science is then roused enough to make a cord which sinners cannot break. Their own convictions are on my side, so that they cannot escape; and I would hold them fast, and repeat my strokes under the fire and hammer of divine truth."

Another says: "As might be supposed from what has just been stated, the converts in these revivals cordially embraced the doctrines of grace, and were steadfast in their belief of them. They received them, both because they appeared to be clearly taught in the Scriptures, and because they were in perfect harmony with their own experience. They were born into the truth. The knowledge which they had obtained of their own hearts while under conviction, and the wonderful change which had taken place in their views and feelings in relation to divine objects, were all in accordance with the evangelical system, and entirely at variance with the views of those who deny the doctrines of grace. It was no matter of doubt with them whether the natural heart is totally depraved and unreconciled to God. They knew it to be true in reference to themselves, for it had been matter of painful consciousness. They were fully convinced of the necessity of regeneration by the special agency of the Holy Ghost; for they knew that if they had passed from death unto life, they had been born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.' They were also convinced, that unless God had from all eternity determined to make some of mankind the trophies of grace, not an individual of the human race would obtain salvation. The doctrine of eternal and particular election, therefore, appeared to them to lie at the foundation of all hope in regard to the salvation of man; and they rejoiced in the assurance, that God has from the beginning, chosen some to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth; and in the promise that all true believers shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. The converts were generally so steadfast in their belief of these doctrines, that their faith could not be shaken."

CHAPTER XXX.

Thoughtful. It is often supposed that those who preach the sovereignty of God and the dependence of the creature, cannot, at the same time, urge sinners to the immediate performance of duty. Is it so with Mr. Meek?

Experience. By no means. For "although he dwells much in his preaching on the doctrines of grace, and exhibits, with great plainness, the lost condition of the sinner, and his entire dependence on the sovereign mercy of God; yet no man ever holds up more fully and more clearly the obligations of men; or presses more forcibly on the consciences of sinners the duty of immediate repentance. It is a prominent object with him to show that sinners labor under no inability to obey the divine commands, which furnishes them with the least excuse. Hence he feels no embarrassment in urging upon them, by every solemn and affecting consideration, an immediate compliance with the terms of the Gospel."

Th. Does he think that preaching the doctrines is necessary to guard against false conversions?

Exp. He does. "It is his full conviction that all genuine religious experience is based on correct views of the doctrines of grace, and consequently, that the religious experience of those whose views of these doctrines are defective or essentially erroneous, will be in like degree defective or spurious. He feels, as we have seen, the great importance of exhibiting clearly the doctrines of the cross in revivals of religion; and hence he regards those theological speculations which seem to him to obscure or utterly to subvert these doctrines, as directly tending to corrupt revivals, and in this way to destroy the souls of men."

"His strength has been spent in revivals; and it has been his constant aim to elevate their character, by sedulously guarding against every thing which is suited to mar their purity or weaken their power over the consciences of men. And it is his settled conviction, that the purity of revivals depends greatly on the faithfulness with which the doctrines of the cross are preached. He has observed that when the standard of orthodoxy is lowered, the danger of delusion is increased, and the character of revivals is injured. He says he is well aware that popular excitements, without doctrinal instruction, or with false doctrinal instruction, may be called revivals; and that zeal without knowledge may glory in the multiplication of its converts. But such excitements he thinks are no blessing to the Church."

Ard. Is he in the habit of putting his hearers on their guard against embracing a false hope?

Exp. He is. An account of one of the early revivals under his preaching, says, "In the course of one or two weeks, several were found rejoicing in hope." He was exceedingly_anxious lest they should take up with a false and spurious hope. He warned them of the danger of self-deception, reminded them of the deceitfulness of the human heart, and pointed out the

various ways in which persons are liable to deceive themselves. He also exhibited with great plainness the distinguishing marks of genuine conversion. The work became powerful, and in the course of a few weeks, a large number gave pleasing evidence of having "passed from death unto life."

An account of a revival under his preaching in another place, says: "Much was said on the danger of false hopes, which probably had an influence to check flights of joy; for the subjects of the work were much and anxiously inquiring how far the adversary might possibly beguile."

One well acquainted with his general practice, says, "He is very particular to warn those who are anxious, and those who are indulging hope, against the danger of self-deception. He reminds them of the deceitfulness of the human heart, and of the unremitted efforts of the great adversary to delude unwary souls. He is very cautious not to encourage premature hope. He never tells a person that he thinks he has experienced religion; but he often advises persons to give up their hopes." Another says, "He preaches what are called the hard doctrines, such as divine sovereignty, election, and regeneration, with great plainness, discrimination, and power. His grand aim is to instruct, convince, and persuade; to this end his appeals are constantly made to the understanding, the conscience, and the heart. Any outbreak of mere animal feeling, he is always afraid of, as tending to warp the judgment, and beget false hopes. His grand aim is to instruct his hearers so thoroughly, and point out the difference between true and spurious conversion so clearly, as to make it difficult for them to get hopes at all without good scriptural evidence on which to found them. Knowing how apt persons are to cling to their hopes, whether good or bad, he depends much more upon holding them back, till they have good evidence, than upon shaking them from their false foundations."

Ard. I suppose such converts might be expected to wear well.

Exp. Yes. One who has extensive knowledge of them says: "As might have been expected under such a course of instruction, the great majority of those who came out and professed religion, so far as I have had opportunity to observe, have worn well. They have proved intelligent, stable, and consistent Christians. The revivals under Mr. Meek's preaching have always strengthened the churches, and strengthened the pastors, where they had them. I do not believe that an instance to the contrary can be adduced from the wide field of his labors, nor that a single church can be pointed out which does not to this day feel their blessed influence."

In speaking of the converts under the preaching of Mr. Meek, one writes: "The religious exercises of the subjects of these revivals, so far as they could be known, were generally such as indicated a radical change of character. The whole current of their moral feelings seemed to be changed. What they had hated, now they seemed to love. Those objects which had awakened in their bosoms feelings of enmity, were now contemplated with supreme delight. Their affections were not such as could be traced to the operation of any natural principle of the human mind, such as self-love or natural gratitude. They did not love God merely on account of his kindness to them; but on account of the supreme excellency of his character. Their first consolation did not arise from the belief that God had pardoned their sins, and received them to favor, for in most instances when they first found peace they had no apprehensions that their sins were pardoned. When divine objects appeared to them in a new and pleasing light, they scarcely thought of their personal safety, or whether they were or were not converted. They discovered a relish for divine objects to which they had been total strangers, and the truths of the Gospel, with which they had been contending, were now objects of complacency. It was no uncommon thing for persons whose chief distress had arisen from the thought that they were in the hands of God, to find themselves unexpectedly rejoicing in that very thought, contemplating the glory of God as an object of higher importance than their own salvation; and all this, while as yet they had no idea of having experienced a change of heart."

If Mr. Meek meets with any who think they love God, when their love appears to arise entirely from the belief that God loves them, and that he has pardoned their sins, and given them a title to Heaven, he endeavors to convince them that such love is natural to the human heart, and affords no evidence of a radical change. "The conversions in the revivals under Mr. Meek's labors, appeared to be widely different from these. If any cases occurred which appeared to be of this description, they were treated as spurious. If any persons professed to have experienced a change of heart, and gave no other evidence than what is afforded by such religious affections as, to use the language of Brainerd, have self for their beginning, centre, and end, they were advised to abandon their hopes without delay. The converts in these revivals are not bold, forward, self-sufficient, and censorious; but humble, meek, gentle, and docile. When we see those who profess to have entered recently upon the Christian life, lifted up with pride, wiser in their own estimation than their teachers, dis

posed to put themselves forward as leaders, abundant in their censures of old professors, full of self-complacency and selfcommendation, there is reason to fear that they know not what manner of spirit they are of. Such is not the spirit of the Gospel."

Ard. I perceived that Mr. Meek is very much opposed to a noisy revival.

Exp. Yes. He is remarkable for his stillness. He uses no harsh, nor loud, nor boisterous tones. And he wishes to have every-body still about him. He often charges the people, when he dismisses a meeting, to go home as still as possible. He "considers conviction of sin essential to genuine conversion; and his preaching and his conversation are adapted to give sinners a clear and distressing view of their character and condition; yet he endeavors to check all violent manifestations of feeling, by showing that they have in them nothing of the nature of religion; and when he discovers any tendency to such manifestations in a religious meeting, he generally dismisses the assembly, and advises the people to retire in silence to their homes.' "His meetings are regular and orderly; characterized by great stillness and solemnity. They have been, it is true, sometimes interrupted by the overwhelming distress of a convicted sinner. But when this is the case, the individual is immediately removed to a neighboring house, and means adopted to check the spread of sympathetic affection." I consider Mr. Meek "as a remarkable man, and chiefly I think him remarkable for his power of producing a great excitement, without much appearance of feeling. Under his preaching, the people do not either weep or talk away their impressions. He chiefly addresses Bible truth to their consciences. All excitement which is not the result of clear apprehensions of divine truth, he considers not merely useless, but positively injurious."

"The disposition of some unquiet Christians to make a noise about a revival," he considers very injurious. One says, "When things begin to assume a favorable appearance, he does not like to see professors of religion elated, and disposed to talk about it with an air of exultation. He knows that flattering appearances often suddenly vanish, and he has learned that it is apt to be so when Christians begin to rejoice prematurely. He frowns upon every thing like ostentation, and discourages the disposition which too often prevails to proclaim a revival upon the first indication of unusual seriousness." He says the following by another hand expresses his views: “It is no favorable thing to see professors, at such a time, full of glee, busy in proclaiming a revival. A true work of grace