HOW MANY ARE REALLY SAVED.

Facts are solid things, and weigh heavily in the scale of argument.  They are not always pleasant to look at; but it is weakness to ignore them.  Let us take a few facts in connection with this Gospel temperance work.  The first of these came to our knowledge while we were revolving the contents of this chapter, and before we had commenced writing it.  A leading temperance worker, who was an active participant in the Murphy movement, and who holds that there is for the confirmed drunkard no hope or safety but in the power of religion, stated to us that during the Moody and Sankey revival in Philadelphia, something over two hundred drunken men were reclaimed and converted; changed in heart, as it was declared, and “saved” by the power of God.  These were gathered together on a certain evening in one of the churches, and the gentleman to whom we have referred was among those who addressed them.  The poor, weak, and in too many instances, friendless and homeless men were talked to, and then committed to God in prayer.  They had His grace in their hearts—­had been “saved” through prayer and faith—­and would He not care for, protect and defend them?

Alas, for the sequel!  Of all these two hundred converted and “saved” men, who had, in a moment of time, been changed from servants of sensuality and sin into children of God, their souls made “whiter than snow,” not over five or six can to-day be found in the ranks of sober men!

In and around Pittsburgh, during the religious temperance revival which, under Francis Murphy, wrought such marvels in that city and neighborhood, over fifty thousand signatures were obtained to the pledge, the signers, in a large number of cases, professing faith in Christ, and having an inner assurance, as they believed, that He would keep them, by the power of His grace, from again falling into the sin and misery of intemperance.  But, to-day, only a small proportionate number can be found out of this great multitude who are standing fast by their profession.  A like result has followed the great Gospel work of Mr. Murphy in Philadelphia.  Of the thirty or forty thousand who signed the pledge and professed to be saved through faith in Christ, the number of men who have been rescued from drunkenness can scarcely be counted by hundreds; and of these the large proportion owe their salvation to the natural safeguards and orderly external conditions which were brought to the aid of spiritual resolve and spiritual forces.

When the excitement of these great revivals was over, and the contagious enthusiasm had died away, and men fell back into their old ways, amid old surroundings and temptations, each alone in the house of his own real life, then came

THE TRIAL AND THE TEST,