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ampton, Massachusetts, under the preaching of Jonathan Edwards, mentioned above. The town, at an earlier period, had enjoyed five awakenings; but at this time religion had suffered a very great decline, not only in Northampton, but in New-England at large. A pernicious practice had been gradually introduced of admitting persons to full communion in the Church on the ground of a blameless external deportment, without strict inquiry into their religious experience, or decisive evidence of renew-grace. He conversed with each individual ing grace. The disastrous consequences were soon felt. The tone of spiritual feeling was lowered in the churches by the admission of many who had a name to live, but were dead." Prayer and effort for the salvation of the impenitent had greatly decreased; and, as a natural consequence, there had been for more than thirty years a very marked suspension of divine influence throughout New-England.

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The preaching of Mr. Edwards which gave rise to this revival, like all preaching which prepares the way for extensive reformations, was doctrinal in its character. He dwelt with great force of argument and closeness of application on the leading doctrines of grace-which had begun to lose their power in the prevailing declension-justification by faith alone, the necessity of the Spirit's influences, and kindred topics.

Under such preaching, in connexion with a sudden and alarming providence, in the beginning of 1735, a solemn, and very soon an overwhelming interest in religious truth, pervaded the whole town. For the space of six months, the revival went on with a power and extent never before known. Hardly a family could be found in the place in which there were not one or more under conviction of sin, or rejoicing in hope. So entire was the absorption in the interests of the soul, that a report went abroad that the people of Northampton had abandoned all worldly employments, and given themselves wholly up to the pursuit of eternal life; and though this was an exaggeration, it is true that Mr. Edwards found it necessary to remind some of his flock that their secular duties were not to be neglected. The enlightened character of the population, all of whom were well educated (all, even the poorest, being taught in the same schools at the public expense), guarded them effectually against fanaticism; while, at the same time, the strength of emotion which prevailed, the distress under a sense of sin, and the joy in giving the heart to God, were, in most cases, far greater than in the early awakenings. The work was confined to no class or age. Ten persons above ninety, and more than fifty above forty years of age; nearly thirty between ten and fourteen, and one of only four, became, in the view of Mr. Edwards, subjects

of renewing grace. More than 300 were added to the Church as the fruits of this revival, making the whole number of communicants about 620, being nearly the entire adult population of the town, which consisted of 200 families. I will only add, that Mr. Edwards's well-known principles on the subject led him to guard his people, throughout the revival, with the most watchful care, against hasty and delusive hopes of having experienced renewing separately, not only while under conviction of sin, but in repeated instances after the supposed change of heart took place; pointing out the evidences and nature of true piety; warning them against self-deception, and leading them to the strictest examination into their spiritual state. Such has been the course pursued in the NewEngland churches generally, down to the present day; and the consequence has been, that neither in that revival, nor in most of our well-conducted revivals, has there been reason to suppose that more persons were self-deceived than in the ordinary accessions to the Church at times of no prevailing religious concern.

The scenes presented in this work of grace were so striking and wonderful as to awaken the liveliest interest in the whole country round. Many flocked to Northampton from the impulse of curiosity, or even worse motives; not a few of whom, struck with the order, solemnity, and strength of feeling which they everywhere witnessed, and cut to the heart by the powerful appeals of Mr. Edwards in the meetings they attended, were themselves brought under conviction of sin. Many of these gave evidence of genuine repentance after they returned home, and did much to extend the work into the places where they belonged. Members of the neighbouring churches, also, and ministers of the Gospel from parts more remote, resorted thither to witness the triumphs of redeeming grace; to catch the spirit of the revival, and bear it-a spirit of hope, and prayer, and fervent effort—to the towns where they resided. The blessing of God, in many instances, went with them; the work spread from place to place, until, in less than a year, ten of the adjacent towns in Massachusetts, and seventeen in Connecticut, lying directly south of them, were favoured with an outpouring of the Holy Spirit; and some remote places were visited in other states, where settlements had been made by emigrants from New-England, or by the Scottish Presbyterians spoken of above. Many thousands gave evidence in their subsequent lives of having experienced a genuine conversion in this work of grace.

In 1740, revivals commenced anew at Northampton, Boston, and many other pla

warmth and unction with which he translated Mr. Brainard's discourses, struck the Indians with surprise, and arrested their attention. "On the eighth of August," says Mr. Brainard in his journal (which I slightly abridge), "I preached to the Indians, now about sixty-five in number. There was much visible concern among them when I discoursed publicly; but afterward, when I spoke to one and another particu

upon them like a mighty rushing wind.' Almost all persons, of all ages, were bowed down with concern together, and were scarcely able to withstand the shock. Old men and women, who had been drunken wretches for many years, and some children, appeared in distress for their souls. One who had been a murderer, a powow or conjurer, and a notorious drunkard, was brought to cry for mercy with many tears. A young Indian woman, who, I believe, never before knew that she had a soul, had come to see what was the matter. She called on me on her way, and when I told

ces, very nearly at the same time, and spread within eighteen months throughout all the English colonies. For some time, this appears to have been, to an unusual degree, a silent, powerful, and glorious work of the Spirit of God. An eyewitness states, under date of May, 1741, that from Philadelphia to the remotest settlements beyond Boston, a distance of nearly 500 miles, there was in most places more or less concern for the soul. "Whole col-larly, the power of God seemed to descend leges are under conviction, and many savingly converted. Our minister (Mr. Pemberton, of New-York), being sent for to Yale College on account of the many distressed persons there, in his going and coming preached twice a day on the road, and even children followed him to his lodgings, weeping and anxiously concerned about the salvation of their souls." At a later period, however, some were unhappily betrayed into intemperate zeal, which called forth opposition, and produced great excitement and contention. Mr. Edwards came forward with his usual ability to defend the work, and, at the same time, re-her that I meant presently to preach to the press undue excesses. One hundred and sixty of the most respectable ministers of New-England, New-York, and New-Jersey, joined in a public attestation to its genuineness and purity in most places, while they united with Mr. Edwards in condemning the improprieties which had occurred in too many instances. But a spirit of jealousy and strife was engendered, which is always fatal to the progress of a revival. It therefore terminated in the year 1743. Notwithstanding these unfortunate admixtures of human imperfection, the work, as a whole, was most evidently shown by its results to have been of God. Those who had the best means of judging, estimated the number of true converts, as proved by their subsequent lives, at 30,000 in New-England alone, at a time when the whole population was but 300,000; besides many thousands more among the Presbyterians of New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the more southern settlements.

It will interest the reader to know, that about this time there was an outpouring of the Spirit upon one of our Indian tribes, corresponding exactly in its character and effects to the widely-extended work of grace among the whites.

In June, 1745, DAVID BRAINARD, who has been so extensively known for his piety and missionary zeal, began to labour among a small collection of Indians in New-Jersey. For the first six weeks, they manifested such entire indifference and stupid unconcern, that he was about to leave them, in despair, when he was somewhat encouraged by the conversion of his interpreter. The interest with which this man now entered into the subject, and the

Indians, she laughed, and seemed to mock. I had not proceeded far in my public discourse when she felt effectually that she had a soul; and before the discourse closed, was so distressed with concern for her soul's salvation, that she seemed like one pierced through with a dart." Such scenes were repeated in a number of instances during the following eight weeks. Some months after, in reviewing the events of this revival, he says, "This surprising concern was never excited by any harangues of terror, but always appeared most remarkable when I insisted on the compassion of a dying Saviour, the plentiful provisions of the Gospel, and the free offer of divine grace to needy sinners. The effects have been very remarkable. I doubt not that many of these people have gained more doctrinal knowledge of divine truth since I visited them in June last, than could have been instilled into their minds by the most diligent use of proper and instructive means for whole years together without such a divine influence. They seem generally divorced from their drunkenness, which is the sin that easily besets them.' A principle of honesty and justice appears among them, and they seem concerned to discharge their old debts, which they have neglected, and, perhaps, scarcely thought of for years. Love seems to reign among them, especially those who have given evidence of having passed through a saving change. Their consolations do not incline them to lightness, but, on the contrary, are attended with solemnity, and often with tears and apparent brokenness of heart." After some months of probation, he baptized forty-seven out of less than 100, who composed the settlement.

Surely we may unite with him in saying, | from which emigrants by tens of thousands "I think there are here all the evidences were going forth every year, entered into of a remarkable work of grace among the this cause with the liveliest interest. Large Indians which can reasonably be expect- contributions were made from time to time ed." by the churches; and as regular missionaries could not be procured in sufficient numbers, many of the settled clergy were induced, by the exigency of the case, to leave their flocks under the care of the neighbouring pastors, and perform long tours of missionary labour in the new states.

The spirit thus awakened of more fervent prayer to God, and more active zeal

The fifty years that followed were years of war and civil commotion; first in a conflict of nearly twenty years between the English and French for ascendency in North America, and afterward in a struggle of the colonies for independence, and the formation of a Federal Government. During this long period the country was kept in a state of perpetual agitation, under the influence of passions hostile to the prog-in his service, was followed by the divine ress of spiritual religion in any form, and peculiarly hostile to the prevalence of any extended work of grace. Revivals, however, did not wholly cease, as might reasonably have been expected. On the contrary, I have been struck with surprise, in looking over the accounts of that widespread work of grace which soon after commenced, to see in how many instances they point back to some preceding season of spiritual refreshing during those fifty years of war and civil strife.

blessing. A number of churches in the interior of Connecticut and Massachusetts were favoured, in 1797, with an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which gradually spread into many of the neighbouring towns. The utmost care was taken to guard, from the first, against any recurrence of that spirit of intemperate zeal which had brought reproach, to some extent, on the revival of 1740. These efforts, most happily, were attended with complete success. Rarely, if ever, has there been a series of revivals in our country more calm, more pure, more lasting and salutary in their effects. As one means of extending the work, ministers who had enjoyed the presence of God among their own people, were selected by some ecclesiastical body, and sent forth, generally two together, on preaching tours among the neighbouring churches. The expectation of their coming drew large audiences wherever they preached. They came with that fervour of spirit, and that close and direct dealing with the consciences of men, which a preacher gains during the progress of a revival, and which he rarely gains to an equal degree under any other circumstances. The churches which they visited being, in most cases, prepared to receive them by a

The period just referred to, of increased influence from on high, commenced at the close of the last century, and has often been styled the era of modern revivals. Owing to its importance in this character, I shall dwell upon it somewhat more fully, and shall then turn to other topics which demand our attention. It was preceded by a spirit of fervent prayer and deep solicitude among Christians, on account of the growing tendency in our country to infidel principles. For this a preparation had been made by the crimes and vices of a long-protracted war; and the breaking out of the French Revolution had given to the enemies of religion the most confident expectations of a speedy triumph. The minds of multitudes had become unsettled. Wild and vague expectations were every-previous season of fasting and prayer, and where entertained, especially among the young, of a new order of things about to commence, in which Christianity would be laid aside as an obsolete system. The people of God, under these circumstances, were driven to the throne of grace with redoubled fervour of supplication, that while the enemy came in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord would lift up a standard against him. Another subject of solicitude was the religious wants of our new settlements, which began at this time to spread abroad in the wilderness, to an unparalleled extent. There was every reason to fear that, if left to themselves, in the rapidity of their progress, they would leave behind them the institutions of the Gospel. This gave rise to a missionary spirit in the older states, which has been the salvation of that growing part of our country. Massachusetts and Connecticut, especially,

animated by their presence and labours to redoubled fervour of supplication, were, in many cases, favoured with an immediate outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Under these and similar influences, the work of God spread into more than one hundred towns in Massachusetts and Connecticut, and into a still greater number of places in the new settlements of Vermont, NewHampshire, Maine, and New-York, which had but recently formed a wide-spread field of missionary labour.

In the mean time, our Presbyterian brethren, already mentioned, entered into the work with equal zeal and effect, and carried the spirit of revivals west of the Alleghany Mountains. In Kentucky, lying in the centre of these new states of the West, a revival commenced in the year 1801, which spread over the whole state, and within the two following years extended to the

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During the forty years which have since had a longer experience on this subject elapsed, there have been fifteen similar than any other; they have enjoyed more works of grace in the institution, one of revivals in proportion to their numbers; them more extensive, and the others less and, what I deem of the highest imporso, than the one here described. At a later tance is, that they have uniformly kept them period, Princeton College, which belongs under the guidance and control of a learnto the Presbyterians, was favoured with ed ministry, whose habits and principles one of the most extraordinary effusions of led them to repress all undue excitement, the Holy Spirit ever experienced by any to check everything extravagant, coarse, or of our seats of learning. The younger col-disorderly, and to guard the supposed subleges have also shared richly in these vis-jects of the work, by the severest tests, itations of divine grace. The consequence against self-deception. Nearly all the obhas been, that the number of pious students jections against revivals, which have any has been very greatly increased. In Yale show of reason, have been occasioned by College, not long before the revival of 1802, a want of caution in these respects. The there were only four members of the church things to which they apply are mere adamong the under-graduates; for some years juncts and excrescences, forming no part past they have exceeded 200, being more of a genuine revival. They are passing than half the entire number. In other col- away just in proportion as the ministry leges there has been a correspondent in- where they exist become more thoroughly crease; though in all these cases it is to educated, which, I rejoice to say, is conbe ascribed, in no small degree, to the gen- tinually more and more the case. eral advance of spiritual religion in our churches.

From the period we have now reached it is unnecessary, and, indeed, impossible, to trace distinctly the progress of our revivals. They have become, if I may so speak, a constituent part of the religious system of our country. Not a year has passed without numerous instances of their occurrence, though at some periods they have been more powerful and prevalent than at others. They have the entire confidence of the great body of evangelical Christians throughout our country. There exists, indeed, a diversity of opinion as to the proper means of promoting them, some regarding one set of measures, and some another, as best adapted to this end. But, while these differences exist as to what constitutes a well-conducted revival, all, or nearly all, agree that such a revival is an inestimable blessing: so that he who should oppose himself to revivals, as such, would be regarded by most of our evangelical Christians as, ipso facto, an enemy to spiritual religion itself.

The view of revivals which we have now taken, limited and imperfect as it is, suggests many interesting topics of inquiry and remark. I have time, however, to touch on only two. First, What mode of presenting truth, in these seasons of religious interest, has been found most effectual to the conviction and conversion of sinners? Secondly, What is the advantage of such seasons? What is there in the fact that many are awakened at once, and are pressing together into the kingdom of God, which is peculiarly adapted (under the divine blessing) to secure the desired result?

In entering upon the first of these subjects, I would remark, that the ordinary strain of preaching in the Congregational churches of New-England, where revivals have prevailed with great frequency, is, to an uncommon degree, doctrinal in its character. A preparation is thus made to give the Gospel its full effect whenever a season of religious interest arrives. The mind is preoccupied with clear and discriminating views of divine truth. The `argument, upon every point, has been gone over again and again in its full extent. Those humbling doctrines, especially, which men so love to misrepresent and abuse, are dwelt upon much, explained fully, and argued out at large; and great pains are taken so to state them as to show their perfect consistency with the dictates of

In the foregoing sketch of the rise and progress of our revivals, I have confined myself chiefly to the Congregational and Presbyterian churches (which are substantially one), and have described these works of grace, particularly as they exist in NewEngland. I have done so because, having their origin in those churches, it was prop-right reason and the consciousness of ever to trace them forward in the line where ery honest mind. In seasons of revival, they commenced; and because I was best the most effective preaching is of the same acquainted with their history, and the char- general character, though, of course, more acter they assumed, in the communion to fervid and urgent. It does not consist, to which I belong. It is of such revivals that any great extent, in exhortation, in any I shall continue to speak, and, without dis- appeals, however forcible or just, to mere paragement to others, I may be permitted excited sensibility or feeling. Its object to express my preference for that mode of still is to pour truth upon the sinner's mind; conducting revivals which has generally to make him see, under his new circumprevailed in the Congregational churches stances of awakened interest, the evidence of New-England. These churches have of those doctrines which he has admitted,

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