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SPECIAL EFFORTS 
 
 1^ 
 
 7 
 
 FOR THE SOULS OP MEN, 
 
 JUSTIFIED, 
 
 AND ODSERVRRS OF SU(JII EFFORTS, ADMO sISIlRD, 
 
 IN A DISCOURSE 
 
 DELIVERED IN ST. ANNE STREET CHAPEL, 
 
 QUEBEO, 
 
 BY W. M. HARVARD, 
 
 Wcsleyan Methodiat Ministfr. 
 
 V^ 
 
 (^iihli'.shcTi at tl)p vc()uc*'f of U)r ClXunvtfvli' ftfleetfiifl ) 
 
 " I am made all things unto all men, that I might by all means save some."—! Cor. ix. '22, 
 "Anil it should rejoice ibc hearts of all who desire the kir.gdom of God should come, that so many 
 have been snat'-'icd already from the mouth oC the lion, liy an uncommon., thongii mt unlawlu! 
 way."— 7'/'f" Rt'i'. ,, 'Vrsleii\ Appeal, in thr year Y1V>, lo Men nf Hcnson and lliirrroii- 
 
 • iUKHKC : 
 
 TRINTEn ANIl snin by WUIIAM NKir.SON, CJA/KTTK OIKIOF; AND IIAV UTI HAD Of TIIF 
 
 WESI.EYAN MJNISTFUS, OR TimOI'GH ANY nOOK St I I.I' U, IN VVrW. ANn TOWER 
 
 f'AN^nA ; rilICK, ONH QirARTEH OF A DOLLAR. 
 
ADVEll TISEMENT. 
 
 The (luthor considers it Just to observe that not a line of the 
 ensuing discourse was written^ nor even the tooct decided, until the 
 day on which it was delivered ; when only hut a part of it was 
 thus embodied, and that wHhow' any design of publication. 
 
 Personal ajfliciion and domestic bereavement, have since con- 
 curred to unfit him for the severer and more anxious duty of pre,' 
 paring so hasty a composition for a public perusal : ivhich his 
 too-favourably -judging friends, will admit as a sufficient excuse, 
 for the delay of its appearance. 
 
 With their request that it might be printed for general circula- 
 tion, he did not hesitate to comply, because he hcli&ved it to contain 
 " the truth as it is in Jesus :" and in this " manifestation of the 
 truth" he would earnestly and with real I'espect, commend himself 
 " to every man's conscience in the sight of God." 
 
 Wcslcynn Mission-Housr, 
 
 (.iUKBKC, 
 
 Lower Canada. 
 
! 
 
 A DISCOURSE, &c 
 
 ACTS XIII. 40, 41. 
 
 " BeiDare, therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of 
 in the Prophets : — * Behold ye despisers, and wonder^ and 
 perish ; for I work a work in your days ; a work which ye 
 shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you :* " 
 
 In the year 1814, one of the first Wesleyan Methodist Mis- 
 sionaries to the East Indies, resided for some months at the 
 Presidency of Bombay ; where he opened his dwelling-house, 
 for the public worship of Almighty God ; and where there was 
 often an, encouraging attendance of persons, acquainted with the 
 English language, who, listened, with grateful interest, to "the 
 word of truth" 
 
 On one of these occasions, a Major J , had mingled with 
 
 the small congregation ; and, being favorably impressed by what 
 he had heard, remained after the service, for the purpose of giv- 
 ing utterance to his friendly sentiments of good-will. Extending 
 his hand to the preacher, and courteously referring to the ser- 
 mon, he expressed his sincere regret to see him engaged in so 
 hopeless an undertaking, as that of endeavouring to promote the 
 conversion of the idolatrous Hindoos to the Christian Faith : 
 adding ; « I have lived among these people for many years, and 
 know their various superstitions well : and such is their inveterate 
 attachment to them ; and especially to the distinctions of Caste 5 
 that I verily believe you will never be able to convert a single 
 one of them." 
 
 Thanking the Major for his kind expressions, the Missionary 
 begged to assure him, that his associates and himself were fully 
 aware of the difficulties to which lie had referred ; and which, 
 confessedly, str.od jn fhe way of their arduou,^ work : but they 
 
m^mi 
 
 4 SPKCIAL EH'onrs 
 
 did not forget, that the Holy Apostles and first propagators of the 
 Gospel, had to contend with obstacles of no lees magnitude, than 
 tiioso which still remained : yet, by the diversified aids of the 
 Holy Ghost, they had been enabled most triumphantly and ex- 
 tensivelyvto surmount them : and that his small Missionary party 
 did not doubt, in humbly endeavouring to^ promote the same 
 great object, and in the same Scriptural way, that they should be 
 favoured with a similarity of success. 
 
 Such an idea, was as novel to the mind of the respected officer, 
 as it appeared to be gratifying to his feelings ; and, with a cheer- 
 ful satisfaction beaming in his generous countenance, he replied, 
 " O, I beg your pardon : I was not aware that you depended 
 for success, upon any supernatural assistance ! If that be the 
 case, I do not think you have any reason to despair ; and I 
 heartily wish you all the success, you can desire for yourself." 
 
 On this point, the case of the military gentleman, is but too 
 nearly resembling that of very many other professing Christians. 
 They truly reverence the Religion of Christ. They attend 
 its ordinances : they esteem its ministers : they rejoice in its ac- 
 complishments : they are heartily willing to promote its interests ; 
 and sincerely desire its universal extension throughout the world. 
 But they lose sight of the essential divinity of its character : and 
 that " the right hand of the Lord" is in all its devout adminis- 
 trations. They have not the least idea, that, in its promotion, 
 the agencies of the Gospel are favoured with any advantages, but 
 those which are purely natural ; and would, perhaps, suspect, as 
 infected with delusion, any of them who would hope for superna- 
 tural aid. They behold and admire, its peculiar trophies 
 through the magnificent work of conversion ; but in that work 
 itself, they recognise only the visible and human agency, which 
 may be employed : they think and speak of its natural adaptness 
 and efficiency, as the sole cause of the efi'ect ; not being aware, 
 that in every instance of real conversion to God, there is in ope- 
 ration, also, an invisible and Divine agency ; which is, in truth, 
 the real reason of the success, of the instrumentality ; and to 
 which alone all the praise and the glory of that success, belongs, 
 both now and ever. Amen. 
 
 t 
 
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 \ 
 
 J 
 
 i 
 
FOR THE SOULS OF MEN. 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
 i 
 
 6 
 
 To carry our thoughts back to the immediate Apostles of 
 Christ ; of them it is said : " And they went forth and preached 
 every where^ the Lord working tvith them^ and conjirminy the 
 word with signs following* .** These « signs,'' were, as the word 
 indicates, significations of a Divine co-opEnATiONi, in the 
 accomplishment of their great object, the conversion of the 
 world. The fact of " their word" being ^* followed,'' with sucii 
 signs, variously and mightily forwarded their evangelical mission. 
 These " sigris," were supernatural. They were effects produced 
 out of the ordinary course of nature ; or they could not have 
 demonstrated any supernatural sanction of the Gospel. They 
 were termed " miracles" or wonders. And they were intended, 
 of God, so to excite the astonishment of men, as to secure 
 their attention to the Gospel, and invite their investigation of its 
 facts ; and thus, by the gracious influence, also vouchsafed to the 
 truly sincere, to conduce to their reception of it, and salvation 
 by itf. Surely, nothing could be more rationally adapted, to 
 recover an intelligent creature to God, than to behold, in eflBcient 
 operation, a moral instrumentality, the agents of which were so 
 sustained by a supernatural sanction, as to render it UNDE- 
 NIABLE, that " THE Lord" was " working with them," 
 in saving men from their sins! In this ample provision for the 
 world's faith, we see the world's Gospel accountability. Nor 
 can we reasonably wonder, that the punishment of the unbe- 
 liever's contumacy, should be, an eternal abandonment to a per- 
 dition previously merited, and at length awfully aggravated, to 
 a degree we are unable adequately to estimate^. 
 
 My brethren. It argues at least a criminal inadvertency, to 
 suppose that " the glorious Gospel of the Blessed God,'' has, at 
 length, been deprived of all its "signs" of a Divine co-operation; 
 and that these were merely confined to the primitive ages of the 
 Christian Church. This assertion has been made : but it would 
 be greatly to the dishonour of any individual, who deems himself 
 a competent person, to make such an assertion. We admit that, 
 in this respect, a ^^ difference of administration," has taken place. 
 
 * Mark, xvi. 20, t Hebrews, ii. 4. t Mark, xvi. 16 i Ezek. xyiii. 4 ; John, iii 18, 19. 
 
M 
 
 6 
 
 SPECIAL EFFOUTS 
 
 liut « the same Spirit still abides, with His Church ; and lias 
 ;^iaciously promised never to leave or forsake her*. 
 
 The «5e^w*," which the first Apostles possessed, of "Me Lord 
 working luith them," were of two kin<ls ; physical and moral ; 
 the former con.usted, partly, of miracles on the bodies of men; 
 the latter, of wonders performed on their souls. By some per- 
 sons, these are entirely overlooked. IJoth were of equal worth, 
 in point of fact, as to their proof of a Divine co-operation ; but, 
 in point of degree, the latter description of " sigjis," was far 
 more miraculously wonderful, and of far more interesting and 
 momentous a character, than the former—as far as the worth of 
 the soul exceeds that of the body, or the things of eternitv, 
 those of time. And herein is to be found, " the difference of ad- 
 ministration:' The physical " signs folloivinff," the preaching 
 of the first Apostles, have in great measure, ceased; but the 
 same moral miracles, remain unto this day, and will never cease 
 to remain, until " the end of the worldf." 
 
 The conversion of a sinner to God, is an effect produced, as 
 completely out of the common course of moral causes and effects, 
 as the raising of the dead to life, would be, in the physical world. 
 Were it possible to collect, into one point, all the efficiency of 
 the whole universe of morals— all the entire machinery of moral 
 suasion — and to bring this mighty and concentrated essence, to 
 bear on the regeneration of one, even the least offending, of all 
 the children of Adam ; unless a Divine and supernatural agency, 
 were to render it efficient ; it would avail no more to his conver- 
 sion to God, than the wing of a sparrow. The Almighty Creator 
 must work, to the production of a new creation. And " in 
 Christ Jesus, neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncir- 
 cumcision, but a new creature ;" literally, «' a new creationX" 
 Every converted person, therefore ; every real Christian ; is, in 
 the sense of the word, for which we here contend, a real mira- 
 cle ; an undeniable evidence, that there is still a Divine co-ope- 
 ration, with those who are instrumental in the conversion of 
 
 John, xiy. 16, 17 ; Car. xii. 3 to 6. f 1 Thes. 1, 5 ; Mafth. xxviii. 20. 
 
 t Galat. vi. 15. 
 
FOR THE SOULS OF MEt^T. J 
 
 sinners: "Me Lord working with them still, and confirming the 
 word, with signs foUoiving." 
 
 Our text primarily refers to a divine ** work" of threatened 
 judgment, on those who should despise this previous work of hin 
 proffered mercy. Hy directing his hearers to the one, St. Paul 
 bespoke their becoming attention to the other. The expressive- 
 ness of the phraseology will be our apology for its present applica- 
 tion. The latter as well as the former is a irurk which multitudes 
 in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto them. Yet every 
 case of conversion, by the means of the Gospel, speaks in the 
 voice of God, and specially to those who still remain unconvert- 
 ed : " I work a work in your days." «/ au. working among 
 you." " / ayn come down to help you—to save you !" And a dis- 
 regard of " the Church," when sinners are converted by her 
 agency, is like an insult offered to a royal palace, in which the 
 Sovereign is actually administering the affairs of the empire.— 
 " GOD is in the midst of her !"~Psal. xlvi. 5. 
 
 It cannot be sufficiently lamented, that men so generally lose 
 sight of the presence of God, with His holy Gospel, when they 
 hear it preached ; since, by that means, they are the more easily 
 beguiled to disregard it, and to despise it. Hence, while to some 
 it has become '" the savour of life unto life ;" yet to others, 
 (alas, how many !) it is "the savour of death unto death!"— To 
 prevent this tremendous result, was the compassionate design of 
 St. Paul, in these words. They form part of the application of 
 one of his powerful sermons, in the Jewish synagogue, at Antioch. 
 After having given to his gainsaying hearers a luminous outline 
 of evangelical truth, and a direct offer of God's pardoning mercy, 
 on their truly repenting, and unfeignedly believing in the Name 
 of Christ ; he then addresses to them, this solemn and affec- 
 tionate warning: « Beware, therefore, lest that come upon you, 
 which is spoken of in the prophets: « Behold ye despisers, and 
 tvonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days ; a work ye 
 shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.' " 
 
 We have chosen this scripture. Respected Friends, as the 
 ground-work of the present discourse, understanding that some 
 
m 
 
 ® SPECIAL EFFORTS 
 
 have expressed dissatisfaction with the special services, recently 
 adopted, with the view of promoting a religious revival amon^r 
 «J8. We think it due to every emulid an.l inquiring individual, 
 to hirnish the materials of our justification for having so <lone. 
 But since God has been pleased to encourage these proceedings 
 hy rendering them the humble but hor.ored means of great 
 spiritual benefit to many; we would affectionately urge on you, 
 also; and, in relation to those services; the solemn Admonition! 
 which our text contains. 
 
 Your attention is earnestly solicited to the foil 
 
 lars : — 
 
 owing par tic u- 
 
 I.— The Conversion of Sinners to God; a Work ac- 
 complished IN Connection with a Divine Agency, only. 
 
 II.— The occasional Use of Special Efforts, in P 
 moting the Conversion of Sinners to God. 
 
 RO- 
 
 III — The Apostolical Admonition, of our Text, in 
 RELATION to THAT DiviNE WoRK : « Iktvare, there/ore}' ^r. 
 
 I.—The Conversion of Sinners to God; a Work 
 accomplished in connection with A Divine Agency, 
 only — " / work a work in your days.'' 
 
 Your dictionaries will define the word Conversion; to be, 
 '' change from one state to another— from one Religion to ano- 
 ther." On which we simply remark, that it is perfectly possible 
 for a person to be changed, even from a bad state to a better— 
 from a religion that is false, to the only one that is true ; yet, 
 after all, not to be " converted to God." And for the informa- 
 tion of such as may desire to know the views of our own Section 
 of the Church, on that important subject, we observe, that the 
 terms, convert, conversion, and the like ; being Scriptural expres- 
 sions ; by them, we understand the Holy Ghost to signify 
 a change of heart ; from the love of sin, to the love of ho- 
 liness; from the service of Satan, to the service of God. So, in 
 Acts xxvi. 17, 18; St. Paul, who was sent as the messenger of 
 mercy to the Gentiles, to become the instrument of their conver- 
 
 > I 
 
^ 
 
 I 
 
 t I 
 
 VOH THE SOfLS OV MtN. 
 
 9 
 
 sion ; was thus instructed in the nature of the work, which ho 
 was commissioned, by God's grace, to accomplish ; «« to open 
 their eyes, and to /',m them from darkness to light, and from the 
 power of Satan unto God" 
 
 C0NVER.J10N commences with a true and heartfelt conviction, 
 on the part of an individual, that he has offended against the 
 holy laws of God— that he is a sinner, « by nature" and by prac- 
 tice—and that he is, every moment, in danger of going down to 
 " the bottomless pit" of everlasting perdition ! In some per- 
 sons, this conviction produces the most distressing alarm and 
 agitation of soul ; but, invariably, and in all persons, it is attend- 
 ed by the sincerest grief and sorrow of lieart, on account of sins 
 against so gracious a God ; " the remembrance of which is griev- 
 ous, and the burden, oftentimes, intolerable." This is also accom- 
 panied by the most genuine renunciation and loathing of sin and 
 of self— a turning from every evil way ; « stedfastly purposing," 
 by Divine grace, « to lead a new life ;"--and a returning to God, 
 through Christ, with lamentations and supplications, for His 
 pardoning mercy. This is called, " Repentance toivards God." 
 /fc?5xx.2l. 2a>r. VII. 10. ZwAe xiii. 3. 
 
 The progress of Conversion, becomes completed in the heart, 
 through the grateful and humble trust, which a penitent sinner 
 is led, by the Holy Ghost, devoutly and confidently to exercise, 
 in the sin -atoning passion and death of the Eternal Son of God ! 
 This is followed by the regenerating exprience of the Divine fa- 
 vour and love. The sacrificial blood of the Redeemer ; « as of a 
 lamb, tvithout spot and blemish ;" was the ample reparation which 
 He compassionately " offered up," in behalf of a ruined and rebel- 
 lious world, to the violated Law and Government of Heaven ! 
 " The precious blood of Christ," was the all-availing ransom-price 
 of our pardon and " eternal salvation" The agonizing and in- 
 finite cost, at which his dying love procured for us, that inestima- 
 ble blessing ; places it within our reach, on terras so amazingly 
 easy, as almost to exceed om poivcr of believing : especially when 
 we deeply feel the awful demerit of our manifold sins. Hence, 
 the special help oUliQ Holy Spirit, is necessary, to this special 
 
10 
 
 SPKCIAL fiFtOHTS 
 
 act of juiitifying faith. As our own Wesley, has taught us to 
 sing '.—{Hymn 2G.) 
 
 " Wliat arc our vorks, but sin and death, 
 I'ill thou thy quickening Spirit breathe !— 
 Thou givest the power Tliy grace to move :— 
 0,M'o«£/rMfs grace ! , boundless love !" 
 
 " Faith i?iour Lord Jesus Christ;^ is absolutely indispensable, 
 on the part of a contrite sinner, in order to his Conversion. 
 There can be no middle state, between the condition of a con- 
 demned, and that of a pardoned, sinner. « He that helieveth not, 
 the wrath of God ahideth on him:' While his day of grace con- 
 tinues, « the Lord waiteth, that he may be gracious:' But the 
 deluy of believing— occasions the delay of the pardon ! The one 
 is instantaneovsly consequent upon the other. When the sinner 
 comes to God's terms, not a moment elapses, before His mercy 
 comes to the sinner's heart* We undertake to maintain, that in 
 no case, did there ever occur, nor can there, by any possibility 
 occur, even the smallest conceivable delay, on God's part. « Let 
 God be true, and every man a liar,'' who v^ould so far attempt to 
 impugn the Divine veracity, as to assert the contrary of this. 
 
 In the words immediately nreceding those of our text, we 
 have the following inspired summary of the Gospel message, 
 from God to man : « Through this man, (Jesus,) is preached 
 unto you the forgiveness of sins ; and by Him all that believe, are 
 freely jr stifled," and accepted of God, for His sake ! Hear, also, 
 the word of God, by Jeremiah the prophet ; Chap, xxix. 13; 
 ''And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye search for me, with 
 all your heart:' His gracious assurance by the prophet Isaiah, is 
 no less to the same i)oint ; Chap. lxv. 24 ; ^' And it shall come 
 to pass thatj^ETORE (hey call, I will answer, and while they are 
 yet speaking, I will hear." Punctuality in performance, is the 
 very soul of » promise. The promise of God, is firmer than the 
 pillars of heaven. 2 Cor. i. 20. As soon as, by the help of the 
 Holy Spirit, the contrite sinner, becomes a Christian believer— 
 the moment he is first brou^ ht to rest down Irs « weary and 
 heavy-laden'^ sp?: it, in h.i m-f of jusfifyinir tkust, on the atoning 
 
 » ' 
 
I'OR THi; SOULS OF MEN. 
 
 n 
 
 » ' 
 
 i' 
 
 virtue of the blood, which was shed on Calvary's Cross !~that very, 
 very moment, commences his covenant-relation to his reconciled 
 Father : then, is he pardoned and regenerated, and adopted into 
 the family of Heaven ; or, in other words, is " Converted to 
 God'^r 
 
 Conversion, is known, in the inmost scil of the converted 
 person, by a Divine attestation to the momentous work, which 
 has been so Divinely effected. So, St. Paul, Rom. viii. 16. 
 " The Spirit itself bear eth witness with our spirits, thai we are 
 the children of God." And again, in Galatians, Chap. iv. 6 ; 
 " Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son, 
 into your hearts, crying, < Abba ! Father !' " And, once more ; 
 " Noiu we hai e received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit 
 which is of God; that we might hnow the things that are freely 
 given us of God." 1 Cor. ii. 12. As the sovereign and beneficent 
 orb of aay, at once, removes the gloom of night, and proclaims 
 his own accomplished ascendancy, by pouring forth into our atmos- 
 phere, his vivifying influences; so doth « the Sun of Righteous- 
 ness arise, with healing in His wings\ ;" and Converted per- 
 sons, are enabled most joyfully to testify : « And hope maketh 
 not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, 
 by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us" Rom. v. 5:}:. Con- 
 version, is characterized by peace with God— access of soul to 
 His throne of grace— love to Him— delight in Him— an ability 
 to serve Him—a desire to resemble Him ; and a firm and fixed 
 resolution and purpose to profess His holy Name, among men, 
 and, by His grace, to live and die in His sei vice. 
 
 It is the obvious duty of every person, to use all the means of 
 grace, in furtherance of his own Conversion to God ; just as a 
 sick person, would pursue tne means, prescribed for his recovery 
 from physical disease ; and with a similar regard to requisite 
 
 *" His ofTering pure wc call to mind, 
 There, on the goklen iiltar, laid, 
 Whoso Godhead with the juanhood joined, 
 
 Vox every sronl ufonement uiade ; 
 And have whatexn- we ask of God, 
 '.Vliroitgh faith in that all-^iaving bloorl !"'— W 
 
 \ Malachi iv, > 
 
 rsj,KY*s HvM>'«!. (575 ) 
 
 \ Appriidix, K<' 1 
 
12 
 
 SPECIAL EFF0RT.1 
 
 precautions. In both respects, the means are ours, the blessing 
 is alone from God. In the one case, as in the other, the result 
 of the final failure of means, must unavoidably, be most fatal I 
 While the death of the body, is produced, by its separation from 
 the soul ; that of the soul, consists in its eternal separation from 
 God! 3 Thess.i. 7, to 10. The just penalty of the culpable 
 neglect of a Divine Conversion ! To avoid this "dreadful end;" 
 a sinner should earnestly agonise in prayer to God ; that he would 
 so pity him, for the sake of Christy as to " endue him with the 
 grace of His Holy Spirit;" whereby the appointed means, may 
 become effectual to his Conversion and salvation. Haggai i. 5 ; 
 Joel II. 13 ; Luke xiii. 23, to 30 ; Matth, vii. 7 ; Luke xi. 9, 
 to 13; Eph. II. 18. 
 
 Conversion, is followed, by " holiness and righteousness" of 
 conduct and spirit. It is the point from whence an individual be- 
 gins " to serve God acceptably, with reverence, and godly fear" 
 That memorable transaction of his life, puts him in possession 
 of the master-principle of all evangelical obedience ; which is, 
 Love to God ! From that moment, he may truly be said to be 
 " a new creature" — 2 Cor. v. 17— to be " born of God." John 
 I. 12, 13. And, without this, an individual " cannot see the 
 kingdom of God," John iii. 3. 
 
 Such a change, is Divine ! It were to betray the most 
 complete ignorance of the moral state, " by nature" of every 
 child of Adam^ f Eph. ii. 3.)— it were to deny the whole tenor 
 of the Word of God — it were blasphemous— to maintain, that 
 such a Conversion, could be accomplished, without the imme- 
 diate operation of the Holy Ghost. Whatever may be the visible 
 instrumentality employed in its production ; it is an effect com- 
 pletely out of the ordinary course of nature : and hence, strictly 
 and properly, a " sign" or evidence, of a Divine and supernatu- 
 ral agency ; which ought never to be denied, as it never can 
 be disproved. Of course, the decision of an inspired apostle, 
 will be deemed sufficiency conclusive. Speaking of himself, 
 and all other Converted persons, St. Paul's declaration, 
 is, " We are His workmanship^ created in Christ Jesus, unto 
 good ivorks, which God hath before ordained, (or commanded,) 
 
 m^^ 
 
 t ^ 
 
 i 
 
von THE SOULS OF MEN. 
 
 18 
 
 mi^ 
 
 t ^ 
 
 that we should walk in them" Eph. ii. 10. When, therefore, 
 sinners are Converted to God ; then and there, to adopt the 
 phraseology of our text, God is performing His « Work," of 
 Divine grace and mercy : " / work a work in your days ;" 
 which was the first point to be considered. 
 
 The aggregate of Converted persons ; of all names and na- 
 tions ; living upon earth, at the same time ; forms the spiritual 
 and " Holy Catholic Church," of our adorable Redeemer ; the 
 mystical body, of which Christ alone is the Divine, life-giving, 
 and supremely-governing head. To that Church, in its various 
 sectional divisions. He has committed the visible agency, neces- 
 sary, and sufficient, and " mighty, through God," for the con- 
 version of the whole world. (Mark xvi. 15. 2 Cor, x. 4.) 
 The Divine ordinances, of— the Sabbath-Day — Prayer— the 
 Preaching and Reading of the Word of God— the Due Adminis- 
 tration of the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper and 
 
 the Faithful and Salutary Exercise of Ecclesiastical Dis- 
 cipline—have been the means, by Him appointed, for the 
 Conversion of sinners ; as well as for their preservation and 
 
 maturity in the holy character, thus conferred upon them. 
 
 These ordinan<5es, our Divine Lord has promised to bless with 
 His own supernatural operation and superintendency, to those 
 ends. (Matth. xxviii. 19, 20*.) And it cannot but be matter of 
 most heartfelt gladness and thanksgiving, to behold the regular 
 and periodical observance of those ordinances, attended by fre- 
 quent instances* of individual conversion to God. Yet are spe- 
 cial efforts, as we humbly conceive ; (at all events, the occasional 
 adoption of such efforts ;) with a view to the more ample and 
 sufficient promotion of that end ; fully to be justified. And to 
 such justification, we now proceed ; while considering, as was 
 proposed : 
 
 f 
 
 * Archbishop Williams, once said to a friand of his : " I have passed through 
 many places of honour and trust, both in church and state ; more than any of my 
 order, in England, these seventy years back. Yet, were I but assured, that, by my 
 preaching, I had but converted one soul to God, I should take therein, more spiritual 
 joy and comfort, than m all the honours and offices, wliich have been be«tovved upoa 
 me \"—Cobourg " Church^' April 20, 1839. 
 
14 
 
 SPECIAL EJFFOIITS 
 
 II. The occasional Use of Special Efforts, to Ad- 
 vance THE Work op God, in the Conversion of Sinners, 
 
 We particularly wish to be understood, that it is not our aim 
 to apologize for efforts or expedients which go, either wholly or 
 partially, to set aside any of the instituted ordinances of God. 
 And, specially, would we bear our testimony, against underva- 
 luing that great and gracious institution of Heaven, the faithful, 
 intelligible, and fervent, public preaching of the Holy Gospel. 
 This is the divinely-intended, and well adapted, means of bring- 
 ing men to God*. This was the invincible weapon, with which 
 the First Apostles, assailed, so successfully, the kingdom of 
 darknessf . Nor would we, for a single moment, forget, that, in 
 this holy war, we must, as for others, so also for ourselves, perse- 
 veringly continue to make a manful and plentiful use, of " the 
 sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of Goof." 
 
 Any thing attempted to be substituted for men's conversion, 
 as preferable, or even not immediately, contributory, to the 
 preaching of the Gospel, and connected with it, should be regard- 
 ed by us, as an insufferii])le oiFence against the Divine Head of 
 the Church ! It would be an act of insubordination to " the 
 Captain of our salvation,'' which would justly produce his displea- 
 sure against us, and his disownment of us ! Under such circum- 
 stances ; to the world, it would be an act of mercy, as to ourselves, 
 of righteous retribution ; were he to refuse; as he mostsurely would 
 refuse ; to " go forth with onr armies'' Crowds, we might pos- 
 sibly collect, by other expedients ; but con#rsions to God, 
 through our means, would not be seen to "follow," And the 
 worldlinessand ungodliness of our adherents; would demonstrate 
 our having no Divine sanction, in our unscriptural enterprise. 
 Our accumulations of the morally dead, would but throv/ around 
 our most solemn services, a worse than sepulchral coldness ; and 
 our misnamed religious sanctuaries, would awfully resemble " the 
 valley of vision," which was "fullofoones ;" and of which, as no 
 spirit from God, had entered into them, it is instructively record- 
 
 + 
 
 * Cor. I. 17, 21. Rom j. ID to 17. t 2 i'or. x. 4, 5. ,ict$ u. \ Ephe.9. vi. 17, 
 
FOR THE SOULS OF MEN. 
 
 Id 
 
 + 
 
 ed, " and lo, they oere very dry*.^' — " So let all thine enemies^ 
 perish^ O Lord ! But let them that love Himf, be as the sun, when 
 he goeth forth in his mightX. 
 
 But, while wp plead not for any new moral remedies, for the 
 world; we have a justification to offer, at least, in behalf of an 
 occasional, and unforbidden variation, from the ordinary method 
 of placinj!^ the remedy Divine, before the sin-diseased children of 
 men. There is an infirmity of our nature, which is capable of 
 being favourably affected by variety : and, in so far as is consis. 
 tent with a good conscience, we would fain, under the Divine 
 sanction, have that natural infirmity over-ruled, to our restora- 
 tion from moral depravity. Our apology, however, is to be un- 
 derstood, as only justifying special efforts, in endeavouring to 
 bring to bear, " the Word of God, and Prayer^'' on the conver- 
 sion of sinners, and on the advancement of " Scriptural holiness 
 in the earth." 
 
 Such were the nature, and such the objects, of the religious 
 services, now more immediately in question ; and of which the 
 followinor is a brief and candid account. The members of the 
 Wesleyan Society, in this place, desiring a greater measure of 
 success, in the conversion of souls ; and, withal, their own en- 
 creased devotedness to God ; resolved, to those ends ; and in 
 humble dependence on the Divine blessing ; so to arrange their 
 secular engagements, as that they might have the Word of God 
 preached to them, forenoon, afternoon, and evening, for four 
 days in succession; the last of the four, being the Lord's Day. 
 The meetings for hearing the Divine Word, were preceded each 
 day, by a meeting for prayer, at six o'Clock in the morning ; 
 and followed by a prayer-meeting, after each evening sermon. 
 The first of the appointed days, was observed, by many of the 
 Society, and some of the devout in the Congregation, as a day of 
 special fasting, in connection with earnest and importunate 
 prayer, that God w^, 'd be pleased to render the intended ser- 
 vices efficacious " to salvation^^ And it was soon found, that 
 
 ' 1 
 
 * Ezekiel xxxvii. 1, to 14. f John xiv. 15 ; Mark xvi. 15, 16 ; Lxike xxiv. 44, 
 to 47 ; 2 Cor. iv, 2, to 7. X Juds^es v. 31. § Mntt. xvu. 19, to 21. 
 
16 
 
 SPECIAL EFFOUTS 
 
 several individuals, were earnestly enquiring, " WJiat must I do 
 to be saved* ? These, during the meetings for prayer, were 
 affectionately invited, to evince the sincerity of their desire for 
 the mercy of God, by coming forward, and kneeling around the 
 communion-rails, or some other appropriate place ; where they 
 might have the advantage, of being spoken with, by a few suit- 
 able persons, appointed to explain to them, «< the way of God 
 moreperfectly\:' Not a few, have availed themselves of this 
 assistance ; and it is believed some will praise God, for the same, 
 through a blessed eternity. The first appointment of days, was 
 found to have been rendered so great an instrumentality of re- 
 ligious benefit, that an additional week has, subsequently been em- 
 ployed, in the same manner. And these extended services, we 
 are about to bring to a close^ as speedily as we may be enabled 
 to do ; in consistency with our duty to God, and to any who may 
 yet be desirous of the help of these means of grace:]:. 
 
 Of course we are aware, that an arrangement of religious exer- 
 cises, such as those here described, forms no part of the usages of 
 our Connexion, in the Parent Country ; and, indeed, that such an 
 observance, is scarcely adopted, by any other Religious Commu- 
 nity, in the United Kingdom. A slight experiment or two, has 
 been made by another Denomination of Christians, in a few places, 
 in England. The plan is there regarded, as wholly of transatlantic 
 origin : and, very probably, it arose from some of the peculiar 
 requirements, of a newly-settled country. Yet, so well has this 
 species of service been known, in the United States ; under the 
 name of " Protracted Meetings ;" and so effectually has it been 
 found to contribute, there, to the advancement of religious re- 
 v'ivals ; that, we understand, it is adopted, by various Churches, 
 in that nation ; and by not a few, of the most unquestioned re- 
 spectability. Devoutly and suitably carried into operation, we 
 think it possesses some advantages, with respect to religious 
 utility ; and which we intend, in conclusion to notice ; which 
 may well recommend it to a very general, if not a universal 
 adoption, throughout the whole world. 
 
 ak 
 
 ♦ dd^ XVI. 30. t Acts xviu. 2»; J U(br. mii,, 17 . I VV/f.s.;, n 7, 8, 
 
FOR THE SOULS OF MEN". 
 
 17 
 
 ! ' 
 
 •tti 
 
 JL 
 
 Other species of special effort, for the souls men, are happily- 
 becoming encreasingly frequent, both private and public, and 
 among all classes of devout Christians : to mention, particularly, 
 faithful, kind, and individual, conversation with the unconverted, 
 relative to their spiritual state; and inviting strangers to the means 
 of grace; the distribution of short, pointed, and heart-searching re- 
 ligious tracts : as also holding meetings for religious purposes, 
 in the open air ; for the benefit of neighbourhoods, but scantily- 
 furnished with Churches, as well as of individuals, so unhappy as 
 never to be found in attendance on any of the usual places of 
 Divine worship. These we must, after the example of our Divine 
 Lord, "seek, in order to save." It is now more than a hundred 
 years, since our venerable and immortal Founder, Mr. Wesley ; 
 with the devoted and eloquent Whitfield, and the rest of their 
 zealous co-adjutors,in usefulness; had the Christian magnanimity, 
 to brave the obloquy, of this last-mentioned method of doing 
 good. Their uninviting course, has not been, indeed, one of 
 very general imitation. But, of late years, there has been a re- 
 commencementof these heroic measures, in various parts of the 
 United Kingdom ; by ministers of the Church of England and 
 Ireland, as well as the clergy of other Churches*. Honoured, 
 and supported may they be ; both by God and man ! Amen. 
 
 But, without wishing to confine our present attention, exclu- 
 sively, to any one particular mode of usefulness ; which, in every 
 case, perhaps, will be best determined, by the circumstances, in 
 which, and the agents by whom, it may have to be employed ; 
 we proceed to address ourselves, to two classes of persons — those 
 who disapprove of any effort whatever, in advancement of re- 
 ligion ; thinking that men should be left entirely to their own 
 convictions on the subject — and those who condemn any other 
 efforts, to promote the conversion of sinners, than the regular 
 Sabbath-services of their sanctuary ; concluding, that they had, 
 really, better not be saved at all, than in any mode, not perfectly 
 agreeing with their own ideas of ecclesiastical order and regula- 
 rity. In friendly, but most fervent, opposition, to both of these 
 
 JpiKudw, IS'o. 
 
Id 
 
 SPECIAL EFFOUTS 
 
 views ; we respectfully undertake to maintain, that special 
 efforts, of any kind ; adapted, by God's blessing, to promote the 
 conversion of souls; are to be fully justified ; and are, indeed, 
 solemnly binding-, on the part of all who acknowledge the autho- 
 rity of Christ, or who look for the retributions of " the life to 
 come." 
 
 1. We shall attempt to justify Special Efforts, for the souls of 
 men ; from, The conduct of Secular Men, truly in earnest topro' 
 mote any earthly object ; tvhich may fail to succeed, according 
 to their estimate of its importance and utility. 
 
 Suppose a rail-road, or any other concern, tending to the pub- 
 lic good ; and presenting a desirable and advantageous opportu- 
 nity for the employment of capital. Suppose that, by some 
 means or other, shareholders are not obtained in sufficient 
 number, to meet the unavoidable demands, of the Board of 
 Directors. Can we, at the same time, suppose, that such in- 
 dividuals would be content with, and confined to, the mere regu- 
 lar meetings, prescribed by the Constitution of their Corporation ^ 
 Would it not be highly probal)le, that there would be special, and 
 repeated, and even "protracted" meetings, of the Board; for the 
 consideration of ways and means? Does it appear unlikely ; un- 
 der circumstances of general misapprehension, of the nature of 
 the speculation ; that even a Deputation would be employed, to 
 visit particular places, to call nieetings, and by means of the va- 
 rious journals, to enlighten and prepossess the public mind in 
 favor of the undertaking ? Should we wonder ; or, were we 
 ourselves interested in its success, should we be displeased, to 
 behold the words, " Rail-Road Company," whenever we opened 
 a newspaper, or turned the corner of a street ? Would the 
 *' men of the ivorld,'' condemn this display of commercial zeal ; as, 
 " most unreasonable, fanatical, and enthusiastic !"— as " abso- 
 lutely carrying the matter too far !" &c. &c. ? " Now ; they do 
 iff to obtain a corruptible crown, hut ive an incorruptible /" — 
 1 Cor. IX. 25. 
 
 The Religion of Jesus Christ, furnishes the only means of as- 
 certained communication, with the regions ot the blessed 1 
 Acts IV. 12. It is no uncertain contrivance, of short-sighted 
 
 
FOR THK SOULS OF MEN. 
 
 19 
 
 i 
 
 man ; but an unerring revelation from the Eternal God ! Never, 
 in a single instance, has it disappointed a real and sincere expe- 
 riment. In its returns of advantage, it is unparalleled. It is 
 known, to be " profitable unto all things ; having the promise of 
 the life that now is, and also of that which is to come*". By the 
 bestowment of present peace, power and purity, it rationally 
 pledges an hereafter-recompense, of " a treasure in the heavens, 
 thatfaileth not\'' Its tendency thus to bless, is demonstrated, 
 at this very moment, in all the various climates of our globe, 
 
 and under almost every possible diversity of human condition. 
 
 Nevertheless ; to use a mercantile phrase ; and not " an angel 
 from heaven,^ would utter the sentiment, without a holy indigna- 
 tion ; « IT REALLY, DOES NOT TAKE, WITH THE 
 PUBLIC MIND!" 
 
 How, GENERALLY, is Religion considered to be a mere 
 bubble-speculation ! Among those who confess it to be an eternal 
 reality, how few-deem it worthy of a single instalment of tempo- 
 ral sacrifice ! Where are we to look for those, who, by this 
 uncontingent undertaking, have become " rich in faith, and 
 heirs of the kingdom, which God has promised unto them that love 
 HimX ?" How small is the number of those who have acquired 
 any real, regenerating, " part or lot in this matter^ !" And yet, 
 it is intended and adapted to save and sanctify every son and 
 daughtei of Adam. To " every creature," among them, it is 
 commanded to be offered. Without it, they must pine away, 
 in interminable poverty and distress ! Meanwhile, even in the 
 hands of its authorized agents, its character is too frequently 
 compromised, by failures of obligation, to the famishing creditor ; 
 who perishes "^br lack of knowledge," which they are divinely 
 entrusted, and which they have solemnly undertaken, to place 
 in universal circulation. 
 
 To refer, again, to the illustration, which has just been dismiss- 
 ed : the visible Church, resembles an important trading Com- 
 pany ; whose weight of debt is already immense ; and whose 
 most prosperous and successful returns, absolutely fail to prevent, 
 
 * 1 r?w. IV. S \ fA(kr w:i. XJavmn'S, § ,^(7.vvui. 21. 
 
 c 
 
20 
 
 SPErrAL EFFOllTS 
 
 t 
 
 i 
 
 ■5' 
 
 the continual augmentation of that debt. Its friends may well 
 take the alarm, and be most special in their efforts ; since the 
 ordinary instrumentality, has proved to be so insolvently deficient. 
 This state of things must become still more alarming, unless some 
 extraordinary exertions are made ; and upon a very extended 
 scale ! Our affairs, can no longer be concealed. How can we, 
 ourselves, revert to them, without feeling that we bear our re- 
 proach ; and hailing with thankfulness, any agency, which may 
 aid the common treasury? In these circumstances, an ungodly 
 world; vain in its own undisputed majority; is emboldened to 
 treat with contempt, a moral Corporation, whose charter has actu- 
 ally received, even the signature of Heaven ! It dares to deny 
 that our sanctions are Divine! It rejects, with scornful and ma- 
 lignant disdain, the offer of our most invaluable securities. Our 
 very credit, is at stake* ! And, with the reputation of the Church, 
 are involved the eternal destinies of the universe ! 
 
 This, naturally, brings before us, another ground of defence^ 
 of Special Efforts for the Souls of men ; 
 
 2. The deplorable State of the World ; and the defective Con- 
 dition of the Churchi in relation to the Conversion of Sinners. 
 
 To more than three-fourths of the human family, even the idea 
 of a Supreme Creator, is perfectly unknown ! Eight Hundred 
 Millions, of immortal and accountable creatures, absolutely 
 unacquainted with that first element of all true piety towards 
 God, and correct morals among men ! A very large por- 
 tion of them, daily render divine honours, even to devilsf. 
 Their consequent miseries and atrocities, defy any accurate 
 description^ ! Of the remaining fourth, of our race, alas ! 
 the greatest part are under a similar enthraldom of ignorance 
 and sin, through Judaism and Mahometanism ; from which, 
 it is to be lamented, that we cannot, with truth, except, even 
 millions who are called Christians. Who can portray their folly, 
 wickedness, or sufferings. We speak not now of distant coun- 
 tries only. Remember the crowds and the crimes, which attend 
 our own Races ! Let the announcements of our Theatre. 
 
 Jiom. n. 21 t 1 Cor. x. 20 ; Luke iv. 7. t Eph. v. 12. 
 
 4 
 
 I.;l 
 
FOH THE iOUr.S OF TJKN. 
 
 21 
 
 re- 
 
 + 
 
 divul;^e the tuste, by wlilch its baneful benches, possess their 
 power of attraction. " Out-of-door services," and " Pro- 
 TRACTKD Meetings," these, indeed ; and attended witli " irre- 
 gularity," and "animal passions," enough; in all reason. — 
 Permit me to ask, did you ever desire the promoters of such 
 " proceedings," to give a justification of Mcir Special Efforts 
 AGAINST THE SouLs OF Men! For you cannot but be aware, 
 that by these means, the motion of millions, has been accelera- 
 ted, in the downward road of endless destruction ! So much, 
 
 for " the drama !" So much, for " the improvement of the 
 
 breed of horses!" What multitudes of infatuated victims, 
 
 are now lifting up their despairing eyes, in the tormenting 
 
 *'/ame*!" 
 
 But, to return to our melancholy review, of the deplorable 
 state of the unconverted part of mankind. Making a due allow- 
 ance for the lovely exceptions of virtue and morality ; which, 
 by the unsolicited retraints of Divine Grace, are found among 
 them; how unconcealable, and how flagrant are the abomina- 
 tions, of the general rule ! Let us spare you, any more than 
 the mere enumeration, of their pride, vanity, and frivolity — their 
 deception, falsehood, over-reaching, fraud, and dishonesty — 
 their drunkenness, gluttony, and debauchery — their various des- 
 criptions of unkindness, cruelty, unmercifulness, and murder ! — 
 their irreligioa, infidelity, ungodliness, ani impietyf ! Can you 
 conceive the vast amount of provocation, thus offered to " High 
 Heaven!" — from one single town, only — from one single habita- 
 tion — from one individual human heart ? " The wrath of God 
 is revealed from heaven, agai7ist" themj. Very often, a transgres- 
 sor, the most hateful, dies, to use a common expression, " like 
 a lamb." This, therefore, however fondly chosen, cannot be 
 safely taken, as a j ust criterion, of the eternal portion of a de- 
 parted soul ! But, how frequently do the mental agonies of h 
 dying sinner, but too probably betoken the approximating pu- 
 nishment, of his living sins ! It is computed that more than 
 six hundred human beings, leave this world, every hour! And; 
 
 • jAike XVI. 23, 24. f Ephcs. v. 3, to 6. I Colos. rir, 6 ; Jiom. i. IS. 
 
28 
 
 ■FECIAL EFFOUTS 
 
 
 i. 
 
 if men, generally, die as they live ; fearful must be the eternal 
 consequences, of the mortality, even of one single day! 
 
 Now; it belongs to professing Christians, to promote the 
 work of Conversion, among these perishing myriads, liut, let 
 us ask, in what state are they, in relation to this work ? A 
 large number of these, have, themselves, never been converted. 
 Some of them, even deride the idea of Conversion ; and often, 
 in the inconsistencies of their temper and behaviour, present the 
 most formidable obstructions, to the conversion of others. And 
 though, in many cases, it is dilKcult to exercise ecclesiastical 
 discipline upon such ; yet, as Christians, they are despised, by 
 those who know them best ; and who, unhappily, believe them 
 to be, but ^* whited walls, a?id painted sepulchres* " But, of the 
 number of professors, who have, really and truly, been convert- 
 ed ; too many arc, at least, in a condition of heart-backsliding 5 
 and have left their "Jirst love." Some of these, are distinguish- 
 ed by an unsanctified zeal for non-essentials, of forms, and cere- 
 monies, and unimportant points of doctrinal disputation ; "easili/ 
 provoked," and habitually provoking. Others, arc ungraciously 
 formal and rigid, in their manner and spirit ; having but little 
 happiness, themselves, they are calculated to impart but little to 
 others. Some are self-indulgent, sensual, niggardly, covetous, 
 and unapproachable ; while others, are frivolous, indolent, and 
 worldly-minded ; habitually, either negligent of the means of 
 grace, or a discredit to them ! How little, can it be expected, 
 that either of these descriptions, would feel the burden of a world, 
 that " lieth in wickednessf ;" or, that those who so neglect their 
 own souls, would use any special efforts, for the souls of others ! 
 
 Compared with the general whole of professors ; it is fco be 
 feared, the number is exceedingly small, of those whose he{.vts 
 are anxiously set on the conversion of sinners ; who pray, and 
 labour, and live, in reference to that object. And hence, it can 
 be no matter of astonishment ; how truly soever it is of deepest 
 lamentation ; fL^n genuine godliness has made so little progress 
 in the wurki The e is, indeed ; and it is supposed, by some 
 
 t 
 
 y 
 
 1! 
 
 ♦ Matt. xxiu. 27; 28. 1 1 Jofni v. ly. 
 
 i^i^ 
 
roll THK HOULH 0¥ MEN. 
 
 23 
 
 t 
 
 u 
 
 ecclesiuMtlcul histuriuiiM, that, from tite hegiiutitig, there ever has 
 been ; a small proi^ressive advance, in tlie influence of heartfelt 
 religion, upon earth. But, if you make the subject a matter of 
 comparative calculation, the result will be most awakening, and 
 distressing, to those who love God, and the souls of men! 
 
 It is admitted, that the aggregate of the world's population, is 
 continually increasing; by the gratifying excess of human births, 
 above the number of those who die, and disappear from among us. 
 But, is there not too much reason to apprehend, that the increase 
 in the number of the converted, does not, by any means, keep pace 
 with the increase in the amount of the world's inhabitants? 
 Every year, therefore ; if that be the case ; the number of those, 
 who live to sin, and die but to suffer, receives a continual, and a 
 tremendous, augmentation ! And we ask, if facts, like these, are 
 not adapted to be irresistible in their appeals, to minds capa- 
 ble of appreciating tlieir force ? They teach us, to brave the 
 
 sneer of the delirious worldling! They force uf, to disregard the 
 censure of thcr cold-blooded formalist; who scorns to quicken his 
 slothful pace, though to save an undying soul, from an eternal 
 woe ! They compel us, to fall in penitent abasement, under a 
 mournful conviction of our own cruel and criminal apathy! — 
 What can we refuse to do, which, even in the smallest degree, 
 may tend to meet the distressing case? 
 
 " My God ! I feci tlic moiunful scone ; 
 My bowels yearn o'er dyi)ig men ; 
 And tliin my pity would reclaiiti 
 And pluck the fire-brands, from tlie llamc !" (Doddriiige.) 
 
 Let us urge, still further, as a justification of Special Efforts 
 for the Souls of Men ; 
 
 3. The Precepts and Precedents, of the Word of God; in con- 
 nexion ivith the Divine Willingness to afford His Blessing to such 
 Efforts. 
 
 Under the Dispensation of Moses ; which afforded but an im- 
 perfect elucidation of spiritual things ; the people were di- 
 vinely enjoined, not to suffer men to remain under the guilt of 
 their sins. To prevent this, they were commanded, to avoid be- 
 ing themselves the occasions of sin, to otlicrs ; at all seasons to 
 
24 
 
 SPECIAL EFFORTS 
 
 I 
 
 promote godly conversation and intercourse ; and, on no account, 
 to shrink from a courageous pursuit, of tlie salvation of their fel. 
 low -mortals*. The followers of Christ, were taught, that the 
 saving knowledge God had bestowed upon them, was, that they 
 might become the means of imparting the same, to others, also. 
 In promoting the moral recovery of such ; they were to be like 
 labourers in the harvest-field ; whose peculiarity of employment, 
 obliges them to be regulated by the immediate influences of 
 heaven ; and who are wont, far more, to be governed by the 
 quantity of work to be done, and by the favourable opportunities 
 of doing it; than by punctilios and circumstantials as to the 
 mere mode of its pcrformancef . In saving souls, they were to 
 be " instant, in season, and out of season.** Ministers, espe- 
 cially, were compared to shepherds ; who should *^feed the flock 
 of God,** in their best approaches towards a proportion, to the 
 priceless cost of their redemption. They were to take " the 
 oversight** of the ransomed sheep, of the Saviour of the world ; so 
 as to secure the final approval of " the Chirf Shepherd,** who 
 purchased them, with " Blood Divine:}: !" 
 
 For an exemplification of tliese imperative precepts, of Holy 
 Scripture, we have but to bring to remembrance the devotedness 
 of those sainted individuals, who, from the beginning, have suc- 
 cessively sustained holy office, in the Church of God. The time 
 would fail us, duly to enlarge upon the sacred toil of the pa- 
 triarch Noah, for the conversion of the anti-deluvian world§ ; the 
 long-continued labours, and fervent intercessions, of Abraham, 
 Moses, Joshua and Samuel ; the special and periodical services, 
 of David and Solomon, before the ark, in the tabernacle, and in 
 the temple ; the special efforts of Jehoshaphat, Josiah, Ezra, and 
 Nehemiah, for the religious revival of the people, in their days ; 
 as, also, of the active and wearisome endeavours of the prophets, 
 at large§. The powerful and persevering zeal, of these worthy 
 and venerable exemplars, most happily resisted, the relentless 
 
 - Dcut. VI. 6, to 9 ; Lvcii. xtx. 17. \ Mali. v. 13, to IP ; Luke x.2; 2 Tim. i\. 2 ; 
 1 Tim, IV. 15. X 1 Pet. v. 2, 3, 1. § 2 Chrmi. xxjx. 4 to 11 } 
 
 Ezra VII. 10, 2.'>, 28 ; ix. 1, to 1.5 , x, 6, to 1-1 ; 
 «Ve/je/?i. VIII. IX. and xiii. 
 
ron, TtiE SOULS oi* men. 
 
 25 
 
 freezings of oar wintry world ; and vigorously urged on, its often 
 rapid and unhesitating course, of moral energy. Their love for 
 the souls of their fellow-men, proceeded " out of the throjie of 
 God, and of the Lamb." Its source was too elevated, to subject 
 its current, to the laws of an inferior region. Like our noble 
 Canadian waters; which gently and silently move on, in channels 
 favourable to their progress; it majestically foamed its unyielding' 
 defiance, over all the opposing obstructions of rugged nature; and 
 forced its triumphant way ; through a number of unpreseribed yet 
 unprohibited avenues; to the serious attention of the ungodly, the 
 depraved, and incorrigible. It thus, most effectually, conveyed 
 to sinful men, in circumstances otherwise inaccessible, the means 
 of a thorough conversion, and an everlasting salvation ; and fain 
 would have carried them onward, on its bosom, to the fathomless 
 Ocean of Eternal Mercy. 
 
 The incessant, and, not unfrequently, special efforts of our 
 Divine Lord, when he appeared, among men, in " the form ff a 
 servant," evince to us, how vain would have been the attempt to 
 limit his love for soulsj to the mere " doing duty," of a customary 
 routine, of unproductive appointments. He waS found, indeed, 
 on the Sabbath, in the temple, and in the synagogue ; as well 
 as on other occasions. But instead of regarding that as a " chief 
 end ;" he reversed the order ; or rather re-instated an order, 
 already reversed ; and used it, as a means to an end. In place 
 of our censurable, lifeless, formality ; and our worse than foolish 
 complacency, in sanciuary services, too often, most inefficient, 
 insignificant, unacceptable, and even offensive, to the Almighty ; 
 the Son of God, sought for the fruit of conversion ; and " luent 
 about doing good" Hence, He " was holy, harmless, undefiled, 
 and separate from sinners" Hence arose. His searching and 
 savoury conversation ; His midrlght prayers, in the mountain, 
 and His constant preaching, in private houses, streets, and 
 fields ; to which we may reverently add, His Protracted 
 Meetings, " in the ivildei'ness ;" at one of which ; having kept 
 the people together, for " three days," m succession ; a compas- 
 sionate miracle, was wrought, to furnish them with food; that so 
 
26 
 
 SPECIAL EFFORTS 
 
 they might not faint, on their return to their own homes*. Hi? 
 immediate successors, cheerfully trod in the footsteps of their 
 adorable Master! Would that there had been, " in deed and in 
 
 truth^^ an actual, " Uninterrupted Succession," until now ! 
 
 And then ; as for the fact of a Divine Co-operation : when 
 have there been, any sincere and faithful efforts, for the Conver- 
 sion of souls, which God did not sanction, with the outpourings 
 of the Holy Ghostf ? It may be confessed, that instances have 
 occurred, in which the labours of the most devoted men, have 
 proved to be apparently unsuccessful; the real causes of which, 
 we are incompetent fully to explain. Yet, even these ought 
 not to be regarded as any disproof; since in some of them, 
 the fact of a Divine co-operation, with those labours, is so ob- 
 vious, as to throw all the responsibility of such lamented ill-suc- 
 cess, on a stubborn and unyielding heart. During the long 
 period of a hundred years, at least, the patriarch Noah, proclaimed 
 the oifers of Divine mercy, to the men of his generation ; and 
 only ^^ eight persons,^* were saved in the ark. But St. Peter 
 expressly teaches us, that the unhappy spirits, of those to whom 
 he then ^^ preached f and who are now, in the final ^^ prison!" 
 had their previous day of grace — had the mighty workings of 
 the Holy Ghost, attending the faithful ministrations of Noah ; 
 and which were designed to conduce to their salvation:}:. Thus 
 Christ was preached to them, " ivith the Holy Ghostf sent down 
 from heaven ;" and thus they might have been saved ; 
 
 (" Heaven but persuades; Almighty man decrkes !") 
 
 In the succeeding ages, also, of which we have spoken ; in 
 the days of Solomon, Jehoshaphat, Josiah, of Ezra, Nehemiah, 
 Daniel and Jonah§, the same kind of record has been made, of 
 the Divine sanction, of special efforts for the souls of men. The 
 last-mentioned individual, was, previously, so well assured that 
 his special preaching, in Ninevah, would bo attended by God's 
 blessing, and followed by the salvation of the people; that, under 
 
 * Matt. XV. :W, to 38. t Mirah. ii. 7. f 1 Peter nt. l^, to 20 ; Clrii. vr, 3 ; 
 
 1 Cor. xir. fi, 7. § .1 CImm xi.\, ij, U , xxix. '^Jr Ezra vii- ti. 9, 27, 28 ; 
 
 Jonah iv> I, fn n. 
 
FOR THE SOULS OF MEN. 
 
 27 
 
 .i * 
 
 the influence of temptation, he was unwilling to risk his prophe- 
 tical character, on the result of his foretelling even their con- 
 ditional overthrow. 
 
 Infatuated multitudes attended in vain the personal ministry 
 of Christ ! They exclaimed, " Never man spake like this man*." 
 He was anointed " with the Holy Ghost, and with power." At 
 the same time, the free-agency of his hearers, was so generally 
 determined by their own unbelieving carnalityf, that many 
 who listened to his heavenly eloquence, and were filled by his 
 benevolent miracles, ensured thereby but their own greater re- 
 sponsibility, and heavier condemnation:]:. StiH, " to as many as 
 received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God ; 
 even to them that believe in his name§." The Holy Apostles 
 of our Lord, ascribed all their animating success in the conver- 
 sion of sinners, unto this Divine co-operation. Our own ho- 
 noured and immediate predecessors of the last century ; the 
 venerable instruments, divinely used in commencing the present 
 revival of religion, which is going through the world ; uniformly, 
 made the same grateful acknowledgement of entire obligation to 
 God. Nor is it difficult to discern, in the present day, that those 
 Christians are the most useful, in the conversion of sinners, who 
 are the most spiritual and energetic, and the most addicted to 
 the use of the regular and special efforts for the promotion of 
 that end. 
 
 Thus, do the Word of God to us, and the Working of God 
 with usj combine to justify the most frequent, and the most varied 
 use of the means which are adapted to save ihe souls of men. — 
 With so much divine truth has it been said, and may still be said, 
 *' All things are now ready," that the right use of the means will 
 in every case be attended by the requisite bestowment of the 
 blessing. However this statement may encounter previous 
 opinions, we entreat you to receive it and to reiterate it. It is 
 with profound reverence and self-abasement we proceed to say, 
 that on these terms, " times of refreshing shall come from the 
 
 * Joh7i vii. U) 
 
 t Matth. xiii. 10, to 15. 4: John vi. 26 
 
 xMatth. xi. 20 10 24. § John i. 12. 
 
 XV. 22, to 25 , 
 
28 
 
 SPECIAL EFFORTS 
 
 I I 
 
 III 
 
 III 
 
 il 
 
 w ' 
 
 •| 
 
 ft 
 
 presence of the Lord," whenever you choose. The offer lias 
 been made centuries of years ago, by the voice of Heaven it- 
 self*. On these simple and intelligible conditions, the speedy 
 conversion of the whole human race is placed within the reach of 
 our common Christendom. We may well be affected even to 
 tears of distress at this view of the solemn responsibility under 
 which we are placed, and have so long been placed. Let us 
 make the most penitent confessions to God, and ask his forgive- 
 ness of our unfaithfulness. Is there not reason to fear that our 
 moral inefficiency has even retarded the salvation of many ? A 
 holy Church would soon behold a holy and happy world ! 
 
 Ask us not, then, for reasons in favour of our poor inconside- 
 rable services, but demand of us our deepest humiliation for past 
 omissions of duty, and tl^at whatever our hand may yet find to do 
 in this work, we may do it with our might. If we would render 
 any service, therein, let us bear in mind the short and uncertain 
 period of our further existence in the present state of proba- 
 tionary being. How many are in the dreadful gulph, for whom 
 none have put forth any effort ! Deliver us from blood-guiltiness, 
 O God, thou God of our salvation ! The time which has been 
 irrecoverably lost, may surely justify awakening Christians in 
 cultivating a holier industry in a work in which they have so 
 long been indolent. It was, probably, some similar impression 
 by divine grace, which aroused the powerful zeal of the im- 
 mortal Luther. On one of his journeys, the friend sitting by his 
 side was suddenly killed by the lightning of a thunderstorm. 
 Luther instantly felt his awful proximity to the grave, in a way 
 in which it had never previously affected him. He determined 
 at once to commence a religious course, and to devote himself 
 to the rescue of his dying fellow-men from the " bitter pains of 
 eternal death." In the several spheres in which an unerring 
 Providence ?iiay have placed us, let us " go, and do likewise" — 
 One present effort, by God's blessing, may become productive 
 of an eternity of efficacy. 
 
 * Matth. xxviii 19, 20 ; Luke xi. 13 ; Mai. lii. 10, to 12 ; Isaiah xxxii. 15 to 20. 
 
 t 
 
 1 
 
 f 
 
 4. 
 
FOR THE SOULS OF MEW. 
 
 29 
 
 T 
 
 t 
 
 1 
 
 f 
 
 4- 
 
 Some objections to our recent services, unaccompanied by the 
 names of their authors, have been kindly placed before us, for the 
 purpose of eliciting explanatory remarks ; which we proceed to 
 subjoin. 
 
 And, first ; we do not expect that all observers will cordially and imrnediately 
 concur lu every peculiarity which marks a " Protracted Meeting. " We know 
 individuals for wliom nevertheless we retain the highest respect and affection who 
 withhold their approval from that class of means. Indeed, there are i(i^ of our- 
 selves, but have commenced our acquaintance with them under strong feelings of 
 prejnd against them. Sentiments which have been removed by nothing "short 
 of the happy results of candid experiment*. We are, therefore, well prepared 
 to honour the motives of such devout persons as may view these services unfavour- 
 ably, while they generously concede to others that right of judgment in the matter 
 which they claim for themselves. But the interests of godliness require that objec- 
 tors ot another description should have their appropriate notice ; however painful to 
 us it may be to iierform that part of our duty. 
 
 II. It occurs not, to those who condemn us, because precisely the same routine 
 ol services is not found in the Holy Scriptures, that many other Churches are in the 
 same predicament as to some of their most prevailing minor religious observances. 
 In some cases it is so to a much greater extent than their fondest supporters iiave 
 imagined. Nor do we make the allusion in any unfriendly spirit ; but to shew the 
 disqualifying ignorance of this class of arbiters ; which certainly befits the bar, better 
 than the bench, of judgment. The Scriptures furnish the servants of God with the 
 great principles which should guide them in endeavouring to be useful to the souls 
 of men ; leaving their enUghtened judgment and conscience to adapt the minor cir- 
 cumstantials of their proceedings, to the most effectual accomplishment of the great 
 end proposed. And pertinaciously to adhere to the same modes, under varying 
 circumstances, would be as unworthy of commendation as for a mariner invariably 
 to restrict himself to the same number and position of sails, in all winds and in all 
 weathers. These may admit of change, without any injury to the vessel or its 
 cargo. Indeed the security of both, and the furtherance of the voyage, may render 
 such adaptations absolutely indispensable. 
 
 III. Some have objected, that in these services the understanding of our auditors 
 IS too greatly disregarded, and that we encourage persons to " work themselves up 
 to a state of feeling," which they merely " fancy" to be religion. How sincerely 
 soever this charge may by some be adduced, it is impossible to be altogether insen- 
 sible to the ill compliment it conveys. Yet, with the most perfect good-feeling, we 
 venture to express our belief, that those who give us the advantage of a hearing be- 
 lore they decide on the question, will not deny our earnest and painstaking endea- 
 vours to render religion truly understood. Our public instructions embrace all its 
 various particulars ; v/hof her of history, evidence, or doctrine— precept, promise, 
 or penalty— divine influe .ce, and human effort— moral obligation, present privi- 
 lege, or hope of future blessedness. And, in the same spirit, we fearlessly assume 
 
 The Wesleyan Methodists may truly respect the involuntary prejudices of pious- 
 people, even to their own pain and inconvenience ; since their venerated Founder 
 thus candidly avows the feelings of repugniince with which he first contemplated 
 the Jield-preaching irregularities of his justly-celebrated friend, the Rev. Geo. 
 WHITFIE1.D. Mr. Wesley's own words are : " On his arrival I could scarce re- 
 concile myself at first to this strange way of preaching in the fields, of which he set 
 the example on the Sunday ; having been all my life (till very lately) so tenacious 
 of every point relating to decency and order, that'l should have thought the saving 
 of souls almost a sin, if it had not been done in a Church." Works, Vol. I. 
 p. 185. 
 
m 
 
 SPECIAL EFEORTS 
 
 that lull 19 much, on these all-important subjects, is intelligently and savingly un- 
 derstood by the regular members of our congregations, as by individuals of the same 
 order comiucted with any other Christian Community : the courteous objectors, 
 themselves, by no means excepted. 
 
 Reliijious feeling, we are not ashamed to avow we expect all who are connecteil 
 with US, most carefully to cultivate. We enjoin upon tliem to •' stir up the Gift 
 of God*," which is in them; and earnestly to pray lor those aids of the Holy 
 Spirit, by which alonn they can possess emotions such as become a reasonable 
 and accountable being, in relation to that cl;iss oroljjects. These tilings we main- 
 tain and " contend^ are as capable of reai and actual transaction, between God 
 and the soul ; and of transaction, as reasonable, too ; as any ever witnessed in thi^ 
 •store of the trader, or the counting-house of the merchant|. But we are greatly 
 misunderstood, if we are suspected of favouring, even for a single moment, any 
 thing like fancies, in an affair of such fearful character. 
 
 If we know ourselves, we ever aim to deal in eternal realities, not in teiniJorary ima- 
 gmations. Our people will bear us witness, that we are accustomed todiscourse with 
 them of a real soul and Bible, of a real Saviour, and of real sins, of a real 
 grave and judgment-day, a hell and a heaven unutterably real. We urge upon 
 men, a REAL thoughtfulness and self-acquaintance, a real contrition for sin, and 
 air UNDENIABLE abandonment of it, a real turning to God, and trust in th(! 
 atoning blood of Christ, in order that they may delightfully possess a real unfancied 
 pardon of all their past transgressions, and have thereby a real change of heart, 
 evidenced in a not less unequivocal change of life. Those who hear us, know 
 this to be the case. And we assure all who may need the information, that among 
 us these things are never trusted, but when they are tested. 
 
 Allow me to say, fellow-sinners, (and who without an aching heart can advert to 
 the tragical fact .') that on these subjects there are, indeed, real fancies, mon; 
 than enough. But they are found among such as " work themselves up" to the 
 ignorant fancy that the transactions of " vital godliness," are altogether a fancy ; 
 or who wickedly fancy it to be a real folly to be at all religious ; or who foolishly 
 FANCY it best to take their fill of sin before they begin to fear God ; or who ruin- 
 ously fancy it will be time enough to think of settling the affairs of their souls, 
 after the irrevocable bankruptcy of death, shall have closed up forever, their entire 
 concern, and left to the fancying and fraudulent debtor no other alternative 
 than that of a perpetual imprisonment in the final dungeon of a fathomless hell ! — 
 Matth. v. 26. 
 
 IV. It has been alleged against these services, that they are marked by too much 
 endeavour to excite " the animal passions." " T/ie children of this world" 
 have their own various " cant expressions ;" and this is one of them, " Animal 
 passions ! — We disapprove of appeals to the animal passions, and of alarming de- 
 lineations of future punishment," say they ; " religion should be promoted by rea- 
 soning, not by alarming I" But, where you design to urge the adoption of some 
 expedient for the safety of an individual, having explained your plan of escape, 
 .surely it is a most natural method of reasoning, to expatiate on the magnitude of the 
 approaching evil ; and still more especially, should the individual he under the 
 influence of morbid insensibility to the danger from which you propose to have him 
 rescued : which is one distressing feature of the case of all unconverted persons. 
 And we would resjiectfully ask to be shewn either the honesty or the philosophy, of 
 concealing an important feature of a case, on which you are aflecting to reason ! It 
 is on this principle, we have deemed ourselves in the use of the most truly rational 
 and intellectual means, when endeavouring to promote the present efforts of slum- 
 bering sinners after eternal safety, by the most awakening descriptions of immediate 
 exjjosure to eternal danger.^ 
 
 Thus much may suffice in self-defence. But the yearning pity of our souls com- 
 pels us to the duty of a faithful but friendly dealing with our objectors. " The 
 children of this world" impose on us the necessity of saying, that they are not honest 
 in this matter. A certain class of the unconverted profess to employ their higher 
 
 * 2 Tim. 1, 6. t JudeZ. Rom. an. 1 t Denter. xxx. 19 
 
FOR THE SOULS OF MEUf. 
 
 81 
 
 It 
 
 . 
 
 faculties in the affairs of religion and salvation ; while they refuse us any influence 
 over what they call their «' animal passions." But the truth is, with the exception 
 of those who adopt it in ignorance of its real bearing, the objection is but a shame- 
 less excuse, as infamous as it is impotent, for employing neitlier the one nor the 
 other in the momentous business. Let those men of pure intellect and unimpassioned 
 intelligence, candidly inform us what theii " higher facuUies" are actujUy doing, in 
 regard to the salvation of their souls from everlasting wo ! What reason can they 
 give — what justification can tliey otfor, for a course of sin, a contempt of God, a 
 rejection of Christ, a supreme regard to the things of this perishing world ? Behold, 
 in all the pride of intellect, the abstract idiot, senselessly clinging to the tinsel 
 treasure, which is rapidly sinking hiin into the dreadful deep of the bottomless 
 ocean. 
 
 In ordinary life " the children of this world" behave with more evident sincerity. 
 Should the lilc of un individual be unconsciously placed in peril, by some falling 
 timber or fearful animal, his most endeared friends, even the tender females of his 
 family, will be alfected to a degree bordering upon distraction. By the most piercing 
 cries and the most frantic and extravagant gestures, they strive to transfer to his 
 breast the alarms which are agitating their own ; if thereby he may be driven to 
 adopt the only alternative which remains for hia safety. And should they be so 
 happy as to succeed in exciting his fears and effecting his deliveiance, he himself 
 too grateful!'.' appreciates their motives to be disposed to blame such an awakening 
 appeal to his " animal passions." But, when the curse of God is falling upon im- 
 penitent transgressors— when Satan is pursuing them to destruction, their intellects 
 ahsolutely unserviceable to them in the matter, from the want of a due feeling of 
 their state of danger— and at the same time your humble attempts, by the grace of 
 God, to awaken and alarm them, absolutely contemned and despised— who can for- 
 bear remembering and adopting those despairing expressions of Christ to persons of 
 the same class, who attended his own personal ministry ; " How can ye escape the 
 damnation of hell ?" 
 
 The final "perdition of ungodly men" is truly an affecting and unwelcome 
 subject. To keep it from the minds "of such, would be a virtue of die highest order, 
 were our silence conducive to their safety. Our own fears concerning ourselves is, 
 that we are more defective than excessive in heart-stirring allusions to these unut- 
 terable realities, which God has disclosed to us in the Scriptures, for the awakening 
 the ''dead in trespasses and in sins." On one side, there may be an unwisely 
 offensive, a vulgar and uncompassionating introduction of the mournful topic, which 
 we would not fail most severely to reprehand ; yet, on the other, there is a studied 
 avoidance of it, and an endeavour to divest of its fearfulness, which are not only a 
 most insane outrage on allconect taste, but there is in them, also, a misleading and a 
 Satanic cruelty , which we can never sufFicienily execrate*. This is a point on which 
 of all others, it behoves all Cliristian ministers to speak and spare not. They are 
 spiritual watchmen ; and in them it would become an impious offence against the 
 blood of Christ, poured out for the safety of sinners, as well as an odious betrayal of 
 trust, were they to shrink from giving them due alarm of their approaching danger. 
 It was in divine reprobation of such ecclesiastical inertness, that the prophet Isaiah 
 thus complains :— " His watchmen are blind, they are all ignorant, they are dumb 
 dogs, they cannot bark, sleeping, lying down, loving to slumberf." 
 
 That was a thrilling remark of the learned and laborious Richard Baxter, that he 
 feared comparatively few ministers would themselves be saved. Such are their re^ 
 sponsibilities to God and man, and such their temptations to be unfaithful to their 
 solemn trust 1 The only conditions of safely retaining holy ofhce, are thus explained 
 
 * «' You put me in mind of an eminent man, who, preaching at St. James's, said, 
 ' if you do not repent, you will go to a place which I shall not name before this 
 audience.' I cannot promise so much, either in preaching or wrjting, before any au- 
 dience or to any person whatever. ♦ * * ♦ For, to say the truth, I desire to 
 have both heaven and hell ever in my eye, while I stand on this isthmus of life, 
 Vjetween die two boundless oceans : and I verily think the daily consideration of both, 
 highly becomes all men of reason and religion." Wesley's Letter to Archbishop 
 Secker ; Works, Vol. xii. p. 89. London, 8vo. edit. 1830. f Isaiafi, Ivi- 10 
 
32 
 
 SPECIAL EFEORTS 
 
 to the prophet Ezekicl, by his divine Master*. •• O son of man, I have set thee a 
 watchman. If' thou dost not apeak to vmrn the wicked from his way, that wicked 
 man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I requirk at "thy hand !" 
 Should they meet, in llio sud abode of the lost, imagine the unspeakable reproach- 
 ings olthat glance of despair, with which the unsaved sinner surveys his once reve- 
 rend betrayer, while addressing him, in terms like the following : " Is this the 
 consummation of our ecclesiastical connexion— of thy prayers, and sermons, and 
 sacraments ? Was it for tliis I contributed to the support of thy sacred order, and 
 cheerfully paid so unbounded a tribute of respect and confidence to thy exalted 
 ollice and station ? And didst thou really know of ' thin place of torment,' as the 
 Hnal lot of the unconverted, and at the same time not apprize me of my dreadful 
 danger ? Had I been duly atfected with my liability to so direful a calamity, dost 
 thou think that for ^the pleasures of sin for n season,' 1 should have risked ' the 
 bitter pains of eternal death ?' Could any ihiiii; in yon perishin:? world, have re- 
 conciled me to the choice of « the deoourin^ Jlamei' And didst thou deal with 
 my INTELLECT, and profess to REASON 'with me, on everlasting concerns; 
 and yet attach so little importance to this material part ov the argument ? 
 Alas! to my imperishable soul, of what service has been all thv famed learning 
 and celebrated eloquence ? Why didst thou not iVequently and forcibly place be° 
 tore me this inevitable consequence of living and dying in sin ? Why didst thou not 
 make use of every means, to endeavour duly to affect my heart with the salutary 
 fear of falling into this fiery gulph ? Why not psblickly discourse upon it, and paint 
 in it its real colours, and amplify upon it, and incessantly disturb me with alarms, in 
 
 . . pretensionsf. 
 
 Most cruel hateful betrayer of all my eternal interests ! Thee I was taught to recog- 
 nise as « a minister of Christ,' but to me thou hast proved truly and tremendously 
 ' a messenger of Satan!' Unprepared by holiness, thou hast fatally beguiled me to 
 hope for heaven ; and now, behold, ' lam tormented in thisjlame\\ !' " 
 
 V^ We think it proper to meet the objection that exiiressions of feeling are per- 
 mitted in our religious services, imsuited to the sacred dignity of Divine worship. 
 To indulge a spirit of levity or irreverence, before the throne of grace, we should 
 deem not only an act of indecorum but also of iniquity. And yet, for the congre- 
 gation to express their feeling by the devout utterance of the emphatic "Amen," 
 as in the Church of Scotland, as well as others, or " Glory he to thee, Loid," as 
 in the rubric of the English Church ; either at the conclusion of a prayer, or at any 
 sentence in which the worshippers may feel an especial interest, from its adaptness 
 to their individual case ; should not be condemed as irreverent, provided the utter- 
 ance proceed from the real fervency of the heart. There is an extreme, tor which 
 we would not wish to plead. But it may be asked, is not the opposite extreme, 
 still less defensible, and far more displeasing to God .' 
 
 (" Devotion, when lukewarm, is indevout !") 
 in the house of prayer, we may be as solemnly silent, as the marble statues upon 
 our monumental tablets, and at the same time as litde interested as they are, in any 
 renovating life-giving worship performed in their presencei^. 
 
 We do not wi.sh to become the censors of such as may diifer from us on that head ; 
 but we candidly avow our preference of the usages of diose Churches, among whom 
 the people take an active and an audible part with the minister, in the celebration 
 ol public worship. We think the custom not only venerable and Scriptural, but 
 that it may be made subservient to highly beneficial, moral and religious results. 
 Between such of our brethren and ourselves, then, the point of difference is not the 
 simple expression of feeling in God's worship, on the i)art of the cong-regation, but 
 whether that expression should be invariably according to a precomposed form, or 
 sometimes also unpremeditated and extemporaneous. A point this, on which 
 surely wo may tolerate in one another a diversity of opinion. 
 
 Ezek. xxxm. 7, S. f Isaiah, xiv. 9, 10. % Mark, xii. 38, to 40 ; 2 Cor. xi. 
 13, to 15. II Luke, xvi. 24. § Isaiah, Lxiv. 7 ; John, iv. 23, 24, 
 
FOR THE SOULS OP MEN. 
 
 dd 
 
 r 
 
 At some of our special prayer-meetings there have been, on the part of those who 
 have come forward in the c)iaracter of penitents, an occasional expiession of feolini? 
 which has been unusual among us. Under a sense of sin and guilt, before God 
 their distress of soul has produced the sigh and the groan, and oven the cry of sor- 
 -— • Wo make no apology to those persons, whose obduracy of nature on such 
 
 row 
 
 ■riftecting occasions, has considered one to bo necessary. Even in the savage the 
 fear of sympathy has often started, unbidden, at the sight of human sorrow, 'fiut 
 in the case of these criminal triliers, the levity of their depravity, has, unhappily 
 absorbed the tenderness of their humanity. Little do they expect that, on a greater 
 occasion still, which in its approach " slumbereth not,'' unless a timely repentance 
 prevent, there will be a bitterer and more justifiable withholdment of sympathy 
 liom sighs and groans no less sincerely uttered by themselves*. ' 
 
 VI. To individuals of a '« more 7toft/e" description we most cheerfully turn, with 
 a friendly explanation of certain appearances of confusion, during our servicesf. 
 That more than one person should bo ollering public prayer, at the same time, has 
 occurred so seldom as scarcely to need a notice ; and we should say it is not allow- 
 cd among us, excepting when the parties are sulliciently distant from each other, as 
 not to bo heard respectively by one another. When so situated, and each may be 
 earnestly interceding for some individual in special distress of soul, such a procedure 
 may be permitted as a very pardonable irregularity ; especially since it creates no 
 real conlusion. 
 
 The advantages to bo expected from penitent persons approaching the altar lor 
 prayer, at the invitation of the minister, are various and considerable. Among others, 
 it enables us fb ascertain their spiritual difliculties, and to afford them suitable 
 advice. Should they be labouring under religious discouragement, or are not 
 suHiciently acquainted with the proper way of coming to God through Christ ; 
 which are often features of such a case ; a single suggestion from the Holy Scrip- 
 tures may tend, by divine grace, most cheeringly to surround them with light and 
 comfort, in their anxious pursuit of divine mercy. In an under-tone, as they are 
 kneeling at the appointed place, without any interruption of the public devotions, 
 individual instruction has thus been afforded them, which in innumerable instances 
 has " through grace greatly helped" them. However, even to an ingenuous ob- 
 server, unacquainted with the real nature of the transaction, this may present an 
 appearance of confusion. But such may be assured, it is appearance only. Each 
 one, whether inquirer or adviser, knows his own momentous business. Nor isone 
 in ii/idual in the least distracted, by the corresponding attentions which may be 
 afforded to the ease of another. 
 
 This may admit of very helpful illustration, from our recollections of any place ol 
 general secular business. How common in the Exchange, for instance, to behold 
 separate groups of mercantile men engaged in tbeir several transactions, at one and 
 the same time and place ; and notwithstanding there may be the general inarticu- 
 late sound of discordant voices pervading the assembly, yet is there not theleastcon- 
 fusion or interruption of the business. Samples are examined, and terms are dis- 
 cussed ; character is ascertained, and credit is regulated ; thousands of pounds are in 
 question, and vast sums pass from hand to hand ; each individual as surely making 
 provision for his own temporal interest, as if he had been placed in the silence and 
 solitude of the uncleared wilderness. He may indeed have been quickened in his 
 commercial energies, by the supreme importance he has observed his abstracted as- 
 sociates to attach to their own concerns, and the intensity of application they have 
 shewn to the means connected with their own welfare. That is just our case. 
 
 Never did you hear a merchant complain that all the other gentlemen in the Ex- 
 change did not instantly suspend their operations, and remain in the most profound 
 silence and inaction, while himself was engaged in some business which lay nearest 
 to his heart. A universal silence would, in fact, have proved an inconvenience to 
 himself. It would have destroyed his simplicity, awakened his suspicions, abated 
 his ardour, unhinged his mind, and dissolved that great undefinable charm, which 
 
 * 2 Peter, ii. 3 ; Prov. i. 24, to 31. f -^cts, xvii, 11. 
 
84 
 
 SPECIAL EFFORTS 
 
 adapts the plnco to the purposes for which it was erected. <• The children of thi, 
 world are Wi.er m their frerieration than the childre^i of liiht^TiZnfd the 
 day arrtvo when mon wi I generally cure as litilo Ibr their wffily sub tancc a* 
 thoy now do for the.r souls' salvation; you will then behold ihem a son^^^^^^^^^^^ 
 formal in their .tore, as they are now in their sanctuaries, they will b^as seldc^n m 
 the countmg-house as now in the closet, as much opposed to pubhc umrSts as „w 
 they are to " Protracted Meetings." and as unwor'thy the na nc ol n en o»-'businer 
 as they now arc, ol tho appellation of earnest Christians. business, 
 
 Ou the day ol Pentecost, among tho first disciples of our blessed Lord it has been 
 
 ' 2 h T ''XTar ••' wa";EeTf "r"'"'' ?' ''"^" ." appearance^" of conTus'r 
 i nougn &t. reter, was the chiet preacher on that memorable occasion • vet 
 
 nf7hr'l\T .'J^' ^''"n " «"""''^"«°"« "Ppioach of penitent sinners to '"//e lent 
 o 'j^; "r''^'^.; - JVC I as unto him, enquiring «• Jen and brethren, v,ha 7hal 
 .f;l.. • • 1 ' ° themselves understand the need there often is, or individual 
 
 direction in such cases, but will conclude there was > ivoidably some deS.m 
 trom our usual order, certainly from prevailing custom, when tlL ousanT e 
 sons "were pricked m their hearts r with a deep conviction of hi ^Tm^^th. 
 •tame rf«v" were brought to repose the cheerful trust of thdr com he' S ts on the 
 Name ot Christ, lor pardon and eternal salvation|. ' 
 
 U rirn 1 ^""tf ''''°°""!^ ''l,'^' interruption of tho silence and order of his store which 
 s proceed by crowds of customers, earnestly enquiring for the commoditv in w rh 
 K, trades, to be most le icitous aud unregrettcd. He speaks of TZZ\ cheerfu 
 countenance and a gladdening bosom : if he be a trader of rclig ous p ii^ples t 
 £l Inl'^T'" P'-°^''»«"^'«..^"^» yet with devout submissions to the wiU S God 
 that such interrup ions may be permitted often to occur on his premises And 
 whatever may be the foolish and froward fancies of the fastidiously fomaT we clo 
 not scruple to declare, that, after the melancholy levies on tht sLessTve Jnera 
 tions of our human family, which have been made and marched olf'o perdition bJ 
 he soul-destroying Apollyon ; it will be perfectly agreeable to s at any S ^o 
 
 him'Sm drfi'elf '"Sof .rZr;'"=" ";' counferaming influence w" idi^nrdriv: 
 mm irom tnc neia. IN or shall wo ever object to the interruption of our npr.ii«ir„««H 
 order by the recurrence among us of a Pentecostal «« confusiSi7o?nen tm a ?r?es^ 
 OWiw' '."''"''' ^""l^^r '^'"-'''' ^°'^^^^' '' "WPlease the GrSSadofth^^^ 
 ™ Goi''"' "' """'^ '''' '"'^'" recompence of the Pentecostal convefsSn Til 
 
 VII With as httle sensibdity as discrimination, it has boon said that these .Pr 
 vices have a direct, if not an unavoidable tendency to produce hypocrhcs h S 
 not be denied that we are as well able to judge of this our-el ve« as anv mero nbl 
 
 ^b:;Js^^£^s:SbyS---?t 
 
 ^sr or=r?ch -^^^ tsi^r LS t?^; ^ 
 
 oo.J!isten7n!'pnn!?f r"''^"?' ' f 'T/ "'' ^^^°'" S"»«'^' ^""'^"^t and spirit are not so 
 consistent as could be wished. Ministers of other communities have to mike ^C 
 same hum.hatmg confession. But such I would rathe? regard as iico^sidera^e 
 wrrr//.t°""''' ""rr^' ^'^^^ ^^^tentional and execrabt deceiverrof tho ^ 
 who have the oversight of them. RespecUng such, our principle is • "If Sere S 
 ar:y among us who habitually break any of ou rules, let ? be made known 
 
 aSln 'r,""^" 7^"'^ °"^^ ^''^^ ^°"'' ^^ ^l^^y 'hat inust'g ve ace^unT wt win 
 admomsh hm. ol the error of his ways, we wiU bear with him for a season Bu 
 
 Luke^ xvi. 8. f -flct 
 
 s, ii. 87. t Acts, u. 41. 
 
FOn THE SOl^LS OF MKN. 
 
 35 
 
 " tlien, if he repent not, he hatlk no muro place among us. 
 " own sonls*." 
 
 Wo havu dolivorod our 
 
 VIII. Thtit Homo have "fallen away" (io\n the holy profcflsion, alter having 
 been siuUlonly brought to ouibrtice rt'lit;i(ni by the instrutnenisility of special services, 
 must be the cniiso ol'deepcjsi roj^rot ; uiui the uioio soa:i it is nioiirnfiil matter ofnn* 
 <kiii!iblij Ihct that some who have thus declineil Iroin '• the way of riglitooiisness," 
 have benoino fiir inoio wiciied and dogrudcd l)y sm tlian they liml even previously 
 been. Tiiis, however, but proves tho ptT'evorinj; niaiuio of Satan, in templing 
 those who had " clean escaped" from his doniinatiun — the liability of ournatiire to 
 sin, while on earth, even in its bcHt estate — i\\r nece^ssity of habitual watchfulness 
 and prayer '• hst we enter into tcmptafin/i" — mid tho more than parental care which 
 is retjuisitfi, on the part of those who have the charf^o of sonls. 
 
 fSlionld we admit, which wo caiuiot fora moment, that the moral defection of an 
 individual is a valid objection to the liict of his previous soundness of jjrinciple, wo 
 should invalidate even the holine-'s in which the innocent inhabitants of the primi- 
 tive Eden came from the immacMlalo hands of their Inellabie Creator.^ 
 
 But, that there is a greater jiroportion of such uidiappy failures from among those 
 brought to Go(i dining occasions of special service, tlian have been found to occur 
 among those whose religious character may be traced, under God, to thomore or- 
 dinary services, is (;onlidontly denied. And so far as I have been able to investigate, 
 I am free to conless myself a convert in tiivom-of such denial. I demur considera- 
 bly to the proposition, that the quality of a man's [)iety necessarily derives any ad- 
 vantage from the length of time it has taken to convert him to God. I believe the 
 reverse to be tbu fact ; and that as a general rule, the longer he hesitates in the first 
 stage of Iris spiritual life, the less of steadiness there will be found in his subsequent 
 career. There may be exceptions. But where shall we iind greater energy and 
 fidelity displayed in the service of Heaven, than we behold in that celebrated man, 
 who, in tho short space of seventy-two hours, was brought from the bitterest en- 
 mity against Christ Jesus, to the most adoring love to Him, from being the cruel per- 
 secutor, to become the constant promoter of the faith of the Gospelf •' 
 
 Ihave been strongly inclined to the opinion that the average of clearness of con- 
 version, decision of ehaiacter, and energy and ctliclency of instrumentality in the 
 conversion of others, is not a little in favor of that class of believers who have been 
 brought to God, by the divine blessing on special ctlbits, or whose conversion, by 
 whatever means produced, hns been accomplished suddenly or within but a short 
 space of time. And I ask myself why siiould we so much plead the need of many 
 days or years, in order to the production ofan instance of conversion, when we know 
 all, that " the excellency of the power" is " of God, and not ofusX-" 
 
 It may be considered not an unimportant fact, as bearing on this part of the 
 argument, that this very congregation presents the most encouraging evidence of 
 tho stability of individuals, brought to God by this species of sanctified instrumen- 
 tality. The regular ordinances of our sanctuary have long been divinely owned in 
 successive instances of real conversion of the clearest and most honourable and eon- 
 sistant character ; for which wo arc humbly thankful to Uie gracious Head of the 
 Church. Not a few estimable individuals, thus saved from their sins, are now 
 praising God in heaven ; while others still remain with us, to live to his praise on 
 earth. But it is rather a singular fact, that the result of a specific examination into 
 the subject in 1837, was the discovery, that in addition to the numbers removed to 
 the better world, during the soleiui) cholera years, full one-half of the surviving 
 i:iembeislup at that time, had bee ;i brought into the h'ip[)y enjoyment o^ heartfelt 
 religion, through the means of special elforts of this description. I make this state- 
 ment on the authority of a respected brother in the ministry, now present, and long 
 and intimately acquainted with our Society in this place. 
 
 IX. Complaints have been made that these special services have a tendency to 
 imsettle the members of other churches. And it is lamented, tliat in our present 
 
 * Rules of the .Society of People (;allecl Methodists, drawn up by the Revd- .ioi\n 
 and Charles Wesley, M;.y J=t, ITIM. — f Arts ix. 1,9, 20, 22.— | 2 Cor. iv. 7. 
 
80 
 
 SPECIAL EFlOims 
 
 NutcoJ impcrlection, mid orteri of miminfJcr.stnmling, rt'lativc to eacli other's reiil 
 IHWt.on. It UL-ro VHiri to cxpoct tlint all .^In.rcl.cM woi.l.l iiiiito in u.iy oi.u cla^s of 
 >«liKious ffloit. Would tiuit •• tlio sacmi.uMUal lioi.t ..( God's eluol," co.dd tliin in 
 ono coiimitr.'.l liiu- niiiko.u'oinirion and (.oMniuui.Jiiig advanie on sin tlie common 
 toe . It must ni,d be thai wo coiitimio lor a short suii.soi. loiiKor, (;l.i.j||y to ulI in 
 our separate divj-ioiiM ; Mill, m.dor Ono common n.-ad.. And sh.-idd it pruvo an 
 oecidL-ntal evil, that the divisio.i in action shoidd ilms attract to itM.Han mdividuul 
 or two Irom some oilior section uftlu! ainiy ; winiu tliat muy in iti^cll' ho a mailer of 
 regrot, tliere are nnverthclesB rcconcihng cacumbtancc«, by whitli the uvil bccomua 
 iicalcnlahly outweij^hfd*. 
 
 Thut these etlbrts may, l)y divine grace, tend to tlio increase of piety in individuals 
 01 other c hurdles, who have been " settled on tlieir lee.sf " will smely not be deemed 
 inidesira,)le, tlioush it blioiild prove a souri'e of mimerical diininntion, to the u-hola 
 umountol such '* sinners in Zionl" Hut that these nervic.is have a neeessaiv 
 operation to abitruct holy and lively individuals from holy and lively churches., can- 
 not be seriously supposed. .Since the commcmrment of our recent meetinas 
 Uinstians ol other eoMnnunitieshave often min;;led with our p>Mjp!e m their special 
 devotions, and proil-ssed to be truly edilied in so .loing. In a few instanc.-s they 
 Jiave Riven hopchil evidence of having by that means learned •' the wau of God 
 more perfcct/,,\\,;uul have thus been brought to tlio experience of pardon and re- 
 generation. Yet It 13 not our desire that any of them should join us ; unless it may 
 be loimd essential to their continuance in the happy statu into which, by ourinstiu. 
 mentality, the grace of (Jud has l..rought them. ^ 
 
 Wo had, by far, much lather such should remain and exercise an influence for 
 good in their present circle of professing acquaintance, than merely by their enrol- 
 inent with ourselves that our own individual community should become aii<'inented 
 In each case, wo have said to the esteemed IViend, " Go shew thtmlf to the 
 pncst:^. Let your own minister, from your own lips, be the first tJ hear of tho 
 imppy improvement m your sfiiritual condition, for he watches for your soul, «< as 
 they that WHM<if,«eactw//j< ;" lament to him your frequent inattemion to the sav- 
 ing trutlis which arc the subject of his ministry ; ask his counsel ; and express your 
 liopo, since God has converted you, that your future moral proficiency may afford 
 ium comfort in his arduous toil. Should their former friends mihappiiy persecute 
 them for righteousness' sake, or should they fall to receive the spiritual nurturo 
 tlieir new-born souls require, and they be unable to preserve their piety i- their 
 existing relations ; then, us a mere alternative M-hich we deprecate, we have affec- 
 tionately promised them a family asylum, " in thename of the Lord." 
 
 It will be obvious that a moral movement in any religious body must, for a season 
 at least, give n the advantage of inllnence in tlie community at large. Tho^e who 
 desire a cure, will usually tend to the point whore healing efliuacy is said to have 
 been found. And this we hold to be no inoonsidciable argument in favour of a re- 
 vival-movement. But during the advantage of this description, which our own im- 
 proved circumstances may have afforded to us, we cheerfully appeal to any who 
 have heard us, if we have ever made unfriendly rellecliona on any other Christian 
 church, sect or party .' We are not conscious of having at any time introduced allu- 
 sions which might be deemed to bear unfavourably on any. No, brethren. Our 
 only aim has been to be instrumental, through the divine blessing, of convincing 
 men of these two facts ; that thev are sinners ! and that Christ is a 
 bAviouR ! and then, of inducing them, by the same aid, to make an immediate 
 and dLlermined application to God, for pardon and salvation " in His JVume'^ !" 
 
 _X. It is possible tliat these special services, with men of n certain complexion of 
 mmd.may lead loan imdervaluingof the regular and divinely-instituted ordinances : 
 
 Phihp 1. 18 ;\C„r XV'. ll.-t Jerem. xLviii. 11 ; Zcph. i. 12.-t Isaiah xxxiii. 14. 
 H Jlcfs xviu. 2b,— ^ Matth. viii. 4. It will be conceded that circuinsiante- must, 
 in every case, determine as to the propriety of this. In some instances, it would 
 be compelling tlie defenceless lamb to apinoach a roarina lion : while in others 
 It would resemble tiie sending of a now-hon, infant to a moio miparcntal uiialo-' 
 mist, who-^oonly snlioitude woul.l 1;^ fhr ihc L'vsf ofjis dissectiun. 1 Kings iii. 
 
 Lnlic xxiv. 17. 
 
 2ti, 27. Dmiciou. xxvii. 18 ; I Thes 
 
 )f^ tor I he -^yatt 
 7. s... 
 
 II. 
 
 ; ■^i^^-Mk».m»,^&.m^.gn 
 
lOH TIIF! SOIJLS OF MFN. 
 
 .'37 
 
 4k 
 
 nn evil agmnst which .hoy shoul.l he duly guarded, Tho priulonlid armnpemer.li. 
 even of the best o ,non, mo oi ...tiniiely «,uullor iinpurtance ilun. the poMtivo an 
 ,K„n .Mont. of tho K.omal (Jo, . It wonl.l seen, hardly needtui to .nako th stn - 
 in.M.t, hut our u..dcnsta„.huKs have b.-on .o iu,,u.cd hy tho C.unuou Full ; that iu the 
 thiuA'H ot (,od wo ueu<l " hue upon Hue, pnc,U upon pnnpt. " Wo joouiro to le 
 ronmulod, that tho u.«uht. Sabbath au.l .vmcL o/thoAIo.l 111^1.. have u ab uat 
 claun on our earnost a.toutmn. which we <:au never u.lf.liy dishonour but at ho 
 everlastuig endanKonueiit ol our own souls. 
 
 .n.^Jl'ir'^'''* «"''^';"'>' """ '"">■ 'i"^^ ''''"^■*''' ff"'" "'e«n9 orgiaco in some respects 
 spccKd su„;e U-. have an " ///n'/um.rtaA/." Object ol' wor.h.>, it is tho privilolo of 
 
 o l.n, noes. And Ihey imvo a powerlul arguu.eut (u. their believing' expeetaiou. in 
 a^teruluneo on such or.hnar.ee.. drawn Irou. tl.e .l.ecality ofthe.rchviue appl.u t" 
 mont. 1 hanklui tha by tho ^raeo of (lod tlieir sense, lu.ve been •• currcLstJ^ thus 
 h.n'rr''n '^ shouhl habitually do honour ,o the .iiviuo wisdon. and lidol ty. by a 
 duo an.l eddyu,^' attendaueo o.. lus Sabbaths and Sacraments. Wo may. ,u deed 
 reverently apply to tins purj.ose. the argun.ent ofthe apostle, in allu.ion t ) son o of 
 tho specahncansol the prnnit.ve a^o, and .siv ofonr p'u.lential arrangements, tha 
 they are a xiirn, not to thnn that beUnn', but to tluL that beluvr mt*" 
 
 A low us to hope, beloved Iru-nds ; «uch oryoua..have appeared to rcriuiro the«o 
 reeuhar services, a.s a .pecal kind of moral resin.en, tluoui-h tho pou'erof^n'g 
 thseaso; hat you will now leel Urn keener appetite lor "the chUd,en\. bread." 
 bmeo the lamdy order has lor a *hort season been inte.tupteil, from a kin<lly regard 
 to your sn..s,ek eoud,t;on_an.l since tho Good Physician has conni.enced ou^pi^^ 
 
 bv vo ur r, 1 r T'T^' ''' "'" •-■^i'^'"^^ "'' ''"-''^" ''^" ^'^-^^^^oual discomposure, 
 n f^ . •, and coiise.entious npholding of tho faniily discipline, and b^ 
 
 Master and HeaT'' ^^^-"-^'""^ '•" aial appointed ordi.ianees of their Divhre 
 
 l.nwL'^^r "''•"™^ tendency of these moral expedients to improve the current of 
 holy aneet.on.ui its general and regular llowing.hus been one of its principal excel- 
 lencios lu our estimation. 
 
 «frL^^i-"' "r '"'^'i" '",'"''' "^^'^^'O"^! continuous religious services must have the 
 
 Sed ' An?i 11" !" ''"""" ';''^^-:;l' ■""^•^ ''^^^'^"'^^'>' """'•-»' ^^'-ncmbered, and re- 
 garded. And his happy result w,ll bo still more considerable and triumphant, when 
 
 b.gotted and lukewarm prolossors of religion shall feel that, on their part, it would 
 
 be a grievous sin. to aid the ungodly in suicidally endeavouring to treat with scora 
 
 tho means sincerely us.jd ibr their conversion. 
 
 .v»i t^ T '"''"i""' °' "'", ^'^'""^"'?i""-fail or some other convenientplacc as already 
 explained, we have another consideration to oiler iii justilication of the measure.- 
 
 1 ■mL'ln'/l' o- ^""'r''^ '" ' "'^'' '-''"■'•^ '"t^'»Pt«to become religious, areoften held iu 
 o s ^x [^ KnZ' ^'y,^''''''f ^'^^^""ngs which ncu.ralizethe.r sharpest convictions 
 of sin and danger. These keep out oi sight the only considerations which ought to 
 actuate an awakened sinner, and to which the.e services give a powerfully-assistin" 
 prominence m their eyes. The uncompromising eharaerer of these meet^ings leads 
 he penitent sinner absolutely to ibrget everything but theconsiderations which ought 
 to inlluence Ins decision On these occasions the Cliurch of God takes an attitude 
 
 h <; b u ? .,TT'?"'^''{ ■ V''f- '? '•'''' ''''^'^ °^ '^'^ '"^J"''"'"-'^' ^'""'^^ ^^'^^'^^ "'^ 'nipo^- 
 hS.r T r )T ' ." '^''^'"'i.'"'" "'? eminy and hatcul skeleton, as it crouches 
 beneath tho ootstool of the «' JiTino; of Kin^R and Lord of Lords," Then truth 
 
 \hT''Vh^f\'^ ^'"'^ lT''"r- ^'"'^' '^ ''^'' '" ''^ ^l'^ -altogether /ot,e/y," a d 
 the « cnrfest anvms; ten thousand." At that auspicious moment, an invitation 
 
 nrnl r ^T'^ ""'' ^"^''i'-/«*«" »" 'U'P'oach the appointed pl^ce of spec'i^rl 
 l<^l\l\.7 V '^''■«'"«/'Vicouraging crisis of decision, and by divine grace 
 Tas o ve"/ ;?/"/'''?• r,"* ^ ''?'^ <I^^tt.nnination. - for God to live and d,e," which 
 nn! To • ''^''' '° "'^ '--■■""' ^^'"l^"^^-- ^^'"^ h^s '^«°" to them the happy 
 
 bT^pented7" '" """'' ""^ " '«'^^-^"*«-^'" «« ^^'^^ «-^ ^n act i.r itself " „« '^ 
 
 ^.W. xiv. 22. 
 
38 
 
 SPECIAL EFFOIirs 
 
 3. 1 he mitltiphcalion and lengthened continuance, ut siioh times, of meetin'-s for 
 prayer and supphcatioii to God, witli faith in Christ, ibr the exercise of his d'.vi.ie 
 prerogative ol mercy, independently of the immediate success of those means has a 
 tendency to improve the devotional instrumentality of a Church. And the culture 
 coiieentniig, and co-operation of its moral and sjrritual energies, both clerical and 
 iaical, under circuinstancBS to interestingly and allecliugly helpful, cannot hut leave 
 the connnunity, as to its accustomed services, in a tone more elevated than belbre 
 andhencobetteradapted, by th(^ blessing of God, to promote its own individual 
 piety and to contribute to the conversion of tlie world at large. 
 
 XII. As a congregation, we have abundant reason to copy the example of St 
 1 aul, when on u certain occasion of religious refreshment, he " thanked God anil 
 too/c courage. Several of our own members are in a higher and better state of 
 mmd than they previously enjoyed. " Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are 
 opened, all desires known, and from whom no secrets arc hid, has so cleansed the 
 thoughts oi their hearts by the inspiration of his Holy Sp;rit,tliat they noxv perfectly 
 love Hun, and arc intendmg in future worthily to magnify His holy Name, throu'rji 
 Christ our Lord. Amen " Tiiey feci themselves happy in God. and are adorning 
 tlieir renewed profession by an improved temper and conduct. A very encoura-in- 
 number of persons who were not making a profession, some of whom had sustuTned 
 a shipwreck ol faith and a good conscience— have Iblt the awakening inlluence of 
 
 t/ie truth as it is m Jesus"— h-^ve sought and Ibund the forgiving mercy of God— 
 and have begun to evince the same, by " loalldng inncwness of life." Other-^ are 
 still m cearch ol the same blessings. May they be enabled to be fliithful unto death, 
 that they may receive the crown of life. «« JVot unto us," my fellow-labourers ex- 
 claim, " JVot unto us, O Lord, but unto thy J\amc, give glory." 
 
 ^ In the artless history of John the Baptist, St. Luke with 
 inimitable simplicity records of the sainted mother of that cele- 
 brated man at the time of his birth, that " her ?ieighbours and 
 cousins heard hoiv the Lord had shewed great mercy to her, and 
 they rejoiced luith her*. Such exhibitions oi' social sympathy are 
 specially touching, and tend to shew the provision made by the 
 God of Nature for the dignified union together of his intellio-ent 
 creation. Nor is the more select and regenerated circle of\u- 
 manity within the sacred enclosure of the Christian Church 
 found to be divested of those beautiful emotions of family interest. 
 In an evil and envious world, it is most gratifying to behoM the* 
 generous and catholic pleasure entertained by the truly pious 
 when their ''neighbours" of other churches are favored with spe- 
 cial tolv.^Ls of divine " mercvf." 
 
 Seraphic hosts, and saints below, 
 
 To the same King allegiance owe : 
 
 When to the contrite, from above, 
 He points the sceptre of his love, 
 JJeholding angels, " bright and fair," 
 In heaven's rejoicings largely share. 
 
 So should earth's " sacramental liost," 
 Glad in the common triumph, boast ; 
 With joy behold each other's toil 
 In gathering their Redeemer's spoil . — 
 Whoe'er succeeds, 'tis Jesus' grace 
 Gives the success, and claims the praise. 
 
 ' f 
 
 Mi 
 
 Chap. i. 58 — t Ln/,c xv. 7. 
 
ron THE SOULS of men. 
 
 ;39 
 
 k 
 
 Often, however, on sncli omisions instead of admiiinff the con- 
 vertin,<< work of God, or co-operating with the instruments divine- 
 ly used m Its promotion, individuals are Tound unhappily prefe-- 
 nnj>-to rank amono- the number of its '' despisers," and even 
 emlcavourino. to hinder its influence with resuect to others*. 
 J'ar from being gratified at beholding « Special' Efforts for the 
 boulsof Men," attended by special contrition for sin, special sup- 
 plications for mercy, and special rejoicings on account of sins 
 forgiven ; a spectacle which would afford gladness to an arcii- 
 angelf; these persons, at best evince but a negation of interest 
 therein. The more gentle-natured among them, display a scorn- 
 ful evity at the most affecting stages of the eventful procedure- 
 while the more irascible are moved thereby to the highest deo-ree 
 ol displacency and sometimes to the bitterest and most passionate 
 expressions of their disapprobation^. 
 
 In place of kindly expressions of holy encouragement, of hea- 
 venly counsel, and of fraternal congratulations, addressed to those 
 who jnay be earnestly labouring for the conversion of souls||, 
 persons of this unhappy species, as though under a judicial infa- 
 tuation, seemed resolved to misunderstand if not mirepresent their 
 motives, and despise their conduct, if not asperse their characters. 
 In the hostility of their spirit towards them, the words of Christ 
 to his first disciples are affectingly fulfilled ; ''t/ie time cometh, 
 that ivhosoever kiUeth you, will think that^hedoeth God service^:' 
 Lven 111 modern times, not a few of his ^I'vants, ''of whom the 
 world tvas not worthy,'' have thus been hurried pr3maturely to 
 the grave ; while others for this same cause only, « are made as 
 thejilth of the loorld, and the offscouring of all things unto this 
 dayT 
 
 We would carry the mournful impression of these melancholy 
 facts with us, to the consideration of the only remainino- topic 
 of our discourse. ^ 
 
 III. The Apostolical Admonition of our text, in rela- 
 tion TO THE Divine Work. ''Beware, therefore, lest that 
 come upon you, which is spoken of in the Prophets,'' ike. 
 
 This friendly and impressive counsel assumes the dano-er 
 vvhich exists, with respect to the work of God, that its observers 
 should become its " despisers." And against this threatening 
 danger would we affectionately and earnestly endeavour to pu't 
 you upon your guard. 
 
 * Matt, xxiii. 13.-t TMke^. 10 • Isai. liii. 11, _| Lnke xlii, 14, 15.-II Isai. sli. 
 6 ; Galat. vi. 2.—^ John xvi. 2.—'^ Set Wesley's Journals, Centenary of 
 Hes/eyan Met/nxfism. London, Hvo. edit. p. 3 10, &c " 
 
40 
 
 SPKCIAT, KFVOUTS 
 
 tlnfflf. P T"'^'''' ''''■"^"' ^'^'•^^^^^^ «^'t''e divine opera- 
 
 anv n iH r'n '^'"^^^^^^"^V^'T; may he said to Lave been more thau 
 any other, he .crreat national sin of the Jewish people. This has 
 variously characterized them, in all periods of Iheir political his! 
 th7wnil" ' '' the instructive and admor.itorv explanation, to 
 the wo Id at large of the remarkable national iud.r,„onts of that 
 venerable but incorrigible branch of the human' fUmily * Of l>e 
 
 ijffooff, among them ; they were the observers and " despisers'^ 
 
 S '"ofT'" T ""t'^' ^^' ""''' "'''''^''^ ^^dcsphcdLdre. 
 <!id sin /^""'l ?^'Y'- '' wicked hands^^ was he "crucified 
 phemed"! " evil hearts'' abhorred and blas- 
 
 Zrllnft Y^' ' '7^^?'^^; ^"°""^« -despiser^' of those who 
 we e « ofhs honsehMW •" It was in vain St. Paul addressed the 
 warning counsel of our text to his infatuated countrymen in 
 
 d^v HP A* ?'^ ^'f '° ^' '^'''^''^ ^^'^ H«ly GLost, as that tiie 
 
 imne Agent was about to leave them to fix their own eternal des- 
 
 tmy accoramg « to their oicn lusts^r At the close of the chap- 
 
 Zt7 TTi'f ^r'^'^'^'l '^ '''' '''''^- ^^"^ "^^^^'^ the return of 
 rr^t/fr^ i;""^^^^^^^ ^° put away from them ^^the 
 
 Word of God, as to adjudge themselves "' umcorthy of eternal 
 
 ire. 
 
 We have termed the national judgments of the Jewish people 
 remarkable," and refer to two especial eras of their history in 
 conhrmation of the sentiment. Those who treated with scorn the 
 ministry of Christ and lys apostles, were destroyed by the Bomans, 
 as their perverse and unbelieving ancestors had' been by the 
 Chaldeans In our text there is an evident allusion to the fore- 
 telling of those tragical eventslf. Never was there a prophecy 
 more correctly and pointedly applied. Nor shall we in any oth^r 
 miseTs '''''"''' '"^^twith a parallel of their justly-inflicted 
 
 "The Judge of all the earth'' seems to have intended in their 
 punishment an admonitory correspondence with their sin. Thev 
 transgressed by disbelieving his marvellous work of mercy ; and 
 his alternative work of judgment was so marvellous in its features, 
 that they could ^' itino icise believe" in its probability, though 
 
 * ^cfs \ 
 
 
 ^ Isniah xxviii. \A,to'12: Uabak 
 
 to 10. 
 
 1? 
 
 & 
 
 m 
 
 i< vi. 3 ; Ho sen iv. 17. 
 
Foil THi: SOULS OF MEX. 
 
 41 
 
 t, 
 
 i& 
 
 m 
 
 J 
 
 3/ T "^^"^^^'^^ «^''t to « (/../«r." unto thorn its ap. 
 roach 1 here was also as much of natioual Jnfktuation iu their 
 
 ime of suffonn.o: as during, their day of trausirressiou. Having- 
 been " dcspiscrs'^ of d,e appointed precautions of their moral de? 
 
 iverance, so when « destruction came upon them;^ they unbe- 
 
 levingiy neglected those precautionary measures which would 
 have mi , gated much of their individual suffering, even had they 
 r.ot conduced to the national security. Thus w?s the divine in- 
 ^^ A f ;^,^^:^! "8'!y aggravated. Their habit of disbelieving the 
 W ord of God having beguiled them into the disregard of every 
 warning they were by that means the more defencelesslv laid 
 open to the descending floods of the divine displeasure 
 
 hands oj the living Godr -Beware, therefore, lest that also 
 come upon you^ An oflended Deity cannot be at a loss for 
 the means of rendering even you the infatuated aggravators of 
 your awn ruin, should you also prove so criminal as to become the 
 infatuated "^e^^^/ser*" of > our own mercies. In the lano-uao-e of 
 good Mr. Burkitt, « sin is as odious to God at one timers "ano- 
 ther, and in one people as in another : particularly, the sin of 
 obstinate nifidel, ty and unbelief, is a God-provoking wrath-pro- 
 curing sin !'; The danger of falling into this sin is Is great now 
 as ever: seeing it arises from the influence of an « evil world'* 
 the seductions of the original ^^ tempter,'' ^m\ the base depra- 
 vities of -the carnal mind^' which - is enmitij against God* ^ 
 And, as a pious Reformer expresses it, in the margin of the first 
 edition of the authorized version of the En_o-lish Biblef « The 
 the"m1'' ""^ ^'°^ ^"'" ^^ ^^'^ ""^' ""^^^^"^ o? those who contemn 
 
 It is important to remember that every thing attended bv a 
 divine co-operation produces individual eff-ect according to the 
 state of the heai-t towards God, This is the real reason of the 
 favorable or unfavorable aspects in which either the work or 
 Word of God may appear in the eyes of men. The Gospel of 
 Christ IS a moral touoh-stone, and thus becomes « a di.cerner of 
 the thoughts and intents of the heartt." The individuals implica- 
 ted may be unaware of this, and may imagine themselves to be 
 influenced by other than the real reasons in their acts and feel- 
 ii.gs. Ihe Jews m their hostility to Christ and his Gospel, con- 
 ceived Jiey were moved by the most patriotic and even reli-ious 
 zea for their peculiar and divinely appointed institutions. But 
 in the passage already quoted our Saviour has disclosed the ge- 
 
 Bom. 
 
 Vlll. 
 
 -t Piiined liy Baii;cr lu 1608 | Hcbr, iv. 12. 
 
42 
 
 SPECIAL EFFOUTS 
 
 nuine occasion of their enmity and opposition : « And thtse 
 thimjs will they do unto you, because they have not known the 
 father nor me*:' The same principle actuated their unbeliev- 
 ing progenitors, of wliom the Almitrhty thus compLiins : «/^ is a 
 *^' people that do err in their hearts, and they have not known my 
 ' ivays : unto whom I sivare in my wrath that they shall not enter 
 " into my rest-\:' 
 
 Fellow.sinners ; I most tenderly beseech you to examine if 
 there be not too much reason to suspect a disti essino- similarity 
 between your case, and that of the g'race-resistinAearers re- 
 corded in this cliapter. Many of you at our recent services, and 
 cUl ot you on the present occasion, have heard " the Word of 
 Crod, "the Gospel of your salva::on:' And in instances not "a • 
 tew the Holy Ghost" hath evidently borne His testimony to 
 liis own divmo message. In your former companions in sin and 
 tolly, some of you have seen the converting influence of that 
 ' hordr You have been witnesses of their cries to God for 
 mercy through Jesus Christ. You have beheld their renounce- 
 ment ofasintul course. Nor can you doubt the sincerity with 
 which they declare that their experiment has proved to be a most 
 •blessedly successful one! Let me entreat you to observe the real 
 state of the question. God arrays you before himself. You are 
 in the same house together ; and He is shewing you what He is 
 able and willing to do for YOU ! In all this Jehovah speaks to 
 you most specially, and in a way of helpfulness of which you must 
 Jiereafter give account! Should you live even another hour, 
 without returning like the prodigal, to your offended yet recon- 
 
 cileable lather ; it must be at your everlasting peril;}: ! 
 
 But come, thou mourning sin-forsaking penitent ! .Dry un 
 thy tears, and listen to the warrant we bring thee for the exercise 
 of thy faith in Christ. « Believe on the Lord Jesus Chris^, and 
 thou shall be saved:' He hath ''once suffered for sins the just 
 Jor the unjust, that he might briny us to God:' " This day is 
 salvation come to this house ;" for « IhJiold NO TV is the accepted 
 time Behold NOW is the day of salvatpn !" Permit us to 
 speak for thee to-night to the King of Kings. Draw near 
 to th_e altar of God, thy exceeding joy^:' On the throne of 
 grace lie waitethto be gracious to thee, and is ready on thy ap- 
 proach to extend to thee the golden sceptre of his saving mercy. 
 
 «' Tlicre tliy exalted Saviour stands, 
 'I'liy mercil'id High Priest ; 
 And r-till extends his; wounded hands, 
 To take thee to his breast." 
 
 'Jolmxvi. \l~\ Psahiixcv. 10. H.-| Firh, . xu.2:^.~-^ /',sr// x,,,„. 1. 
 
KOK THE SOULS Ol MEN. 
 
 4>3 
 
 and 
 
 Our limits unhappily demand a conclusion ere justice has been 
 done to the subject. We iiave placed before you, respected 
 triends, the actual character iind divine origin of a Scriptural 
 " Cowi'emW— that "wwA" of mercy by which '^ the God of 
 heaven" still gives the sanction to His people's work of means ; 
 " the truth as it is in Jesus" thus being rendered elHcient to the 
 subjugation of " the rebellious'' to « the obedience of faith." And 
 while we have honoured the regular and periodical services of the 
 sanctuary we have earnestly pleaded in justification of " at least 
 the occasional use" of Special Efforts for the souls of Men ; leav- 
 ing the modification of the effort in every case to be intelligently 
 and conscientiously determined by its *own peculiarities. We 
 grieve to review the contracted breadth and other defective qua-- 
 hties of the discussion. And desire that our "humble attempt" 
 mav" provoke some abler" advocate to press with greater pro- 
 bability of success this particular brancli of the " ffreat aro-u- 
 ment." ° 
 
 The notices we have offered of some objections against the de- 
 scription of special effort, which has recently and but too feebly 
 commanded our endeavours, will, we do not doubt, fully put us 
 right with any well-intending persons who may have misunder- 
 stood us. We hope our valuable "felloiv-helpers" will be en- 
 couraged again to render their well-appreciated co-operation 
 with the same species of instrumentality, whenever an occasion 
 may present itself. Tliey have truly «' laboured, and have not 
 fainted," nor has their labour been " in vain in the Lord." We 
 publicly offer them our devout thanks ! Alas, l\)r us, that " we 
 are not sufficient of ourselves to thinh any thing, as of ourselves, 
 hut our sufficiency is of God." « The Lordcf Hosts is with us, 
 the God oj Jacob is ovr refrnje." Yes, beloved brethren, " The 
 best ot all is, God is with us !" 
 
 We are not without the hope that an occasional " rebuked 
 may reach the understandings and consciences of " unruly and 
 vain talkers," '' whose mouths must be stopped," either in' their 
 day of grace, or "before the judgment-seat of Christ." That 
 class ot transgressors may be assured it is no small offence " in 
 the sight of God" to discourage attempts to save souls " for 
 whom Christ died*." In His infinite love, may He grant them 
 true " repentance to the acknoiMedqi.ngofthe truth, that they may 
 recover themsch-es out of the snare of ih-' UevU, who hare been 
 fahcn captive by him at his yiU," 
 
 W>ll) \u 
 
 15 ; ( 
 
 or. vjii. lii. 
 
44 
 
 si'F.ciAT FFronrs 
 
 " VVliciicver it has pleascMl God t<» work fiiiy ^ fjreat work'' 
 upon the eartli, even from the earliest times, lie huth stept more 
 or less out of the common way ; whether to excite the attention 
 of a greater number of people than mi^ht otherwise have regard- 
 ed it, or to separate the proud and ])aug'hty of heart from those 
 of an humble child-like spirit ; the former of whom he foresaw 
 trusting in their own wisdom would ^^Jhll on the sf.onn" and " be 
 broken,'^ while the latter enquiring with simplicity would soon 
 know of the work that it was " of God*." 
 
 We solemnly implore all Christian people to lay to heart, the 
 unenlightoncd, and, we fear, not unbhrr'^able inadequacy of their 
 present and customary eiforts to save Ashing world. In our 
 
 National History are distinguished n. . s not a few, whose ho- 
 noured deviations from antiquated principles of warfare, have 
 saved our beloved country from impending humiliation. It was 
 the enterprising discrimination of such intelligent and heroic 
 men as Nelson and Wellington, which by God's Providence 
 laid the foundation of their professional celebrity. Assured of 
 the correctness of their principles, they had the bravery to 
 triumph over the inglorious feor of a salutary innovation ; and in 
 consequence were recompensed with victories by which they at 
 the same time taught philosophy to the universe, while they gua- 
 ranteed immortality to our empire. 
 
 Wliy, then, should not the soldiers of the cross re-investigate 
 their militant maxims? Shall we not entail disgrace upon our- 
 selves, if we make no alteration in our tactics, after the failure of 
 ninnerous campaigns ? " JVhat do we ?" Among other things, let 
 us be willing to merge our regimental distinctions, in an over- 
 whelming zeal for the supremacy of the Sovereign and " Captain 
 of our safvafion." Let us unite our efforts against the common 
 enemy, and fearlessly carry the conflict into his very camp. If we 
 reconnoitre the relative position of the Church and the world, it 
 will be obvious that the moral artillery of heaven, has never yet 
 been brought fully to bear upon the daring antagonistsof the 
 Most High. Our heaviest cannon harmlessly pass over the in- 
 trenchments of our adversaries; while they securely sleep beneath 
 our batteries, and are even presumptuously dreaming of yet hav- 
 ing the triumphant possession of our towering citadel. Surolv it 
 cannot be to the dishonour of the Church Universal, at once to 
 ungarrison her unopcrative forces and to send them out to an 
 immediate combat in the field. She will thus accelerate the pro- 
 mised crisis of complete victory, and behold " M ^' armies of the 
 
 i 
 
 IVcshn'a .']p2icnf to Men of Rrrisnn aini B^.iisxiori 
 
hull IIIE SOULS or AfKN. 45 
 
 al'niii&^^' tliioug'h till' blessing- of (ilod, on tlit- power of Ijo'- com- 
 bined supjvorters, tlirowintr awjiy the weapons of their wjirfure, 
 and fleeing ^\for rcfiKje. to lay hoM upon the hope set before tts." 
 If it would not bo deemed preSumptuous, we wou'd take the 
 liberty very respectfuliy to invit to the question of "Si>ecial 
 Effouts for the Souls or Men," the most earnest and 
 prayerful attention of Christian Ministers in general. — " JVoiild 
 God'' that we may all become more actuatingly familiar witii the 
 dread circumstantials of our own sacred responsibilities ! — " Let 
 the dcdd Itunj their dcaii, but go tee eind preach the Kuit/dom of 
 (lod" — " fVith the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven." And 
 }) reach we, — 
 
 " As il wt; ue'ci shuulJ jireach again, 
 •Awil a.i a 'lyiii. man ♦n Jyiin' iiipn " 
 
'tmmmm^Makmm.^ 
 
 » 
 
 No. 1. PACiK 11.—" 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 d divine iittestation to IhcininniutiJiis work whirli fins hcni 
 DO divitu'hj ijfcttcd." 
 
 Tlio following ronthmutory opiriious m- satisly the (:uiisi;ii-iitons .MKiiiirtir, that 
 111 tho foregoing diicourso the teachings oi . ^ Holy Scriptiues ou tins suhiect liave 
 not beuii niisiepresontfd ; and they are adiliMi, " that in the month of two ur 
 three imlncms, every word may be established.'"— ( Mutth. xviii. IG.) 
 
 1. Extract froin the Pastoral Jlddresn of the British Weslkyan Methodist 
 CoNFEHKNCE hi IS.'IS : " Froiu the begiunirjg we have always believed and 
 tanght that personal religi(jn implies a ])err^oiial oxiterience of the i)ardoning mercy 
 ol God. As wo miderstaud Christian doctrine, tlie witness of the Holy Spirit to tho 
 hict of the bchovui's adoption ink) the family of God, is intimately connected, not 
 only with Ins coinlbrt, but with his holiness. The venerahle Wesley repeatedly 
 quoted the emphatic declaration of St. John : ' We luve Him, because He hath 
 luvtdus, as biieJiy expressing his own view of religion. If evc-r we depart from 
 this, 'Jhe glori/ will be departed lioin us."— (1 Sum. iv. 22.) 
 
 2. From a Sermon on the subject by the lievd. John WesiIey :— " We must be 
 holy in heart and life before we can be conscious tliat we are so. Eut wo must love 
 God bolorc we can be holy at all ; this being the root of all holiness. Now, w ^ 
 cannot lovo God, till we know He loves iis ; and we cannot know His love to us, 
 till His Spirit witnesses it to our spirit. Since, therelore, the testimony of His Spirit 
 must precede ijie lovo of God and all holiness, of eonsequeuce, it must precede our 
 consciousness thereof" 
 
 3. From the celebrated John Cai.vin, on Rom. viii. 16:—" St. Paul means 
 that the Spirit of God gives such a testimony to us, that He being our (iuide and 
 Teacher, oiirspiiit concludes oiu adopiion of God to be certain. For our mind of 
 itsell, indepeiulciit of//tt' preceili/itr tesiimoiiy of the S[>irit, coidd not produce v'lis 
 persuasion m u.«. For wiiilst the Sjjirit witnesses that we are the sons of God, He 
 at tile same tune inspires this coniuleucc uito our minds, tliat we a.«* IjcJld to call God 
 our I' at her.'' 
 
 4. r'rom JJr John Owen, on the tiame pa-'i.sai^e:—'' The witness which our 
 osvn sjMnts do give unto our adojjtion, is the work and ellect of the Holv Ghost in us. 
 It he declare not our sou.--liip to us and in us, wo cannot know it. (1 Cur. ii. 11.) 
 How doth He then bear witness to our spirits .' What is the distinct testimony .' It 
 must be some such act of His a? evidenceth itself to be from Him immediately, unto 
 them that are concerned in it, tliut is, those to whom it is given." 
 
 5. From the learned Poole, on the same passaa;e : — " Tluj Spirit of adojjtiotx 
 doth not only excite us to call upon God as our Father, but it doth ascertain and 
 as,sure us, as before, that we are His children. And this it doth not by an outward 
 voice, as (\oA tl>e Father to Jesus Christ, nor by an angel, as to Daniel and the 
 Vtrgin Mary, but by an inward and secret suggestion, whereby He laisodi our hearts 
 to this persuasion, that God is our Fatlier, and we are His children. This is not ilie 
 testimony ol the graces and operations of the Spirit, but of ' the Spirit itself' " 
 {Gi: " the .self-same Spirit.") 
 
 6. From IJr. Watts :— " Come Holy Spirit, heavenly Dove ! 
 
 With all thy quickening powers ; 
 Come, shed abroad a Saviour's love. 
 And th'if sfial/ kindie our.H." 
 
 7. " Bishop Pearson, in his elaborate work o)ifhe Creed, and Dr. Uakkow, iii 
 his Sernio/is, are equally 'xijlicit in slating this Sciipluial doctiine." See Wat- 
 son's Theoloiiicat JJictionary. Art. "■ Hoi.v (lirtjsi ' 
 
 (\ 
 
 f \ 
 
 4 
 
AHPKNDIX. 
 
 i 
 
 i 
 
 i\u. 2 Pagk Ui.-~"Jif/mini>itn\inftkt Churcit uj England and Ireland, «.< 
 
 /*£'// ///( fltriiy itj othtr C/iurcUes." 
 
 It 1- liwpc.l lliiU tlio Cliristiaii luiiiistt!!, uf whatcvui' Cliurcli. may I'fol hi? spirit 
 lit!l[jlully iiilliioiiood, wliilc ponisiiig tiio uxtracts cnijiiirig, on tliis isiibjout. 
 
 1. From the Ilunurablc and iUvcrind Uaptist VV. Nokl, of the Church of 
 hlni^land, to a minifiitr of the snmc church, who condcuined his uniting 
 with Christians of other rhurches in cndcavourini:; to save souls, in " the ne- 
 fleeted /larts" of London, and had advised him to korbeau such union, as 
 CONTRARY TO THK I.AWS OF HIS CiiuucH ! Fkbruary ti, 1839 :— " Thecli'ect 
 
 ^ol'yoLir advice would be. to tuin thousand.-^ of imiiiostal souls ' If you would not 
 leave behind you the incniory ^^f havini,' hindered the truth l)eifl| addressed to thou- 
 sands, who might have heard it from plain, pious, sensible, experienced Christian 
 men, with no other object in view than to save tiieir souls, I beseech you strengthen 
 the efforts which you have labouretl to destroy. Every one of your pieinises is 
 fallacious, as I could easily shew ; but I do not want to enter into controversy. But 
 I Jo entreat you for Christ's sake, if you have any love to Him, do not oppose His 
 Cause, do not hinder the ignorant hearing of His love in any way, till you can shew 
 a better way hi which diat knowledge may be imparted. Let me beg you, as be- 
 comes a^Christian, to retrace your .^teps, and aid us in trying to save some of these 
 jK)or creatures from ETERNAL DEATH !" 
 
 2. Fnm) the Qui:bec Mercvry , Jlugnst 3, 1839 :— " The practice of preaching 
 uiit of doors has been revivfed in Great Britain." 
 
 3. From Weslkv's Works, fol. I. p. 185, London, Hvo edit. 1830. ^la con- 
 tinuationof the note in page 25, it should be added, that on the following day, Mr. 
 VVhitefield having left Bristol, Mr. Wesley says,] " At four in the afternoon, I 
 submitted to be ' more vile,' and proclaimed in the highways the glad tidings of sal- 
 vation, speaking from a little eminence in a ground acljoffting to the city, to about 
 three thousand people. The scripture on which 1 spoke was this, f is it possible any 
 one should be ignorant tliat it is fulfilled in every true Minister of Christ .'> ' The. 
 Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel 
 to the poor. He hath sent me to heal the brohc7i-hearted : to preach deliverance 
 to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind. To set at liberty them that are 
 bruised, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." Luke iv. 17, to 19. This 
 occurrence took place en Monday, April the second, 1739. 
 
 4. From the Revd. T. Jackson's invaluable " Centenary of IVeslcyan Method- 
 ism ;"_«' This was not the first time that Mr. Wesley had preached in the open 
 uir. He did this in Georgia, before Mr. Whitelield was ordained ; but it does not 
 appear that he had any intention of resuming the practice in England, till he was 
 stimulated by the example and urgent advice of his friend. But having once adopt- 
 ed this mode of nnparting religious instruction to the neglected classes of the com- 
 munity, he never abandoned it to the end of his life, being deeply convinced of its 
 utility, and strenuously recommending the frequent use of it t(j all the Preachers 
 who laboured in connexion with him.'' 
 
 5. From the same :—"■ When Mr. Wesley had been accustomed thus to preach 
 in London for more than twenty years, he says, ' A vast majority of the mimense 
 ' congregation in Moorfields were deeply serious. One such hour might convince 
 ' any impartial man of the expediency of field-preaching. What building, except 
 ' St. Paul's Church, would contain such a congregation ? And if it would, whathu- 
 
 • man voice could have reached them there ? ;By repeated observations, I find I 
 ' can command thrice the number in the open air that I can under a roof. And 
 ' who can say the time for field-preaching is over, while, (i.) Greater numbers than 
 
 * ever attend, (ii.) The converting as well as the convincing power of God i.s 
 ' cmhicntly present with them V—lVeslry's Works, Vol. X. p^. 515 "