Value of a Good Book: The Tennents' Views of Revivals

The following passages give us the views entertained by the Tennents, Rev. William Tennent and his three sons3 Gilbert, William, and John, who in the time of Whitefield and Edwards, about the year 1740, were greatly instrumental in the revival of true religion. It is extracted from a late interesting work by Rev. Dr. Alexander, entitled, “The Log College,” which was a school founded by William Tennent, senior, in which his three sons and Rev. Dr. Finley, President Davies, and a few other leading men in the great revival, pursued their theological studies.

“It is shocking to think that any should dare to oppose a work attended with such commanding evidence as has been among us. We would beseech all such solemnly to answer the following paragraph of the Rev. Mr. Robe, minister of the gospel in Kilsyth, Scotland, in his preface to his ‘Narrative, which is as follows:

“‘I seriously beg of any who are prejudiced against this dispensation of God’s extraordinary grace, and look upon it as a delusion, that they will show themselves so charitable as to direct me and other ministers what we shall answer distressed persons of all ages, who come to us crying bitterly “that they are undone, because of unbelief and other sins — 1 What shall we do to be saved V And as a younggirl about twelve, who had been in distress for some time, called upon me in the house where I was, and asked me with great sedateness, ‘What shall I do to get Christ Shall we tell them that they are not Christless, and are not unconverted, when we evidently see many of them to be such? Shall we tell them that their fears of the wrath of God is all but delusion, and that it is no such dreadful thing that they need to be much afraid of it? Shall we tell persons lamenting their cursing and swearing, Sabbath-breaking, and other immoralities, that it is the devil that now makes them see these evils to be offensive to God and destructive to their souls? Shall we tell them who, under the greatest uneasiness, inquire of us what they shall do to get an interest and faith in Christ, that Satan is deluding them when they have or show any concern this way? In fine, shall we pray, and recommend them to pray to God, to deliver them from such delusions? It would be worse than devilish to treat the Lord’s sighing and groaning prisoners at this rate.7 ;?

“A few minutes before the Rev. John Tennent expired, holding his brother William by the hand, he broke out into the following raptures: ‘Farewell, my brethren; farewell, father and mother; farewell, world with all thy vain delights. Welcome, God and Father; welcome, sweet Lord Jesus! Welcome death; welcome eternity. Amen V Then with a low voice, he said, c Lord Jesus, come, Lord Jesus V And so he fell asleep in Christ, and obtained an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of his God and Saviour.”