But if the preachers on all such occasions, were enlightened, so that when any sinner is awakened, becomes penitent, and desirous to know what he should do to be saved, and he could and would tell him forthwith what God required him to do, in the unequivocal language of the New Testament, who can fail to see that the results would be entirely different? This, we affirm, may and should be the case in every instance, and we hesitate not to say, in the most unequivocal language, that such is the case under the preaching of enlightened men. We go even further, and declare with all possible emphasis, that God never authorized any man to preach who could not, on any occasion, point out to the believing, inquiring penitent, what he should do to be saved, or what he should do to enter into the kingdom of God. We have it recorded from the Lord’s own lips, and from the lips of his inspired apostles, what they directed inquirers or seekers to do, to obtain pardon and admission into Christ’s kingdom, and any preacher who can not or can, but has not the honor to do it, give their holy and infallible directions to the dying sinner, seeking his way to God, was never called, sent nor authorized by God to preach the gospel, and should not be regarded as such.
It is also of the highest importance that we employ gospel means for the awakening sinners and arousing them from their slumbers. Some preachers have contracted the habit of making an immense variety of appeals to affecting occurrences—describing sympathetic scenes, simply for the purpose of producing feeling in the audience. Great injury may be done in this way, by arousing human sympathy, moving the soul and causing men to act, who do not love the Lord and have not had the first serious thought of consecrating their lives to his holy service. We say not this, because we fear too much excitement, too much feeling, or too much interest, but because the excitement is not of the right kind. The work is of no value unless it be the Lord’s work.—It is not his work unless done by his acknowledged and approved instrumentalities. The gospel is his power for salvation. The excitement produced in a community by preaching Christ—the work produced in the heart by preaching the gospel, is the Lord’s work. It is a divine cause, producing a divine effect. But if the cause be merely human, the effect can be no more than human.
We want the protracted meeting then, to deliver an unbroken series of gospel discourses to the people—that we may be enabled to call off their attention from the ordinary cares of life, and more especially from their sins, and place our glorious Lord and Redeemer before their minds—induce them to consider him, in all his gracious condescension, his life filled up with acts of kindness, goodness and humanity, his prayers, agonies and tears, his wonderful death, his descent to the grave, his victorious conquest over death and his triumphant and glorious ascension into heaven and coronation, as the King of kings and Lord of lords—that he is now exalted to the heavens—to the throne of the universe, to grant repentance and remission of sins, and that there is no other name given under heaven, nor among men whereby ye can be saved.
When a full exhibition of Christ—of the gospel, is made to men, in a series of discourses, and their hearts are moved, their souls filled with love and gratitude to him whom they discover to be their only Benefactor, their Lord, their Savior and only Redeemer, then we meet them with his own infallible directions, as they fell from his own lips and the lips of his holy apostles, and we never find it fail to give peace to the soul, and if carried out to give the utmost assurance in after life and death of acceptance with God and an eternal reward. Go on, then, brethren, with the protracted meetings, and preach the word of the everlasting God to sinners as long as a man can be found who will bear it, and then be careful to take care of the young converts and keep them in the work of the Lord.
[SCENE IN A HOTEL.]
OCTOBER 7th, we started for Lebanon, where we had an appointment at night. The rains not having extended east, the road was fine and we glided along beautifully and reached Germantown about twelve o’clock. Not being acquainted with any person in the place, we drove up to the only public house we saw, and called for dinner and horse fed. On entering the bar room, the landlord skipped around the counter, and running his keen eye over the immense assortment of intoxicating liquors which lined one end of the room, politely inquired what we would drink. We answered, “a cup of cold water sir, if you please, when dinner is ready.” His countenance fell, but he recovered himself and invited us to take a seat. Presently in came a dirty, rough looking fellow, with his greasy pants patched from top to bottom, and placed himself at the counter, with his feet about as far apart upon the floor as his legs were long, and rolled up his red eyes as he looked out from his bloated face, while the landlord called out, “What will you have sir?” He answered, “Hand down old Rough and Ready,” when a huge bottle of the fiery stuff was instantly set down. He poured a common sized glass tumbler two-thirds full, swallowed it, smacked his lips and took his seat. During this time he uttered some dozen or two of the most horrid oaths he could think of. One after another came in till some twenty had entered the room in a similar style, among whom there was not one, not excepting the landlord, who was not a profane swearer. Now the dinner bell rang, and in a perfect rush we gathered round the table well spread with the bounties of life. The stream of oaths continued from almost every mouth. Presently my right hand man commenced entertaining the company by giving an account of his travels among the Hoosiers, how ignorant they were, and that he had some notion of turning out preacher among them, as he was certain he could have made lots of money in that way! Poor silly creature thought we; you must get sense enough to eat your dinner in a civil manner, when you are in the company of a stranger, before you can even be an impostor.
Should we call at such a house to stay over night, we should surely leave, after finding what kind of company we had fallen into. To be annoyed by the awful stench of tobacco smoke, spit and snuff, with the wretched scent of a company of men who are never sober, is what we will not endure if there is any other chance.