360 THE PULPIT IN N. H. DURING THE PRESENT CENTUR1 .
��come convinced that they had nothing to do, unless God called them, began to in- quire, to confess, pray and speak in pub- lic. The converts were very numerous and very zealous. They could not wait for spring to return, to confess Christ, but cut the ice from the pond in winter and received baptism when their t lothes would freeze on coming from the water, and they must ride nearly a mile to the nearest house. The excitement extend- ed to all classes, and the effects, in a lim- ited territory, were as great as that which now follows Mr. Moody's preaching. They flourished for a season, but having no place of worship, and being too poor to build one, they were gradually ab- sorbed into other denominations.
The ministry of Rev. Isaac Smith, who was settled by the town of Gilmanton, continued nearly forty-three years. The last years of his life were troubled by a legal controversy about his unpaid sala- ry. He sued the town for arrears, and alienated many of the voters. During his entire pastorate there was no revival of religion. During that long period only one hundred and fourteen were add- ed to the church, a number barely suffi- cient to keep it alive. During the same pe- riod there were 1141 deaths in the town. There were then no extraordinary aids to clerical labors, no Sabbath schools, church conferences nor Christian associations. Mr. Smith was a gentleman of the old school in manners and theology. He was a graduate of Princeton, a classmate of President Madison, and had the court- ly carriage of Revolutionary times. I remember that the magnates had pews in the broad aisle. At the close of each service the people stood until the minis- ter passed out, bowing right and left to his parishioners. Mr. Smith used to ex- change about one-fourth of the time. Some of the clergymen who came to sup- ply his pulpit were men of mark, l > mighty in the Scriptures," particularly in dogmatic theology. Such were Dr. McFarland of Concord. Dr. Burnham of Pembroke, Mr. George of Barnstead, Mr. Curtis of Pittsfield, Mr. Patrick of Can- terbury and Mr. Bodwell of Sanbornton. They generally preached their great ser- mons when they exchanged pulpits, and
��these were mostly written on the five points of Calvinism. By them, the churches were indoctrinated, saints were edified and sinners disheartened. They taught the reprobation of the non-elect as well as the salvation of the elect. Im- penitent men drew the inference that they could do nothing to better their spiritual condition without divine inter- position, through " effectual calling;" they therefore settled down upon the conviction that ,l they must wait God's time." It was demonstrated to them, again and again, that the sinner could not, before conversion, do a right act; and that even " his prayer was an abom- ination to a holy God." Many remained in this state of stupid indifference till they were roused to action by illiterate enthusiasts who declaimed against " a hireling clergy," and preached human ability to the utter exclusion of divine sovereignty. These " unlearned and ig- norant men" were eloquent in enforcing duty in distinction from dogma ; and they awoke many of their hearers from their " carnal slumbers" and constrained them to cry out : " Men and brethren what shall we do to be saved?" They preach- ed free grace, free will, and the natural ability of men to repent and believe the gospel. They also taught that a contrite sinner could offer an acceptable prayer to God, else the Publican could never have gone down to his house justified. The guilt of rejecting Christ, and the eternal loss of the soul, in consequence, were made equally prominent and de- pendant on the sinner's choice. The re- sult was that their meetings seemed full of life and joy; and the gloom and despondency, which often followed the preaching of Calvinism, disappeared. Under the precaching of the " Standing Order" of minister, ssinners under convic- tion often became gloomy and fell into despair. They were told that this was the result of their hostility to God ; that peace would follow submission. Possi- bly it was due to their instruction. In theology, as in medicine, the imagination often verifies the prediction of the proph- et. When men are taught that they can pass through the gate of mercy only by mortal agony, unreasoning minds really
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