The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-29
Saved England.


The Wesleyan revival checked, and
then overcame, the influence of Vol
taire's intidel philosophizing, and ar
rested its tendency to destructive rev.
olution before it could spread beyond
the borders of France. Hereby Wesley
saved England from the damnation of
doubt, and America from social de-
struction and political despair. 1t is
impossible to eXaggerate the dreadful
consequences of evil which would have
accrued to the American colonies and
the rising republic formed by them, if
Wesleyanism had not prevented Vol
tairism from securing a foothold in
England in the eighteenth century,
when the sturdy stocks from which the
citizenship of America was first made
were being transported to and trans
planted in the New World. Moreover,
the Wesleyan revival chastened the
fierce selhshness of the newly dawned
era of induStrialism, bound all classes
together in bonds of the most sacred
sympathies, and unified as nothing else
could have done the English speaking
peoples of the world. 1t tanned the
wild passion of greed and postponed,
if it has not utterly prevented, the So
cial revolution in Great Britain and
America, which the most optimistic
apprehensions the dreams of many
thoughtful men. And it may be re-
marked in passing that the dangers
which beset us to-day in the matter
of labor and capital can only be avert
ed by revival of the Wesleyan re-
vival in our own day among all classes,
and these dangers will hasten to their
elimination by just so much as we
delay to return to Wesley's God by
the experience of whose saving grace
the divine 'fatherhood and human
brotherhood are made so real to the
souls of men as that it brings peace
on earth as we'll as glory in the high
est. The antagonisms of classes are
cleansed and cured when the wise and
the wealthy come with peasants and
shepherds to open their treasure and
adore their God at the child of Bethle-
hens feet 1t was thus England and
America were saved by the WESLEYAN
revival and it is thus they must be
saved again, if saved at ali.
But Wesley planned for none of
these great things.
Surprised Even Wesley.
The extent of the work surprised him
as much as it gratified him. He said.
This revival of religion has spread
TO such degree as neither we nor
our fathers had known How exten-
slye mas 1t been! There is scare a con-
siderable town in the kingdom where
some have not been witnesses of II n
has spread to every age and cav -
most orders and degrees of men. ana
even to abundance of those who N
time past, were accounted monsters
OF Wlckedness. When has true
rehglon, will not say since the reforN
NATION but since the time of Cons+an-
tine the Great, made so large a nro1-
ress in any nation. within so small .
space? / believe, hardly can anciaot
or modern history afford a parallel IN
stance; While thus clearly perceiv-
ing the greatness of the a-,.,.
achieved he finds the cause NJ aI usu Is
IN the wisdom with which he had ~ Iio'
ned. nor the skill with which bo pan an,
executed the work; but in the p,,r.I Iau
ana power of God, saving rs POSE
these things are so, may we no, u
say, What hath God wrought :, wen
Hls spirit Is that of the Psalro,...
, NOT unto us. o. Lord. not unto -
nut unto Thy name, give glory Ea
ny mercy ana Tor Thy truths SAKE"
Mhen his followers were only -.
10000 souls, with devout wonder no a0out
ults ne eA-
20 the fathomless love that hath
hNikNtf- - Gpr0Ne
And prosper the work Of NV had,
the brook over
And behold / am spread into hsna.
Who. ! ask Ia amaze. hath so,,.n 49,
these H'fi'h me /
Ana inquire from what quarter ,h.v
ny fsll heart q replies. they are horn.