revival labours

The following excerpt is taken from The Revival Labors of Charles G. Finney by Charles G. Finney

At times there was opposition to the revivals. The Lord showed Finney to leave everything to Him and go about his work. At one revival, in which Brother Nash was working with Finney, a group of young men set themselves in opposition to the work. They were like a bulwark hindering the progress of the revival.

"In this state of things," writes Finney, "Brother Nash and myself, after consultation, made up our minds that that thing must be overcome by prayer, and that it could not be reached in any other way. We therefore retired to a grove and gave ourselves up to prayer until we prevailed, and we felt confident that no power which earth or hell could interpose would be allowed permanently to stop the revival.

"The next Sabbath, after preaching morning and afternoon myself - for I did the preaching altogether and Brother Nash gave himself up almost continually to prayer - we met at five o'clock in the church for a prayer meeting. The meeting house was filled. Near the close of the meeting, Brother Nash arose, and addressed that company of young men who had joined hand in hand to resist the revival. I believe they were all there, and they sat braced up against the Spirit of God. It was too solemn for them really to make ridicule of what they heard and saw; and yet their brazen-facedness and stiff-neckedness were apparent to everybody."

"Brother Nash addressed them very earnestly, and pointed out the guilt and danger of the course they were taking. Toward the close of his address he waxed exceeding warm and said to them:"

"Now, mark me, young men! God will break your ranks in less than one week, either by converting some of you, or by sending some of you to hell. He will do this as certainly as the Lord is my God!"

"He was standing where he brought his hand down on the top of the pew before him so as to make it thoroughly jar. He sat immediately down, dropped his head, and groaned with pain."

"The house was as still as death, and most of the people held down their heads. I could see that the young men were agitated. For myself, I regretted that Brother Nash had gone so far. He had committed himself that God would either take the life of some of them, and send them to hell, or convert some of them within a week."

"However on Tuesday morning of the same week, the leader of these young men came to me in the greatest distress of mind. He was all prepared to submit; and as soon as I came to press him he broke down like a child, confessed, and manifestly gave himself to Christ."

"He then said, 'What shall I do, Mr. Finney?'"

"I replied, 'Go immediately to all your companions, and pray with them, and exhort them at once to turn to the Lord.'"

"He did so; and before the week was out, nearly if not all of that class of young men, were hoping in Christ." The Spirit of the Lord was outpoured and the revival soon went forward with great power.