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

o'""N'lS ~ NlOIIS, duu IueI prayers 10
divine bel p TO the unfortunate instead O
divine favor to make a rebel submit ar,
wide of the mark, are an Insult 10 God
and they never will obtain favor in heav.
| en-.
(3.) They must be agreed in under.
standing that rerlraiS are not miracles
6Ht t5Gt Men are brou gM 0bOut ty the u.s.
OF nf.ImS like other events. No wonder
rcVlVa!s formerly came 50 seldom and con.
unued SO short time, when people gen
er"I!y regarded them as miracles, or like
mere shower of rain, that will come on a
place and continue little while, and then
blow over; tAat is, as something over
winch we have 40 control For what
can people do to get a shower of ram ?
Or how can they make it rain any LONGER
than it does rain? 1t is necessary that
those mo pray should BE- agreed in un-
Outstanding a revival as something to be
brought about by Means or they never
will he agreed in using them.
(4) TheymuSt be agreed IN understand
ing that human 0gencv IS Just as ludisycn-
sable to rerlral as dirlnc ageucu Such
a thing as revival of religion, | venture
to say, never did occur without divine
agency, and never did occur without hu
man agency. How often do people say,
" CID can, if he pleascs, carry on TIE
work 'c1thout means" But / have no
faith in it, fer there is no evidence of it,
What is religion} Obedience to Gods
law. But the law cannot be obeyed un-
less 1t IS known. And how can God
make sinners obey but by making known
his commandments? And how can he
make them known but BY revealing thpm
himself, or sending them by others-that
is by bringing THE TRUTH to bear
upon the persons mind till he ohc1s it.
God never did and never can convert a
sinner except with the TRUTH What is
conversion Obeying the truth. He
may communicate it himself directly TO
the sinner. But then, the sinners own
agency is Indispensable, for conversion
consists in the right employment of the
Sinners own agency. And Ordinarily,
ne employs the agency Of others also, in
printing, writing, conversation, s. preach
ing, God has put the gospel treasure in
earthen vessels. He has seen fit to en-
pIoy men in preaching the word That
IS he has seen that human agency is that
which ne can best employ in saving SIM
ners. And II there ever was case, Of
which we have no evidence, there is not
one IN a thousand. if one in million,
converted IN any ether way than through
the truth, made known and urged by hu-
man lnstrumentality. and as the church
must be united in using those means, it is
plainly necessary that they should be uni
ted in understanding the true reason why
means are to be used, and the true princi-
pies on which they are to te governed and
applied.
S. 1t is important that there should be
union In regard to the measures essential
to the promotion Of reclral Let indi
vlduaIs agree TO do any thing whatever
and If they are not agreed in their meas
ures, they will run into confusion. and
Counteract one another Set them to sail
a ship, and they never can get along
without agreement. 1ftheY attempt to do
business as merchants when they are not
agreed IN their measures, what will they
do2 Why, they will only undo each OH
crs work, and thWart the whole business
Of the concern. All this is pre-emincntly
true in regard TO the work of promoting
a revival. Otherwise the members Of
the church will counteract each others
influence, and they need not EXPECT a re-
viyal
| Q) The church must be agreed in re,
gard to the meetings rhich are hc|d as TO
what meeting shall be held, and how ma
ny, and where, and when thew shall lie
held. Some people always desire to mul-
tipl y meetings in revival as if the more
meetings they hal, the mere religion
Others are always opposed to aTv new
meetings in revival. Some are always
for having protracted meeting, and 9TH
ers are never ready TO hold a protracted
meeting at all. Whatever difference
there may be, it is essential that the church
should come to good understanding on
The subject, so that they 60 on together in
harmony, AMI labor with zeal and effect.
: (2) They must be agreed as to ht
manner Of conducting MEETINGS. 1t is
necessary that the church should be uni,
ted aud cordial on this subject, if they ex
pect to offer united prayer with effect
Sometimes there are individuals who want
to adopt every new thing they can hear
Of or ina CINE, while others are totally un-
willing to have any thing altered in re-
t gard to the manner of the meeting, bu
would have every thing done precisely as
they are accustomed to. They ought tc
} be agreed in some way, either to have the
; meetings altered, or to keep them on II
the old way. The best possible way is
, for the church TO agree in this, that the,
5 will let the meetings 60 on and take thei
5 course, just as the Spirit of God shape.
! them, and not even attempt to make two
= meetings Just alike. The church neve1
: will give the fullest effect to the truth, Ut;
I'LL Il