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Among the Churches in the Atlantic Union Conference

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Feb 26, 1914

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 91, No. 9.

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Among the Churches in the Atlantic Union Conference

By R. D. Quinn, K. C. Russell, D. H. Kress

DURING the past month meetings have been held at Hartford, Conn., and at Rochester, Buffalo, Burt, and Syracuse, N. Y. In all these meetings we witnessed the same manifestation of God's power that has been seen in previous meetings held in other places. The results attending these efforts are marvelous to our eyes. They bear the divine impress. Nothing short of a miracle can accomplish what has taken place not merely in one church, but in every church where we have been. It is a difficult matter to give a written account or a satisfactory explanation of such meetings. At some of these places serious difficulties which have existed for years melted away as snow before the burning, midsummer sun, and the spirit of union and love came in among brethren who had been estranged.
When strong men, who cannot be touched by ordinary human appeals, weep aloud; and when men who are naturally stubborn, self-willed, and immovable, in brokenness of spirit and with many tears, fall on each other's necks and ask for pardon and forgiveness in the presence of the entire church, we cannot but recognize a superhuman power at work.
In all our experiences in the ministry we have never witnessed such complete renunciation of the old man with his deeds. Some of these meetings continued from four to six hours, and yet no one felt wearied. The meals were forgotten. There were those who, near the close of some of these meetings, expressed their gratitude to God "for being present in the meeting this morning," when actually it was nearing sunset. Some remarked, "They were the shortest long meetings we have ever attended." We could appreciate more fully the words of Christ when urged to eat, "I have meat to eat that ye know not of." To witness such scenes is a pleasure and a joy that the world knows nothing about. How often we have said in our hearts, "How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" Confessions were made which laid the glory of man in the dust. It was not unusual to see men and women rise from four to seven or eight times, and with brokenness of spirit make confession of sins revealed. Thus the King's highway was cleared. Unfaithfulness in the payment of the tithe into the treasury, or storehouse, of the Lord, a lack of living up to the light God in mercy has given on the principles of health, and evil speaking, were prominent among the confessions made. These revivals are all marked with genuine reformations in character and in deeds.
The encouraging feature is that ministers are the foremost in participating in these reforms, and confidence in the ministry is increased. This in itself paves the way for the tithe and offerings to flow into the treasury of God, and it also paves the way for the fulfillment of the promise, "Prove me now herewith . . . if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." As long as these sins exist, the windows of heaven remain closed and prayers remain unanswered. But "hereafter we shall see heaven open" in answer to prayer.
The removal of this rubbish which has been piled up at the door of the heart allows the door to swing back and admit Jesus. At the same time this opens the windows of heaven in showers of blessing upon the thirsty souls. The latter rain will not fall without some efforts on our part. We must see our wrongs, search for our sins, and zealously repent of them. We must know our real condition, or we shall not feel our need of Christ's help. We must understand our danger, or we shall not flee to the refuge. We must recognize our poverty before we can effectually pray for the true riches.
It is not uncommon at the first meeting to have men who are tall and well-proportioned in self, arise and tell of their love for the truth and what they have endured from relatives and friends because of it. But before the meetings close, these same men in brokenness of spirit may confess they have not even rendered to God his own in tithe and offerings, or have assumed a self-righteous attitude in their homes, and are in need of an entire change of heart, and plead for it with an earnestness which knows no denial. To see such men come down and take their place with publicans and sinners, and actually experience a resurrection to walk in newness of life, is refreshing. This paves the way for effectual prayer to be offered. When this experience is reached, usually the entire church presses forward, and earnest prayer is offered for the baptism of the Holy Spirit for obedience and for service.
We are convinced from what we have seen that the time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord has come. There are better things in store for the remnant church.
"Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith our God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: . . . and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass."
This is the experience that is coming into our churches today. The power attending the message is gathering momentum from week to week. Great blessings are awaiting the true and humble people of God. Pray for the latter rain, for "in the great and measureless gifts of the Holy Spirit are contained all of heaven's treasures."
R. D. QUINN, K. C. RUSSELL, D. H. KRESS.