The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1866-10-17
FOR THE CENTRAL PREsBErEEIAN.
Calvinism and Revivals of Religion.

cannot avoid seeing exactly what ne mas
to do. But the meaning of faith can
never be simph6ed by any attempted de-
6nition. We lose sight of the deprayity
of the heart if we think we can persuade
the sinner to believe, by making the mean
ing of the act clear to his mind. After
all our definitions, the sinner is still as
blind as ever until the Spirit changes has
heart. We must tell him what the Bible
says concerning faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ, point him to Christ's finished
righteousness, as the only ground of &C
ceptance with God, press upon him the
duty Of believing, point out and warn
him against refugees of lies, and then
leave it to the Spirit to "sgOrk faith an
him"
While the duty and necessity of prayer
should be urged upon anxious sinners,
they must also be informed of the nature
of prayer. 1t viii tend to prevent them
from making q merit of their prayers, if
they are informed, that it is great pre-
sumption in creature to suppose that
he can, by prayer, or in any other way,
change the mind of the Creator; that we
do not in prayer inform God of what He
did not know before, nor make Him will
inc to do what He was not willing, and
had not intended to do before; that
Prayer was appointed to convey
The blessings God designed to gives
that by prayer, Gods Will is not made
to conform to ours, but ours is made to
to conform with His; that she that
cometh to God must believe that He is a
rewarder of them that diligently seek
Him" and that it is only by the Spirit
that he can offer up an acceptable prayer.
When a sinner bows before the heart
searching God, under these impressions,
his convictions are deepened, and he is
led to feel that without the pure grace of
God, he is indeed lost. 1t is through
the impressions made by such truths as
these that the sinner, cut off from all
hope in himself, is led by the Spirit to
put his trust in Christ. And when thus
led, his conversion will not be a spurious
one You may tell the sinner fifty times
in one exhortation that he is lost, and
hold before his mind the terrors Of the
Lord, and no permanent salutary effect
be produced; but if he is made to under
stand aVhat you mean when you say that
he is already lost, and the Spirit i'm
presses the unpalatable truth upon his
heart, he is then prepared to see his need
of one who came to seek and save the
lost.
1t is dangerous in the extreme to tell an
inquirerthatyouthink heis converted, orto
tell congregation that so many have been
converted. 1t is the work of the Spirit
alone to impart true hope; and the hope
induced BY the expression of opinion of
one who cannot judge the heart, may be
a false hope. 1t is an act OF great pre-
sumption, to attempt to take the Spirits
work out of His hands; al 4 it may lead
to the ruin of souls.
1t is important that inquIrers, and pro
fsssed converts, be faithfully instructed
in regard to the evidences of change of
heart, the danger of elf-deception, and
the necessity of close and rigid self
examination, with earnest prayer and
study of Gods Word. And until there
is reason to believe that professed con-
verts have made such a thorough exami-
nation, they should, by no means be ad-
mitted to the full privileges of the
Church.
Finally, ministers should be very care
full of the matter and manner of their
addresses, lest they give offence, apart
from the offence which may be Occasioned
by the truth itself.
A few appropriate remarks of DIR.
NettletOn will bring these articles to
conclusion:
SIN every case of clear conviction,
there is in the mind of the sinner pain
full sense of obligation to repent, and
fearful apprehension that he never shall
repent. In this state, he sometimes IN
quires, do you think there is any hope
in my casei Do you think 1 ever shall
become a Christian?' This is a most In
teresting crisis, and little fattery here
may ruin the soul. The proper answer to
these inquiries is, i do not know. 1t is
altogether uncertain. Sinners as anxi-
Gus you, and perhaps more so, have re-
turned to stupidity, and their last state has
become wOrsethan thefrst. When sinners
are in this stateOf mind, their friends are
exceedingly prone to Aatter them. 90
don't despair. Be patient. Wat Gods
time. You ViU doubtless find relief
Such language Is exceedingly dangerous.
Every word takes it for granted that the
sinners concern for his soul is without
foundation. One of two things is true
either such directions are wrong, or
the sinner is not under conviction, for if
he is under real conviction, the Spirit of
God is showing him his true condition.
His apprehensiOns are well founded, and
if We attempt to remove these apprehen-
sions, we directly counterfeit the opera
tons of the Holy Spirit.
1t is sometimes the case that sinners
speak of the greatness of their sins, and
the hopelessness of their condition, on
purpose to be Aattered and consoled.
And when they do not, it is always best
to admit that their case is quite as bad
as they represent it It's proper to hold
up the fullness of the Atonement, and
the readiness of God to forgive all who
repent. But this the sinner generally
does not doubt. The thing that distresses