of preparatory labor, before they are prepared for a revival. The people must be instructed. Prejudices must be removed. Errors must be corrected. Neglected discipline must be revived. Wanderers must be reclaimed. Children and youth must be taught the truths of the Scriptures. Years of labor often need to be employed, in the midst of many prayers and tears, before the way is prepared. And when a revival has occurred, and numbers are converted, a new course of labor is needed, to instruct the young converts, and train them for usefulness and duty, and make them active and efficient members in the Church.

Ard. But instead of this, nothing has been more common than for a new-measure revival to remove the pastor, and interrupt all his plans of doing good.

Th. That is just what was to be expected from the prevalence of the new-measure spirit. There are many uneasy, restless persons in our churches, who are not content to have things go on in the way of a quiet and steady progress. They cannot allow time for the seed to be sown, to germinate, and grow-for the blade to make its appearance, then the ear, and then the full corn in the ear. It takes too long to suit their haste. They want to reap the harvest at once. And if it seems not to be coming speedily, under their present pastor, they are for making a change. They do not have a revival under his preaching, and therefore he must be dismissed. This is thought to be a reason abundantly sufficient; when, perhaps, if there is any fault anywhere which prevents a revival, it is more in themselves than in him.

A minister in writing about the success which is ascribed to some that are called revival men, says: "It would seem, indeed, in many cases, as if God was forgotten amidst the encomiums bestowed upon these men. What they have donehow they have succeeded in getting up a revival in such and such places, is a common topic of conversation with some in our churches, far and near. Unfavorable comparisons with their own minister soon follow. Be he ever so faithful, a few begin to regard him as cold-hearted, and say his usefulness is at an end. Mr. B. must be sent for, and then we shall have a revival.' Under the prevalence of this opinion, many a church in this country has, within a short time, been shaken, divided, and nearly destroyed; and many others are doubtless yet to undergo the same operation. Many a minister has already been unsettled; and many others, from present appearances, must soon be set afloat. Get a revival man, get a revival man,' is the advice gratuitously given, and constantly reiterated from certain central points of influence."

Another minister gives six instances of ministers dismissed in consequence of the introduction of the new-measure spirit among their people, some of them while a revival was in progress, and others when it seemed just begun. In one instance, sixty or seventy cases of hopeful conversions had already occurred, but the instrument of them could not be considered a revival man, nor suffered to remain at his post, because he did not adopt the new measures.

A Presbytery in Westerly street, found it necessary to address their churches on the importance of a settled ministry, because, by reason of the changes which had become so frequent, the people were not instructed, and errors were prevailing. They say: "We hope and believe that these evils are sufficiently felt to return to the old paths; and by settling pastors, give permanence, stability, and increased effect to the pastoral office, an office of inspired origin; and at the same time preserve our beloved churches from ruin.”

A minister in another part, mentions three instances of the removal of ministers by new-measure influence. In one case, a revival had begun under encouraging appearances, and ten or twelve hopeful conversions taken place, when the people desired to have a protracted meeting, and to have two reputed revival men sent for. They came and assumed the whole direction of matters, not even permitting the pastor to offer a prayer in the meetings; and when he attempted to interpose, he met with a severe rebuke. The meeting continued seven days, during which these revival ministers appointed a meeting for the examination of candidates, at which thirty-two were received. They also appointed a meeting for the choice of additional elders. And all this without consulting the pastor or the church. And they did not cease their disorganizing efforts till they had effected the removal of the pastor.

Ard. It is not to be wondered at that ministers are unsettled by these new-measure revivals. They almost always make division. If the minister favors the new measures, he displeases one part of the people, and if he does not favor them, he displeases another part.

Th. Yes; and new-measure men seem to think it a praiseworthy act to help get a minister dismissed who does not favor them. Mr. Bold, in his printed sermon, openly advised churches who should wake up, to "shake off their sleepy ministers." It has been complained of as one of the disorderly and disorganizing measures of the times, that individuals were seen abroad, and advised to send away their present minister and get a revival man. No minister is likely to sustain, for a length of time, the united and persevering attacks of disorganizers

from abroad, and restless and uneasy individuals at home. It has not been so with revivals under Mr. Meek. Their influence was never known to unsettle the pastor, but always to leave him and the people more firmly united than ever.

Ard. There is one other feature of these new-measure revivals, in which they differ remarkably from revivals under the ministry of Mr. Meek. It is that they stop so soon, and are so quickly succeeded by great declension.

Th. A synod in Westerly street, say: "Another fact reported is, that religious excitements have rapidly declined, as soon as special means were withdrawn, indicating that human instrumentality was made too prominent and too much trusted in, to the exclusion of the Spirit and power of God, and the simple exhibition of divine truth."

A minister in writing to another, says: "The results of these principles and measures upon the character of revivals, and the purity of the churches, I shall not anticipate. Time will disclose them. At present I will only say, that the acknowledged short continuance of revivals in Pilgrim street under these movements, the apathy which follows a season of excitement, and the doctrinal ignorance of many converts brought in under such auspices; with the scattering among the world of a great proportion of those once pronounced and published as newborn souls, cannot but excite some fear that the eventual results will not be very auspicious."

A minister in Centre street says: "It is easy to account for the fact, that in certain places in which revivals of great power have been reported to exist, there has been almost immediately a wonderful increase of open infidelity and irreligion. We have several places in our eye, where we have heard that revivals were going forward, in which it seemed as if the whole impenitent population would be converted; and shortly after we have been informed that a large number, especially of the more intelligent class, have become opposers of religion, and some even downright scoffers. All this is easily accounted for, by the character of the measures which have been adopted. The people have witnessed scenes of the grossest irregularity and confusion; and have been told that the Spirit of God was in them; and that to oppose them was to resist the Spirit, and insure their destruction. They have been assailed at the corners of the streets by ignorant and ranting young men, and have been told in a tone of arrogance that they were going to hell; and they have been prayed for by name in the great congregation, as if they were sinners above all other sinners; and in some instances the persons who have been most forward in this ostentatious and condemnatory proceeding, have had a

miserable standing in society for the commonplace virtue of moral honesty. Now we are far enough from admitting that there is in all this any thing to justify them in becoming the opposers of true religion, or of a real revival; for we know that it is their sin, and at their peril that they become so: but considering what depraved human nature is, we maintain that it is a natural result; precisely what might be expected from this extravagant and unscriptural course.

"It is easily accounted for, that there is often great difficulty in finding the converts after a new-measure revival has gone by. I lately knew of an instance at the west, in which the presiding minister proclaimed at the close of a protracted meeting that there had been seventy-five converts, not one of whom has ever joined the church, or, so far as is known, thinks of doing it. Another case has also come to my knowledge, in which there was said at the close of the meeting to have been a much larger number of converts, and it has turned out that only two have ever made a profession. A member of one of the churches in Centre street says, that he was lately visiting in a congregation not far distant, in which he had formerly resided during a revival under the ministry of Mr. Meek; and in which, since that time, there have been one or more revivals reported to be of great power and extent, under the operation of the new measures. On attending recently a Saturday evening meeting which has been kept up since the former revival, he inquired at the close of it of one of the brethren, where the new converts were? observing, 'Here are Mr. Meek's converts, the persons whose faces I was accustomed to see here years ago; but you have had powerful revivals here since, in which a multitude have been converted-where are they?' The man, who had himself been in the new measures, shook his head, and replied with a sigh, 'I do not know where they are-it is so.' These things are easily accounted for. Conversion, on the principle of the new-measure men, is nothing more than making up our mind to be religious. Hence the great question by which the character of professed converts is tested, is, 'Have you made up your mind to serve God?' This question was lately asked by a leader in new measures during a protracted meeting, and the reply was, 'I wish to be religious, but I do not think I am; I have no evidence that my heart has been renewed ;" to which the minister abruptly answered, 'I don't want to hear any thing about your doubts,' and immediately put the name of the person down upon the list of converts.

CHAPTER LVI.

In

Thoughtful. A minister in Westerly street says: "We hear much of the good effects resulting from a combined and powerful effort in the use of the means of grace. Protracted meetings, plainer preaching than usual, and more pastoral visitation, are among the means signally successful. many, if not in the great majority of instances, however, the work is sudden, short, and then followed with a long winter of chilling spiritual frosts and moral death. But I ask, can the means of grace have been applied in their highest and best sense, where such bursts of feeling, such short-lived seasons of revival, are the principal and only fruits? Why is it that our churches, under the present method of preaching in this region, are so seldom favored with a protracted revival; that is, a revival that continues from month to month, and from year to year?"

Ardent. If these excitements are the work of man, it is easy to account for their ceasing as soon as men cease the efforts which produce them. And if the converts are only man-made converts, and have only been the subjects of a temporary excitement, it is easy to account for it that they disappear as soon as the excitement is past. It is not so with real work of the Holy Spirit.

F. W. The converts fall away, because the means which are necessary to maintain their spiritual life are not employed.

Th. I think, however, that the stony-ground hearers, in our Lord's parable of the sower, are their true and proper representatives; unless, indeed, they are proclaimed as converts, without having been excited as much as they. "These have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time."

Ard. There is another error which contributes to swell the number of false converts. It is, that there is no need of much conviction or feeling. It is only to make up your mind to serve the Lord, and it is done.

Th. The proper office of the Holy Spirit is said to be to present motives" to convince and persuade sinners to become reconciled to God." "Sinners must change their governing purpose. This is regeneration, this is conversion, this is all the change that the Scriptures require. Resolve, and work for the Lord." "The same self-love leads them to choose the world as their portion, under the erroneous persuasion that it is their chief good, and to choose God as their portion, under the cor