A NEEDED REVIVAL | AdventAI

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · May 28, 1902

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 28, No. 22.

“A NEEDED REVIVAL.”

UNDER the above heading an article appeared in the Christian Advocate not long since which clearly points out an existing evil, and makes earnest appeal for a change on the part of parents, pastors, and teachers. The writer says:—

Surely there is no necessary friction or war between the spirit that saves a child and that which rescues a chronic sinner. Surely any true church should be broad enough in its aims to do both. Surely the church which is derelict regarding the spiritual tutelage and care of its own children is unfit to be the foster mother of adult babes in Christ. I have wondered sometimes if the devil could have devised a better trick on the church than to delude it into general neglect of its own children by turning such exclusive attention to adult conversion. It is the open shame of some evangelists and preachers that they glory in reporting a revival of adults, not including children. With proper care pledged, they might with greater safety count the children, and throw the really converted adults in.

If the same strength which is spent in public preaching and general revival efforts was intelligently spent upon the children, the results would be tenfold what they are in both quantity and quality. Intelligent effort in this direction means much. It implies the instruction and co-operation of the parents regarding their solemn duty. It implies getting the church in condition to nurture child disciples. It involves the consecration and co-operation of Sunday-school teachers and junior workers. It necessitates, more than all, that the pastor be awakened to a sense of his duty and danger. It would not involve much new machinery, only the spiritual, practical, and well-defined use of what we have.

Can the church hope for a general revival which shall result in stirring our dead communities and in the conversion of unregenerate men while she so generally and chronically neglects her own little ones? We believe the answer must be an easy negative to the Christian of comprehensive and consistent thought. We are behind the Jew of 2,000 years before Christ in this work. How much longer shall we neglect it? How many more generations must be permitted to drift away into church neglect and spiritual indifference before we learn our duty? How much longer shall we try to recruit the school of Christ chiefly from the streets rather than from Christian cradles? How much longer shall we seek to extend the vineyard of the Lord by transplanting gnarled oaks rather than tender twigs? How much longer shall we permit the wicked Herods of our time to hunt down and murder the Christ children in our cradles, without a protest even unto tears and blood, if need be? Our heart is hot with this theme. All that has ever been said or written on the subject has not done it justice. Burning words must be sounded through some megaphone from sea to sea before we awaken manifestly from our slumbers. Lord, in mercy stay Thy coming, and hasten to arouse us to the rescue of the innocents!

But it may be really questioned whether that labor for souls which would leave children out is what it ought to be or is wholly directed by the great Head. Labor for sinners, even the very worst, ought to be continued, but labor for children as never before ought to be begun, not merely in public, but in the home above everywhere else, and then in church and school.

The writer believes that while but few are awake to the matter, “there is more latent and slumbering conviction than we are aware of.” And we believe there is much conviction on the part of parents, but O, we want consecration, action, determined, persistent, continued, and this is lacking. The great majority of parents, upon whom God has placed the responsibility, are too willing to shift it to others, or put it off till too late.

The article asks to have a week set apart to consider the matter. That is good as far as it goes, but the work, to be effectual, demands the lifetime of parents. All this neglect comes because we have departed from the Bible.