, 1875-09-13
Dedication Of the First German
Church of The Evangelical
Association.
Large Addition 10 Centenary Chureh---
Other Matters.

Uthef matterS.
THE KIND OF REVIVAL WE NEED,
SERMON 1T TIE REV. CHARLES l., THOMPSON.
The Rev. Charles L. Thompson preached the
following sermon last evening to large congre-
cation In the Fifth Presbyterian Church, corner
Thirteth street and Indiana avenue, taking for
lis text.
right spirit within me, Cast mo not array from Thy
presence and t4ke nut Thy Holy Spirit from me- H.
store unto me tue Joy Of Thy salvation. aaa uphold
gresao1a Thr ways and atni,ers shall bo converted
to Theo.-PsdtHs, IT,, lo-l3.
I propose to diacnaa With you Tonight the
question Of = reyiva! Of religion. lie nho
touches upon this question now bcfuro any ns-
eeubfy OF church-going people can hardly fall
Of sympathetic attention. I think havo never
known 60 siac an interest to be felt In tevtyal
before ~ yot any special agns Of II appeared as
ia manifest now. Thoro IL At prsaeus no revival
Of religion In this city; no general re-
vival anywhere in the land. Yet
i religious awakening In The suhjsct of
general convoraatiou. Men atand looking with
largo faith into the ncar future like those who
vatcl, for s,,oriso. Not only is the earnea!ncss
or this religious outlook 10 sln.o Of no special
religious interest remarkable, but tho general
character Of 1t is atao worthy Of notice. 1t II
wide and perysslyo beyond any thing NO hara
ever known. OF course tho Church should AL
ways look with faith and hopo toward God. It
would be 4 disgracc to her II she
wero not often on tho mount OF
tho prophets vidlon, watching for The cloud no
bigger than mans hand. For therounto 10 sho
called.
70 tho rnAu who believes tho Bib1o, . reyivRl
| OF religion, broad as tho earth aud deep AZ hu-
man wants and woes, ahould be tho burden Of
| perpetual prayer. To the man who resta on
| Gods word, revival OF soligion should be not
| only tho thing Of aupremost desire, but Of most
natural faith. Promises that give the earth TO
| he The new Kingdom Of jesus Christ; that weave
their golden light around tho dark world till 1t
shines IN tho robes Of = coronation day. nhen
Christ shhll crown humanity With His own
d.gnisy and glory, should lead tho Chrtattan's
faith to expect broader. fuller, dcepor revisa's.
! He should expect thom with quiet asaurance
| like that with uhicn tho baslor In tho hafbor
waits fos tho tidal mAye altar the attracting
| moon has swept In stately power above him.
| The Christian who has road Church history and
believes Il Is tho unfolding Of the thought Of
| God among men. should not oaly expect 1evlva'e
but work for them In tho confidence that God
owns faithful labor aud hears simportunate prayer.
lie .should SEQ In them tha movement
| Of \ Ian not unlika that which
| conditions tha breadth Of tho harvest
On tho fidelity Of tho sowing. Therefore We -,
the Church should not only alwaya expect 70.
vIvsl, hut ever work for it ~ the contamination
! 1t Church anezgy and faith.
still, tho Church haa not slweys dona this.
she has sIspt peaceful in barron Aelds. She hss
bsen content With empty hands and gamers
Qttan haa heen happy With ou!y nsoaa to i've.
Often tho locks Of hor strength had by indolcnce
| and slumbes boon shoru away. But now We are
sure we do not oyesatate when Nc eay that thele
Ia throughout ail the Church In this city gen
eEal and earnest desire lot and confident eI'
not only 30, ths desire extends beyond the
Church. Tho poopfa WHO mako up our oongre-
gationa but axe moi professors OF religion ateo OK
poet it. It to the pts OF conyersaton In circlo.
where religion Usually has little share.
Tho daily press not only notices thsa drift q
.he work. Tho Naw York Eue'1ag Post faW
weoks sEo devoted leader to ths question .pt
great want Of tho Amortesn peoPto now ta TO-
Vival ct religion i; and suggested. in worry aenst
bio couuesls, tho Way in which nuch resiva
might be promoted; Our, ova ds.y press hes
Or, and ono Of our papers IL now giving daily re-
ports Of prayer.maettuga aud other religion.
gatherings under tho Expressed conviction tha
NO need revlysi that shRll cauHe honesty, puri
y, aud geperal morality to take tho placa Of dis
honesty, lmpurity, and general immortality.
What now, arc tho reaaons for this vide q
pectAtlou2 Why do Christians and pQopls a
tho world vic with each other In saying (fron
different st4ndpoiota, parhaps; but vat sincerely
revival IL tho primo moral demand Of thiI
country7
There are three general considerations wh!c.
have combined 10 1iHuso abroad ttls prevailing
nentiu,ent. Fist, 1t IL recoil from the teuiencl
Of s4apt!c&l thought. haye % previous Sab
hatha not long ainca called your Atsuutloa to tue
tssmlnus Of much Of the speculation Of orr day.
Consider now for momant how thoae spccuJ4
tlons become aslf.curative. There ia point =
which they touch tic practical life of religion II
. most sa1utafy sod hopeful way. 1t ia the poiu
whore tho godssa logto tnlringeB on tbs mora
aeuae OF the community. God has built up
rock coaas-llue to reslra.n tho vagstes OF hun,n,
thought. When thoso vag8sies run tue longsl
| OF n1lll, Of Comte. they como up sQains
| the bulwArk Of Tho world moral consciousness
| tnht hurls them back. When neu take awsy God
--wheu Nature u made \ cold aud stately pyr4
mid Of Inv, wtoso central chamber ia tho Yaul
| ia which tho Great King IL burled,-thsn come
the reaction, not easiiI aroused but ireosfatb
| whep ouce IL mofaa, OF The hestt OF the world
| which IL ever In league With faith In God. Yhl
il The ground -sxell following tho Agitstions o
modern thought, md lifting the deepest feeling
OF men toward an older sud unconauerable fail
In God. This reaction will be increasingly pow
erful ~ tie tendency Of mAtettaIistic though
becomes nors apparent, The moral Re0h.
Of tho world miy not b. much touchet
| kH nd ri,