, 1888-11-29
~ WANT NO FALSE ExCIrEMENr."


One of the most happy, conciliatory
and widely useful religious movements
in the history of modern times--cre-
ating an enthusiasm as general and
far.reacbing as it was decorous and
practical--was that which commenced
in the fall of 1876 under the personal
auspices of Dwight L. Moody and Ira
ID. Sankey, evangelists OF world wide
fame.
Those who have studied the history
OF great religious awakenings have dis
covered that among the causes that
contributed to their success, none was
SO potent as the genius of the great
leaders who directed them. Under the
labors of such men as Whitefeld, Ed
wards and the Tennents, such results
followed as had never before character
Ized any age or people. Oratory-at
all times and in all places the most
powerful OF weapons-reached its
highest excellence and attained it's
greatest influence in the pulpit. The
true definition OF eloquence is, the
power to move the soul to action and
to this power, which consists neither
of this, that, or the other thing, but is
an inborn gift, Mr.. Moody owes his
position among the most eminent re-
vivalists during the national century.
Cartwright, Knapp, Potter, Finney
and others equally eminent and use
full, each in his way, accomplished
great results and achieved great fame,
but it is doubtful if the work OF any of
them was as effective as that of Mr..
Moody, and certainly, the labors of
none of them extended over so vast a
field as his have done. No man ever
drew, day after day, such large aud
fences; on one occasion--Suuday
ebruary 18th, 1876, in New York
clty-the attendance being estimated
at twenty-five thousand. Mr.. Moody's
methods are such as to meet the APP
proval OF ministers and members of all
denominations. When he began his
work, years ago, the Tablet, an influ-
ential journal of the Roman Catholic
faith, spoke OF him as affording, in
"the midst OF an age of mocking and
unbelieving, kind of earnest testi-
mony to Jesus, and we cannot find it
in our heart to say it is not OF God
Probably nothing SO distinguishes his
work from that Of the other revivalists
as the absence of all excitement of
hysterical and purely emotional char
acter. He brings men to q realizing
sense of their sins-cold sober. al
want no false excitement" he ex-
claimed at a memorable revival meet
ing; and this sentiment is an index to
the character of the man, and of his
meetings. But no man, however
great. can inaugurate, or conduct with
success, religious movement without
the earnest cooperation Of others
working together systematically for
common purpose.
The great revival In 1S57-8-reach-
ing across the length and breadth OF
this ontinent-the greatest religious
epoch OF the national century, was ac-
companied by plan OF family vista
ticn, MONDAY prayer-meetings, special
meetings. for various classes, land all
other systematic endeavor, known to
the religious world.
The REVIEW invites the cordial CO.
operation of all denominations in the
work that Mr.. Moody will soon inaug-
urate in this city, and takes the liberty
OF suggesting-as appropriate to the
day-that as all the souls that are
united in one church, so all churches
should unite in this work OF saving
souls.