Revival lectures – Charles G Finney

REVIVAL LECTURES

BY THE
REV. CHARLES G. FINNEY,
1792-1875

FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY. Publishers
Old Tappan, New Jersey
Printed in the
United States of America
Reformatted by Katie Stewart
.
.
Table of Contents
LECTURE I.
–
WHAT A REVIVAL OF RELIGION IS.
What a revival of religion is not – What it is – The agencies employed in promoting it.
LECTURE II.
–
WHEN A REVIVAL IS TO BE EXPECTED.
When a revival is needed – The importance of a revival when it is needed – When a revival of religion
maybe
expected.
LECTURE III.
–
HOW TO PROMOTE A REVIVAL.
What it is to break up the fallow ground – How it is to be performed.
LECTURE IV.
–
PREVAILING PRAYER.
What is effectual or prevailing prayer – Some of the most essential attributes of prevailing prayer –
Some reasons why
God requires this kind of prayer – That such prayer will avail much.
LECTURE V.
–
THE PRAYER OF FAITH.
Faith an indispensable condition of prevailing prayer – What it is we are to believe when we pray – Wh
en we are
bound to exercise this faith – This kind of faith in prayer always obtains the blessing sought –
How we
are to come
into the state of mind in which we can exercise such faith – Objections answered.
LECTURE VI.
–
THE SPIRIT OF PRAYER.
What Spirit is spoken of in the passage: “The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities” –
What that Spirit does
for us – Why
He does what the text declares Him to do – How He accomplishes it – The degrees of His influences – How
His
influences are to be distinguished from the influences of evil spirits – Who have a right to expect His
influences.
LECTURE VII.
–
ON BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT.
Individuals may have the Spirit of God – It is their duty to be filled with the Spirit – Why the Spirit
is not obtained –
The guilt of those who have not the Spirit of God – The consequences of having the Spirit. – The
consequences that
will follow not having the Spirit.
REVIVAL LECTURES text by Charles G. Finney

LECTURE VIII.
–
MEETINGS FOR PRAYER.
The design of prayer meetings – The manner of conducting them – Several things that will defeat the de
sign of holding
them.
LECTURE IX.
–
MEANS TO BE USED WITH SINNERS.
On what particular points Christians are to testify for God – The manner in which they are to testify.
LECTURE X.
–
TO WIN SOULS REQUIRES WISDOM
Are you still there? We still have never received a check from you. Is this a mistake or is it in

How
Christians
should deal with careless sinners – How they should deal with awakened sinners, and with convicted sinners

LECTURE XI.
–
A WISE MINISTER WILL BE SUCCESSFUL
A right discharge of the duties of a minister requires great wisdom – The amount of success in the discharge
of his
duties (other things being equal) decides the amount of wisdom employed by him.
LECTURE XII.
–
HOW TO PREACH THE GOSPEL.
Several passages of Scripture ascribe conversion to man – This is consistent with other passages which
ascribe
conversion to God – Several important particulars in regard to preaching the Gospel.
LECTURE XIII.
–
HOW CHURCHES CAN HELP MINISTERS.
The importance of the cooperation of the Church in producing and carrying on a revival – Several things
which
Churches must do if they would promote a revival and aid their ministers.
LECTURE XIV.
–
MEASURES TO PROMOTE REVIVALS.
God has established no particular system of measures to be employed – Our present forms of public worship have
been arrived at by a succession of new measures.
LECTURE XV.
–
HINDRANCES TO REVIVALS.
A revival of religion is a great work – Several things which may put a stop to it – What must be done
for the
continuance of a revival.
LECTURE XVI.
–
THE NECESSITY AND EFFECT OF UNION.
We are to be agreed in prayer – We are likewise to be agreed in everything that is essential to the blessings
we seek.
LECTURE XVII.
–
FALSE COMFORTS FOR SINNERS.
The necessity and design of instructing anxious sinners – Anxious sinners are always seeking comfort –
The false
comforts that are often administered.
LECTURE XVIII.
–
DIRECTIONS TO SINNERS.
What is a proper direction to be given to sinners when they make inquiry for salvation – What is a pro
per answer to
such inquiry – Several errors into which anxious sinners are apt to fall.
LECTURE XIX.
–
INSTRUCTIONS TO CONVERTS.
Several things to be considered in regard to the hopes of young converts – Several things respecting t
heir making a
the profession of religion – The importance of having correct instruction given to young converts – What
should not be
taught – What things are necessary to be taught.
LECTURE XX.
–
INSTRUCTIONS TO CONVERTS (continued).
Other points on which young converts ought to be instructed – How young converts should be treated by
the Church –
Some of the evils resulting from defective instruction in the first stages of Christian experience.
LECTURE XXI.
–
THE BACKSLIDER IN HEART.
What backsliding in the heart is not – What it is – What are its evidence – What are its consequences – H
ow to recover
from such a state.
LECTURE XXII.
–
GROWTH IN GRACE.
What grace is – What the injunction to “grow in grace” does not mean – What it does mean – Conditions
of growth in
grace – What is not proof of growth – What is proof – How to grow in grace.

LECTURE 1

WHAT A REVIVAL OF RELIGION IS

O Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years, make known; ill wrath remembers mercy. -Habakkuk 3:2.

It is supposed that the prophet Habakkuk was contemporary with Jeremiah and that this prophecy was uttered in anticipation of the Babylonish captivity. Looking at the judgments which were speedily to come upon his nation, the soul of the prophets wrought up to an agony, and he cried out in his distress: “O Lord, revive Thy work.” As if he had said: “O Lord, grant that Thy judgments may not make Israel desolate. In the midst of these awful years let the judgments of God be made the means of reviving religion among us. In wrath remember mercy.

“Religion is the work of man.

It is something for the man to do. It consists in obeying God. It is man’s duty. It is true God induces him to do it. He influences him by His Spirit, because of his great wickedness and reluctance to obey. If it were not necessary for God to influence men, if men were disposed to obey God, there would be no occasion to pray: “O Lord, revive Thy work.”The ground of necessity for such a prayer is that men are wholly indisposed to obey; and unless God interposes the influence of His Spirit, not a man on earth will ever obey the commands of God.

A “Revival of Religion”

presupposes a declension. Almost all the religion in the world has been produced by revivals. God has found it necessary to take advantage of the excitability there is in mankind, to produce powerful excitements among them before He can lead them to obey. Men are so sluggish, there are so many things to lead their minds off from religion and to oppose the influence of the Gospel, that it is necessary to raise an excitement among them, till the tide rises so high to sweep away the opposing obstacles. They must be so aroused that they will break over these counteracting influences before they will obey God.

Look back at the history of the Jews, and you will see that God used to maintain religion among them by special occasions when there would be a great excitement, and people would turn to the Lord. And after they had been thus revived, it would be but a short time before there would be so many counteracting influences brought to bear upon them, that religion would decline, and keep on declining, till God could have time, so to speak, to convict them of sin by His Spirit, and rebuke them byHis providence, and thus so gain the attention of the masses to the great subject of salvation, as to produce a widespread awakening.

Then the counteracting causes would again operate, religion would decline, and the nation would be swept away in the vortex of luxury, idolatry, and pride. There is so little principle in the Church, so little firmness and stability of purpose, that unless it is greatly excited, it will go back from the path of duty, and do nothing to promote the glory of God. The state of the world is still such, and probably will be till the millennium is fully come, that religion must be mainly promoted by means of revivals. How long and how often has the experiment been tried, to bring the Church to act steadily for God, without these periodical excitements! Many good men have supposed, and still suppose, that the best way to promote religion is to go along uniformly and gather in the ungodly gradually, and without excitement. But however sound such reasoning may appear in the abstract, facts demonstrate its futility. If the Church were far enough advanced in knowledge and had a stability of principle enough to keep awake, such a course would do. But the Church is so little enlightened, and there are so many counteracting causes, that the Church will not go steadily to work without a special excitement.

As the millennium advances, it is probable that these periodical excitements will be unknown. Then the Church will be enlightened, and the counteracting causes removed, and the entire Church will be in a state of habitual and steady obedience to God. Children will be trained up in the way they should go, and there will be no such torrents of worldliness, and fashion, and covetousness, to bear away the piety of the Church, as soon as the excitement of a revival is withdrawn. It is very desirable that the Church should go on steadily in a course of obedience without these excitements. Our nervous system is so strong that any powerful excitement if long continued, injures our health, and unfits us for duty. If religion is ever to have a pervading influence in the world, this spasmodic religion must be done away with. Indeed, it will then be uncalled for.

Christians will not sleep the greater part of the time, and once in a while wake up, and rub their eyes, and bluster about, and vociferate a little while, and then go to sleep again. Then there will be no need that ministers should wear themselves out and kill themselves, by their efforts to roll back the flood of worldly influence that sets in upon the Church. But as yet the state of the Christian world is such, that to expect to promote religion without excitements is unphilosophical and absurd. The great political and otherworldly excitements that agitate Christendom are all unfriendly to religion and divert the mind from the interests of the soul. Now, this excitement can only be counteracted by religious excitements. And until there is sufficient religious principle in the world to put down

hearts will be broken down and changed. Very often the most abandoned profligates are among the subjects. Harlots,and drunkards, and infidels, and all sorts of abandoned characters, are awakened and converted. The worst of human beings are softened and reclaimed and made to appear as lovely specimens of the beauty of holiness.III.

THE AGENCIES EMPLOYED.

Ordinarily, there are employed in the work of conversion three agents 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 twofold: by His Providence and by His Spirit.(a) 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 everything seem to favour a revival.

The state of the weather and of the public health and other circumstances concur to make everything just right to favour the application of truth with the greatest possible efficacy. How He sometimes sends a minister along just at the time he 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! (b) 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 drives 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 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 in 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 makes it clear before their minds, and pours in upon their souls a blaze of convincing light which they cannot withstand; and they yield to it, 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 acting right. He is influenced by 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, 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 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. The ungodly are often led to conviction simply by, seeing the countenance of Christians. An individual once went into a manufactory to see the machinery. His mind was solemn, as he had been where there was a revival. The people who labored there all knew him by sight, and knew who he was. A young lady who was at work saw him and whispered some foolish remark to her companion, and laughed. The person stopped and looked at her with a feeling of grief. She stopped; her thread broke – and she was so much agitated that she could not join it. She looked out at the window to compose herself, and then tried again; again and again, she strove to recover herself-command. At length she sat down, overcome by her feelings. The person then approached and spoke with her;she soon manifested a deep sense of sin.

The feeling spread through the establishment of fire, and in a few hours almost every person employed there was under conviction; so much so that the owner, though a worldly man, was astounded and requested to have the works stopped and a prayer-meeting held; for he said it was a great deal more important to have these people converted than to have the works go on. And in a few days the owner and nearly all the persons employed in the establishment were hopefully converted. The eye of this individual, his solemn countenance, his compassionate feeling, rebuked the levity of the young woman, and brought her under conviction of sin; and probably in a great measure, this whole revival followed from so small an incident.