The Minneapolis journal., 1905-11-26
STORY OF GREAT
REVIVAL OF 1900
THOUSANDS SAVED IN WoNDER-
Full SPREAD OF GOSPEL.
After Years Of Retrogradation Great
Wave of Religion Swept Thru Six
States Enguldng Vast Throngs Of In
different Services Held in Forests
and Fields-Effect Still Evident.

y
century there was a widespread declen-
sion among the churches, at the head
waters of the Ohio river. Additions to
the churches were rare and conversions
much more infrequent. Regeneration
as necessary to salvation was rarely
Covenant was the popular doctrine Of
the day. The churches were thinly at
tended; the ministers preached most
frequently to empty pews and sleepy au-
ditors. Prayer meetings were almost
unknown.
But all processing Christians were
not satisfied with these sad conditions.
Gray-haired ministers could not sleep
nights so troubled were they for the
would oftimes rise at the midnight
hour, in midsummer, and pray, till the
dawn Of day, for the revival Of religion
in their midst. Elders could not rest
in their beds. They arose, sought the
manse and agonized, in prayer, all night
long for the salvation Of sinners. Faith
ers and mothers were dissatisfied and
engaged, also, in much prayer for their
children; For long period Of time,
this faithful few prayed for that region.
Then as the old century merged it
self into the new, the blessing came.
The clouds opened and showers Of bless
ings descended. The Holy Spirit came
down as on the day Of Pentecost and
swept, with irresistible force, up and
Cumberland and, to and fro, amid the
hills of those mountain regions and
at once there was glorious change.
It came not slowly, but spontaneously.
The churches were thronged with atten-
tive hearers and larger inquirers after
the way Of salvation.
Churches All Too Small.
The churches were not able to ac-
sired to hear the preaching Of the Word.
And so they overfowed into the forests.
Great overflow meetings were held
they called them "field meetings. Peo-
pie from far and near met in great as
semblies in the fields. These were
very lengthy services. One minister
preached till he was exhausted and an
and another till the day was far spent.
And such preaching! : Those ministers
preached powerful sermons. They were
not prim essays on the all-do-fade-as-
a-leaf' order. They preached Of the
exceeding sinfulness Of sin, Gods in
tense hatred of sin, the helplessness and
hopefulness of the sinner out Of Christ
The preached the intensity of the di--
vine love and the divine Justice Of
sovereign God. They preached of the
wondrous glories of heaven and also
of the errors Of the Judgment.
The results were simply wonderful.
Multitudes were convicted of their sins
and turned from them unto God. Count
,churches were born unto God in day.
Out Of that fiery furnace Of revival
! came the Cumberland Presbyterian,
church of the Kentucky mountains
strong body just now merging itself
into the greater Presbyterian body from
which they were struck off by the
| sledgehammer of revival.
Covered Vast Area.
This was not a narrow movement,
confined to the churches of a single
| city. It reached from the Ohio river
to the Atlantic, extending over vast
area now covered by half dozen popu-
lous states. It was not transitoy
effort continuing for seventeen days
fire over all that great. region; for
ton of the land. It burst forth eves
and anon, like volcanic fire, at inter
walls, till the civil war came, with its
demoralizing influences, and barred for
season spiritual work.
It's results still mark that district OF
| our COuuLTy. IL lS d 1duu VI ChuA ASnOo
strong, aggressive churches. It is
prolific in ministers and from that re-
gion missionaries of God-go
forth to preach the gospel of the Christ
and more missionaries cross the seas to
tell the old story to the lost of the
heather world than from any other
section of the world.
And from the churches of that region,
there flows into the treasures of the
Lord countless millions for mission
work at home and abroad-more than
from any other region.
History repeats itself in revival work
as in other lines Of history. Earnest,
pointed preaching Of the great doctrines
of the whole word of God backed up by
the power of the Holy Spirit, always
produces the same glorious fruition-
repentant, saved sinners, revived saints
: quickened churches-the people stirred
to higher and holier living, deeper devo
tion and more entire conservation tc
God.
+ At Salem English Lutheran church