But, after all, it may become a question, whether we are to expect so extraordinary an effusion of the Holy Spirit, for such a purpose? If the divine word, the ordinary means of grace, and the ordinary influences of the Spirit, all co-operating with Christian desires and efforts, would be sufficient to place the churches of our day in a state similar to that of the churches of Christ, in the first and second age, are we warranted to expect, that extraordinary effusion, for which so many now seem to be looking? By entertaining such an expectation, may we not be devolving on the agency of the Holy Spirit that work, which he is himself, by the word, calling on the churches to perform? By praying and waiting for an extraordinary effusion of the Holy Spirit, may we not be indulging too romantic an idea of a religious revival? May we not be cherishing a desire, that the kingdom of God may "come with observation ;"-that the Gospeltree may, all at once, shoot up to an extraordinary height, and cover an extraordinary breadth of this world's desolation? May we not be too much fascinated with the idea of swelling numbers, crowded temples, affecting experiences, strong sympathies, and ardent professions?

When we speak of an effusion of the Holy Spirit, do we clearly renounce the expectation of any visible symbol, as in the case of Cornelius and the day of Pentecost? Are we to expect any such effusion of the Spirit again? If not, what do we mean by an extraordinary effusion of the Spirit? Is it, that he may give an extraordinary effect to the ministry of the word, and other means of grace, or operate to an astonishing extent, and in a marvellous manner, on the minds of N. S. No. 53.

men,

independently of those means? If, indeed, we conceive of the character, and agency, and dispensation of the Spirit of God, as altogether arbitrary, not conformed to any rule or order, not regulated by any fixed principles, we may, perhaps, be justified in expecting some sublime display of power and goodness, which shall restore the age of miracles in greater splendour than the most poetic imagination can possibly: describe.

On the other hand, if we con-, ceive that the extraordinary effusion of the Holy Spirit is already given to the church of Christ on earth, upon our Lord's ascension to "the right hand of God," and in consequence of his oblation and intercession; that the Holy Spirit is " always, even to the end of the world" with the church, as the substitute for Christ's bodily presence and ministry; that the Holy Spirit, in establishing our religion, granted extraordinary gifts and powers, tangible to the senses of the most ignorant and profane, for the obvious purpose of giving thorough stability to a religion new and repugnant to all other religions in the world; if we conceive that this purpose being accomplished, the extraordinary powers and agency were properly withdrawn, and a certain order and economy established for the increase and the purity of the church of Christ to the end of time;-ought we not rather to investigate into the nature of that order and economy, or system of means, which, if observed, will be certainly attended by all the energy and grace of the Holy Spirit, not by a sudden, fitful, arbitrary effusion; but by constant, and regular, and genial, and efficient influences? And, if those constant and effectual influences have not been always equally

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afforded, may we not gather, that the cause lies, not in the sovereignty of the Holy Spirit, but in the derangement of that order and system by which he has chosen principally to act? In one line, the Holy Spirit has described both the approved condition of the churches, and the means of its attainment and continuance, when he caused it to be written in the Acts of the Apostles, "then had the churches rest throughout all Judea, and Galilee, and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied."

It is true, that a state of "rest," or freedom from persecution for religion, is too apt to produce an effect the reverse of that described by the inspired historian of the church. If, however, in a season of "rest," the churches in the present day should be found "walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost," can there be any doubt, that the same happy result would follow, from the attendant blessing of the Holy Spirit on such a state and conduct; that the churches would be multiplied? And what more ought we to expect? Probably, in such a state of the churches, many interesting, and some extraordinary instances of divine power and grace would occur; but, as in the case of the churches of Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, there appears not to have been any "extraordinary effusion of the Holy Spirit" to produce that prosperous state of the churches, so neither are the churches of this day, we apprehend, warranted in the expectation of any such "extraordinary effusion." The ordinary operations of the Spirit would suffice for the most ample prosperity that could be desired. If, therefore, we desire more

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prosperity for Zion, our first duty is to see, that we are walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit." If we do not enjoy prosperity, in a degree equal to that of the primitive churches, is it to be attri buted to any arbitrary withholding of heavenly influences, or is it from a deficiency of religious character? From the latter cause, most undoubtedly. Some, however, abusing the doctrine of divine sovereignty, and others not perceiving the consequences of their own sentiments, would be ready to ascribe the deficiency wholly to the former cause: they are so wrapped up in the sovereignty of God, that they cannot even see the responsibility or agency of man: warm in their imagination, enthusiastic in feeling, supralapsarian in theology, and superior to the trammels of set rules, strict precepts, and systematic means; they live upon novelties and wonders in religious experience: they are longing for miracles and particular revelations: they pore over the prophecies and the high metaphors of Scripture with delight, as affording scope to their fancy; and their religion, for the most part, consists in the indulgence and the narration of a delightful, or an awful dream.

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Τι καινον is their cry; and the ordinary course of events, the steady working of system, of means, and of principles, they can neither understand nor appreciate hurried along with the popular stream, some ardent, more ambitious than the rest, would be foremost and uppermost in the tide of enthusiastic feeling and romantic incident; till wearied with excessive excitement, they sink down, for a season, into a natural declension, which they bewail as a departure of the Spirit of God, and "the

fears.

Of this peculiar character are many private persons in the Christian church, and from it some Christian ministers are not entirely exempt; and, in accordance with their views of the dispensations of God to individuals, so will be their views of his dispensations to the churches of Christ at large. Hence, they will transfer their own experience and character to the whole body of Christians, and they will be looking for the same extraordinary varieties in the dispensation of the Spirit to the churches, as they are accustomed to look for in themselves.

All popular excitement connected with religion ought to be very carefully analysed. Such an excitement might, without much difficulty, be effected by design, among a certain class, and in particular localities: it is favoured by wild, secluded, mountainous scenery ignorance, superstition, conscious guilt, curiosity, sympathy, melancholy, enthusiasm, all minister to it. Towns and cities, therefore, as well as remote places, may become a theatre for the display of such popular feeling; nay, there can be no doubt of the fact, that in certain connexions in our own country, individuals have been shunned and disowned by the body to which they are attached, solely on account of the disrepute, which their attempts to

In these remarks our only object is to distinguish the genuine from the counterfeit. We well know, and believe, and rejoice, that there is such a blessing as a real revival of religion in churches and individuals; but we would have our fellow Christians well guarded against the cant of revivals-the flash and frothiness of a temporary excite ment: we are not for "the goodness which is like the morning cloud and the early dew," but for that which is like "the light, increasing more and more unto the perfect day;" we look for a work broad, deep, and substantial : we want a revival that shall not need reviving.

Such a work we are directed to look for in the United States of America; and we do rejoice to hear of great additions to churches and great concern about the soul; but, is there no other spot on the globe to which our attention might, with propriety, be directed in this inquiry? May we not also look to the Islands of the Pacific for instances and illustrations for a great work of salvation, and a mighty operation of the Holy Spirit ? It may, indeed, be said that this is not the work of revival, but of conversion. This is admitted; but, where is the specific difference in the nature of the one and of the other? It is essentially the same work, and it is the same Spirit whose operations are necessary in both. deed, if any thing, à priori, were expected more extraordinary in the one than in the other, we should be rather warranted to look for it in the case of original conversion from heathenism to the Christian faith. In the instances before us, however, the cases seem reversed. In America the revi

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vals are attended by such signs as to be denominated, "an extraordinary out-pouring of the Holy Spirit;" in the South Seas, the conversions are according to the more ordinary mode of operation the effect is great, upon the whole; but the manner of its production not particularly strik ing our astonishment has not been excited on account of extraordinary signs of divine operation, though we have greatly admired and rejoiced in the happy and wonderful change. To the practice of the new converts our attention has been directed, rather than to the mode by which the change was effected.

To what, then, is this difference to be ascribed? Shall we resolve it all into the sovereignty of the Spirit of God? Again we say, No! The agents employed in the several works have been men of different, and rather opposite character.

In the South Seas they have laboured with unwearied diligence to instruct, to persuade, to warn; and they have persevered beyond most mortal men in these efforts, under very discouraging circumstances; they "plowed and they sowed in hope," and, at the time of harvest, they reaped a full reward imperceptibly the blade grew into the ear, and the fruit naturally ripened together, and was gathered in-not without "the joy of harvest," but without producing in our minds that conviction of "the extraordinary out-pouring of the Holy Spirit," which has arisen from the statements given by our brethren of the New World.

When we contemplate the agents employed in the work of revival there, we find them from the beginning to have been learned theologians, well acquainted with systems of divinity, speculative,

metaphysical, and, withal, somewhat tinctured with the spirit of pietism. Their experience was very deep, and sometimes not very measured in expression. Such a person we have reason to think was President Edwards. His character exhibited an extraordinary combination of a speculative and metaphysical intellect, with the most ferved and impassioned feeling. To us it appears that his uncommon religious experience, as given in his diary, was cast in the mould of his me

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taphysical doctrine. He had a strong and an absorbing view of the sovereignty of God, and a wonderfully abstract idea of holiness and of holy feeling. seems to have had little intercourse with the real world; was not in the habit of pastoral visitation, though many came to him to relate their experiences; he took no part in domestic concerns; studied thirteen hours in the day, and lived a recluse life, absorbed in abstract and pious study and meditation.

To the influence of this acute metaphysician and holy man, may be ascribed, in a great measure, the extraordinary excitement on the subject of religion which prevailed in some parts of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, about the year 1734. The account which he published, in 1736, respecting "the conversion of many hundred souls in Northampton, (where he was minister,) and the neighbouring towns and villages," produced a considerable sensation in this country, and more particularly in Scotland; where, in a short time after, similar effects were witnessed, as at Cambuslang, Kilsyth, Calder, and many other places in the west of that country.

To these revivals" in America our attention has of late been par

ticularly pointed from the recurrence of similar events in that part of the world; and it is observable, that they have again chiefly occurred in that part of America, where they have often been experienced, with intermissions, for the last hundred and fifty years. We are called, therefore, at the present time, to take a more particular view of those occurrences, and to examine a little into their history.

The town of Northampton in New Hampshire, had been visited, during the ministry of Mr. Solomon Stoddard, a period of sixty years, with five revivals, which he denominated harvests," in each of which the majority of the young people of the town were concerned for their eternal salvation. "Mr. Stoddard, Mr. Edwards's grandfather and predecessor, was of opinion, that unconverted persons, considered as such, had a right, in the sight of God, or by his appointment, to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper:" and, accordingly, persons were admitted into the church on making a short verbal profession, in terms prescribed by the pastor; a principle which is well known in some countries, through the force of decency and custom, to have the effect of swelling the number of the communicants nearly to the extent of the whole adult populaFrom so mixed and impure a communion, we shall not be surprised at the statement made by Mr. Edwards, that "licentiousness for some years greatly prevailed among the youth in the town; that the youth of both sexes would often spend

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greater part of the night in frolics, without regard to any order in the families to which they belonged; that their indecency was often apparent in the house of God; and that the town was divided by a

spirit of contention :"singular results, however, do these appear to be of those revivals, or harvests," in the ministry of so considerable a man as Mr. Stoddard; and strange that we should be told, that "after the last of these harvests, came a far more degenerate time, (at least among the young people,) than ever before; that, at the time of Mr. Edwards's settlement, "the greater part seemed to be very insensible of the things of religion, and engaged in other cares and pursuits;" and that, just after Mr. Stoddard's death, "it seemed to be a time of extraordinary dulness in religion."

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By the decease of his grandfather, Mr. Edwards was left alone in the pastoral charge, and laboured, not without success, to produce a reform. The zeal and ardour of the young minister interested the feelings of his people, and drew their attention to the concerns of the soul. mon preached by Mr. Edwards against Arminianism, was followed by the " very sudden conversion of five or six persons, and some of them were wrought upon in a very remarkable manner." The conversion of one of the number, a dissolute young woman, produced a great effect, so that

the news of it seemed to be almost like a flash of lightning upon the hearts of young people all over the town, and upon many others." From this time nothing was thought or talked of in the town but religion: "the town seemed to be full of the presence of God; it never was so full of love, nor so full of joy, and yet so full of distress." The sensa tion quickly spread through the surrounding country, and "one whole town seemed to be seized, at once, with concern about the things of God." Mr. Edwards's father, who was minister at East