The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-01-15
THE GREAT REVIVAL or 1857.


The following is an extract from the
sermon pGeaehed by Rev. Dewitt Tai
mage In Brooklyn, N Y, on the 4th
OF January. IL would be we'll II our
free trade friends would ask them
selves what was the cauee OF the hard
times then. 1t seems that poverty,
however, was made to contribute to
the spiritual awakening Of q great
multitude, and the ministers were
greatly encouraged in their efforts to
redeem the world from sin. After re-
counting the various revivals the min
lister said:
But come to a later time-1S57-re.
membered by many who are here. |
remember 1t especially as had just
entered the office Of the ministry. II
was year of hard times. A great
panic had flung hundreds of thous-
ands OF people penniless. Starvation
entered habitations that had never
before known u want. Domestic life,
in many cases became tragedy. Sui
eide, garroting, burglary, assassina-
ton were rampant. What an awful
day that was when the banks went
down! There has been nothing like 1t
in thirty years, and l pray God there
may not be anything like 1t In the next
lnh " Sciituile5' ldlh hDoub your
Black Fridays! It was Black Satur-
Black Tuesday, Black Wednesday,
Black Thursday as well as Black Fri
day.
This nation In its extremity fell help
less before the Lord and cried for par
don and peace, and upon ministers and
laymen the power from on high de-
scended, Engine houses, ware-rooms,
hotel parlors, museums, factories from
~ to 1 O'Clock, while the operatives
were resting, were opened for prayers
and sermons and inquiry rooms, and
Burton'S old theatre on Chambers
street. where our ancestors used to as
seinble TO laugh at the comedies, and
all up and down the streets, and out
on the docks and on the decks of ships
lying at the wharf, people sang, "All
Hail the Power of jesus Name" while
others cried for mercy A great mass
meeting of Christians on n week day,
in Jayne's hall, Philadelphia, tele-
ing in New York, saying what hath
God wroughtT' and telegram went
back saying, 1.-TWO hundred souls
saved at our meeting to-day"
A ship came through tho NarrOws
into our harbor, the captain reporting
that himself and all the crew had been
converted to God between New Or
leans and New York. in the busiest
marts of our busiest American cities,
where the worshippers of Mammon
had been counting their golden beads,
men began to calculate, "What shall
it profit man II he gain the whole
world and lose his soulT Tho walters
in restaurants after the closing OF
their days work kuelt among the
tables where they had served. Police
men asked consent of the commits
sioners OF police to DO permitted to
attend religious meetings.
At Albany members Of tho New
York legislature assembled In the room
OF the court Of appeals at half past
o'clock In the morning for prayer and
praise. Printed invitations we're sent
out to the firemen of,New York saying,
Come as suits your convenience best,
wheth In fire or citizens dress, but
come! comem Quar- ymen knelt
among the rocks. Fishermen knelt in
their boats. Weavers knelt among
tho looms. Sailors knelt among the
hammOcks. Schoolmnsters knelt
among their classes, A gentleman
travelling said there was line OF
prayer meetings from Omaha to Wash.
ington city, and he might have added
q line OF prayer meetings from the
Atlantic to the pacitlc coast and from
tho st. Lawrence to tho Gulf oil
Mexico.
In those days what songs, what ser
mons, what turniBss to God, what re-
citals OF thrilling experiences, what
prodigals brought home, what burning
tidings of souls saved, what surtde m
OF sin cmancipated, what wild rout ol
the forces OF darkness, what victories
for the truth! What millions on Garth
and In heaven are row thanking God
for 1857, which, though the year OF
worst financial calamity, was the yea
Of Americas most glorious blessing.
How do you account for 1857, its splyl-
tual triunphs on the heels Of its
worldly misfortune? Il w.s what my
text calls the power from on high.
That wss thirty-threc years ago, ard
though there hsye been in various
parts OF the land many STRINGS OF the
Holy Ghest there has bcen no general
awakening. Does il not seem to you
that NC ought to have and ray have
the scenes Of power In 1851 eGiipaed by
tho sconos OF power In 1921? lhs cir
cumstances are somewhat similar,
While We have not had national pnnic
and universal prostrntlon IA In 1857,
there has bcen strenl.ency in tho
money market that has put many OF
the families of the earth to their wits
end. Large commercial interests col
,apsing have left multituides OF om-
ployos without means OF suppor.. The
racked brains of business men have
almost or entirely given way. New
illustrations sill over the land of the
fact that riches have not only feet on
which they walk slowly as they como,
but wings on which they speed when
they go. Eternal Godl thou knoHcIt
how ciamped and severe and solemn
a time it is with many. And IS the
business ruin OF 1857 was followed by
the glorious triumFhs OF grn .. let the
awful struggles 81 1890 be followed by
the hallelulals OF u nation taved in