A TWENTIETH-CENTURY REVIVAL.
By T.
A NUMBER of leading clergymen met in New York City in the closing days of the old year and of the old century to lay plans for a sweeping revival. It was one of the cherished plans of the lamented evangelist Moody to have the beginning of the twentieth century marked by a world-wide revival effort, and it is to carry out this plan that this movement is set in operation in New York. It is hoped that in a very short time 100,000 ministers all over the land will be engaged in it. The thoughts that inspire such a move as this are commendable. No pains should be spared to make the work solid, so that whatever is done will be lasting. Any one who ever attended one of Mr. Moody’s meetings was helped thereby, if he gave any attention to the lessons that were given. Mr. Moody was a great Bible student and teacher. There was consequently something solid about his work. The revival is too often built up by excitement, and thru the enthusiasm of the evangelist people are moved to make a profession of Christianity, and are counted as Christians, when in reality they have learned nothing that is required in a Christian experience. It is one thing to profess Christ, but it is quite another thing to “follow on to know the Lord.” The thought of a person making a profession of mathematics or astronomy without a knowledge of those sciences is readily recognized as absurd. But it is not any more absurd than to make a profession of Christianity without having a knowledge of its principles so as to definitely work them out in the life. If a person were to hear a great astronomer delivering a lecture on the value and pleasure of the study of that science, or if he should hear a mathematician talking of the benefits and advantages of mathematics, and should say in serious earnest, “I will make a profession of mathematics or astronomy,” the world would laugh at him heartily. Everybody would say, “How absurd!” They would say that you can not make a profession of those sciences without studying and mastering their great facts and principles. And yet such a thing is not one bit more absurd than to make a profession of Christianity and not take the pains to study the principles so as to master them and let them shine out thru the life. Too many people profess Christianity thru the fear that they will be lost eternally if they do not. It is well for any one to fear being eternally lost, but Christianity should be seen as a life of joy—it should be seen as something that is worth taking hold of because of the real and solid values that are to be found in the Christian life. God gives real values to those who will accept Him and seek to live the life of the Man of Nazareth and of Calvary. And in all revival work these thoughts should be kept uppermost, and the effort should be made, not merely to get men to accept Christ in a nominal way, but no pains should be spared to have the one who makes a start go on unto the joys and the perfections that are to be gained only thru a real personal knowledge of Christ. There is just one way to know Christ, and that is thru a persevering study of His Word and works. There must be no haphazard methods in the study of the Word of God if we would know the joys of His service. The Bible must be studied as earnestly as we would study the science of mathematics or astronomy if we wish to succeed in the divine life. We study mathematics to arrive at definite truth. We do not come to the study of that science with theories that we would seek to establish, or with prejudices that shut out light. We recognize the fact that mathematics is a definite science, and that it embraces definite truth based upon definite principles. And we can not trust to theory in this field of study. If we would know how to build a great edifice, or to navigate a ship, or to do a fine piece of engineering or of surveying, we must know the definite facts and principles of mathematics and work them out accurately, else we will fail in our undertaking. If we are to succeed as Christians we must take hold of the text-book of Christianity, the Bible, and study to know its definite facts and principles. The God who is the Author of the science of mathematics is also the Author of Christianity, and the one contains as definite and scientific truths as the other, the only difference being that they are in different fields of the one great realm of divine truth. And he who will study to know the Bible will find that it is definite and satisfactory in yielding up its rich stores.7 Then every revival in order to be of lasting benefit must be based upon a careful and faithful study of the Word of God. Every one who professes the name of Christ has thereby placed himself under obligation to study the words of Christ, so that he may know how to properly represent the Master in his daily life and conduct. The world is full of those who have made a wreck of their Christian experience and profession. The one underlying cause of it all is a lack of real Bible knowledge. There may be occasional Bible reading, much after the order of doing penance, or there may be Bible reading in order to see if some cherished theory can not be sustained or strengthened by some new “proof texts,” but there is a lack of real study of the Word of God so as to commune with the heavenly Father and definitely know His will. We should not come to the Bible with creeds, no matter how good they may appear, or with theories, no matter how dear. We should come to the living Word as into the audience-chamber of the Most High, and there reverently listen to the voice of truth. Let the Word of God have its rightful place in every revival effort. T.