III. I AM
TO CONSIDER THE AGENCIES EMPLOYED IN CARRYING FORWARD A REVIVAL OF RELIGION.
Ordinarily, there are three agents employed
in the work of conversion, and one instrument. The agents are God,—some person who brings the truth to bear on the mind,—and the sinner himself.
The instrument is the truth. There are always two agents, God and
the sinner, employed and active in every case of genuine conversion.
1. The agency of God is two-fold; by his
Providence and by his Spirit.
(1.) By his providential government, he so
arranges events as to bring the sinner’s mind and the truth in contact. He brings the sinner where the truth reaches his ears or his eyes. It is
often interesting to trace the manner in which God arranges events so as to bring this about, and how he sometimes makes every thing seem to favor
a revival. The state of the weather, and of the public health, and other circumstances concur to make every thing just right to favor the
application of truth with the greatest possible efficacy. How he sometimes sends a minister along, just at the time he is wanted! How he brings out a
particular truth, just at the particular time when the individual it is fitted to reach is in the way to hear!
(2.) God’s special agency by his Holy
Spirit. Having direct access to the mind, and knowing infinitely well the whole history and state of each individual sinner, he employs that truth
which is best adapted to his particular case, and then sets it home with Divine power. He gives it such vividness, strength, and power, that the
sinner quails, and throws down his weapons of rebellion, and turns to the Lord. Under his influence, the truth burns and cuts its way like fire. He
makes the truth stand out in such aspects, that it crushes the proudest man down with the weight of a mountain. If men were disposed to
obey God, the truth is given with sufficient clearness 17in
the Bible; and from preaching they could learn all that is necessary for them to know. But because they are wholly disinclined to obey it,
God clears it up before their minds, and pours in a blaze of convincing light upon their souls, which they cannot withstand, and they yield to it,
and obey God, and are saved.
2. The agency of men is commonly employed.
Men are not mere instruments in the hands of God. Truth is the
instrument. The preacher is a moral agent in the work; he acts; he is not a mere passive instrument; he is voluntary in promoting the conversion of
sinners.
3. The agency of the sinner himself. The
conversion of a sinner consists in his obeying the truth. It is therefore impossible it should take place without his agency, for it consists in his
acting right. He is influenced to this by the agency of God, and by the agency of men. Men act on their fellow-men, not only by language, but by
their looks, their tears, their daily deportment. See that impenitent man there, who has a pious wife. Her very looks, her tenderness, her solemn,
compassionate dignity, softened and moulded into the image of Christ are a sermon to him all the time. He has to turn his mind away, because it is
such a reproach to him. He feels a sermon ringing in his ears all day long.
Mankind are accustomed to read the
countenances of their neighbors. Sinners often read the state of a Christian’s mind in his eyes. If his eyes are full of levity, or worldly
anxiety and contrivance, sinners read it. If they are full of the Spirit of God, sinners read it; and they are often led to conviction by barely
seeing the countenance of Christians.
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