John MacNaughtan preaches about the necessity for a revival of religion in the current state of the church, emphasizing the signs of spiritual death, decay in energy, lack of progression in divine life, and conformity to worldly practices as indicators for the need of a revival. He draws parallels between the natural world needing seasons of growth and the spiritual world needing revivals to prevent spiritual stagnation and decay. MacNaughtan highlights the limited extent of the visible church, lack of zeal for God's glory, divisions within the church, and the decline in the devotional spirit as circumstances necessitating a revival of religion.