Personal Declension and Revival of Religion in the Soul

AUTHOK OF " THX X3CPXaDainrAL AND PBAOTIOAL YIEW OF THX WORK OF TBI HOLY SPnOI ;" '^ THX ATONSBONT," SIO, NEW YORK: ROBERT CARTER, 58 CANAL STREET, AND PITTSBURG, 56 MARKET STREET. 1847. 1 CONTENTS. i*\^\^V^/>^» CHAPTER 1. !?««• Incipient Declension •••••• 9 CHAPTER n. Declennon in Jjove ..1 .... 48 CHAPTER lU. Declension in Faith • 78 ^ CHAPTER IV. Declension in Prayer 113 f(\ CHAPTER V. Declension in Connexion with Doctrinal Error •• 139 CHAPTER VI. * On Giiering the Spirit ^ 160 CHAPTER VII. The Fruitless and the Fruitful Professor 183 CHAPTER Vni. The Lord, the Restorer of his People 210 CHAPTER IX. The Lord, the Keeper of his People 935 RECOMMENDATION. I obtained last summer a copy of " Personal Declen- sion AND Revival of Religion in the Soul, by the Rev. Octavius Winslow," and read it with deep in- terest, and, I trust, some edification.

ATION. I obtained last summer a copy of " Personal Declen- sion AND Revival of Religion in the Soul, by the Rev. Octavius Winslow," and read it with deep in- terest, and, I trust, some edification. Deeming it exceed- ingly well calculated for usefulness in the Christian Church, I at once cherished the desire that it might be republished on this side of the Atlantic, and am now gratified that this desire is to be realized. The volume is pervaded by a rich vein of sound evangelical senti- ment, in a spirit and form eminently experimental and practical. The topics of which it treats are at all times highly important, and deserving constant and careful consideration ; but in the present position and aspect of the Church of Christ, when the love of many waxes cold, and conformity to the world is apparently extending and increasing, and the influence of the Spirit in the conver- sion of Sinners is very greatly and widely restrained, they demand immediate, earnest, and prayerful attention and improvement from every disciple of Christ.

the influence of the Spirit in the conver- sion of Sinners is very greatly and widely restrained, they demand immediate, earnest, and prayerful attention and improvement from every disciple of Christ. The revival of the work of the Spirit in* the Churches is inti- mately connected with and must be preceded by the revival of personal religion in the hearts and lives of Christians. The "time of God's favor in arising and having mercy upon Zion," is when amid deep searching and faithful discipline of heart, " his servants take plea- VI RECOMMENDATION. sure in her stooes, and favor the dust thereof.*' Mr. Winslow has published several volumes, all of a similar character, highly evangelical, and practical. Two of these have been republished here, viz., " The Inquirer directed to an Experimental and Practical View of the Atonement" and " The Inquirer directed to an Experi- mental and Practical View of the Work of the Holy Spirit," i* Very few modern writers remind me more of the marrow of sound doctrine and rich experience in the old Puritan Divines, than the author of this volume.

ractical View of the Work of the Holy Spirit," i* Very few modern writers remind me more of the marrow of sound doctrine and rich experience in the old Puritan Divines, than the author of this volume. Mr. Winslow has for a number of years past been settled as a Pastor of the Baptist Church at Leamington, Warwickshire, England. He was a member of the Evangelical Alli- ance formed at London in August, where I learned to esteem him in the brief intercourse I had with him, and the spirit which I saw him uniformly manifest, and where I found the general estimation in which he was held by the whole Christian community. I trust this volume will gain a wide circulation in our Christian Churches, and be owned by the great and blessed Head of the Church in rendering it extensively instrumental in reviving per- sonal religion in the souls of his children ; and so gradu- allyi largely, and widely reviving the Work of the Spirit in all the Churches. THOMAS DE WITT.

viving per- sonal religion in the souls of his children ; and so gradu- allyi largely, and widely reviving the Work of the Spirit in all the Churches. THOMAS DE WITT.

New York, January 1, 1847. PREFACE. ■>i/<w'V^syS^- That the subject on which this humble volume treats is vastly sol- emn and deeply searching, every true believer in Jesus must ac^ knowledge. The existing necessity for such a work has long im- pressed itself upon the Author's mind. While other and abler writers are. employing their pens, either in defending the out-posts of Christianity, or in arousing a slumbering church to an increased intensity of personal and combined action in the great work of Chris« tian benevolence, he has felt that if he might but be instrumental, in ever so humble a way, of occasionally withdrawing the eye of the believer from the dazzling and almost bewildering movements around him, and fixing it upon the state of his own personal religion, he "would be rendering the Christian church a service, not the less needed and important in her present elevated and excited position. It must, be admitted, that the character and the tendencies of the age are n<^ fitvorable to deep and mature reflection upon the hidden, spiritual life of the soul.

ent elevated and excited position. It must, be admitted, that the character and the tendencies of the age are n<^ fitvorable to deep and mature reflection upon the hidden, spiritual life of the soul. Whirled along as the church of God is, in her brilliant path of benevolent enterprise,— deeply engaged in con- certing and y[i carrying out new and fer-reaching plans of aggression upon the dominion of sin, — and compelled in one hand to hold the spiritual sword in defence of the feith, which, with the other she is up-building,-< but few energies are left, and but little time is afforded^ for close, feithfiil, and frequent dealing with the personal and spirit- ual state of grace in the soul; which, in consequence of thus being overlooked and uncultivated, may fall into a state of the deepest and most painful declension. "They made me keeper of the vineyards ; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.** TIU PKEFACE.