New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-12
RELIGIOUS MASS MEETINGS IN
LONDON.

SUCCESS OF MOODY AND SANKEY.
APPEARANCE OF A CONGREGATION OF 15,ooO PER-
sONs-MR MooDY's FIRST sERMoN-CoMAEETs
THE LONDON PRESS.
The opening of Messrs. Moody and Sankey's
meetings In London occasion Of great Interest,"
London is known among evangellsts city hard TO
move" in religious sense, and 1t doubted by some
II the revvalists would interest In religious mat
ters among its population profoundly as they had
done in other places. The first meeting, however IN
Agricultural Hall showed great degree OF public
interest had been expected by the most sanne ms
great hall in which Mr.. Sturgeon Is stated TO nave once
preached TO $4,000 persons, was filed to the utmost
capacity long before the hour appointed for the beginning
of the services The services announced to begin at
1870 p No., March o. and by few minutes after o'clock
every one OF the $1,000 chairs occupied and every
inch OF standing covered The arrangements for
seating the people good and well carried out
that all seated placed without confession Eye
witnesses describe the appearance of the vast assembly
extremely impressive. The hall was well supplied
with light by myriads of sburners along the walls
Gu the large platform gathered the choir, number
ing 200 persons and hundreds Of leading eyange[
zeal ministers and aymen Among them were the Earl
of Cavan, Lord Radstock, Mr.. Hugh Mattheson, DIR.
Robert Baxter and the Rev Dr. Allon. At o'clock the
audience sang the hymn, Hear Thy Welcome Voice.
The choir then sang The Old, Old Story" mpressvey
Mr. Moody stepped TO his place punctualy, and asked
the people sing the DoxolOgy, which they did with
will The effect was thrilling With other hymns tho
congregation not successful diseord being pro-
duced by assembly separating into sections OF sing
ers and each section singing different words at the same
time Prayer offered by the Rev. Mr.. Billing; there
hearty responses 10 his petitions and loud and fer
vent amens" Mr.. Moody said he had dispatches from
many large cities, informing him that prayer was being
offered for London After brief time Of silent prayer
durinO Uhic cad bowed.
aloud for those working for the salvation Of the city,
thanked God that so many ministers were present. ana
asked that there be strife among the hermen" MI
sankey then sang the solo, Jesus OF Nazareth Passeth
By said he hoped the Lord would bless the song in
London He had elsewhere. II was sung in pleasing
touching manner and brought out some applause which
was at once suppressed.
Mr. Moody spoke about half an hour from the passage
Corinthians, 1881 The idea the speaker enforced
WAS that God chose weak and despised Instruments 10
carry out his great designs The preacher drew his Illus
ratons almost entirely the Bible. He said in sub
stance:
When God wanted ark bnt he called on one man TO
do IT, instead OF hundreds, and this fool III the
eyes Of the world The Lord did not send an army 70 Dr
Israel out OF Egypt but used who had been forgot
ten among his people-a man slow OF speech, .
stutIetef En t W." Nb os tbe anS6incstocS
OF his day, and We must be Wiling 10 De
AZ fools IN the sight Oh tne wora II we wan 70 Dg o. s
an absurd sight How the London press would have come
n 81
Canterbury going round London blowing rams horns!
When the spirit Of the Lord on Samson ne slew
thousand men with the Jawoone OF a ass; feope were
not willing work That way In these days they must 1Vo
more polished Instruments. How ridiculous must Gideon
and his with their pitchers have hooked Yet every
stood in his place. and they routed the whole army
Elijah fed by such unclean contempube things ~
ravens and when he sent away 1t was not 70 pal
ace but to the house OF poor woman, VINO scarcely ha
meal for herself 1t said this was an enlightened
age but God Interchangeable He still used base ana
cOntenptibe things to effect his purpose Wnen he
wanted good book written he did not call upon phllos
Opher but Bedford tinker, and the devil mad ms match
when he got hold OF John Bunyan Christ did not call
around him the learned aud the wise, but Gaean sh-
errnen and this handful Of shook the world Even
before He used Saul He changed his anne to Paul the
Little London did not want eloque nce but Christ ana
tidings Of salvation, and take the city for Cod When
the Church, the pulpit, and the pew become OF one mind
EARTH aud all the hosts OF death and hell would not DC
able to resist it, When Gen Grant was before Richmond,
treat, but before morning the order was sent round
Advance in solid column on the enemy at day break
The result was the end OF the Rebellion. Christians in
London should advance in solid column Oh tie enemy,
and success would follow
The great meeting dismissed before 8 o'clock.
Many fingered apparently surprised that the services
were 40 soon over Only one disturbance occurred dur
ing the evening" and that caused by drunken man,
who was quietly led out The meetings have continued
with scarcely any abatement Of interest night after
night Every day prayermeetngs have been held
in Exeter Hail. which IL always crowded These services
usually open with singing and prayer; then requests
more singing and addresses made hortaory or
expository Inquiry meetings generally held after
the evening services in which there are frequently as
many as 400 or 500 persons receiving religious instruc
tiOn.
The press both religious and secular, comment very
freely upon the meetings and the evangests me I"ses
praises Sankey's singing but thinks tho CHIEF attrae
ton of the crowds Mr. MoOdys preaching Or this IL
says
It Is STRAIGHTFORWARD racy, full Of American humor
often, it must be owned, little vulgar ltl NOT PHEASANT
sometimes 10 hear venerable narratives ana events
around which a halo Of hallowed IMAGINATION mas
gathered presented az II they were goS Ailerc
picked up the other day IN chicago Theological ears are
likely be offended by Disregard not merely OF dell
eaces expression, but by sense that truths OF vide
and ysterous import narrowed and hardened. But
the great majority OF the audience All these defects are
scarcely apprecabe What they are conscious or Is taG
they are being told some very nome truths Dy very
simple and earnest and that he is perfectly confident
he showing them the means or becoming better men
and the next. The movement should be controlled
by the and cautious. Ii any considerable proportion
of the classes can be reused to the mere
desire Of something higher an immense step Is gained
and II the churches really higher influence sui, MI
Moody Will at least have prepared them better material
~ work upon.
The Spectator refers TO the evangess evidently
sincere and devout, II somewhat narrowmnded men,
and expresses the belief that they attracting not
the kind of people among whom they might do most
good but rather those who already under influences
as good or better, and probably more discriminating
than the influence Of the American reyvalists 10 Is
gratfed that they do not indulge in the very violent
of the agones Of the lost" which they said
10 have dealt in at other places and hopes they Will be
very frugal of this sort Of " blue-fre."
The Saturday RerieD describes Sankey's singing as
"art OF O tricky kind" and says Mr. Moody degrades
religion to the level OF penny gah. London"
the writer Of the article thinks, though 1t is quite will
ing have evenings amusement, is imperyious 20
Mr. Moody's spiritual stimulants and 1t may per-
haps be doubted whether the impression in the country
oil l.aau al
The Pail Mall Gazette says the majority attending the
meetings of the middle class whom the services
have a degrading tendency; the movement may how
ever produce not altogether unwholesome effect