and free even to licentiousness. Perhaps there is scarcely any excitement of the public mind that has produced a deeper attention; none that can by a Christian or a patriot be regarded as of higher moment, or as more likely to affect the best interests of man. The friend of revivals regards it as a fact of deep interest, that scarcely a village smiles upon the American landscape that has not been consecrated in early history by the presence and power of the Holy Ghost in a revival of religion. He discerns in the spire that points to heaven, proof that that is a place perhaps more than once honoured by the presence of Israel's God. He sees in the reigning order, peace and prosperity, proofs that the power of God has been felt there. He finds in its schools, its industry, its morals, its benevolence, demonstration that Christianity there has struck its roots deep in some mighty work of God's Spirit, and, as the result, is sending out branches bending with rich and mellow fruits. He can recall there some thrilling period in its history when a spirit of prayer and seriousness gave its character to the growing village, and when, under the influence of such a revival, a moulding hand was extended over all the social habits of the place. If such is their influence, it is an act of mere justice that

Christianity should not be deprived of the claims which it has on the gratitude of the nation; it is a duty which we owe to ourselves and our country to understand and to appreciate causes, so deeply affecting our welfare.

There is one other reason why I propose to bring this subject before you, and indeed the main reason which has operated on my mind in doing it; it is, whether it is to be expected that such scenes will be witnessed in large cities and towns, or whether there are in the very nature of a city population insuperable obstacles to the existence of revivals of religion there. It is certain that in our own land they have occurred much more frequently in the comparatively quiet retreats of the country; and that such scenes as are characteristically known as revivals of religion are scarcely known in large cities like the one wherein we dwell. Knowing as we do the effect which cities must have, and do have, on religion, the chastity, the temperance, the intelligence, and the liberty of a nation; and knowing as we do the ten thousand obstacles which exist there to the promotion of true religion, it is a question of deep interest whether Christians are to expect now, in such places, scenes like that on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem. It is with main reference to

this inquiry that I have commenced this course of lectures; and my general plan will be, TO

STATE THE NATURE OF A REVIVAL OF RELIGION; ΤΟ CONSIDER THE RELATION OF REVIVALS TO THIS COUNTRY; TO SHOW THE

IMPORTANCE

OF

PROMOTING

RELIGION

IN

CITIES; ΤΟ SHOW WHAT IS THE GENERAL CHARACTER OF CITIES WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THIS INQUIRY; TO CONSIDER WHETHER REVIVALS MAY BE EXPECTED TO OCCUR IN CITIES; AND TO SHOW THE DESIRABLENESS OF SUCH WORKS OF GRACE THERE.

The following things will express what is meant by a revival of religion; or the following truths are essential elements in the theory of such a revival:

It

1. There may be a radical and permanent change in a man's mind on the subject of religion. This change it is customary to express by the word regeneration, or the new birth. supposes that, before this, man is entirely alienated from God, and that he first begins to love him when he experiences this change. The previous state is one of sin; the subsequent is a state of holiness. The former is death; the latter is life. The former is the agitation of a troubled sea, which cannot rest; the latter calm

ness, peace, joy. This change is the most thorough through which the human mind ever passes. It effects a complete revolution in the man, and his opposite states are characterized by words that express no other states in the human mind. This change is instantaneous. The exact moment may not be known, and the previous seriousness and anxiety may be of longer or shorter continuance; but there is a moment when the heart is changed, and when the man that was characteristically a sinner becomes characteristically a Christian. This change is always attended with feeling. The man is awakened to a sense of his danger; feels with more or less intensity that he is a sinner; resolves to abandon his sins and seek for pardon; is agitated with conflicts of greater or less intensity on giving up his sins; finds greater or feebler obstacles in his way; and at last resolves to cast himself on the mercy of God in the Redeemer, and to become a Christian. The result is, in all cases, permanent peace and joy. It is the peace of the soul when pardon is pronounced on the guilty, and when the hope of immortal glory first dawns on a benighted mind. It may be beautifully illustrated by the loveliness of the landscape when the sun. at evening breaks out after a tempest; or by the

calmness of the ocean as it subsides after the storm. In the fact that such a change may occur, all Christians agree; in such a change is laid the whole theory of a revival of religion. Let many sinners simultaneously turn to God; let conversions to Christ, instead of being few and far between, become numerous, rapidly occurring, and decided in their character, and you have all that is usually meant when we speak of revivals, so far as conversions are concerned. Still these are all individual conversions, accomplished in each case by the Holy Spirit, and in exact accordance with the design of the Gospel, and evincing its glory. Each one is converted in the same way, by the same truth, by the same great agent, the Holy Spirit, as though he were alone, and not another mind had been awakened or converted. It is the conversion of a number of individuals from sin to holiness, and from Satan unto God. Look on the heavens in a clear night, and you will have an illustration of what we mean. The stars that are set in that broad zone of light which stretches over the firmament-the milky way,—are single stars, each subject to its own laws, moving in its sphere, glorious, probably, in its own array of satellites; but their rays meet and mingle-not less beauti