, 1877-01-07

COMING TO HONOR.
Chicago is famous for bringing new men
| to the front. It shares this characteristic
with other Western cities, only it leads oil
the rest. The activity and competition at-
| tending life in new communities are largely
| responsible for this result, and Chicago IS the
very centre and maelstrom Of such forces.
4 rapid and violent agitation of parties
brings the largest of them to the top. Shake
box of pebbles, and the small ones settle to
the bottom. We do not advance this, how
ever, as the only explanation Of the manner
in which the largest apples so invariably
reach the top Of the barrel, aud the plumpest
berries are on the surface layer of the boxes.
That fact may be owing to the joltiug which
the fruit receives in its transportation by
railroad; but we do not affirm that it
il. But in the stir and hustle of a
great city, where every man finds
his chance of work in crowd, and where
the opportunity Of success depends quite as
much upon what is inside Of q man as upon
what is outside Of him, upon his individual
largeness as upon his surroundings, it is soon
determined whether one has in him the ma
terial of success. 1t does not follow that the
fortunate possessor Of ability will make an
instant leap to prominence. The first shake
Of the box will not bring the biggest pebble
to the surface, but it will start it in that di-
rection, and each new shake will urge it
nearer to the light. In Chicago, the hard
- ~
ness competition throw man back On his
native resources, and bring forth what be has
of talent and tact, of perseverance and en-
aurance. In the end, these qualities are sure
to win. They push the man past his COM
petitors, they place aud keep him in the
front, and they compel recognition
Passing the numerous illustrations which
might be indicated in our mercantile and
political ranks, we note now those in the re-
ligious circles of Chicago. For our city has
drawn upon it, of late years, the attention
of Ch1istendom for its ability to originate
novel forms OF religious effort, and to send
out the men capable Of directing the new
forces. With surprise does one call over the
roll of Chicago lay-evangelists and singers
whose names are now familiar not only to
the Northwest, but also to the East and to
Great Britain. There are MooDE, SANKEY,
WBrrrLE, Bliss, JACOBS, CoLE, FARwE11,
and ROCKWELL, besides many lesser lights.
How came such a company Of workers to
spring up in this city It is not necessary to
resort to any theory of Divine partially for
Chicago, such as located it at the head of
lake navigation. Such suggestion, even if
established by indubitabie evidence, would
be too much for the serenity OF st. Louis,
which, with its sanity name but worldly
life, could not endure the thought. That any
one should claim that Chicago had been
's elected" or ''foreordained to be the
religious leader of the nation would be at
tributed to the Calvinistic influence on this
metropolis OF the three theological semina-
ries located 1ere,-the Congregational, the
Presbyterian, and the Baptist. Aud so, to
avoid theological controversy, we fall back
upon an explanation from natural causes,
which: fortunately, are sufficient for our
purpose.
4 little thought suggests that the charac-
of religion. There is q perceptible difference
between city piety and country piety. Each
form has its advantages and disadvantages.
The rural saint may be more sedate and re-
fective, but then he is slower-paced in all
respects. The city saint may have his de-
fects, but he is active, quick-witted, and
liberal. He outgrows narrow ideas and
picayune methods. He is the same man on
Sunday as on other days; in the church as
on Change. He carries his progressiveness
into his religious conceptions and work. He
holds more meetings, lays out broader plans,
and gives more money, than does his country
brother. And SO it naturally comes to pass
that Chicago enterprise makes its way from
the Board Of Trade into the churches and
that religious men who have business push
find themselves put forward as Sunday
School Superintendents. deacons, trustees,
aud exhorters. The men who are now dis
tinguishing themselves as reviyalists showed
MOODY was good salesman; Mr. WH1TGLE
gave up s., 900 business salary to become
an evangelist; the 1arnented Alr. BLISS was
successful choir-leader and conductor Of
musical conventions; 1Ir. JACOBS is on the
alert still in secular as well as in religions
affairs; Mr.. FAnwE11 is one Of our .mer-
hant-princes; and 1aj. COLE was capital
army officer. These and other useful workers
were far from being ninnies and nobodies-
Look at Mr.. MooDrs well proportional head,
the back and front balancing each other
grandly, and one may seq that this success /
ful evangelist and religious General, though
he may have been built up by grace, was also
built up on brains, and was finished off by
Chicago activity. There is no use in trying
to make brick without straw in the sphere
of religion, any more than down in old
Egypt. Providence prepares its chosen in
struments, and Chicago has proved to be
frst~cless workshop for the purpose. It has