3. You see the error of those who are
beginning to think that religion can be better promoted in the world without revivals, and who are disposed to give up all efforts to produce
religious awakenings. Because there are evils arising in some instances out of great excitements on the subject of religion, they are of opinion
that it is best to dispense with them altogether. This cannot, and must not be. True, there is danger of abuses. In cases of great religious
as well as all other excitements, more or less incidental evils may be expected of course. But this is no reason why they should be given up. The
best things are always liable to abuses. Great and manifold evils have originated in the providential and moral governments of God. But these foreseen
perversions and evils were not considered a sufficient reason for giving them up. For the establishment of these governments was on the whole the
best that could be done for the production of the greatest amount of happiness. So in revivals of religion, it is found by experience, that in
the present state of the world, religion cannot be promoted to any considerable extent without them. The evils which are sometimes complained
of, when they are real, are incidental, and of small importance when compared with the amount of good produced by revivals. The sentiment
should not be admitted by the church for a moment, that revivals may be given up. It is fraught with all that is dangerous to the interests of
Zion, is death to the cause of missions,
and brings in its train the damnation of the world.
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