Stories of Great Revivals. By Henry Johnson. (R.T.S. 3s. 6d.)
—Mr. Johnson begins his volume with papers in which Canon Aitken, Messrs. F. B. Meyer and j. Stuart Holden, and "Gypsy Smith" relate their experiences in this field of action. Canon Aitken, the son of an eminent Revivalist, has a history of work of this kind of almost unprecedented duration, and he is, if not satisfied with the results—for that, with so much to do, a man can hardly be—convinced that it has not been labour in vain. Mr Holden dwells on the important point of the durability of revival influences. "Gypsy Smith" is as striking as we have always found him to be. After this introduction comes the historical part of the book, beginning with tho preaching of Wesley and WhitAffield. Possibly there is some exaggeration of the condition of things to which these evangelists addressed themselves. It is doubtless true that the consumption of spirits in 1751 was enormous,—eleven million gallons ; but the Excise was very low. Who can tell what might happen if it were reduced to the same figure now ? In succeeding chapters we hear of Henry Venn, Rowland Hill, and other less famous men. The subject is one on which, profoundly interesting as it is, we have not space to dwell in these columns. It must be enough to commend Mr. Johnson's volume to our readers.
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