The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-01-30

land a norton If England by a wonder
fuI revival Of religion that touched I'll
tclasses and powerfully affected tbs
lives Of many VINO had given ~
Thought TO personal religion. II was
= revival produced ny the oid-fash-
Iionca preaching OF this Word and ~
prayer. led hy a few men who were
moved hy the spirit Of Wesley and
whitfield and Moody and the other
great c-ycngelI-te n nave brought
nome 10 busy and Indifferent men #
their generation the greatest question
Ithat can concern Il human soul.
Not a few leaders % the churches
i'm America have hoped and prayed
that the same spirit that nightly
moved Wales would cross the ocean
land that 1906 i'll the United states
would be made notable by "a vide
Isrrcad and genuine revival OF religion
THAT would take hold upon the con
sciences and lives Of the American
people and create an atmosphere of
iGodIy living that wouI drive out the
lewis that curse our business and So
cial life. Here ard there in all evan
gcIical churches in what is known as
: "~protractcd meetings" missions.
Especial services" and "revivals," the
'oId-time spirit of awakening has been
manifest. churches have been quick
eacd. and souls converted. But there
has been no universal revival-no such
awakening as i'm times past caused
business men to put business affairs
second 10 their religious duties. IN
Weslcy's day. the influence that made
the Wesleyan revival came out of a
I college. Do we find our colleges of
today the centres of spiritual intlu-
cnce?
The simple and earnest preaching
Of the gospel, with emphasis upon the.
fact that all men are sinners and must
ircpent and turn away from their sins,
and the efficacy Of prayer, constitute
the only way to "a h scholar Of
| ir~reproachabIc life who has not needed
the command son, give me thine
heart and the business man who is
so busy that he begs to be excused
from laying up treasures in heaven, as,
we'll as the men h are fragrant Vlo-
lators of the laws of God and man. y
Irecent revival of religion in Schen-
ectady. New York. by DR.. Dawson, of
London. who took a leading part in
the revival work in England, made al
profound impression upon the entire
community. Among the many Whc'
made q profession of religion was Prof.
Edward Everett Hale. professor of
English in Union College, and son of
DR.. Edward Everett Hale, the first
minister of he Unitarian church, an
able author. and chaplain of the Until
ted State Senate. The scholarly pro-.
fessor was reared in the Unitarian
church, taught to reject the divinity
of Christ, and not to believe in the
sort Of revival services that DR.. DaW-
son held in schenectady. He was,
taught TO see things in q new light in
an old-fashioned revival, and will leaVel
the Unitarian church and join the
Presbyterian church of which his Wife
is a member. At the watch night
service held in State Street Methodist
church, where he was converted, Prof.
Hale made a statement of his personal
experience, which, says lions Herald,
moved the congregation. His
statement as given in that paper is
as follows:
The call of Christ [ conceive to be
that time in Il mans life when an i'm
pulse comes to surrender everything
for Christ. We all come to a place in
our lives when we feel that there is
something lacking in our life, and
Christ speaks to us in that still small
voice, and if we accept him he brings
Us into the new life. That is what
is meant by hearing the call and Civ
ing ourselves to Christ.
PROFESSIONALLY had no incertion that
the call of Christ would come to me.
| think most of you here who know
me personally Will agree with me
that | was not the man you would
ave expected to confess Christ here
in this Westinghouse. If you will
pardon these personal references, |
will give Il few reasons why: | am Of
New England birth, and a New Eng
lander is not apt to be carried away
by anything emotional. | am a man
of books. of an intellectual life. assO-
ciatcd constantly with students, and
such men do not take UGH steps under
enthusiasm. Most of you are aware
OF the fact that [ was q Unitarian,
and that they are known as a sect
which lays more stress on reason and
intellect than on The heart. Who
col g ~ Nliob L NooIb 10 =
been led to accept Christ in q revival
meeting in a Methodist church? No
d~isIeSpeCt to this church..
by my personal experience I can
say that the way to the Cross is
through PRAYER. The first sermon
preached here by DR.. Dawson was one
on praye and it was almost by acct
dent that l happened to go. [ only
thought Of hearing an excellent
preacher. | did not find much had
not thought Of before: but [ said, what
he says is sensible. and [ will try
it; and as / walked down from the
church that day | prayed that God
would give men the best he had for
me. Monday came. and | gave myself
to tho ordinary duties Of the week.
did not so to hear DR.. Dawson at
once again, 1t was not until Thursday
night that / came to this meeting
house; but during that time [ contin-
ucd this express prayer, and [ must
admit with q little more interest than
usual. | went TO hear DIR. Dawson
again or Friday. Sunday and Monday.
and during this time | became con-
cpin1IG of n ~ ri1IIC chan or -v-bfcL rr-.r