The Revival

When many souls are coming to Christ at one time, we call it a Kevival of Religion. There is no impropriety in this, even though the obvious effects are in converting sinners. This is always preceded by the refreshing of the Church, and just as God reneweth the face of the earth,i y the spring, by calling forth grass and flowers, so he revives the wintry places of his Church by bringing to light thousands of hitherto darkened souls. From Pentecost onwards, the Holy Spirit has been frequently sent in effusion so copious as to add multitudes simultaneously to the Church of such as shall be saved. O reader I a time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord is also a time for great “searchings of hearts.“ “Will you give a few moments to certain solemn and tender inquiries?

1 Psalm 104: 30. Judges 5: IG.

1. Are yoit an eaemy of the Revival f You shudder at the thought! yet enemies there are; an arch-enemy, a liar, a murderer, the old serpent, is still the foe of Christ and all his works. His aids and emissaries seek to hinder the arousing of saints, and the conversion of sinners. Perhaps you have heard them sneer and rail at the work of grace; which they deride as a disease or an infatuation. “These people are insane.” “These riien are full of new wine.“^ Perhaps you have joined in the laughter of the sons of Belial; or have been afraid or ashamed to break silence. Consider with which party you then ranked yourself.” Who is on the Lord’s side?“”^ is still the question. To mock at the operations of the Holy Spirit, ascribing them to lower causes, is not unlike the sin of the Pharisees, who dishonored the miracles of Christ.3

Men may fight against God,^ and oppose his work of grace, by denying or disparaging it; by dwelling on every person or incident which has a ludicrous side; by repressing the feelings of awakened souls; or by encouraging

I Acts 2: 13. 2 Exod. 32: 2G.

3 Mark 3: 22. Luke 11; 15. “» Acts 5: 3D.

frivolous and distracting conversation, reading, or amusements, when the Spirit of God is clearly and mightily moving the community to solemn consideration, bitter grief for sin, and earnest turning from the world to Christ. 2. Do you rejoice in the Revival? The Church cries to God: Wilt thou not revive us again, that thy people may rejoice in thee? The Church has no greater joy on earth; yea, the Church in heaven rejoices over one sinner that repenteth;^ God and Christ rejoice over multitudes renewed and forgiven. Is this your joy, 0 reader? When the mighty awakening took place in the region of Samaria, “there was great joy in that city.”^ One converted family is cause of joy; when a whole church, when a whole neighborhood, when multitudes in a city, turn unto the Lord, how exceedingly great should be the gladness of all who love Christ and love souls! Are you conscious of such joy? Can it be a matter of indifference to a truly renewed soul, even to hear a report of hundreds brought to confess the Lord Jesus? Feel as Christ and holy angels feel, and you will possess a joy in the salvation of fellow-J Luke 15: 7. Act3 b: 8.

creatures and the glorj of your Lord. But possibly you know nothing of all this.

8. Are you a subject of the Revival f The kingdom of God has come nigh unto you; but are you of it? You hear, perhaps you speak of the great revival; but have you been yourself revived? Has your cold heart, dead in trespasses and sins, been made alive by the Spirit of the living Grod? “Dost thou believe on the Son of God?”^ Have old things passed away, and have all things become new?^ Have you that love to the Lord Jesus Christ, without which your sentence is Anathema Maranatha?^ Have you crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts?

These are very serious questions, to which you have long since given a deliberate answer, if you have been faithful to your own soul. Believe me, dear reader, it is not enough to be a communicant in the church. Thousands have been such, who are now in hell. A revived church possesses revived members. Are you such a one? Lay the hand on the breast and say, has the pervading influence

JJoliul9:L!5 2 Cor. 5: IT. MCor. 1G:22.

of the blessed Spirit kindled your soul to new faith, hope, love, devotion, and duty? K not, you are still outside of this shower of grace.

4. Do you pray for the Revival f Many thousands are so praying. It began in prayer. Thiaifresh gifl of the loving Saviour was born amidst the cries and tears of his people. While they were speaking, God was near, to bless. Thus he came upon the gathered Eleven, and thus upon the pentecostal meeting for prayer.^ The precept is still in force. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; the promise still holds good, “They shall prosper that love thee.“^ As revivals begin in prayer, so are they maintained by prayer. The minister of the Word is but a fainting Moses, if Aaron and Hur cease to uphold his hands.^ If we would see many thousands converted to God, we must pray. “For thus saith the Lord God, I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them; I will increase. them with men like a flock; as the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts.“”* In the house of God, in the converted meeting of brethren, in the Sunday-

& THE REVIVAL.

school, m the family, in the closet, pray, pray, pray I

.5. Are you helping forward the Revival? There fs much, work to be done among saints and sinners. Almighty Grod is the only effectual power. Paul and Apollos are noMing, till God give the increase. Yet men are co-workers with God; humble instruments to convey his truth and promote his glory. Say not you are weak. He hath chosen the weak things of this world to confound the mighty. Say not you have no influence; you have already exerted too much, on the wrong side. Go forward in the name of the Lord, with light and love, and you shall behold the fruit of your labor. You have a relative, a partner, a friend, a dependant, a neighbor, whose soul you have neglected. You have an hour in the week, or five minutes in the day, which you have failed to devote to saving an immortal being. You may conduct one to a religious meeting; you may bless another by rebuke. You may lend a book, give a tract, write an affectionate letter. Especially you may plead with some fellow-creature, that he would be reconciled to God. Peradventure your working-time is

short.

6. Does your heart care for the fruits of the Eevivalf There is a duty to the golden sheaves after the ears have fallen before the sickle. Folded sheep must be watched and fed. Kew converts are endangered creatures, lambs amidst wolves. Christ cares for them, and wills that his servants should care for them. It is not the will of the Father that one of these little ones should perish.^ Beware how yoTi offend, that is, betray into sin, one of these little ones. Seek to prevent their straying. Seek to imbue them with sound doctrine. This ductile condition is the very one in which to receive the mould of truth.^ Earnestly endeavor to bring them to an intelligent and sincere profession of faith, and then to useful labors. Half the benefit of revivals is lost from neglect of those who have been converted. Might not classes of instruction for such persons, after the primitive model, be found valuable? Dear Christian reader, if your heart has ever felt true penitence and love to Jesus, feed his sheep, feed his lambs! 7. Have you sought to honor God in ike Revival f The glory of God the Saviour is the chief end to be regarded, in the salvation

1 Man. IS: 14. Rom. 6: 17.

of the perishing. Every true conversion adds splendor to Messiah’s crown. By every true revival of religion, glory redounds to the Lord God Almighty. But this declarative glory is lessened by every thing in the work which overclouds divine grace, or exalts poor, sinful man, and his doings and deservings. Oh I how careful should he be, in every meeting, in every devotion, in every word, to maintain a reverence and godly fear for that Holy One whom we profess to believe present! “For our God is a consuming fire.“^ The young Levite, who unwarily touched the ark, was zealous but not reverent. When dealing with or for souls, we can not be too gentle” and tender, even as a nurse cherisheth her [own] children; we can not be too humble and meek. Pray for the ‘love of the Spirit.’^ Shun all that is censorious, or savoring of spiritual pride. All religious experiences are doubtful, which leave the soul arrogant, unteachable, harsh, and denunciatory. Let the awe of God’s presence affect us, as it did the seraphim; and when our exultation is highest, let us most deeply cry: Holy, Holy, Holy F How tenderly we should fear lest any uncru-

Heb. 12: 29. Rom. 15: 30. 3 Isa. G: 1-6.

cified tempers of ours, should ‘eat as dott a canker,’ and spread contagion tlirougli the blessed work. So live, beloved brother m the Lord, that you may be able to say of al around you, as did Paul, “And they glorified God in me.”^

I 2 Tim. 2: 11 ‘Gall: 24.

FOB BE V I VAL.

Behold thy drooping vine, 0 God!
And shed thy quickening grace abroad;
Our graces faint, our joys decline.
Yet still, Redeemer, we are thine.

Awake to help us from on high,
And let deUvering power be nigh.
Hear our bewaUings and complaints,
And grant revival to thy saints.

As in the times of old come down.
And cease in just rebuke to frown:
Far we have wandered from thy way.
Arrest us lest we further stray.

By thy convincing power reprove.
And wake the sleepers into love,
Cause us again to hear the sound
Of anxious moanings all around.

We suppliant plead in that great Name, Which saves thy heritage from shame; For Jesus’ sake display thy power. In this our dark and sinking hour.