EXCITEMENTS by R. F. Cottrell

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Mar 17, 1887

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 13, No. 11.

EXCITEMENTS.

By R. F. Cottrell

A LARGE portion of mankind move by the impulse of the moment, and are carried by excitement. Where there are gatherings of the people, they run together, with no particular object more than "to see what's up." It was so at Ephesus when Paul was preaching the gospel there. Demetrius, calling his fellow-craftsmen together, got up a little stir; and the people, seeing it, rushed together. Something was going on, they did not know what. Some cried one thing, and some another; for the assembly was confused, and the greater part knew not wherefore they were come together. But Demetrius and his craftsmen touched the key-note, and they caught the spirit of the occasion, and all, with one voice, about the space of two hours, cried out, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!"

It is much the same way now. If anyone can succeed in getting up a little excitement, and have it rumored abroad that a special work is going on in any particular place, thither will the people flock together out of curiosity, and, catching the spirit of the work, will fall in with it, so far as to help forward the excitement, and spread still farther the flame.

And this is called religious revival. The people in this land of Bibles are sadly in need of religious instruction. Do they get it? The preacher tells anecdotes, and marvelous incidents of wonderful conversions, and thrilling death-bed scenes; and when he has raised his audience to a fever-heat, he exhorts and invites them to "come to Jesus," taking it for granted that all know how to come, as well as he. Then all that make any kind of a move are counted in as converts. Soon the excitement is over. They don't know why they cried with the rest, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians," only it was the spirit of the occasion. They remain where they were before, until another wind blows, and then they are ready to be counted into the fold again.

The people need instruction. They need to have the great doctrines of the gospel set before them,—the sacrifice and sufferings of Christ, and the object, to save men from their sins. They need to be told what sin is, not merely in a general way, that it is doing wrong, but that it is the breaking of any one of the commandments of the law of God. "Sin is the transgression of the law." Then men need to learn that repentance is breaking off from transgression, and turning to obedience of the same divine law. And having thus died to sin, to live no longer therein, they may be buried in the likeness of Christ's death, and rise to walk in newness of life.

Oh, that there were more teachers of the truth! R. F. COTTRELL.