Lecture XXII – On Revivals of Religion

What is a revival of religion—and why do they begin, flourish, or decline?

In this episode, we walk through a classic lecture that defines revival not as emotional excess or manufactured excitement, but as “times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord.” The lecture explores:

• How revivals begin—often with the preacher, but sometimes with praying saints hidden from view

• The role of God’s sovereignty and human responsibility working together

• Why prayer, fasting, humility, and faithful preaching are essential

• Common reasons revivals decline—including pride, passivity, and fear of disorder

• A biblical defense of visible emotion in revival, drawn from both Old and New Testaments

• A warning against quenching the Spirit in the name of “order”

• A call for humility, faith, and perseverance until the knowledge of God fills the earth

This is a pastoral, searching, and Scripture-heavy reflection that challenges modern assumptions about revival, church growth, and spiritual vitality.

In this episode, we explore Lecture XII: On Prayer, a deeply pastoral and searching meditation on the nature, kinds, and spirit of true prayer.

The lecture defines prayer not as polished words or religious form, but as the sincere offering of the heart’s desires to God through Christ. It warns against prayer without thought or spirit, against mixing exhortation with worship, and against treating prayer as performance rather than communion.

Listeners are guided through the various kinds of prayer—ejaculatory, secret, family, social, and public—and reminded that each is both a duty and a privilege. Particular emphasis is placed on the necessity of secret and family prayer, the danger of pride in social prayer, and the importance of brevity and reverence in public prayer.

Above all, the lecture presses home the inseparable connection between the spirit of prayer and faith. God answers prayer—not formal prayer, but effectual, fervent prayer offered in faith. The episode closes with a stirring call for the Church to pray earnestly for the conversion of the world, trusting that God delights to answer the prayers of His people.

In this episode, we explore a historic lecture on the perseverance of the saints—one marked by pastoral sensitivity, theological clarity, and deep respect for those who differ.

The lecture begins by acknowledging the intensity of the debate and the sincere convictions held by Christians on both sides. It then carefully examines common arguments against final perseverance, including biblical warnings, apparent cases of apostasy, and key passages such as Ezekiel 33, John 15, and Hebrews 6.

Rather than dismissing these texts, the lecture engages them directly, arguing that none conclusively prove that a truly regenerate person is finally lost. Instead, they address discipline, loss of assurance, judgment under the law, or those who were never truly born of God.

The positive case for perseverance rests on:

• The nature of union with Christ

• Christ’s role as Advocate and High Priest

• The permanence of the new birth

• God’s covenant promises

• Clear, unambiguous Scriptural declarations

The lecture concludes by affirming that no definitive example exists of a truly regenerated person perishing eternally, and it urges humility and charity in teaching this doctrine—reminding listeners that while the doctrine matters, it is not a test of salvation.

In this episode, we explore Lecture XIX on Practical Religion, a rich reflection on the inseparable link between true spiritual experience and a holy life. Drawing from historic Cumberland Presbyterian teaching, we consider:

• Why genuine regeneration always produces visible fruit

• The difference between working for life and working from life

• How the Holy Spirit produces love, obedience, and holiness

• Why outward acts of religion can never replace inward renewal

• What it means to carry your faith into every part of life — from prayer, to generosity, to business, to everyday relationships

This is a deeply convicting and deeply comforting look at what real Christianity looks like when lived out through the grace of God.

In this episode of The Log Cabin Podcast, Luke opens Finis Ewing’s Lecture XVIII: Experimental Religion and explores the heart-level, Spirit-wrought work that marks true Christianity. Ewing draws a sharp contrast between a merely practical religion and a merely emotional one — insisting instead on a genuine, sensible experience of conviction, repentance, faith, and joy.

This episode walks through Ewing’s warnings about “insensible religion,” his critique of ministers who preach what they’ve never experienced, and his biblical argument that true conversion is always known and always transformative. A timely, authentic reflection for a world hungry for something real.

In this episode of The Log Cabin Podcast, Luke we reflect on Lecture XVII: On Heaven, or Eternal Happiness, a rich and stirring meditation on the believer’s final home. Drawing from Scripture and early Cumberland Presbyterian insight, the episode explores heaven as both a place and a state—a world where sin is silenced, sorrow is healed, and the redeemed behold the face of Jesus without veil or shadow.

This episode walks through the biblical reasons we believe in a future happiness, the nature of resurrected bodies, the endless increase of knowledge and joy, the harmony of the redeemed, and the glory of seeing Christ Himself. It’s a pastoral, hope-filled look at the world the Lord is preparing for His people.

In this solemn lecture, we confront the doctrine of eternal punishment — not as a curiosity, but as a warning born of divine truth. Drawing from Scripture’s vivid language, we hear of the worm that never dies and the fire that is not quenched — the unrelenting conscience and the wrath of God.

Hell is not merely pain but justice; not temporary, but eternal. Yet even here, mercy shines brightest — for Christ endured wrath for all who would turn to Him in faith.

“O Lord God, must man die eternally, and yet never die! Yes, O righteous Lord. O then, let all by speedy repentance and faith in Christ escape that awful place.”

The General Judgment: When the Judge of All the Earth Does Right

In this episode of The Log Cabin Podcast, Luke reads and reflects on Lecture XV: On the General Judgment from the early Cumberland Presbyterian tradition. This powerful sermon reminds us that God’s justice will not sleep forever. From kings and rulers to common men, every soul will stand before Christ, the Righteous Judge.

Drawing from Scripture and vivid imagery, this historic sermon calls listeners to remember that the gospel offers both a warning and a promise: that the Judge who comes with fire and glory is also the Savior who once came in grace and humility.

Scripture references include Matthew 25, Acts 17, 2 Corinthians 5, and Revelation 20.

Key Themes:

• The necessity of divine justice

• The reality of final judgment

• Christ as the righteous Judge

• The vindication of the saints

• The call to holiness and faith in Christ