The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-05-18
"NEED OF A REVIVAL"
A Brilliant Sunday Sermon By Rev. Dr.
Phillip R. MOxam.
We Require Fresh Conviction Of the Realty
Of Salvation.

BRooKLYN, N, Yin Plymouth Church
The Rev. Philip S. Moxom, of Springfield,
Mass, preached Sunday morning DIR.
Moxom's subject was "The Need of Re-
vival." He took his text from Habakkuk
iii:2: 20 Jehovah, revive Thy work in the
midst OF the years; in the midst of the
years make it known; in wrath remember
mercy DIR. 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 we're
looked upon as lost, sought revival of
religion. They sought by prayer, earnest
and long continued to deepen their own
experience OF divine grace; they sought by
communion with others of like mind and
by mutual exhortation to increase their
zeal in the service of God; they sought by
means of pungent and powerful preaching
TO arouse sluggish Christians and awaken
careless sinners.
The 'protracted meeting" rs it was
called, was Simply n continuous series OF
meetings for preaching and PRAYER and ex-
h0rtatlon and confession. The preacher
wrought upon the conscences OF men by
setting forth Gods Claims on them and
their neglect OF duty. He wrought upon
the fears OF men by denuncations of the
imminent danger aud certain and terrible
punishment of impenitent sinners. lie
wrought upon the hearts of men bv vivid
presentations of the love Of God and por.
trayals of the vast sell.sacriiice of the Son
of God in making atonement for the sins
of mankind on the cross. Oitea, ii not al
ways, much was made OF the plyscd, sui-
ferings Of Christ. Much was made also of
the material pains OF pgriition.
An important accomraun ut of the
preachers work was the ,york Of private
vi nj a NJ HOp'
of religious experience. Men tod. with
astonishing frankness, their s,nS. their
doubts and fears, thtiC repentance. their
self.surrendor and their JOY and peace in
the conscious experience OF pardon. They
talked of Gods dca'iN1s with .len With Il
familiarity that woa.d be shocking. were
1t not, on the whole. 50 r6veIcnt
The result of these combined cif1?.s OF.
ten was the awakening Of u community;
the meeting house WAS thrDngei with hear
ers, many became alarmed on account of
their sins, backs,idcrs were flied with
compunction and reclaimed to their neg.
lected fealty, the Indifferent were aroused
and convicted and brought t. a state of
deep contrtion. There were numerous
conversions, and the testimony of the con.
verts increased the religious fcryov of he.
levers and produced conviction OF sin aud
desire OF salvation in other unbeiievels
Considerable numbers were added TO the
church, and for time the whole commu
nifty was raised to higher level Of re'ig-
ious life, and III maay instances to higher
morality.
Usually, after time, the revival was
followed by graiua! relapse into formal
ity OF religious service, co.dneSs OF rciig-
ious temper, and Indifference to the high
er claims OF the church Fever was fol-
lowed by chill, until, after months or
years, new demand arose for "a season
Nf eaFpr Ia
mittency OF religious life was a character
istic feature OF Protestant church life for
many generations 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 signali2ed by the names of Edwards,
Wesley Whiteheld, Summerheld and,
later, Finney and Moody.
That "revivals oil religion" in what may
now, be called the historic sense did great
good cannot successfully be disputed; nor
can it 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 unsehsh serv-
ice to their fellow men. Reverence for
God was ,decpened 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 supplantel the sim
plicity 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 be noted false,
or at least, mistaken and inadequate. mo-
tive Tor Christian propaganda, a mschiev-
Gus separation between religion and NOR
ality, an unnatural and feverish piety that
on the one hand, became a morbid senti-
mentalism, or, on the other, degenerated
into Journalism not less real because often
1t 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 criticism so
drastic that it has seemed to tear up fun
damental 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 Of life and the in
terests OF the immortal soul. 1t produced
an artificiality of life which stimulated self
deception and hypocrisy, and gave great
opportunity and scope to the bigot Much
OF the irreligion Of to-day, or what is rath-
er undlscriminately called irreligion. is
simply reaction, though often unconscious,
from the unreality of yesterday
AT the present time an attempt is being
made to restore the revival methods OF
last century. Organizations have been
formed the more efficiently to prosecute
thus attempt. In the nature Of the case,
the attempt will fail. 1t will fail because
1t Is not in accord with prevailing ideas of
religion-of God and man and their mutual
relations and of human development and
destiny. The principle of evolution has
overthrown, not the truths, but the struct.
nral principles and the elaborate theory Of
the, old theology. The new biology has
made necessary new theology, and a new
theology is already diffused in the atmos
phere OF the common thought.
But l psak of this attempt now not TO
criticise it; would rather welcome it If il
contained any promise of real good
speak of it particularly because it indicates
and emphasizes growing feeling that all
Is not right with the church and society to-
day, and the deepening surmise, il il is
not yet generally a conviction, that we are
IN great need OF a true revival of religion.
No one can justly crticise the present
life OF our country without recognizing and
confessing that il presents to the view
very many features which awaken feelings
OF gratitude and hope. Charity was never
30 abundant and wise. The morals of the
average business man were never better.
Laws were never more humane and Just
Politics were never less corrupt. The ben.
ehcent enterprises of the Christian church
in all the world were never SO intelligent
and sympathetic and efficient Whatever
ant la e