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the gospel be preached in their simplest form, enforced by their native authority, and applied in their most direct and powerful bearing upon the conscience and the heart.And what though a minister of Christ at such a time be not satisfied with a formal announcement of a part of divine truth twice upon the Sabbath; what though he be anxious to avail himself of the nat

ural sympathies and social feelings of his people to gain their attention to the truth, and procure its access to their minds; what though he have reference to all the principles of our nature, and to the particular habits, prejudices and feelings of individuals, in arranging the times and circumstances of his applications to them; does he not, in this, fall in with the general scheme of the moral government of God, in the adaptation of motives to the constitution of the human mind? Does he not comply with the injunction, "Be ye wise as vants," and the apostolic example, of "becoming all things to all men, if by any means he may save some?"

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But I have already detained the reader too long from the intended reference to the sentiments of Edwards. In his day it was a subject of complaint, "that ministers addressed themselves rather to the affections of their hearers than to their understandings, and endeavoured rather to raise their passions by an earnest and affectionate manner, than by clear reasoning to inform their judgment." To which he replies :

"I am far from thinking that it is not very profitable for ministers in their preaching, to endeavour clearly and distinctly to explain the doctrines of religion and unravel the difficulties that attend them, and to confirm them with strength of reason and argumentation; and it is very probable that this has been of late, too much neglected, by many; yet I believe that the objection

is in a great measure built on mistake. -They go away with a wrong notion, that think that those preachers cannot their understandings, that do not do it, affect their hearers, by enlightening by such a distinct and learned handling of the doctrinal points of religion, as depends on human discipline or the strength of natural reason, and tends to enlarge their hearer's learning and speculative knowledge of divinity. The manner of preaching without this, may divine and eternal things in a right be such as shall tend very much to set view, and to give the hearers such apprehensions of them as are answerable to the real nature of things. Not only the words that are spoken, but the manner of speaking, is one thing that has a great tendency to this. I think an exceeding affectionate way of religion, has in itself no tendency to preaching about the great things of beget false apprehensions of them; but on the contrary a much greater tendency to beget true apprehensions of them, than a moderate, dull, indifferent way of speaking of them. An appearance of affection and earnestness, if it be very great, yet if it be agreeable to the nature of the subject, and there be no appearance of its being feigned, has so much the greater tendency to beget true ideas of the subject spoken of: and that for this reason, that it does in fact more truly represent it-than a more cold and indifferent manner. And I do not think that ministers are to be blamed for raising the affections of their hearers too high, if that which which is worthy of affection, and their they are affected with be only that affections are not raised beyond a proportion to its importance."

3. President Edwards felt the importance of urging upon sinners generally, and particularly upon awakened sinners their obligation of immediate repentance. Some ministers, he remarks, were blamed for speaking terror to those who were already under great terror, instead of comforting them. In what manner they incurred this censure we are not left in doubt. The reply which follows, presents them to us, urging their anxious hearers to submit themselves with no delay to

God according to the gospel-allowing them no excuse, no compromise, no resting-place, in their rejection of the only Saviour-but persuading them by every motive of fear and of hope, of duty and of safety, immediately to yield themselves, in penitent submission, to God, with faith in his Son.

"Why," he forcibly remarks, "should we be afraid to let persons, that are in an infinitely miserable condition, know the truth, or bring them into light, for fear it should terrify them. It is light that must convert them if ever they are converted. The more we bring sinners into light, while they are miserable and the light is terrible to them, the more likely it is, that by and by, the light will be joyful to them. The case and comfort, that natural men enjoy, have their foundation in darkness; therefore as that darkness vanishes, and light comes in, their peace vanishes and they are terrified. But that is no good argument why we should endeavour to hold them in darkness, that we may uphold their comfort. The truth is, that as long as men reject Christ, however they may be awakened, and however conscientious and laborious they may be in religion, they have the wrath of God abiding on them, they are his enemies and the children of the devil; and it is uncertain whether they shall ever obtain mercy. God is under no obligation to show them mercy, nor will he be, if they fast and pray never so much; and they are then especially provoking God under these terrors, that they stand it out against Christ, and will not accept an offered Saviour, though they see so much need of him. And seeing this is the truth, they should be told so, that they may be sensible what their case indeed is.--Indeed something else beside terror is to be preached to them. The gospel is to be preached to them. Sinners at the same time that they are told how miserable their case is, should be earnestly invited to come and accept of a Saviour, and to yield their hearts to him, with all the winning, encouraging arguments that the gospel affords. But this is to induce them to escape from the misery of their condition, not to abate their uneasiness and distress

while they are in it. Comfort is to be

offered to them in Christ, on condition of their flying from their present miserable state, to him; but comfort is not to be administered to them in their title to while out of Christ. No compresent state, as any thing they have a fort is to be administered to them from any thing in them, any of their qualifications, prayers or performances, past, present, or future; but ministers should, in such cases, strive to their utmost, te take all such comfort from them, though it greatly increase their terror. A person that sees himself ready to sink into hell, is ready to strive some way or other to lay God under obligation to him; but he is to be beat off from every thing of that nature, though it greatly increases his terror to see himself wholly destitute, on every side, of any refuge, or any thing of his own to lay hold of; as a man that sees himself in danger of drowning is in terror, and endeavours to catch hold of every twig within his reach, and he that pulls the twigs away increases his terror; yet if they are insuflicient to save him, and prevent his looking to that which will save him, to pull them away, is necessary to save his life. If sinners are in distress from any error, that is to be removed. If they are in terror from an apprehension that they have committed the unpardonable sin, or that those things have happened to them, that are certain signs of reprobation, or any other delusion, such terrors have no tendency to do them good. They arise from temptation and not from conviction. But that terror which arises from conviction or a sight of truth, is to be increased; for those that are most awakened, have great remaining stupidity; they have a sense of but little of that which is; and it is from remaining blindness that they see no more; and that blindness is a disease which we ought to endeavour to remove. I am not afraid to tell sinners that are most sensible of their misery, that their case is as miserable as they think it to be, and a thousand times more so; for this is the truth: and it seems to me, such truth is never more seasonable than at such a time, when Christ is beginning to open the eyes of the conscience. Ministers ought to act as co-workers with him -to take that opportunity when the light has begun to shine, to remove all

obstacles and use all proper means, that it may come in more freely, and the work be done thoroughly then. And experience abundantly shows that to take this course, is not of hurtful tendency, but very much to the contrary. I have seen in very many instances, the happy effects of it, and oftentimes a very speedy happy issue, and never knew any ill consequences, in case of real conviction, and when distress has been only from thence."

It is pleasing to mark the entire harmony of judgment and practice between the most honoured instruments of divine grace in a former age and the present, in this vitally important concern; and it is equally wonderful and lamentable that any of the ministers of Christ should venture to disregard not only their united testimony, but the corresponding testimony of Christ and his apostles, by giving directions to the anxious of their charge, different from those which are, in this manner, commended to them, or by neutralizing these, by explanations and additions for which they have no divine warrant, and this in accommodation to those sinful principles and delusive confidences which it is the object of the Holy Spirit to destroy, and which must be destroyed in order to the submission of the sinner to God.

4. President Edwards insisted upon the importance of inculcating practical and social duties in revivals of religion. So ably has this been illustrated, in late numbers of the Christian Spectator, that I should have omitted it here, except for the sake of adducing the authority of Edwards.

"It is incumbent upon God's people at this day," he remarks, "to take heed, that while they abound in external duties of devotion, there be a proportionable care to abound in moral duties, such as acts of righteousness, truth, meekness, forgiveness and love towards our neighbour; which are of much greater importance in the sight

of God than all the externals of his worship. Of this our Saviour was particularly careful that men should be well aware of it. Matt. ix. 13. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice. External acts of worship are only shewing our religion by words; but he that shews religion, in the other sort of duties, shews it in deeds. And though deeds may be hypocritical as well as words: yet in themselves they are more important, for they are more profitable to ourselves and our neighbour. They also put more honour upon God, because there is greater self-denial in them. The external acts of worship are the cheapest part of religion and least contrary to our lusts. The difficulty of thorough, external religion

does not lie in them. Let wicked men enjoy their covetousness and their pride, their malice, envy and revenge, and their sensuality and voluptuousness, in their behaviour amongst men, and they will be willing to compound the matter with God, and submit to what forms of worship you please, and as many as you lease; as is manifest in the Jews of old, in the days of the prophets, and the Pharisees in Christ's time, and the Papists and Mahometans at this day.---At a time when there is an appearance of the approach of any glorious revival of God's church, God does especially call his professing people to the practice of moral duties. Isai. lvi. 1, Thus saith the Lord; keep. ye judgment and do justice; for mysalvation is near to come and my righteousness to be revealed. So when John preached that the kingdom of

heaven was at hand, and cried to the

people, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, asked him, What they should do? he make his paths strail, and the people

answers, He that hath two coats let him impart to him that hath none, and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. When the publicans said, What shall we do? he answers, Exact no more than thatwhich is appointed you ;--and to the soldiers asking, What shall we do? he replies, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages. God's people at such a time as this, ought especially to abound in deeds of charity. We generally in these days seem to fall far below the true spirit and practice of

Christianity, with regard to this duty, and seem to have but little notion of it, so far as I can understand the New Testament. At a time when God is so liberal of spiritual things, we ought not to be sparing of our temporal things. If God's people in this land, were once brought to abound in deeds of love, as much as in praying, hearing, singing, and religious meetings, it would be a most blessed omen. Nothing would have a greater tendency to bring down the God of love from heaven to earth. So amiable would be the sight, in the eyes of the loving and exalted Redeemer, that it would soon, as it were, fetch him down from his throne in heaven, to set up his tabernacle with men on earth, and dwell with them. I do not remember ever to have read of any remarkable outpouring of the Spirit, but what was attended with an abounding in this duty. So we know it was with that great effusion of the Spirit that began at Jerusalem. And it is foretold that God's people shall abound in this duty in the time of the great outpouring of the Spirit that shall be in the latter days. The vile person shall no more be called liberal, nor the churl said to

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be bountiful. But the liberal deviseth liberal things, and by liberal things

shall he stand."

To these convincing remarks I would only add that the circumstances of awakened sinners, not less than those of professed Christians demand, in a season of revival, the inculcation of this class of duties. It is to be feared that in this country, and among the friends of revivals, the number is not small of persons who are satisfied with a cheap religion. Like the ancient Jews they are regular in their devotions, they seek the Lord daily; they take pleasure in appearing at his house and learning his truths; they have gratifying views, discoveries, and feelings, and claim to be a religious class of people; but like those Jews they are uncharitable and unkind, they are wrathful and revengeful, they are greedy of gain and unjust in their measures of obtaining it, they are unfeeling to the

poor and unwilling to impart liberally for their relief, they refuse their aid to public charities or they give leanly and grudgingly. No wonder that the religious powers and enjoyments of such persons are transient. They may ascribe the cause to their unfavourable circumstances, and such imperfection as is common to the sincere; but the evil lies deeper. They have never made choice of the true religion as the business of their lives. The love of gain, the love of ease, the love of esteem, or in some other form the love of the world, is their ruling principle. They have not understood the nature of that service in which they have professed to engage. They have not pondered as they ought to have done on the self-denial which it involves. And to prevent so terrible a delusion it is most solemnly incumbent upon the teachers of religion to explain and urge those principles of shall have judgment without mercy the gospel according to which "he who hath showed no mercy"—" he shall not be forgiven of God who does not heartily forgive his fellowmen"--and if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him. In seasons of revival, when the minds of men are open to impression; when the character of their religion is formed, and their hopes for eternity are conceived, it is especially important that the indispensible fruits, as well as the distinctive feelings of repentance be explained and enforced.

5. President Edwards did not hesitate, when the cause of truth evidently demanded it, to expose the errors and irregularities of good men in the conduct of revivals. He was not indeed insensible to the delicacy of his office, nor to the tenderness and caution which it demands. He has left his decided protest against the habit of carelessly and unfeelingly discanting on the indiscretions of men attendant

on an acknowleged work of God— a protest applicable, probably, in every revival to some, who would be numbered among its friends, but who too little consider either the spirit by which they are actuated, or the influence which they exert.

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"Instead of coming to the help of the Lord," he says, "we shall actually fight against him, if we are abundant in insisting on, and setting forth the blemishes of the work, so as to manifest that we rather choose and are more forward to take notice of what

is amiss, than what is good and glorious in the work. Whatever errors many zealous persons have run into, yet if the work, in the substance of it, be the work of God, then it is a joyful day indeed; it is so in heaven, and ought to be so among God's people on earth. The imprudencies and errors of poor fallible worms do not prevent great rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over so many poor sinners that have repented; and it will be an argument of something very ill in us, if they prevent our rejoicing. Who loves in a day of great joy and gladness to be much insisting on those things that are uncomfortable? Would it not be very improper on a king's coronation day, to be much in taking notice of the blemishes in the royal family? We have an account how, at the restoration of the church of Israel,after the Babylonish captivity, and at the time of the feast of tabernacles, many wept at the faults found amongst the people, but were reproved on that account. Nehemiah, Ezra, and the Levites, said unto all the people, this day is holy unto the Lord your God—mourn not, nor weep-for the joy of the Lord is your strength."

Still he speaks of the error of those who had been so prejudiced by the clamour concerning irregularity as to impute whatever was said about them to feelings of hostility-remarks that "if we look back into the history of the church of God we may observe that it has been a common device of the devil, in order to overset a revival of religion, when he can keep men secure

no longer, to drive them into extravagances"--and while he, disclaims the authority to admonish" he entreats his brethren, "by the love of Christ, calmly to weigh what may be said to them by one of their hearty and fervent friends, (although an inferior worm) in giving his humble opinion concerning the errors that had been committed." In speaking of those errors, he remarks:

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'Many have been deceived by drawing false conclusions from true premises. Many true and eminent saints have been led into mistakes and snares, by arguing too much from their having When the premises prayed in faith. are true that they have indeed been greatly assisted in prayer for a particular mercy, and have had the true spirit of prayer, they have concluded more from these premises than is a just consequence from them. That they have thus prayed is a sure sign that their prayer is accepted and heard, and that God will give a gracious answer, according to his own wisdom and that the particular thing that was asked, shall be given, or that which is equivalent. But that God will answer them in that individual thing, if that thing be not promised in his word, or they do not certainly know that it is that which will be most for the good of his church, and the advancement of Christ's kingdom and glory, nor whether it will be best for them, is more than can be justly concluded from it. If God remarkably meets with one of his children while he is praying for a particular mercy of great importance, for himself or some other person, or any society of men, and does by the influence of his Spirit greatly humble him and empty him of himself in prayer, and manifest himself remarkably in his excellency, sovereignty, and all-sufficient power and grace in Jesus Christ, and does in a remarkable manner enable the person to come to him for that mercy, poor in spirit, and with humble resignation to God, and with a great degree of faith in the divine sufficiency, and the sufficiency of Christ's mediation, that person has indeed a great deal the more reason to hope that God will grant that mercy, than otherwise he would have,

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