Forced Revivals by George B. Gow

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jul 23, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 28.

Forced Revivals.

By George B. Gow

LET every church that would grow and bring forth abiding fruit beware of the kind of religious movement, called a revival, which needs to be forced upon an unwilling, disorganized, untrained church by the labors of strangers. Strangers, wise Christian laborers from abroad, may at times greatly aid a church, may, indeed, be the means of arousing its members from the spiritual sleep of years, but such laborers, if indeed they are wise, will begin with the prime difficulties in the case,—the practical unbelief, the dearth of devotion, the ignorance of truth, the neglect of gospel labor,—causes which have brought the church down to its low place. They will endeavor to awaken the church to permanent habits of holy living.

Such labor may not indeed show so many hands lifted up in the enthusiasm of a religious profession at the end of a fortnight, but it will show fewer hands hanging down in spiritual paralysis at the end of six months. There are men and there are churches that will not endure the appeal to engage in thorough gospel work. It costs too much of real self-denial and godly living. But they think something must be done from time to time for the prosperity of the church, and they enjoy a few weeks of religious interest when trade is dull, farm work impossible, and the holiday season is past. They are therefore very glad if a so-called revival can be superinduced upon the sleeping church by a month or so of special labor with assistance from abroad.

Some good may come from such efforts, for Christian labor is never fruitless. Anything is better than death. That which is unwisely begun may grow to something permanently good. But it is very sad when such revival efforts are made a substitute and excuse for the regular, organized, and systematic work of a church properly qualified in faith, love, knowledge, and skill in labor.

It is very painful to hear men professing godliness talk sentimentally of the great need of a revival in the church of which they are members, when their own vices, personal alienations, spiritual ignorance, and perversity are the greatest possible hindrance to the true spiritual growth and fruitfulness of the church. They are fond of any methods that will leave them as they are. There are genuine revivals of religion, but the thing so-called is too often a lenten substitute for godliness, that leaves a church farther than ever from a living, fruit-bearing state.

The very name "revival" has been made offensive by these counterfeits. No one knows this better or feels it more keenly than those men who have labored most widely and successfully as evangelists. Religious counterfeits, like counterfeit dollars, are cheaper than the genuine, but they are frauds, and only men who are frauds themselves will deal in them.—Geo. B. Gow, in the Watchman.