The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1869-06-16
EVANGELISM.

Inc present lODe Vi UHe TelISlOuS pIGSo, anu, III
some measure of the pulpit is one Of apprehen-
sion and alarm, in view Of the inadequacy of the
means of the Church for the accomplishment of
its designs The call is continually made for men
and money, and yet the men and the money do
not present themselves The Church is solemnly
warned of her responsibility, and urged more and
more loudly to her duty But the language of re-
proach and the most encouraging exhortations, do
not overcome the inertia of the people What is
the principal difficulty?
Is there not reason to fear that the main obsta-
Gle lies beyond the reach OF moral suasion. The
great trouble is the want of heart. We need an
'effectual dislodgmen- of prevailing selfshness and
sloth from the bosom of the Church, by general
awakening to religious life. In endeavoring to
raise men and money from stupid mass Of world
illness and sin, by dint of reiterated appeals, how
ever proper such appeals may be-, we are simply
laboring at hopeless task, so long as we depend
upon mere moral obligation. We need such a Wis
itation of the refreshing grace of God as shall
suffice to thaw the ice that has frozen itself around
the heart Of the Church, and to difuse the warm
current of spiritual life through all its members.
This influence alone can convert the slave into
child, and duty into choice. Under its power,
the niggardly selfshness that now grows FESTIVE
under the repeated demands of the Church, will
relax into a spirit of Christian liberaty and the
treasury of the Lord will cease to be beggar.
But what shall be done to meet this great neces
sity? We answer, prayer and the authorized
means Of grace. Pray ye therefore the Lord of
the harvest, that he would send forth aborers into
his harvest. When all help from other sources
fails, then is the time to test and realize the power
of united supplication. "When my father and my
mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me
up" should be the confident, child-like hope of
the Church, in this hour Of trial.
But sincere prayer always implies corresponding
effort. And We therefore insist upon a more ex-
tensive employment of that system Of evangelism
which our Saviour and his apostles employed for
the enlargement and edifcation Of his kingdom.
We advocate no new measures, but the good old
way of united labor of the ministers of the gospel
in going from place to place, conducting services
more or less protracted, as the case may require,
and for season rousing the attention of whole
communities to the great concern of personal reli-
gion. How often in Scotland have these efforts
resulted in the most wonderful awakenings2 And
how often, in the days of our fathers, have our
own American Churches enjoyed the same precious
blessings
1t is not our present object to suggest any par
ticular plan for the purpose we have indicated.
Either by Presbyterial appointment or private ar
rangement, many Of our ministers would be most
proftably employed in special and united efforts
for the benefit of their churches Various obicc-
tons will no doubt present themselves, arising
from the poverty and embarrassments of the min
listers and the people. 1t is thought that these
united and protracted services would prove too
burthensome to the people, requiring of them too
long an abscene from home, too much abstraction
of labor from scenes of industry and too much ex-
pendture Of the necessares of life in providing for
large public assemblies The ministers also would
be taken away from their families and churches,
and thus weaken in one direction the cause they
are seeking to promote in another. But what good
work was ever exempt from such objections2-
The question is not theoretical but practical. Ex-
perience can now demonstrate the practicability
of such efforts and their admirable results. And
as to the difficulties to be encountered, they are
only examples of such obstacles as the wisdom of
God has placed in the way Of his kingdom, to il
luStrate its power to triumph over them. The
apostolica spirit is manifested not in yielding to
difficulties, but in meeting and conquering them.
Of this we are confident, that the devotion of
the next six months to concerted evangelical la
Dor, would do more to increase the resources of
the Church than all the appeals of our Secretaries
and agents could accomplish Let the rock be
smitten and the waters will flow. What we need
is living principle, that shall prompt all our peo-
pie to exertion and systematic giving for the COM
mon cause And this principle cannot be created