Year: 1875

duce excitement, and that those who
conduct them may have been able in
smaller towns than London to operate
under conditions more favorable to their
success. 1t takes less to make stir in
a little town than q big one, and there
is, moreover, in most communities OF
moderate size, kind of concentrated
family feeling which makes the people
more susceptible to common impulses.
An impression permeates the whole
mass more quickly in such case.
Moreover, the fact that the people who
were prayed for and those who were sup
posed to be converted were known to
many of the audience, would also give
q deeper interest to the meetings, and
tend to spread the cOntagion Of excite
ment if it began to take hold OF any
part of an assembly. 1t has been alleged
that in some instances a sort OF morbid
hysteria seemed to be developed, and
there are also stories of people being
driven out OF their wits. 1t is difficult
to ascertain precisely what has really
happened; hut il Is notjmprobable that
there has actually beefbOme amount Of
unhealthy effervescence, and that here
and there perhaps q weak-mlnded per-
son has been further deranged. Still,
after our experience Of the London meet
ings, we should not be surprised to hear
that there had been good deal OF eX-
aggeration about the country ones. The
conclusion to which we come is that,
tested by their apparent effect on the
people who go to them, the revivalist
services in London must so far be pro-
nOunced to be as q means OF religious
excitement rather a failure. 1t may be
said that there can hardly be more in
nocent method of spending an evening
than in singing hymns and listening to
religious talk, and that If the thousands
of people at the Agricultural hall are
drawn away from the music halls and
theaters, there is no reason to regret it.
Oaly, if this is the whole that is to be
got out of these gatherings, they fail to
come up to the pretensiOns put forth by
the conductors; and, the other hand,
even from a mere secular point OF view,
they are calculated to degrade and de-
prave the public taste. The whole the
Ory and plan of revival is to work up
the people who come to 1t into state OF
excitement, to make them feel the
fearful peril of their souls, and
to set before their minds in the most
forciDle and appalling way the choice
which on the instant they are called
upon 10 make OF 6N6IidSllDS uopPlnCoS
or damnation. And this is what Mr..
Moody sets himself to do, with
Mr.. Sankey's help. We cannot,
from our point OF view, regret
that the results at which the
revivalists aim are not fOrthcOm-
ing; but their absence must be disap-
pointment to those who recommend
this mode of religious agitation. 1t
would seem, then, that London, though
it is quite willing to have an evenings
entertainment, is imperviOus to Mr..
Moody's spiritual stimulsnts; and 1t
may now perhaps be doubted whether
the impression in the country has been
as marked as has been asserted. There
is no reason why congregation should
not be animated by the sound Of its own
voice, even though the result is not very
pleasant 30 q musical ear, and there Is
still less reason why professional music
Of the best kind should not be provided.
Mr.. Moody's ranting is the blot upon
the service, and it is possible that II
might be omitted without greatly affect
ing its popularity.