Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-02-14
The Reviyalists In Boston.

Repeated opportunities of attending upon
the services of Messrs. Moody and Sankey
during the past week have deepened our con-
viction that their work is of God and not of
man. The eagerness manifested by the vast
crowds to get admission to the services, and
the wonderful results wrought upon those
who hear, cannot be satisfactorily accounted
for upon any other ground There is no
outside device or demonstration TO attract
the crowd and no theatrical display to move
them when drawn together. Mr.. Moody is
commonplace and unclerical in personal APP
pearance, with n somewhat sharp and un-
musical voice, and utterly devoid of any
attempt at oratorical display. He goes di-
rectly at his work. like a thorough man of
business, and seems intensely in earnest
Perhaps in this lies the great secret of his
success. He speaks rapidly and is the very
soul of brevity and promptness. This APP
plies not only to his opening and closing
but to all the various parts of his service
Neither moment nor word seems wasted
Without apparent effort on his part his
voice penetrates the remotest corner of the
vast audience room and the crowds hang in
breathless silence upon his every utterance
While he usually speaks from text some
times from whole chapter, he attempts no
learned Interpretation or exegesis of Scrip
ture. He advocates no system of theology
lie tells, in the simplest language possible,
the story of Jesus and His love. lie presses
home the great truths accepted by evange-
ical churches everywhere, of the lost eondi-
ton of man and the necessity of regeneration
through faith in Christ; that the atonement
was made for all who will accept of it. The
responsibility of Christians and churches
generally, and especially of ministers, is
dwelt largely upon--not in spirit of crit
icism and ridicule but in Christian fellow
ship and love. He stirs them up to work
for the Master and so plainly and faithfully
does he set their duties and responsibilities
before them that there is no escape. and the
anxious throng seems ready to cry out
Lord, what wilt thou have me to do" 1t
was among the wonderful and gratifying
sights to see scores of clergymen, many OF
them gray-headed and eminent in the SER
vice, clustering around the humble lavman,
bathed in tears, and making confession,
through their exhortations and intercessions.
of the littleness of their faith and the fruit
lnsSnpSs of thair met lahoro
So far as we had the means of learning,
great hopes are cherished by the Christians
of Boston and vicinity in regard to Mr..
Moody's labors. The churches are being
stirred to their foundations. Some even of
the Unitarians and Universalists are cooper
atng in the movement, while others are of
course stirred up to critcise and oppose.
The influence of the meetings is extending
beyond the city limits, and revivals are re.
ported in very many towns within radius
of twenty to thirty miles, with increasing
interest and practical results.
1t is reported that Mr. Moody expresses
himself as "more than satisfied with the re-
suit thus far secured he has never before
made so good a beginning" The requests
for prayer range from three to five hundred
day. One of the best features of the work
is the special effort made to redeem drunk.
ards, which well supplements the reform
club spirit introduced by the DIR. Reynolds
movement. Mr.. Moody does not make any
estimate of the converts, deeming it sin to
do so. The result, he says, rests with God,
and the enumeration can be made by no
man, but will appear only in the record book
IN binh