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I'd like to continue this afternoon with our

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studies of revival, one in particular which took

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place in Connecticut, New York at Union College

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during the Second Great Awakening under the mighty

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preaching of Azahel Nettleton.

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These comments I want to read us today

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are from Francis Whalen.

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I'm going to read us excerpts from my

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biography on Nettleton called Azahel Nettleton, Revival Preacher,

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and I want to start with Francis Whalen's

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observations.

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He was a professor at Union College when

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Nettleton came into town where a mighty revival

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broke out, and here now are Francis Whalen's

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observations of Azahel Nettleton as a preacher.

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He was among the most effective preachers I

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have ever known.

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I never heard logic assume so attractive a

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form or produce so decisive an effect.

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When reasoning on any of the great doctrines

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in Romans, for instance, election, the utter depravity

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of man, the necessity of regeneration, or the

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necessity of atonement, his manner was often Socratic.

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In other styles of address, he was equally

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successful.

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The doom of the sinner, the danger of

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delay, the condition of the thoughtless, the vicious

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and the blasphemer, the exercises of the soul

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from the first moments of conviction, the subterfuges

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of the human heart, and the final act

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of submission to God were portrayed by him

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with a power of eloquence I have rarely

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heard.

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I suppose no minister of his time was

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the means of so many conversions.

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He was, in an unusual degree, obedient to

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impressions received in answer to prayer.

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I believe he never went to a place

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unless he had received an intimation that he

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had a duty to discharge there, and he

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rarely visited a place where revival did not

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follow him.

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In conversing with persons under conviction, he exhibited

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a knowledge of human nature almost intuitive, nor

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was it merely with awakened sinners that his

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preaching was remarkably successful.

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It was his habit, when he could stay

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long enough in a neighborhood, to collect the

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converts and explain to them the doctrines of

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the gospel, point out to them their danger,

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and then build them up in the faith

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before he left them.

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In preaching, his countenance beamed with a holy

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earnestness such as befitted one sent directly from

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God as an ambassador to men.

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At this time, he was rarely entered the

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pulpit or preached in the daytime.

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He preferred a vestry or a schoolhouse, and

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if he spoke in the body of the

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church, he addressed the audience from the deaconcy

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or the platform in front of the pulpit.

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His manner was quiet, especially at the commencement.

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His voice grave and deep, deep-toned, his

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whole aspect was that of a man who

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had just come from intimate communion with God.

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He never used notes, although I believe he

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sometimes wrote out some of his sermons, and

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rarely employed ornament of any kind.

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He would stand up, throw on a red

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bandana, handkerchief over his left arm, and in

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tones varying but little from those of earnest

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conversation, would sway an audience as the trees

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of the forest are moved by a mighty

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wind.

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His manner of life was consistent with his

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appearance in the pulpit.

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His residence was generally with the minister of

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the parish in which he was laboring.

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The time not employed in preaching or conversation

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with inquirers was devoted to secret prayer and

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the reading of the scriptures.

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He was never seen in what is called

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general society.

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His whole time seemed devoted to labor for

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souls.

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He was unmarried, and to avoid remark, he

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never rode or walked with a lady alone.

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He was holy and sensible to the influence

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of money.

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His dress was plain and well-worn.

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When money was offered him, he would either

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return it all or would accept only what

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was wanted for his present necessity.

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Now friends, I want to read us an

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excerpt from a revival that took place in

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New England in 1829 in Monson, Massachusetts, where

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Nettleton was preaching for a pastor by the

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name of Dr. Eli.

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These are Eli's notes from Nettleton's visit at

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his church.

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Please listen very carefully to the preaching of

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Ezehiel Nettleton and its great effect upon its

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hearers.

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Dr. Nettleton was among the few whose memory

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will be long cherished by the churches as

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an eminent instrument in the hands of God

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of reviving his work and of bringing multitudes

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to embrace the Savior for righteousness and life.

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He seems to have been raised up by

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the great head of the church to accomplish

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his purposes of mercy in the revival of

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pure religion and in the conversion of sinners.

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His influence upon the ministry and upon the

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churches where he labored was peculiarly happy.

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He always left behind him a sweet savor

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of Christ.

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Harmony and Christian affection between pastors and people

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were the results of his labors, even when

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they had been most successful in the conversion

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of souls.

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His zeal and earnestness in preaching the gospel

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where Christ was named were so tempered with

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practical wisdom and singular prudence that he was

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received and loved and remembered as a messenger

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from God sent to bless the people.

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His labors among us in the year 1829

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are recollected with affection and gratitude.

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The revival with which we were favored that

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year commenced about the middle of July.

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It was unusually powerful and still and rapid

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in its progress.

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There was less animal excitement.

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Convictions of sin were more and more thorough

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and conversions were more clear and decided than

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in some other seasons of revival which we

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have enjoyed.

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We had but little to do but to

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stand still and see the salvation of God.

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Mr. Middleton, if I'm not mistaken, was then

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preaching at Anfield, and by my request he

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came and spent a week with us the

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first of September and preached frequently to the

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most solemn and attentive assemblies I'd ever witnessed.

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He then left us and returned again in

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about ten days and spent another week.

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He preached on one Sabbath only.

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On that day, I supplied his place at

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Anfield.

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He preached and held inquiry meetings in the

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evenings of the week and visited the families

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with me in the daytime.

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His labors were very acceptable and eminently useful

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and I blessed God for his aid.

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Many were awakened under his preaching and some

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hopefully converted and those who entertained hope were

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greatly enlightened and strengthened.

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He is remembered to this day with much

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affection.

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The chief excellence of his preaching seemed to

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consist in great plainness and simplicity and discrimination,

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in much solemnity and affectionate earnestness of manner,

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and in the application of the truth to

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the heart and conscience, in taking away the

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excuses of sinners and leaving them without help

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and hope, except in the sovereign mercy of

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God.

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In short, it was conformed to the work

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for which the Spirit was sent into the

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world to reprove or convince the world of

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sin, of righteousness, and of judgment.

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This characteristic was most striking.

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His manner of dealing with awakened sinners was

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peculiar.

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While it served to deepen their convictions and

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lead them to Christ, it gained their confidence

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and secured their belief in the truth.

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He knew, too, how to search those who

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expressed hope, and while he detected the hypocrite

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and encouraged the desponding, he was regarded by

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all with affection and reverence.

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A large number of the subjects of this

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revival were young people belonging to the first

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families in the place.

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Of about 100 who expressed hope at that

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time, more than 60 belonged to the district.

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Numbers of them have removed to other places,

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and others have died in the joyful hope

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of glory.

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Frequently have I heard them express the remembrance

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of Dr. Nettleton's labors and of their obligations

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to him as the instrument of leading them

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to Christ.

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Some on examination for church fellowship dated their

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awakening and conversion to his labors.

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Of the number admitted to the church that

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year, only four have apostatized.

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They have generally maintained the Christian character, and

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some of them eminently useful in the church.

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His labors, though short with us, were greatly

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blessed, and I shall remember them with gratitude

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to the great head of the church who

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disposed him to come and help us.

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Well, friends, it's important that we restudy the

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paths of men God has used in former

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times, particularly in seasons of revival, and follow

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in their footsteps and pray that God in

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his mercy will be pleased to send revival

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again in this sad day of declension in

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which we live for his great name and

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his great glory.