sake, therefore, and for their soul's sake, we would have every occasion of offence avoided as much as possible.

Ard. Have you, then, no opposition to this revival?

Stead. There is no open opposition that we know of. Those who attend with us are generally convinced that revivals are of the most beneficial tendency; and whatever aversion of heart they may feel to the truth, they are convinced that, in urging it upon them, we are influenced by a sincere desire to do them good. They are also convinced that there is no other way of safety for themselves but in becoming reconciled to the truth; they believe a change of heart to be necessary; and they see that this seldom takes place in any, but in a time of revival. Their selfish desire to secure their own future welfare, operates, therefore, not only to restrain their opposition to the work, but to make them rejoice at its commencement, and desire its continu

ance.

Th. Is opposition always the fault of the preacher? Did not the prophets and apostles, and even the Prince Immanuel himself meet with opposition? Did you never have any opposition in time of revival?

Stead. I do not mean to be understood that opposition is always the fault of the preacher. Far from it. I would not adopt a sentiment that would condemn the prophets and apostles, and our Lord himself. I mean that we should not confound things that are entirely different. The natural heart is opposed to truth and duty. That opposition is sometimes under a restraint, so that it does not appear openly; and sometimes it is acted out without restraint. The difference is owing to a difference of circumstances. In some circumstances, the selfish feelings of men show themselves in one way; in other circumstances, in another way. We have had opposition among us, in former revivals. When I was first stationed here, there were many who opposed the truth; and when a revival commenced under it, many predicted that its continued exhibition would destroy the revival. And some opposed the work itself, as nothing but delusion and fanaticism, and adapted to do great mischief. The same means, however, in the use of which the revival began, were continued, and the work progressed, till the opposition, being let alone, died away; and the conviction was at length produced in this community that such a work is highly desirable in its effects, and that the preaching of the truth is the proper means of promoting it.

Ard. You have meetings every evening, I suppose.

Stead. No; not so often as that. We think it quite possible to have so many meetings as to prove a serious disadvantage to the work.

"

Ard. How can that be? I should think the more the better. If Christians were properly engaged in the work, I should think they would love to be together as much as possible; and if sinners were seriously impressed, that they would be inclined to attend meetings nearly all the time.

Stead. If Christians are properly engaged in the work of their Lord and Master, they will be disposed to give every duty its proper time and place. Attending meetings is not all they have to do, nor all they would wish to do. If they love to be together to engage in social worship, they love also to be alone to attend the duties of the closet. And we think the latter hold quite as important a place as the former. They have some duties also to their families, and some duties in their several callings, which, if they really love duty, they will not be disposed to neglect. It is, doubtless, important to have meetings enough to keep the minds of all supplied with suitable matter for reflection; and it is important, also, that there should be sufficient intervals to give time for reflection upon the instruction received, time for self-examination, reading and meditation upon the Bible, and secret prayer. That deep and humble piety which forms the true spirit of a revival, has a most intimate connection with this class of duties, and invariably suffers if they are neglected. It would be a disadvantage, therefore, to Christians, to have meetings so multiplied, that attending upon them, together with the necessary attention to their families and their ordinary callings, should encroach upon the time required for secret duties.

Ard. I have supposed that we were much more apt to have our feelings engaged by being together. It is like putting together the almost extinguished fire-brands, which soon kindle into a flame, by contact, but would go out, if kept asunder.

Stead. The analogy may hold good, so far as coming together has the effect of bringing divine truth before the mind, and thus directing the attention to the proper objects of religious feeling. But if meditation upon divine truth, when alone, does not kindle the affections, and it requires the aid of company to do it, there is reason to suspect that those affections are not produced by truth, but by something else, and are not of the right kind.

Ard. Is there no danger, lest, by guarding too much against feeling which is not of the right kind, we check all feeling, and prevent ourselves and others from becoming engaged in the work?

Stead. There is need of discrimination. If a certain kind of feeling is wrong, no increase of its quantity will make it right. If the feeling is wrong in its nature, any amount of it is wrong,

and should be discouraged. It is only when the feeling is right, that it is safe to encourage it and promote its increase. Ard. How shall we know when feeling is right, and when it is not?

Stead. That feeling is right which is conformed to the divine law. No other feeling ought to be called right feeling.

Ard. When one who has always lived in rebellion against the King discovers his true situation, and feels that he is exposed to his wrath, that fear of the wrath of the King is right feeling; is it not?

Stead. I suppose you will be surprised to hear me say, No. But, in most actual cases, I suppose we must say, No. There are two kinds of fear, sometimes distinguished as filial fear and slavish fear. It is filial fear which is meant when it is said, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." But it is the latter kind which is meant when it is said, "I will mock when your fear cometh." In most cases, when the sinner is awakened, and begins to fear that the wrath of God will come upon him, it is, doubtless, the slavish fear which he feels, the mere terror of punishment, the same in kind, but less in degree than that which is felt by the spirits of darkness in the prison of despair. There is no right feeling in that. A filial fear of the Lord implies the love of his holy character. And if it is connected with a dread of his holy displeasure, it also implies approbation of him for it, and a reconciliation to his justice. The sinner who is merely awakened, does not exercise this kind of the fear of the Lord. He is afraid he shall be cast off, as he deserves; but he is not reconciled to the law and its penalty, as he ought to be.

Th. Is there not a distinction to be made also between passions and affections?

Stead. Certainly. The passions are involuntary emotions; the affections are voluntary. When we speak of fear, meaning thereby the dread of apprehended evil, we often include in the term an involuntary emotion, which is an animal feeling, and neither holy nor sinful.

Ard. Is it not useful to excite the animal feelings in a revival?

Stead. Man is so made that no strong affections can be excited in him without some animal feeling being excited also. If men are stupid, and will not listen to the warnings of the Bible, it may be useful to have their animal feelings so far excited as to lead them to attend to the subject. But those who have had the most experience in revivals have found, that the great danger is commonly that of the animal feelings being too much excited.

Ard. If my neighbor's house is on fire, and he is fast asleep, is there danger lest I should awake him too soon? Must I speak in a very gentle voice, lest I excite his fears too much?

Stead. If you should excite him so much, that he should not know which way to run; and especially, if being distracted with terror, he should run into the flames, you would think he was too much excited, would you not?

Ard. Yes. But is there any danger of that in the case of the awakened sinner?

Stead. I think there is.

Sinners are often so ignorant of the Gospel, that they know not what to do. And if you suddenly rouse their fears, and stimulate them to make great exertions to escape impending danger, and yet fail of directing their exertions right, their very efforts to escape may be the means of their destruction.

Ard. But the directions of the Gospel are exceedingly plain and easy to be understood, are they not?

Stead. The difficulty is not that any obscurity belongs to the directions of the Gospel; but that there is great blindness of heart in the sinner. So great is this blindness, that unless he has been carefully instructed before, he will be very likely to misunderstand the simplest directions that are given him. And then, how many give him wrong directions!

Th. Is a state of high excitement favorable to calm thought and sober reflection?

Stead. No; far from it. We do not find it so in relation to other matters; and why should we think it so in matters of religion?

Ard. Must I then be always guarding myself and others, lest we feel too much on the most important of all subjects?

Stead. No. A state of apathy is not favorable to any exertion. We must take care and avoid both extremes. When the feelings are sufficiently moved to secure attention, let that attention be directed to divine truth. I am not afraid of the feelings being too much excited, provided it is done in the view of truth.

Th. What truths are best adapted to promote a revival ? Stead. The time will not now permit a full answer to your question. Regard should be had to what instruction the people have already received; and also to what effects it is desirable to produce. If Christians are to be humbled for their sins, reclaimed from their backslidings, and brought to pray for the outpouring of the Spirit, it is obvious that they need to have those truths presented which are best adapted to produce these effects upon their minds. If sinners are to be awakened, convinced of sin, reconciled to God, and brought to

acquiesce in the penalty of the divine law, it is plain that they need to have those truths presented to their minds which are adapted to produce these effects. These two classes of subjects embrace all the great outlines of the Gospel. Those doctrines called the doctrines of grace, with the duties which grow out of them as their practical effects, constitute the substance of that preaching which appears best adapted to promote revivals of religion. And this is the testimony of those who have had the most experience in revivals.

Ard. But some of those doctrines are much opposed, and considered by many as adapted to have a very unfavorable effect, especially at such a time.

Stead. I know that very well. But who are those that make this opposition? Not Paul, and Peter, and the other apostles in their day, who filled their discourses and their epistles with these truths, and declared them profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works: not Luther, and Calvin, and their associates in the time of the great Reformation; not Edwards, and Brainerd, and Bellamy, and their associates, in the great revivals of their day. Those who at heart dislike those doctrines may say it; but it is not to be expected that any others will, unless through ignorance or prejudice.

Having discoursed in this manner, the pilgrims returned to the house of Mr. Experience.

CHAPTER XXIX.

In the morning the pilgrims gave to Mr. Experience an account of the visit they had made on the preceding day to Mr. Steadfast, and of the conversation they had had with him and Mr. Meek, on the subject of revivals. Then said

Ardent. Mr. Steadfast appeared to be decidedly of the opinion, that preaching the doctrines of grace is the best way to promote a revival of religion.

Experience. I think it not only the best way, but the only way, to promote a revival of pure religion. President Dwight, speaking of the doctrines termed the doctrines of grace, says: "These doctrines have effectuated, among those who have embraced them, almost all the moral excellence which has appeared