If this is legitimate--and I do not say but it is perfectly right in
its place--should not every child of God be praying for and desiring a
revival of godliness in the world at the present time. Do we not need
a revival of downright honesty, of truthfulness, of uprightness, and
of temperance? Are there not many who have become alienated from the
Church of God and from the house of the Lord, who are forming an
attachment to the saloon? Are not our sons being drawn away by
hundreds and thousands, so that while you often find the churches
empty, the liquor shops are crowded every Sabbath afternoon and
evening. I am sure the saloon-keepers are glad if they can have a
revival in their business; they do not object to sell more whisky and
beer. Then surely every true Christian ought to desire that men who
are in danger of perishing eternally should be saved and rescued.
Some people seem to think that "Revivals" are a modern invention--that
they have only been known within the last few years. But they are
nothing new. If there is not Scriptural authority for revivals, then I
cannot understand my Bible.
For the first 2,000 years of the world's history they had no revival
that we know of; probably, if they had, there would have been no
Flood. The first real awakening, of which we read in the Old
Testament, was when Moses was sent down to Egypt to bring his brethren
out of the house of bondage. When Moses went down to Goshen, there
must have been a great commotion there; many things were done out of
the usual order. When three millions of Hebrews were put behind the
Blood of the Slain Lamb, that was nothing but God reviving His work
among them.
Under Joshua there was a great revival; and again under the Judges.
God was constantly reviving the Jewish nation in those olden times.
Samuel brought the people to Mizpah, and told them to put away their
strange gods. Then the Israelites went out and defeated the
Philistines, so that they never came back in his day. Dr. Bonar says
it may be that David and Jonathan were converted under that revival in
the time of Samuel.
What was it but a great revival in the days of Elijah? The people had
turned away to idolatry, and the prophet summoned them to Mount
Carmel. As the multitude stood there on the mountain, God answered by
fire; the people fell on their faces and cried, "The Lord, He is the
God." That was the nation turning back to God. No doubt there were men
talking against the work, and saying it would not last. That is the
cry of many to-day, and has been the cry for 4,000 years. Some old
Carmelite very probably said in the days of Elijah: "This will not be
permanent." So there are not a few in these days shaking their wise
heads and saying the work will not last.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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