Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1894-12-03

children and young people are brought
into the church, and they do not know
! what they are about. 1t has been my
| observation that tho earlier people come
| into tho kingdom of God the more use
full they are.
Robert Hall, the prince of Baptist
preachers, was converted at 10 years of
age. 1t is supposed he knew what he
was about. Matthew Henry, the COM
mentator, who did moro than any man
Of his century for increasing the inter
est in tho study of tho Scriptures, was
converted at II years Of age; Isabella
Graham. immortal in the Christian
church, was converted at 10 years of
age; DR.. Watts, whose hymns will be
sung all down tho ages, was converted
at years of age; Jonathan Edwards,
perhaps the mightiest intellect that the
American pulpit ever produced, was con-
verified at years of age, and that father
and mother take an awful responsib bill
ty when they tell their child at years
of age, "You are too young to be &
Christian or ''You are too young to
connect yourself with the church. "
That is a mistake as long as eternity.
Early Conversions.
If during q revival two persons pre-
sent themselves as candidates for the
church. and the one is 10 years of age,
and the other is 40 years of age, I will
have moro confidence in the profession
of religion Of tho . 10 years of age
than the one 40 years Of age. Why?
The one who processes at 40 years of
age has 40 years Of impulse in the
f0 hn n, ri hoe
only 10 years in the wrong direction
to correct. Four times 10 are 40 Four
times tho religious prospect for the lad
that comes into the kingdom Of God,
and into the church at 10 years Of age
than the man at 40.
[ am very apt to look upon revivals
as connected with certain men who fOs-
tered them. People who in this day do
not like revivals nevertheless have
not words to express their admiration
for the revivalists of the past, for they
were evjvalists-Jonathan Edwards,
John Wesley, George Whitefeld, Fetch
er, Griffin, Davies, Osborn, Knapp,
Nettleton and many others whose names
come to my mind. The strength of
their intellect and the holiness of their
lives make me think they would not
have anything to do with that which
was ephemcral. Oh, it is easy to talk
against revivals.
A Imam said to Mr.. Dawson: 81 like
your sermons very much, but the after
meetings I despise. When the prayer
meeting begins, always so up into the
gallery and cook down, and I am dis
gusted. - "Well,'' said Mr.. Dawson,
Sg&l, -
your neighbours house and look down
his chimney to examine his fire, and of
course you only get smoke in your eyes.
Why don't you come in the door and
sit down and warm?"
Oh, I am afraid to say anything
against revivals of religion, or against
anything that looks like them, because
I think it may be sin against the Holy
Ghost, and you know the Bible says
that q sin against the Holy Ghost shall
never be forgiven. neither in this world
nor the world to come. Now, if you are
a painter, and I speak against your pic
lures, do [ not speak against you? If
you arc an architect, and I speak against
a building you put up, do l not speak
against you? If revival be the work
of the Holy Ghost, and I speak against
that revival, do | not speak against tho
Holy Ghost. And whatsoever speaketh
against the Holy Ghost, says the BIZ
BILE, he shall never be forgiven, neither
in this world nor i'll the world to come
/ think sometimes people have made q
fatal mistake in this direction.
The beginning of Sin.
Many of you know tho history of
To Of
bri iant racl Of his day, I suppose this
country never produced q stronger in
tellect. He was capable of doing any
thing good and great for his country or
for the church of God had he been right
ly die1osed, but his name is associated
with treason against tho United States
government, which he tried to over
throw, and with libertiDism and public
imm orality.
Do you know where Aaron Burr start
ed on the downward road? It was when
he was il college, and he became anx-
ious about his soul and was about to
put himself under the influences of
revival and minister Of religion said:
Don't go there, Aaron; don t go there;
that's place Of wildfire and great ex-
element; 10 religion about that; don't
go there" lie tarried away. His seri-
GUS impressions departed. He started
on the downward road. And who is re-
sponsible for his ruin? Was it the min
lister who warned him against that re-
vival?
When I an speaking of excitement
i'll revivals, of course I do not mean
temporary arrangement of the nerves. I
do not mean the absurd things of which
we have read as transporting sonnet mes
in the church of Christ, but mean an
intelligent, intense all absorbing agi-
tatiOu of bOdv mind and Soul in the