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THE

PRINCETON REVIEW.

JANUARY 1842.

No. I.

ART. I.-Revivals: or the Appropriate Means of Promoting True Religion. A Sermon preached in the South Congregational Church in Bridgeport, Conn., on the Lord's day morning, June 20, 1841. By John Woodbridge, D.D. Published by request.

WHATEVER diversity of sentiment may prevail in regard to the subject handled in this discourse, there can be but one opinion respecting its vast importance. All who believe in the reality of true religion must be agreed, that it is of the highest moment to understand what are the true and legitimate means of reviving its power and furthering its progress. The views advanced by Dr. Woodbridge in this discourse are judicious, scriptural and timely. Although it was not prepared for the press, the fact that a congregation not his own, on hearing it, requested its publication, because they thought it adapted to subserve the cause of Christ, is an encouraging symptom of a good state of opinion in Christian communities.

Dr. Woodbridge shows first what are not, and secondly what are "the appropriate means of promoting true religion." Among the first class he places "a bitter and censorious spirit in opposing wickedness; a neglect or superficial notice of the distinguishing doctrines of the gospel; en

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couraging innovations in the form of sound words, or the introduction of doctrines unknown to men of former generations; the introduction of a new philosophy into religion, or connecting an old erroneous theory of the divine government and human liberty with Christian doctrines; joining with those who would merge all denominational differences in the general name of Christian; giving special countenance to those who are accounted peculiarly revival preachers, whose business it is not to labour as missionaries in waste places, or among the heathen; nor to take the pastoral oversight of churches at home, but to aid settled ministers in preaching, visiting and other means of awakening and saving their people; the introduction of new measures not inculcated in the scriptures; encouraging young converts to great forwardness in religious meetings, and in public efforts to alarm the careless; projects of reform calculated to divide rather than unite those who sincerely love the truth as it is in Jesus, and which imply no change in the principles and morals of those with whom we are immediately associated."

These points are enforced by our author by cogent arguments. Whenever it is requisite he interposes sufficient guards and qualifications,to avoid those rash and indiscriminate assertions which would expose him to the assaults of antagonists. Among the appropriate means of promoting religion he mentions "the faithful and frequent preaching of the gospel; the faithful instruction and government of families; the maintenance of kindred faithful discipline in the church; a knowledge of the truth, and unflinching zeal in its defence and propagation; corresponding spiritual affections, as ardent love to God, penitence, humility, faith in the Redeemer, and disinterested, active benevolence towards men; earnest attention to the duties of the closet; a suitable religious demeanor and conversation in the family; a strict attendance on the public ordinances of religion, and frequent meetings for exhortation and prayer; abstinence from every known sin, and the performance of every known duty; a consistent example; lastly, direct personal efforts by the devotement of time and property, by counsel, warning, and entreaty, to promote the conversion and salvation of men."

We presume that these views will meet the concurrence of the great mass of intelligent and spiritual Christians. And the more numerous the experiments made in the way

of attempting to promote religion by the unsound and unscriptural methods reprobated in this discourse, the more unsatisfactory are the results in the judgment of the pious and discerning.

Having presented this brief outline of the sermon under consideration, without further canvassing its merits, we shall avail ourselves of the opportunity afforded by it, to exhibit our own views on some of the topics of which it treats. We propose to inquire particularly into the fitness. and validity of those means which have been most largely plied to produce a considerable proportion of the religious excitements in this country, for the last fifteen years, till in many quarters they have become identified with the very idea of a revival, and whoever discards them is judged destitute of a proper zeal for the salvation of souls.

The only common and distinctive attribute by which all classes have agreed to characterize these means, is novelty. They have been known over the land, assailed by foes and vindicated by friends, under the name of New School, New Divinity, New Measures. It is well known that under the vigourous appliance of these means, sometimes the new doctrines, sometimes the new measures, but more commonly both in conjunction, inasmuch as the latter are the legitimate offspring of the former, numerous extensive religious excitements have occurred, which have resulted in large accessions of members to the visible church. They have been set out and emblazoned in high-sounding reports, often streaked with some tints of the marvellous, and thus arrayed, have been trumpeted abroad on the wings of the wind.

It should be understood, however, that these means are not new in the most absolute sense. Those who introduced them among us, are not entitled to the credit of originating them. As to the substance of them, they had long been in use among other sects, and were the habitual and familiar weapons of their warfare. In the use of them they gloried, and on them they founded their claims to popular favour, as against Calvinistic churches, whose doctrines and usages they delighted to hold up in horrid caricature, and in awful contrast to their own more liberal and encouraging views. The novelty in the case is their introduction to Calvinistic communions, by men professedly attached to Calvinistic doctrine and that type of religious experience which results from it. But although whatever is peculiar to the authors and abettors of new divinity and new mea

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