so, your objection against the act as a sinful one would be removed.

Th. If that is what they mean, why do they not express it so? But they do not mean that; else they would not acknowledge, as is sometimes done, that there was nothing morally good in the act of promising to repent, to which they had been urged; but it was only urged as a good means of leading to repentance. And if the act was understood to be merely a declaration that those who join in it do now repent, then it would lose all its use as a means to bring sinners to repentance, for which it is so highly recommended.

L. S. Would your objections be removed, if it were so understood?

Th. No. I would not call up a company of persons, under such circumstances, to say that they repent, or that they think they are converted. For how can they have reason to think so, without having had time for self-examination? This is, virtually, the same thing as the hasty acknowledgment of all as converted who can be induced to hope they are, and of receiving them into the church the same day; a subject which we have discussed already.

L. S. "I suppose no evangelical Christian now questions, but that preaching ought to produce its results at the time; and yet, according to general experience, it rarely does so.' And if you are not satisfied with the measures which have been contrived for the purpose of producing this result, it would seem to be right to call upon you to suggest others which you think better.

Th. Let Paul plant, and Apollos water; and let all pray God to give the increase. I have no doubt that every instance of the faithful preaching of the word produces some effect upon its hearers, at the time. But as it belongs to God to give it such effect as he pleases, it may be different in different individuals. The preached word may harden one; it may awaken another; it may produce conviction in another; and it may be the instrument of bringing another to submission. what you mean?

Is that

L. S. No. I mean that a sermon addressed to sinners ought to bring them to repentance, at the time. And it ought to be expected to do it.

Th. On whom does the obligation rest? On the preacher, or on the hearer? or on some other being or agent? L. S. The sinner is bound to repent now. And if the preacher does his duty, he may expect to see sinners brought to repentance immediately.

Th. There is a great deal of such talk, at this day, which

seems to have very little definiteness. I do not believe the preacher can make the word preached by him effectual to the conversion of sinners. The Lord Jesus did not in all cases; nor the prophets, nor apostles, nor was it required of them. If they faithfully preached the word, that was their duty. What effect it should produce was the divine prerogative to determine. I admit that it is the duty of every impenitent hearer to repent now. But I have never yet heard the instance in which a congregation all did their duty at one time.

L. S. If you admit that it is the duty of every impenitent hearer to repent now, why not take some means to ascertain, at the close of the sermon, how many have done their duty ?

&

Th. For the plain reason that the eyes of man cannot ascertain. God only looks on the heart. And more time is requisite for a sober, human judgment to be formed. By their fruits ye shall know them;" and there must be time for the fruits to appear.

L. S. You are so often hinting at false conversions, false hopes, and the like, that I begin to think you have not much confidence in the revivals of the present day.

Th. I confess I cannot have much confidence in those which

are produced by new-measure influence. I think the new measures are usually found connected with radical errors in relation to what Christian experience is, and that the kind of experimental religion which these measures is adapted to produce, is not true Christian experience, but a dangerous delu

sion.

L. S. I suppose you now have reference to those animal feelings and selfish affections, which you once spoke of, and which you then seemed to think made up a great part of our religious feeling.

Th. I have. If a man should profess a great deal of love to me, and I should afterwards learn it was not from any respect he feels for my character, or any good will towards me, but only from the hope of gaining something by it, I should be so far from being pleased with his professions of attachment, that I should feel greatly insulted by them.

us.

L. S. It is written, "We love him because he first loved

Th. Yes; but that does not say, we love him for first loving us, and for nothing else. If we love him, it is because he has changed our hearts and caused us to love him. And if he has done this, it is not from any thing we have done to merit this favor, but from his pure benevolence or compassion towards us. That is the apostle's meaning, as I understand it. L. S. How does this apply to the new-measure revivals?

Th. I think the great efforts that are made, are directed to the excitement of animal feeling and selfish affection; and that the religious experiences of many are made up of these. I do not undertake to say that all the excitement is made up of these, nor that there are no true converts. But I think the circumstances, the mode of management, the measures used, the doctrines taught, the motives presented, and all together, are adapted to excite animal feeling, and raise it to a high pitch, and to produce selfish affections in great vigor; and that true religion, if it exists at all, under such circumstances, is thrown into the shade, and is very much hindered and deadened by such means. A protracted meeting is appointed. The people are taught to look to it with high expectations. The most distinguished revival men are sent for, and sometimes from a distance. When they come, they adopt every measure to produce excitement. Something new and strange must be done by the church and by the ministers. Confessions of an unusual form, or in unusual postures, must be made. Sometimes old professors, and even ministers, must profess to be newly converted. Now the congregation must rise up; now they must sit down; now they must kneel; now they must recline their heads; now they must divide and go into different places; now they must come together; now sinners are urged to form resolutions and make promises, and are told how many have been converted who did so in some other place, and how those who refused were passed by; now they are urged to the anxious seats to be prayed for, and the prayer of faith is urged as being certain to prove efficacious for all those for whom it is offered; and they hear such prayer offered for them as they think must be efficacious; now they are persuaded to follow a speaker in the words of a prayer, consecrating themselves to God; now they are asked if they do not feel some relief; now they are hailed as converts, and thanksgivings and songs of triumph are sung over them. Can all these things fail of producing excitement? And if their expectations are brought up to it, will not the influence of the imagination on the nervous system be sufficient to make them fall down under "the power," or shriek out, or swoon away?

And then consider the doctrines that are taught them, and the motives which are exhibited to them at such a time. It is commonly taught that God desires the salvation of sinners, and is doing all he can to accomplish it-that the Holy Spirit exerts none but a persuasive agency-that sin and holiness are not creatable things-that no other agency from God will ever be exerted to change their hearts than that which is now exerted--and that if they will only yield to this, they will be re

generated and saved-their own will, their own resolution— their own promise is commonly exhibited as the great thing on which the decision depends. And they are told that it is the easiest thing in the world to he converted, "just as easy as to turn over your hand." And if to be converted is no more than is here represented, if it is only to form a resolution or purpose to forsake the pleasures of the world, and seek our own happiness in the favor of God-if it is to love God for his favors, and if he is trying all the power of persuasion upon us, to make us willing to be happy, who would not be converted? Is it not rather to be wondered at, that all who can be made to believe these things are not converted at once, by hundreds and by thousands? If there is animal feeling enough excited to render the sinner willing to obey the word of command-if he can be brought to rise up, or kneel down, or go here, or go there, as his leaders direct, I see no difficulty in having selfish affection do all the rest. "Sinners love those that love them." No change of heart can be necessary to love God, if he is such a being as he is represented, and has such an intense desire for the happiness of sinners.

Ard. These things are indeed well adapted to promote that kind of experimental religion which consists in animal feeling and selfish affection. But how they can gain currency among those who have the Bible in their hands, is more than I can account for.

Th. It would be stranger, if it were not for the consideration that the heart of man is by nature evil, and therefore ready to be deceived. But the strangest thing is, that ministers who have once understood and preached the truth should embrace and preach such sentiments, and yet insist that they have not changed. The prevalence of this new-measure spirit has made sad work with the Christian character of many. They think they are greatly improved by it, and are rendered much wiser, and prepared for more extended usefulness; while the truth is, that they have gone away from the old paths where they formerly walked, and even sadly brought into doubt their Christian character.

CHAPTER L.

Love-self. Mr. Bold, in his printed sermon, speaks against animal feeling, as constituting any part of true religion.

Thoughtful. Yes; but it were to be wished he had told us what he means by it. For I very much suspect he means only one class of animal feeling, while he would justify another class as the highest degree of holiness.

Ard. He evidently means the tender, weeping kind of sensibility, which produces tears in profusion, when touched in a skilful manner. The talents of Mr. Bold were not adapted to this, but rather to the martial spirit, which, though it is as really animal feeling as the other, produces a very different effect upon the animal system.

Th. His language is: Adopt a strain of exhortation or preaching that is calculated to awaken mere sympathy and animal feeling, and you will soon see that there is a perfect community of feeling among cold and warm-hearted Christians and sinners: they will all weep, and seem to melt, and no one will be offended; and, I may add, no one will be convicted or converted." It is evident, then, by animal feeling, he means emotions of the tender and weeping kind, such as the music of the Æolian harp is adapted to excite, and which the introduction of martial music would greatly disturb. Such feelings as these may be excited in view of religious objects, when presented in a particular attitude; and are, no doubt, often mistaken for religious affections. But they are the result of mere tragic painting, and ought to be carefully distinguished from holy affections. There is, however, another class of animal feelings, such as martial music is adapted to excite. The sight of a military pageant attracts the attention of the multitude, and kindles in many minds the thirst for military glory. The sound of the fife and drum wake up the energies of children, and set them to marching and counter-marching, with their paper caps and weapons of wood. It is feeling of a lively and animated kind; full of fire, and spirit, and life; a feeling that blazes and burns upon you, till you sympathize in it, or burn and glow in like manner, or become greatly annoyed with it, and are compelled to flee. This feeling sometimes takes possession of the female mind, and effects a wonderful change. The softness and delicacy natural to the sex, is exchanged for masculine boldness. Those fine sensibilities, that tenderness, and gentleness, and kindness, which naturally adorn the sex, are laid aside. Every nerve is braced; every movement is quick and violent; every look threatens; every eye flashes fire; every word breathes defiance. And what is it? It is animal feeling, of the martial kind, which, when it gains possession, drives out all the animal feelings of the tender class, all the soothing sensibilities and weeping sympathies of our nature;