Charles G. Finney

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21.) Fanatical Excitement-Letter Seven
      While upon the subject of excitement, I wish to make a few suggestions on the danger that highly-excited feelings will take a wrong direction, and result in fanaticism. Every one is aware that, when the feelings are strongly excited, they are capable of being turned in various directions, and of assuming various types, according to the circumstance ...read more

22.) FULNESS THERE IS IN CHRIST
      'For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power.'--Col. 2:9, 10. The connection in which this text stands, shows that the Apostle is laboring to establish the distinction between an outside legal religion, and religion by faith in Christ. For this purpos ...read more

23.) God Cannot Please Sinners
       Luke vii. 31--35. "And the Lord said, Whereunto, then, shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like? They are like unto children sitting in the market-place, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept. For John the Baptist came neither ...read more

24.) God's Anger Against the Wicked
      "God is angry with the wicked every day." -- Psalms 7:11. In speaking from this text I design to show briefly: I. WHO ARE "WICKED" IN THE SCRIPTURE SENSE OF THIS TERM; II. THAT GOD IS ANGRY WITH THEM; III. THE NATURE OF THIS ANGER; IV. THE REASONS FOR IT; V. ITS DEGREE; VI. ITS DURATION; VII. THE TERRIBLE CONDITION OF SINNER ...read more

25.) God's Love Commended To Us
      "But God commendeth His love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." -- Romans v. 8. WHAT is meant here by "commend?" To recommend; to set forth in a clear and strong light. Towards whom is this love exercised? Towards us -- towards all beings of our lost race. To each one of us He manifests this love. Is it not w ...read more

26.) God's Love for a Sinning World
      "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." -- John 3:16. Sin is the most expensive thing in the universe. Nothing else can cost so much. Pardoned or unpardoned, its cost is infinitely great. Pardoned, the cost falls chiefly on the great atoning Su ...read more

27.) GOSPEL LIBERTY
      Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.--Galatians 5:1. In this lecture I shall show, I. WHAT IS INTENDED BY THE YOKE OF BONDAGE. II. WHAT IT IS TO BE ENTANGLED WITH IT. III. WHAT IS THE LIBERTY HERE SPOKEN OF. IV. HOW CHRIST MAKES US FREE. V ...read more

28.) HOW TO CHANGE YOUR HEART
      EZEKIEL xviii. 31.--Make you a new heart, and a new spirit, for why will ye die? In the former discourse upon this text, I discussed three points, viz: 1. The meaning of the command in the text. 2. Its reasonableness. 3. Its consistency with those passages which declare a new heart to be the gift and work of God. In answer to th ...read more

29.) How To Preach Without Converting Anybody
      Preach on every doctrine that centers the attention on man rather than Jesus. Teach every doctrine that makes man the center of God's attention rather than God the center of man's devotion. Tell people only what God will do for them. Avoid preaching about the necessity of a radical change of heart, through the truth revealed to the heart by the a ...read more

30.) It is impossible but that offences come
      THERE are many who believe that a loose indefinite infidelity has rarely, if ever, been more prevalent in our country than at this time, especially among young men. I am not prepared to say it is an honest infidelity, yet it may very probably be real. Young men may really doubt the inspiration of the Christian Scriptures, not because they have hone ...read more

31.) JUSTIFICATION
      'There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit.' Rom. 8:1. In this discourse, I shall notice, I. WHAT IT IS TO BE IN CHRIST JESUS. II. WHAT IS INTENDED BY NO CONDEMNATION. III. WHY THERE IS NO CONDEMNATION TO THEM WHO ARE IN CHRIST JESUS. IV. WHAT IS I ...read more

32.) Justification By Faith
      TEXT--"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."--Gal 2:16 THIS last sentiment is expressed in the same terms, in ...read more

33.) Lecture 1 - WHAT A REVIVAL OF RELIGION IS.
      TEXT. -- O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy. --HAB. iii. 2. IT is supposed that the prophet Habakkuk was contemporary with Jeremiah, and that this prophecy was uttered in anticipation of the Babylonish captivity. Looking at the judgments which were speedily to come upo ...read more

34.) Lecture 2 - WHEN A REVIVAL IS TO BE EXPECTED.
      TEXT. --Wilt thou not revive us again; that thy people may rejoice in thee? --PSALM lxxxv. 6. THIS Psalm seems to have been written soon after the return of the people of Israel from the Babylonish captivity; as you will easily see from the language at the commencement of it. The Psalmist felt that God had been very favorable to the people, and ...read more

35.) Lecture 3 - HOW TO PROMOTE A REVIVAL.
      TEXT. --Break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.--HOSEA X. 12. THE Jews were a nation of farmers, and it is therefore a common thing in the Scriptures to refer for illustrations to their occupation, and to the scenes with which farmers and shepherds are familiar. The prophet Hose ...read more

36.) Lecture 4 - PREVAILING PRAYER.
      TEXT. --The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.--JAMES V. 16. THE last lecture referred principally to the confession of sin. To-night my remarks will be chiefly confined to the subject of intercession, or prayer. There are two kinds of means requisite to promote a revival; one to influence men, the other to influence God ...read more

37.) Lecture 5 - THE PRAYER OF FAITH.
      TEXT. --"Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." --MARK xi. 24. THESE words have been by some supposed to refer exclusively to the faith of miracles. But there is not the least evidence of this. That the text was not designed by our Saviour to refer exclusivel ...read more

38.) Lecture 6 - THE SPIRIT OF PRAYER.
      TEXT. --Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints, according to the will of God. ...read more

39.) Lecture 7 - ON BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT.
      TEXT. --Be filled with the Spirit. --EPH. v. 18. SEVERAL of my last lectures have been on the subject of prayer, and the importance of having the spirit of prayer, of the intercession of the Holy Ghost. Whenever the necessity and importance of the Spirit's influences are held forth, there can be no doubt that persons are in danger of abusing th ...read more