and what else; counting all things holy that were therein contained." "But all this while," he was "not sensible of the danger and evil of sin," he never thought of Christ, "nor whether there was such an one or no." We may gather from this what kind of sermons he was accustomed to hear at church, and how well adapted they were to awaken and enlighten the consciences of men. During this period, however, he heard one sermon which made an impression upon his mind. It was a sermon against Sabbath breaking. Bunyan writes thus respecting it. "At that time I felt what guilt was, though never before that I can remember: but then I was for the present greatly loaden therewith, and so went home when the sermon was ended, with a great burden upon my spirit." But" it lasted not:" before he had well dined, his "heart returned" to its own course." "I shook the sermon," he says, "out of my mind, and to my old custom of sports and gaming I returned with great delight." But the voice of conscience can be heard even in a crowd, and in the midst of the most ungodly scenes. While he was hotly pursuing his guilty pleasure, in the very midst of the game, "a voice," he says, "did suddenly dart from heaven into my soul, which said, 'Wilt thou leave thy sins and go to heaven, or have thy sins and go to hell ?" " At this he was seized with sudden terror, and imagined that he saw the Lord Jesus looking down upon him, " very hotly displeased" with him. He suddenly stopt short in the game: but resisting the voice of conscience, and stifling it, he rushed "desperately to his sport again."

After this he became worse than before. For some time he left off going to church and reading with his wife. He seems to have made up his mind to the worst, and made haste to take his "fill of sin." So he continued for some time; and it was wonderful that in such circumstances God's mercy should follow after him. But he had great designs to accomplish by him, and therefore he went after this wanderer to bring him into the fold of the "good Shepherd." About a month after this period, he was standing at a neighbour's shop, cursing and swearing after. his "wonted manner," when the woman of the house, " a loose ungodly wretch," protested that "he swore and cursed at that most fearful rate that she was made to tremble to hear him." She told him that he was "the ungodliest fellow for swearing

that ever she had heard in all her life," and that he "was enough to spoil all the youth in the whole town." This reproof, and from such a quarter, wrought with him more than any other could have done. He was silenced and put to shame, and from this time a second reformation commenced. "How it came to pass," he says, "I know not; but I did from this time forward, so leave off my swearing, that it is a wonder to myself to observe it." But this reformation was by no means a conversion: it was merely a change from open sin to pharisaism. He talked about religion, and became very strict; but knew nothing of evangelical truth. This, however, was a better state than the former, and was the first step to a more vital and thorough change.

IS IT ESSENTIAL TO A REVIVAL OF RELIGION TO BE TEMPORARY?

"I believe that the spirit of revivals, in the true sense, was the simple spirit of the religion of apostolic times, and will be more and more the characteristic of these times, as the day of the Lord draws near."-Extract of a Letter from the Rev. C. P. McIlvaine to the Rev. W. B. Sprague, D.D.

This question is one of grave importance. We shall do our best to give it a full answer, in the negative, believing as we do that this is the just view of the matter. Although not originally written for the pages of the Independent, we commend what follows to the studious perusal of our readers.

If it is essential to a revival of religion that it should last only for a limited period; if it be in the order and according to the appointment of infinite wisdom that the churches of Christ should pass through alternating stages of activity and stupornow sunk in lethargy, and now starting up for a brief period in all the freshness of a first love, and a new life—now symbolizing in activity and zeal with the church in heaven which serves God "day and night in his temple," and now appearing as the very counterpart of the world itself in all saving formality; if this be the divinely-appointed plan of carrying on the work of human redemption, then it would be rash to attempt to disarrange it, and a presumptuous thing ever to speak of our duty as impelling us another way.

Some, if we may ascertain their belief by their conduct, seem

to think that such a state of things is according to the divine plan, or not greatly at variance with it. And we admit that there are some considerations which have the appearance of supporting such a view. As it is of importance that every obstacle in the way of producing a right conviction should be removed, we shall state fairly and fully those considerations which seem to favour the idea of the essentially temporary character of a revival, and then adduce those other considerations which appear more justly to go to the settlement of the question.

The first consideration apparently countenancing the notion that a revival is essentially a temporary thing, is derived from the history of revivals. Whether we have recourse to scriptural records or ecclesiastical history, we find that nearly all revivals have been speedily followed by a declension. Under the Jewish, as under the christian dispensation, the seasons of refreshing have been succeeded by seasons of spiritual drought. In the times of David and Solomon, Asa and Jehosaphat, Hezekiah and Josiah, we behold revivals of religion which lasted only for a limited period. The great revival brought about by the instrumentality of John the Baptist, was succeeded by such an universal depravation as ultimately led to the crucifixion of our Lord.*

In the days of the apostle, as we may gather from the apostolic writings and other records, we discover the same alternation of active piety and incipient decay. The seven churches of Asia are so many examples in point. Shortly after the apostolic age there was a general declension on a large scale. The primitive simplicity of the christian character speedily vanished amid human additions and refinements. Two kingdoms, which ought ever to have remained separate, (as in reality they are and must be) began-at first almost insensibly, but afterwards with rapid and visible advancement-to coalesce: until eventually the reign of love was superseded by that of formality and death. The spirit of paganism infused itself into

Had there been no declension, such an act of barbarous cruelty could hardly have been accomplished in the open face of day. For although the real instigators and murderers were the Jewish rulers, Pharisees, and Lawyers; yet we know that they so "feared the people," who at the first "heard him gladly," that they could not have proceeded to this extremity had not a great change come over the entire population.

the mere body of christianity; but in vain! Even the outward form is not long preserved, apart from the presence of the kindred spirit. The healthful functions ceased; the fair proportions were lost; the heavenly lineaments were effaced; and the benign aspect was exchanged for a ghastly smile. Soon the voice of secular authority drowned the still small voice of love -the crucifix supplanted the cross-and, with only a few exceptions, christianity in everything but the name departed from the world. For ages the lethargic spell of worldlyism worked in the nominal church; the true gospel was bound; and "all was ignorance and all was night." But God still reigned as a sovereign. The Redeemer still watched over the world, purchased with his own blood. The lightning of the reformation clove in sunder the dense cloud which overhung all Europe, the divine blessing descended in copious showers, and a great revival commenced. In Switzerland, in Germany, in Holland, in France, in Britain, the truth again exerted its native power, and many submitted to its sway. But since that period the former alternations have continued. Revival and declension form the history of the church, in every country which the reformation has reached. In America too, though a new field of experiment and observation, we have witnessed almost invariably the same things. The history of their revivals has its counterpart in the history of their declensions, although less has been written and printed on the one topic than the other. And coming nearer home, do we not find the same examples? May it not without uncharitableness-must it not in good fidelity---be said that many, if not most, of the churches and societies formed by the instrumentality of Whitfield, Wesley and others, have passed through similar changes, and that in nearly every district of our land revivals have been followed by declension? "What shall we say to these things?" Does not the history of revivals appear to favour the idea that it is essentially their nature to be temporary? Judging from actual experience, does it not appear to be the divine plan to grant only periodic refreshings from his own presence? We answer, such appears to be the case, if we consider history only; and if there were no other source of information upon the subject, we should undoubtedly be led to this conclusion. But we have another source, and to that we shall presently refer.

But before we do so, there is another consideration, which if it does not absolutely countenance the position that a revival is essentially temporary, does not on the other hand seem to oppose it. We refer to the consideration of the Divine Sovereignty as concerned, because exercised in the production of every genuine revival. We are aware that in advancing this topic we approach delicate ground. But it should not, on that account, be avoided; it fairly enters into the question, and therefore should be met.

We believe in the sovereignty of God-as distinguished from his judicial or rectoral character-by virtue of which he exercises mercy, and bestows pardon, and all other spiritual blessings, upon the guilty. We believe that every individual partaker of saving grace is "elect according to the foreknowledge of God," and "chosen" in Christ 66 before the foundation of the world," "according to the good pleasure" of the divine will. Discarding the doctrine of reprobation with reference to those who are lost-as unscriptural, unphilosophical and unnecessary

-we nevertheless hold, and tenaciously, the doctrine of election with reference to all who are saved, as a doctrine clearly revealed in scripture, and the rejection of which involves more and greater difficulties than its adoption.

But more than this: we believe that the means are decreed together with the end; that where there is a purpose to save, there is also a purpose to employ efficient means to save; that therefore the outward and visible means of grace, and the influences of the Spirit to render them efficacious are bestowed according to the good pleasure," or in the exercise of the sovereignty of God.

66

Now it may be said, it has been said, does not this view of the divine operations forbid all calculations as to the duration of a revival? If God acts as a sovereign in the bestowment of those spiritual influences which produce a revival; if the whole is according to the good pleasure of his will; is it not presuming upon his character as a sovereign to pretend to anticipate, much more to dictate, the time during which a celestial influence shall remain in any particular church or district, to regenerate and bless ?

We acknowledge the difficulties with which this view of the subject is, under some aspects of it, beset, and believing, as we