Modern Revivals by John Norton Loughborough

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 9, 1871

Modern Revivals.

By John Norton Loughborough

I NOTICED in No. 15 of REVIEW, some remarks under the above heading by Bro. Canright. What he quotes from Hosea 5:6, 7, applies on this coast, about as well as in the States, with the exception that, religious interest here is put down by the American Tract Society's report, at only about one-eighth in proportion to the number of inhabitants here that it is in the States. That is, they report in the older States “seventeen out of every hundred are regular attendants of religious meetings, while in this State only two out of every hundred attend meeting.”

But with this small percentage of hearers there are some revivals on the “excitement only” plan.

A minister who had actively opposed us in one part of this county, went to another part and got up “one of the most glorious revivals” he had “ever witnessed.” Twenty-seven had united with the church and “still” the work was “going on.” It so happened that the writer and another brother in a couple of months after, held a series of meetings in the same place, and learned, by statement of members, without prying into others' business, that most of the said converts were children, and that of adults all they claimed as still faithful were three. As the result of our meeting in the place, fifteen grown persons took their stand to obey the Lord. Among them were two infidels, one spiritualist, and one Universalist, besides several others who then for the first time made a start to obey the Lord. Of these fifteen, after six months conflict with reproaches and opposition, all stand firm.

At first, one minister said, “There is Mr. J keeping the Sabbath. He was an infidel. And Mr. B. who was a Universalist, speaks in meetings, having family prayers and asking blessings at the table—solemn mockery! It must be that this Advent doctrine is an easier way, if such men will join them. And another thing that proves it, there is Mrs. K. who is an infidel says she likes their preaching the best of any she has heard.”

But the work went on, till brother J., who at first only kept the Sabbath, earnestly sought God and became a praying man. His wife who had been a member of said minister's church, and almost as active as their creed would allow (“Let the women keep silence”) took an active part in social meetings, and took charge of a class in Sabbath-school.

Then the minister took a new tack: “There is sister J. and sister P. who did not say much in our meetings, both taking an active part, speaking and praying in the Advent meetings, and sister J. teaching in Sabbath-school, which she never would do in our church, it must be that this is all fanaticism.”

And so they notice the work; but by the grace of God, we will patiently labor on, and let the work speak for itself.

I consider a striking comment on modern revivals, what I read a few days since of a controversy between two San Francisco editors. An editor, in his paper, was excusing the declension in modern revivals, and said, “There are the Methodists, who ‘do not calculate that over one in six who come out in their revivals will ever join their church in full membership.’” The editor of The Advocate retorted that that was not so, that the statistics of their conferences disproved it, that taking “the sum of those received on probation and comparing it with those received into full membership, it would show that fully one third of the probationers united in full membership.”

Well, according to his own showing, two-thirds of their converts are “devoured,” if not in a month, at least before the year rolls round. But when it is remembered that there is a heavy emigration to this coast, and a large number are received into full membership by letters from the States, it will bring the figures not far from the first editor's “one-sixth” rate.

Before me is a paper, published in the interest of a religious denomination on this coast which claims to be getting converts at a rapid rate. One article in this paper is a striking comment on the “strange children” who are started in their religious life simply by excitement. The paper contains an article on dancing. The “Elder” who writes the article says he has been an Elder nine or ten years, and in that time has “had more trouble with his brethren and sisters about dancing than any other one thing.” What? Dancing Christians? But this is not all. He says, Some excuse themselves because the Bible does not say, “Thou shalt not dance.” In reply, he said among other good things, “It does say, ‘No drunkard shall inherit the kingdom of God;’” and then he made the statement, “And yet how often do we see our brethren about the saloons; and it is said that Christians are often seen under the influence of spirits.”

He might have added that in one of the churches in this State a minister was reproving the members for “hanging around the saloons, and imbibing,” and was told by one of his members that he should drink when he pleased, and it was nobody’s business if he did, if he paid for it.

These things are not against Bible Christianity, but are a striking comment on the degeneracy of this age, and the lax ideas many have of true holiness. May Bible truth, as a path to walk in, be presented before the people; and may we all earnestly seek that true holiness of heart, that our efforts to save men may be blessed of the Lord in true conversions to him.

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.