Show RELIGIOUS REVIVALS The noted revivalists Sam Jones and Sam Small are in a fair way to become more widely known to fame than Moody and Sankey The twain have just concluded con-cluded what they call their work in the wicked city of Chicago and have instructions with thelocal ministers to continue the work Sam Jones in his closing sermontold his congregation that listening to a sensational sen-sational sermon in a skating rink once a year wouldnt save them He might have gone much further in assertion in that line and still kept inside the lines of truth He could have said that little permanent good was accomplished by the whole system of revival work now in vogue throughout the United States These revival meetins are so conduted as to arouse an excitement excite-ment in the congregation under the Influence of which the listeners are seized with a spasmodic desire to become suddenly pure and virtuous Milton makes Lucifer say Vows made I in pain ease would recant as violent I and vain and it generally happens thatpromIsed repentance in a state of excitement persevered in after the excitement has passed away and the convert is brought face to face with hit old temptations The revivals bring into the churches a mass of unwashed mud who by their backsliding and general gen-eral incontinence bring reproach upon the churches Crime in the United States seems to be steadily increasing The Atlanta Constitution one of the leading paIn pa-in the south published aj Atlanta Georgia the State from which Sam Jones hailspublishes some statistics that are quite startling in theircharac ter The Prison Reform Association is to hold a meeting in Afcanta soon and the Conttitution produces the following facts for their considerajon In 1S50 there were 65I prisoners in confinement in the United States The ratio was then one criminal in every 3442 inhabitants In 1SGJ the prisoners numbered 19036 and the ratio was one in every 1G17 In 1870 the num ber had men to 32 001 and theratio was then onein 101 In 18SO the num ber of criminals reached the total of 69253 and the ratio was one convict to I every 835 free men i This increase criminals in proportion I propor-tion to our population is startling and should awaken the churches into a I steady constant effort to stay the stream of crime in its mad career And to do i it successfully something more potent I thav spasmodic rehgioas revivals must i be resorted to What America wants is a pulpit that will teach that faith without with-out works is deadbeing alone I tye want a pulpit that will say to the people Be honest be just love the truth and all righteousness be virtums sacredly and constantly adhere to the general principles of morality if yon would be happy in this life and secure a pa + port to state of bliss in the a life to come i The pulpit should teach these principles i and demand of the flock a pledge I not plighted under oxclteineai or te ligtous enthusiasm ba under calu earnestness that they will be devoted j to theseChristian virtue |