The Yale expositor., 1894-12-07

1t Is sometimes said that during re-
vivals of religion great multitudes of
children and young people are brought
into the church, and they do not know
what they are about. 1t has been my
observation that the earlier people
come into the kingdom of God the
more useful they are.
Rabert Hall, the prince of Baptist
preachers, was converted at IL years
of age. 1t is supposed he knew what
he was about. Matthew Henry, the
commentator, who did more than any
man Of his century for increasing the
interest in the study of the scriptures,
was converted at IL years of age;
Isabella Graham, immortal in the
Christian church, was converted at 10
years of age; DIR. Watts, whose hymns
will be sung all down the ages, was
converted at o years of age; Jonathan
Edwards, perhaps the mightiest intel
lect that the American pulpit ever
produced, was converted at years of
age; and that father and mother take
an awful responsibility 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 mistake as
long as eternity.
If during revival two persons pre-
sent themselves as candidates for the
church, and the one is ten years of age
and the other is 40 years of age, will
have more confidence in the profession
of religion of the one 10 years of age
than the one 40 years of age. Why?
The one who processes at 40 years of
age has forty years of impulse in the
hong direction to correct, the child
has only ten years in the wrong di-
rection to correct. Four times ten are
forty. Four times the religious pros
pect for the lad that comes into the
kingdom of God, and into the church
at 10 years of age thln the man at A..
l am very apt to look upon revivals
as connected with certain men who
fostered them. People who in this
day do not like revivals, never
theless have not words to
express their admiration for the re-
vivalists of the past, for they were
evivalists--Jonathan Edwards, John
Wesley, George Whitfield, Fletcher.
Griffin, Davies. Osborn, Knapp, Nettle-
ton, 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 ephemeral. Oh! it is easy
TO talk against revivals.
A man said to Mr.. Dawson: Il like
your sermons very much, but the after
meetings l despise. When the prayer
meetings begin always go up into the
gallery and look down, and / am dis
gusted. ''Well," said Mr.. Dawson,
1.-THE reason is you go on the top of
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, be-
cause l think it may be q sin against
the Holy Ghost, and you know the
Bible says that sin against the Holy
Ghost shall never be forgiven, neither
in this world nor the world to come.
Now, if you are n painter, and |
speak against your pictures, do |
not speak against you? If you
are an architect, and l speak against
building you put up, do not speak
against you? If a revival be the work
of the Holy Ghost, and i speak against
that revival, do l not speak against
the Holy Ghost And whatsoever
speaketh against the Holy Ghost, says
the Bible, he shall never be forgiven,
neither in this world nor in the world
TO come. / think sometimes people
have made a fatal mistake in this
direction.
Many of you know the history of
Aaron Burr. He was one of the most
brilliant men of his day. suppose
this country never produced a stronger
intellect. He was capable of doing
anything good and great for his coun-
try, or for the Church Of God had he
been rightly disposed; but his name is
associated with treason against the
United States government which he
tried to overthrow, and with libertin-
ism and public immortality.
Do you know where Aaron Burr
started on the downward road. 1t was
when he was in college, and he became
anxious about his soul. and was about
TO put himself under the influences OF
a revival, and minister of religion
said: Don't go there Aaron, don't 60
! there; that's place of wildfire and
! great excitement; no religion about
that; don't go there" He tarried away
His serious impressions departed. lie
started on the downward road. And
who is responsible for his ruin? Was
it the minister who warned him against
that revival?
When l am speaking of excitement
in revivals, of course / do not mean
temporary arrangement of the nerves.
l do not mean the absurd things OF
which we have read as transpirine
sometime in the church of Christ, bu,
l mean an intelligent, intense, all
absorbing agitation of body, mind and
soul in the work of spiritual escape