Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1844-12-25

HHESCELlANE0U
From the Biblical Recorder.
TO THE REV. w. HOOPER, D. D.

OF COLUMBIA, s. c..
Mn Dear Brother:
In my last, attempted TO point out
from The scriptures, the manner in which
inspired men brought the moral excitement
fthe gospel to bear upon the moral excl.
liability of our nature, and The success,
which attended it, Now it must be ad-
mitted, that there is material difference,
in some important points, between the
manner so pointed out and the manner in
which our prolracled meetings. are con-
Quoted. We ordinarily go through the ex-
ercises Of singing aud prayer before, and
after preaching and exhoralion. So far
as the record goes. these inspired men did
mol so conduct their services. When any
are priched in their hearts. or distressed
on account of their sins, ,re invite them up
TO be prayed. for, and place them on an
anxious, or enquiry seat. These inspired
men directed such, when they asked wha,
they should do 10 be saved, to repent, be
lieve, and be baptized, without prayer
or the anxious or enquiry seat. Thus
did Peter, Paul and Sias. and OILERS
Blessed results followed The labors of these
men, aud should not their example com.
mend itself to our imitation.
Let us now consider one advantage that
their course possesses. 1t keeps the ivord
Of God most prominently before the minds
of sinners. And as "God has magnihed
his WORD above all his uame," that word
is thus held up in its naked majesty and
power, as table TO make men wise unto
salvation" 1t would seem that sinners,
converted to God in this manner, would
have the authority and poaOer of this word
more deeply impressed upon their minds,
and they would be more readily governed
by ii in their future lives. "How readest
thou 2" would be with them a more i'm
porlant question in matters of duty. than
''How feelest thou" They would be
more disposed 10 learn whai is right from
''the law and the testimony" than from
the state Of their feelings. And surely for
a profitable course Of action in their Mas
ter's service, and for beneficial influence
upon the general interests Of religion in
the churches, such an habitua reference
10 his word, is the best and safest plan.
But the order of things. adopted in our
prolracted meetings, whilst it is, by no
means intended TO diminish The authority
of The divine word, seems nevertheless to
have a tendency to bring out other insrru
mentaities into greater prominence. For
example. when preaching and exhortatiou
are closed, we do not leave The word of God
to produce its effect under the influences of
the Divine Spirit but, as il these were MOI,
sufficient, we add singing and prayer pub =
licly made aud often repeated, with all the
exciting array Of the anxious, or enquiry
seat, and other exercises attendant upon
such meetings, prolracted from day TO day.
and night TO night. Now,ifI am not mista-
ken, however we may believe, thai the
preaching of the gospel, is the means of
converting the sinner, yet is not so much
to the preaching of the word, that We look
TOR his conversion, as TO The prayers and
other exercises oflhe occasion. For when
preaching and exploration are over, we
are not expected to hear The cry of the
convicted soul, "what shall do TO be sa-
we'd !" or The announcement of the glad
reception of the truth Of a. converted soul,
but we are looking to see who are coming
ap 10 be prayed for, and then are hoping
TO hear, that some one is delivered from
The kingdom of darkness and brought into
the kingdom of Gods dear Son. And
may it not be. that soul. converted under
such circumstances, is not prepared so
clearly to acknowledge the naked majesty
and power Of the Divine word. as under
the circumstances of the order adopted by
the men inspired Of God. Feeling, the
overpowering feeling. golten up by The
anxiety Of friends. The appeals of preach
ers, the sense of distress for sin. and all the
affecting circumstances OF the meeting,
are connected with the word of God in the
mind of the young convert, and may di-
minish his sense of its more direct inslru.
mentality, and SO weaken It's immediate
power upon his conscience. Coming to
the Lord in this way, he may. in future
life, think. that his feelings must be excl
ted to lead him to implicit obedience; to The
word Of God, and that where the excite
ment Of feeling is wanting, there is an ex,
cuse. of disobedience TO that word.
And il this should be: the case, if, il
these meetings, the habit is grated upor