The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1904-05-20
A SERMON FOB SUNDAY
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED,
NEED OF A REVIVAL"
The Rev. DIR. Philip 4. Msxam says That
We Require y Fresh Conviction OF the
Reality of sslvation-Too Much Ab-
eorption in the Pursuit OF Riches.


BROOKLYN, n. YIN Plymouth Church
the Rev. Philip $. Moxom, Of Springfield,
Mass, preached Sunday morning. DIR.
Moxoms subject was The Need of Re
vyal.' He took has text from Hahakkuk
in:2: 20 Jehovah. revive Thy work in the
midst OF the years; IN the midst OF the
years make IL known; IN wrath remember
mercy" Dr. Moxom said:
In times past, when the church was in a
low state Of religious vitality, the more
spiritual of the members, distressed by the
absence OF vigorous life and hurdened by
the condition of the multitude who were
looked upon as lost, sought a revival of
religion. They sought by prayer, earnest
and long continued, 10 deepen their own
experience Of divine grace; they sought by
communion with others of like mind and
by mutual exhortation 10 increase their
zeal IN the service of God; they sought by
means OF pungent and powerful preaching
10 arouse sluggish Christians and awaken
careless sinners
The "protracted meeting as il was
called, was simply continuous series OF
meetings for preaching and prayer and ex.
hortatlon and confession. The preacher
wrought upon the consciences OF men by
setting forth Gods claims on them and
their neglect of duty. He wrought upon
the fears of men by denunciations of the
Imminent danger and certain and terrible
punishment of lmpenitent sinners He
wrought upon the hearts of men by vivid
presentations of the love OF God and por-
trayals of the vast self-sacrltlee OF the Son
OF God IN making atonement for the sins
OF mankind on the cross. Often, If not al
ways, much was made of the physical suf-
terings of Christ. Much was made also of
the material pains of perdition.
An important accompaniment OF the
A. ~ ha a. -,
visitation and appeal, and the testimony
OF religious experience. Men told, with
astonishing frankness, their sins, their
doubts and fears, their repentance, their
self-surrender and their JOY and peace in
the conscious experience OF pardon. They
talked OF Gods dealings with them with a
familiarity that would be shocking, were
II not, on the whole, so reverent
The result OF these combined efforts Of
ten was the awakening of community F;
the meeting house was thronged with hear
ers, many became alarmed on account of
their SINS, backslIders were filed with
conjunction and reclaimed TO their neg
lected iealty, the Indifferent were aroused
and convicted and brought TO state of
deep contrltion. There were numerous
conversions, and the testimony of the CON
yerts increased the religious fervor of be
levers and produced conviction of sin and
desire OF salvation in other unbelievers
Considerable numbers were added TO the
church, and for time the whole Commu-
nifty was raised to a higher level OF relg.
lous llie, and IN many instances to a higher
morality.
Usually, after a time, the revival was
followed by gradual relapse into formal
lty OF religious service, codncss of rehg
lous temper, and indifference to the high
er claims of the church. Fever was fol-
lowed by chill, until, after months or
years, a new demand arose for "a season
OF refreshing from the Lord" This inter
mittency of religious life was a character
istlc feature of Protestant church life for
many generatIons-a period covering quite
200 years. This period, extending from
the seventeenth to the nineteenth centur.
les, was marked by great crises of religious
awakening. Notable among them were
those slgnalized by the names of Edwards
Wesley Whltched, Summcrted and
later, Finney and Moody.
That "revivas OF religion" in what NAV
now be called the historic sense, did great
good cannot successfully be disputed; nor
can 1t be denied that they also did much
harm. On the whole, the good was in ex-
cess of the harm. "Revivais' were in ac-
cord with the religious ideas prevalent at
the time, and were a natural product Of
those ideas During their hectic existence
many individual men and women were
transformed from lives Of wickedness or
vanity TO lives OF virtue and unselhsh serv-
ice TO their fellow men. Reverence for
God was deepened and faith in God was
Stimulated and nourished.
The evils were incident to the mistaken
theology that held supreme place IN the
churches and largely supplanted the sim
phcity OF the gospel OF Christ. These evils
were very great, and the effect Of them
still remains, though In diminishing de.
gree Among them may he noted a false,
or at least, mistaken and Inadequate mo.
tive tor Christian propaganda, mischiev.
Gus separation between religion and NOR
atty, an unnatural and feverish piety that,
on the one hand, became morbid senti-
mentallsm, or, on the other, degcncrated
INTO Journalism not less real because often
II was not ritualistic.
Wrong ideas of God and Christ and sin
and salvation and righteousness and the
hereafter were rooted so deep that they
could be destroyed only by A criticism so
drastic that 1t has seemed 10 tear up fun
damcntal truth of the spiritual life. A
kind OF orthodoxy was established that
perpetuated, If it did not create, opposition
between nature and providence, science
and faith, the business oi life and the m.
terests Of the immortal soul. 1t produced
an artlticlahty OF life which stimulated self
deception and hypocrisy, and gave great
opportunity and scope to the bigot Much
OF the lrreligion of to-day, or what is rath-
er undIscriminately called irrehgion. is
simply reaction, though often unconscious.
from the unreaIity of yesterday
At the present time an attempt is being
made 10 restore the revival methods Of
last century. Organizations have been
formed the more efficiently 20 prosecute
this attempt. In the nature Of the case.
the attempt will fail. it will fail because
1t ls not in accord with prevailing ideas Of
relglon-of God and man and their mutual
relations and Of human development and
destiny. The principle OF evolution has
overthrovn, not the truths, but the struct-
ural principles and the elaborate theory OF
the old theology. The new biology has
made necessary a new theology, and a new
theology is already diffuscd in the atruos-
phere OF the common thought.
But i psak OF this attempt now not %
crlticlse lt; ! would rather welcome II If u
contained any promise of real good /
speak Of II particularly because Il indicates
and emphasize a growing feeling that all
~ not right with the church and society to
day, and the deepening surrnise, n u is
not yet generally a conviction that we are
IN great need Of a true revival of religion.
No one can Justly crIticjse the present
lie OF our country without recognizing and
ooniesslng that 10 presents 20 the view
WY many ltdluIt- Whirn AWAKEN Feelings
OF gratitude and hope. Charity was never
90 abundant and WISE Tne morals of the
average business man were never better.
Laws were never more humane and Just.
Politics were never less corrupt The ben
ehccnt enterprises Of the Chr5tian church
in all the world were never 80 intelligent
and sympathetic and efficient Whatever
sbatem.ents We must make. because Of GER
tam obvious and perDiexing fIcts, these
proportions are. IN the main, true
On the other hand there D. an absorbing