Conclusion to “Revivals,” by R. B. C. Howell

     The faithful and merciful God, who heareth prayer, pours out his Spirit upon his penitent people, and their hearts are enlarged, and they prevail.  They pray effectually for their brethren still too unconcerned, and to their joy, one after another, they are seen occupying a place in the devotional meeting, mingling their tears of godly sorrow with the tears of holy joy that are shed by others.  Special prayer is made for the pastor, that God by his Spirit would guide his private meditations, and work by and through him, in public congregation.  He begins to feel the sacred power–the spiritual influence.  His private studies are more diligent and prayerful, and his spirit in public is more deeply imbued with the love of Christ and concern for the ingathering of the wandering sheep.  As the revival of the saints advances, the spiritual influences are strengthening, both from divine liberality and from the cumulative principle in human nature, provided for such emergencies.  While this rational, scriptural, spiritual work is proceeding, the fruitful branches are gradually purged and made more fruitful; while the dry are separated, in justice to them and in mercy to the saints.  The meetings of the church become regularly more holy, solemn, and devotional, and the plain and simple truth that is uttered by the pastor, falls upon the ear and the heart with supernatural weight and authority. The sense of want and poverty and past unfaithfulness becomes deep and habitual, until the whole body is melted and molded into the revived and renewed image of the blessed Redeemer.  They now are astonished at their past course, and wonder at the unspeakable longsuffering and goodness of God.  Hear the untied harmonious supplication of the whole body, fully agreed concerning the requests which they present to the God of all grace–“Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger towards us to cease.  Wilt thou not revive us again, that thy people may rejoice in thee.” 

     O what a holy, happy, beneficial change!  The church is revived.  There is no human device, no fanaticism.  The people have turned unto God, and He has returned unto them.  Their intelligence has been increased under the plain, faithful, and prayerful labors of the Pastor, whom God has set over them.  Their faith is increased, and their ability to be useful in the world has been restored.  Here there is no morbid excitement; no extravagance–no affected display–no dependence on management or humanly devised measures.  The whole is scriptural, sober-minded, and dignified from first to last.  There is no cunning concealment of some parts of Gospel doctrine, nor any craftiness and guile, employed to inveigle or entrap any.  The Gospel is preached–the whole truth is published at the bidding of the Spirit, and the right, the full, the perfect impress of the Savior’s moral image, is made by it, upon the hearts and lives of the saints.  There is nothing to superinduce a cold stage–a relapse into former coldness.  A real, positive advance has been made in the “Life of God in the Soul of Man,” and there is no reason why this state of moral beauty should not continue and increase to the end of life.  On the contrary, it is the will of Him, who has spread the feast, that his people should always rejoice and “boast themselves in the God of their salvation.”  Look now at the effect produced upon the world!  Jehovah has so far fulfilled His promise in “reviving the spirit of the humble, and reviving the heart of the contrite ones.”  He has honored his own means and institutions, and the fruits are righteousness and peace.  Then in due natural order, the Unction of God’s church begins to send forth a sweet smelling savor.  As it is written, “as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.”  That portion of the congregation designated by our Lord as “good ground,” has had the good seed scattered upon it, and it has been watered by the gentle rain and dew of heaven, in answer to the prayers of saints.  Religion now appears a reality–something to be known, felt, and enjoyed.  The Spirit attends the word, and by it convinces of sin, of righteousness, of Judgment, and the good seed springs up, and in all them who have good and honest hearts, an abundant crop of obedience to the will of Christ is produced.  Sinners cry to God for mercy–the word preached points them to the Lamb of God, and having had their hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, “their bodies are washed in pure water.”  They have died to the law, to sin, to self, and of course “we must needs bury our dead out of our sight.”  Having been buried with Christ, they rise together with Him, to newness of life.  They are ranked among the saints, and admonished to endure unto the end, that they may inherit eternal life.  The hearts of God’s people rejoice more and more, and “believers are the more added unto the church.”  THIS WOULD BE A REVIVIAL–saints revived–graces brightened–faith increased–prayer employed with fervent importunity–Zion travailing–sinners converted–and all accomplished by the Living word–loved and obeyed–the Holy Spirit testifying by his own witness that “Jesus is the Messiah,” and that he “came into the world to save sinners.” 

            We have much more to say illustrative of the duty of the saints, and the claims of the Redeemer, but for the present conclude by saying, “O that God would give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a reviving in our bondage.”  We, brethren, ought to be admonished, lest the world stumble over us in our sleep and indolence, into the pit of endless perdition.  “Awake thou that sleepest!”