Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1901-04-13

chlkuTck shu young pccFtt ~kt utehBht
into the church. and they do not know
what they are about. II has been my
observation that the earlier people
como into the Kingdom OF God the more
useful they are. Robert Hail. the
prince of preachers. was converted at
is years of age. IT Is likely he knew
what he was about. Matthew Henry,
the commentators, who did more than
any man OF his century for increasing
the interest i'm the study of the Scrip
lures. was Converted at Il years OF
age: Isabella Graham, immortal i'm the
Christian church. was converted at ten
years ~ age; DIR. Watts, whose hymns
VIII Le sung all down the ages, was
converted NJ nine wears of Gge. joins
than EDWARDS, pea maps tsle uightiess
intellect that the American pulpit
ever produced, was converted at seven
years Of age, and that father and
mother take an awful responsibility
when they tell their child ut seven
years OF age. "You are too young to
be q Christian" or "You are too young
10 connect yourself with the church"
That is mistake as long as eternity.
II during n revival two persons pre-
sent themselves as candidates for the
church and the one is ten years OF age
and the other is 90 years of age. will
have more confidence in the profession
OF religion Of the one ten years Of age
than the one 80 years Of age. Why2
The one who processes at 80 years OF
age has 40 years OF irapuise in the
wrong direction 10 correct, and the
child has only ten years in the wrong
direction to correct. Four times ten
are 40. Four times the religious pros
pect for the lad that comes into the
kingdom of God and into the church at
ter years 81 age than the man at 20.
I am very apt 10 look upon reviyals
| as connected with certain men who
fostered them. People who in this
day do not like REVEALS nevertheless
| have not words 20 express their admi-
ration for the rcviva!ists Of the past,
| for they were Observation-Disclosures
Edwards. John Wesley. George Whit
! field. Fletcher. Griffin. Davies. Os-
borne. Knapp. Nettlcton. Moody and
| many others whose names come to
NY mind. The strength o. their in
tellcct and tire holiness Of heir lives
make n'e think they would not have
had ANYTHING TO do with that which
| was ephcmcraL Oh. IL IS easy to
talk against rcvivals.
| \ man said 70 Mr.. Dawson: 'T
Ike your sermons very much. but
the after meetings I despise. When
the prayer meeting begins / always
go up into the gallery and look down.
md 7 arr Disguised" "Weu." said
SIR. Dawson. 1.-THE reason is YOU go
on the top Of your neighhor's house
and look down his chimney 70 exam
inc his fire. and Of course YOU get
only smoke in your eyes. Why don =
You come in the door and sit down
and warm?"
Oh. ! am afraid 70 say anything
against REVEALS OF religion or against
anything that looks like them. be
cause / think Il may be sin against
the Holy Ghost. and YOU know tho
! Hibie says that q sin against the HolN
Ghost shall never be forgiven. neither
81 this world nor the world 90 come
Now. it yoa are painter and I sPeal
against your pictures, do / not speal
against vou2 II YOU arc an archi
tect, and I speak against q building
you put up. do ] not speak agains
YOU? III revival be he work OF tn
Holy Ghost. and I speak against tina
revival. do J not speak against th,
Holy Ghost2 And whose speal,etl
against the Holy Ghost. saws th
Bible. Dee shall never be forgiven
neither in this world nor i'm the worh
20 come. think sometimes peopl
have made fatal mistake IA this III
rcctOn.
Now ! come to the real. rcnuin
cause OF objection 10 revivals. Tha
Is the coldness Of the objector II }
the secret and hidden but unmistal
able cause in every case, low stat
or religion IN the heart Wide avvalS,
consecrated, useful Christians ar
never afraid of rcvivalS. 1t is III
! spiritually dead who are afraid Z
b having their sepulchcr molested. TIL
E chief agents Of the devil during
E great awakening are always uncol
p verted professors Of religion AS 500
rs Christ's work begins they begi
20 gossip against IL and take a pa
y OF water and try 10 put out th
. spark OF religious influence, and the
e ! Try TO put out enother spark. i
= they succeed? As well when ChicaQ
q was on fire might some one haV
! gone out with a garden water p'
trying TO cxtinguish ~. The difficult
p j. that when a revival begins in
- church it begins at so many poin
= that while You have doused one an
y iou< soul with q pail of cold wat,
y there are 500 other anxious souls {
D. Ere. Oh. how mach better il won