Morning journal and courier., 1891-02-09

all its attendant evils needed to be abol- l ished The Saybrook Platform as the basis l of organic union between the secular and the religious powers of the colonies must be broken into thousand pieces. Re- forming synods with their preambles and resolutions were not equal to the task; committees appointed by of the churches were insufficient. The legislative enactments of the state assem- bly, failed to make the churches more peaceable and the people more spiritual. The machinery of the churches failed to manufacture piety for the masses. The times needed men, not resolutions, spirit ual power, not legal enactments, conse- crated Christian manhood, not compli- cated ecclesiastical machinery The church called for an ancient prophet and To, he appeared in the midst of the people. Edwards "stands forth as the originator, the director, the champion of the move ment" in the interest of evangelical Christi anity among the Congregational churches of New England in this period.
 He was born into a family of preachers and was surrounded by influences emi- nently religious. His father, grandfather and acknowledged ability and power. His mother was "tall, dignified and command ing in appearance, affable and gentle in her manner, and regarded as surpassing her husband in native vigor of under standing" We can appreciate his deep and absorbing interest in theological ques- tions and his profound solicitude in re gard to an inward personal religious ex perience when we remember that "re- ligion was the very atmosphere of his home and the church was the leading in- terest in life." It would be very interest ing to dwell upon the severe intellectual and spiritual struggle through which he passed during these formative years of his life. He was by nature thoughtful and religious, and in both spheres was inde- pendent. His 'ssense of reverence and pas sion" for reasoning were early and strongly developed. His treatment of himself as we'll as his utterances to others, was marked by 'intense moral earnestness." He sought to "regu- late his own heart and life" by prescribed rules, and for this purpose formulated seventy resolutions. In speaking of the he said: 'I made seeking my salvation the main business of my ife;" and near the close of this period Q729 he made Q solemn dedication of himself to God and wrote it down, in which he covenanted
 Ito take God for his whole portion and felicity, looking on nothing else as any part of his happiness, nor acting as if it were, and his law for the constant rule of obedience, engaging to fight with all his might against the world, the flesh and the devil to the end of life." He was master of his own vigorous, ell-trained, thor oughly cultured and deeply religious per sonality; he understood the problems that were disturbing and dividing the churches %lo, of +1,o l1 the low state to which popular interest in religion had fallen, and was acquainted with the different methods of reform. Thus equipped he entered upon his labors as pastor of the church at Northampton in 1729 at the age of twenty-six.
 The church and the town of Northamp- ton were not essentially different from other churches and towns throughout the colonies. The same doctrines had been preached and the same methods adopted us prevailed in the Congregational churches. MT. Stoddard, who was pastor tor ffty-seven years, was in sympathy with Presbyterian tendencies and enlarged the provisions of the half way covenant so as to regard the Lords supper as 8 "means of grace" and received into full con- munion linen of decent outward deport- ment protesting to be seekers after the grace of God, but with no experience of the power of the gospel and no pretensions to spiritual religion.'' Notwithstanding these peculiar views the ministry of the venerable Stoddard was eminently evan gelical and spiritual. While he lived his power over the community was great, but soon after his death the evil effects of his peculiar doctrines and practices mani tested themselves inside and outside of the church.
 The habits of the people were source of grief to the spiritually y-minded pastor, and certain errors of doctrine prevalent in the community increased his concern for the people. few years passed by and he determined to preach a series of sermons on the vital doctrine of Christianity. He selected such themes as Justification by Faith," Justice of God in the Damnation of Sinners" "The Excellency of Christi and "The Duty of Pressing Into the King dom of God" Themes like these in the hands of Edwards could not fail to arouse the people of his parish. The effect was overmastering. Several persons became religion. A young woman, "one of the greatest company-keepers in the whole town" was among the number. Her con- version was almost magical in its influence upon the community. Within six months three hundred persons were converted, One-haH Of them men, and the member ship of the church was increased to six hundred and twenty. The interest was not confined to Northampton, but in many towns in Connecticut and Massachusetts, The times were ripening for an extended work. The extreme Cslvanistic position of Edwards, his aversion to everything that looked like Arminianism gave pecu- liar cast to this revival of 1735. He mag niied the sovereignty of God, and mini mixed the power of man. He was terrible in his descriptions of the consequences of sin, and insisted on the immediate influ- ence of the spirit which awakened the in dlvidual consciousness of pardon. He ap- piled tests and issued certificates of cor version. Some could stand the tests. others could not. Subjective visions and
 outward sbodily effects' were made by the people, if not by Edwards, the evidence of genuineness of conversion. These were some of the evils that marred the first re-
 vival of 1735, occasioned the reaction
 which soon followed and appeared again in more extravagant forms and attended by more fragrant evils on the appearance of Whitfield in New England in 174O. This is the climax of "The Great Awaken ing"
 New England had been prepared by. Ed
 wards and others for the coming of the great evangelist. His fame in old Eng land, his rapid movements and stirring sermons in the southern statea 1rsre
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