The New York herald., 1876-02-08
REVEALS PAST AND<f PRESENT.

THE GREAT AwAKENI<o6 IN 1740-MILLERIsM
AND MoRMoNIsM---rHE PANIC OF 1S57-PIL-
oRIMAGEs TO L6URDEs
Tho hrst nstaEne of religious revival or OF people
being gathered together as ono man to hear the law
with understanding it is claimed is to be found in the
eighth chapter of Nehemiah II is there recorded that
Ezra the priest read from the morning until midday
before the men and the women, and the ears OF all
were attentive; and they kept the feast seven
days; and the eighth day solemn
assembly according TO the The day of Pente-
cost Acts il when Peter preached "the Lord added
to the Church daily such should be saved" The
great religious awakening caused by the desire to res
the tomb OF Saviour from the Saracens COM
menced in the eleventh century The preaching OF
Peter Hermit aroused the pous feelings Of Chris
tendon and led TO the Crusades This spirit spread
over all the northern nations 1t pilgrimage on
the largest scale with all the pilgrims armed. The
| enthusiasm was shared by all classes and by
people OF every description The number that assumed
| the cross almost nnumerabe. No religious feel
ing aroused greater general than that
which led half Europe to in the direction Of Pal
estine There considerable religious agitation,
leading to many conversions, in Scotland during the
sixteenth century, and later such Whiteaeld,
Wesley, President Edwards and Walker became active
evangelists England venn and Berridge in Wales,
Owen Harris Jones and Williams in Ireland, Blair
and Bedell and in Scotland, Bruce and Stewart were
prominent and eloquent preachers, all of whom pro-
duced remarkable effects popular assemblages by
their animated and feeling discourses.
WESLEY
Wesley commenced his public ministry as a field
preacher in 1879. This course repugnant TO his
most cherished notions Of church order well
every instinct Of his nature yet by field preach
ing and in other possible way that England could
religious
epoch current must date its commencement
from wesley's first appearance as an evan
geist Wesley forward the friend
Of and the enemy of nothing but sin.
He showed courage self.possession, good temper
and tact ard the same praise is due to his brother in
making assaults the obtuse moral OF men. He
introduced the system OF lay helpers, such city mis-
tended TO reach the goddess OF the people, He
the first Of revyaists, and the denomination he
founded has always been foremost in work of that char
acter. His eloquence had powerful influence on the
immense assemblages that listened to his words.
GREAT AWAKENING In 1740
The great religious in New England of
which the events OF 174O were conspicuous part began
at Northampton in 1874 and continued till 1872 and in
many places even longer Observance of the rules
obligations OF Christianity had made progress down.
ward There were many in the churches and some
even in the ministry who were yet lingering among
the supposed preliminares TO conversion The differ
between the Church and the world vanishing
away There was, as now great laxity of morals; and
yet never, perhaps, had the expectation OF
reaching heaven been general or more |
confident Jonathan Edwards and George Whitehead |
thai the young abandoning themselves
TO frvolties and amusements of dangerous tendency
and party spirit was producing Its natural fruits Of evil
among the old Edwards determined 10 stem this bad
current and he had fitting coadjutor in Whte6eld
1t in the latter part Of December 1874 Edwards
informs U.S. that ''the Spirit Of God began extraord
narily to set In and wonderfully among us and
there we're suddenly, one after the other hve or
ingiy converted, and some of them wrought
upon In very remarkable manner" The
woS that psDv %cre @
revvas by false reports concerning impressions on
mems imaginations The excitement of 1874 passed
away but its effects remained People in other places
had learned to regard awakenings like that at North
ampton events to be prayed Tor and expected. In
1879 such instances began to multiply and TO grow
spicuous At Newark and New Brunswick n j., and
Harvard and Londonderry protrscted services were
neo neglon ~ unese S pSSes wa aead ana .ne people
THE REVIVAL SPREADS
Edwards often called TO preach beyond the
limits of his parish, and In every place he pros
pered- Men, as they listened to him, were unable to
conceal their anguish, and cried out in bitterness of
spirit 1t Is said that the presence and agency of tho
spiritual world we're much more real to the human
thrown into commissions while he exhortinG
The doctrine was not accepted that preaching hell
could hish,en men into religion put = might
that religious truth, that attention,
without which it cannot save the soul; and
after all that can be said of the power OF love aud
kindness and the winning accents of mercy, IL
main undeniable that Will not give attention to
these things till they have first been brought 10 the
need of them The revival extended TO the Southern
States. Multitudes made 10 weep by the elo-
quence of the evangelsts without however being
JOINT efforts the conversion Of about 10000
In New England, which, considering tho
remarkable, and the Presbyterian Church also
gained largely in membership. DR.. Erskine wrote
later ~ cannot that the greater part Of supposed
give reason by their conversation to suppose
that they are The proportion may per-
blossoms on a tree which abide and come 70 mature
fruit to the whole number Of blossoms IN the spring"
Most Of the converts IN all % 600 II IS believed be-
came active and valuable members of the churches.
MORMON OPERATIONS
In 1881 Joe Smith made rapid converts 70 the
Church Of the Latter Day Saints in Ohio and Brigham
Young when he became elder, was signaly sue
oessful by his preaching In adding TO their number.
BY q well organized system OF proselyting largo
communities are being constantly brought from Europe,
particularly from Wales and the Scandinavian king
doms, TO Utah. The Mormon preachers are very
rHR GREAT TEMPERANCE REVIVAL
In 1888 Rev Theobald Mathew, Capuchin friar,
entered memorable crusade against the Of
intemperance In the course OF five months he num-
bered l50 900 converts the city OF Cork alone He
invited to every part Of ireland, and finally no
gave up everything else devote his life the
temperance He went to all the principal cities in
country. His brother wealthy distller IN Ireland
assisted him until his business was ruined
by the progress OF the temperance movements An
law also engaged IN the liquor manufacture He
visited the United States in 1851 II may be truly
said OF this humble priest that he accomplished an
amount of good almost ncalculable by his missionary
abors lectures against OF the destructive
agencies for evil in existence
Mu.LERTrES
great agitation called forth by the preaching Of
William Miller, the founder OF the Second Adventists
that the coming OF Christ again earth would occur
in 1S42 Even the day was specified II not by himself |
by some of his principal followers HIS earnest and
confident attracted attention.; his Scriptural |
and historical arguments seemed TO many cru
dite and cogent and after few years of |
constant travel and preaching his disciples /
in the United States alone were numbered |
at $4,000, After the failure Of their predictions IN
1s43 the interpretations of the leaders Of the sect
ried somewhat but several different years and days
were successvey designated for the termination OF all
things and in some localities the Mierltes more than
once attred themselves in white and stationed them-
selves graveyards and the roofs OF houses waiting
for the appearance OF the Lord The sect still exists,
and party assembled only last year island OF /
Connecticut expecting the millennium. Miller born
In Pittsheld Mass, in l7sl, and died in Washington
county New York, in 1S4Q