"The desideratum is, in what way can the wheels be made to move and continue moving to the best advantage, at the least expense and money? Probably we have not as yet had sufficient experience to solve this problem, but so far as past experience does go, it seems to me to lead to the following conclusions." 1. "At present it will not be safe to leave the cause of benevolence to the spontaneous exertions of ministers and churches. It would languish in their hearts, and be neg lected in their efforts. They need to be acted upon "ab extra." 2. " Appeals to the Christian public from the press are not sufficient. Something may in this way be done. Some minds will be nerved, but no general movement will be effected." 3. "The most effective method, is the employment, of living, speaking agents, men of judgment, men of zeal, deeply interested in the subjects for which they plead, and able to plead for them intelligently, and impressively." 4. "Some discretion is needed in the selection of agents, and of the proper times and places, when and whither to send them. Much evil has in several instances been done by injudicious management." 5. "Great good is likely to result in several departments of Christian beneficence from permanent agents. By securing the continued services year after year of a judicious, devoted, enterprizing, persevering man, in aid of a particular object, within such limits as may be sufficient to give him full employment, you take propably the surest course, as things now are, of promoting these objects." 6. "It should be a leading object with the Directors of benevolent Societies so to marshal the Christian host that the divisions, regiments, and companies of which it consists may act systematically in concert, and if possible, spontaneously, in carrying forward the great end to which their Commander is calling them. And the time may come when so much light will be communicated through the whole body, such a state of feeling will exist, that all will go forward, doing with their might, whatever their hand findeth to do without solicitation, and needing no other guidance than that of their ordinary Leaders." (P.) Revivals of religion to a greater or less extent have at times prevailed ever since the church has existed. Many and signal instances of them are recorded in the Old and New Testaments. God at times remarkably displayed his power and grace in building up Zion. This was the case in the days of David and Solomon, Asa and Hezekiah, Josiah and Ezra. In the time of John, the harbinger of Christ, the Spirit was poured out in copious effusions. On the day of Pentecost, by the preaching of the Apostles, attended by the special influences of the Holy Ghost, three thousand were added to the church. Multitudes were converted in Samaria. There were various seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord in the first centuries of the Christian church. The Gospel had free course and was glorified. This also was the case in succeeding ages. In the sixteenth century, there were unusual effusions of the Spirit which attended the labors of the Reformers in Britain, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, and Holland. A revival took place in France, about 1550, in the time of those distinguished divines Farrel and Viret. There was an extraordinary revival of religion, in 1625, in Scotland. Such was the revival, in 1628, in Ireland. In the time of the plague in London, in 1665, multitudes were brought to renounce their enmity to the cross and bow to the sceptre of Jesus. In 1732, and 1733, God was pleased to pour out his spirit on the people of Saltzburg in Germany. More than twenty thousand were converted from Popish darkness to the pure gospel of Christ, and very many hopefully became the subjects of the grace of God. About this time there were extensive revivals in England, Wales, Scotland and the British Provinces in North America. There was a most powerful revival of religion in the United States, more especially in New England, in the days of Whitfield, the Tenants, Edwards, Brainard, Wheelock and Bellamy. During this period 25,000 persons were probably added to the churches. This revival of religion is attested as being a glorious work of the Spirit of God, by one hundred and eleven ministers of the gospel, most of whom were assembled at Boston, in 1743. About the commencement of the nineteenth century, revivals of religion prevailed in the Carolinas, Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and New England, especially Con necticut. More than one hundred towns in that state were visited with the effusions of the Holy Ghost. For the last twenty years, there has been a series of revivals throughout the land. During the year 1831 and 1832, probably as many as one hundred thousand souls were converted to Christ. Between 350 and 400 young men in our public institutions of learning were hopefully brought to rejoice in the Saviour of sinners. This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. It is not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit saith the Lord of hosts. The glorious victories of our King should call forth the devout aspirations of our souls. These should be declared abroad as memorials of divine grace. The trumpet of praise should sound when the King of Zion cometh in triumph having salvation. It is gracegrace. To God be all the glory. See "Fleming's fulfilling of the Scriptures: "Gillies' Historical Collections," "Calamy's Life of Baxter;" "Prince's Christian History;" "Dwight's Life of Brainerd, and President Edwards' Narrative of Revivals.” (Q.) The word Millennium, in its etymological import, means a thousand years. It is expressly applied to that time when, according to prediction, the Church will be in a far greater state of prosperity and happiness than it ever yet has been. The word is based upon the repeated use of the phrase, a "thousand years," in the first six verses of the twentieth chapter of Revelation. "And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years. And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled; and after that he must be loosed a little season. And I saw thrones, and they that sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark in their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." This passage all the ancient Millennarians took in a sense grossly literal, and taught that, during the Millennium, the saints on earth were to enjoy every bodily delight. The moderns, on the other hand, consider the powers and pleasures of this kingdom as wholly spiritual; and they represent them as not to commence till after the conflagration of the present earth." The Millennarians, or Chilianists, believe the saints will reign on earth with Christ a thousand years. These views are not embraced by Christians generally in the present day. Most of them believe, that the Millennium is that time, in which "there will be far more eminent measures of divine knowledge, of holiness of heart and life; and of spiritual consolation and joy, in the souls of the disciples of Christ, than the world has yet seen and these will not be the attainments of a few Christians, but of the general mass. This delightful internal state of the church will be accompanied with such a portion of external prosperity and peace, and abundance of all temporal blessings, as men never knew before. The boundaries of the kingdom of Christ will be extended from the rising to the going down of the sun; and Antichristianism, Deism, Mahometanism, Paganism, and Judaism, shall all be destroyed, and give place to the Redeemer's throne. By the preaching of the gospel, the reading of the Bible, and the zeal of Christians in every station; by the judgments of heaven on the children of men for their iniquities; above all, by the mighty efficacy of the Holy Ghost, will the glory of the latter days be brought about. Religion will then be the grand business of mankind. The generality will be truly pious; and those who are not, will be inconsiderable in number, and most probably be anxious to conceal their real character; and their sentiments and practice have no real weight or influence on the public mind." That there will be such a state and period of the church as is here described by Dr. Bogue, is certain from prophecy. Whether this time is intended in the passage of Scripture quoted above, is not material to the present notice of this 31 |