no one ought to be satisfied, and in which it is not commonly expected, that Christians should possess much faith or fervor. Many have taken this for granted, and poured bitter lamentations over those churches which are enjoying no revivals of religion, although those very churches may be walking in the faith and order of the gospel, growing in grace, and not only waiting, but praying and labouring for "the salvation of the Lord,” in reference to their fellow-men. Moreover, it has come to be a question for discussion, whether the churches may not enjoy a perpetual and uninterrupted revival. Now, we regard this as a misapplication and abuse of language; for a thing which, in its very nature, cannot take place, except in peculiar circumstances, and at irregular intervals, can never be permanent and uninterrupted. If the inquiry were made, whether a church could enjoy permanent prosperity, that is, grow in knowledge, faith, and purity, and have such accessions made to it, either from week to week, month to month, or year to year, as shall, upon the whole, increase its numbers and strength, the thing could be fully understood, and easily determined from the word of God, as both possible and desirable. Faith and prayer, active exertion, and the blessing of Heaven, will certainly secure this to every Christian church. But when such vague and, as we consider them, unscriptural views are taken of the meaning of the expression, it becomes a matter of doubt and

The expression, revival of religion, has been in common use in this country for a number of years, as designating a season of special interest and prosperity in the church, or in particular churches. When a religious body is not enjoying any special and unusual prosperity, and receiving accessions of converted persons from the world, it is said to be not a time of revival. Occasionally, you will hear such bodies describing their condition, as one in which, though no revival is enjoyed, the institutions and ordinances of God are attended to, and peace and harmony exist among the members. It consequently happens, that revivals are regarded only as occasional events, which happen at irregular and distant intervals, and which, in their very nature, are intended to be transitory. They are considered as exceedingly desirable, are anticipated with intense interest by the churches, and when they come, are hailed with demonstrations of peculiar joy. But, somehow, they do not last long, and, after visiting the churches for a few months, take their departure, to the deep and unfeigned regret of all interested. Hence, also, the intermediate seasons, the seasons, we mean, which intervene between revivals,-have come to be regarded as necessarily seasons of depression and declension, with which

weeks or

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then come down again to the low level of worldliness and unbelief, only to make new efforts at some future period, and repeat the same process of relapse, till their spiritual strength was actually exhausted, the church weakened, and the world hardened in unbelief. Religion has thus been made a matter of mere feeling, feeling changeable as the wind; while principle, and the practical everyday obedience dependent upon principle, have been discarded and neglected. The church has become nervous, hysterical, and diseased, and much of the health and vigour of earlier and better days has been lost.

And it must be so, as long as the faith and enjoyment of individual Christians is made to depend upon the outward prosperity of the church, and especially upon the conversion of sinners, instead of being made to depend upon the veracity and goodness of "a covenantkeeping God." It has been too hastily concluded, that the want of special success in the conversion of sinners is an indication of individual and general declension; hence, individuals and churches have become dissatisfied with themselves, and discouraged about their prospects. The result has been, the prostration of faith and joy, without which it is difficult, or even impossible, to make much progress in the divine life. In this way, Christians have never been happy, except when the church to which they belonged have been enjoying a revival. Then all was life, energy, and joy; faith grew strong, and love "began to sing;' but the revival has declined, and all that is holy and delightful declined along with it. We do not mean to say, that this has been universally the case among the churches; but it has prevailed to a very great extent.

In the Scriptures, the words revival and revive are used with a considerable variety of applications. They are used, in one case, to describe the resurrection of Christ from the dead; in another, the return of hope and joy to the wounded heart; in a third, the deliverance of Israel, as a nation, from depression and calamity; and in a fourth, the diffusion of vigour and elasticity through the wearied spirit and exhausted body. When applied to the church, they describe her resuscitation from comparative death, and her consequent restoration to prosperity and power. They may also be used, in this connexion, to describe a

remarkable elevation of character, and increase of energy and hope, with a corresponding extension of influence on the part of the church, after a season of languor and inactivity. This is probably the meaning of the word revive, in the prayer of the prophet: "O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid; 0 Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years; in the midst of the years make known, in wrath remember mercy." In such a use of the term, it is equivalent to the words awake and resurrection, which, in their etymological structure and general import, may be regarded as nearly synonymous with revive and revival. Indeed, this term, properly speaking, means, living again, or a resuscitation. Revival is truly "life from the dead;" a state of such energy, hope, and enjoyment, that even in those cases where there has not been a total extinction of every thing good, the preceding state of things has appeared, by contrast, one of darkness and death.

If this, however, is a correct interpretation of the term,—and we think it is, though, for the sake of brevity, we have not quoted the passages of Scripture in which it occurs, with one exception,what shall we think of those churches or those Christians who are living and dying alternately during the whole of their existence; and especially of those who expect thus to live and to die, and make no attempt to produce a more uniform and consistent state of things? Is this Christianity, which, in individuals, at least, is intended to be progressive? Is it that divine system, which, by the Spirit of God, is fitted to produce in us "all the peaceable fruits of righteousness, and the work of faith with power;" and under the holy influence of which Christians and Christian churches are to arrive at the stature of perfect men and perfect societies "in Christ Jesus?" It may be Christianity; but it is Christianity shorn of its strength, and exerting but a feeble and imperfect influence over individuals and churches.

In the scriptural sense of the word, the most distinguished and glorious revival of religion was that which took place at the resurrection of Christ, the consequent descent of the Holy Ghost, on the day of Pentecost, and the conversion of so many thousand souls. In this case, the spiritual Zion, which had existed from the earliest times, was, as it were, resuscitated, and clothed afresh with beauty

and power.

Hence the prophecy of Isaiah, addressed to the church, with reference to this season,-". Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee," and the corresponding prophecy," Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem," are thus expressed by the apostle Paul, in language more pointed and condensed: "Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." No language could more beautifully or striking- | ly express the true nature of a religious revival.

The reformation from popery, during the sixteenth century, was another distinguished revival; for then the church, awaking from the slumber of ages, started into a new and more glorious life, and went forth, "conquering and to conquer," over the whole continent of Eu

rope.

Religion was also greatly revived by the preaching of Whitefield, Wesley, and Edwards, in England and in this country, at a subsequent period. Then a season of comparative deadness and inactivity was by their means turned into one of life and energy. Hundreds and thousands were converted to God; and Zion was not only greatly enlarged, but greatly purified and blest.

There was probably an extensive revival of religion in this country ten years ago; but the results have not equalled expectation, and many judicious men have intimated, with great probability of its truth, that the church is now suffering a decline. A little work has been just published by Dr. Chaplin, assigning the causes which have produced this condition of things; and amongst others, he notices the following: "The prevalence of the opinion, that religious principles cannot be expected, in most cases, to be steady and constant.' We have no doubt, that genuine revivals have taken place in some particular churches, during the last ten years, some of which have been of a very peculiar and glorious kind; for small and feeble churches, churches, too, that were, in a great measure, dead and inactive,-have, by what we cannot more appropriately designate than as a special interposition of divine influence, been rendered large, active, and prosperous bodies. But the doctrine of religious revival has been misunderstood and misapplied. Attempts have

been made to substitute occasional and excessive excitement for the regular and systematic operation of Christian principle. Reaction has ensued; false principles have been engendered; the sober, every-day duties of religion have been neglected; churches have been discouraged; and the plain preaching of the gospel has been shorn of its power. A large amount of intellectual ́and moral energy has been wasted, in consequence of misdirection; and hence, as we have already intimated, many churches and private Christians are suffering from exhaustion and paralysis. Many persons, also, have been introduced to the churches, under the influence of temporary excitement, who had not really passed from death to life, and are now, in consequence, diffusing their deadly leaven through the entire mass.

Besides, preachers and others have very generally adopted the sentiment, that churches and individual Christians are responsible, not for the performance of their duty to the unconverted, but for the salvation of the unconverted. It has consequently come to be an article of their creed, that whenever sinners are not converted, the church, or individuals belonging to the church, are to blame for it. They are most assuredly to blame, for not using the means requisite to secure the conversion of sinners; but we are yet to learn, that they are responsible for the results, after having thus used the means. And that this may be done, and yet no conversions ensue at specific times and in specific places, is a fact abundantly proved by experience. How can we account for the want of such success on the part of the Saviour, when, having preached the gospel to many cities and villages, it is said, "he wondered at their unbelief?" How can we account for the failure of stupendous miracles and divine teaching, in the case of Chorazin and Bethsaida; or for what the Saviour says of them,-"Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they would have repented!" We can account for these things, not by blaming the preacher or the church, but by referring it to the excessive obduracy of those hearts, which could resist such appeals. But the opposite has been very generally taught from our pulpits, and cherished by our churches; and the consequence is, sinners have been hardened in their