p. 9 | SPIRITUAL DECLENSION

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Feb 13, 1901

SPIRITUAL DECLENSION.

In a recent issue of the New York Christian Advocate there appeared a significant communication, with comments by the editor. The communication, with several paragraphs of the editor’s comments, is the following:—

“A successful minister in the West, a man of character, intelligence, and decision, writes this to the editor of the Christian Advocate:—

“I find that it is difficult to carry on evangelistic work after the Methodist fashion, that of altar or mourners’ bench, as many of our people, if not openly opposed to it, find it distasteful to them. Many have been admitted to the church without conversion, in the definite and specific sense in which we commonly use that word, and they are useless so far as promoting evangelistic work is concerned. Their influence is negatively against it, and the number of those who can be relied upon to assist effectively in the service at the altar is, I fear, becoming smaller every year.

“In one of the churches of which I was pastor there was a revival which resulted in the conversion of about one hundred persons, of whom perhaps one-half were at the time young members of the church. During the revival I met persons who had formerly taken a very active part in the church, but now lived elsewhere, and on informing them of what was going on, their first question was, “Where did you get your workers?” meaning by that men and women of the church who were willing to converse and pray with inquirers at the altar. The fact was that after earnest appeals from the pulpit to the members to assist when the altar was crowded with penitents, I was compelled to go down into the congregation and personally beg some of the older members to come forward and aid me in leading inquirers into light. Nor was I always able, even by such means, to induce them to do so. In some instances young people were converted whose parents had been communicants for years, and active in such church work as sewing societies, yet never a word was said to encourage them. It has not been unknown for a mother openly to scoff at the idea of a mourners’ bench and its attendant services. I have found that the wealthier and more influential members are usually those whose worldliness is most marked, and that some who were thoroly devoted and greatly useful before they had become wealthy, or in the way of becoming so, are now obstructionists. In some instances, if pastors earnestly appeal to them and remind them of the former days, they will leave the church. The departure of such is taken as an evidence of the pastor’s want of success and unfitness for his position. If, however, they remain they can easily bring about the transfer to them of some minister “who will preach the simple Gospel,” that is, who will never disturb them by a personal appeal in public or private, but descant upon the blessedness of the Gospel. In the minds of many, anything which bears on the lives of men and women outside of a general condemnation of the broad immoralities, “is not the Gospel.”

“Such a letter as this would not be of importance if it came from a pessimist, a censorious, frivolous, or indiscreet person, but as the judgment and observation of a consistent, faithful, educated, devoted pastor, it is a statement worthy of serious reflection. That the number of such churches is increasing there is reason to believe. Ministers are sometimes deflected from the right path by denunciations of earnest workers from persons high in authority, and by those who urge the necessity of being ‘up to date,’ who are never weary of asserting that ‘times have changed.’ When ministers are trying to awaken sinners and arouse and reclaim backsliders, it is discouraging indeed to see a large number of the best-known members conspicuous by absence; still more so to learn that some of them speak slightingly of the work, and of the faithful pastor as trying to imitate some objectionable evangelist. It is an error, however, to think that such inconsistencies are confined wholly to the wealthy, either those who are so, or those who think that they are so, or wish others to have that opinion of them. Some of the most useful workers for Christ are wealthy, and some not so are the most incorrigible obstructionists.”

“Every member of the church, rich, poor, or midway between, cultivated or unrefined, who is not in the habit of secret prayer, self-examination, self-denial, and communion with God, will have a distaste for earnest and persevering work in soul-saving. The difficulty is deep in their hearts; they are at ease in Zion; they are lovers of the world. Mere preaching will not arouse them; personal conversation, with frankness, kindness, and fervor, which the Spirit only can bestow, can open the eyes of such. It is easier to awaken open sinners than the backslidden.”

The facts set forth in the minister’s letter, as well as the statement of the editor of the Advocate that “the number of such churches is increasing,” are worthy of reflection. Every true Christian should do his part in sustaining faithful pastors, and thus help to remedy the evil. And, furthermore, we should study the Word of God so as to know the significance of these things. We have been taught by many earnest men and women that the world is getting better, and that it is to continue to get better and better till all will be converted. But such statements as the foregoing do not indicate anything of that kind.

In Luke 18:8 the Saviour asks the question, “Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” The Lord asks this question in a way to clearly indicate that before His coming the world would become faithless almost wholly, rather than that all will be converted to Him.

When we look at the real facts and discard all sentiment in the matter, we can see that the world is not sweeping on to that glorious conversion that has been so glowingly pictured. It would be grand, indeed, if such could be the case. But the Lord can not convert men unless they are willing to have it done, and there is no evidence that any remarkable numbers will come to the foot of the cross in reality. They may get their names on the church book, and have courage enough to stand up to be counted when the census taker is at hand, but they will not be real true Christians so as to be a power in the earth.

It is the counting of these large numbers of professed Christians who do not know anything about vital godliness that deceives men into the idea that the world is getting so much better. It is not numbers that count with the Lord so much as piety. Gideon’s little army, with the Spirit of God upon them, was far more powerful than all the great hosts of Israel who were cowering in terror before the enemy. We should learn how to look at facts, and weigh their significance.