The Oberlin Evangelist

January 29, 1840

Professor Finney's Letters--No. 8.

TO THE PROFESSING CHRISTIANS WERE MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH PREVIOUS TO THE LATE GREAT REVIVALS

BELOVED BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

In the last volume of the Oberlin Evangelist, I addressed several letters to the converts of the recent great revivals. Among other things, I pointed out to them some of the reasons why they had not grown more in grace. Even back then, I wanted to address you upon the subject of your influence over those converts, but the pressure of so many duties prevented me from doing this until now.

And now, beloved brethren, permit me, in the love of Jesus Christ, to approach your consciences and your hearts on this subject. In some places, it has been somewhat common for old professing Christians to complain about the spiritual state of many who were hopefully converted in those revivals. And I have no doubt there has been some good reasons for many of these complaints. However, beloved, let me ask you, how much of the guilt of their present state lies at your own door? What has really been your influence over them? It must have been great enough, whatever your situation was, to either make them better or worse, to encourage and press them forward, or to depress, discourage, and hinder them in their Christian walk.

When God converted them in the midst of you, they were like newborn infants thrown into your arms as nursing fathers and nursing mothers, to watch over, to nurture, and to guide in the paths of life. Now, don’t you have these responsibilities, and what account can you give of the way you have treated these young children of God? You will probably not deny that you were required to exercise as much watchfulness over them as if God had really committed to your care a group of infants to train up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Now suppose that God committed the training up of a large number of children to you and you paid very little attention to them. You allowed these children, who are supposed to be in your care, to go where they wanted to go by day and by night, to do whatever they want to do, read whatever books they want to read, and associate with strangers. You don’t pay any attention to what they do for entertainment, and they spend their whole time according whatever they please, with very little counsel or reproof administered by you. Now, suppose that they had fallen into temptation, as would almost certainly be the case, and they fall into the snare of the devil and become anything but what was desirable.

Now suppose that you had been under oath you engaged in a solemn covenant that you made in the house of God over the broken emblems of the dying body and shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. You made a covenant to watch over them with all fidelity, and tenderness, to seek their purity, peace, and edification. And in spite of all of this, your behavior towards them was the same as I mentioned in the supposition with the children. Now who can describe or even conceive of the guilt of such people under such circumstances? And if these children should become vagabonds, outlaws, and pirates, and do everything that is harmful to themselves and to their country, who would not hold you largely responsible for these results? Now suppose that, under such circumstances, instead of blaming yourself, you complain about them behind their backs, and tell your friends about the state that they have fallen int. Wouldn’t others regard such conduct in you as an example of almost unparalleled depravity?

Now, beloved brethren, I suppose that a great many of the converts of these revivals have, in spite of the harmful influence of some of you, stood as high in point of spirituality as any member of your churches. The grace of Christ has led them, against all the unfavorable influences that many of you have exerted over them, to maintain a life of comparative commitment and zeal in the cause of Christ. The example and instruction of old professing Christians have caused many young converts to become discouraged and stumble. The example and instruction of old professors of religion have even made many young converts turn their back on religion.

Now, let me ask you, haven’t you taught them, either by precept or example or perhaps both that they must expect to backslide and become cold in religion?

Haven’t your worldly spirit and behavior, your carnal and sensual lives, been the most impressive lessons that you have or could indoctrinate young converts with to lead them to backsliding and spiritual death? In fact, haven’t you taught them that they must expect to backslide? A brother is with me right now who says the first thing that was told to him after his conversion was that he must expect to backslide and lose the peace of God which then filled his soul. And this was by an older man who had been a Christian for years. For weeks, this was the great lesson he was indoctrinated with, and it finally contributed to drawing him away from God into a state of backsliding and sin.

Let me ask you again, have you sought out young converts often and talked with them about spiritual subjects? Have you encouraged and strengthened them in the service of God and warned them against temptation?

Have you earnestly and affectionately inquired into the detail of their lives, into their business operations, and about the books they read and the people they associate with?

In short, have you looked narrowly into those influences that surround young Christians, and faithfully point out and warn them against whatever might naturally lead them astray?

Have you made them the subject of your daily prayers?

Have you carefully attended all the prayer meetings yourself, and have you made any efforts to determine who among them attended such meetings and who stayed away? Have you gone anxiously but kindly and often to those who stayed away and asked them why?

Have you become alarmed at any indication of backsliding among them, and have you done the best you can possibly do to reclaim and save them from injuring the cause of Christ?

Have you been careful that all your influence and example is the kind of example that will naturally have a favorable and heavenly influence over them?

Have you exhibited that deadness to the world, to its riches, honors, amusements, friendships, and opinions, which you know they should exercise?

Have you carefully copied the example of Christ who says, “For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth”?

Have you avoided all pleasure parties that you think Christ or an Apostle would avoid? Have you abstained from all those things and ways that had a natural tendency to draw them away from walking with God?

Or, on the other hand, have you done the very things that have seduced them away from the path of holiness, and have you been the means that brought them into the very state you complain about? I heard that some of you have attended wine and card parties, that some of you have been deeply engaged in party politics, and have become deeply involved in the speculations of the day, and in many respects, you have done everything designed to stumble and destroy the infant piety of young converts.

Now, my beloved brethren, I would get down at your feet and humbly beg you to look at your responsibilities and your guilt in these things. When young converts read this letter, won’t their minds think of many of you who were instruments of their deplorable downfall? They may now be too hardened to deeply deplore their state, or to blame you very sincerely or deeply. But let me ask you, what do you think their views of your influence will be if God, in mercy, should ever reclaim them from their backsliding? Will they not look with as much abhorrence and indignation on your influence over them as they would on the influence of Satan himself?

And now, my brother, my sister, don’t you have a lot to do to counteract the bad influence you have exerted over them? Don’t you have a mountain weight of sin to repent of, and confess to God and to them in this matter? Isn’t it your bounded duty to immediately pick those stumbling blocks up and get them out of their way? Don’t you need to confess your dreadful breaches of covenant? Shouldn’t you humble yourself and cover yourself as with sackcloth and ashes in the sight of God and in their sight. Will you deeply mourn over your own sin and over them because you led them astray? Don’t you know, don’t they know, doesn’t the world around you know, and doesn’t God know the vast amount of evil influence you have exerted over them? And do you ever expect to be forgiven without confessing and forsaking this iniquity? They have naturally regarded you as fathers and mothers in Israel. Your example has had the influence of that of parents over children.

And now, beloved, are you familiar with the real spiritual state of these converts in your midst?

Will you not go to them and honestly ask them what influence your example has had over them? Will you not beg them to be open and honest, and tell you the real truth about your behavior? Will you take up the subject seriously, and inquire on your knees before God what has been the moral tendency of your behavior, and spirit, and manner of life in its bearings on their piety?

And let me ask again have not the efforts of your pastors and religious teachers been, to a large degree, counteracted and nullified by your spirit and behavior which has been the direct opposite of what your pastors have pressed upon their minds?

I have nothing more to say on this subject, but I leave these questions and suggestions for you to seriously think about; and I will go down on my own knees, and beg God to search out the deep foundations of your heart on these subjects.

Will you also take this letter, go into your prayer closet, shut the door, and read it on your knees, praying and asking God to apply every sentence to your own heart?

Will you, my brother, my sister, do this honestly, earnestly, and repeatedly, until you get a knowledge of your own standing in the sight of God on this most solemn subject? May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ incline you to do it, and to His name shall be the praise.

Your brother,

C.G.FINNEY

P.S. Will you, dear brothers, and sisters, consider this letter as addressed to each of you by name; and will you hand it to as many of that class of persons to whom it is addressed, as you conveniently can, and request them to also consider it as a private communication from me to them?

Yours, C.G.F.