tion and use is that of expectation. It is a fact with mankind, that when one uncommon event takes place, they look for others in its train. It may be explained somewhat on the principle of cause and effect. One occurrence by its cause leads to the expectation that the same or similar causes are in operation to produce like effects. Besides, the mind surprised by one thing intuitively prepares itself for surprise in another; and this is expectation. According to our faith, we receive; even if it be only natural instead of religious faith we are likely to obtain and accomplish what we attempt in sincerity and hope. This fact in our nature and history is necessary to our efficiency and happiness. What should we effect if always desponding and wanting in ambition to execute? How heavily would every thing hang upon our hands, how destitute of energy our mental powers, how undeveloped our faculties! Religion is not against our nature, but in consonance with it. The Holy Spirit recognizes and acts in accordance with the laws of mind.

A converted soul cannot hide its light under a bushel. Its conversion becoming known, creates some expectation of other conversions. And some will even begin to expect it of themselves. Conversions increasing, or returning backsliders multiplying, expectation_rises, is soon on the wing, and takes her course not in vain. It is in the philosophy of this expectation that the declaration of Christ has, in part, its basis, when he says: "Whoever therefore shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy Angels." Christ's servants are appointed to be witnesses for him and to confess him before men, that, as one effect, by the principle of expectation others may be led to repentance for their sins and to eternal life.

When it is heard that God is in the midst of a people, how expectation begins to rise and quicken with all who have any interest in or affection for these things. At first, perhaps, some who have no hope begin to flee to their amusements or business for diversion or quiet in sin, but expectation even with such is not asleep and affords conveyance for messages of truth to the soul. Many such often return to the house of God and to the means of grace to be deeply convicted of sin and converted to Christ. It was true with Dr. Nettleton, and has been with others, that on his reaching a village or town to hold a series of meetings, one third or half of the impenitent part of the community would at once be struck with conviction of sin, which, with a large number would deepen and lead to

conversion. And this was only agreeable to the natural law of expectation, since it is becoming that the Holy Spirit should employ this principle of the mind as one instrument in his holy mission to the unregenerate. One reason why some churches and communities are more, and more frequently, blessed with revivals than others, is found in the fact that some expect them more, and hence are led to pray and strive for them more. And here lies one cause of the great difference in respect to the frequency and power of revivals between the Churches of this country and the evangelical churches of Europe. In the early history of New England, ministers and people founded their institutions and many of their chief hopes of permanent and devoted piety in revivals. And the expectation of them has more or less been handed down from one generation to another. In England it has been far different. To a great extent there, churches and ministers have been without the expectation, and equally without the blessing.

These illustrations may suffice as showing the many servants of God, stationed in our very nature, which the wise laborer will endeavor to employ for his master in the salvation of men and which, for the opportunity to use them, highly increase the value of revivals of religion.

And naturally upon this arises the question, shall the pastor of a church at such seasons go single-handed with his lay brethren to the work, or call in other ministers for assistance. The time is most important. Doubtless some souls will now turn to go to God or never be turned. Rapidly is the gospel becoming a savor of life unto life or of death unto death. The minister who knows the importance of this state of things could almost wish to do six days work in one. And in one, may then often be done what long years afterward may fail to accomplish. Often two, if wise and filled with the Spirit, can do more than one. And who shall come to his assistance, if opportunity of choice be given? One who has a people of his own and can tarry but a short time? Or one that can govern his stay by the actual prospect of his usefulness? Who shall come? One whose soul must be divided-half with his own people-half with the other? and help at such a time needs to be with all the soul and strength that any one man ever had. Would not the vote of the General Association of Connecticut many years ago, have been better, if, instead of affirming that they would not employ evangelists in revivals, they had endeavored to correct all abuses and made some discriminations, by the force of opinion, as to men and measures, and there left it:

or had done as ministerial bodies did in the revivals of the las of the preceding and the beginning of the present century, who appointed the fittest men of their own number to go out, two by two, on preaching tours among the neighboring churches. Then some of the present day would not suffer precious victories to glide away from their reach through a lack or a fear to call for efficient help by employing so-called evangelists, and then there might be more evangelists to be called. We are aware that it requires men of much piety and extraordinary powers to fill this office, that some have thrust themselves into it, or been unduly elated by it, and that on these general grounds the Association took their action. But was the remedy appropriate to the disease? And are there not tokens of a reaction from that opposition to this class of laborers, which so generally existed in that day and since, when the Southern Presbyterian and a growing number of New England Ministers alike advocate their appointment and employment? Not that the dependence must be placed upon them, or that they should receive honor belonging to God. This is great wickedness. When ministers or people begin to rely upon the introduction of foreign human help, not upon God, it is high time that they have no help except that he who comes should first of all endeavor to lead them to repentance for the sin of not preparing the way for the coming of the Lord before desiring the coming of man.

But what if it be said, "as soon as the evangelist leaves, the interest ceases?" This is not true when the work is genuine. "Still, is there not always a decline?" No: If the pastor declines, many of the people will; otherwise many will hold on with zeal and faith. Who can show that the human mind admits of a precise evenness and glow of sensibility, even with constant growth in grace? Who knows that the Lord requires it? And would there be no kind of declension, not even in sensibility, if the evangelist remained? Was there never any declension without evangelists? And just as much and as often as with them, where there was the same revived state from which to decline? In that first great revival under Edwards' labors without evangelists, why was there a decline after five months? And is there never spiritual dearth with those who have no evangelists and no revivals? Those churches are most spiritual that enjoy true revivals most frequently. Wherever there is a declension in real piety there should revivals be repeated until Christians learn to abide constantly in Christ.

And at such seasons of religious interest, how often may the gospel be preached? What harm if every day? We have

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never known healthy people that could not bear the hearing of the pure word pretty often. And may not all the garnered wisdom of the past and present be sufficient to restrain from intemperate zeal and all kinds of excess? The six divinely appointed festivals of the Jews, aside from the Sabbath, furnish some authority for the opinion that there is a want in our nature or a ground for the appropriateness of seasons of more frequent convocations than the Sabbath affords. Even our brethren of the Episcopal Church have a protracted meeting every year, often no doubt a spiritual blessing, and which might be made much more so, somewhat differently conducted, with more effectual prayer, expectation, closer preaching, personal effort, and not necessarily always at the time of Lent, but more as the providence and spirit of God might direct.

But those who desire evangelists and protracted meetings that they may complete their religion for the year are never in a revival state until they repent in dust and ashes of this mournful, heart-sickening sin. The Christian who is truly revived means never again to backslide. A true revival presupposes a heart in its subjects never to need another in its limited sense. Therefore every true revival of religion is the highest type of religion we have yet attained in this world. There is nothing that goes beyond it. And every revival, instead of preparing the way for declension does that with none, and the opposite with some. Many a Christian is then put upon a high and upward way of unwonted holiness which he loses not again for eternity.

Discrimination is especially necessary in revivals as to the different states of the sensibilities. No person enjoys spiritual emotion always the same. Like the human body, emotion must be fed; it must eat, it must act, it must rest. And the last is of equal importance with the others; the others will not long be without the last. The Christian heart rejoicing in the return of prodigals as the clouds and as doves to their windows, has a joy, if the blessing were permanently continued, that could not last in its glow. If at any time the blessing is withheld and he is disciplined under other skies, he should know that his peace, like a gentle, placid stream, may continue though his emotions do not kindle and burn as in other days, that his real holiness is to be estimated not by emotion but by the consecrated willing mind. Reproach from opposers, and even doubt from friends, have come to revivals from not recognizing this simple truth. And though Christians should always be filled with the spirit, and ready in heart for any work of the Lord, it need not be expected nor required that they always

maintain a precise evenness in amount of labor or activity, and grasp of faith. To attempt it is a waste of precious strength. It would lead to weariness, dullness, and inefficiency. Christians should and practically may always be in the revived state, so that strictly there should be no more need of the work of revival with them; yet, from this it does not follow that no special, sanctifying, sealing power would at times be given to themselves, nor that the conversion of sinners, though frequent, would always be with the same rate and steadiness of movement; and the churches should not waste their energies to drill themselves to such a state of things. When the work of God is well advanced in any community, the minds of the impenitent are almost universally called to the subject, and they come to a decision for the present; some deciding anew against Christ under the pressure of such divine influence that perhaps that choice will never be changed. Men will not remain under deep conviction of sin very long, so that if society be not changing, there is not opportunity for precise steadiness in the work. Thus it was in primitive times. Three thousand were converted in one day, but not the same number the next. Two thousand at another time, but this was not the rate of additions to the church of such as should be saved.

From this review and discussion of the subject, what shall we conclude? That revivals have had their day, are worn out and must give way to something else? How the lips of the prophets are unsealed and touched with holy fire when they speak of a millenial day on the earth. Isaiah, enraptured by the vision, breaks forth :-"Drop down ye heavens from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness; let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together." It requires pentecostal effusions, such as occurred in primitive days, and in some joyous years and lands since that era, and such as are still more gloriously yet to take place, to fill up the fullness and joy of this language.

No image can better express the nature, influences, and ef fects of a revival of religion, than the picture of Spring, evidently in the prophet's vision. The rains then come and melt away the snows and ice which a long period of cold atmosphere and freezing winds has accumulated. The sun climbs up the zenith and pours down his more direct and warming beams. The earth expels the frosts and cold from her bosom, and opens her furrows to receive the seed. The joint influences and nourishing power of sun, earth, rains, and dews, together with the care and labors of the husbandman of the soil, unite together to nurture and cultivate all the germinating treasures