As, according to the doctrine of the New Testament, all possible agencies of deliverance and of moral im- provement in humanity are to be ascribed to the Holy Spirit, the church holds, and rightly, that the opera- tion of the Holy Spirit is united with the word of Christian truth, and also with visible religious exer- cises, in the awakening of sinners. It is also right in considering the word as the messenger or the medium of the Holy Spirit. Awakening may also result, from external changes and events in life, by which truth, previously received into the heart and mind of the sinner, after lying apparently dead, is rendered active, as if awakened from slumber, so that the sinner him- self awakes from the sleep or death of sin. Among the outward causes often producing awakening are sick- ness, either our own or others, particularly such as is the result of sin ; the death of those we love, or some- times of those who have fallen victims to their sins or to those of others, or perhaps have ended their life by sui- cide ; or the death of such as were associated with us in our sinful career , also shame and contumely or a fall into gross sin, either by ourselves or others, which dis- closes to us the bottomless nature of sin ; deliverance out of danger, or, on the other h"nd, undeserved bless- ings. Intercourse with pious and good persons, or sometimes of the bad, may lead to awakening. Some- times the Spirit uses the memories of youth and of its inexplicable feelings and of confused impulses , some- times solitary meditation ; sometimes the contempla- tion of nature; the reading of biographies, the study of works of art, as means of awakening. Both good and evil can be made awakening in the life of man , thus Rom. ii, 4: "Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to re- pentance?" xi, 22: "Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity ; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness; otherwise thou also shaltbe cutoff;" 1 Cor. x, 0, 11 : "Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as the)' also lusted. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples ; and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."
The effects produced by an awakening cause differ widely, both for objective and subjective reasons. In more quiet and tranquil natures, its effect may be slow and gentle; in the more vigorous ones it is more forcible, and often sudden. But the weaker natures are, on the other hand, more easily awakened than stronger ones, while the latter, though requiring a stronger impulse, are more likely to be lastingly im- pressed. Where moral self- consciousness, or con- science, is yet awake, the feeblest awakening can act effectually ; but where conscience has become be- numbed and dormant, a more powerful impression is required. It is evident, besides, that the result will be influenced by a variety of other causes, such as the more or less enlightened state of the subject, the ener- gy- of the impulses, the relations of life, either favora-
ble or unfavorable to the development of moral sense, etc. Of course, to produce saving effects, the impres- sion must be lasting, i. e. it must not merely had to a resolve to amendment, but must work it out also. This, however, is not the work of a moment, but of a whole lifetime, through which the awakening must steadfastly and unceasingly act. The sinner must do all in his power to apply the prevenient grace, which is the source of the awakening, to the redemption of his soul; for without the sinner's own co-operation, the work of sanctification will not be accomplished. In order, then, to render the effect of awakening persist- ent, it is necessary to keep the memory of it continu- ally in the soul, and to connect with it all that follows. We see, therefore, how great an obstacle is frivolity, which never looks back, but only considers the present or the future; and for that reason the sanguine tem- perament, while more readily awakened for a moment, is more difficult to impress lastingly , choleric natures are touched easily and deeply, the melancholy lasting- ly, and the phlegmatic with difficulty. The strength of the awakening is measured by the inward pains of penitence, but cannot be estimated by the outward tears or demonstrations, partly on account of differ- ence in .temperaments. Sanguine and choleric sub- jects will be more demonstrative than phlegmatic or melancholic while under the same force of awakening. — Krehl, Ar. T. Handworterbuch, s. v. See also Con- viction ; Revival.
Awl (l"£~i'Q,marise' ii, perforator , Sept. gtt)]tioi>), an instrument for boring a small hole (Exod. xxi, 6 ; Deut. xv, 17). Considering that the Israelites had re- cently withdrawn from their long sojourn in Egypt, there" can be no doubt that the instruments were the same as those of that country, used by the sandal- makers and other workers in leather (Wilkinson, ii,
Ancient Egyptian A
105). In the above passages the word is employed in reference to piercing the ear as a sign of perpetual servitude, which it seems was a custom among other Oriental nations (Petronius. Satyr. 102), and it was the practice in Lydia, India, and Persia to perforate the ears of bovs dedicated to the service of the gods (Xen. Anab. iii, 1, 31 ; Plutarch, Sympos. ii, 1, 4). See Servant.