Springfield weekly Republican. [volume], March 11, 1909, Page 4, Image 4

About Springfield weekly Republican. [volume] (Springfield, Mass.) 1851-1946

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PAST “GREAT AWAKENINGS.’
SOME OF THE NOTED EVANGELISTS
AND HOW THEY DID THEY WORK
LOCAL REVIV OF 50 A EARS AGO,
Jonathan Edwards. Whitefield and
Moody in Turn Stirred the Connec
ticut alloy—John B. Gough, the
Tent jlMp nee Exhorter.
Dr WiWir Chapman said at one of the
early meetings of the local evangelistic
campaign that he believed he could see a
forecast of a general revival movement
that would sweep the country, in the suc
cessful evangelistic campaigns conducted
by him in Philadelphia and many eastern
cities during the last year, including the
Boston demonstration and the more quiet
one in this city. Ho said that one reason
for the prophecy was the fact that the
country is ripe for such au overturning
just now. Great sectional revivals and
national religious awakenings are apt io
come, said he. after a long period of re
ligious stagnation. In view of the fact
that there has been no such upheaval as
that in-Bosica during the pas; generation
it is possible that the rime has how come
again for a genera] spread of the move-,
meat. Reports would seem to indicate
that already the religious zeal inspired at
boston is spreading much as it spread in
the earlier revivals of his^ry. The re
ligious awakening tin:, followed Edwards
and Whkeiiold ami Wesley and Rev
James McG ready in Kentucky was < a med
through large territory by men who had
been tired to their ferocious preaching by
tlie great leaders. Since the early days
of the Boston revival es a few weeks ago
reports have come of hundreds of small
awakening; in rhe smaller cities and towns
within a radius of a few hundred miles of
Bosica. Individual pastors or laymen have
been aroused by the preaching of Dr Chip
man in Bosjon and iron: reports they seem
to be w' kmg out their enthusiasm in their
home towns.
Revivalism X almost as ancient as re
dgxn its>*lr. ;?u‘. in strictly modern times
th? term has come to take on for us a
meaning suggestive of th? work of men
cf the Protestant faith who have usually
overflowed th? denominational barri -rs.
Modem revivalism, such as we know to-day.
as a special part of religious werk. is
closely associated with th? lives of George
Whitefield. John \«>siey and Jonathan Ed
wards. Th? last cf these three is one of
the great figures in the history of this val
ley. Whitefield camo here and preached
about 1740. end the manenee of Wes
ley penetrated to this region. Jonathan
Edwards in 1734 started at Northampton
"The great awakening.” which eventually
spread all over New England, reminding
people that they had relaxed from the stern
ness of their Puritan fathers. This awak
ening was a sort of preliminary revival and
made way for the real awakening which
began in 1740. Edwards’s revivals had
pVread his fame up and down the vallex
so that when George Whitefield visited
Northampton in October. 1740. everything
was prepared for a great manifestation of
religious enthusiasm.
riting of that year. Edwards says:
‘“The months of August and September
t/ |||?
JONATHAN EDWARDS.
were the mast remarkable of this year
for appearances of conviction of conver
sion of sinners, and jrreat revivinsrs. quick
cnings and comforts of professors and for
extraordinary external effects of these
things. It was a very frequent thing to
see a house full of outcries, fainting?. con
vulsions and such like, both with distress
and alro with admiration and jov. It tv ;
not the manner here to hold meetings all i
night. a? in senv* places ~r;- wfS c 0
mon to continue them till very late 'n the
night: but it was pretty often so that
that there were some who were affected
and their bodies so overcome that they
could not go home, bur were obliged to
stay all night where they were.”
Two years later Rev Samuel Buell, an
evangelist of some note, a native of Coven
try. Ct., and a graduate of Yale. w«nt to
Northampton during a brief absence of Mr '
Edwards. was evidently the first re- |
vivaiist who took with him on his travels
a group of workers, a system which has
reached its highest development to date
under th? lead of Dr Chapman. It is re
corded ibat Mr’Buell was accompanied to
Northampton by “a number of zealous per
sons from Suffield.” Mr Buell's preaching
apparently redoubled the manifestations
mentioned by Mr Edwards: there were
tears, shoutings, fallings and trances some
times continuing for 24 hours or more.
Sometimes the meetings were completely
broken up by disturbances of this nature.
Mr Buell conducted his campaign for six
weeks. The great preacher of this period
was George Whitefield, the English Metho
dist evangelist, who visited this country a
number of times. He conducted great re
vivals in the Connecticut valley, but it ap
pears that he did little in Springfield, and
Green in his history of Springfield says
that Robert Brock, pastor of the First
church, is held largely responsible for the
fact that the great awakening took little
hold here. It was remarked along the val-
W ^ re( ‘k rnth<T snubbed Mr
Whitefield, for the latter was yet under 30.
That Mr Breck distrusted the effects of
special religious revivals may bo safely ac
cepted as a fact.
The advent of Methodism into the Con
necticut valley, which began a decade be
fore the Revolutionary war, may be looked
upon as in the nature of a revival. In
1780 Jess" Le« t known as the ••apostle of
New England,” made a visit to this section
of the country. His influence was remark
able. The first Methodiat sermon preached
in this city was on July 15. 1791. and was
h.v Bishop Francis Asbury. Wilbraham
was the center for the new sect of this val
ley and the present academy nt that place
is a memorial of that fact. The work of
the Methodist, preachers was like that of
John Wesley, largely of the exhortatory
and emotional type. The two years follow
ing the panic of 1857 saw another general
revival throughout the country The re
vival of religious interest of that period
has naturally been considered the result of
financial panic People became religious
partly because, as Th- Republican of that
year stated. "The ruin of ♦arthly hop»s
naturally drove mon to other son rot's of
consolation.”
The Revival nf 18RS,
The Connecticut , alley had its gnat
awakening of this period along with the
rest of the country. The revival b^gan
in 185$. Unusual interest was mani
fested at Northampton. Easthampton and
Greenfield. Early in March, just 51 years
ago. noon prayer-meetings were being con
ducted in this city at the North and South
churches and th? Pynchon-street Methodist
church. These meetings were fully attend
ed. On Saturday. March 27. 185$. the
meetings at these churches joined in a
series of union noon meetings at the Music
hall. The report of a Saturday meeting
showed great entbusin'in. Tiiv haii Xs.es
“jammed full.” Edward Ingersoll was the
dBajEM
■
JOHN WESLEY.
chief speaker and others were Judge Mor
ris. Sr.. Rev Mr Tafton. ,G. <'. Judson,
Peter Sken Smith and Rev .Mr Bucking
ham. The meetings were continued, being
led h.v Erastus Hayes. John R. Hixon and
others.
The meetinas resulted in a great quicken
ing of religious sentiment, but by the mid
dle of .April the noon prayer-meetings were
not so fully attended. Indications showed,
however, that there was "more than ordin
ary religious life among u‘Revivals I
were conducted by the different churches .
in the city and encouraging numbers were
added. Between March 1 and July 24 Kev
Dr Ide of the First Baptist church bap
tized 86 people and there were 111) addb i
tions to the church. On the first Sunday
in July of that year 40 persons were re
ceived into the South church and on the
same day n uta] of 72 were received into
ail of the Congregational churches of the
city. Between Jmman I and July 4 the
Pynchon-streot Methodist church received
80 ou probation and 15 by letter.
Dwight L. Moody came to this city in
1878 and conducted a series of meetings in I
the City hall, which were attended by large
numbers and his remarkable work was as
effective here as elsewhere In 1888 there
was another revival, conducted by Rev B.
Fay Mills. Large numbers also attended
these meetings and there was considerable I
interest. Perhaps, however, people com
pared him unconsciously with Dwight L.
Moody and were disappointed. However
that may be. there was not the same spirit
shown nt these meetings, although a num
ber of conversions resulted. Numberless
other revivalistic meetings have been held
from time to time in this city, usually un
der the patronage of a single denomination,
but neither in effect nor in popular inter
est awakened can they be classed with the
notable religious movements of the city’s I
history.
Jonathan Edwards Who “Awakened**
Nev. England.
Associations of this vicinity with .Jona
than Edwards are close. Added interest is
thus given the unusual life that places Ed
wards nt once with metaphysicians, tirie
logians and revivalists. Most of b’s life
was spent within a few miles „f this ,ity.
Northampton and Stockbridge arc closest
associated with hi fume. At Northamp
ton. where he was pastor 17 years, was
born the so-called "grea; religions awak
ing' which Edwards was the instrument
of beginning. Its results were fur-rencj:-
ilig. Hardly r,n niieotivortod person was
left iu Northampton and the "awakening”
spread throughout New England apd to
other parts of this country ai.h omitem
porary outburst in England. Jonathan
Edwards’s fame rests upon h>s capacity
for original thought and upon liis writings
more than upon his ability as a preiuher.
Still ho was a marvelous preacher of the
erne] gospel which he believed and de
fended. He was nu ne^idontal revivalist,
so to speak, for he found himself one rath
er than made himself one. What there
wns of the revivalist in him was the re
suit of the emotion stirred by the realism
of his pictures of damnation and the pene
trating force and earnestness of his belief
in the gospel of horror.
Interesting studies of revivals, revivalists
ami the psychology and philosophy of re
ligion are numerous, and in about all of
them Edwards finds n place. But serious
accusations cannot be maintained .'gainst
him. He was eminently a man of high
thoughts ami high living. It was the sheer
force and earnestness of his sermons Unit
imide the weeping, crying out, wailing,
shrieking and fainting that resulted from
the emotion which lie stirred. Tremendous
effects call be imagined from superlative
earnestness and wonderful realism of pic
tures of human beings writhing in the
fiery furnqcc of bell and souls in the
clutches ofNwuel devils. Probably no one
north consideration has ever impeached
Edwards's sincerity. The effect of his
sermons was incidental rather than his ob
ject Ho that perhaps lie should not be
at all classed with revivalists although
some of the startling and unfortunate
revivalistic accompaniments attended his
sermons.
Edwards at first justified these extremes
of emotion which he aroused but Inter his
good sense came to his rescue and he la
mented that he had not sooner taken a
decided stand against such delusions. The
doctrine Hint becomes doubly hateful when
applied logically to children was n part
of Edwards's faith. He defended Hie eon
’torsion of children bat did not seek to
stir up young people to grief and emotion
in their own sin as some revivalists do.
But bis sermons could hardly fail in u
measure to do this. But Edwards came
to a firm conclusion that wild stirring of
THE SPRINGFIELD WEEKLY REPUBLICAN: THURSDAY, MARCH 11,1909.
| the imagination led only to “false reli
gion and counterfeit graces and affections'*
• and to make “the devil's grand lurking place*
and the very nest of unholy and delusive
spirits.” In justice to Jonathan Edwards,
I one of the greatest men of his time, it
। should be remembered that this revivalistic
■ aspect of his preaching was not eharacter-
I istic in any degree of the man's motives.
‘ except as lie sought to awaken people to the
j importance of salvation in accordance with
i his beliefs and (lowers. Edwards preached
I intense and stirring sermons but the in
। tensity was that of sinceirty and had
। nothing of the pyroici hnical. The incidon
' tai revivadistir characteristic that his
work shows were rather parasites on his
greatness than the fruit of his endeavors.
The Work of John Wesley.
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism,
accomplished in the 8$ years of bis life a
vast amount of work, and nearly all of it
was tor the cause of religion. He is con-
Hderod to be more than any other person
Hi? originator of the awakening or revival
that mov’d England between 1750 and
1780. He moved his hearers deeply, but
his sermons were argumentative rather
than emotional, though strikingly clear and
effective. Wesley and his brother Charles.
Hie famous hymn writer, accompanied
Oglethorpe to Georgia. The way was not
open for missionary work with the In
dians. and the colonists did not take to
the severe ascetic discipline which the
Wesleys wished to enforce. He is said
to have gone barefoot and submitted him
self to hardships, and wns at first sue-.
cessful. but Indians as well as colonists
seem to have tired of bis teachings. In
1788 he returned to England, and soon
after formed the first Methodist society.
Ho visited tile Moravians in Germany to
study their discipline apd intensify his
own religious life, bn his return he was
excluded from established churches. He
preached about in fields or homes as there
was opportunity. A great part of the
rest of his life was spent in forming and
governing societies and giving them spir
itual help.
\\ esley prayed to be able to ‘‘cease at
once to work and live,” and his prayer
was granted. He is said to have ridden,
chiefly on horseback, 5000 miles: for nearlv
50 years he preached 500 sermons a year;
he arranged and governed his societies,
which before his death had 80.000 niejn
oers; carried on an immense correspond
ence: read every work of importance as
it came from the press; wrote commen
taries on the Bible, grammars of the
Greek. Latin. Hebrew and French lail
gnages, works on logic and philosophy,
* Jib &
Jwl JffiNl
- w
controversial treatises, journals, sermons,
etc., mid abridged over 100 volumes for "a
Christian library." Wesley wns a most
generous man. and his means were the
»nly bounds to the freedom with which
Im helped mid gave. In late life, when
lie realized about SIOO,OOO from his writ
ings. his persona! expenses did not nvpr
uge SSOO a year. Yet lie left nothing at
his death. H<- was foud nf music and
poetry, nnd published n number of tunes
for organ and voice, and a small library
of hymns mid poems,
U. L. Moody's Remarkable Career.
Few Americans have made their power
felt ns lias D. L. Moody, who in a few
years, from a poor farmer boy in Frank
lin county, came to bo among the best
known men in the English-speaking world.
Perhaps no other evangelist'hns won so
nearly universal approval. Thousands
who have dmtbtel the value of revivalism,
or even condemned it, have made an ex
ception in the case of Moody. He was
one of those men of power who forces
recognition and gains success by an in
diwibable strength of personality which
has eharm-terized tli<> world's great men.
In no other wav can his remarkable career
be accounted for. Moody had little edu
cation. little grace of manner, little charm
of personal appearance. His theology was
out of accord with the views of many
who were Ids most ardent followers. What
be had was sincerity, common sepse, a
genius for knowing men. a quick sense of
the situation and the opportunity, a pie.
turesque and homely directuew of speech,
jkbojant sympathy and a masterly pow-
er of initiative and direction. He often
appeared impulsive, sometimes unreason
able. be made mistakes, but he always in
spired confidence. A remarkable fact of
his career was that s;. many men of so
many sorts accepted him as leader.
Mr Moody was so much of a figure in the
life of Western Massachusetts during his
latter years that there are few people in
this vicinity who are not more or less
familiar wii i» hj s personality and his work,
h was in Chicago, how<*ver. that his fame
began and in (.rent Britain that it was
assured a lasting hold. Dwight Lyman
Moody waa^orn in Northfield in 1837.
one of nine children. He xvorked for a
farmer, and in a printing office until he
xvus 17 years old. when he went to Bos
ton and got employment in a shoe store
kept 1» an uncle. Ono of the conditions
under which he got the job was that he
should go to Sunday-school regularly. It
was as th<* direct result of a personal
talk with his teacher that he became con
verted. He joined the Congregational
chiueli and soon after went to Chicago,
whore h»* began at once to put into pnie
lno vigorously and successfully his new
ly-a i|uirc<l convictions of religious dutj.
lb* lured four pews in a church in a poor
quarter of th? pjty and filled them every
Sunday with people xvhom he had per
sonallx invited and xvhom be' thereafter
visited and kept in touch with. He of
fered his services to a little' mission Sun
da v-sclmol. and on being told that there
were already almost as m ”iy teachers ns
pupils and that he could have a class if
h<* wcryld assemble it from outside, he
P’. i- oded to muster recruits until every
class in th< school was filled. Then h?
hired a hall over one of the big citv
markets in a neither part of tin* city ami
organic*! a mission Sunday-school, which
he filled iargely xvjth young street ga
mms. Mr Moody was then 21 years old.
Bw'ure Jong he had 1500 pupils in his
school. Ry degrees tin* parents came 'a.
Ribh* classes were formed and before
km- the school grew into -a church, stifi
popularly known as "Moody's church.”
noxc am] for many years one of the promi
nent churches of the city.
At fir*t. indeed for a good many months,
he did little talking in public. Ho was the
organizer, the recruiting sergeant. At the
age* of 2T. Mr Moody, who had been very
successful as a drummer for a boot and
shoe house, and was getting an income of
B.4HX) a year, retired from business al
logptlier and thereafter never received a
salary. During the year following, his
income was but S6OO. but he had saved
during the few years ho had been in
< ’nn-ago and bad a little laid by for a
rainy day. His decision to give up busi
ness. for which he had a decided talent
manifest on many occasions afterward,
followed the (leutli of his employer and
the departure from Chicago of a Sunday
school teacher xvhom he had sent a Way
happy after remnrkal h* success with a
rather discouraging class of frivolous
gjrls. Moody was a profound student of
the Bible, but with no excursions into
• higher criticism.” and it was not long
before his readings and novel exposition
attracted general attention. Up became a
more or less familiar figure in many of
the big churches of the city. The Young
Men’s Christian association early enlisted
his enthusiastic* support. He did a great
deal to build it up and was for a long
time its president. When the civil war
broke out Moody found a new opportunity
in the work of the Christian commission.
Hk' spent much time with the soldiers, in
camp, on battle-field and in the hospital,
always pushing his aggressive and suc
cessful campaign to win converts to Chris
tianity.
It was in 1870. during a Young Men's
Christian association convention in Indi
anapolis that Moody and Sankey, after
ward an inseparable pair, first met. The
young singer had gone to attend a meet
ing led by the young preacher. He .helped
in the singing and was promptly drafted
into the service. The next night the first
Moody ami Sankey meeting was held ou
n street corner, followed by another meet
ing that filled the big convention hall be
tween regular sessions. Two years
later they went to England together.
Mr Moody had visited England in 1867
and gained many friends and some fame,
and so he was not an entire stranger nt
the time ’of the memorable trip which
was to electrify the United Kingdom.
Moody preached the gospel ami Sankey
santf the gospel, as the saying was. to
audiences of ninny thousands in the great
est halls of the land. Notwithstanding
the irregularity of method, the harshness
of speech, tiie slips of grammar and the
rude “Americanism” which grated on liis
English auditors at first, Moody swept
every thing before him. His absolute
sincerity mid his tremendous power were
acknowledged on every hand. Not only dis
senters of every shade, but prominent
members of the church of England and
many Catholics were cordial, and even eu
tbusmstic, over the young Americans. It
was during this campaign that the Moody
and Sailkey "Gospel Hymns” were born.
Many thousand copies were sold in the
United Kingdom. It may be noted here,
ns shefiding light on the quality of these
two men. that of the royalties on the va
rious numbers of the hymn book, amount
ing in America alone to over $1,000,000,
not a cent was ever nnnlied to the per
sonal income of either Moody nr Hanke".
T he money has gone to the support of One
or mere of the many institutions of a
philanthropic nr religious character which
Moody began ami built up, and many of
which are still flourishing witli unabated
vigor. In the United Kingdom ns well as
in America arc permanent records, in or
ganizations mid in buildings, nf the prac
tical evangelism of Moody and Sankey,
On their return to America. Moody nml
Shnkey kept up in this country for sev
eral years a succession of enhipaigns sliu
ilinr to those they had carried on in the
United Kingdom mid resembling the
Chapman-Alexander revivals. They were
in Sprinciidld four weeks in February and
March, 1878, coining here from Hartford,
Francis Murphy, the famous temperance
’•rutor, had just finished a campaign. The
people were perhaps a little weary of that
kind of well-doing, mid added to this was
a shade of annoyance at the failure of
the revivalists to come on the date first
arranged. The meetings at first were very
well attended, lint not crowded. Doubt
less many attended because they were in
terested in seeing the men who had set
England on tire. Mr Moody's shrewdness
of observation appears in a remark that
lie was quoted as making before the
Springfield visit, to the effect that the
great trouble in beginning in u new place
is Hint it takes people some time to over
come their pesky curiosity. The evangel
ists had been here about a week when
Rev Dr S. G. Buckingham said that since
he was in college, 48 years before, he had
not seen so grout n gathering of young
nen who were seeking the wav of sal
vation. At that time Hie city halt wns be
ing tilled ami the First church was ac
commodating an overflow meeting of con
siderable projHirtious. Excursions from
iiemliy towns were made by parties eager
to attend the meetings, requests for pray
ers cnnio iu by mail from distant towns
mid cities. Hundreds asked for prayera
and many scores publicly acknowledged
their conversion.
Moody never emphasized the emotional
appiiil. Doubtless he appealed to the emo
tions, and very powerfully, but, as The
Uepublican said nt the time of his death
in December, 18UU, "he made revivalism
a new thing—no longer a matter of spo
radic excitement, but for foundation of uc
lual work for praeticol Christianity.” Dur
ing one of his addresses iu Springfield in
1818. the subject being, "The fulness of
grave," Mr Moody remarked that the
reason there are ao many lean, famished
Christiana is because they do not come
to the throne of grace frequently enough
for supplies. If the churches would wake
up and obtain such grace ns God is anxious
to give them, the next 30 dnys might
see lOO.Otti) conversions In New England.
Christians osk too little; if we have grace,
there will be constant conversions; every
man and woman will lead souls to Christ,
nnd every house will contain an inquiry
meeting. God wants us fully Hmiotified.
whereas most people seem to think that,
if they join the church, have an easy-
cushioned seat, pay their debts and keep
out of jail, tiioy do their whole duty. It
lakes ItKKI such to make a decent Chris
tian. Fow of them think of visiting hos
pitals and alms-houses, and doing the hun
dred deeds of charity that await them.
The young men in the house of correction
in this citv furnish a splendid field tor
Christian labor. There are, 100. the calls
from foreign fields. IP wo were full of
grace, uc couldn’t hold the news of sal
vation. Some Christians always toll how
hr.pp? they were when they were convert
ed 26 years before, as if a man wore to
tel] how much he loved his wife* when he
married her. We do not now want grace'
to die a martvr’s death, but we do want
a dajl.v supply of grace to live in Spring
field as Gori would have us.
Mr Moody’s thorough acquaintance with
the contents of the Bible was ahvays
evident in his sermons and taiks.
hi another of his Springfield ad
dresses. f< r example, he talked from the
text. “What think ye of Jesus.” About
every verst* or sentence in the* Bible quot
ing some witness was marshalled io show
the unanimity of the testimony for the
Savior. Then with a master’s touch the
evangelist pictured one after another of
those witnesses appearing, as if before the
audience, to add bis words to the swelling
volnnio. Moody saw these people of Bible
times living again and h<' made his hear
ers see them. Moody's vision was n real
»• —-trnncr
GEN BOOTH WRITING HIS BIRTHDAY ADDRESS.
one. Doubtless he had personal magnetism,
whatever that may be. but lie had noth
ing of the charlatan. What Hie people nt
liis meetings saw was a portly man, slight
ly under middle higlit, with large limbs
and head set firmly on broad shoulders,
a heavy brown benrd and mustache cov
ering a big-featured face. His voice was
pitched rather high, witli an undisguised
nasal tinge and the words poured out in
an uninterrupted flow. Of homely illus
tration he hud an unlimited supply. The
gospel that he preached was unadulter
ated. But his method was not controver
sial. He was tolerant of all evangelical
creeds, it is recalled, for example, that
he contributed something like SIOOO to
help out a Roman Catholic church in his
native town of Northfield. As an impres
sion of Moody nt the bight of his fame
as an evangelist, the following extract
may be given from an editorial in The Re
publican March 1. 1878:—
The impression one receives of him at the
first hearing is that which remains after
many more: of a genuine man. Intensely,
though narrowly,'in earnest. A man, to be
sure, for whom all the revelations of these
1800 and odd years have been made in
vain, and for whom, the whole Bible was
written by the finger of God and in the
English language, yet one who by these very
defaults appeals to and conquers the mass
of people, and by this power over men and
his absolute assurance of supernatural aid,
deeply Impresses even those who remain per
sonally unmoved, and who do not tolerate
Mie; I
JOHN B. GOUGH.
his theology any the more readily because
of their admiration for the honesty of the
man. For whether or not one deems Mr
Moody “fanatical," ho cannot question the
sincerity of nls reliance on a power beyond
his own. Invisible and close at hand. This
la a part of his simple life, and no more a
matter of wonder to him than any ordinary
faculty or office. It does not prevent him
from a keen sense of the fitness of huuiau
Instrumentalities. Hance his organizing fore
sight. bls well adjusted army of ushers, door
keepers, singers and clerical coadjutors, his
quick, observant eye. his reml!nes» for emer
gencies. hla resolute following up of oppor
tunities. Il is foolish to question Mr Moody's
personal power. Proved abundantly before.
It is proved again by his holding fast such
audiences, after the Murphy sensation Inn!
begun to abate, after the disappointment of
the delay that was somewhat tinged with
blame, and after the gaping curiosity of the
first week's lookers-ln has brought him down
to the real work.
Only a brief outline of Moody's work
as an evangelist is the plan of this
sketch. but tlie practical character and
purjxise of that work cannot be fully ap
preciated without at least a reference to
the institutions which he founded. Some
of these arc Northfield seminary. Mount
Hermon school. “Moody’s church" in
Chicago; the Hilde institute; Chicago; the
Northfield summer conferences and the
students' volunteer mission movement.
Moody recognized and lamented his own
deficiencies in education and he was broad
ly generous and remarkably successful
in his co-operation with other men whose
special talents were along different lines
from his, but whose broad purpose wus
the same.
John B. Gough, the Temperance Ev«n
■reimt.
A review of the lives and works of the
old-time evangelists in this country would
not be complete without a word about
John B. Gough, his power as a temper
ance lecturer is so closely allied. Few if
any have had more influence over their
audiences than he. His natural gifts ns
a speaker were great, his wit instanta
neous and his hbihty to bring tears
to the eyes of even the calloused
almost unbounded. He one born
August 22, 1817, at Sandgate in the
.•onnty of Kent. England. His parents
were "poor but honest," and in that little
English village there was small chance
for education. But he evidently took ad
vantage of such facilities as were given
him. Miniury was a favorite diversion,
and he must have had some native tiilent,
for it diverted older friends as well as
playmates of his own ago. When he was
12 his parents apprenticed him to a neigh
boring family who were about to emigrate
to America. These people were to take
him with thorn, teach him a trade and
provide for him till he was 21. ’They did
not fulfil their promise but in 'ISoI he
loft them and went to New York city
alone to seek his own fortune. He was
then in his loth year. His mother and
sister joined him two years later. Affairs
did not prosper, and they suffered want
and privation. The mother died and was
buried in the potter's field, without even
a shroud or burial service. Young Gough
became bitter mill reckless. His trade was
that of n bookbinder, but he was not reg
ular at his work and fell a victim to
drink, and spent most of his earnings in
rumshops. Tlio stage at this time offered
a more attractive way of living than his
trade, and he did some little singing ami
reciting. His marriage, which occurred
at this time, did not improve his habits;
drink had become too strong for him.
The death of his wife and infant ihilil
served only to plunge him deeper into
excess. When lie could obtain a drink in
no other way he would sing and tell funny
stories to the crowd in the barroom. He
finally attempted suicide when he had
reached the bottom of decency.
When everything seemed blackest, how
ever, help came. His friends aroused
themselves to save him. Almost despair
ingly he signed the pledge. It was a ter
rible struggle, but he at last won. Iu
those days temperance meetings were ex
perience meetings, so in the natural course
of events Mr Gough was invited to lec
ture. At first his clothes were hardly re
spectable, but gradually money came in
and he was enabled to alter liis mode of
living. Friends increased, he married
again, the daughter of a New England
farmer. She did much for him: she' was
of a more practical nature than the im
pulsive orator, and steadied him in his
work. From 1843 until his death in 1886
Mr Gough was one of the most popular
temperance lecturers in this country. He
commanded a higher salary and achieved
better results than his contemporaries. His
trip to England was a great success. He
literally died in harness, for he was seized
with apoplexy while delivering a lecture
and died in a few days. Mr Gough was
a small man, with groat personal mag
netism, His theatrical instinct served
him well in his lecture: he pictured the in
cidents of which he told, acting out the
characters in a vivid way. He did not
hesitate to call a spado a spade, or to tell
the most disgusting stories' of those who
were overcome by drink, if by so doing
he could gain a point.
Naturally he made many enemies. At
one time be wns kidnaped for several
days, having been drugged bv a glass of
soda water in which was brandy. Various
other attempts were made to cause his
downfall, but ho was able to resist them
:)11. Lyman Abbott has said of him: "His
youth, his small stature, thin, melnm-holy
face and bright eye won for him attention
before he began to speak. His fluent lan
guage. his dramatic action, his intense and
impassioned earnestness, liis suppressed
feeling nnd the lightning-like rapidity with
which Im changed the mood of the audi
ence with his own from the humorous to
tiie pathetic, took all audiences by storm.”
He wrote several books giving liis expe
riences during liis lecture tours.
INVOCATION.
O Holy Ghost' descend
In greater light and power,
And with thy presence till this bouse
And signalize this hour.
Come like the rising tide.
All barriers sweep away.
And by thy mighty inflow make
A Pentecostal day.
Corny as a mighty wind.
Give cloven tongues of flame
To sf-enk Hie message of thy grace
In our Bcdeemer's name.
Come, with eqivietlag truth,
Intensify thy light,
Until all doubt and fear nnd slu
Are denizens of night.
Create the willing mind,
Constrain the wayward heart,
New Impulse, hope and courage give
And strength divine impart.
Come as refinlug fire,
Eliminate all dross.
And radiate our lives by him
Who died upon the cross.
Come, like the soft south wind.
A gently swaying breeze.
Come ns the mighty breath of God
That bows the giant trees.
Like gently tailing dew.
The early summer shower.
Come, and refresh the tender blade,
The young and fragrant flower.
tay not thy mercy, Lord,
Abounding like the sea,
Till multitudes enslaved by sin
Thou sbalt by grace set free. v
The mind hold to the truth
The truth bold to the soul
I’utll Its Impress fixed mid sure,
Shall last until the goal.
Uplift our souls to God
In chariots of tire.
Responsive tn thy call divine,
Onr ardent strong desire.
Our very life and joy,
And our abiding peace, ’
From all intlriulty and fault
Give us a swift release.
Oh bring the perfect liny
From sin and sorrow free,
Responsive to thy pleading voice
We yield our hearts to thee.
cuahlks B. BoTtronu.
Vottan, febnary in, im.
AFTER GENERAL BOOTH—WHAT?
THE SALVATION ARMY’S FUTURE.
M here f* Willi am Booth'* Noccexsorf
—HI, Sinh Birthday t omes April lo
[Copyright In the United States ami Great
Britain by Curtip Brown.]
€orres|-,ondeuce of The Republican.
Ix>NDON n February 20. 1903.
After my long residence hi the world mid
the opimrtunities 1 nave bad for observing
n "^ I, ’ "JOeets st wlijr-b men generally alm
mm the disappointments they so commonly
sillier in the seareli. 1 am expected to have
some opinion as to the course which men
and nations may follow with the greatest
pre liability of success.
I suppose some such consideration has led
t-i the desire that on my 80tb birthday I
should send a message to the American peo
pie bearing on th -se- questions.
So I tell the American people that " hen
they seek the honor of God, the reign of
righteousness, the welfare of the friendless
poor mid the riches that endure forever
viib the same self-sacrificing avidity with
wliioh they seek tile wealth and pleasures
of this world, they will have a good ebanee
of finding that life of satisfaction which
now so often eludes them and of building
tip a pattern nation for the world to im
bate.
William Booth.
General Booth will he SO years old on
April 10. ami all over tho world Salva
tionists of every degree and almost every
color are preparing to celebrate the event.
In many respects this birthday of the
general will be a imnucntous occasion. It
not only represents the fact that the geu
eral has exceeded by a decade the biblical
"three score years and ten.” but promises
to be almost a turning point iu the fate
of the vast organization over which at
present he exercises autocratic control. In
the thousands of Army barracks and out
posts in various countries speculation is
rife as to Gen Booth's possible successor,
for one thing is fairly certain—the time is
rapidly approaching when that will have
to be announcec!.. Most people imagine
thi|t no one else but Bramwell Booth, the
general's eldest son and present chief of
staff of the Army, can succeed to the head
of tlie organization when the great moving
spirit lias departed. But, on the other
,hmid there are weighty opinions to the
effect that Bramwell has not the domi
nating individuality for the job. and that
when tho general passes from the theater
of activity the Army will fall to pieces—
or. if not, will be kept going without a
“general.”
As if to combat the suggestion that Gen
Booth's death will wind up the Army,
concerted efforts are being made through
out the world to demonstrate that the or
ganization over which he presides is a
permanent one, quite capable of sustain
ing itself in full efficiency even after the
general has passed away. The feeling of
mieertainty as to whether or not the gen
eral will bo with the. Army next year has
brought out the emotional side of the birth
day festivities, and they promise to be
an event uniipie in the history of the Sal
vation Army. It has been arranged that
several monster meetings will be held in
(xmdon during tlie week in which April
10 falls, ami at a number of these the
general himself will preside. As it might
lie the lust oceasimi oil which many of
his followers will have the opportunity of
seeing the general in his old-time role of
leader, addressing his own "flock,” these
meetings will attract Salvationists from
all over Europe, and it is expected that
even the Army jubilee celebration^ of a
few years ago will be surpassed. As the
separate Army organizations in the 25
different countries where Salvationism is
definitely .established number 835.8, and
comprise more titan' 115,000 officers, this
celebration will be an international one in
every sense of the word.
Owing to the fact that the general was
recently operated upon for cataract, it
was supposed that he would not have suf
ficiently recovered to attend these ex
hausting functions in connection with his
birthday. But, despite his infirmities and
- % IQM
BRAMWELL BOOTH.
[The general's eldest son nnd possible suc
cessor. ]
years, the aged leader still possesses an
immense fund of vitality, and exercises
his control over every detail of Army
organization almost as vigorously as ever.
He has announced bis belief that he will
ye» live to be 150; and certainly personal
contact with him does not belie the pos
sibility. The writer recently visited Gen
Booth at his home. Rookstone, at Hadley
Wood, on the outskirts of London, and
found him overwhelmed in business, dic
tating letters and orders to hi^ commanding
officers, and scarcely permitting himself
it moment's rest. This was only a few
days after his operation, and he was keep
ing practically the same hours which he
had observed previous to his illness.
"There has been a Jot of talk over the
immense property holding owned by the
general. It is true that the Army prop
erly is worth many millions. The total
receipts for the year ending June 30.1908.
were returned nt nearly $10,000,000. All
the property of the Army in the United
Kingdom is held by the general as trustee
for the benfit ot the Army exclusively,
nml in the disposal of it. as in the up
pointment of’hix suecesnor, he is placed
under tlie govermnent of a deed en
rolled in the high court of chancery in
August. 1878. It might be mentioned in
this connection that neither the general
nor Bramwell Booth malos a ‘good tiling'’
out of the Army. It is doubtful is Bram
well Booth receives more than S2OOO a
year, if that, while the general's expenses
come also within the sum.
“Many critics of the general assert that
he has always run the army for his own
interests, but I do not think this is a fair
statement. To-dny the general lives whut
might be called in all strictness 'the sim
ple life,' while his sou. Bramwell, hns
nis nose to the grindstone nil the time.
They never go to theaters or enjoy any
form of worldly amusement: they are iib
stemions in their habits and life, and.
if there is anything to he got out of the
Army from a worldly point of view. I
don't myself seo just what it ia.”
— - ,|| | || ।- - । •
The 14th wife of a man ill Kansas is
fighting his efforts to secure a divorco.
He wants to be married again.