Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-11-16

| 'N'''' VI wv cIlHThtIerlSIlt-
the revival. and to mention the thing
worthy to he copied and avoided
In responding to this request. | sha
limit myself in the main to the work a.
eliminated in Boston during the currer
year, not only because it fell more immsd
ately under nv personal observation. hu
because the work throughout the land ha
been really one. There have not bee
J sporadic revlyals, so much as one great re
yival.
1t Is a most palpable fact at the outsc
that the work at many points has strikingl
difered from the great revivals of forme
DAYS. 1t has transgrossCd the cherished
notions Of the invetcrate praye--meetin,
antiquary, who is never weary of telliul
how things came to pass in a former age
IL came with observation. Its premonition
were not the sOuehings of the wind tha
bloweth where it listeth. but the ring of tn
trowel and the stroke OF the hammer.
was understood beforehand where the fir
was first expected to descend. When a bod'
OF men OF exceptional intelligence AMI
shrewdness-the Christian merchants o
Chicago or BostOn-have given their moneY
by thousands to raise vast structure fol
exclusively religious uses when in th,
heart of a great city the attention of multi
rising walls; when a grand chorus has beer
organized and trained to fill it with music
when hundred churches have banded
together to pour through one channel theiI
social and spiritual energies. as humt
gathers mp the waters of a hundred rills to
pour them upon the wheel when the
prayers of Gods children have been going
! up throughout a whole commonwealth
| without cessation and without discOrd for a
| blessing upon the enterprise; when the
| ministers of half dozen denominations for
| get their differences and make even the
claims OF their own personal work for the
time subordinate, it is absolutely Ger
tain that here for time at least the curl
osity OF the multitude will be focused. And
when in addition to all this We have Peter
ready with his fervid. fiery gospel, tho
whole city will come together and wonder
whereunto this will grow. And as the
tldlngs 90 forth on the wings of the press,
the country will pour in Its thousands also
And now the hosts expectant, the scene
spt ctacular, the service dramatic, Tho music
seductive, the hymns emotional, tho ad-
dresses awakening the feelings without
compelling the toll of thought-all this
within and without tabernacle bulletins.
tabernacle bookstores, tabernacle lunch
i'NHSt uOISt ChTS-tUG very
bells of the horses" for the time being sub
sidizcd to the work of the Lord-and We
have every possible human condition for n
pentecost. At least We have such pre-
concerted, elaborate and systematized ar
rangement of machinery a. never before
ushered in a revival.
1t is quite too soon to think of measuring
the returns of this last winters movement.
We cannot see as yet how much, if at all.
the average righteousness OF the community
has advanced. How much of the material
which has been gathered and builded into
the edifice Of the church is gold. silver.
precious stones, and how much il only
wood. hay. stubble. it is impossible to tell
The MortOns and GIlmans OF to-day were
among the converts of score of years ago.
How much Of all this glory of bud and
blossom will fall to the ground under
the first breath OF the blast, and how much
Of it will bring forth fruit unto pericc-
ton. must remain for the present an un-
answered question. Ii will not be very
strange if among these new born souls there
will be found sOme fiery prophets who, in
years to come, will wear the mantle and
inherit the spirit and power of the great
evangelist, even a. he is now repeating the
labors and the successes OF the beloved
MIN. IL Will ut SlTtUGt, u, hlltT I'LL pos
sible discount, there does not remain of the
five thousand or more said to have been
gathered into the churches of Boston and
its neighborhood. a very large residuum of
substantial and fruitful piety.
Apart from all increase BY accretion to
the strength of the churches. there has been
one grand result which We shall be too like
ly to overlook There has been the gain
which comes out OF sacrifice, the strength |
which is born OF generous self expenditure. |
Before sermon had been preached or II |
hymn sung. long enough before convert |
came to seek admission to the church, or |
an inquirer to learn the way of lie, a re- |
vival had begun in the hearts of the men |
who had pledged the money; in the hearts
of the pastors who had committed them
selves TO the work i'll the hearts of the
Christian youth who had surrendered their
usual engagements for the season to sus-
tain the service of song; in the hearts of a
great number who had given themselves to
the work OF the inquiry-rOOm and personal
visitation. There WIS an education in the
sacrifices made and in the work performed,
which carried very many Christian men and
women far along in the hest at;alnmeBts of
Christian life. 4 man cannot give goncr-
Jusly OF his substance and Of his time. out
,f II desire to promote the interests of the
< singdOm of God. without the recUmpense
If being enlarged. He throws over his sand
,ags and rises heayenward 4 young dis
,iplinu cannot 20 into an inquiry-room.
night after night. and sit down to clear up
he difficulties that beset an earnest but
gnurant soul. without having his own
ight beliefs clarified and confirmed, and
without being denuGed and relieved of his
all npas IIa VI Ia, k.S IN laud ap- |
ther over the way of lie, must needs know
he way {; nay, must retrace it himself
nd, like the teacher who reviews the lesson
18th his pupils, must become fortified in his
iith. confirmed Ill his knowledge, and dI
esttd of his nehulOsIty and ml>cOnceptiJn.
o help is to be helped TO give. more bless
d than 10 receive. In all tins certainly there
as been substantial gain.
As to the question whet the expendi-
lro might not have been quito rs profitable
made in some other direction. it Is enough
say that it would never have been elicit
d for any different object. And it is one
rand vindlcatiOn OF the egangelist's mis-
on, MS it seems to me, seal dlvineiy set
pom his ministry, that he has thus Tor y ears
cid tho confidence of the Christian world,
nd still holds it to such an extent that be
IN summon its numbers, itS wealth. its {
lergy, its efforts up to work for God, as
nc highland chiet called around him as
Irtanod hosts bya single trumpet's blast. |
This revival has been characterized by a
'markuble absence of dUctrina and intel Il
ctual preaching. 1t is not necessary. nor d
oud 1t be fitting, to enter upon any criti- l.
j examination here, oi that " hich has been
lc principal human factor of the work We |
/ know how direct, personal, tender, the f
-eat evangelist is in his methods of ad- II
'ess how he takes the simplest facts of r
- gospel and presses them upon the hearts +,
hIs hearers, perhaps awakening attention :,
some flash of quaint humor. kindling :
notion by some touching ancciOte, sus- -
ining interest by some unexpected stroke d"
exogesis, but always going straight for
ard with the single aim of producing an "
mediate result IN the conversion of men a
God. In II word, the sty 10 of preaching II
- been direct. pictorial. and 80 level to
6 humblest capacity. =,
There IL unquestiOnably lesson here :.
iich We ministers should do well to heed. $
lere is possibly some ground for the mod ~ "a
/ structures OF certain college president ~
on American preachers and preaching p'
0 feel hurt however, that he did not 1T
ell us our fault between him and Us NJ
mo, instead OF publishing it first away hi
in Eilnboro', and at Pau-Prcsbyterian Il
uncil, too. But 1t Ii true that there are be
: men called upon statedly To address si
dienccs upon sacred themes that might b,
t with profit go to school TO the minister W.
the tabernacle. We may well initiate W,
IL in his simple hearted reverence for she ,,I
ord Of GOd, in his dlrcctncss OF aim, and ~,
his simplicity of speech. and, il We can :.
it unailcctedly, IN his illustrative and t'
'torial methods of presenting the truth. Nti
/ it will be difficult Ia initiate his pecu- IN
excellence without falling into peculiar In
.ilS which lie close Mt hand. And 1t will la
a sad day for our churches when their Isl
nistcrs. with the purptso ni attracting hn
wds OF curious men around their pulplts, di,
inquish the researches of the study and hn
labor OF the brain. and give themselves ,i
Ia the scrap book style Of sermonizIng, Ia,
" hen they shall imagine that mere tx .,,,
sis oi scripture ur Bib, reading can he w.
instead of the patient thought IN which r.
,an "pours out his soul. II the parallels Nv ~
good. also are the cpiStlc~. There is ,"'
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