The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-26
THE GOOD OF REVEALS.
DIR. Moody Believes in Their Eficacy-A
Touching Story Related.

Mr. Moody Believes in Their Eficacy-A
Touching Story Related.
At the afternoon session after several songs
were sung the regular meeting was opened with
prayer by Rev Henry Day.
Rev. r. E. Neishbor, of the North Baptist
Church, opened the question, ''Revivals and
How to Promote Them He did not propose to
define revival nor tell how to conduct one, but
simply to throw out few suggestions as to how
to get ready and how to bring revival about
All were agreed as to the desirablity of revivals
and the general progress of the kingdom of
Christ in this world. There are REVEALS that 60
backward in order that church progress may go
forward. Some time ago minister had told
him that one winter a revival had added seventy
five or eighty to the church and the next winter
they had turned out hundred He did not
think it good thing to have cut-and- dried ar
engagements beforehand. It is not the best plan
to send for an evangelist at the start, but to
have the revival under way before sending for
him. First of all, have sincere desire to have
it. Some people want a revival from wrong
motives. The church is in debt and it needs
new life and membership He believed
in turning self out Of doors and
SuULultt4ItS wholly 10 inc IOrO. In
having a revival let each one begin with himself
first. Each will then be light, radiant point
It may begin without advertising Elijah the
Tishbite who revived all Israel, came unheralded.
If we want a revival in our churches we want to
begin by kicking Journalism out When we sing
we want to sing the Gospel songs, such as we
have heard here. We want to let festheticism
and new theology alone, and go on in the line of
the grand old Gospel Let us know how to take
hold of the impenitent heart. David said: Lord
wilt thou not revive us again?" and Habakkuk:
"Oh Lord, revive us in the midst Of the years."
ITO the Work, to the Work" was then sung,
after which Il W. Munhall spoke briefly The
subject was continued by Mr.. Moody He
said that Mr.. Sturgeon asked him one day last
winter if he didn't find some people opposed to
revivals on the ground that great many of the
converts don't hold out Mr., Moody told him he
did. Then, said Mr. Spurgeon, I'll give
you an argument to meet them. A man
once found sovereign in the street He took
it to the bank, where it was weighed, and as it
was much worn, he got eighteen shillings for it.
Now, if it hadn't been worn, it would have been
worth twenty shillings He was putout about the
two shilliugs. After that, he found another
sovereign. Wouldn't pick it up Afraid it
wasn't worth full twenty shilings.' In this
work there will be four kinds of listeners down
to the end of time. Some seed will fall by the
wayside, some in stony places. some among
thorns, but some will fall into good ground and
bring forth fruit. What we have to do is to SOW
the seed.
It's so easy for people to talk against revivals.
Even church people talk against them. Now,
politicians don't talk against revivals in politics.
Business men don't deprecate revivas in bust
ness. They encourage them. They're asking
for one now. But in the church there comes q
wave from heaven, and these wise people shake
their heads and fear everything will be wrong.
They don't think it right to stir things up. Tell
me tho country wasn't stirred by the preaching
of John the Baptist. That was revival So
was the work of Jesus Christ. What were Wes-
ley, Whitcomb, Luther, Knox, but revivalstsY
Oh, but they are afraid of disorder
Well. the four men who let the
palsied man in through the top of the
house to be cured by Jesus were not Very
likely the people who were listening to Jesus
looked dark at the interruption. Maybe a little
dirt came down upon them and they brushed it
away Indignantly. Not so Jesus. No reproof
from him.
We must not be backward about doing Gods
work. A great many think they can't do any
thing, and so do nothing A Scotchman once
said something that went into my heart like
coal of fire. He said there probably was not
man in Sauls army who did not believe God
could use him, but David believed God would
use him.
In London there are good many people who
have been in missionaries and military
mon. Once, at place where there was one of
these missionaries. military said. for
everybody to hear him. that he had been in
India twenty years and had never seen native
convert. The missionary did not say anything
for time. At length he asked the military
man It no had seen any tigers in India Tigers