The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-11-04
REvlvALS IN
new JERSEY
Religious Movement Now On
Foot Calls Up Memories Of
Other Great Awakenings.
OLD TIME. METHODS
WHEN THE HISTORIC WHITE
FIELD PREACHED IN THIS
STATE - TEMPERANCE REKI-
VAL or A CENTURY AGO.

Apropos Of the movement towards a
revival of religion in this state, a brief
review of similar movements in America
in the past may prove of interest. sach
review must of necessity beSconiined to
the history of events, and dwell but
slightly upon the philosophy or the nn-
derlying religious conditions oil the re
vivals.
1t might be said by way of iiltroduc-
tion that reylvals have occurred under
various names, conditions and circrm-
stances from the days of the apostles
until now. 1t was crusade, self
sacrificing Franciscan order, or reform
started by Luther, but always sucll
movement was a revival of religion.
The word revival, however, as generic
IS of modern origin. The Puritan fathers
of New England never used it in such d
connection. With them and their follow
ers until the days of Edwards, any
| special interest or ingathering was called
| harvest or an awakening.
1t is true that Rev. Joseph Sewall, of
| Boston, published in 1116 his sermon on
Hopes that Joshua's Resolution May be
Revived which was long discourse on
the serving of God. and on a renewed
interest in family worship; but he prob
ably never entertained thought that the
successful result of his rebukes and pd-
monitions would be called revival The
the first half of the eighteenth century
was ian awakening" and thus Jonathan
Edwards at first described the great re
ligious movement of his day which has
ever since been known as THE Great
Awakening" But Edwards, himself, in
his Narrative of Many Surprising Con-
versions in Northampton and Vicinity"
written in 1876, seems not to have mem
toned revival, though later. when he re-
viewed the awakening in all New El.!g-
land, he gave his essay the title,
Thoughts on the Revival of Religion
in New England" BY a kind of pro-
gression of events and terms the awak-
ening at Northampton became the reyi-
val of New England nevertheless the
latter word did not receive its generic
significance until later years, though it
is probable that Edwards in thus first
prominently using it, originated its new
application.
The great awakening or revival in
New England began in 1873 in Ed
wards's church in Northampton, Mass. 1T
began with the young people of his com
gregation, in whom in the pastors Ian
| guage, there appeared very unusual
fexibleness and yielding to advice, The
New England Sabbath began Saturday
evening, and ended early Sunday even-
| ing. Edwards complained that The
young people after public lecture spent
| Sunday evening too freely in mirth and
company keeping, and he called upon
| parents to govern their families and
keep their children at home The ques-
! 4
ton of Sabbath breaking, it will be seen,
was not here involved, but only that rey-
erence which Edwards believed should
| follow in the wake of the closing hours
of a day of worship. The sermon de-
signed to rebuke this state of things l.e-
suited in a marked reformation. and an
awakening of religious interest among
the young people. The death of a. young
man in the neighboring village of Pias-
commuck, who died in delirium OF
| pleurisy very suddenly, caused number
| of young people in that place to think
more seriously of religion. This occurred
in April, 1874, and in the fall Of tlIat
year. Edwards persuaded his young pto-
pie to meet in companies in various parts
Of the town for social religious or PRAYER
meetings. This movement soon affected
the older people and thorugh various con
tributing events and personal expert
ences, together with what to Edwards
was not the least Of the resolving forbes
Of the awakening, namely, fear among
the people lest God was withdrawing
himself from them because of the sprehd
Of Arminianism (NIethodism in that pllrt
Of the country, the revival gained in Mo-
mentum until it shook Northampton. aud
through that place large part of NEw
England and the state of New York.
Hundreds came into the churches, .ahd
/ new religious feryor animated the ynk{-