Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1836-06-02


} labor to it NOW but others are not quite
ready, they have something else to attend
TO Just at present, some worldly object
which they want TO accomplish, some
piece OF business in hand aud want lust 10
finish his thing, and Men-but they can
not possibly find time to attend to It now,
they are not prepared to humble them
selves, TO search their hearts and break up
their talloW ground, and put thcmselve,
IN posture to receive the blessing. Is
1t not plain that here is no real Union, for
they are not agreed in that which is essen
tlaI While one part are praying that
the revival may come now, the others are
praying with equal earnestNess that it
may not come now
Suppose the question were now put to
this church, whether YOU are agreed in
praying for revival of religion here >
DO you all desire a revival, and would
you all like to have it come now} Would
you be heartily agreed now to break
down in the dust, and open your hearts to
the Hol Y Ghost If he should come to-
night2 do not ask what you would say,
II should propose the question. Per-
haps if | should put it to you now, you
would rise up and rote that you were
agreed in desiring a revival and agreed
to have it now. You know how YOU
Dug t to feel and what you ought to say,
and you know you ought to be ready for
a revival moac But, | ask, would GOD
see 1t to be so in your hearts, that you are
agreed on this point? Has there been a
| time, since | came back from the country,
that this church were all agreed in desir-
ing and praying for revival, and in wish
ing to have it come now? Have any tqco
ofyou agreed on this point, and prayed
according y? If not, when will you be
agreed to pray for a revival? And if
this church cannot be agreed among your
selves, how can you expect revival p
1t is Of no use for you to take the outward
attitude, and stand up here and say YOU
are agreed, when God reads the heart,
and sees that you are not agreed Here
is the PROMISE" Again | say unto you,
That if two Of you shall agree on earth,
as touching any thing that they shall ask,
it shall be done for them OF my Father
which is in heaven Now this is either
true, or it is false. Which ground will
you take? If it is true, then it is true
that you are not agreed, and never have
been, except in those cases where you
have had a revival
But we must agree not only upon Il
time, but it must be the present time, or
we are not agreed in every thing essential
to the work. Unless we agree TO have
the revival no1r, we shall not n010 use the
means. But until the means are used, it
cannot come 1t is plain then, that we
must be agreed upon the present time
that is, we are not agreed in the sense Of
the text, until we agree that n0w we will
have the blessing, and conduct according
! IT, TO agree upon future time is ofno
use, for when that future time comes we
must then be agreed upon that present
time, and use means accordingly, so that
you see you are never properly agreed
until YOU agree that no7o is the time.
H. We are to agree in every thing that
is essential to obtaining the blessing that
we seek.
You see the language Of the text, " If
two Of you shall agree as touching any
thing that they shall ask" Many peo-
pie seem to read it as If it referred merely
to an agreement IN askimg and they un-
) derstand it to promise, that whenever two
are agreed IN asking for any blessing, it
? shall be given But Christ says there
? must be an agreement 6 as touching" the
+ thing prayed for. That is, the agreement
. or union must comprise every thing that
g is essential to the bestowment and reccp
P ton of the blessing.
t |. If Christians would enjoy the bene,
4 fits of this promise in praying for revi-
" val, they must be agreed IN telier;ng re
riraIs Of religion to be q reality Their,
= are many individuals, even in the church
= who do not in their hearts believe that thu
e revivals which take place are the work O
r Cod Some Of them may pray IN wOrd
|, for an outpouring ofthe Spirit and revi
h val of religion, while in their hearts they
e doubt whether there are any such thing
1t known in modern times In united pray
- er there must be no hypocrisy.
s. 2. They must agree IN feeling the ne
r. ce5sitq Of rerirals There are some wh'
e, believe in the reality Of revivais, as
e work of God, while at the same time
h. they are unsettled as 10 the necessity G
E. having them in order to the success Q
the gospel They think there is rea
- work of God in revivals, but after all, per
to haps it is quite as we'll to have sinner
~ converted and brought into the church i
8 a more quiet and gradual way, and with
20 out so much excitement Whenever re
- vivals are abroad in the land, and prevail
Of and are popular, they may appear in ia
w vor of them, and may put up their col
to PRAYERS for a revival, while at the sam
~ time they would be sorry on the whole, t
bss have revival come among them. The
- think it so much safer and better, to indo'
i trinate the people, and spread the matte