Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1844-12-11
HzsCELHA yEOUS.
From the Biblical Recorder
TO THE REV. w HOOPER. D. D.,

M Dear Brother:
That may be better understood in tht
views thai am about 10 present, on The
manner Of conducting protracled meetings
and the unfavorablc influence, if any, tina
they may be supposed TO exert upon the
general State nf reiiginn in the churches,
! musl ask your attention TO few prepar
atory remarks.
By the law Of our nature. excitement j:
made necessary 70 our existence and well.
being There is. therefore, an excitablily
in our physical system, 10 which excite.
ment is applied, and The proper adjust.
meni Of excitement 10 this eycitabiliIy
usually produces health. In health. then,
we should avoid too much excitement on
The same principle. that we should guard
against too lille. For two much excite
menr will indirectly produce the same ef
fecls. that TOO il,le will, viz debility, las
situde, Indifference.
There is another law Of our nature wOr
thy of attention in this connexion. In
proportion to The height TO which excite.
ment raises us. will be the depth to which
we will fall, when The excitement is over.
And likewise, that what comes suddenly
TO maturity, is exposed 10 as rapid de-
cline.
lffrnm any cause debility is brought on,
excitement is the remedy, and sometimes,
it requires 10 be employed in high de-
gree. BIT when the desired effect is pro.
duced, the remedy is dismissed aud ulti-
mately withd avn, that the system may
resume iIs ordinary course with the usual
proportion of excitement, aud enjoy its
accustomed health. The priciples here
laid down in relation to the physical sys-
tenn, apply 10 The intellectual and mural
systems, as the same general law pervades
them all. To proceed in he application
of these precepts TO our moral constitution,
| observe that we have within US moral
principle, capable of being brough out into
high moral action, or of being depressed
to a low. feeble state. To produce the
heallhful action of This principle, there
must be proper adjustment of moral ex
element to the moral exci'abiIily Of our
nature. This moral excitement is proyi
ded in the gospel of Jesus Christ.-To
this. then lei US refer, for knowledge OF
inspired men, who were commissioned TO
apply this moral excit, menl to ou- moral
nature The commission. given Them by
heir divine Master, was their letter of in
suction. $50, teach all nations, baplis.
ing them in the name Of the Father, Of the
Son, and of The Holy Ghost, teaching
them 10 observe all Ihings. whatsoever
have commanded you."-',Go yeinto the
world, aud preach the gospel 10 every
creature, and he that beievelh and is bap-
rized. shall be saved ; bul he, that believ
eth NOT, shall be damned" According To
these instructions. Peter preached the gos
pei on The day ofPenticost. Many, prick
ed in their hearts, enquired what they
should do to be saved. Peter answered,
Repent and be baptized every one you,
in the name of Jesus Christ for the remis.
sion of sins. and ye shall receive the Holy
st."-'.And with many other words
did testify and exhort, saying, save your
selves from this untoward generation.
Then they that gladly received his word,
were baptized and The same day there
were added unto them about three thou
sand ouls."-The historian gives US in the
succeeding chapters of the Acts. cheer
ing account ofyet greater, numbers being
added 10 iheLord in the city of Jerusalem.
We have here al account ola blessed
revival ofreligion for some days, in which
thousands of souls were copveried to God.
Let us callit prolracted meeting, and
what were the exercises of this meeting,
VIVA; was The instrumentaIity employed by
the Apostles The only instrumentality
Of which We have any account, is the
preaching oflhe gospel. and exhortulion to
sinners TO believe it and save themselves
from an unloward generation. Those
that were converted and baptized, became
kni, together in love. They continued
sleadfastlyin in The Apostles doctrine and
fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and
in prayers" An astonishing enIargedness
ofsoul and liberaliiy Of spirit marked theil
union and conduct. For ''the multitude
ofthem that believed. were of Que heart
and Of one soul: Neither said any o
them, thar aughl ofi the things, which II,
possessed. IS as his own, bul they had al
things common" Neither was ther,
any ofthem that lacked For as man,
ofthem as were possessors Of lands. o
houses, sold them, and brought The price.
of The things. that were sold, and laid then
down ailhe Apostles feel: And dis.ribu
| lion was made unto every man accordip;
as he had need p Aud" thew s.ihe dis
ciples continuing with one accord in III,
Temple. and breaking bread from hous.
ohouse, did eat their meat with gladnes
and singleness OF iieart, praiisilik God, ami
having lavorswith allihs. people, Thi
accoun, is a delig ghifnl animatiug nccoun
! of amosr blessed protracted meeting. .
for such a one now. LEI us notice ih
A particulars that proceeded and acco im,pia pa
MED the meeting. LII ibe first place, III
brethren "continued with one accord il
prayer and sipplioalion with The; e;@omer
4 n