or three converts who would unite with his
church, but in connection with Hope Chapel he had not much success. He
had gone to five places indicated on the cards as residences of
converts, but could find none of them. This was his experience also
with many others whom he had sought out. Rev. John Jones had received
many cards, and had found out some direct frauds, and many others
nearly so. He did discover eight persons converted at Mr. Moody's
meetings, six of whom would unite with his church. Rev. C.G. Goss did
not think any one effort or kind of effort was going to convert the
world. We could not measure religious efforts by financial or
numerical measurements. As to the general question, he had the history
of ten city churches always known as revival churches. In 1869 they
had reported one hundred probationers each. In 1870 they reported a
net loss of five hundred, making, with the probationers reported, a
_loss_ of fifteen hundred in one year, in ten churches.

"Bedford street church was an example of a revival church: St.
Paul's the opposite. The former reported, in twenty years, twenty-five
hundred probationers. But the increase of her membership for that
period was only one hundred and twenty-eight. He could not account for
this. On the other hand, St. Paul's reported four hundred and
forty-eight probationers, for twenty-five years, and her increase in
membership has been two hundred and eighty-six. This was to him an
argument in favor of regular church work."

CHAPTER XXVII.

TRUE REVIVALS.

In the preceding pages we have seen that the Church ought
constantly to aim at keeping up such a state of spiritual life as to
render revivals unnecessary.

We have also admitted that, owing to human infirmity,
carelessness, and neglect of a proper and prayerful use of the means
of Grace, the spiritual life will ofttimes languish in individuals, in
families, in congregations and communities; and that, at such times, a
spiritual awakening or refreshing is necessary.

We have further shown, that the modern revival system is
unscriptural and positively injurious in its consequences, and
therefore cannot be regarded or adopted as a part of God's Way of
Salvation. What then is to be done? A revival is really needed. What
sort of a revival shall be longed for, prayed for, and labored for?

In the first place, let there be a revival in ea