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

great heart of humanity. Bat here is a
man. says " Servetus, who has no elO-
quence, who does not know how to speak who
has nothing but stale platitudes to deliver ,
even if he did know how.-who is only
coarse-minded and commonplace farmer.
with no gift in the world but earnestness.
He is reinforced by a secondrato strolling
singer, and the two 60 round the world
but only where they are pressingly invited,
and nowhere are buildings vast enough to
hold the throngs they gather. People Of all
| grades and conditions go and go again.
People that have exhausted Christian ltera-
| ture go and find old truths made fresh !;
people who do not know the alphabet of
religion 20 and learn it all from man
without natural gifts or acq uired skill,
whose only ant is certain vulgar trickery
which somehow God has endorsed by giving
him "earnestness.
Now. it happens that for the present
writer Mr. Ssnkey and his slit lie hymns
were so minor an attraction as h ardly to be
recalled in connection with these meetings.
Some one else may take up the cudgel for
hint il for Mr.. Moody We arc speaking
now.
Differing slightly from "Servetus," We
affirm that no mistake was made when Mr..
Moody took up his vocation of evangelist,
and 10 miracle wrought, except the conse-
Grafton to a noble work of superb natural
powers, nothing short of genius, developed
against the press of tremendous obstacles.
The man is in his line kind of Napoleon,
though bis warfare is not with flesh and
blood. nor in the least for his own sake. lie
has the same aggressive and powerful will,
the same magic of personal influence. tho
same skill in planning campaign or
pitched battle, the same knsck OF finding
capable and DEVOTED subordinates, the Same
craving for world mastery.
know nothing about 'reviyals," having
been bred up to total distrust of such
methods. and fully own that the lasting re
suits of this movement are yet to be tested
by time. But Mr.. Moody is of all things
intolerant OF sbams. and if he did not ieel
some enduring effect, he would give it up,
or try some other way and he must know.
Part of Mr.. Moodys charm lies in this,
that he discovered the Bible for himself,
especially the Old Testament. lie explored
i. just like a promise. His accounts of it
have all the quaintness, the vividness. and
the delight of the narratives of those early
voyagers, and he manages to convey to his
hearers the same sense of absolute freshness.
Add to this, that he has powers which, if
b had been caught young and trained for
the stage, would have made him one of the
grandest of actors, and We see why people
who do not dislike him, never tire of hear
ing him.
Watching closely number of people
who came well within his influence, | was
unable to detect in them any morbid excite
ment. There was keenly reused attention,
fresh interest, deep consciousness of former
lack, and desire for work and submit
that it is good to feel these impulses, were
it only for three weeks for, at least. it
would give one higher ideal and standard
Of what might be. But if it is only for three
weeks. it will not be Mr.. Moody's fault
No one can say that he did not make it
clear how hard and steadily people must
work to keep the fire burning, no matter
how well k:ndled
To say that no rousing OF the attention
and will was needed, il to say that every
one was doing his best before; and, even in
regard to jealous Burlington, before Mr..
Moody came to mar it, sweet and wise tran
quillity, that would he a somewhat doubt
full statement
1t is safe, and very moderate. to assert |
that the Bible will be more studied. and |
with greater zest, in this town this coming
winter than in any previous ten, and a man |
who can stay thirty days in town and |
leave such traces, can hardly be disposed of |
with sheer.
The remarks of Peter Smith in the FREE |
PREss, yesterday, were more wise and Just |
The lack which he points ont in Mr.. Moody.
namely Of sacramental teaching, was very
glaring and painful. Being pressed on this
point, Mr.. Moody said that his function was
to rouse people up,-thst they must go to
their pastors and churches for training and
learning of that sort. lie compared himself
then to John the Baptist. but. though the
teaching of John was one-sided and defec-
tive in Just this way. he called attention to
his own defects and told people what more
they must learn. That Mr. Moody never
once dwelt on the Importance OF the sacra-
ments cannot be overlooked or excused
still It would be absurd to look to an I'M
Iettered layman for the whole body of reli-
gl0us truth, and think we may be thank
full for what he has done. and supplement
for ourselves what he has failed to do.
Ii is to be remembered that, humanity
-pesking, the Burlington work was for him
4 mere bagatelle We had him here a. it
were under a microscope. Ii may be called
A small but complete specimen of Moody
revival, and a. such is certainly worth the
serious attention OF any intelligent" per-
.on, were it only as social phenomenon.
10 watch the mastery way in which he
ard his spell over this community WAS to
note y spectacle at once grand and unique
Df all the natural forces man. moral force Is
he rOhlest and the most wonderful, and here
I was in operation, full. open, and unds-
,uised. And this is not saying that God
vas not working through man, which GER
.aiDly VIC may reveren.ly hope, and against
which there is no proof in Burlington, as
'et. Ii takes time. say two or three wears,
o apply Gamaliei'S test
Meanwhile, one OF the great motive pow
rs of the age has been brought to our very
ioors, under NEST favorable conditions for
observation, and it would seem, at the very
owest estimate. to be more worthy of in
eliigent curiosity than OF mere contempt.
A. L. H.