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October 18, 1911. ] THE
REVIVALS OF RELIGION.
The word revival, as we use it, is not found in
the Bible. The nearest approach to it is in
Habakkak's prayer, "O Lord, revive thy
work." But the idea is there, abundantly. The
phrase "times of refreshing from the presence
of the Lord" is clear enough. The spirit and
the fact are more important than words.
Revivals come from prayer. So thought
Habakkak when he uttered his fervent petitions.
So taught Christ when his disciples once
failing in a hard effort to get rid of a demoniacal
possession, he said to them, "This kind
goeth not out but by prayer and fasting." They
are closely associated with increased knowledge.
"In the midst of the years make
known." Growth in grace and knowledge is
prayed for by the apostle. "I know whom I
have believed" was Paul's testimony. When
he had a vision of the Lord, there followed
it a vision of sin, a vision of cleansing by the
blood, and a vision of service.
The beginnings of revivals may often be
traced to individuals. A faithful pastor is filled
with desire to see the life of his church quickened
and souls saved. His whole mind and
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soul. He preaches the truths of God and sin
and justice, and tells of the mercy of God in
Christ. He emphasizes Habakkak's petition,
"In wrath remember mercy." God rewards
his faithfulness after awhile. Sometimes a few
earnest souls in a congregation start the good
work. They become concerned about the
church and about their loved ones. They give
themselves much to prayer. They follow their
prayers with personal activity. Almost before
they know it the blessing comes.
Evils and hindrances in connection with desired
revivals are common and easily account
for God's withholding them. He cannot be
pleased with the idea which many have that
there is a "season" for revivals and that only
at that time of the year may such spiritual
blessings be expected. The thought denies the
very nature of God. Neither can He be pleased
with a wish for revival based upon a mere desire
to enlarge the roll and to add members to
the church. It may well be that in some cases
a revival spirit shows itself in cutting down the
roll and in exclusions rather than accessions.
Nor can it please Him to answer the cry for
revival when the effort is made to bring it
about by the use of methods or machinery which
exalt man and discredit the Spirit of God.
Music, processions, highly wrought emotions,
noise, passing out through the congregations,
getting the children excited by sensational
stories, hastening sincere or thoughtless seekers
to an unintelligent profession, and similar methods,
some of them even good when properly
used, either prevent a true revival altogether
or make it so thin and weak and hollow that
its results shrival almost as quickly as Jonah's
gourd.
As is well put by the New York Times, in an
article on the "Men and Region Forward
Movement," over emotionalism in revivals has
frequently been followed by relapse, but at the
same time no efforts will have strong effects
which does not stir the emotions of the people,
and no revival of religious spirit can be made
through merely intellectual appeal. The com
mon-sense ana logic or tnougntiui minds thus
respond to the declaration of the Scriptures that
"out of the heart are the issues of life," and
that a heart that can feel must be put in place
of the heart of stone before one can be called
a new creature in Christ Jesus.
PRESBYTERIAN OF THE 8
"He that winnetli souls is wise." No Christian
should ever allow himself to he H
this privilege and honor. It is surprising and
pleasing to observe the emphasis that the Scripture
places upon soul-winning and the rewards of
leading others to righteousness. "They that be
wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament,
and they that turn many to righteousness
as the stars forever and ever.'' The latter clause
explains the former. Being wise, and turning
many to righteousness, mean the same thing.
Paul thought of those whom he led to Christ as
contributing for him a diadem with which he
would be finally crowned. He told the Philippian
Christians that they were his "joy and
and crown"; and assured the Thessalonian believers
that they were his "hope, his joy his
crown of rejoicing in the presence of Jesus
Christ at his coming." James declares that
he that shall convert a sinner from the error of
his way shall save a soul from death, and Tim
otny is instructed that by taking heed to himself
and unto sound doctrine he would save both himself
and those who heard him. Fenelon says:
"The firmament shines like a sapphire in itself,
the stars and planets are more glorious again; but
those who faithfully labor in this work of saving
souls shall shine in glory forever and ever when
the firmament shall be parched up as a scroll."
PRAYER.
(Continued from page 3.)
to our king whose power is infinite; it is true
we have no merit, no price to give, for all
God's mercies, but we may offer worship and
praise before his altar, and our heavenly father
listens to hear the voice of praise and adoration
from loving, obedient hearts. When King
David brought the ark out of Obed-edom to
Jerusalem he said, "Give unto the Lord the
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come before him; worship the Lord in the
beauty of holiness." "We would emphasize
"give," "bring," and "worship" in this and
the following sentences. Again, he says, "O,
come, let us worship and bow down; let us
kneel before the Lord our Maker." And in
another place, "Exalt the Lord our God and
worship at his footstool." The place to offer
worship, praise, to bring an offering and
to bow down in holy adoration is at at his footstool,
on our knees. When the leper came to
Christ to be healed he worshipped him. When
the woman of Canaan desired Christ's healing
touch upon her daughter, she came and
worshipped him, saying: "Lord, help me," and
again cometh "the mother of Zebedee's children
with her sons worshipping him and desiring
a certain thing of him." Here we have
ample Bible example of worship, praise and
adoration in connection with our petition, and
a prayer without those must ever be wanting
in some of its grandest elements. Adoration,
praise, thanksgiving and confession, as well as
intercession, all in the name and to the praise
of our great intercessor and his merit are proper
elements of prayer.
In every place and at all times where duty
calls the Christian is prayer suitable. Every
moment of need is the occasion for prayer,
whether it be in the field where the battle rages
fastest, or in the quiet closet; whether walking
on the street, or sitting in the prayer meeting.
After setting out on a work of mercy we
need not. like one. turn baek to m/\m
for further prayer, but in our carnage, on our
journey we may find Christ owl make known
our needs to him. It was a humble serving
maid who explained to her learned master and
pastor how it is possible to "pray without ceasing."
"When I rise in the morning," said she,
"I pray that I may have a part in the resur
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rection of tlie just; when 1 drees, 1 pray that 1
may be clothed in (Jurist's righteousness; when
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with the bread oi lite," and each of her common
uuties suggested, to this godly woman, a
corresponding spiritual need and with it went
up the prayer for that need.
Christ spent whole nights in prayer. lie
prayed on the Mount of Transhguration and
then followed that wonderful manifestation of
uivme majesty. He used prayer on all the
grand occasion of his wonderful life, and his
father granted his most glorious exhibitions of
his power in response to prayer. At his baptism,
in the temple, and at the grave of Lazarus
he prayed, and finally on the cross, when
he voluntarily surrendered his spirit into the
keeping ofthe father, he prayed, and such a
change spread over nature as may not again
appear until ne comes the second time. Consecrated
Christians in ail ages have found remarkable
answers in prayer.
The result of close and constant communion
with our ijord are apparent beyond the answers
received to our petition. A prayerful
spirit leaves its impress upon the soul in a
growing likeness to Christ. As we move
quietly along the pathway of life, sharp with
many a thorn, we learn to endure the same
sharp pains in outward silence if we dwell
with Christ within. Temporal pains and pleasures
adjust themselves according to their spiritual
values for discipline while the heart holds
heavenly audience with our King until the
things which are unseen and spiritual outweigh
the things which are seen and temporal
m our experience, while upon others we may
bring down great blessings through prayer.
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me xjlui> opirit can reacn all hearts and the
rebellious and the stranger may yield to his
influence through our prayers. By such means
souls that we may not reach in other ways,
may be won by our prayers. It was a beautiful
habit of an old lady to select some individual
in the congregation and make him the
subject of prayer until brought to Christ, and
we may find pleasure in praying even for our
enemies and those who do not understand us.
As long as God rules the world and prayer
moves the omnipotent arm, so long may faithful
Christians, like Monica, the devoted
mother of St. Augustine, accomplish great results
through the silent and invisible agency
of prayer.
"Prayer in the expression of the soul's desire,"
"Prayer in the Christian's vital breath."
A thought, a breath in holy prayer,
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j. ne ioving neart
From words apart
Finds joy and peace beyond compare.
The prayer of silence is the consciousness of
oneness with Christ in God. The soul rests in
God and words become unnecessary to express
our desire for union with our Lord, silence
satisfies the soul's longing. It is a state of
rest and surrender, an entire cessation from
words because the soul is satisfied in God. At
the center of the hurricane there is no motion;
all is calm, so the soul which has reached this
state of rest, and union with God is undisturbable
by the distquietudes of the world. Mme.
Gunyon enjoyed this state and realized that it
was the highest attainment of human experience.
Brother Lawrence and many later
Christians have enjoyed the same. It is a
close and conscious union with Christ which
precludes the necessity of words and finds its
satisfaction in silence.
New York City.
Strong and content. T travel the open roRd ?
Walt Whitman.
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