THE first point of doctrine which distinguished the subjects of the revival, was that which respected divine revelation.

      The established opinion in the churches had been, that the Scriptures, explained according to sound reason and philosophy, was light sufficient; and simply to believe, what we were thus taught, was the highest evidence we could have of the truth of spiritual things. But these adopted a very different faith, and taught, as an important truth, that the will of God was made manifest to each individual who honestly sought after it, by an inward light, which shone into the heart.--Hence they received the name of New-Lights. Those who were the subjects of this inward light, did not call it new light, but a renewed manifestation of that, which at sundry times and in divers manners, had been opened to those who were willing and desirous to know the truth for themselves.

      This inward light, they denominated the Lord, because by it they were instructed, influenced and governed. Hence they spake of seeking the Lord, finding the Lord, loving the Lord, following the Lord, offending the Lord, &c. by all which expressions was meant, that inward light and revelation of the truth, by which they could see things in their true colors, and find a measure of peace and consolation, and a comfortable hope of eternal life.

      II. This new light first broke out in the Presbyterian church, among those who held doctrines of Calvin, and therefore it is considered as more immediately contrasted with that system. Those who first embraced it, had also been reputed Calvinists, and [29] belonged to the Presbyterian church, among whom were several persons of distinction in the ministry; of course, the existence of sentiments so very different in the same church, rendered a division unavoidable. This division was gradual, and had its foundation in the above principle of a direct manifestation of spiritual light from God to the soul, which was superior to all the comments that natural men had ever made upon the scriptures. This division in sentiment, with its concomitant effects, drew together a vast multitude out of different churches, who formed a general communion, and for a time, acceded to the doctrines, manner of worship, &c. first opened and practised among the New-Lights; a brief sketch of which is as follows, viz.: That all creeds, confessions, forms of worship, and rules of government invented by men, ought to be laid aside; especially the distinguishing doctrines of Calvin.--That all who received the true light of the spirit in the inner man, and faithfully followed it, would naturally see eye to eye, and understand the things of the spirit alike, without any written tenet or learned expositor. That all who received this true light, would plainly see the purity of God--the depravity of man--the necessity of a new birth, and of a sinless life and conversation to evidence it--That God was no respecter of persons--willeth the salvation of all souls--has opened a door of salvation, through Christ, for all--will have all invited to enter, and such as refuse to come in, must blame themselves for their own perdition.

      III. As to worship, they allowed each one to worship God, agreeably to their own feelings, whatever impression or consciousness of duty they were under: believing the true wisdom, which "lives through all life," to be a safer guide than human forms, which can only affect the outer man: and hence, so wide a door was opened, and such a variety of exercises were exhibited in their public meetings. All distinction of names was laid aside, and it was no matter what any one had been called before, if now he stood in the present light, and felt his heart glow with love to the souls of men; [30] he was welcome to sing, pray, or call sinners to repentance. Neither was there any distinction as to age, sex, color, or any thing of a temporary nature: old and young, male and female, black and white, had equal privilege to minister the light which they received, in whatever way the spirit directed. And moreover generally considered, that such as professed to stand in the light and were not actively engaged some way or other, in time of public meeting, were only dead weights upon the cause.

      IV. No one, who has not been an eye witness, can possibly paint in their imagination the striking solemnity of those occasions, on which the thousands of Kentuckians were convened in one vast assembly, under the auspicious influence of the above faith. How striking to see hundreds who never saw each other in the face before, moving uniformly into action, without any preconcerted plan, and each, without intruding upon another, taking that part assigned him by a conscious feeling, and in this manner, dividing into bands over a large extent of ground, interspersed with tents and waggons: some uniting their voices in the most melodious songs; others in solemn and affecting accents of prayer: some lamenting with streaming eyes their lost situation, or that of the wicked world; others lying apparently in the cold embraces of death: some instructing the ignorant, directing the doubtful, and urging them in the day of God's visitation, to make sure work for eternity: others, from some eminence, sounding the general trump of a free salvation, and warning sinners to fly from the wrath to come:--the surrounding forest at the same time, vocal with the cries of the distressed, sometimes to the distance of half a mile or a mile in circumference.

      How persons, so different in their education, manners and natural dispositions, without any visible commander, could enter upon such a scene, and continue in it for days and nights in perfect harmony, has been one of the greatest wonders that ever the world beheld; and was no doubt included in the visions of [31] that man, who, falling into a trance with his eyes open, cried out--"How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob! and thy tabernacles, O Israel! as the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side; as the trees of lign-aloes, which the Lord hath planted."

      V. The supernatural and extraordinary gifts of the spirit which were visible among this people, are not less worthy of notice than their distinguishing faith and manner of worship; such as left no remaining doubt of the restitution of that sacred panoply, which, together with the apostolic faith, had been trodden under foot for many hundred years by the power of antichrist. To evince this, as the faith of that people at least, I insert a few extracts of their writings.

      David Purviance, in a letter dated Caneridge, March 1, 1802, writes thus--

"Some things have lately taken place among us, which I think more extraordinary than any I have seen or heard since the apostolic age. The case of Rachel Martin, was truly miraculous. I suppose you have heard of it."

This extraordinary case is illustrated by the following extract from another hand.--

"Last Saturday exceeded by far anything I ever saw before. Rachel Martin was struck the Thursday night after you left this: She never eat nor spoke for nine days and nights. I was there when she rose and spoke: her countenance was as it were, refined [i. e. transfigured.] She told me she was free from the world all that time: She says the work will increase. * * * * * * * * "

P. H.      

      Æneas M'Callister, in a letter dated, May, 1802, speaking of the work in North-Carolina, observes--

"The like wonders have not been seen, except the KENTUCKY REVIVAL last summer, since the Apostle's days. I suppose the exercises of our congregation this last winter, surpassed any thing ever seen or heard of. I sometimes think it would have been well, if they had been kept in and never told. * * * * * * * "

      It is certain, the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; hence Christ instructed his disciples not [32] to cast pearls before swine; for the same cause, so little has been published abroad concerning the deep things of God, made manifest among the people called New-Lights: and for the same reason, these things can be but slightly touched at present.

      VI. That the power was supernatural by which such multitudes were struck down, required no arguments to prove; and had they never risen again, their might have been some reason for charging it to the devil: but who has the power to kill and make alive again? could any one with the rationality of a man, suppose that any thing short of the power of God, could suspend the functions of animal life for an hour, a day, or a week, and again restore them with additional brightness?--Is nature wont to assume such apparent changes, as for tens and fifties, moved at the same time by the same instinct, to forget the use of every limb, and prostrate fall no matter where, and yawn, and grasp, and expire in a cold sweat? This belongs not to nature, and as little does it belong to nature to exempt her sons from wounds and bruises, broken limbs, and aching heads, in case of such repeated and dangerous falls as were common among the New-Lights. And least of all, could nature's power extend to their resurrection, after an hour, a week, or nine days in a trance. Who wants a miracle to arouse their faith, and fix it on the sacred truths recorded in the scriptures; let him recognise the camp-meeting, let him find the man, or woman, whose immortal part for hours and days traversed the regions of eternity, while the breathless body lay as a spectacle of terror to surrounding friends. The learned expositor of scripture and the one whom he opprobriously terms an infidel, are equally baffled with the falling exercise; the one upon his hypothesis, that there never was such a thing as a miracle in the days of the apostles; and the other, that there never was to be any such thing after. All their experiments and researches were in vain, to reduce this operation to some natural cause. Their feeling the pulse, changing the situation of the person, applying the smelling bottles, bathing with camphire, or cold water, letting of blood, &c. could never [33] make half the discovery in the case that those made who came with their barrels of whisky to retail out to the multitude. By such it was abundantly proved, that the readiest way to keep clear of this extraordinary exercise, was to drown the soul in debauchery and vice. Many circumstances, beating and confounding to the wisdom of man, attended the exercises mentioned, which for sake of brevity have to be omitted. And yet however extraordinary these things were, they were not considered by the people as the most evidential of a work of the true spirit: something much greater was commonly expected to succeed their resurrection, of greater importance than any thing that went before. The word of exhortation is ranked among the apostolic gifts, and as such it was considered by the New-Lights. This gift was generally expected on the occasion of rising from the before mentioned trance, and such expectations were very commonly answered. The exhortations delivered on those occasions by all ranks and colors, but especially by small children, were so evidential of a divine power, so searching to the conscience, so wounding to the sinner, that the most obstinate unbelievers have fallen down, like those of old, and confessed that God was in them of a truth.

      It required a spirit more incredulous, than that which has commonly been called infidelity, to deny a supernatural agency in the case of such pathetic and powerful addresses from little children--not only unlearned, but also of the most bashful and unpopular cast of mind. Such little ones, of eight or ten years old, raised upon the shoulders or held up in the arms of some one, in the midst of vast multitudes, would speak in a manner so marvellous and astonishing, that persons of the most rugged passions would dissolve into tears; and professors of the foremost rank, confess that hitherto they had been total strangers to that heavenly sense and feeling, which so distinguished a child of God. So deep were the effects of truth, delivered in the simple language of a child, of which the following may serve as a short specimen.

      "O the sweetness of redeeming love! O if sinners [34] "knew the sweetness of redeeming love, they would all come to the overflowing fountain!"

The general gift of exhortation was to search out the state of the sinner, convict him of sin, and warn him to fly from it; and they often came so pointed, even to naming out the person and publicly arraigning him for specific crimes, that often evil spirits, whose work it is to cover iniquity, and conceal it, were stirred up to great fury; and those possessed with them, would come forth in a great rage, threatening and blaspheming against the author of the revival, and bold as Goliath, challenge his armies to a recounter. Could nature, without bloodshed and slaughter, overcome beings so fierce? Or must it not be something supernatural? To see a bold Kentuckian (undaunted by the horrors of war) turn pale and tremble at the reproof of a weak woman, a little boy, or a mean African; to see him sink down in deep remorse, roll and toss, and gnash his teeth, till black in the face; intreat the prayers of those he came to devour, and through their fervent intercessions and kind instructions, obtain deliverance, and return in the possession of the meek and gentle spirit which he set out to oppose:--who would say the change was not supernatural and miraculous? Such exorcisms, or casting out of evil spirits, are justly ranked among the wonders which attended the New-Light: Nor could the man once delivered from the Legion, go home with greater joy to tell his friends what great things Jesus has done for him, than many returned from these encamping grounds, to announce to their former companions, their happy change.

      VII. To what has been said it may be objected, that many who were converted in this extraordinary manner, gave no lasting evidence of a real change, but returned again to their former courses; and as they testified that they were all actuated by one spirit, if some were mistaken, why not the whole?

      I answer, the work of God is one thing and the opinion formed by the subject of it, another. If it should be granted that many, or even all, were mistaken as [35] to the immediate effect of the work, this would not alter the work from what it was. If a foolish person should take grain when it was only in the blossom, and say it was ripe, and go to reaping, binding and stacking it, this would not prove that the plowing and sowing had not been well done by a good farmer. Spiritual life is of a growing nature, as well as vegetable and animal life: and if many, zealous to increase the number of their disciples, did deceive the generality with a vain persuasion, that a short scene of conviction, light and comfort, comprehended all that was contained in the new birth, and cut them off from any further growth, this did not prove that their impressions had not a proper beginning, or were not of the genuine kind.

      Obj. 2. If this great appearance of union and general communion was of God, why did it not increase? Ans. Why did not that union and communion increase which existed among the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, Herodians and Syrophoenicians, who followed Christ into the wilderness and encamped there day and night? The reason is plain, the foundation of a lasting union could not be laid until the rubbish was cleared out of the way, and as this was the first work then, so it was in the late revival; those who followed the true light were united in breaking down and burning that which was old and rotten, and this had to be done before they could unite in building up that which is sound and permanent. So that a union in the first case, although it is productive of greater division, yet is both a shadow and a sure pledge of that union which follows in consequence.

      Obj. 3. But what do you make of those who testified that they had got all the rubbish destroyed--were carried above all sin, and temptation, and pain--and never should suffer again--were higher than Elijah--perfectly blessed and filled with the fullness of God; and with all this so united in heart that they never could part, &c. and yet after all, turn to hate one another worse than ever, and live as loose and wicked as others? So that they could afterwards say:-- [36]

Do not such changes prove that their extraordinary light was all a delusion? Ans. If so, the same argument will prove that every dispensation of light, both under that law and Gospel was a delusion, for after the brightest manifestations there was always a falling away. Did not the whole camp of Israel fall away after the giving of the law upon mount Sinai? But did this prove that the light they saw there, and all the signs and wonders that preceded and accompanied it, was delusion? David, Solomon, and all the Kings and people of Israel fell away; and how often was this chosen generation brought under judgments and banished into captivity, not to prove that their extraordinary light had been all delusion, but the contrary. John the Baptist decreased and his followers came to nothing; and all that had followed Jesus for three years, forsook him and fell away in the hour of trial. If this was no sufficient according to the above objection to prove their light a delusion, you may add the universal apostacy that prevailed through the long reign of antichrist, in which there was none that did good and sinned not, no not one. Now if the same visible consequences have attended this kind of light first and last, the different manifestations of it must be established or condemned together. But to obviate the question more particularly, it will be proper to observe, that divine light is first received by faith. We must first believe the report concerning things invisible, before we can see the object face to face and actually possess it; and the firm belief of a thing will produce great effects both on the mind and body. Whom having not seen, ye love, in whom believing, tho' now ye see him not, yet rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. This unspeakable joy was merely the fruit of faith in those who had yet to receive the end of their faith, even the salvation of the soul. Now if those called New-Lights did testify that they were dead to the world, [37] and risen with Christ above all sin, temptation, pain and suffering--were full of glory and perfectly blessed with the fulness of God--united in heart, and beyond the possibility of a separation, they only meant that this was their situation by faith; i. e. they had full faith that such a state was attainable, and were swallowed up in the delightful contemplation of it, as though they were actually in it. But that it was not their real situation, was evident from their repeated complaints of remaining darkness, and their prayers for returning light. If it is said that upon this principle, all their exercises were only the workings of imagination: I answer, that until a thing is brought present to the senses, the brightest knowledge we can have of it is a bright and clear imagination, by means of a shadow or image of the thing. But we must distinguish between a vain imagination and that which is properly founded. If we form an imagination of a thing that has no existence, that imagination is vain; but it is not so, when the image of a thing is drawn upon the mind which has actual existence. What knowledge had the Jews of the kingdom of Christ while under the ceremonial law, beyond the effect of lively images? The law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very substance of the things, could never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually, make the comers thereunto perfect, for would they not then have ceased to be offered? Observe their imagination were not in vain, they were shadows of good things, of real substances, altho' they were yet to come, and absolutely necessary to come in order to their perfection. Now the cases are perfectly similar, for if the New-Lights had found real perfection by the aforementioned exercises, would not these exercises have ceased of course? But the same persons would fall again and again, and rise with the same transfigured countenance, and testify that they felt Christ in them, and were full of glory as before, and again cry out for Christ to come and pardon and save them from their sins; so that at every meeting the same sacrifices were continually offered; which was plain evidence that their affections were raised by an influential faith, a confident expectation of [38] things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen. And if any should build upon their faith and deceive themselves with the shadow, and think it was the substance, they must blame themselves, for common sense is capable of making the distinction.

      Obj. 4. But if it was the true light of the spirit they were in, must not that light have secured them from any such mistake? I answer, why did not the light on mount Tabor shew the three disciples that what they saw was only a vision, and that Jesus was not yet glorified? Why were all the disciples so mistaken about the kingdom of Christ, both before and after their master was crucified? Why did they expect it to come with observation, and immediately appear? And why were they so mistaken as to think that John would never die? &c. The light of God was never sent to those who were under no mistakes, but to such as were all over immersed in errors and mistakes, and willing to see it, and have their mistakes corrected. The first work of God is to discover errors and mistakes and have them put out of the way, and this must needs be done, before any thing substantial and permanent can be built up. Hence the work among the New-Lights was intended to tear down and remove the rubbish of old systems, and therefore the subjects of it, had practically and experimentally, to handle and prove the corrupt materials of the whole fabrick. To be elected and singled out as the distinguished objects of irresistible grace, carried through the deplorable fall even to the resurrection, and after being raised up in glory, soul and body reunited, openly acknowledged and acquitted as dear children of God and made perfectly blessed, (as they had supposed) yet after all, they found they were in their sins, "exposed to all the miseries in this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell forever." Consequently the whole building must be one grand mistake throughout, and therefore in obedience to that light, by which they discovered the rottenness and danger of the old building, they determined to forsake it, or roll it piece by piece out of the way, until the way was prepared for a better foundation to be laid. The disciples and [39] followers of Jesus had his promise that they should receive the Holy Ghost, who would abide with them forever; that he and the Father would come and make their abode with them. But until the promise was fulfilled their old Pharisaical errors remained, and they were liable to pervert and abuse all the new light they received, by mixing it with their vain superstitions and traditions of men. The greater part gloried that such a Saviour was raised up to Israel, but if they had not been mistaken they would rather have gloried in such a breaker being raised up to Israel. The disciples of Jesus were much more mistaken at first than his avowed enemies, for the latter evidently saw that he would be the occasion of taking away their place and nation, unless he could be defeated by superior power; whereas the former imagined that his whole design was to build them up: hence in the midst of all their glorying, and the exercise of such spiritual power as they had, they were so often warned not to rest in what they had received. No wonder then if many of the opposers of the late revival, in its first stages, were capable of forming a more correct judgment concerning the visible effects of it, than those who were in it, and of improving upon the admonitions given to the disciples of old in a similar case, to convince the New-Lights that all their mighty gifts did not carry them out of the reach of danger. Not every one that saith Lord, Lord--For many will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me ye that work iniquity. [40]

[KRSO 29-40]