do we hesitate to give it as our decisive opinion, that itinerant preaching has also been most eminently blessed. We concur in the sentiments which we find expressed in some of the best religious journals in England, that a revolution in favour of evangelical piety was commenced in that country, in the time of Wesley and Whitefield, and chiefly by their instrumentality, the happy effects of which have continued and increased to the present time. That the latter of these eminent men was principally instrumental in awakening an attention to religion, of a most extraordinary kind and most extensive in its range, in our own country, is known to all who are acquainted with our religious history for a century past; and it is our belief, that the beneficial influence of that excitement is felt-far more felt than recognised -at the present hour. In later periods, and more especially within the last thirty years, domestick, as well as foreign missions, have been extensively employed; and these, with the occasional or temporary services of settled ministers, have been the means of multiplying converts, and enlarging the boundaries of Zion, particularly in our own land, in a manner and degree truly wonderful. But in revivals which take place under this last kind of instrumentality, great irregularities too often occur; and that they do occur, is so far from being a cause of reasonable surprise, that, as we believe, we might well be astonished if it were otherwise. The people who are awakened to a sense of their spiritual danger are, in general, very imperfectly instructed in the great doctrines and principles of our holy religion; many are ignorant in the extreme, and but few have had the advantage of a regular religious education. When therefore they become alarmed, under a deep conviction of their sinful and dangerous state, it is no wonder if they are prone to many extravagan

ces; and when they are brought to entertain a hope that they have escaped from the fearful situation in which they have recently seen themselves, they are still almost as much inclined to extremes as they were before-extremes of an opposite kind, but of most dangerous tendency-extremes of enthusiasm, and the indulgence of visionary notions of every description.

These extravagances are the reproach of revivals. They not only open the mouths of scoffers against all serious piety, but they deeply grieve, and sometimes even discourage, the truly godly-leading them to question whether revivals of religion of this character, are not really productive of more evil than good. It is known thatthere are many serious and devout people in our land, who are as favourable as any others to the progress of religion, and the extension of vital piety, in the two ways that have been previously mentioned, yet are not favourable, but some of them at least decisively opposed, to the propagation of religion in the third way, which we are now considering. In this we think they err, and are conscientiously constrained to differ from them. We should most sincerely rejoice if means existed for bringing, at once, the whole of our country, and even the world at large, under the influence of regular religious instruction, and the administration of all gospel ordinances. But this is manifestly out of the question. If thousands and millions of immortal souls, now in a state of probation for eternity, are not saved without a religious education and the advantages of stated ordinances, they must indubitably perish for ever. Indeed, we think it

obvious, that the gospel never can be generally, or at any rate rapidly extended, but by the conversion of multitudes who have grown up in utter ignorance of its soul-saving truths. The question, however, is radically this-Are the awaken

ings we consider, and which are too often attended with many undesirable and some disgraceful circumstances, produced by the influence of the Holy Spirit? or are they to be attributed entirely to Satanic agency, or to human error, or to both united? That there are appearances of religion which are altogether unsound and false, we do not doubt. Satan we know is sometimes "transformed into an angel of light-and his ministers are transformed as the ministers of righteousness." But we are not permitted to believe that Satan "is divided against himself," or ever endeavours to subvert his own kingdom; and therefore we cannot think that he and his agents are concerned in producing these revivals (although they doubtless are concerned in endeavouring to pervert them), because, after all the confusion that is seen in some-for it is not seen in all-of them, they usually are productive of a very considerable number of eminent and steadfast Christians-This we think is undeniable:* We find, moreover, that there was a gross abuse of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, even of the miraculous kind, in the primitive church (see 1 Cor. xiv.) and that the apostle Paul gave particular directions for its correction and prevention. So that the abuse of these

To all who wish to see this subject ably, faithfully, candidly, and fully discussed, we recommend the perusal of what has been written on it by Presidents Edwards and Dickinson-The work of the latter, which we think inferior to nothing of the kind we have ever seen, is entitled "A Display of God's Special Grace, in a familiar Dialogue between a Minister and a Gentleman of his Congregation, about the work of God in the conviction and conversion of Sinners, so remarkably of late begun and going on in these American parts." This dialogue was first published, we believe, in 1742, and republished in 1743, with the recommendation of some of the most distinguished men of that period, both in the Presbyterian and Congregational churches.-Wc believe that the work has since been republished in Philadelphia.

gifts is not to be used as an argument that they are not genuineIf such an argument may be used, it will operate against all the most precious gifts of God, both in providence and grace, for they all may be, and constantly are, abused.

But the irregularities and errors which too often which too often accompany revivals of religion, do certainly afford a most powerful reason why all who really love the cause of God and the souls of men, should use all the means and efforts in their power, to prevent their occurrence if possible, and to arrest their progress as soon as they appear. To this we are urged by the most interesting and imperative considerations-by a regard to the salvation of souls, that may be deluded to eternal death by fundamental errors, in regard to the doctrines of religion and the safety of their own state; by a desire for the progress and spread of revivals, for nothing terminates them so speedily, and hinders their extension so much, as the disorders and delusions that attend them; by a desire to silence the tongues, and prevent the mischief of those who are ready to take advantage of every thing that may hinder the prevalence of vital godliness; and by a regard to the comfort of those who love the Saviour and his blessed cause, and who are often grieved out of measure, at beholding or hearing of the abuses we consider.

In regard to the means for avoiding or arresting the errors and evils we have been considering, we believe that it is of the first importance that the preachers of the gospel, under whom revivals commence, should be men well informed, and well established in religion themselves; and at the same time, men who possess a good degree both of prudence and firmness. We have been credibly assured that the excesses which, about five-and-twenty years ago, spread over a large portion of the state of Kentucky and the parts adjacent, might probably have been stopped and correcte

intimated that the measures which were successful in promoting revivals, in the days of our fathers, had now lost their efficacy, and would no more be blessed to that end: and others have gone so far as to say, our fathers did not know how to promote revivals, they did not know how to pray, nor did they know how to preach. Others again, have thought, that they saw nothing new in these measures, nothing but what they had seen among other denominations in their own times, and had read of frequently in the history of the church in past ages. They have recognised, or thought they recognised, in these new measures, all the leading features of those which were pursued by Davenport and others, during the revival in New England, in the days of President Edwards, and which are pointed out, in his Thoughts on Revivals, as among the things which are to be avoided. The author of this sermon has been considered the most prominent agent in the introduction of these new measures, so that they are often called by his name; though it is known by many that they had begun to be used in that region, among Presbyterians, in some degree, before he entered the ministry. These measures have not, indeed, been adopted in every place in that vicinity, where there have been revivals during the past year. It has been understood, that some ministers and churches have been opposed to them, and have endeavoured to keep them out, as far as possible; and that others have admitted them only in part. And this backwardness of ministers and Christians to admit them, has been the subject of much animadversion, both from the press and otherwise. It is well known that some of the old and tried friends of revivals in that region have been much blamed on this account, and have been represented as opposed to revivals, hindering the work of the Lord, and strengthening the hands of the en

emies of religion. Yet it is believed that they have generally borne these reproaches in silence, and have been backward to proclaim their objections. Indeed, some of them have been so backward to make known their objections, that their friends abroad have not known that they felt any, and in some cases have been led to believe that they had adopted the new measures: in full. The friends of revivals abroad have at length become alarmed at the evils which have begun to reach them from the West, and have begun to communicate their fears, and to state their objections in letters to their friends on the subject. But so persuaded are some that these new measures must be right, and that all the real friends of revivals must approve of them, that they are ready to conclude that those who are the known friends of revivals abroad must have been misinformed, and grounded their objections on exaggerated reports which have been put in circulation by the enemy. And though those gentlemen expressly say that they have derived their information from the friends of the new measures themselves, and from what has come under their own personal observation, this does not free those in that region who have been known to disapprove, from the suspicion and the charge of being the source of that misinfor mation. From the best information I can obtain I conclude that those ministers and Christians who have not approved of the new measures, have been the most silent on the subject of any class of people in the vicinity; and I fully believe, that, when the truth shall be known, it will be found, that the friends of the new measures have themselves done more to spread the knowledge of them abroad, than all other classes put together. Some that did not approve have been silent, lest they should be thought to speak against the work of God, and be proclaimed as enemies to revivals; and some

have thought that the prejudices of many were so strong, and there was so little disposition to make distinctions, that if they should attempt to correct any evils, their intentions would be misunderstood, and they should only lessen their own usefulness, without the prospect of accomplishing any important good. But those who have not approved are beginning to condemn themselves for the silence they have maintained, and to acknowledge it as an error that when they have seen the evil, they have suffered any considerations to deter them from raising the warning voice. It is to be hoped that the publication of this sermon will relieve them from any remaining scruples they may feel, and lead the way to a full discussion of the subject. It is certainly creditable to the author, that he has thus publickly taken the field, and given so fair a challenge to those who object to his measures. No objection, can henceforth be made by their friends, if they are made the subjects of the closest scrutiny: for the sermon is so open and direct an attack upon all those ministers and Christians who do not approve of the new measures, that it will be ascribed to cowardice, or to the consciousness of guilt, if they do not speak in their own defence.

The object of the sermon evidently is, to account for the opposition which is made to the new measures, by ministers and Christians, as well as others, in such a way as to make that opposition a proof that those measures are right, and that all who oppose them are wrong; and especially that those ministers and professed Christians who oppose them, give evidence by their opposition that the state of their hearts is the same as that of the impenitent world.

The sum of the argument is this: Sinners must be most opposed to that which is nearest right: But they are more opposed to these new measures than they are to those

which others use; therefore these measures must be nearest right. And,

If ministers and professed Christians oppose the same things that sinners do, and make the same objections to them, they must feel just as sinners do; but ministers and professed Christians do oppose these new measures; therefore the state of their hearts is the same as that of impenitent sinners, and they are either hypocrites, or so cold hearted and dead that there is no present difference in moral character between them and the impenitent world, and they ought to be so considered, and treated accordingly.

This appears through the whole discourse, and will be seen in the following extracts: Page 6. "We see why lukewarm professors and impenitent sinners have the same difficulties with means in revivals of religion. We often hear them complain of the manner of preaching and praying. Their objections are the same, they find fault with the same things, and use the same arguments in support of their objections. The reason is, that at that time, their affections are nearly the same; it is the fire and the spirit, that disturbs their frosty hearts. For the time being, they walk together, for in feeling they are agreed." Page 7. "We see why ministers and Christians visiting revivals, often at first, raise objections to the means used, and cavil, and sometimes take sides with the wicked." "While their hearts remain wrong, they will, of course, cavil; and the nearer right any thing is, the more spiritual and holy, so much the more it must displease them, while their affections grovel." Page 12. "That excitement which does not call out the opposition of the wicked and wrong hearted, is either not a revival of religion at all, or it is so conducted that sinners do not see the finger of God in it." The more pure and holy the means are that are used to promote a revi