The GOSPEL TRUTH

LECTURES ON REVIVALS OF RELIGION 

Delivered by the

Rev. CHARLES G. FINNEY

To the Congregation of the CHATHAM CHAPEL

New York City, 1835

And Reported to the Public in the New York Evangelist

by the Editor, J. Leavitt

This is the text of the 1868 Edition

PREFACE TO 1835 AND 1868 EDITIONS BY THE LECTURER. 

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 may be 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 - When 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.

LECTURE VIII. - MEETINGS FOR PRAYER.

The design of prayer meetings - The manner of conducting them - Several things that will defeat the design 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.

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 blessing 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 proper 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 their making a 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 heart is not - What it is - What are its evidences - What are its consequences - How 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.

 

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