The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1879-03-26
From the St. Louis Presbyterian.
mo Sensationalism, no Resort to Novelties,
but a quiet Trust in tho Simple Gospel
Truth, Accompanied by the Spirit Of God. "

II
The First Presbyterian church, Rochester,
N. Y, is enjoying refreshing from the pre-
sence of the Lord. Christians are revived
and many impenitent persons have been con.
verted.
An exchange from which we gather the
item, goes on to speak of the rich blessing
which has attended the labors of the present
pastor, Rev. DR.. G E. Robinson, and says
that in his ministrations there have been "no
sensationalism, no resort to novelties, but a
quiet trust IN the simple gospel truth accom-
panied By the Spirit of God"
II is not to be wondered at that the Lords
work prospers in the First church of Roches-
ter. 1t is prosecuted in the eappointed way,
in the use of the appointed means, and with
faith in Gods covenant promise and in the
power of the Holy Ghost If these will not
sufice-if they have lost their efficacy, or if
the disease of human nature has grown more
virulent and fatal than heretofore, so that
new or additional measures must be resorted
to, then, msnifestly, "the Gospel of Christ
is no longer "the power of God unto saliva
ton unto every one that believeth," and
Paul could no longer say 81 am not ashamed
of it." But if the disease is precisely the
same now as always-if souls are no more
helpless and needy and guilty and polluted
and lost now than when the Son of God pre-
scribed His gospel as the only infallible spe.
ci6c, is it not unwise, and wrong to souls,
and blasphemous insult to the infinite wis
dom and love and power which have com.
bined to provide and secure the salvation of
sinners, to resort to sensationalism" and
novelties ?"
Gods people in this country have tried the
new.fangled ways and measures, but, as We
recently intimated, the experiment has been
far from satisfactory, and consequently the
churches are showing Dissemination to
work in the old, tried, safe grooves of faith
faith in the earnest, faithful preaching of the
gospeI--faith in the Holy Ghost as the ap-
plier of the truth, the revealer Of Christ, the
constrainer, guide and ssnctifer of souls
faith in prayer or rather in Him who has en-
joined and promised to hear prayer-and
faith in the necessity and blessed power oi
godly living. This revival of the faith Of
Christians-this turning back into the old
paths, is the most hopeful Sign we meet with
in these dreary, sadly disjointed days. Ir
our view, it portends "great things" which
God will do for His people, when they shall
have put away from them the evil heart Of
un5elief; He will honor them that honor
Him; He will reward their faith exceeding
abundantly above all they can even think
He will take away their reproach, and make
them honorable in the eyes of the ungodly
who now laugh at them for their cowardly
mistrust of the suficiency of the simple truth
and their dependence on "sensationalism ant
novelties to gain the ear and save the sou
of perishing sinners.
To illustrate this healthy reaction, We copy
from the Philadelphia Presbyterian as fol
lows
There has been an unmistakable change
with US in the city of Philadelphia during
the last three years and We are sorry tt
say, change for the worse. For twelve
years preceding We had a gracious season
in all our churches, usually toward the close
of our winters work, beginning with th'
Week of Prayer, and extending through tn
winter and spring, kind of gathering o.
first fruits of harvest. 1t was not reviva
|; in the popular sense, but the quickening eff
feet of the gospel in its ordinary presenta
tion; and this blessed period was as tht
shower and sunshine that ripen quickly th'
fruit which has grown and matured through
the ordinary and quiet agencies Of grace
But at the time of the Moody effort, W,
broke up this order of years, and it ha
, never returned to Us again, nor We to it,
This is to every pastor, as far as We know,
matter of painful regret; and to get tac'
} again into this blessed manifestation of life
with its precious results, We are both pray
ing and laboring.
Bearing upon the same point, the Unite
Presbyterian, having expressed itself agains
, Sensstionalism and novelties" continues
8 The New York Observer, referring to fact
, kindred to that mentioned above, says: "Bu
| when We have gone over all the causes of th
9 decline of some of the churches, or of th
a more remarkable fact that they continu
f about the same from year to year while th
9 population all around is increasing, We haV
still to ask, why is it and what can be don
8 to arrest the decline and build up the caua
9 and congregation p 1t then refers to th
8 "quack" minister, who hopes to give life
t his church by spasm which he calls "rt
r yival," and adds: "We attended the funers
0 of church within year after it had re
J. cevei three hundred new members. The
Q were supposed to be converted during
!. spasm of religious effort. Many churc
|, had taken in hundred, and when the f
& was over they were not to be found exceI
% on the roll" These methods of q congreg
l. ton have been those of late of the Church
Q large. 1t has depended on "tabernacles,
2 "haryests," newspaper reports and e1olam
ton points, solacing itself with the feellr