Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1901-03-25

it is 4 good excitement.
YoGthfcI Christians.
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 NY
observation that the earlier people
come into the kingdom of God the more
useful they are. Robert Hall, the prince
of preachers, was converted at II years
of age. 1t is likely he knew what he
was about. Matthew Henry, the COM
mentator, who did more than any man
of his century for increasing the inter
est 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; DR.. Watts, whose hymns will be
sung all down the ages, was converted
at years of age; Jonathan Edwards,
perhaps the mightieSt intellect that the
American pulpit ever produced, was
converted at years of age, and that
father and mother take an awful re-
sponsibility when they tell their child
at Z years Of age, you are too young
to be a Christian" or, you are toe
young to connect yourself with the
church" That is a mistake as long as
eternity.
If during a 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, l
will have more confidence in the pro-
fession 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 40 years Of impulse
in the wrong direction to correct; the
child has only 10 years in the wrong
direction to correct Four times 10
are 40 Four times the religious pros
Dect for the lad that comes into the
kingdom of God and into the church
at 10 years of age than the man at 40.
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 nevertheless
have not words to express their adj
miration for the revivalists of the past,
for they were revivaIists- Jonathan
Edwards, John Wesley, George White
field, Fletcher. Griffin, Davies, Osborne,
Knapp, NettIetOn, Moody 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 had 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
meeting begins, l always go up in the
gallery and look down, and | am dis
gusted." We'll" said Mr.. Dawson,
''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 the smoke in your
eyes. Why don't you come in the door
and sit down and warm"
Spiritual Rescue.
Oh, l am afraid to say anything
against revivals Of religion or against
anything that looks like them, because
[ think it may be q sin against the HO-
Iy Ghost, and you know the Bible says
that a 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 l speak against your
pictures do | not speak against you?
If you are an architect and l speak
against a building you put up, do not
speak against you? If a revival be the
work of the Holy Ghost and l speak
against that revival, do l not speak
against the Holy Ghost? And whose
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 q fatal mistake in this di-
rection.
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 any
thing good and great for his country
or for the church of God had he been
rightly disposed, but his name is assO-
ciated with treason against the United
States government, which he tried to
overthrow, and with libertinism and
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 influ-
ences of a revival, and minister of re-
ligion said: Don't go there, Aaron;
don't go there. That's place of wild
fire and great excitement. No religion
about that. Don't go there" He tarried
away. His serious impressions depart
ed. He started on the downward road.
And who is responsible for his ruin
for this world and his everlasting ruin
in the world to come? Was it the min
lister who warned him against that re-
vival? When l speak of excitement in
revivals, l do not mean temporary de-
rangemert of the nerves, l do not mean
the absurd things of which we have