III. CERTAIN FEATURES OF THE 18TH CENTURY REVIVALS.
(Continued from p. 143).
IN connection with the great awakening of the 18th Century there were certain accompaniments which occasioned some to stand in doubt as to whether it was really a work of the Holy Spirit or simply a kind of mass excitement that moved the people profoundly. Others went much further in their condemnation, making little or no distinction between what was spurious and what was genuine. Those who are familiar with the literature describing the great revivals of the past will remember how some of the phenomena accompanying these revivals caused concern even to those who had no doubt but that the Spirit of God was working powerfully in the hearts of multitudes. These phenomena, such as outcryings, faintings, bodily prostrations, etc., accompanied the great revivals in Stewarton and Irvine in the 17th century and in the New England revivals in the 17th and 18th centuries, and also the awakenings under the preaching of Robert Murray MacCheyne, William C. Burns and Dr. Macdonald, Ferintosh in the 19th century. It was in connection with the revival in New England in the 18th century that Jonathan Edwards wrote his classic work on the subject—Treatise Concerning Religious Affections. His design in issuing this treatise as he tells us was to use his best endeavours “to show the distinguishing marks of a work of the Spirit of God, including both His common and saving operations.” It is a work of great acuteness in which the subject is dealt with by a master mind and a minister whose own labours were signally blessed by the Holy Spirit. The treatise should be read by all interested in the subject. It is a work that is very searching and will make the serious minded reader look well and often to the foundation on which his hope is resting for eternity. In another work—Revival of Religion in New England—the great New England theologian deals with the same subject in which he reviews the phenomena accompanying the New England Revivals in his own time and in which he took such a prominent part. This also is worthy of serious persual by all interested in the work of the Holy Spirit in revivals. In the introduction to his Treatise Concerning Religious Affections* he says: It is by the mixture of counterfeit religion with true, not discerned and distinguished, that the devil has had his greatest advantage against the cause and kingdom of Christ, all along hitherto. It is by this means, principally, that he has prevailed against all revivings of religion, that ever have been since the first founding of the Christian Church. By this, he hurt the cause of Christianity, in and after the apostolic age, much more than by all the persecutions of both Jews and Heathens. The Apostles in all their Epistles, show themselves much more concerned at the former mischief, than the latter. By this Satan prevailed against the Reformation, begun by Luther, Zuinglius, etc., to put a stop to its progress, and bring it into disgrace; ten times more, than by all those bloody, cruel, and before unheard of persecutions of the Church of Rome. By this, principally, he has prevailed against revivals of religion, that have been in our nation since the Reformation. By this he prevailed against New England, to quench the love and spoil the joy of her espousals, about a hundred years ago. And I think, I have had opportunity enough to see plainly that by this the devil has prevailed against the late revival of religion in New England, so happy and promising in the beginning. Here, most evidently, has been the main advantage Satan has had against us; by this he has foiled us. It is by this means, that the daughter of Zion in this land now lies on the ground in such piteous circumstances as we now behold her; with her
* Many years ago the writer heard from the lips of the late Mr. William Campbell, missionary, Wick, an account of an experience he (Mr. Campbell) had at Tain in his early manhood. Dr. Macdonald was preaching in the parish Church which was crowded to the door with crowds of people standing outside. The Doctor had given out the Psalm and was reading it when like a wave passed over the people who bowed before it as corn before the wind. This was followed by the cries of many, prostrations of others; some were fainting and others were praying in an agony. Dr. Macdonald rebuked the people and all was still. When the congregation dispersed men and women went down on their knees by the roadside praying to God. On being asked was there much fruit afterwards Mr. Campbell replied: “Very little.” He further remarked that when he saw the effect produced on others he was longing that he too might feel it.—Editor.
garments rent, her face disfigured, her nakedness exposed, her limbs broken, and weltering in the blood of her own wounds, and in no wise able to arise; and this, so quickly after her late great joys and hopes.” In endeavouring to account for these spurious manifestations as far as they are manifested in the individual, Edwards says: “The weakness of human nature has always appeared in times of great revival of religion, by a disposition to run to extremes and get into confusion; and especially in these three things, enthusiasm, superstition and intemperate zeal.”
In his Narrative Mr. Robe devotes a chapter to those who had been converted in a quiet, unobserved way and another to those who cried out in distress when they were awakened but who were not under bodily affections. In another chapter he deals with the cases of those whose bodies had real and sensible influences in a more unusual way. These cases included such as complained of pains in their arms and legs, and others who were seized with trembling. While others were overcome with fear which produced convulsive fits and hysteria in women and girls. Again, there were some whose imagination was affected to such a degree that they said they were seeing Christ with their bodily eyes. Mr. Robe dealt with such cases as came under his observation and warned those who professed to have seen the Saviour with their bodily eyes that they could not do so and that even though that were possible it would not save them as there were multitudes who saw Him with the bodily eye when He dwelt among men who were not saved. All these phases were not unheard of in other days as Mr. Robe points out in the following quotation from Fleming’s Fulfilling of the Scripture:—”I must here instance a very solemn and extraordinary outletting of the Spirit” says Fleming “which about the year 1625 and thereafter, was in the west of Scotland, whilst the persecution of the Church was hot from the Prelatic party. This by the profane rabble was called the ‘Stewarton Sickness,’ for in that parish first—but after through much of the country, particularly at Irvine, under the ministry of the famous Mr. Dickson—it was most remarkable, where it can be said (which divers ministers and Christians yet alive can witness) that for a considerable time few Sabbaths passed without some being eminently converted, and some convincing proof of the power of God accompanying His Word, yea, that many were so choked and taken by the heart, that through terror, the Spirit in such a measure convincing them of sin, in hearing of the Word, they have been made to fall over, and thus carried out of the church, who afterward proved most solid and lively Christians; and, as it was known, some of the most gross, who used to mock at religion, being induced from the fame that went abroad of such things, to go to some of those parts where the gospel was then most lively, have been effectually reached before their return, with a visible change following the same. And truly this great spring-tide which I may call it of the gospel was not of a short time, but for some year’s continuance; yea, thus like a spreading moor-burn the power of godliness advanced from one place to another, which put a marvellous lustre on those parts of the country, the savour whereof brought many other parts of the land to see the truth of the same.”
(To be continued).