i THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, f # O O n “ # * BV 3 7.9 0 . . ..S773'"~3rS^3 b Sprague, William Buell, 1795 -1876 . Lectures on revivals of Princeton, N. J. r& ' j . . 1 -I xa^L/^j * 5 c & / 5S 5 ' / ■f * • V: - ' ■ ' * . . ■ r a ■ > ' f , or ought to have , in the subject of revivals , and the obligations that lie upon you to do all in your power to promote them . That the greatest weight of responsibility lies upon the ministers of religion, I am willing to allow ; but I contend that it is not exclusively ours. Even an apostle, when writing to a body of disciples, said, 66 Ye also helping together, by prayer for us.” As to that part of a revival which relates to the quicken¬ ing of lukewarm professors , there cannot exist for a moment any doubt upon the necessity of your exert¬ ing yourselves to produce this happy change. If the church is to be revived, it must be done by interest¬ ing the church itself. It is the recruiting of your own piety, brethren, that I am now speaking of, and is this no concern of yours ? You are the very per¬ sons who are to receive the inestimable blessing of the Holy Spirit, and which you, therefore, must be individually engaged to seek. Put not the subject away from yourselves, but take it home to your own bosom, for it belongs to you. Indifference on this topic, is indifference to your own spiritual and eternal welfare. If the whole body is to be renovated, it must be accomplished by a movement in each parti¬ cular part. Then as to that view of the subject which relates to the conversion of sinners , by what show of argument can you attempt to prove that this is no con¬ cern of yours ? In what book or chapter of the word of God, can you find a sentiment that discharges you froi^ all interest in this matter ? Even if you were Ixxiii excluded from all direct instrumentality in seeking this object, if it were not permitted you to attain to the high honour of 66 converting a sinner from the error of his ways, saving a soul from death, and hiding a multitude of sins,” still you are not released from ob¬ ligation to pray for their success to whom this solemn business is intrusted. The conversion of sinners ought to be, and is, the matter of deepest interest to the unfallen inhabitants of the most distant world that God has created ; they look, from their remote abodes, with the most intense solicitude, to our planet, as the scene of redeeming mercy and saving grace. Is the salvation of sinners, then, nothing to you, who dwell among the saved race, who are some of them, and who are actually invited to assist in the work of saving them ? O it is a grave and serious error, a practical heresy, of most fatal influence to the souls of men, that ministers only are under solemn obligations to seek the conversion of souls, and to labour for the extension of the Redeemer’s kingdom ! It is strangely and most criminally forgotten, that the church , not merely its ministers , is put in trust with the gospel for the benefit of the world. The spirit of Chris¬ tianity is essentially a spirit of propagation ; and every thing in the constitution of the church implies a principle of expansion. A church is, in fact, a Fo¬ reign and a Home Missionary Society in itself, and every member of a church is, in one sense, a mission¬ ary. That man who does not seek the conversion of others, forgets one great purpose of his own, and suggests a serious doubt, whether indeed he be con¬ verted at all. You released from all obligation to seek a revival of religion ! you may as rationally think D 62 Ixxiv of your being released from an obligation to love God, honour Christ, and love your neighbour ! i he wish to be thought so, the remotest idea of it, \n „Hy dissolves your connection with the church, and cuts the tie that binds you as a professor to the body _ of Christ. No ; you must not, you dare no , c e gate to us, ministers, the duty and the honour of seeking a revival of religion. On the contrary, did you see us anxious to discharge you from all concern in the great work, you ought to resist the effort as an aggression upon your privileges, an usurpation of your rights. 'Come then, beloved brethren, to the" help of the Lord against the mighty. Co-oper¬ ate with us in this transcendency important object. Connect yourselves more closely with the king om o Christ, and give your hearts and your energies more entirely to the revival and extension of religion. H o away the reproach, that all « >sc ^ things, not the things that are Jesus Christ s. What are the politics of this world to you ; wliat the in¬ terests of literature or science to you ; wliat the course of discovery to you; what the state of commerce to you ; what the current of events, the tide of histoiy, to vou ; or wliat even those fortunes you are endea¬ vouring to seek for yourselves or your children, to you, -compared with the immortal interests involved in a genuine revival of religion?* III. An important part of the subject now re¬ mains to be considered — The means to be employed by Christians, for Irrinying about a revival ■ _ . See a most admirable illustration of this sentimentj a small volume, of inestimable worth, entiRed, “The Missionary Church," by the Rev. W. H. Stowell. Price 3s. Ixxv It is essentially necessary, that all the members of our churches should tahe a deep , and individual , as well as collective , interest in this subject. — It belongs to you all. There is not a single member, whether rich or poor, young or old, male or female, that should feel no concern, and take no step, to obtain this blessed quickening. Each one should take it up as his own business, and feel and act as if it de¬ pended upon himself whether religion should flour¬ ish or languish. He should scarcely ask to whom, next to himself, this matter belonged, but consider himself as that one individual with whom it rested, whether the church were to diminish or increase; to whom all its interests were intrusted; and who should therefore cherish such a solicitude as he would scarcely fail to he the subject of, if he knew that all the instrumentality, on which its resuscitation and the conversion of a world, centered in himself. No one is to wait for others, but every one is to endeavour to influence others. No one is to ask, Where will the movement begin; but every one is to originate it in himself, if he finds it not already originated by others. The glory of God, the honour of Christ, the salva¬ tion of souls, are every body’s business ; and all these are comprehended in a revival of religion. You must ardently long for it. — You must not only feel that it is your business, but that it is a trans¬ cendency important and infinitely desirable event — an event which should kindle such an ardour of hope, that the soul, by the velocity and intensity of its own desires, would be kindled into a flame of hallowed and rational enthusiasm. The revival of religion is a phrase that occupies but a small space on paper, or d 2 lxxvi a short time in utterance ; hut its results are infinite •md eternal. The improvement of your own personal religion, which is, in fact, your own advance in an education for heaven and eternity— the probable sal¬ vation of your children the increase of your own church with all the increase of God— the benefit o your cities, towns, and villages, by large accessions to the number of their pious inhabitants— the streng¬ thening and adorning of your country, by the multi¬ plication of those who are its ornaments and its de¬ fence— the more liberal and extended support ot all those noble institutions that are “ the seeds of the millennium”— the raising up of a greater number o devoted ministers and missionaries— the more rapid extension of the Redeemer’s kingdom in the world _ the wider diffusion of piety on earth, and the greater accumulation of joy in heaven, -are the results ot every revival in religion. Beautiful is the language employed in the report already alluded to of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church m the United States “ Who can estimate the precious influence of these renovated churches upon the popu¬ lation of our country— upon present and future gene- rations ? What energy of moral power is thus im¬ parted to the cause of truth ! How many fountains of salvation are thus opened, to gladden the dry and thirsty land ! The fruits of this astonishing work of grace are valuable to the church and the world, beyond all human computation. In numerous com¬ munities, the predominating influence is now conse¬ crated to the cause of God. How many mothers have been prepared, by grace, to train up their chil¬ dren for the kingdom of heaven ! And what a noble lxxvii army of young men has renounced the honours of the world, and devoted themselves to the cause of the Redeemer ! Never, until the destinies of eternity are unfolded, can be known the full amount of bless¬ ings bestowed by these dispensations of mercy.5’ — Believers in Jesus Christ, professors of the faith of the gospel, can you look on such a moral picture, and feel no risings and workings of strong desire ? What mean, and insignificant, and uninteresting ideas, notwithstanding their power to inflame the imaginations of the children of this world, are the revival of trade, the revival of letters, the revival of science, compared with the revival of religion ! The warmest heart that ever glowed under the in¬ tensity of this burning thought, is cold, and the most fervid imagination that ever brightened into rapture under the illumination of this radiant vision, is dull and dark, compared with what they might be. But oh, it is melancholy to witness the indifference of the great bulk of nominal professors to this vast and momentous subject ! Could we behold a tenth part of the anxiety about it that is felt and expressed in reference to a revival of trade, we should feel that vitality was becoming to circulate through the spiri¬ tual body, and that symptoms of returning animation were beginning to appear. But, alas ! with many there is scarcely a perceptible pulsation of desire. They have hardly life enough left to be sensible of the palsy that has smitten the frame. 44 What lan¬ guor has fallen upon the church of God ! and yet here the impulse must begin, which is to subdue the world. We need a succession of impulses. We need new baptisms of fire and of the Holy Ghost. Ixxviii Oh that we felt our responsibility to the world ! Our coldness and deadness end not with ourselves. We propagate coldness and death. We putrify the moral atmosphere of the world.5 — Let us shake off our apathy, let us long for a revival, and covet, with in¬ tense solicitude, a resuscitation of religion. I do not expect to see here an exact counterpart of the scenes exhibited in America; I do not approve of all the means that are there employed to produce them. But there is one thing that all must approve — and that is, the ardent desire that prevails there for this gracious renovation. The church is beginning there to take God at his word, and to enlarge her expectations and desires to the measure of his promises. She has heard the voice of tlim who saith, Behold, I stand at the door, and knock,55 and has responded, “ Open ye the doors, that the King of glory may come in.55 And He is standing and knocking at the doors of our churches also, with all his fulness of grace, and all his treasures of wisdom, willing to come in and sup with us, if we will but invite him ; but ready to de¬ part, if we desire not his gracious presence. JVc must exercise faith in the reality and attain - ableness of the blessing . — Mr. Colton has told us, in his interesting volume, “ that, if we would have a revival, we must have a faith in the specific thing, not a vague general notion of we know not what. Here is the starting point — this is the means of all other means — standing in the relation of parent to the rest.” We treat the subject of revivals as sin¬ ners too generally do the gospel; as something to he believed in some way, but they know not how, and by somebody else, but not by themselves. We lxxix have no intelligent appropriating faith. We hear and read of them, but as a matter not relating to us. But why not? Is their a subject on which God has been more lavish of his promises, than the communi¬ cations of his grace to them that seek his Holy Spirit ? We cannot have the blessing, if we do not believe both its reality and its attainableness. Our unbelief will be fatal to our hopes ; indeed, we cannot hope at all if we do not believe. This infidelity on the sub¬ ject, or even a scepticism, will be as the stone upon the well’s mouth, which must be rolled away, before the fertilizing waters can be drawn forth. Faith, if we had it, would soon bring the blessing ; for it would soon put us upon all the other means to obtain it. We must fervently pray for a revival . — General, believing, fervent, persevering prayer, would as cer¬ tainly bring to us this gracious visitation, as it has done to our brethren on the other side of the Atlan¬ tic, and as it has done in every age, and every country, in which it has been tried. This is not now a new experiment, and ought never to have been considered as such. It is not a thing of uncertainty, whether God will bestow his Spirit upon an individual that asks it in faith and prayer, — and what is a church but a collection of individuals ? That which is true and certain to the one, cannot be false or contingent in reference to the many. But the prayer that is effectual, must be fervent and persevering. This is one striking: characteristic of the American churches. They believe that the blessing may be obtained by sup¬ plication ; and, therefore, they set apart days for humiliation and prayer, and continue with one accord in supplication to God. It has been thought, by lxxx some, that there is rather too much of man’s contri¬ vance in their means and plans, — blit is not their ultimate dependence upon God? One fact alone will teach us the importance they attach to prayer. The late excellent Mr. Bruen, in writing to a friend, after giving an account of a revival which had occurred in a town he visited, makes the following remarks : — 66 The most interesting proof given me of the novel state of the church at such a time is, that, the minister told me, the people seemed to feel that they had hut to pray ; that preaching was important, but inferior to prayer : and that, if it had been announced that Dr. Chalmers was to preach in the church on a week¬ day afternoon, and that there was to be a prayer- meeting in the court-house, at the same time, and that it was equally right for the people to go to either place, they would have gone to the place of prayer in preference, God is ready to work any WHERE, WHEN HIS PEOPLE ARE READY FOR THE reception OF his Holy Spirit; and , if truly prepared , we need hut to ash to receive . True prayer is always successful.” — What can be more striking or impressive than this fact ? This is the very spirit of prayer. But ah ! how little of it have we in this country ! How low is the flame of devotion sunk upon the altar of our hearts ! Faith is so weak, and the spirit of supplication so feeble, that the church has ceased to be able to wrestle with God and to prevail. The necessity of divine influ¬ ence for the conversion of the soul, has been, of late, not unfrequently made the subject of resolutions, and speeches, on the platform, at public meetings. Much has been said, and eloquently said, to recommend the Ixxxi theme to the devout attention of the Christian church; but there the matter has ended. The breath of elo¬ quence has not fanned the languid flame of piety; and, indeed, as it is usually employed, it has but little adaptation to accomplish this end. It is not elo¬ quence we want, but faith and the supplicating heart. Eloquence may move man ; but prayer moves the arm of God : eloquence may procure money ; but prayer will bring down the grace that money cannot pur¬ chase, and without which the greatest hoards of wealth are useless : eloquence may fill the place with the inspirations of human genius ; but prayer will fill the church with the presence and the power of the great Jehovah. The believing fervent breathings of one soul, uttering its longings after revival, in the retirement of the closet, does more for the attainment of this object, than a thousand orations delivered in public, amidst the plaudits of admiring auditors. O Christians, let your closets testify, let your conscience testify, how much time you set apart to importune the God of all grace, to pour out his Spirit upon the church and the world ! The blessing is ready, but waits to be fetched from heaven by your believing prayers. When the minds of believers shall be intent upon the object, and giving utterance to their desires in vehement entreaty, they shall exclaim, “ Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly his voice shall soon be heard in gracious response, saying, “ Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me.” But you are not only to ask , however fervently, or knock , however importunately, at the door of mercy, for the blessing ; but you are to seek for it in the diligent use of other means. — As very much de- D 3 lxxxii pends upon ministerial fidelity and devotedness, you should abound in prayer for your pastors, . If apostles felt their need of the prayers of the brethren, and, in the language of affectionate entreaty, said, “ Pray for us,” how can it he expected that the ordinary minis¬ ters of the gospel can do without the intercessions of their people ? O what force and beauty are there in St. Paul’s words to the Corinthians, already quoted : _ « You also helping together by prayer for us !” Apostles, even with miraculous endowments, felt themselves feeble and powerless without the suppli¬ cations of their own converts; and the humblest ministers of the word may be made mighty, and glo¬ riously successful, by such aid. The church has never yet tried the solemn and sublime experiment, to what a lofty height of personal devotedness and success it could raise its ministers, by the power of general and fervent prayer. Christians are almost ever in the extremes of idolizing or despising their ministers ; of overvaluing great talents, or undervaluing such as, though solid, are not brilliant i and thus ai e in dan¬ ger of not praying for the former, as above the need, nor for the latter, as below the reach, of divine power. Should you have a minister whose heart is not yet interested in the subject of revivals, what method can you adopt more likely to engage his attention, than to commend him to God by earnest, affectionate sup¬ plication? Expostulation with him may, perhaps, only offend him ; but prayer for him cannot produce such an effect, and may bring the reviving influence from God upon his soul. It is of no less consequence, that you should do every thing to encourage the hearts of your ministers. lxxxiii — In order to the bringing about of a revival, there must be the most harmonious feeling, the best un¬ derstanding, and the most cordial good-will, between the pastor and his flock. Where the minister does not live in the affections of his people, or is dispirited by a want of proper attention to his ministry, or of due regard to his comfort, all hope of a renovated state of things in the church is utterly vain. It is in the calm of peace, and not in the storm of conten¬ tion — in the summer season of affection, and not in the wintry frost of indifference or ill-will — that a re¬ vival can be expected. It requires so much mutual confidence, deliberation, and co-operation, that the most undisturbed cordiality is essential to its exis¬ tence. If you would wish your ministers to pro¬ mote this great work, you must take care to keep them in a state of mind that leaves them at leisure to carry it forward. You must constantly attend their ministry , and not dishearten or paralyze their zeal, by the sight of pews vacated by those who have left their own teacher for some pulpit novelty in another place. Curiosity is a passion which should have little scope for operation in religion, whether it re¬ late to doctrines or to preachers. Has the stranger studied for you , prayed for you , as your own minis¬ ter does continually ? And let your attendance be as serious as it is constant. Take earnest heed to the things you hear, lest at any time you let them slip. A revival of religion always, or at least usually, be¬ gins by a renewed solemnity in the congregation. People listen to sermons as voices from eternity, speaking to them of eternity. There are no sleepers, no idle gazers, in such assemblies ; all turn to the Ixxxiv pulpit, as to a door opening into the unseen world, through which are partially visible the realities of heaven and hell; objects too awfully momentous to allow a spirit of trifling. You must, if you would have a revival, change your whole design and manner in hearing the word . Instead of that careless and thoughtless rush into the sanctuary, you must go from praying to hearing, and return from hearing to praying. It is shocking to think how some profes¬ sors of religion treat both the preacher and his ser¬ mon. They go to the house of God, as others go to a play, for entertainment, not for improvement ; and return, not to apply the discourse, but to criticise it. In the hearing of servants, children, or guests, they assail it with the shafts of ridicule, or the bolts of anger ; and thus messages from the eternal God to immortal souls, on the high themes of salvation and damnation, are treated with the same jocularity and merriment, as are bestowed on the veriest trifles that float on the breeze of popular gossip. All this arises from, or is connected with, the idolatrous re¬ gard which is paid in the present age to eloquence. The public meetings, which are so common, and which have been thought so necessary for the sup¬ port of our religious institutions, whatever benefit they may have conferred upon preachers, by cultivat¬ ing a more free and popular mode of address — have corrupted in some measure the taste of the people, by producing a desire after oratorical, declamatory, and elaborate harangues, instead of the more sober, solemn, and instructive method of expounding and applying the truths of revelation; while both preachers and hearers seem to be too much occupied by mat- lxxxv ters of taste and imagination, to the neglect of the more awful functions of the conscience. It is man that too many go to hear speak, and not God; it is eloquence that they want, and not the gospel ; and to be entertained, but not to be sanctified, the object they seek. True it is, that it must be sound doc¬ trine that they hear, and orthodox preachers that they follow ; but it is not for the truth’s sake that dwelleth in them, but for the musical voice, the fine imagination, the master-mind, or the captivating stylo with which the truth is announced. This must be altered; and if we would have a revival, we must come back to the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus. It is not irrelevant to the subject to state, the ne¬ cessity of maintaining a proper scriptural discipline in our churches. — The church is the temple of God, a habitation for the Spirit ; and if it be defiled by the addition or retention of unholy members, the Divine Inhabitant will retire, and leave it to the finger of desolation to write upon its forsaken walls, 361 2 _ From the Rev. Francis Wayland, D. D. . . 368 3. — From the Rev. Daniel Dana, D. D . 374 4. — From the Rev. Samuel Miller, D. D. . . . 380 5. — From the Rev. Alvan Hyde, D. D . 402 6 _ From the Rev. Joel Hawes, D. D. ... 412 7. — From the Rev. John M‘Do\vell, D. D. . . . 417 8. — From the Rev. Noah Porter, D. D. ... 423 9 _ From the late Rev. Edward Payson, D. D. . 433 10. — From the Rev. Alexander Proudfit, D. D. . 434 11. — From the Rev. Charles P. M‘Uvaine, . . . 441 12 _ From the Rev. William Neill, D. D. . . . 452 13. — From the Rev. Philip Milledoler, D. D. . . 455 14. — From the Rev. Henry Davis, D. D. . . . 459 15. — From the Rev. Nathan Lord, D. D. ... 462 16. — From the Rev. Heman Humphrey, D. D. . 465 17. — From the Rev. Jeremiah Day, D. D. . . .471 18. — From the Rev. Ashbel Green, D. D. . . . 473 19. — From the Rev. Moses Waddel, . 494 20. — From the Rev. Edward D. Griffin, D. D. . 498 Essay by the Rev. Leonard Woods, D. D . 514 PREFACE. The following Lectures were delivered during the preceding autumn and winter, to the Congregation with which the author is connected, in the ordinary course of his public ministrations. The grand object at which he has aimed has been to vindicate and ad¬ vance the cause of genuine revivals of religion : and in doing this, he has endeavoured to distinguish be¬ tween a genuine revival and a spurious excitement ; to defend revivals against the cavils of their opposers ; to show the causes which operate to prevent or retard them ; to exhibit the agency of God, and the instru¬ mentality of men, by which they are produced and sustained ; to guide the inquiring sinner, and establish the young convert ; to guard against the abuses to which revivals are liable, and to anticipate the glorious results to which they must lead. In the hope that the Lectures may prove a seasonable offering to the American church, at an interesting and critical period, the author has concluded to send them forth through the press ; and in doing this, it is a pleasure to him that he is complying with a request from the session and trustees of the church of which he is pastor, as well as acting in accordance with the wishes of several respected and beloved brethren in the ministry with whom he is more immediately associated. In the Appendix the reader will find a series of Letters on the same subject, from a number of the 102 PREFACE. most distinguished clergymen of our country, and from six different religious denominations. The ob¬ ject in requesting these Letters has been twofold — First, To obtain authentic history of our revivals, in which unhappily we have hitherto been greatly defi¬ cient, — and, Second, to ascertain the manner in which revivals have been conducted by men whose wisdom, experience, and standing in the church, must at least entitle their opinion to great consideration. It was originally the author’s intention to have republished the well-known Letters of Dr. Beecher and Mr. Net- tleton, written several years ago, in which the same general views which this volume inculcates, are de¬ fended with great zeal and ability. But upon exami¬ nation he finds they are so much identified with the occasion in which they originated, that he thinks it best to omit them. He allows himself to hope, that whatever the decision of the public may be in respect to the Lectures, they will find in the Letters which follow, much authentic and important information; and he doubts not that the testimony, on this momentous subject, of such a representation from our American church, will not only be gratefully received, but con¬ siderately and earnestly pondered. If the volume should, by the blessing of God, be instrumental, even in an humble degree, of promoting such revivals as those for which Edwards, and Dwight, and Nettleton, and a host of others, both among the living and the dead, have counted it an honour to labour, the best wish of the author of the Lectures, and no doubt of the writers of the Letters also, will be answered.. Albany, May 1, 1832. " }y LECTURE I. NATURE OF A REVIVAL. Isaiah xlv. 8. “ Drop down, ye heavens , from above , and let the skies pour dovon righteousness ; let the earth open , and let them bring forth salvation , and let righteousness spring up together” The final and complete triumph of the church, was a theme at which the mind of this prophet was always ready to kindle. So infinitely superior did he regard it to any thing that respects merely the present world, that when his predictions relate immediately to tem¬ poral mercies, they often look farther to spiritual blessings ; and sometimes we find him apparently for¬ getting himself for a moment, and passing abruptly, and almost imperceptibly, from some national deliver¬ ance to the salvation of the gospel. In the verses immediately preceding our text, there is a manifest reference to the deliverance of the Jews from their captivity in Babylon ; but in the text itself there is a sudden transition to a subject of far higher import, even the blessings of Christ’s salvation ; and this latter subject continues to engross the prophet’s mind 104 LECTURE I. to the close of the chapter. — (e Drop down, ye hea¬ vens, from above, and let the skies pour down righte¬ ousness ; let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together.” There was some partial fulfilment of this predic¬ tion in the revival of true piety which attended the return of the Jews from Babylon ; though it is evi¬ dently to be considered as referring principally to the more extensive prevalence of religion under the gos¬ pel dispensation. It may be regarded, in a general sense, as denoting the abundant grace by which the gospel would be attended, casting into the shade all previous measures of divine influence which had been enjoyed by the church ; or it may be considered, more particularly, as referring to special occasions, on which the agency of the Spirit would be signally manifest. In this latter sense, it may be applied to the wonder¬ ful effusions of the Holy Ghost which attended the preaching of Peter on the day of Pentecost ; and to what, in these latter days, we are accustomed to de¬ nominate revivals of religion . It is in its application to revivals that I purpose to consider it at the present time. I here commence a series of Discourses, in which it will be my object to present before you, in its va¬ rious bearings, the subject of Revivals of Reli¬ gion. The reasons which have determined me to this course, and the grounds on which I beg leave to commend this subject to your special attention, are the following i — 1. It is a subject in which the church, especially in this country, is, at this moment , more deeply and practically interested than almost any other. — You LECTURE I. 105 cannot look back upon the history of our American church, and compare the past with the present, with¬ out perceiving that within the last half century a wonderful change has taken place in the order of God’s providence towards it. It is true, indeed, that through the ministry of Whitfield and others, there was a revival of considerable extent in this country, a little before the middle of the last century ; but owing to various causes, which I shall not now stop to specify, the fruits of it were, in no small degree, blasted ; and from that period till near the beginning of the present century, the church was only enlarged by very gradual additions. But at the period last mentioned, a different state of things seemed to com¬ mence, in the more copious and sudden effusions of the Holy Spirit; and now it has come to pass in these days in which we live, that far the greater number of those who are turned from darkness to light, so far as we can judge, experience this change during revivals of religion. It is for revivals that the church is continually praying ; and to them that she is looking for accessions both to her numbers and her strength. The praise of revivals is upon her lips, and upon the lips of her sons and daughters, who come crowding to her solemn feasts. Such being the fact, no one can doubt that this is a subject which she ought well to understand — which all should understand who care for Zion’s prosperity. 2. This is a subject in which the church is not only deeply interested at the present time, but is likely to be more and more interested for a long time to come, — The cause of revivals has hitherto been gradually and yet constantly gaining ground. The e 3 106 LECTURE T. last year has been in this respect unparalleled in the annals of the church ; and there is much in prophecy to warrant the conviction, that, as the millennial day draws near, these effusions of the Holy Spirit will be yet more frequent and powerful. Every thing decides that this is to be a practical subject, not with the present generation only, but with many genera¬ tions to come. It is desirable, therefore, that we should form correct views of it, not merely for our own sake, but for the sake of those who come after us; for our views no doubt will, to a great extent, be propagated to future generations. 3. The views which we form on this subject, and the course we adopt in respect to it, must determine, in a great measure, the actual effect of revivals upon the interests of the church. — This is a matter in re¬ lation to which God is pleased to leave much to hu¬ man instrumentality. It is possible that his people may co-operate with him in carrying forward a revival, by such means, that there may be many sound and scriptural conversions, and that his cause may thereby be greatly advanced ; and it is possible that, by the neglect of duty, or by the adoption of mistaken and unscriptural measures, they may grieve away the Holy Spirit, or confirm multitudes in fatal self-deception. It is not to be questioned, that what commonly passes under the name of a revival of religion, is an engine of prodigious power in the church. God intends it only for good; nevertheless it is capable of being perverted to evil. As so much, then, in respect to the influence of revivals is dependent on the human agency that is employed in them, and as our conduct on this subject will take its complexion from our views. LECTURE X. 107 you perceive that it is a matter of great moment that our views should be correct. 4. Every member of the church, whatever may be his standing in society, has a part to act in relation to this subject, and therefore ought to be enlightened concerning it. — In days that have gone by, this may have been thought a matter almost exclusively for ministers and other officers of the church; while pri¬ vate Christians may have imagined, that out of their closets they had little to do in relation to it, but to look on and behold the wonderful work of God. But happily this mistake has, to a great extent, been cor¬ rected ; and it seems now to be almost universally admitted, that this is a field in which even the ob¬ scurest Christian may find a place to labour. In a community in which there prevails a spirit of deep religious anxiety, and many are just forming the pur¬ pose to set their faces toward heaven, and many others are beginning to hope that they have yielded them¬ selves to God, there must needs be much occasion for private counsel and instruction ; and the persons most likely to be applied to are often those with whom the individuals concerned happen to be most inti¬ mately associated. Every one, therefore, ought to be competent to give at least some general directions. One right direction, in certain circumstances, may be the means of saving the soul. One wrong direction, in similar circumstances, of ruining it for ever. If all Christians, then, are so deeply and practically in¬ terested in this subject, there is good reason why it should be brought before you as a distinct theme for contemplation and instruction. Having now stated some reasons for bringing this 108 -LECTURE I. subject before you at this time, I proceed to the main design of the discourse, which is to exhibit the na¬ ture of a revival of religion. And that we may do this intelligently, it will be necessary previously to answer the question, in a single word, What is the nature of religion ? Religion consists in a conformity of heart and life to the will of God. It consists in a principle of obe¬ dience implanted in the soul, and in the operation of that principle in the conduct. Religion is substan¬ tially the same in all worlds; though the religion of a sinner is modified, in some respects, by his peculiar character and condition. In common with the reli¬ gion of the angels, it consists in love to God — to his law, to his government, to his service ; but in dis¬ tinction from that, it consists in repentance of sin ; faith in the merits of a crucified Saviour ; resignation under trials ; opposition to spiritual enemies. More¬ over, religion in the angels is an inherent principle ; it begins with their existence : but in the human heart it is something superinduced by the operation of the Spirit of God. Wherever there exists a cor¬ dial belief of God’s truth, and submission of the will to his authority, and the graces of the heart shine forth in the virtues of the life, there is true religion : whether it be in the palace or the cottage; whether it appear in a single individual, or be diffused over a whole community. Now if such be the nature of religion, you will readily perceive in what consists a revival of religion. It is a revival of scriptural knowledge, of vital piety, of practical obedience. The term revival of religion , has sometimes been objected to, on the ground that -LECTURE I. 109 *a revival of any thing supposes its previous existence ; whereas in the renovation of sinners, there is a prin¬ ciple implanted which is entirely new. But though the fact implied in this objection is admitted, the ob¬ jection itself has no force ; because the term is in¬ tended to be implied in a general sense, to denote the improved religious state of a congregation, or of some other community. And it is moreover applicable, in a strict sense, to the condition of Christians, who, at such a season, are in a greater or less degree re¬ vived; and whose increased zeal is usually rendered instrumental of the conversion of sinners. Wher¬ ever, then, you see religion rising up from a state of comparative depression to a tone of increased vigour and strength, wherever you see professing Christians becoming more faithful to their obligations, and be¬ hold the strength of the church increased by fresh accessions of piety from the world, there is a state of things which you need not hesitate to denominate a revival of religion. Such a state of things may be advantageously re¬ presented under several distinct particulars. 1. The first step, usually, is an increase of zeal and devotedness on the part of God’s people . — They wake up to a sense of neglected obligations, and resolve to return to the faithful discharge of duty. They be¬ take themselves with increased earnestness to the throne of grace ; confessing their delinquencies with deep humility, and supplicating the aids of God’s Spirit to enable them to execute their pious resolu¬ tions, and to discharge faithfully the various duties which devolve upon them. There, too, they impor¬ tunately ask for the descent of the Holy Ghost on 110 LECTURE I. those around them ; on the church with which they are connected ; on their friends who are living at a distance from God ; on all who are out of the ark of safety. Their conversation becomes proportionally more spiritual and edifying. They endeavour to stir up one another’s minds, by putting each other in re¬ membrance of their covenant vows, and impressing each other with their individual and mutual responsi¬ bilities. When they meet in the common inter¬ course of life, their conversation shows that the world is with them but a subordinate matter ; and that their controlling desire is, that God may be glorified in the salvation of sinners. They find it no difficult matter to be faithful in pressing the obligations of religion upon those who are indifferent to it — in warning them of their danger, and in beseeching them, with the earnestness of Christian affection, to be reconciled to God. It is a case of no uncommon occurrence at such a season, that a professor of religion, under a deep sense of his wanderings, comes to regard his own Christian character with the utmost distrust, and sometimes wanders many days in darkness, before the joys of salvation are restored to his soul. There are indeed some professors who sleep through such a scene, and probably some who join with the wicked, so far as they dare, in opposing it ; but many at least are awake, are humble, are active, and come up to the help of the Lord with renewed zeal and strength. 2. Another prominent feature in the state of things which I am describing, is the alarm and conviction oj those who have hitherto been careless. — Sometimes the change in this respect is very gradual : and for a considerable time nothing more can be said, than that LECTURE I. Ill there is a more listening ear and a more serious as¬ pect than usual under the preaching of the word ; and this increased attention is gradually matured into deep solemnity and pungent conviction. In other cases, the reigning lethargy is suddenly broken up, as if there had come a thunderbolt from eternity; and multitudes are heard simultaneously inquiring what they shall do to be saved. The young man, and the old man, and the middle-aged man — the ex¬ emplary and orthodox moralist, the haughty pharisee, the downright infidel, the profane scoffer, the dissi¬ pated sensualist — may sometimes all be seen collected with the same spirit in their hearts — a spirit of deep anxiety; and the same question upon their lips — how they shall escape the threatening woes of perdition ? In some cases, the conviction which is felt prompts to silence; and you are left to learn it from downcast looks, or, as the case may be, from half-stifled sobs. In other cases, there is no effort at concealment ; and the deep anguish of the heart comes out in expres¬ sions of the most painful solicitude. Those who once would have disdained any thing which should indicate the least concern for their salvation, hesitate not to ask and to receive instruction even from the most obscure Christian, or to place themselves in cir¬ cumstances which are a virtual acknowledgment to all that they feel their danger, and desire to escape from it. All the shame which they once felt on this sub¬ ject they have given to the winds; and their com¬ manding desire now is, that they may find that peace which passeth understanding, that hope which is full of immortality. There are others who are partially awakened. 112 LECTURE I. whose attention is in some measure excited, but not enough to prompt to any decided and vigorous effort. They look on and see what is passing ; and acknow¬ ledge God’s agency in it ; and at times manifest some feeling in respect to their own condition, and express a wish that they may have more. They attend re¬ gularly not only upon the ordinary, but upon some of the extraordinary means of grace, and treat the whole subject not only with great respect, but with decided seriousness ; but after all do not advance to the de¬ cisive point of repentance, or even of true conviction of sin. In this state they often remain for a con¬ siderable time, until they return to their accustomed carelessness, or, by some new impulse from on high, they are carried forward, and become the subjects of a genuine conversion ; or else they are taken away, in the midst of their half-formed resolutions, to a world where they will learn, to their eternal cost, that it was most dangerous to trifle with the Spirit of God. There are still others, belonging to the same gen¬ eral class of awakened sinners, who struggle against their convictions, whose consciences proclaim to them that their all is in jeopardy, but who try to discredit the testimony. These persons sometimes rush, with unaccustomed avidity, into the haunts of business or the haunts of pleasure. They throw themselves into vain company, or engage in reading idle or infidel books ; and in some instances even venture to deny what is passing within them, and to jeer at what is passing around them. Wherever you hear scoffing, and witness violent opposition, in a revival of religion, it is scarcely possible that you should mistake, if you should put down those by whom it is exhibited on LECTURE I. 113 the list of awakened sinners. The true account of it is, that there is a war between the conscience and the passions. Conscience is awake and doing its office, and the heart is in rebellion against its dictates. 3. It also belongs essentially to a revival of reli¬ gion, that there are those, from time to time, who are indulging a hope that they are reconciled to God , and are horn of the Spirit. — In some cases the change of feeling is exceedingly gradual, insomuch that the in¬ dividual, though he is sensible of having experienced a change within a given period, is yet utterly unable to refer it to any particular time. Sometimes the soul suddenly emerges from darkness into light, and perceives a mighty change in its exercises, almost in the twinkling of an eye. Sometimes there is a state of mind which is only peaceful ; sometimes it mounts up to joy and ecstacy. In some cases there is from the beginning much self-distrust; in others much, too much, confidence. But, with a great variety of experience, there are many who are brought, or who believe themselves brought, into the kingdom of Christ. They give reason to hope they have taken the new song upon their lips. Children sing their young hosannas to the Lamb that wras slain. The aged tell with gratitude of what God has done for them while on the margin of the grave. Saints on earth rejoice, and, in proportion as the work is gen¬ uine, so also do saints and angels in heaven. The church receives a fresh, and often a rich, accession both to her numbers and her strength ; an accession which, in some cases, raises her from the dust, and causes her to look forth in health and beauty. Such are the more prominent features of what we 114 LECTURE I. commonly call a revival of religion. But revivals, like every thing else that is good, have their counter¬ feits; and not unfrequently there is a spurious ad¬ mixture in those which, on the whole, must be con¬ sidered genuine. It becomes, therefore, a matter of great importance that we discriminate accurately be¬ tween the precious and the vile; that we do not mistake a gust of animal passion for the awakening or converting operations of God’s Holy Spirit. We will inquire briefly what are not , and what are , the indications of a general revival. 1. It is no certain indication of a genuine revival that there is great excitement. — It is admitted, in¬ deed, that great excitement may attend a true revival ; but it is not the necessary accompaniment of one, and it may exist where the work is wholly spurious. It may be an excitement produced not by the power of divine truth, but by artificial stimulus applied to the imagination and the passions, for the very pur¬ pose of producing commotion both within and with¬ out. Instances have occurred in which Jehovah, who has declared himself a God of order, has been professedly worshipped in scenes of utter confusion ; and impiety has been substituted for prayer, and the wildest reveries of fanaticism have been dealt out, in¬ stead of the sober and awful truths of God’s wTord. Here is the highest excitement; but it surely does not prove that the scene in which it exists is a gen¬ uine revival. It does not stamp confusion, and ir¬ reverence, and impiety, with the seal of God s Spirit. On the other hand, there may be a true revival where all is calm and noiseless ; and multitudes of hearts may be broken in contrition and yielded up to LECTURE I. 115 God, which have never been agitated by any violent, much less convulsive emotions, nor even breathed forth a single sob, unless in the silence of the closet, and into the ear of mercy. 2. It is no certain evidence of a genuine revival, that great numbers profess to be converted. — We are too much inclined, if I mistake not, to estimate the character of a revival by the number of professed converts ; whereas there is scarcely a more uncertain test than this. For who does not know, that doc¬ trines may be preached, or measures adopted, or standards of religious character set up, which shall lead multitudes, especially of the uninstructed, to misapprehend the nature of conversion, and to ima^- gine themselves subjects of it, while they are yet in their sins? We admit that there maybe genuine revivals, of great extent, in which multitudes may be almost simultaneously made the subjects of God’s grace ; but we confidently maintain, that the mere fact that many profess to be converted, does not prove a revival genuine. For, suppose that every one of these individuals, or far the larger part of them, should finally fall away, this surely, we should say, would prove the work spurious. If, then, their hav¬ ing originally professed to be Christians proved it genuine, the same work is proved to be both genuine and spurious. Does the fact that an individual ima¬ gines himself to be converted, convey any certain evidence of his conversion ? But if this is not true of an individual, it certainly cannot be true of any number of individuals ; for if one may be self-deceived, so may many. It follows that the genuineness of a I 116 lecture I. revival is to be judged of, in a great measure, inde¬ pendently of the number of its professed subjects. 3. Nor yet, thirdly, is the existence of an extensive and violent opposition any evidence that a revival is genuine.— There are those who will have it, that God’s Spirit cannot be poured out upon a community, but that all who are unrenewed, if their hearts are not at once broken in godly sorrow, will be excited to wrath and railing. Now I admit fully that the carnal mind is enmity against God ; and I am willing to admit, moreover, that in most cases, perhaps in all, in which revivals of any considerable extent exist, there are some who act out this enmity in the way of direct opposition ; some who revile God’s people and ministers, and who ridicule even the operations of his Holy Spirit. But in an orderly and well-in¬ structed community, I hesitate not to say, that we are not to look for any such general exhibition as this. Facts prove that there are multitudes who pass through a revival, without becoming personally interested m it, who still never utter a word against it, and who say, and doubtless say honestly, that they feel no sensible hostility towards it. They have indeed a heart at enmity with God ; but that enmity may operate in some different way, or it may be, to a certain extent, controlled and neutralized by constitutional qualities or habits of education ; and they may never feel a disposition to rail at God’s work, on the one hand, and may be as little inclined to yield themselves to his service, on the other. While I admit, therefore, that the natural enmity of the heart does sometimes assume the form of direct opposition against revivals, LECTURE I. I IT where there is nothing censurable in the manner in which they are conducted, I am constrained to believe that the opposition which is often complained of, or rather gloried in, is opposition to harsh expressions, which are fitted to irritate, but not to enlighten, to convince, or in any way to profit. And then how natural is it that the odium should be transferred, or rather extended, from the severe language and ques¬ tionable measures, to the revival with which they are connected ! and so it comes to pass, that a violent prejudice really grows up in the mind against the whole subject of revivals, which originated in the imprudent and mistaken zeal of some of their friends. There are those, I know, who court opposition on these occasions, and who seem to think that nothing can be done to purpose until the voice of railing is heard from without. Such persons are sure to find the opposition they seek ; and in encountering it, instead of suffering for righteousness’ sake, they are buffeted for their own faults. I repeat, then, a gen¬ uine work of God’s grace may be extensively opposed ; but the existence of such opposition does not evince it to be genuine. What then are some of the indications of a gen¬ uine revival of religion ? 1. The fact that any thing which claims to be a revival has been effected by scriptural means , is an evidence in favour of its genuineness. — God has given us his word not only as a rule of faith, but of practice ; and in the same proportion that we adhere to it, we have a right to expect his blessing ; in the same pro¬ portion that we depart from it, we have reason to expect his frown. His own institutions he will hon- 118 LECTURE I. our; and the institutions of men, so far as they are conformed to the spirit of his word, he will also hon¬ our ; but whenever the latter are put in place of the former, or exalted above them, or assume a shape which God’s word does not "warrant, we cannot sup¬ pose that he can regard them with favour ; and even if, for a time, there should seem to be a blessing, there is reason to believe that the event will show, that in that apparent blessing were bound up the ele¬ ments of a curse. Now apply this to the subject of revivals. Sup¬ pose there were to be a powerful excitement on the subject of religion, produced by means which are at war with the spirit of the gospel — suppose doctrines were to be preached which the gospel does not recog¬ nise, and doctrines omitted which the gospel regards fundamental — suppose that for the simple, and hon¬ est, and faithful use of the sword of the Spirit, there should he substituted a mass of machinery, designed to produce its effect on the animal passions — suppose the substance of religion, instead of being made to consist in repentance, and faith, and holiness, should consist of falling, and groaning, and shouting — we should say, unhesitatingly, that that could not be a genuine work of divine grace ; or if there were some pure "wheat, there must be a vast amount of chaff and stubble. It may be safe to admit, even in the wildest scenes, the possibility of some genuine conversions ; because there may be some truth preached, and some believing prayer offered, which God may regard and honour, notwithstanding all the error and delusion with which it may be mingled. But, in general, it is perfectly fair to conclude, that when men become LECTURE I. 119 dissatisfied with plain Bible truth, and simple Bible measures, and undertake to substitute doctrines or devices of their own, any excitement which may be produced, however extensive, however powerful, is of an exceedingly dubious character. If the effect par¬ take of the same character with the cause, it must be of the earth, earthy. On the other hand, where there is an attention to religion excited by the plain and faithful preaching of God’s truth, in all its length and breadth, and by the use of those simple and honest means which God’s word either directly prescribes or fairly sanctions, we cannot reasonably doubt that here is a genuine work of the Holy Spirit. The means used may be in some respects feeble ; that is, there may be the entire ab¬ sence of an eloquent and powerful ministry; never¬ theless, if God’s truth is dispensed fairly, and fully, and with godly sincerity, and other corresponding means used in a corresponding manner, the effect which is produced may reasonably be attributed to the operation of divine grace ; and it is a fact, which does great honour to the sovereignty of God, that the humblest instrumentality, when well directed, has often been honoured by a multitude of conversions, which a course of holy living has proved sound and genuine. If, then, we have a right to say that God honours his own word and his own institutions, the means employed in producing and carrying forward a revival furnish a good criterion by which to determine its character. It may not always be easy accurately to apply this rule in given cases, because there is often 120 lecture i. a strange mixture of good and bad ; but, without de¬ ciding how far any particular revival is genuine or spurious, we may safely decide that it is so in the same proportion that it is sustained by scriptural or unscriptural instrumentality. 2. A genuine revival is characterized by a due proportion of reflection and feeling.— I will not un¬ dertake to decide what amount of scriptural know¬ ledge is necessary to conversion in any given case, or to question the fact that men under certain circum¬ stances may be renewed where their knowledge is very limited; nevertheless, it is certain that religious reflection precedes religious feeling in the order ot nature. Before men can feel remorse, much more contrition, for their sins, they must have held strongly to their minds the fact that they are sinners. They must have reflected upon what it is to be a sinnei , on the character of God, not only as a Father, but a Lawgiver ; on the reasonableness of their obligations to him, and on the guilt of violating those obligations. Before they can exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, they must have reflected on the character ot Christ, on the fulness of his atonement, and on the freeness and sincerity of the gospel offer. The Holy Spirit employs the truth not only in the work ot sanctification, but even in the work of conversion ; and the truth can never find its way to the heart except through the understanding. If, then, the great truths of God’s word are steadily held up before the mind as subjects of reflection, and it the feeling which is manifested by sinners, whether of anxiety and distress, or of peace and joy, be the LECTURE I. 121 effect of such reflection, there is good reason to be¬ lieve that God’s Spirit is really at work, and that that which claims to be a revival is really one. But if, in such a scene, the mind be kept in a great degree passive — if there be a great deal of feeling, with very little thought — burning heat, with only dim and doubt¬ ful light — if the sensibilities of the soul be wrought into a storm, none can tell how or why, — then rely on it, it is not a work which God owns : or if there are some true conversions, far the greater number may be expected to prove spurious. — But, 3. That on which we are principally to rely as evidence of the genuineness of a revival, is its sub¬ stantial and abiding fruit . — Precisely the same rule is to be applied to a revival as to individual cases of hopeful conversion. Those who have been most conversant with the subject of religious experience, do not rely chiefly for evidence of piety on the pun¬ gency of one’s convictions, or the transports by which they may be succeeded, or the professions which may be made of devotedness to Christ; for they have learned that all this is equivocal, and that delusion and self-deception are consistent with the most pro¬ mising appearances which are ever exhibited. While, therefore, they may hope favourably from what they see at the beginning, before they form a decisive opinion they wait to see whether the individual can endure temptation; whether he is faithful in the dis¬ charge of all duty ; whether he is a good soldier of Jesus Christ. And if they see the fruits of holiness abounding in the life, whether the appearance at the beginning were more or less favourable, they infer with confidence that a principle of holiness has been F 62 122 LECTURE I. implanted in the heart. In the same manner are we to test the character of revivals. If an excitement on the subject of religion (no matter how great it may have been) passes away, and leaves behind little or no substantial or enduring good — if most of those who profess to have been converted return speedily or gradually to the world, living a careless life, and exhibiting an unedifying example — or if they mani¬ fest a spirit of pride and uncharitableness, and a dis¬ position to condemn all who do not exactly come to their standard, — then rely on it, though that may be called a revival of religion, it has little more than the name. But if, after the excitement has gone by, the fruits of holiness remain, and become more and more mature — if those who have been professedly converted hold on a course of humble, self-denied, devoted obedience, exemplifying the spirit of Christ, as well as professing his name, then you may take knowledge of them that they have come out of a true revival of religion. Religion acted out in the life is the best evidence that religion has its dwelling in the heart. Let the virtues and graces of the Christian adorn the lives of those who have professed to be converted during a revival, and you need ask for no better evidence that there has been the agency of the Spirit of God, Such, as it seems to me, are the characteristics of a genuine revival of religion. I shall not stop here to prove that such a state of things has every thing in it to interest the best feelings of the Christian. If you have ever felt the power of God’s grace, and especially if your hearts are now awake to the inter¬ ests of his kingdom and the salvation of your fellow- LECTURE T. 123 men, it cannot be a matter of indifference with you whether or not God’s work is to be revived in the midst of us. Let me entreat you, then, as this sub¬ ject is for several successive weeks to occupy your attention, to be fellow-helpers together, in humble dependence on God’s grace, to procure for ourselves those rich blessings on which your meditations will turn. While we are endeavouring to form correct views of this important subject, may we get our hearts thoroughly imbued with its spirit; and be able to point, with devout joy, to what is passing in the midst of us as an example of a genuine, scriptural revival of religion. LECTURE II. DEFENCE OF REVIVALS. Acts ii. 13. “ Others , mocking, said , These men are full of netv wine." The occasion on which these words were spoken marked a memorable era in the history of the church. The discipl es of Jesus, a few days after his ascension, being assembled for devotional exercises in a certain room, in the city of Jerusalem, where they had been accustomed to meet, were surprised by a marvellous exhibition of the mighty power of God. There came suddenly a sound from heaven, as of a violent rush¬ ing wind ; and, at the same time, there appeared unto them a number of divided tongues, made as it were of fire; and it was so ordered that one of these tongues rested upon each of them. And at the mo¬ ment that these tongues, or lambent flames, touched them, they were filled, in an extraordinary degree, with the Holy Spirit ; and began to speak a variety of languages, which they had never before under¬ stood, with a fluency and fervour which were beyond measure astonishing. It is hardly necessary to add, that this was a most signal attestation to the divinity of the gospel, and a glorious pledge of the Redeemer's final and complete triumph. LECTURE II. 125 It is not strange that so wonderful an event as this should have been instantly noised abroad, or that it should have excited much curiosity and speculation. Accordingly, we are informed that the multitude came together, and were amazed to find that the fact was as had been represented; that these ignorant Galli- leans had suddenly become masters of a great variety of languages ; and were talking with men of different nations as fluently as if they had been speaking in their own mother tongue. The true way of account¬ ing for this — that is, referring it to miraculous agency — they all seem to have overlooked; nevertheless, as it was manifestly an effect of something, they could not but inquire in respect to the cause ; and we have one specimen of the wisdom that was exercised on the occasion, in the words of our text — 66 Others, mocking, said, These men are full of new wine — as if they soberly believed that a state of intoxication, which often deprives a man of the power of speaking his own language, had strangely given to them the power of speaking languages not their own, and which they had never learned. All will admit that this was the very infatuation of prejudice. The reason why this absurd and ridiculous account was given of this miraculous occurrence was, that the individuals were at war with that system of truth of which this was pre-eminently the seal; they could not admit that it was an evidence of the triumph of the crucified Jesus ; and rather than even seem to admit it, they would sacrifice all claims to reason and common sense. Now I would not say that all ob¬ jections that are made against revivals of religion, are made in the same spirit which prompted this foolish 126 LECTURE II. declaration of these early opposers of the gospel ; but I am constrained to express my conviction that many of them are ; and hence I have chosen the passage now read as introductory to a consideration of objec¬ tions against REVIVALS. It was actually an effu¬ sion of the Holy Spirit which drew forth the objection contained in the text; the commencement of a scene which terminated, as revivals now do, in the conver¬ sion of many souls, and an important addition to the Christian church. The sole object of this discourse, then, will be to consider, and so far as I can, to meet, some of the most popular objections which are urged against re¬ vivals of religion. And I wish it distinctly borne in mind, that the defence which I am to make relates not to mere spurious excitements, but to genuine re¬ vivals, — such revivals as I have attempted to describe in the preceding discourse. I. The first of these objections which I shall no¬ tice is, that revivals of religion, as we use the phrase, are unscriptural. It is proper that this objection should be no¬ ticed first, because, if it can be sustained, it is of it¬ self a sufficient reason, not only for indifference to¬ wards revivals, but for positive opposition to them ; and in that case, as it would be unnecessary that we should proceed, so it would be only fair that, at the outset, we should surrender the whole ground. No matter what else may be said in favour of revi¬ vals — no matter how important they may have been regarded, or how much we may have been accustomed to identify them with the prosperity of Christ’s cause — if it can be fairly shown that they are unscriptural, LECTURE II. 127 we are bound unhesitatingly to conclude that we have mistaken their true character. God’s word is to be our standard in every thing ; and wherever we suffer considerations of expediency, in reference to this or any other subject, to prevail against that standard, we set up our own wisdom against the wisdom of the Highest; and we are sure thereby to incur his dis¬ pleasure. To the law and the testimony, then, he our appeal. In order to denominate any thing that is connected with the subject of religion unscriptural, it is not enough that we should be able to show that it is not expressly commanded, but we should also make it ap¬ pear that it is either expressly or implicitly forbidden. There are many things which all admit to be right among Christians, and which are even regarded as important parts of duty, for which there is no express warrant in the Bible ; though no doubt they judge rightly, when they suppose that they find a sufficient warrant for these things in the general spirit of the Bible. For instance, the Bible has said nothing about the monthly concert of prayer for the conver¬ sion of the world, which is now so generally observed throughout evangelical Protestant Christendom ; and of course, this is not to be regarded as a divine insti¬ tution : but so long as God has commanded his people to pray for the prosperity of Jerusalem, and so long as the Saviour has promised to bless them, where only two or three are met together in his name, it would be folly for any one to contend that the monthly concert is an antiscriptural institution. The spirit of the Bible manifestly justifies it; though the letter of the Bible may not require it. In like manner, 128 LECTURE IT. even if we were to admit, that what we call a revival of religion, so far as human agency and influence are concerned, were not directly required by God’s word, nevertheless, if it can be shown that it is consistent with the spirit of God’s word, no man has a right to gainsay it, on the ground that it is unscriptural. Now we claim for revivals, (and it is the least that we claim for them on the score of divine authority,) that there is nothing in the general spirit of the Bible that is unfavourable to them, but much of an opposite character. It is the tendency of all the instructions of God’s word, to form men to a habit of serious reflection ; to abstract their affections from the world; to lead them to commune with their hearts, and to commune with God; and to seek with greater earnestness than any thing else, the salvation of the soul. Now this is precisely what is accomplished in a revival of religion. In such a scene, if any where, is fulfilled the great design of God’s word in bring¬ ing men to serious consideration, to self-communion, to a right estimate of the comparative value of the things which are seen and are temporal, and the things which are not seen and are eternal. We say nothing here of the means employed, but simply speak of the effect produced ; and we are sure that no one who ad¬ mits that the effect is as we have stated, will doubt that it is in keeping with the general tenor of God’s word. But we need not stop here ; for the Bible has given a more direct sanction to revivals, and in various ways. Look, for instance, at many of the prayers which it records, as having been offered for the spi¬ ritual prosperity of Zion, when she was in a state of deep depression. Says the Psalmist, “ Turn us, Q LECTURE II. 129 God of our salvation, and cause thine anger towards us to cease. Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? Wilt thou draw out thine anger unto all generations ? Wilt thou not revive us again, that thy people may rejoice in thee ? Show us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation/’ And again, 6£ Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts ; look down from hea¬ ven, and behold, and visit this vine ; and the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that thou madest strong for thyself.” And again, the prophet Habakkuk prays, <£ O Lord, revive thy work; in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.” These prayers were of¬ fered in behalf of the church, when she was in a state of temporal bondage, as well as of spiritual affliction : nevertheless, they relate especially to spiritual bless¬ ings; and what was meant by a revival then, was substantially the same thing as what is intended by a revival now. Accordingly, we find that these very prayers are constantly used by the church at this day ; and that from a regard to them, as we cannot doubt, God often appears to lengthen her cords and streng¬ then her stakes ; the blessings of divine grace descend upon her in such profusion, that she puts on her beau¬ tiful garments, and looks forth fair as the morning. There are also recorded in the Scriptures many signal instances in which God has poured out his Spirit, and effected a sudden and general reformation. If you go back to the Jewish dispensation, you will find this remark strikingly verified in the reigns of David and Solomon, of Asa and Jehoshaphat, of He- zekiah and Josiah. After the church had languished during the long and gloomy period of the Babylonish f 3 ISO lecture ii. captivity, her interests were signally revived under the ministry of Ezra. A similar state of things existed in the days of John the Baptist, when the kingdom of heaven is said to have suffered violence, and many of the most profligate part of the community became impressed with religious truth, and were baptized unto repentance. On the occasion referred to in our text, no less than three thousand, and on the day follow¬ ing, two thousand more, were subdued to the obe¬ dience of the truth, and were added to the Lord. Shortly after this, multitudes in Samaria experienced the regenerating power of the gospel; and upon the dispersion of the disciples after the martyrdom of Stephen, they were instrumental of exciting a general attention to religion in the remote parts of Judea, and even as far as the territories of Greece. Here, then, are facts recorded by the unerring finger of inspira¬ tion, precisely analogous to those which the objection we are considering declares to be unscriptural. But, in addition to this, there is much in the^ro- phecies which might fairly lead us to expect the very scenes which we denominate revivals of religion. If you read the prophetical parts of Scripture attentively, you cannot, I think, but be struck with the evidence that, as the millennial day approaches, the operations of divine grace are to be increasingly rapid and power¬ ful. Many of these predictions respecting the state of religion under the Christian dispensation, it is manifest, have not yet had their complete fulfilment; and they not only justify the belief, that these glori¬ ous scenes which we see passing, really aie of divine origin, as they claim to be, but that similar scenes, still more glorious, still more wonderful, are to be LECTURE II. 131 expected, as the Messiah travels in the greatness of his strength towards a universal triumph. I cannot but think that many of the inspired predictions in re¬ spect to the progress of religion appear over-strained, unless we admit that the church is to see greater things than she has yet seen ; and that they fairly warrant the conclusion, that succeeding generations, rejoicing in the brighter light of God’s truth, and the richer manifestations of his grace, may look back even upon this blessed era of revivals as a period of comparative darkness. If, then, the general spirit of the Bible be in fa¬ vour of revivals — if the prayers which holy and in¬ spired men have offered for them are here recorded — if there be many instances here mentioned of their actual occurrence — and if the spirit of prophecy has been exercised in describing and predicting them, — then we may consider the objection that they are un- scriptural as fairly set aside ; nay, we may regard them as having the sanction of divine authority in the highest and clearest possible manner. II. It is objected, again, that revivals of religion are unnecessary . In the mouth of an infidel this objection would doubtless imply that religion itself is unnecessary; and so, of course, must be all the means used for its promotion. But in this view it does not fall within our present design to consider it. There are those who profess to regard religion, who maintain that revivals are modern innovations ; and that they are unnecessary, on the ground that the cause of Christ may be sustained and advanced, as it has been in other days, without them. This is the only form of the objection which it concerns us at present to notice. 132 LECTURE II. The first thing to be said in reply, is, that the objection supposes what is not true — namely, that revivals are of modern origin. The truth is, that if, as the objection asserts, the cause of religion in pre¬ ceding ages has been sustained and carried forward without them, so also it has been sustained and car¬ ried forward with them ; and during the periods in which they have prevailed, the church has seen her greatest prosperity. You have already seen, that, instead of being of recent origin, they go back to an early period in the Jewish dispensation. And, pass¬ ing from the records of inspiration, we find that re¬ vivals have existed, with a greater or less degree of power, especially in the latter periods of the Christian church. This was emphatically true during the pe¬ riod of the Reformation in the sixteenth century : Germany, France, Switzerland, Holland, Denmark, the Low Countries, and Britain, were severally visited by copious showers of divine influence. During the season of the plague in London, in 1665, there was a very general awakening 5 in which many thousands are said to have been hopefully born of the Spirit. In the early part of the seventeenth century, various parts of Scotland and the North of Ireland were blessed, at different periods, with signal effusions of divine grace, in which great multitudes gave evidence of being brought out of darkness into marvellous light. During the first half of the last century, under the ministrations of Whitfield, Brainerd, Edwards, Da¬ vies, the Tennents, and many other of the holiest and greatest men whose labours have blessed the church, there was a succession of revivals in this country, which caused the wilderness to blossom as the rose. LECTURE II. 133 and the desert to put on the appearance of the garden of the Lord. And when these revivals declined, and the church settled back into the sluggish state from which she had been raised, then commenced her decline in purity, in discipline, in doctrine, in all with which her prosperity is most intimately connected. And this state of things continued, only becoming worse and worse, until, a little before the beginning of the present century, the spirit of revivals again burst forth, and has since that period richly blessed especially our American church. The fact, then, most unfortunately for the objection we are consider¬ ing, turns out to be, that if the church has been sus¬ tained at some periods without these signal effusions of the Holy Spirit, she has barely been sustained ; and that the brightest periods of her history have been those in which they have prevailed with the greatest power. To object to revivals, then, on the ground that they are modern, or that they are un¬ necessary to the best interests of the church, betrays an utter ignorance of their history. But let us inquire a little further, why the old and quiet way, as it is often represented, of becoming religious, is the best. If you mean that you prefer that state of religion in which the dews of divine grace continually descend, and Christians are always consistent and active, and there is a constant succes¬ sion of conversions from among the impenitent, to the more sudden and rapid operations of God’s Spirit — be it so ; there is as truly a revival in the one case as the other. But the state of things which this objection contemplates is that in which religion is kept in the back ground, and only here and there one 134 LECTURE II. at distant periods comes forward to confess Christ, and the church is habitually in a languishing state. And is such a state of things to be preferred above that in which the salvation of the soul becomes the all-engrossing object, and even hundreds, within a little period, come and own themselves on the Lord’s side ? Is it not desirable that sinners should be con¬ verted immediately ? Are they liable every hour to die, and thus be beyond the reach of mercy and of hope ; and is it not right that they should be pressed with the obligations of immediate repentance ; and is it not necessary that they should exert themselves to escape the tremendous doom by which they are threatened ? Is it more desirable that the mass of sinners should be sleeping on in guilty security, liable every hour to fall into the hands of a sin-avengino- God, or that they should be escaping by multitudes from the coming wrath, and gaining an interest in the salvation of the gospel? He, and only he, who will dare to say that the former is most desirable, can consistently object to revivals, on the ground that the church had better revert to the quiet uniformity of other days. Still farther : before you decide that revivals are unnecessary, you must either settle it that they are not the work of God, or else you must assume the responsibility of deciding that he is not doing his work in the best way. Will you take the former side of the alternative, and maintain that this is not God’s work ? If you say this, then I challenge you to prove that God ever works in the renovation of men; for the only evidence of the existence of a principle of religion in the heart, is the operation of LECTURE II. 135 that principle in the life ; and I hesitate not to say, that I can show you as unequivocal fruits of holiness produced from a revival of religion, as you can show me in any other circumstances. Unless then you will assume the responsibility of saying, that all the apparent faith, and love, and zeal, and holiness, which are produced from a revival, and which, so far as we can judge, have every characteristic of genuineness, are spurious, it were rash to decide that this is not a work effected by the agency of the Holy Spirit. But if you admit that this is God’s work, you surely will not dare to say that his way of accom¬ plishing his purpose is not the best. Suppose that nothing appeared to render this course of procedure especially desirable, yet the point being established that it is the course which God hath chosen, the re¬ flection, that God’s ways are not as our ways, ought to silence every doubt. But who, after all, will say that it even appears inconsistent with infinite wisdom and goodness, as the cause of God is advancing to¬ wards a complete triumph, that he should operate more powerfully, more suddenly, than in some other periods ; in short, precisely as he does in a revival of religion ? Has God bound himself that he will con¬ vert men only by small numbers, or by a very gradual influence ; or does he not rather, in this respect, claim the right of absolute sovereignty? I ask again, in view of the bearing which this objection has upon the character of God, who will dare say that revivals are unnecessary? III. Another objection against revivals is, that they are the nurseries of enthusiasm . If by enthusiasm you mean a heated imagination, 136 LECTURE II. that prompts to excesses in conduct, then you meet with it in other departments beside that of revivals. You will see as much enthusiasm in a political cabal, or in an election of civil officers, or in a commercial speculation, or even in the pursuits of science, as you will find in a revival of religion. Yes, believe me, there is a worldly as well as a religious enthusiasm : and let me inquire how it comes to pass that you can tolerate the former, nay, perhaps, that you can exem¬ plify and cherish it, and yet can regard the latter with so much disapprobation and abhorrence ? Does it not look a little as if your objection lay rather against religion, the subject in respect to which the enthusi¬ asm is exercised, than against the enthusiasm itself? But are you sure, that in passing judgment on the enthusiasm connected with revivals, you always call things by their right names ? Is it not more than possible, that much of what you call by this name may be the fervour of true love to God, and of gen¬ uine Christian zeal ? Suppose you were to go into a meeting composed entirely of persons of the same religious character with Isaiah, or David, or Paul, and suppose they were to utter themselves in expres¬ sions not more fervent than these holy men have ac¬ tually used, do you not believe that you would think there was some enthusiasm in that meeting, and that the exercises would be better if they partook a little more of the earthly, and a little less of the heavenly ? Between enthusiasm on the one hand, and conviction of sin, and love to God, and zeal in religion, on the other, there is really no affinity ; they are as unlike each other as any genuine quality is unlike its coun¬ terfeit; but is there not some danger, that they who LECTURE II. 137 have a heart opposed to religion, and who are willing to find excuses for the neglect of it, will brand some of the Christian graces, when they shine with un¬ usual brightness, with the opprobrious epithet of en¬ thusiasm ? But suppose there is some real enthusiasm mingled with revivals, (and, to a certain extent, this no doubt must be admitted,) shall we on this ground reject them altogether? Because some few individuals in such a scene may act the part of enthusiasts, is all the true Christian feeling, and Christian conduct, which is exemplified by many others, to be consi¬ dered of no account ? Or suppose, if you will, that a small degree of enthusiasm may pertain to all, does this nullify all the exercises of genuine, and, perhaps, elevated piety, with which it may happen to be con¬ nected ? Where is the man who adopts the same principle in respect to his worldly affairs ? If you should import the productions of some foreign clime, and should discover that a small part of the quantity had been injured by the voyage, and that the rest had not suffered at all, would you cast the whole of it from you ; or would you not rather make a careful separation between the good and the bad, retaining the one, and rejecting the other? Or if you should hear a lecture on science, or politics, or religion, or any other subject, in which you should discover a few mistakes, while nearly the whole of it was sound, and practical, and in a high degree instructive, would you condemn the whole for these trifling errors, and say it was all a mass of absurdity ; or would you not rather treasure it up in your memory as in the main excellent, though you felt that, like every thing hu- 138 LECTURE IT. man, it was marred by imperfection? And why should not the same principle be admitted in respect to revivals ? Is it right, is it honest, because there may be in them a small admixture of enthusiasm, to treat them as if they were made up of enthusiasm, and nothing else ? Would it not be more equitable, would it not be more candid, to separate the precious from the vile, and to let the sentence ol condemna¬ tion fall only where it is deserved ? But perhaps I shall be met here with the declara¬ tion, that there are scenes, which pass for revivals of religion, in which there is nothing but enthusiasm and its kindred evils — scenes which outrage the de¬ corum of religious worship, and exert no other in¬ fluence upon religion than to bring it into contempt. Be it so. If there be such scenes, whatever name they may assume, they are not what we plead for, under the name of revivals ; on the contrary, every friend of true revivals must, if he be consistent, set his face against them. And I maintain further, that it is gross injustice to the cause of revivals, to con¬ found those scenes in which there is nothing but the wild fire of human passion, with those in which there is the manifest operation of the Holy Spirit. Sup¬ pose you should see a man practising the extreme of avarice, and calling it by the honest name of eco¬ nomy, or suppose you should see a man inflexibly obstinate in an evil course, and calling his obstinacy virtuous independence, would this justify you in set¬ ting at naught a habit of economy and independence ; as if a virtue could be turned into a vice by the mis¬ application of a name ? And suppose that any man, or any number of men, choose to yield themselves LECTURE II. 139 lip to gross fanaticism, and to attempt to pass it off under the name of religion, or of a revival of religion, who is there that does not perceive, that the exis¬ tence of the counterfeit contributes in no way to de¬ base the genuine quality ? Prove to me that any thing that takes the name of a revival is really spuri¬ ous, and I pledge myself, as a friend of true revivals, to be found on the list of its opposers. Names are nothing. Things, facts, realities, are every thing. IV. Another objection to revivals, closely allied to the preceding, is, that the subjects of them often fall into a state of mental derangement , and even com¬ mit suicide . The fact implied in this objection is, to a certain extent, acknowledged ; that is, it is acknowledged that instances of the kind mentioned do sometimes occur. But is it fair, after all, to consider revivals as responsible for them ? Every one who has any knowledge of the human constitution must be aware, that the mind is liable to derangement from any cause that operates in the way of great excitement ; and whether this effect, in any given case, is to be produced or not, depends partly on the peculiar char¬ acter of the mind which is the subject of the opera¬ tion, and partly on the degree of self-control which the individual is enabled to exercise. Hence we find on the list of maniacs, and on those who have committed suicide, many in respect to whom this awful calamity is to be traced to the love of the world. Their plans for accumulating wealth have been blasted, and when they expected to be rich they have suddenly found themselves in poverty, and per¬ haps obscurity ; and instead of sustaining themselves 140 LECTURE II. against the shock, they have yielded to it ; and the consequence has been, the wreck of their intellect, and the sacrifice of their life. You who are men of business well know, that the case to which I have here referred is one of no uncommon occurrence 5 but who of you ever thought that these cases reflected at all upon the fair and honourable pursuit of the world? Where is the merchant who, on hearing that some commercial adventurer had become de¬ ranged in consequence of some miserable speculation, and had been found dead, with a halter about his neck, ever said, 66 I will close my accounts and shut up my store, and abandon this business of buying and selling, which leads to such fatal results ? Is there one of you who ever made such an inference from such a fact ; or who ever relaxed at all in your worldly occupation, on the ground that some indivi¬ duals had perverted the same occupation to their ruin ? Here you are careful enough to distinguish, between the thing and the abuse of it ; and why not be equally candid in respect to revivals of reli¬ gion ? When you hear of instances of suicide in revivals, remember that such instances occur in other scenes of life, and other departments of action ; and if you are not prepared to make commerce, and learn¬ ing, and politics, and virtuous attachment, responsi¬ ble for this awful calamity, because it is sometimes connected with them, then do not attempt to cast this responsibility upon religion, or revivals of religion, because here, too, individuals are sometimes left to this most fearful visitation. I have said that some such cases as the objection supposes occur ; but I maintain that the number is, by LECTURE IT. 141 the enemies of revivals, greatly overrated. Twenty men may become insane, and may actually commit suicide from any other cause, and the fact will barely be noticed : but let one come to this awful end in consequence of religious excitement, and it will be blazoned upon the house-top with a»n air of melan¬ choly boding, and yet with a feeling of real triumph ; and many a gazette will introduce it with some sneer¬ ing comments on religious fanaticism ; and the result will be that it will become a subject of general noto¬ riety and conversation. In this way the number of these melancholy cases comes to be imagined much larger than it really is ; and in the common estimate of the opposers of revivals it is no doubt multiplied manifold. But admitting that the number of these cases were as great as its enemies would represent — admit that in every extensive revival there were one person who actually became deranged, and fell a victim to that derangement — are you prepared to say, even then, upon an honest estimate of the comparative good and evil that is accomplished, that that revival had better not have taken place ? On the one side, es¬ timate fairly the evil : and we have no wish to make it less than it really is. There is the premature death of an individual — death in the most unnatural and shocking form, and fitted to harrow the feelings of friends to the utmost. There may be a temporary loss of usefulness to the world, and, as the case may be, a loss of counsel, and aid, and effort, in some of the tender est earthly relations. Yet it is not certain but that the soul may be saved; for though, at the time the awful act is committed, there may be thick 142 LECTURE II. darkness hanging about it, and even the phrenzy oi despair may have seized hold of it, yet no mortal can decide that God’s Spirit may not after all have per¬ formed its effectual work, and that the soul, liberated from the body by the most dreadful act which man can commit, may not find its way to heaven, to be foi ever with the Lord. But suppose the very worst— suppose this sinner, who falls in a fit of religious in¬ sanity, by the violence of his own hand, to be unre¬ newed — why, in this case, he rushes prematurely upon the wrath of God, he cuts short the period of his pro¬ bation, which, had it been protracted, he might, or might not, have improved to the salvation of his soul. Look now at the other side. In the revival in which this unhappy case has occurred, besides the general quickening impulse that has been given to the people of God, perhaps one hundred individuals have had their character renovated, and their doom reversed. Each one of these was hastening forward, perhaps to a death-bed of horror, certainly to an eternity of wailing ; but, in consequence of the change that has passed upon them, they can now anticipate the close of life with peace, and the ages of eternity with un¬ utterable joy. There is no longer any condemnation to them ; because they are in Christ Jesus. And, besides, they are prepared to live usefully in the world — each of them to glorify God, by devoting himself, according to his ability, to the advancement of his cause. Now, far be it from us to speak lightly of such a heart-rending event as the death of a fel¬ low-mortal, in the circumstances we have supposed ; but if any will weigh this against the advantages of a revival, we have a right to weigh the advantages of LECTURE II. 143 a revival against this, and to call upon you to decide for yourselves which preponderates ? Is the salvation of one hundred immortal souls (supposing that num¬ ber to be converted) a light matter, when put into the scale against the premature and awful death of a sin¬ gle individual, or, to suppose the very worst of the case, his cutting short his space for repentance, and rushing unprepared into the presence of his Judge ? V. It is farther objected against revivals, that they occasion a sort of religious dissipation ; leading men to neglect their worldly concerns for too many reli¬ gious exercises ; exercises, too, protracted, not unfre- quently, to an unseasonable hour. No doubt, it is possible for men to devote them¬ selves more to social religious services than is best for their spiritual interests ; because a constant at¬ tendance on these services would interfere with the more private means of grace, which, all must admit, are of primary importance. But who are the persons by whom this objection is most frequently urged, and who seem to feel the weight of it most strongly ? Are they those who actually spend most time in their closets, and who come forth into the world with their hearts deeply imbued with a religious influence, and who perform their secular duties from the most con¬ scientious regard to God’s authority ? Or are they not rather those who rarely, if ever, retire to com¬ mune with God, and who engage in the business of life from mere selfish considerations ; who, in short, are thoroughgoing worldings ? If a multitude of religious meetings are to be censured on the ground of their interference with other duties, I submit it to you, whether this censure comes with a better grace 144 LECTURE II. from him who performs these duties, or from him who neglects them ? I submit it to you, whether the man who is conscious of living in the entire ne¬ glect of religion, ought to be very lavish in his cen¬ sures upon those who are yielding their thoughts to it in any way, or to any extent? Would it not be more consistent, at least, for him to take care of the beam, before he troubles himself about the mote ? Far be it from me to deny, that the evil which this objection contemplates does sometimes exist — that men, and especially women, do neglect private and domestic duties for the sake of mingling continually in social religious exercises. Nevertheless, I am con¬ strained to say, that the objection, as it is directed against the mass of Christians, during a well-regulated revival, is utterly unfounded. For I ask, who are the persons who have ordinarily the best regulated fami¬ lies, who are most faithful to their children, most faithful in their closets, most faithful and conscien¬ tious in their relative duties, and even in their worldly engagements ? If I may be permitted to answer, I should say, unhesitatingly, they are generally the very persons who love the social prayer-meeting, and the meeting for Christian instruction and exhortation; those, in short, who are often referred to, by the ene¬ mies of revivals, as exemplifying the evil which this objection contemplates. God requires us to do every duty, whether secular or religious, in its right place ; and this the Christian is bound to keep in view in all his conduct. But there is too much reason to fear, that the spirit which ordinarily objects against many religious exercises, is a spirit which, if the whole truth were known, it would appear had little compla¬ cency in any. LECTURE II. 145 But it is alleged that, during revivals, religious meetings are not only multiplied to an improper ex¬ tent, but are protracted to an unseasonable hour. That instances of this kind exist admits not of ques¬ tion; and it is equally certain, that the case here contemplated is an evil which every sober, judicious Christian must discourage. We do not believe that, in an enlightened community, it is an evil of very frequent occurrence ; but wherever it exists, it is to be reprobated as an abuse, and not to be regarded as any part of a genuine revival, or as any thing for which a true revival is responsible. But here, again, it may be worth while to inquire how far many of the individuals who offer this objection are consistent with themselves. They can be present at a political cabal, or at a convivial meeting, which lasts the whole night, and these occasions may be of very frequent occur¬ rence, and yet it may never occur to them that they are keeping unseasonable hours. Or their children may return at the dawn of day, from a scene of vain amusement, in which they have brought on an entire prostration both of mind and body, and unfitted them¬ selves for any useful exertion during the day; and yet all this is not only connived at as excusable, but smiled upon as commendable. I do not say that it is right to keep up a religious meeting during the hours that Providence has allotted to repose : I be¬ lieve fully that in ordinary cases it is wrong ; but sure I am that I could not hold up my head to say this, if I were accustomed to look with indulgence on those other scenes of the night of which I have spoken. It is best to spend the night as God designed it should be spent, in refreshing our faculties by sleep ; but if G 62 146 LECTURE II. any other way is to be chosen, judge ye whether they are wisest who deprive themselves of repose in an idle round of diversion, or they who subject themselves to the same sacrifice in exercises of devotion and piety. VI. It is objected against revivals, that they often introduce discord into families , and disturb the general peace of society. It must be conceded, that rash and intemperate measures have sometimes been adopted in connection with revivals, or at least what have passed under the name of revivals, which have been deservedly the subject of censure, and which were adapted, by stirring up the worst passions of the heart, to introduce a spirit of fierce contention and discord. But I must be permitted to say, that whatever evil such measures may bring in their train, is not to be charged upon genuine revivals of religion. The revivals for which we plead are characterized, not by a spirit of rash and unhallowed attack on the part of their friends, which might be supposed to have come up from the world below, but by that wisdom which cometh down from above, which is pure, peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated. For all the discord and mischief that result from measures designed to awaken opposition and provoke the bad passions, they only are to be held responsible by whom those measures are devised or adopted. We hesitate not to say, that there is no communion between the spirit that dictates them and the spirit of true revivals. Nevertheless, it must be acknowledged that there are instances in which a revival of religion, conducted in a prudent and scriptural manner, awakens bitter hostility, and sometimes occasions for the time much LECTUUE II. 147 domestic unhappiness. There are cases in which the enmity of the heart is so deep and bitter, that a bare knowledge of the fact that sinners around are begin¬ ning to inquire, will draw forth a torrent of reproach and railing; and there are cases, too, in which the fact that an individual in a family becomes professedly pious, will throw that family into a violent commotion, and waken up against the individual bitter prejudices, and possibly be instrumental of exiling a child, of a wife, or a sister, from the affections of those most dear to them. But you surely will not make religion, or a revival of religion, responsible for cases of this kind. Did not the benevolent Jesus himself say, that he came not to send peace on the earth, but a sword ; meaning by it this very thing — that in prosecuting the object of his mission into the world, he should necessarily provoke the enmity of the human heart ; and thus that enmity would act itself out in the per¬ secution of himself and his followers ? The Saviour, by his perfect innocence, his divine holiness, his un¬ compromising faithfulness, provoked the Jews to im¬ brue their hands in his blood ; but who ever supposed that the responsibility of their murderous act rested upon him ? In like manner, ministers and Chris¬ tians, by labouring for the promotion of a revival of religion, may be the occasion of fierce opposition to the cause of truth and holiness ; but if they labour only in the manner which God has prescribed, they are in no way accountable for that opposition. It will always be right for individuals to secure the sal¬ vation of their own souls, let it involve whatever do¬ mestic inconvenience, or whatever worldly sacrifice it may. And so, too, it will be always right for Chris- 148 LECTURE II. tians to labour in God’s appointed way for the salva¬ tion of others ; though, in doing so, they should kindle up against them the fiercest opposition. Where such opposition is excited, the opposers of religion may set it to the account of revivals ; but God, the righteous Judge, will take care that it is charged where it fairly belongs. VII. It is objected, again, to revivals, that the supposed conversions that occur in them are usually too sudden to be genuine , and that the excitement which prevails at such a time must be a fruitful source of self-deception. That revivals are often perverted to minister to self-deception cannot be questioned; and this is al¬ ways to be expected when there is much of human machinery introduced. Men often suppose them¬ selves converted, and actually pass as converts, merely from some impulse of the imagination, when they have not even been the subjects of true conviction. But, notwithstanding this abuse, who will say that the Bible does not warrant us to expect sudden con¬ versions ? What say you of the three thousand who were converted on the day of Pentecost ? Shall I be told that there was a miraculous agency concerned in producing that wonderful result ? I answer, there was indeed a miracle wrought in connection with that occasion; but there was no greater miracle in the actual conversion of those sinners than there is in the conversion of any other sinners ; for conversion is in all cases the same work, and accomplished by the same agency; namely, the special agency of the Holy Spirit. This instance, then, is entirely to our purpose, and proves at least the possibility that a conversion may be sound, though it be sudden. LECTURE II. 149 Nor is there any thing in the nature of the case that should lead us to a different conclusion. F or what is conversion ? It is a turning from sin to ho¬ liness. The truth of God is presented before the mind, and this truth is cordially and practically be¬ lieved; it is received into the understanding, and through that reaches the heart and life. Suppose the truth to be held up before the mind already awake to its importance, and in a sense prepared for its reception, what hinders but that it should be re¬ ceived immediately ? But this would be all that is intended by a sudden conversion. Indeed we all admit that the act of conversion, whenever it takes place, is sudden ; and why may not the preparation for it, in many instances, be so also ? Where is the absurdity of supposing that a sinner may, within a very short period, be brought practically to believe both the truth that awakens the conscience, and that which converts the soul ; in other words, may pass from a state of absolute carelessness, to reconciliation with God ? The evidence of conversion must indeed be gradual, and must develop itself in a subsequent course of exercises and acts ; so that it were rash to "pronounce any individual in such circumstances a true convert : but not only the act of conversion, but the immediate preparation for it, maybe sudden; and we may reasonably hope, in any given case of apparent conversion, that the change is genuine. I may add, that the general spirit of the Bible is by no means unfavourable to sudden conversions. The Bible calls upon men to repent, to believe, to turn to the Lord now : it does not direct them to put themselves on a course of preparation for doing 150 LECTURE II. this at some future time ; but it allows no delay ; it proclaims that now is the accepted time, now the day of salvation. When men are converted suddenly, is there any thing more than an immediate compliance with these divine requisitions which are scattered throughout the Bible ? But what is the testimony of facts on this subject? It were in vain to deny, that some who seem to be converted during the most genuine revivals fall away; and it were equally vain to deny, that some who pro¬ fess to have become reconciled to God, when there is no revival, fall away. But that any considerable proportion of the professed subjects of well-regulated revivals apostatize, especially after having made a public profession, is a position which I am persuaded cannot be sustained. I know there are individual exceptions from this remark ; exceptions which have occurred under peculiar circumstances; but, if I mis¬ take not, those ministers who have had the most ex¬ perience on this subject will testify, that a very large proportion of those whom they have known profess¬ edly beginning the Christian life, during a revival, have held on their way stronger and stronger. It has even been remarked, by a minister who has pro¬ bably been more conversant with genuine revivals than any other of the age, that his experience has justified the remark, that there is a smaller propor¬ tion of apostacies among the professed subjects of revivals, than among those who make a profession when there is no unusual attention to religion. After all, we are willing to admit that the excite¬ ment attending a revival may be the means of self- deception. But we maintain that this is not, at least LECTURE II. 151 to any great extent, a necessary evil, and that it may ordinarily be prevented, by suitable watchfulness and caution on the part of those who are active in con¬ ducting the work. To accomplish this, requires an intimate knowledge of the heart, and of God’s word, and of the whole subject of experimental religion. But with these qualifications, whether in a minister or in private Christians, and with the diligent and faithful discharge of duty, we believe that little more is to be apprehended in respect to self-deception during a revival, than might reasonably be in ordinary circumstances. VIII. It is objected, that revivals are followed by seasons of corresponding declension ; and that therefore nothing is gained , on the whole , to the cause of religion. This remark must of course be limited in its ap¬ plication to those who were before Christians; for it surely cannot mean, that those who are really con¬ verted during a revival lose the principle of religion from their hearts after it has passed away. Suppose then it be admitted, that Christians on the whole gain no advantage from revivals, on account of the reaction that takes place in their experience, still there is the gain of a great number of genuine con¬ versions ; and this is clear gain from the world. Is it not immense gain to the church — immense gain to the Saviour, that a multitude of souls should yield up their rebellion, and become the subjects of renewing grace ? And if this is an effect of revivals, (and who can deny it?) what becomes of the objection, that on the whole they bring no gain to the cause ? But it is not true that revivals are of no advantage to Christians. It is confidently believed, if you could 152 LECTURE II. hear the experience of those who have laboured in them most faithfully and most successfully, you would learn that these were the seasons in which they made their brightest and largest attainments in religion. And these seasons they have not failed subsequently to connect with special praise and thanksgiving to God. That there are cases in which Christians, during a revival, have had so much to do with the hearts of others that they have neglected their own; and that there is danger, from the very constitution of the human mind, that an enlivened and elevated state of Christian affections will be followed by spi¬ ritual languor and listlessness, I admit ; but I main¬ tain that these are not necessary evils, and that the Christian, by suitable watchfulness and effort, may avoid them. It is not in human nature always to be in a state of strong excitement ; but it is possible for any Christian to maintain habitually that spirit of deep and earnest piety, which a revival is so well fitted to awaken and cherish. IX. The last objection against revivals which I shall notice is, that they cherish the spirit of sectarian, and furnish opportunities and inducements to different denominations to make proselytes. I own, brethren, with grief and shame for our common imperfections, that the evil contemplated in this objection frequently does occur: and though, for a time, different sects may seem to co-operate with each other for the advancement of the common cause, yet they are exceedingly apt, sooner or later, to direct their efforts mainly to the promotion of their own particular cause ; and sometimes, it must be con¬ fessed, the greater has seemed to be almost forgotten LECTURE II. 15S in the less. Wherever this state of things exists, it is certainly fraught with evil; and the only remedy to be found for it is an increased degree of intelli¬ gence, piety, and charity, in the church. But here again let me remind you, that, let this evil be as great as it may, the most that you can say of its connection with revivals is, that they are the innocent occasion of it, not the faulty cause. Sup¬ pose an individual, or any number of individuals, were to take occasion from the fact that we are assembled here for religious worship, to come in, in violation of the laws of the land, and by boisterous and me¬ nacing conduct to disturb our public service — and suppose they should find themselves forthwith within the walls of a j ail, — the fact of our being here en¬ gaged in the worship of God might be the occasion of the evil which they had brought upon themselves, but surely no man in the possession of his reason would dream that it was the responsible cause. In like manner, a revival may furnish an opportunity, and suggest an inducement, to different religious sects to bring as many into their particular commun¬ ion as they can ; and they may sometimes do this in the exercise of an unhallowed party spirit ; but the evil is to be charged, not upon the revival, but upon the imperfections of Christians and ministers, which have taken occasion from this state of things thus to come into exercise. The revival is from above ; the proselyting spirit is from beneath. But the fallacy of this objection may best be seen by a comparison of the evil complained of, with the good that is achieved. You and I are Presbyterians; but we profess to believe that our neighbours of many G 3 154 LECTURE II. of the different denominations around us hold the fundamental truths of the gospel, and are walking in the way to heaven. As Presbyterians we have a right, and it is our duty, to take special heed to the interests of our own church ; but much as we may \enerate her order or her institutions, who among us is there that does not regard Christian as a much more hallowed name ? In other words, where is the man who would not consider it comparatively a light matter whether an individual should join our parti¬ cular communion, or some other, provided he gave evidence of being a real disciple of Christ ? Now apply this remark to revivals. The evil complained of is, that different sects manifest an undue zeal to gather as many of the hopeful subjects of revivals as they can into their respective communions. Suppose it be so— and what is the result ? Why, that they are training up, not as we should say, perhaps, under the best form of church-government, or possibly the most unexceptionable views of Christian doctrine, but still in the bosom of the church of God, under the dispensation of his word, and in the enjoyment of his ordinances, and in communion with his people are training up to become members of that com¬ munion in which every other epithet will be merged in that of sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty. Place then, on the one side, the fact that these indi¬ viduals are to remain in their sins, supposing there is no revival of religion, and on the other, the fact that they are to be proselyted, if you please, to some other Christian sect, provided there is one ; and then tell me, whether the objection which I am considering does not dwindle to nothing. I would not deem it LECTURE II. 155 uncharitable to say, that the man who could maintain this objection in this view, that is, the man who could feel more complacency in seeing his fellow-men re¬ main in his own denomination, dead in trespasses and sins, than in seeing them join other denominations, giving evidence of being the followers of the Lord Jesus — whatever other sect he may belong to, does not belong to the sect of true disciples. Whatever may be his shibboleth, rely on it, he has not learned to talk in the dialect of heaven. I have presented this subject before you, my friends, at considerable length, not because I have considered myself as addressing a congregation hos¬ tile to revivals — for I bear you testimony that it is not so — but because most of the objections which have been noticed are more or less current in the community; and I have wished to guard you against the influence of these objections, on the one hand, and to assist you to be always ready to give an answer to any one that asketh a reason of your views of this subject, on the other. I hope that what has been said may confirm your conviction, that the cause of revivals is emphatically the Saviour’s cause ; and that you may be disposed, each one to labour in it with increased diligence and zeal. And may your labours be characterized by such Christian prudence, and ten¬ derness, and fidelity, that while you shall see a rich blessing resting upon them, they may have a tendency to silence the voice of opposition, and increase the number of those who shall co-operate with you in sustaining and advancing this glorious cause. LECTURE III. OBSTACLES TO REVIVALS. I Cor. ix. 12. ■ — M Lest ix>e should hinder the gospel of Christ ” It is impossible to contemplate either the life or writings of the apostle Paul, without perceiving that the ruling passion of his renewed nature was a desire to glorify God in the salvation of men. For the ac¬ complishment of this end there was no service which he would not perform — no earthly comfort which he would not surrender — no suffering which he would not endure. A charming illustration of his disinter¬ estedness in the cause of his Master occurs in the chapter which contains our text. He maintains, both from Scripture and from general equity, the right which a minister of the gospel has to be sup¬ ported by those among whom he labours ; and then shows how he had waived that right in favour of the Corinthians, that the purpose of his ministry might be more effectually gained. — 4 44 If others be partakers of this power over you,” says he, that is, 4 if it is the privilege of ministers in general to receive their sup¬ port from those for whose benefit they labour, are not we rather entitled to this privilege — we who have been instrumental not only of instructing and com- LECTURE III. 157 forting you, but of leading you to the profession of Christianity ? Ci Nevertheless we have not used this power, but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ we cheerfully submit to many in¬ conveniences and deprivations, that our success in winning souls to Christ, through the gospel, may not be in any degree hindered by the cavils of those who are always on the alert to misrepresent and censure us/ The text takes for granted that there may exist certain hinderances to the influence of the gospel. As every genuine revival of religion is effected through the instrumentality of the gospel, it will be no mis¬ application of the passage to consider it as suggesting some of the obstacles which often exist in the way of a revival : and in this manner I purpose to con¬ sider it at the present time. What then are some of the most common hin¬ derances to a scriptural revival of religion ? I. Ignorance or misapprehension of the nature of true revivals . It is not to be concealed or denied, that much has passed at various periods under the name of revivals, which a sound and intelligent piety could not fail to reprobate. There have been scenes in which the decorum due to Christian worship has been entirely forgotten ; in which the fervour of passion has been mistaken for the fervour of piety : in which the awful name of God has been invoked not only with irre¬ verence, but with disgusting familiarity; in which scores, and even hundreds, have mingled together in a revel of fanaticism. Now unhappily there are those, and I doubt not good men too, who have formed their opinion of revivals from these most unfavourable spe- 158 LECTURE III. cimens. These perhaps, and no others, may have fallen under their observation : and hence they con¬ clude, that whatever is reported to them under the name of a revival, partakes of the same general character with what they have witnessed ; and hence too they look with suspicion on any rising religious excitement, lest it should run beyond bounds, and terminate in a scene of religious frenzy. There are others, (I here speak particularly of ministers of the gospel, for their influence is of course most extensively felt on this subject,) who are led to look with distrust on revivals, merely from constitu¬ tional temperament, or from habits of education, or from the peculiar character of their own religious ex¬ perience ; and while they are hearty well-wishers to the cause of Christ, they are perhaps too sensitive to the least appearance of animal feeling. Besides, they not improbably have never witnessed a revival, and, as the case may be, have been placed in circum¬ stances least favourable to understanding its nature or appreciating its importance. What is true of one individual in this case may be true of many ; and if the person concerned be a minister of the gospel, or even a very efficient and influential layman, he may contribute in no small degree to form the opinion that prevails on this subject through a congregation, or even a more extensive community. Now you will readily perceive, that such a state of things as I have here supposed must constitute a serious obstacle to the introduction of a revival. There are cases, indeed, in which God is pleased to glorify his sovereignty, by marvellously pouring down his Spirit for the awakening and conversion of sin- LECTURE III. 159 ners, where there is no special effort on the part of his people to obtain such a blessing; but it is the common order of his providence to lead them earnestly to desire, and diligently to seek the blessing, before he bestows it. But if, instead of seeking these spe¬ cial effusions of divine grace, they have an unreason¬ able dread of the excitement by which such a scene may be attended — if the apprehension that God may be dishonoured by irreverence and confusion, should lead them unintentionally to check the genuine as¬ pirations of pious zeal, or even the workings of re¬ ligious anxiety — there is certainly little reason to ex¬ pect in such circumstances a revival of religion. I doubt not that a case precisely such as I have sup¬ posed has sometimes existed; and that an honest, but inexcusably ignorant conscience, on the part of a min¬ ister or of a church, has prevailed to prevent a gra¬ cious visit from the Spirit of God. II. Another obstacle toarevival of religion, is found in a spirit of worldliness among professed Christians . The evil to which I here refer assumes a great variety of forms, according to the ruling passion of each individual, and the circumstances in which he may be placed. There are some of the professed disciples of Christ, who seem to think of little else than the acquisition of wealth ; who are not only ac¬ tively engaged, as they have a right to be, to increase their worldly possessions, but who seem to allow all their affections to be engrossed by the pursuit ; who are willing to rise up early, and sit up late, and eat the bread of carefulness, to become rich; and whose wealth, after it is acquired, serves only to gratify a spirit of avarice, or possibly a passion for splendour, 160 LECTURE III. but never ministers to the cause of charity. There is another class of professors, whose hearts are set upon worldly promotion ; who seem to act as if the ultimate object were to reach some high post of honour; who often yield to a spirit of unhallowed rivalry, and sometimes employ means to accomplish their purposes which Christian integrity scarcely knows how to sanction. And there is another class still, not less numerous than either of the preceding, who must be set down, in a modified sense at least, as the lovers of pleasure : far enough are they from encouraging or tolerating any thing gross or offensive to a cultivated worldly taste ; but they mingle un¬ hesitatingly in scenes of amusement, from which they know beforehand that every thing connected with religion must be excluded; and they talk afterwards with enthusiasm of the enjoyment they have experi¬ enced in such scenes ; and if the consistency of their mingling in them with Christian obligations happens to be called in question, not improbably they will defend themselves with spirit against what they are pleased to call a whimsical or superstitious prejudice. There are professors of religion among those who take the lead in fashionable life : they seem to breathe freely only when they are in circles of gaiety ; and if they were taken out of the ranks of pleasure, the language of their hearts, if not of their lips, would doubtless be, 46 Ye have taken away my gods, and what have I more ?” I am willing to hope that the number to whom this can apply, in all its extent, is, at this day, comparatively small — certainly it is be¬ coming smaller ; but there are many who are ready to make a partial compromise with conscience on this LECTURE HI. 361 subject, and who, in keeping aloof from the extreme of too great strictness, slide too near, to say the least, to the confines of the opposite error. All these dif¬ ferent classes, if their conduct is a fair basis for an opinion, have the world, in some form or other, upper¬ most. They are quite absorbed with the things which are seen and are temporal. Their conversa¬ tion is not in heaven. It breathes not the spirit of heaven. It does not relate to the enjoyments of heaven, or the means of reaching these enjoyments. The world take knowledge of them, not that they have been with Jesus, but that, like themselves, they love to grovel amidst the things below. That the evil which I have here described exist¬ ing in a church, must be a formidable obstacle to a revival of religion, none of us probably will doubt. Let us see, for a moment, how it is so. The individuals concerned constitute the church, or a portion of the church — the very body in which, according to the common course of God’s providence, we are to expect a revival to begin. But the pre¬ valence of this worldly spirit of which I have spoken, is the very opposite of the spirit of a revival, and can have no more communion with it than light with darkness. So long as it exists, then, it must keep out that general spirituality and active devoted¬ ness to the cause of Christ, in which a revival, as it respects Christians, especially consists ; and of course must prevent all that good influence which a revival in the church would be fitted to exert upon the world. But suppose there be in the church those wTho are actually revived, and who have a right estimate of their obligations to labour and pray for the special 162 LECTURE III. effusion of divine influences, how manifest is it that this spirit of worldliness must, to a great extent, pa¬ ralyze their efforts? How painfully discouraging to them must it be, to behold those who have pledged themselves to co-operate with them in the great cause, turning away to the world, and virtually giving their sanction to courses of conduct directly adapted to thwart their benevolent efforts ! And how na¬ turally will careless sinners, when they are pressed by the tender and earnest expostulations of the faith¬ ful to flee from the wrath to come, shelter themselves in the reflection, that there is another class of pro¬ fessors who estimate this matter differently, and whose whole conduct proclaims that they consider all this talk about religion as unnecessary- — not to say fana¬ tical ! I know that a few Christians have, in some instances, been enabled by God’s special blessing to stem such a current as this, and have been permitted to witness the most glorious results from their perse¬ vering labours ; but I know too that nothing is more disheartening to a few devoted disciples of Christ — nothing more directly fitted to render their exertions of no effect, than for the mass of professors around them to be buried up in the world ; to be found with them at the communion-table, commemorating the death of Christ, but never to go with them in any effort for the advancement of his cause . But while this spirit of worldliness mocks in a great degree the efforts of the faithful, it exerts a direct and most powerful influence upon those who are glad to find apologies to quiet themselves in sin. 1 know that it is a miserable fallacy, that the incon¬ sistent lives of professed Christians constitute any LECTURE III. 163 just ground of reproach against the gospel ; never¬ theless it is a fact, of which no one can be ignorant, that there are multitudes who look at the gospel only as it is reflected in the character of its professors, and especially in their imperfections and backslidings. These are all strangely looked at, as if religion wTere responsible for them ; and whether it be a particular act of gross transgression, or a general course of de¬ votedness to the world, it will be almost sure to be turned to account in support of the comfortable doc¬ trine, that religion does not make men the better, and therefore it is safe to let it alone altogether : or else it is inferred, that if religion be any thing, it may be safely delayed ; for it is so small a matter, that it may be taken up at any time : or possibly the indi¬ vidual, referring his own character to the low standard which he may observe among professors, may chari¬ tably conclude that he is already a Christian ; and thus, by playing oflP upon himself the arts of self-de¬ ception, may lull himself into a lethargy, out of which he will never awake, until he is roused, by the light of eternity, both to conviction and despair. None surely will question, that whatever exerts such an in¬ fluence as this on the careless and ungodly, must con¬ stitute a powerful barrier to a revival of religion. But this worldly spirit is to be looked at, more¬ over, in the relation which it bears to the Spirit of God : for God’s Spirit, let it always be remembered, is the grand Agent in every revival. What then do professing Christians virtually say to the Holy Spirit, when they lose sight of their obligations, and open their hearts and their arms to the objects and interests of the world ? Do they thereby invite him 164 LECTURE III. to come, and be with them, and dwell with them, and to diffuse his convincing and converting influences all around? Or do they not rather proclaim their indifference, to say the least, to his gracious opera¬ tions ; and sometimes even virtually beseech him to depart out of their coasts ? But it is the manner of our God to bestow his Spirit in unison with the de¬ sires, and in answer to the prayers, of his people ; can we suppose, then, that where the spirit of the world has taken the place of the spirit of prayer, and the enjoyments of the world are more thought of than the operations of the Holy Ghost — can we suppose, I say, that He, who is jealous of his honour, will send down those gracious influences which are essential to a revival of religion ? O Whether, therefore, we consider a worldly spirit among professed Christians in its relation to them¬ selves, to their fellow-professors who are faithful, to the careless world, or to the Spirit of God, we can¬ not fail to perceive that it must stand greatly in the way of the blessing we are contemplating. III. The want of a 'proper sense of personal re¬ sponsibility among professed Christians , constitutes another obstacle to a revival of religion. You all know how essential it is to the success of any worldly enterprise, that those who engage in it should feel personally responsible in respect to its results. Bring together a body of men for the accomplishment of any object, no matter how important, and there is always danger that personal obligation will be lost sight of; that each individual will find it far easier to do nothing, or even to do wrong, than if, instead of dividing the responsibility with many, he was obliged LECTURE III. 165 literally to bear his own burden. And just in pro¬ portion as this spirit pervades any public body, it may reasonably be expected, either that they will accom¬ plish nothing, or nothing to any good purpose. Now, let this same spirit pervade a church, or any community of professed Christians, and you can look for nothing better than a similar result. True it is, as we have already had occasion to remark, that in a revival of religion there is much of divine agency, and of divine sovereignty too : but there is human instrumentality also; and much of what God does, is done through his people : and if they remain with their arms folded, it were unreasonable to expect that God’s work should be revived. Let each pro¬ fessor regard his own personal responsibility as merged in the general responsibility of the church, and the certain consequence will be, that the church, as a body, will accomplish nothing. Each member may be ready to deplore the prevalence of irreligion and spiritual lethargy, and to acknowledge that some¬ thing ought to be done in the way of reform ; but if, at the same time, he cast his eye around upon his fellow-professors, and reflect that there are many to share with him the responsibility of inaction, and that as his individual exertions could effect but little, so his individual neglect would incur but a small pro¬ portion of the whole blame — if he reason in this way, I say, to what purpose will be all his acknowledg¬ ments and all his lamentations? In order that God’s work may be revived, there must be earnest prayer; but where is the pledge for this, unless his people realize their individual obligations ? There must also be diligent, and persevering, and self-denied 166 LECTURE III. effort; but where are the persons who are ready for this, provided each one feels that he has no personal responsibility? Who will warn the wicked of his wicked way, and exhort him to turn and live ? Who will stretch out his hand to reclaim the wandering Christian, or open his lips to stir up the sluggish one? Who, in short, will do any thing that God requires to be done in order to the revival of his work, if the responsibility of the whole church is not regarded as the responsibility of the several indivi¬ duals who compose it ? Wherever you see a church in which this mistaken view of obligation generally prevails, you may expect to see that church asleep, and sinners around asleep ; and you need not look for the breaking up of that slumber, until Christians have come to be weighed down under a sense of per¬ sonal obligation. Moreover, let it be remembered, that the evil of which I am speaking is fitted to prevent the revival of God’s work, inasmuch as it has within itself all the elements of a grievous backsliding. Wherever you find professors of religion who have little or no sense of their own obligations apart from the general responsibility of the church, there you may look with confidence for that wretched inconsistency, that careless and unedifying deportment, that is fitted to arm sinners with a plea against the claims of religion, which they are always sure to use to the best advan¬ tage. And, on the other hand, wherever you see professing Christians realizing that arduous duties devolve upon them as individuals, and that the in¬ difference of others can be no apology for their own, there you will see a spirit of self-denial, and humility, LECTURE III. 167 and active devotedness to the service of Christ, which will be a most impressive exemplification of the ex¬ cellence of the gospel, and which will be fitted at once to awaken sinners to a conviction of its impor¬ tance, and to attract them to a compliance with its conditions. In short, you will see precisely that kind of agency on the part of Christians which is most likely to lead to a revival, whether you consider it as bearing directly on the minds of sinners, or as securing the influence of the Spirit of God. IV. The toleration of gross offences in the church , is another serious hinderance to a revival of religion. We cannot suppose that the Saviour expected that the visible church on earth would ever be entirely pure, or that there would not be in it those who were destitute of every scriptural qualification for its com¬ munion, or even those whose lives would be a con¬ stant contradiction of their profession, and a standing reproach upon his cause. He himself hath said, “ It must needs be that offences come though he has added, with awful emphasis, c< Wo unto that man by whom they come !” And the whole tenor of God’s word goes to show that it is required of the church — of the whole body, and of each particular member — that they keep themselves unspotted from the world; that they have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness ; that they exhibit, in all respects, that character which becomes i( a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a pe¬ culiar people.” And inasmuch as there was danger, from the imperfection and depravity of man, that the church would embody a greater or less amount of hypocrisy and corruption, it pleased the great Mas- 168 LECTURE III. ter to prescribe rules for the maintenance of her purity. Hence Christians are exhorted to stir up one another, by putting each other in remembrance ; to reprove and admonish each other with fidelity as occasion may require ; and in case of scandalous of¬ fences persisted in, or not repented of, the church, as a body, is bound to cut off the offender from her communion. In performing this last and highest act of discipline, as well as in all the steps by which she is led to it, she acts not according to any arbi¬ trary rules of her own, but under the authority, and agreeably to the directions of her Head. Now it is impossible to look at the state of many churches, without perceiving that there is a sad dis¬ regard to the directions of the Lord Jesus Christ, in respect to offending members. It sometimes hap¬ pens, that professors of religion are detected in grossly fraudulent transactions — that they grind the face of the widow and orphan — that they take upon their lips the language of cursing, and even profanely use the awful name of God — not to speak of what has been more common in other days, their reeling under the influence of the intoxicating draught, — I say, it sometimes happens that Christian professors exem¬ plify some or other of these vices, and still retain a regular standing in the church, and perhaps never even hear the voice of reproof; especially if the in¬ dividuals concerned happen to possess great worldly influence, and the church, as it respects temporal in¬ terests, is in some measure dependent upon them. But rely on it, brethren, this is an evil which is fitted to reach vitally the spiritual interests of the church, and wherever it exists, it will, in all probability, con¬ stitute an effectual obstacle to a revival of religion. LECTURE III. 169 For its influence will be felt, in the first place, by the church itself. The fact that it can tolerate gross offences in its members, proves that its character for spirituality is already low ; but the act of tolerat¬ ing them must necessarily serve to depress it still more. It results from our very constitution, and from the laws of habit, that to be conversant with open vice, especially where there is any temptation to apologize for it, is fitted to lessen our estimate of its odiousness, and to impair our sense of moral and Christian obligation. If a church tolerates in its members scandalous sins, it must knew, as a body, that it is in the wrong ; nevertheless each individual will reconcile it to his own conscience as well as he can ; and one way will be, by endeavouring to find out extenuating circumstances, and possibly to lower a little the standard of Christian character. Thus it will almost of course come to pass, that that deep and awful sense of the evil of sin, which the Chris¬ tian ought always to cultivate, and which is essen¬ tial to a high degree of spirituality, will no longer be found; and in place of it there will be, if not an exhibition of open vice, yet a disposition to regard iniquity in the heart, and a readiness to partake of other men’s sins. Besides, the neglect of one duty always renders the neglect of others more easy ; not merely from the fact that there is an intimate connection between many of the duties which devolve upon Christians, but because every known deviation from the path of rectitude has a tendency to lower the tone of religious sensibility, and to give strength to the general pro¬ pensity to evil. Let the members of a church do H 62 170 LECTURE III. wrong in the particular of which I am speaking, and it will make it more easy for them to do wrong in other particulars. A disregard to their covenant obligations in this respect will render them less sen¬ sible of the solemnity and weight of their obligations generally : in short it will lead, by almost certain consequence, to that state of things which is charac¬ terized by spiritual insensibility and death, and which is the exact opposite of all that belongs to a revival of religion. But the evil to which I refer is not less to be de¬ precated in its direct influence upon the world, than upon the church. For here is presented a professing Christian, not only practising vices which, it may be, would scarcely be tolerated in those who were pro¬ fessedly mere worldly men, hut practising these vices, for aught that appears, under the sanction of the church. Wherever this flagrant inconsistency is exhibited, the scoffer looks on and laughs us to scorn. The decent man of the world concludes, that if the church can tolerate such gross evils, whatever other light she may diffuse around her, it cannot he the light of evangelical purity. And even those who feel the weight of Christian obligation, and who de¬ sire to join in the commemoration of the Redeemer s death, will sometimes hesitate whether they can be¬ come members of a community in which the solemn vows of God are so much disregarded. Need I say that there is every thing here to lead sinners to sleep on in carnal security to their dying day ? But observe still farther, that this neglect to purify the church of scandalous offences, is an act of gross disobedience to her Head — to Him who has LECTURE III. 171 purchased for her all good gifts, and whose prero¬ gative it is to dispense the influences of the Spirit. Suppose ye then that he will sanction a virtual con¬ tempt of his authority, by pouring down the bless¬ ings of his grace ? Suppose ye that, if a church set at naught the rules which he has prescribed, and not only suffer sin, but the grossest sin, in her members, to go unreproved, he will crown all this dishonour done to his word, all this inconsistency and flagrant covenant-breaking, with a revival of religion ? No, brethren ; this is not the manner of Him who rules King in Zion. He never loses sight of the infalli¬ ble Directory which he has given to his church ; and if any portion of his church lose sight of it, it is at the peril of his displeasure. Disobedience to his commandments may be expected always to incur his frown ; and that frown will be manifested, at least, by withholding the influences of his grace. V. Another powerful hinderance to a revival of re¬ ligion, is found in the absence of a spirit of brotherly love among the professed followers of Christ . Christianity never shines forth with more attrac¬ tive loveliness, or addresses itself to the heart with more subduing energy, than when it is seen binding the disciples of Jesus together in the endearing bonds of a sanctified friendship. Let it be said of Chris¬ tians, as it was in other days,