The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-11-09

a MORE THOUGHTFUL SPIRIT.

AaORE TuoUeHTEuL sPnIT.
The Religions Changel Of the Las
Half CsntuFy-Lels Noise and Nor
Thought.
From Prof SWINGS Sunday sermon.
That the existing type Of Christianity Il
more thoughtful and more truthful may BE-
learned by marking how generally the old
noisy and almost Paganish excitements
have disappeared from the revival seasons
OF the more demonstrative sects. This an.
nual tumult died away from the Presbyte-
rians more than half q century ago, and
for twenty-five years this kind OF uproar
has been dying away from the Baptist and
Methodist denominations, The congrega-
tons increase in size constantly, thou
sands are received each year into these
many folds, but they are received in
more of that simplicity and silence
which belong to the temple Of
God, The tumultuous revival never
was necessity, not even barbarous
time demands the shouting, and dane
ing and failing" OF the old midwinter
meetings, for Bishop Whipple can by q
simple and quiet method OF the Episcopal
Church make the Indians OF the Northwest
rally under the name Of Jesus Christ And
Christ himself in semi-barbarous era was
the very prince OF peace, No more quiet
and thoughtful preacher ever lived and no
one era had grander following. There
was no demand for the old methods OF the
avowed revivalists, but on the opposite
those methods were part OF the mistakes
which have attended all the labors OF man
in any department Of his life. Those errors
which have attended man us law maker,
man as builder, man as an inventor, man
Us scientist, man as q surgeon, have been
near him as an evangelist and theologian,
and they must die, not as faded flowers
that once had beauty, but as exposed fol-
lies,
Ifany Of US have ever justified such peri
DDS Of frenzy It ought to be the pleasure
and privilege Of our older years to recall
such Endorsement and to confess that we
were included in the blunder OF the older
time, II is one OF the blessings OF later
life TO recall the opinions OF youth.
Even II the accession to the church rolls
were less in these quiet days than they
were when the loud, physical commissions
and conversion were popular It would re-
main q consoling thought that the spread
Of the Gospel cannot be read by numbers
so much rs in the quality and permanency
Of the new life. Areligion quickly gotten
is most easily lost. AS sudden fortune
generally finds its owner untitled to use
money wisely, and disappears rapidly as it
came, 80 religion which comes without any
study and any morals Of early years, comes
in night with loud hymn and shout,
makes q short stay, for In the absence OF
teaching and reflection, the spiritual
house that rises by magic is founded
upon sand. Thinking on these things one
cannot but congratulate those denomina.
tons which once trusted so much TO tenn
porary excitement that they are transform
ing their old camp meetings into summer
schools OF mingled religion and science
and philosophy. There was much that
was good and impressive In that camp
meeting which Is now almost thing OF
the past. Coming in midsummer, when
the external world had become perfect in
It's morning and evening loveliness, when
the unseen hands had urged forward all
the sketches OF spring into the finished
pictures OF July or August, when the wind
was a zephyr on the cheek and each breath
q perfume, when the morning song OF un-
numbered birds could mingle well with
the hymns OF worshiping man, these meet
ings In the forest seemed TO invite us
to scenes greater than the louvre
or streets OF palaces, seemed to
invite us TO pass some days in the
art gallery OF God. Oh, what fretwork Of
leaves and vines what whispers and what
silenCes what effects Of the blue atmos-
phere and what distances so full Of repose
Yes, all this is ofhappy memory, but when
perversions OF prayer and Of song and Of
scripture and sermon which often mark
these assemblages in the woods, one must
always imagine the solemn beauty oil the
forest to enter It's protest against the dis
cords Of the Christian. These diScords
seem 10 cease in that new dispensation
which transforms the old camp meeting in
to summer school, sacred to all learning
and philanthropyand religion. There may
be objections TO such anomalies Us those
great out door institutes which assembly by
that lake in New York, or by the Miami In
Ohio, or by our own lake, but we
may put this down as a fact, that every hui
man institution is Objectionable, be It q
college, or State, or volume OF laws, or
denomination in religion, or practice in
medicine. There Is only one good, and
that Is God. Be their detects many or few,
the summer encampments Of learning and
religion are nothing else than the old camp
meeting transformed by the calm and
deeper thought OF wiser age. They re-
tain the inspiration Of natural scenery and
make II combine in many beautiful ways
with the inspiration Of God. That meet
ings Of the old type are to be found by
stream or lake are not places where a good
Is coming TO society, but places where an
error Is taking It's flight. The child is rap.
idly making room for the man, and Is put.
ting away childish things in anticipation Of
the event.