Year: 1873

The eighth Of the lectures by Henry


Ward Beecher was delivered yesterday.


The subject of the revivals was entered
upon, and will be continued to-day. The
lecturer announced his hearty belief in
them, and devoted himself to an explana-
ton OF the causes which give them ex-
istence. Succeeding lectures will treat
OF their management and control.


Upon the subject of revivals there are
two extreme views, besides the many
| opinions which lie between these On the
one side they are looked upon as the most
direct proofs of the divine presence which
we have in these days, and regarded as
beyond all laws. they are thought of with
feeling approaching superstition. To
other persons revivals are the most emf
nent exhibition of morbid emotion which
can be found, and if they are not due to
Satanic influence they are still the widest
and most extravagant displays of the
feelings. But if you look at the question
historically you will find that all nations
have been subjected at times to great
swells OF passionate feeling, and that they
have been connected with some of the
most important steps made by the WORLD
in all departments Of life and knowledge.
| The revival system was incorporated into
Mosaic dispensation. need not refer to
the case of Elijah and the Staying of the
prophets of Baal, when new measures
were introduced with vengeance. Ii
was not the work of religion pure and
undetiled, but great effort of the people
to throw off idolatry In the same list
| belong the numerous efforts to save the
temple and preserve the nation. The
visits of all the males in Israel to
Jerusalem three times year were but
protracted meetings The whole of the
Gallilean life of Christ, which was | sus-
pect two-thirds of his ministry, was spent
| in a revival state Wherever he went
the people where thrown into great ex-
element, and left all to follow him. The
| church was subject 10 the great divine
! freshets down to the Reformation. The
| channel OF the mountain streams must
overflow at times, and the water spread
on all sides refreshing the land. The
Reformation was itself q great revival.
The Roman Catholic Church, that old
primitive sect, with its usual good sense,
seeing the excellent effects of revivals in
other denominations, has now missions of
five to seven DAYS rs the case may be.
which are nothing but plotracted meet.
| ings. Revivals have found u place in
every denomination, and their univer-
salty suggests the probability that they
are founded on want of human nature.
The mass Of men are in such u lifelesS
state that they cannot rise without social
help. They are intelligent, perhaps, but
always silent; but let them talk with one
or two others and they become Interested
This is also necessary in exciting the feel
ings. All men are supposed to have a
conscience, but if it is really active in one
or two in q thousand it is large per
cent. Ninety-nne persons in q hundred
have the conscience in such state that it
is not affected without outside help. 1t
may be affected through the sense of
shame, rs in the case of the thief, who
does not feel that he has committed a
crime until he is caught, and has time for
reflection. Many persons in legal matters
steal in Il creditable manner and are not
conscious Of any wrong until some one
robs them in the same way, when they
are touched. SO, classes in the com
munity are only reached through those
about them. Put one man before a min
lister preaching like Jonathan Edwards,
and he cannot be affected rs if there were
five hundred about him feeling the same
influence. We are made so, and YOU
must learn to reason about men as they
are, and not rs they ought to be. You
are to treat them as you would the plants
in your garden | don't 90 out and moan
because the hollyhocks are not the height
of the daisies, but treat them rs find
them. Nothing is so likely to lead YOU
astray as that despotic ''ought" You
may preach over the heads OF people and
then say they fought" to come up to that
But you are to be jew with Jews. and
as a Gentle among Gentiles and if You
do it as we'll as St. Paul-and he failed
often-you will do better than by adopting
a cast-iron method and trying 70 bring up
people to it.


But it is said, is it not better way to
go along steadily with the regular ser
vices Of the church. and follow up preach
ing by visiting, than to have these starts
no community reach all cases 1t has
not wings broad enough to brood over
all. Two-thirds of the people on this
continent never 90 within Il church or lis
direct influences. Is everything to take
its form from the stated Institutions, with
no elasticity? They are rather to be sup
lutF uttu IGNlNdlS us Qlucn
as the people. The constant tendency is
to fall into routine, and TO 90 on in ruts
There isaconstant demand for spontaneity.
In war it is necessary to have solid forts,
butyo need also cavalry and light troops.
Revivals may be needed most in Old we'll
established, and ighly-organiz churches
but the special demand for them is among
the masses. am not speaking of the
dregs of society, the detritus, the mud of
society, in regard to which the problem
is different and difficult, but to 90 above
this to the working men, the common
folks. Their higher feelings are often
very weak, and if they are to be aroused
and enthused, it is by some such influence
as revivals.


But you will ask if revivals do not run
to tanaticism. Sometimes But | do not
think you would hesitate to break colts
for farm and other service because horses
run away. 1t is sign that they have
not been we'll trained. Reveals are un-
tamabe according as they are rare, but
mild when they come often. When the
fountains of moral feeling 1re broken up
Tor the first time in fifty years, there must
be flood. 1t is not too much life, but
an awakening from death Revivals are
mild and easily controlled when they
are prepared for, recognized and fairly
dealt with. A man brought into the
kingdom through the regular work of the
church is not likely to be any better than
one brought in through a revival Re
yivals do root out men and give them an
elevation they never had before There
may be some failures. some miscarrages
in a revival but not every head in the
wheat field fills out, not ali the fruit which
sets is finally fit for the cellar. Do all
people brought up III regular church CON
nection turn out well? Are there not as
many failures in the regulars as in the
militia But you say, is not flood of
raw men poured out on the community
The men were in the community before,
and do you object because they have been
made better and have attained higher
feelings? What it, when Lazarus was
raised with the grave-clothes and shroud
about him, he had stumbled little at
first, and the principles had said, '.This
raising of the dead isn't so much after
all ?" Anything which puts lite into men
is better than this long propriety of dam
nation