo, he struck the first bars of
the music, and then, as if-moved by sudden
tutpuiSc, stVpptQ ttiQ Stotu up hAN NdiiSN oh
the assembly to unite with him in prayer for
the divine spirit to give saving power to the
Gospel song 1t is in these traits you find Mr..
Sankey's power as a singer. OF the words
and music, though they are good, should say,
with a few exceptions, that God had chosen
the weak things Of art to confound the mighty.
Mr.. Snakey is a handsome man, of breadth
and stature, well dressed, aud fashionably
chin-shaven. He takes well in picture, and
all his pictures look like him. Not SO Mr..
Moody. Not one of the pictures have seen
expresses him tolerably. He is of barely me-
dunn stature, stout, full, and we'll nourished,
with full brown beared concealing his lower
features, small symmetrical head, small eyes
and no neck at all. His glance, however, is
of the kindling and genial sort that tells OF a
right good fellow. He shakes hands with a
friend with a western swing of the arm and
smite of the palm that leaves his cordiality
in no doubt. Pictures Of both are spreading
everywhere, and already begin to adorn the