Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1836-06-02
N U Nj B E R So.

at any time, that shall seem called for
IN the Providence of God, without LAYING
, any stress upon its being new or old.
3. They must be agreed IN the manner
0fdcal1mg tcitA lmpenitent sinners. This
is point immensel y important, that the
church should be agreed in their treat
ment Of sinners. Suppose that they are
net agreed, and enc viii tell a sinner one
thing and another another. What ccnfu-
son! How can they agree in PRAYER.
when is Plain that they are not agreed
asto the things they shall pray for. Go
among such a church, and hear them
pray for sinners. Attend a praver-meet-
ing and listen. Here is one man pravs
that the sinners present may repent
Another prayst hatthey may be convicted,
and perhaps, ifhe is very much engaged,
will 60 so far as to pray that they may be
deeply convicted. Another rrays that
sinners may go home solemn, and pensivc
and silent, medltating upon the truths they
have heard. Another prays in such a
manner that you can see he is afraid to
have them convertednow. Another prays
very solemnIy that they may not ATTEMPT
TO do any thing in their own Strength
And so on. How easy it is to see that the
church are not agreed as touching the
things they ask for, and of course they
have no interest in the promise.
II you set them to talk with sinners,
their courses would be just as discordant,
tor 1t Is plain that they are not agreed. and
have no clear views in regard to wba, a
sinner must do to be saved, or of what
ought to be said to sinners, to bring them
to repent. And the consequence is, that
sinners who are awakened and anxious.
presently get confounded, and do not
know what to do, and perhaps give it all
up IN despair, or conclude there is in real.
ny nothing rational or consistent in rei-
gion. One will tell the sinner he must
! repent, immediately Another will give
hlm book, Do]drid ge's Rise and PROGRESS
perhaps, end tell him to read that book
Another will tell him he must pray and
per5crore, and in Gods time he will OBJ
tam the blessing. A revival can never
go on. for any length oftime, amidst such
difficulties. lfit begins, it must soon run
out; unless, perhaps, the body of the
church will keep still aud say nothing at
all, and let others carry on the work.
And there the work will suffer materially
for want oftheir cooperation and support.
A church ought to be agreed. Every
Christian ought to have clear UNDER
standing OF this subject, and all speak the
same thing, and give the same directions
And the sinner will find no one to take
MS part, and can get no rcIcfor comfort
till he repcntS
7: They must be agreed IN rtmoring
the 7mped'memtS to a rerlcaL. liza church
expects revival, they must take nm the
Stumbling blocks out ofthe way.
(l.) In the exercise of discipline, IF
there are rotten members in the church.
they should be removed, and the church
should all agree to cut them off. Ifthev
! remain IN the church, they are such a re-
preach to religion, as to hinder a revival
Sometimes when an attempt is made 10
cast them out, this creates division and
thus the work is stopped. Sometimes the
offenders are persons Of influence, or thew
have family friends who will take their
part, and make party, and thus create
bad spirit, and prevent revival
(2) In mutual confessions Whenever
wrong has been done to any, there should
be tull confession. I do not mean q
cold and forced acknowled cement, such
as saying, Il have done wrong, am
sorry for it, But a hearty confession.
going the full length Of the wrong, and
! Slowing that it comes out of broken
heart.
(3) Forgiveness Of enemies. A great
! obstruction to revlva!s is often found in the
fact that active and leading individuals
harbor reven 9etuI and unfor2iving spirit
towards those who have injured them,
which destroys their spirituality, makes
them harsh aud disaGreeable in their man.
ner, and prevents them from ENJOYING
either communion with God in PRAYER, or
the blessing Of Gcd to give them success
in lalOr. But let the members ola church
be truly agreed, in breaking down and
confessing their own faults, and in cher.
ishing tender, merciful, forgiving. Christ
like spirit toward those who they think
have done them wrong, and then the Spirit
will come down upon them not by meas
uTe.
49, They must be agreed in making
al the necessary preparations far reri-
raL They should be agreed in having
all necessary preparation made, and
agreed in bearing their part Of the labor
or expense of making it. There should
be an equality, and not let few be bur
thened and the rest do little or nothing,
but every one his proportion, accordinr
to his several ability. Then there win
be no envying nor jealousy, nor anv Of
those mutual denominations and aIterca.
: lions and disrespectful remarks about one
} another, which are so inconsistent with
} bro;herIy, love, and such a stumbling
block in the way of sinners.
9. They must besagreed in doing heart