grace? He can impart a spirit of ciples of action, and mould it into There is no inconsistency between habitual dependence on the spirit of God, and the exercise of our faculties. We are exhorted to watch while we pray, Matt. xxvi. 41. In the operations of husbandry, the labour of man would be fruitless without the influences of the sun, but do we ever suppose that there is on this account the smallest contrariety between the effects of sunshine and the diligence of the husbandman? And why then should it be supposed, that the necessity of divine influence to produce Christian fruits supersedes the activity of believers in Christ? All Christians will acknowledge, that "by the grace of God they are what they are." But still they act freely and not compulsively. Influenced by divine illumination, they choose the path of holiness, and strengthened by divine grace, they continue to walk in it. The assurance that "God worketh in them both to will and to do," instead of lulling them into a state of dormancy, operates as a stimulus and an encouragement to activity, Phil. ii. 12, 13. The passions and affections of our nature are powerful principles of action, and such are the bearings of the facts and truths of revelation, that the whole of these active powers are called into exercise, and being thus directed, they exert a salutary influence in forming our character. It is for us then to. seek that divine truth may not merely float in the head, and that its precious lessons may not be entertained as opinions only, but that it may take possession of the whole heart, that its lessons may become prin ་་་་་་་ D. R. REVIVALS OF RELIGION IN Means which appear to have been 2. Confession of sin in churches. Wherever churches have met, and, with evident sincerity of heart, confessed their faults "one to another," God has granted them a sweet sense of his forgiving mercy, given them free access to his throne of grace ia praying for others, and great boldness and zeal in using means for their salvation. 3. Church discipline. This has tended to humble churches, and to the moralist and self-righteous. The deceitfulness of the heart has been exposed; and the sinner has been met at every turn, with the naked sword of the spirit pointed at his breast. While Christians have prayed with more faith than usual, ministers have also preached with more faith than heretofore.* alarm the impenitent. Discipline, Every mask has been torn off from judiciously administered, has been found a powerful method of enforcing some of the truths of the gospel. Many are hardened in unbelief by the irregular lives of professors. When such are led to repent and confess their sins, or are excluded from the church, one of the objections is removed, with which sinners often successfully ward off the sword of the spirit pointed at their heart. 4. Visiting from house to house. This has been done extensively. These visits have been strictly religious. Every member of the family, capable of receiving instruction, has been addressed, and such visits have usually been closed with prayer, adapted to the character and circumstances of the different members of the family. By such visits, many have been addressed who could be addressed no where else, and who were thus brought to attend on the usual means of grace; cold professors have been roused, and many careless sinners awakened. 5. Preaching the gospel, its doctrines and precepts, its promises and threatenings, with great plainness and earnestness. Every class of people have been addressed with truths adapted to their character. Churches have been reproved in the most pointed manner, for their lukewarmness, their pride, and worldliness, and unbelief. They have been urged as strongly to repent and humble themselves before God, as the most rebellious sinners. This plain and faithful application of divine truth to the churches, while it has produced great searchings of heart, and led some to abandon their hopes, has in several cases excited greater alarm among sinners than a direct address. The truths of God's word have been pressed upon sinners without respect of persons. The sinner has been followed into all his hiding places. It is a question worthy of very serious consideration, how far the gospel is rendered unfruitful by the weakness of faith in those who preach it. We use faith here in its most extensive signification. We mean by it, that moral impression on the whole soul, which corresponds with the gospel mould, with the nature and magnitude of spiritual objects, so far as the limited powers of man are capable of such impression. The weak. ness of faith exposes a minister to innumerable dangers. He is in danger of preaching the truth so coldly, that the na tural impression is, either that he does portance. If he is eloquent, he is in danger of being more solicitous that his hearers should admire his talents, than that they should adore and embrace the Saviour of the world. The preaching of men of the most brilliant talents, has in many cases, it is to be feared, done as little towards reforming mankind, as the has strong logical powers, and little faith, exhibitions of the stage-actor. He who is in danger of so distorting the gospel, by dwelling on abstruse points, as to lead the common people to fly from it as they would from a monster, whose unsightly but mysterious powers they could not comprehend. The minister of weak faith is in danger of attaching an undue importance to some favourite opinion, which he deals out on all occasions, instead of adapting the moral medicines of the gospel to the various diseases of those whom not believe it, or that it is of little im. it is his business to heal. Such a spiritual doctor, however learned, and however celebrated he may be, resembles the quack, who, with great self-complacency, deals out his panacea to every patient, whatever be his malady. It is undoubtedly important that the whole strength of human intellect should be applied to particular writers of books, and not by the preacher subjects; but this should be done by who addresses a mixed assembly, and whose business it is to preach Christ, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that he may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. Im perfect is the faith of the best; and it becomes the ministers of Christ, above all cold or cross elders and professors; but it is cause of gratitude that the number of such has been small. They have felt the importance of probing the disease of sin to the core. They have appeared to throw themselves upon the altar, resolving to preach the truth of God, if they were driven from their societies, or sacrificed by the rage of the wicked. This preaching has, as might be expected, produced much commotion. But while some have, with unwonted strength, braced themselves against the truth, and hardened their hearts till their case may be hopeless, multitudes slain by it have applied to the "blood of sprinkling" for relief, and have found joy and peace in believing. 6. Union of feeling and effort in churches has promoted this revival. Where the great body of the church has come up to the help of the Lord, the work has been powerful; and although there have been, in most of the churches, some who have stood all the day idle, yet a larger proportion have manifested a deeper interest in the work than in former revivals. The coldness or the opposition of professors, has been found far more injurious than the opposition of others. This union in contiguous churches has strengthened each other in the work. When sinners have been offended at the preaching in one place, or been convicted and fled to another for relief, instead of being countenanced in their opposition, they have met with the same faithful treatment, till worried with the stings of an accusing conscience, they have submitted themselves to God. Some, it is true, have fled where they have found an opiate, which has lulled them into a sleep, from which they may never awake. Nothing has been found more disheartening to ministers, than men to search the Scriptures with the docility of children, and to pray continually, "Lord increase our faith." 7. Meetings of inquiry have been greatly blessed. As the nature of these meetings is generally understood, and as the manner in which they have been conducted in this revival, has been in a measure described in the preceding accounts, it is unnecessary to say more. 8. Avoiding disputes upon minor points. Care has been taken to guard Christians against all sectarian feelings. In some instances injury has been done; but we believe that the churches generally have done less to grieve the Spirit, by any improper conduct in this respect, than is common in revivals. Indeed we may say, that, with few exceptions, churches of different names have felt and manifested more solicitude to make converts than proselytes. 9. Urging awakened sinners to immediate repentance and reconciliation to God. No excuse, on account of human depravity, or human dependence and divine agency, has been allowed. To all such objections, a "thus saith the Lord," has been the reply. Where instruction was needed, the nature and reasonableness of these duties have been fully pointed out. If the impenitent have still pleaded any excuse, they have been told that the controversy was between them and God, and with him they must settle it. The effect of this mode of address, generally, has been, that conviction has increased, until the sinner has surrendered himself into the hands of a holy, sovereign, and merciful God.* It is somewhat surprising, that all who take the Bible for their guide, should not be harmonious in this treatment of sinners. It is too plain to admit of doubt, that the Bible "now commands all men every where to repent ;" and that Christ and his apostles urged their hearers to repent and believe the gospel. Truth is 10. The visits of ministers, professors, and others, where revivals had commenced, have had a powerful effect in extending the work. Ministers and private Christians have thus been refreshed. When they returned home, they have told others, and exhorted their brethren to awake. Sinners have, in many cases, returned, rejoicing in hope, or deeply convicted. Thus the holy fire has spread and blazed in every direction. 11. The preaching and other labours of evangelists have been a very obvious and efficient means of originating and carrying forward the work. Ministers have thus re the sword of the Spirit, and the only instrument of conviction, conversion, and sanctification. If we substitute something else in its place, we have no right to expect a blessing. Whatever difficulties our limited intellects, and blind hearts, may have respecting human agency and dependence, or the power of sinners to repent and believe, surely we ought to confide in the wisdom of Him, who gave to man his powers, and requires an entire consecration of them to his service. To give any other direction to sinners respecting their duty, than God has given, is to be wise above what is written, and in effect to arraign the adorable God before the tribunal of human judgment, and justify the sinner in disobedience. To direct sinners "to wait," or " to keep on," while impenitent, is, in fact, to give them the most dishonourable ideas of God as moral governor, and to destroy all genuine conviction. If such sinners are converted, these notions will obscure the eye of their faith; and unless removed, will make them dwarfs in religion. It would be well for those who tell a convicted sinner "to wait," "to keep on," " you are in a good way," &c. to ask themselves what answer they will give to such a sinner at the judgment, should God take away his life while following their directions, who should ask, why did you not tell me to do that which would have secured my salvation? We apprehend that want of uniformity on this subject, arises from an erroneous philosophy respecting the human mind, rather than from any obscurity in the directions given in the word of God. The labours of the Rev. Mr. Finney have been eminently blessed in promoting this revival. The Rev. Mr. Nash, and ceived essential assistance. More ministerial labour, which was so much needed, has thus been bestowed, than one man could have performed. The opinion of some, three or four young men who have recently finished their course of study at the theological seminary at Auburn, have also rendered essential service. As much has been said, at home and abroad, respecting the character and proceedings of Mr. Finney, it will probably be expected that the committee will not be silent respecting him. We think it due to him and to the cause of Christ, which we believe he loves, to state, that his Christian character, since he made a profession of religion, has been irreproachable. He was a subject of the revival in Adams, a few years since, under the preaching of the Rev. Mr. Gale. He then left the study of the law, and entered upon the study of divinity. He was licensed by the presbytery of St. Lawrence, and is now a member of the presbytery of Oneida. He possesses a discriminating and well balanced mind; has a good share of courage and decision; possesses naturally a good temper; is frank and magnanimous in his deportment-ardent and persevering in the performance of the duties of his office; exhibits as much discretion and judgment, as those who may think him deficient in these qualities would do, did they possess his zeal and activity; and, on the whole, is as well calculated to be extensively useful in promoting revivals of religion, as any man of whom we have any knowledge. To say that he never errs, is more than can, with truth, be said of any man, who has ever done much to promote the temporal or spiritual interests of his fellow men. We confess we feel no great respect for those who sit down in ignoble ease, in the vineyard of the Lord, and make their sage remarks upon the imprudence of those who "bear the heat and burden of the day." The soldier, who, in the hour of battle, which tries men's souls, skulks away into some secure place, and there employs himself in watching the bold and the brave, and charging them with want of wisdom and discretion, deserves to be condemned for his cowardice, instead of being applauded for his sagacity. Wisdom, judgment, and discretion, are important virtues in the soldiers of Christ; but of all men in the world, the professed minister of the gospel is the most unwise and imprudent, who dares to incur the displeasure of Almighty God, and expose the souls of his fellow men to eternal death, by his unfaithfulness. in the church, whose principal business should be to aid settled ministers in the frequent revivals which prevail in our country, is strengthened by their usefulness in this revival. Whether provision should be made for their support, by societies formed for the purpose, or whether this should be left to the liberality of churches and individuals benefited by their labours, is a question which the committee feel incompetent to decide. The future providence of God may throw light on this subject. that there ought to be evangelists 13. The instructions given in Sabbath schools and Bible classes have been eminently blessed. A large number of those who belong to our Sabbath schools give satisfactory evidence of piety. Superintendents and teachers have in many cases been the honoured instruments of their conversion. In several instances, most of the members of Bible classes have become converts, and promise to be among the most stable and valuable members of our churches; and should Bible classes and Sabbath schools continue to multiply, as they have done a few years past, we may hope the time will soon arrive, when most of the rising generation will be converted in youth, and that the violent “stirs” now raised against revivals will cease for want of materials. ་་་་་་་་་. SENT IN A BORDER COUNTY. (To the Editors.) 12. United, agonizing, persevering prayer. This has evidently been one of the principal means, which God has blessed, in originating and extending this work of grace. The promises of God, made to prayer, have been frequently presented; and Christians, encouraged by these promises, REMARKS ON THe state of dishave wrestled with the God of Jacob, in public prayer-meetings, and in the family, and the closet. Prayer-meetings have been numerous and frequent in most of the churches. Small circles for prayer have been held by Christians, where both sexes have engaged in this duty, and where individuals have often been made the subjects of special prayer. In these little circles, Christians have enjoyed the presence of God, and have had great freedom and boldness in approaching the throne of grace. Never have our churches generally appeared to entertain so delightful and exalted ideas of God, as the hearer of the prayer of faith.* As much has been said respecting the prayer of faith, it may be expected that the committee will say something of its nature and efficacy. There is doubtless no effectual prayer without faith; for "without faith it is impossible to please God; for he that cometh to God, must believe that he is, and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Although there is some diversity of opi GENTLEMEN,-It afforded me considerable pleasure to read, in your review department for last month, the interesting quotations from Mr. Hale's pamphlet on the "State of Dissenting Churches." I have long entertained sentiments congenial to those so ably advocated by that gentleman, and my recent removal to the district where I now labour has brought the subject to my mind with peculiar force. The county wherein my lot is cast is perhaps the most picturesque and fertile in England. nion, and not a little darkness, respecting the interpretation and extent of some of the promises made to prayer; yet we are not aware that any views prevail among us, to any extent, materially different from what are expressed by President Edwards, in his sermon, entitled, "The Most High, a prayer-hearing God;" and by Calvin, particularly in his commentary on the prayer of Paul, respecting the thorn in the flesh. 2 Cor. xii. 8. |