Preached
A sermon on the importance of
prayer as an appropriate and indispensable means of securing and promoting
revivals of religion, with important related observations from the great
revivals of New York, Albany, Rochester, Boston, etc. This message was
re-introduced to the Christian public through the research efforts of Richard
A. G. Dupuis. The following version was edited by Jonathan Duttweiler
to make it more easily understandable for the modern reader.
On the occasion of the reopening of Blackfriars St. Congregational Chapel, on Sabbath, Sept. 4,
the Rev. Professor Finney, president of the Oberlin College, U.S., author of
Lectures on Revivals, etc., preached to overflowing and deeply interested
audiences in the forenoon and evening. In the forenoon, he discoursed on the The Prevailing Prayer Meeting, spoken of in Acts 1:1-14,
viewed in connection with the results which followed on the day of Pentecost,
the account of which he read as contained in the second chapter of that book.
I propose to remark this morning on the first portion
of the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, relating to the meeting
which, in obedience to Christ's injunction, was held in Jerusalem, where the
apostles and other followers of Jesus continued with one accord in prayer and
supplication till the day of Pentecost, when, in answer to their prayers, as
recorded in the second chapter, they were blessed with the outpouring of the Holy
Spirit.
1 The
former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all
that Jesus began both to do and teach,
2 Until
the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had
given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
3 To whom
also he shewed himself alive after his passion by
many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days,
and speaking of the things pertaining to the
4 And,
being assembled together with [them], commanded them that they should not
depart from
5 For John
truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not
many days hence.
6 When
they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou
at this time restore again the kingdom to
7 And he
said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or
the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
8 But ye
shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall
be witnesses unto me both in
9 And when
he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud
received him out of their sight.
10 And
while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men
stood by them in white apparel;
11 Which
also said, Ye men of
12 Then
returned they unto
13 And
when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both
Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and
Matthew, James [the son] of Alphaeus, and Simon
Zealots, and Judas [the brother] of James.
14 These
all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and
Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
Remarks
In speaking from these words, I remark, first, that
when the gospel was first introduced into the world, it naturally required to
be attested by miracles. Those who were sent of God to make the new revelation
to man, both under the Old Testament dispensation and the New, he bore witness
to, by giving them the power, in his name, to work miracles. This was
necessary, because the claimed to introduce a revelation of Gods will to the
world, and God thus attested their credentials and character and mission, by
giving them the power of working miracles. From this fact, and some others I
need not name, there has been a tendency in the church to regard the
conversions which followed these miracles as being themselves miraculous.
Indeed, revivals of religion have been very commonly spoken of as if they were
miraculous things, and this revival on the day of Pentecost has been looked on
and spoken of as a miraculous thing altogether.
This idea has prevailed to such an extent that it
seems, from what we hear and see, all religious movements and appearances are
credited or discredited by many persons in proportion as they seem or seem not
to have connection with the use of appropriate means. It is common to hear
people, when speaking of a revival of religion, saying, It
must be a work of God, for it is not connected with any means as we can see
they seem to have no feeling of regard to the connection of means and ends. If,
in any case, a religious movement occurs in connection with any means designed
to secure such results, and, so far as we can see, naturally calculated to
secure such results, certain persons are disposed to discredit this as being
merely human invention and something of man.
It is common to hear men of certain views commend
certain religious movements to the confidence of the public as being
undoubtedly the work of God, because they are altogether out of the relation of
means and ends, having no connection with any human agency in producing them.
They occur not under any revealed law of human or divine conduct. They are
altogether exceptional to the law of order and instrumentality appearing
everywhere else in the works and ways of God. Therefore they are of God. This
is the wonderful logic and theology of many. In plain English, they are
miracles. If reported revivals of religion are connected with human efforts
designed to secure such a result, why, then, they are only of man, and not at
all of God. In some instances where meetings have been appointed to pray for
the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, it has been expressly said, when such notice
was given, that the meetings are not appointed to get up a revival. The fact
is, peculiar views of the sovereignty of God, and of mans passivity in regeneration,
betray certain persons into the great error of regarding all real revivals as
miracles.
To what extent this prevails among you, I know not,
but during forty years experience I have constantly had occasion to remark it.
Now, let me say, this idea is a great and dangerous mistake. It is as contrary
to the Bible as anything can be; for God has there promised the very blessings
which we are to receive under the Christian dispensation, and says, I will yet
for this be inquired of by the house of
I remark, again, that this is an eminently dangerous
mistake, because it discourages efforts to convert the world. Suppose, when the
apostles were told to go out, and Christ added, Lo, I am with you always,
suppose they had taken up the idea that, to attempt to convert the world by any
direct effort designed to produce that effect that to attempt to promote a
revival of religion in the world would be to take the work out of the hands of
God, to get up some human movement; why, what would have been the consequence?
But no, they went forward with their work, knowing Christ was with them; for he
said, Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. What did Christ
mean by this? He wanted it to be understood by his disciples for their
encouragement, that all the divine help they needed was at their hand, and that
they might rely upon it. Remember I am with you always, to give effect to the
means I send you to use. Suppose they had overlooked this that they had
forgotten to go and make efforts to convert the world, and formed such a notion
of Gods sovereignty as to resolve on waiting till he converted the world; or,
suppose they had gone on and forgotten that they wee dependent on Christ's Holy
Spirit, and suppose they had adopted the idea that he was not always with them,
and everywhere, but only at certain times; what would have been the result,
would they have succeeded? Christ said I am with you always and everywhere;
they were to go and open their mouths and hold up their hands and hearts to
heaven, and he would continue to anoint them, and thus they might succeed in
accomplishing the thing they were sent to accomplish. The
were to understand that conversion was no miracle. Although miracles
were by them to be used as one means of conviction, yet, in converting the
world, they were to be wise in adapting means to that end. Further, they are to
remember that though conversion is not miracle, it is the faction conditional
on the supernatural illumination of the Holy Spirit. The light of nature is
sufficient to impose obligation, but as a matter of fact does not secure
obedience. So the Bible, or the preached or written Word, can sufficiently
enlighten to take away all excuses for sin, but not enough to turn the stubborn
will to God. For this reason they needed, and for this reason Christ promised,
his presence in the supernatural illumination of his Spirit to give saving
effect to their teachings and efforts to convert the world.
But another danger of this mistaken idea is, that it fosters the neglect of appropriate means. If it
be true that religious movements which claim to be of God, are to be credited
in proportion as they are not connected with, and so far as we can see, not the
result of appropriate means, why then use the appropriate means? Why should
preachers adapt their preaching, and aim to secure the conversion of their
hearers? Why, with that idea they might preach almost anything. If a sermon be
preached calculated to convert, people regard the result as human; but if
something is preached not designed nor calculated to convert, then they say
That is of God there were no appropriate means, it came upon us we know not
how. How easy it is to see that this erroneous idea fosters a spirit of neglect
a spirit of carelessness, as to whether the means be appropriate or
inappropriate, throwing all the responsibility upon Gods sovereignty. There was
once and old minister wished me to let a certain young man preach, and when I
inquired whether he would preach anything suited to the occasion, as it was in
the midst of a revival, Oh, said he, no matter; there is no connection between
means and ends in spiritual things he will preach the truth. I shall not ask
him to preach, I said, unless I know he can preach what is needed, and not
divert the attention of the people from the great object which should be placed
before them. I could not think it my duty, in the circumstances, to honor the
old gentleman. I do not believe in this disconnection of means and ends. The
Holy Spirit, when he converts men, directs them to something calculated to
convert them, and anything else distracts their attention, prevents their
intelligent action, and prevents their conversion.
This idea to which I have alluded is standing greatly
in the way of the conversion of the world; and if the Church would go back to
the promise of Christ when he commissioned her for it was not the apostles
merely whom he commissioned to go and disciple all nations, saying, Lo, I am
with you always if Christians would plan themselves upon that promise, and seek
to carry out their Lords command in its true spirit, using the appropriate
means for the accomplishment of the object, it would not be long before a
different state of things existed in the world.
This leads me to inquire what are the appropriate means? And I remark here, that one of these is special
prayer for the object. Not the kind of prayer offered, in which the mind is
manifestly not set upon or expecting anything in particular, and when the person
praying asks promiscuously for anything or everything from Dan to Beersheba,
but special prayer, and the prayer of faith, which has been one of the
universal antecedents of a revival of religion since God owned the world. The
whole history of the Church all Gods dealings since the world began, and since
the Christian era was introduced bring out this fact, that when the Spirit has
been poured out upon the Church, special prayer has been made for that object.
In the case recorded in the Acts, the brethren, without indulging in vain
speculations, and throwing all the blame of the sin of the world on God, met
for special prayer with reference to a definite object.
Again, preaching of the word, exhortation, and
personal conversation were, and are the appropriate and indispensable means of
securing the conversion of souls. We find Peter, in his sermon, exhorting the
people to save themselves from this untoward generation. This is what he did,
and what did his hearers do? They received his word. There must be special
prayer, preaching and conversation, and means employed to secure the desired
end; and what they in those days expected, are you not to expect? What did
Christ mean by the parable of the feast, when the servants were ordered to God
into the highways, and the streets, and lanes, and compel them to come in? He
plainly intended to enjoin it upon the whole Church to go to this work of
personal visitation and effort to bring sinners to Gods house, and to Christ.
To lay aside their indolence and their fear of man, and to go to the
unconverted wherever they can be found, and urge them with all possible
importunity, to attend to the gospel call. Compel them to come in. We must no
longer yield obedience to that devils call of propriety and politeness that forbids
us to personally address others on the question of salvation. Blessed be God,
the churches in
But these means are always used where there is really
a revival of religion. I will now make a few remarks on the antecedents and
accompaniments of this particular revival the means used in this case. Here we
have a prayer meeting a prevailing prayer meeting, which secured the object,
the desired result.
First, there was special prayer for a particular
object. Christ had told them to wait at
Let us look at another feature of this prayer
meeting. I said they a definite object, and that object the out-pouring of the
Holy Spirit. They manifestly were greatly in earnest they greatly desired this
object their hearts were deeply set on it; they wrestled for the blessing; and
there was an energy and power about there prayer.
This was a union prayer meeting; all the disciples
seem to have been present. They were all united and determined; their hearts
were not alienated; there was union in prayer; all were united in one object.
There was no person to remonstrate against their petition being granted; all
were desirous to have this object accomplished.
Again, there was faith or expectation. It was
manifest that they expected the blessing. They laid hold upon God, and expected
the blessing. Why should they not? Ay, why should they not? For Christ had told
them Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many
days hence. But how can we pray in that way? Have we any such ground for
expectation? They had a ground, because they had the Savior's express promise;
but have we any such promise? The apostles had a great many prayer meetings
after that one; what do you suppose they did? Did they stumble at the thought
that they had no further promise, and feel in the dark as to whether or not the
influence of the Spirit would continue to be poured out? No; for he who
promised that they should receive the Spirit not many days hence, said also Go
and disciple al nations, and Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the
World. The meaning of this promise was everywhere you go, remember that I am
with you; there lay hold on my strength, there believe
on me, and I will manifest my presence. Is that not a fair interpretation? And
has not the Church, therefore, always the promise of Christ to be with them in
all their efforts to build up his kingdom, and to evangelize the world? So I
understood it, ever since I was converted; I have acted on this principle for
nearly forty years, and never in once instance have I seen it to fail. When the
people of God have laid hold of this principle, he has poured out a blessing in
many instances, till there was not room enough to receive, and it has
overflowed towns and cities. Let anyone take the Bible, and do as a lawyer
would in dealing with any legal question see what that means. I have seen the
Scriptures quoted at times in such a manner, in support of certain opinions,
that I have though if a lawyer, in seeking to establish any point, were to
quote so loosely and with such manifest latitude, he would be laughed out of a
court of justice. After I was converted, I used to think it would be well if
people would take the Scriptures and search them as a lawyer would, inquiring,
what is the meaning of this? Take this passage, Go and disciple all nations,
and, Lo, I am with you always. What is the meaning of that promise? Carry that
before a judge in a court of law. Ask the judge what that means? Here is a
command to do a certain thing, with the addition immediately following, And lo, I am with you always. What does that mean? Why did
he say that? Take that, as a lawyer would and lay it before a court, and I
engage that any court in Scotland would declare the meaning to be as though
Christ had said You may always expect me, if you believe, to second your
efforts; you may always expect the Holy Spirit to be poured out on you, and
give effect to your honest efforts.
But this leads me to another point. Expectation, I
have said, was characteristic of this prayer meeting of the disciples, and I
have said we have just now as good reason to have expectation and faith as they
had.
Again, observe, they gave up their time. Ah, some of
you are business men. What is to become of my business? say
some, when a daily prayer meeting is proposed. I don't know how I can afford to
attend a daily prayer meeting! But the people who attended this meeting gave up
their business; indeed, they had no business but Christ's, and that was about a
great matter. There were women present at that meeting, and I suppose they had
children. Some women could not find time to attend such meetings. It would be
out of the question with some to have a daily prayer meeting out of the
question to have such a thing as a revival and out of the question to use the
appropriate means. These people cheerfully give up their time, and this was a
great matter. God emptied out their worldly mindedness. It was the work of all,
the business of all and wherefore cannot we put forward such efforts at any
rate?
Again, there was mutual agreement with them. They
were all present at the meeting; none stayed away and remonstrated again it.
Suppose a notice should be given in the public prints that the people of
In this meeting there was an agreement in regard to
what they wanted, and when they wanted it, and they were willing to make any
sacrifice which might be necessary, even to their own lives, which were on the
altar, given up to promote the work. This was plainly the spirit of the
meeting.
But another characteristic of it was mutual
confidence. They did not say, There is Peter, I cannot
hear him pray, I have not much confidence in him; or, There is John, I have not
much confidence in him, I do not like to hear him pray. A good while ago, I
attended a prayer meeting, when one said to me, Do you hear such a one pray? I
guess no one wants to hear him pray. This spirit of distrust and want of
brotherly confidence was not at the meeting to which our attention is now
called. Such a feeling as this is the ruin of prayer meetings. When a person
gets up to pray, some one says, Perhaps he is a good man, but I don't like to
hear him pray. Oh, it is death to a prayer meeting, when there is want of
confidence! They must come together as little children. This disposition to be captious, was not at the disciples meeting. One prayed and
another prayed. Their state of mind was one of great simplicity, and strong
love and confidence in each other. Let this always characterize a prayer
meeting, and it is sure to prevail.
But another characteristic of this prayer meeting was
perseverance. They held on, ah, most important peculiarity this! They held on
from day to day, held on and carried out the condition that they were to hold
fast, and give God no rest till he accomplished what they had assembled to ask
him for. This is not like a great many prayer meetings, where the people can
take so little time in the exercises. The fact is,
they have no earnestness.
In this meeting there was no particular order
established, no strait-jacket put on it, so that Mr. So-and-so was asked, Will
you read a chapter? and another, Will you pray? and so on. Some are ever objecting to whatever they are
unaccustomed to. We are not accustomed to that, say some. But probably you are
not aware how much they deceive themselves when they only do things they are
accustomed to do. In that prayer meeting, I presume, nobody was taking the lead
of it, so much as to keep it in a strait-jacket. They held their hearts and
hands up, waiting for Gods grace, till down came the blessing. By this I do not
mean to encourage any fanatical departure from a proper form of worship. I was
once invited to a prayer meeting, certain persons had
appointed to pray. The Rev. Mr. So-and-so to do one thing,
Bishop So-and-so another. I said it would amount to nothing. Why, they
replied, they are going to keep it up. You will see, I
again observed, that it will amount to nothing. There is too much formality.
Instead of giving themselves up to the spirit of prayer, and letting anybody
pray, all is conducted in such a strait, formal manner that it will amount to
nothing. This meeting was continued for several weeks, I believe, and it was
then given up, and it will always be so where there is this formality.
Another peculiarity in this meeting of the disciples
was that there was, no doubt, great fervency in their prayer. That is the last
one I will mention here. There was effectual fervent prayer. All the
circumstances show there was divine earnestness in it, great earnestness and
great wrestling in their petitions.
This leads me to notice some mistakes that are made.
One of these is that this revival (on the day of Pentecost) was itself a
miracle. We should always distinguish between a miracle as a sign and
attestation on the part of God that these men, the apostles, were his servants
and that what they said was his word, and the revival that occurred as a
consequence. Why, this miracle was only among the necessary means of promoting
a revival, simply because it was not then established in the world that what
those men said was Gods Word. It must be first established that these men were
authorized messengers sent from God to publish his will. This was the reason
why the miracle was wrought. The miracle was thus only part of the antecedents
or accompaniments of the revival. Here, for instance, was the Spirit of God
poured out, accompanied with the gift of tongues, which was a miracle, showing
that the apostles were authorized messengers of God, and that what they said
was from God. But what of the conversions which followed? What did they consist
in? Were they miracles? The simple account is, that
the men received the word of Peter. He preached a sermon calculated to promote
such a result as was promote. They were pricked in their hearts. He told them
what to do and they did it, under the teaching of the Spirit. The revival was
not a miracle, and we should lay aside the idea that this or any other revival
was a miracle.
Another mistake is that such revivals are no longer
to be expected. I do not mean revivals accompanied with the gift of tongues,
because the apostle said these should cease, but why should not similar
revivals be expected now, so far as the conversion of souls is concerned?
I have known Christian men to give themselves up to
prayer with singleness of heart, and the Spirit has been poured out with a
power to remove everything before it, producing a movement which has spread
over a whole town or district of country, and resulted in the conversion of
great multitudes of people. In fact, the antecedents, accompaniments, and
results of revivals are always substantially the same as in the case before us,
excepting that in this case there was miraculous interposition for the purpose
I have named. Let me tell you an incident that happened in the state of
We have reason to expect the conversion of
multitudes; only use the appropriate means. Pray for the object,
labor for the object, give ourselves with singleness of heart to promote
the object, and I am convinced God will hear you; rely upon it, you shall see
the result.
Another mistake which often develops itself, is that of taking one of two extremes either
laboring a great deal and losing sight of the indispensable need of special
prayer; or, the opposite of this, having much prayer but no other labor. Let
the church plead for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, let them expect it as
on the day of Pentecost. Why should we not have it and expect it? Let this be
understood and indispensable condition of a revival. Let men unite and come
together for prayer, let them also pray by themselves, and for this definite
object, with the expectation that the blessing will come, and meantime adopt
all other appropriate means for the promotion of the same end.
Waiting for the Holy Spirit without special believing
prayer is one great error as if the sovereignty of God withheld the blessing.
Waiting in a state of inactivity is a mistake, and so also on the other side,
is attempting to go forth without the Holy Spirit. Christ said to his
disciples, God forth, but he told them to wait in
There are certain persons who seem inclined to
discredit the present great revival in
Certain old school men who
have been ignorant of the real antecedents of this great movement in the
This is calculated to prevent the Church from
carrying on the work. Now, I have been in the midst of these revivals for many
years. I can speak as a personal witness, and I find I am informed in regard to
many of those things, respecting which these brethren are not informed. I will
not accuse them of any design to misrepresent in anything they say, but they
are not well informed. Previous to the great revival which took place on the
continent of
The phenomenon developed in the revival during the
eighteenth century in this country had, as I have read, many peculiarities of
the present awakening in
Some of you have heard those revivals of religion
discredited, and efforts have been made in this country to represent them as
spurious. There is no greater mistake. I have been three times in great
revivals in the city of
A great many overlook the fact that all these
blessings from God have been progressive. The movement has been swelling and
swelling till it has forced itself on the attention of the public. Every great
revival wave has exceeded the former ones in power, because the number of
efficient laborers has constantly increased. The great majority of the
evangelical ministers in the northern States where the revival has most occurred, are themselves converts of the revivals that have
blessed and preserved our country. The churches are filled with converts of
former revivals who know how to work and pray for their promotion. The Churches
believe in the reality and blessed results of revivals. They have learned more
and more now, and pray and labor in faith for their promotion, and, as their
numbers and efforts have increased, the revival influence has extended until
this great wave has covered the broad country. The majority of the press used
to ignore it, but the facts which manifested themselves were so wonderful that
they could not be denied, and their publication was a means of greatly
increasing the effect. The editors of these papers, in many instances, are not
Christian men, but the public would have the facts, and they have had them. It
ought to be said that the editor and proprietor of the New York Tribune has
done much that has extended this work. He employed a special and an able
Christian editor to collect and arrange the revival intelligence, and that
paper was instrumental in doing much to extend the work. All honor to Mr. Greely for the honorable course he pursued. I sent several
copies of his paper to his country, papers made up
altogether with revival intelligence, and have good reason to know that they
were the means of exciting prayer, and a desire for a revival on this side of
the
If the revivals in
The next great revival commenced and was carried
forward under the labors of Mr. Nettleton, in connection with some excellent
pastors in
I must say, in conclusion, that all these revivals,
every one of them at least for the forty years now past, have been connected
with means. Their antecedents have been, in every case, substantially the same,
their accompaniments have been substantially the same, their type has been
substantially the same, and the results, I trust, will be, under God,
substantially the same. One thing which has be brought out and greatly blessed
is the lay element of the Church, and more so perhaps in this revival than in
any other. Lay men and women also have had their prayer meetings, and these
have increased in number to such an extent as to fill the churches. In