The Portland daily press., 1875-11-15
SUNDAY SERVICES.
cAsco STREET FREE BAPTIST.

CASC0 STREET FREE BAPTIST
Yesterday morning Rev. e. S Perkins. pas.
tor of the Casco street Free Baptist church,
preached sermon on the subject of religious
awakening, based on Habakuk, Sd chap I'd
verse, so Lord, revive thy work" In an un-
usual degree this is the cry of Gods people in
our land. Christians all over the country are
Offering this prayer with more than common
frequency and fervency This prayer for re-
viyal is accompanied by strong expectation
that it will be answered without much delay
There are many encouraging indications that
this expectation will bs realized, and that the
long religious drouth, in which all virtues have
lsnguished, but during which all ruinous vices
have flOurished, is nearly at an end. There is
every reason to suppose that the increased fer
vency in prayer has been produced by the Holy
Spirit, and, if so, we may know that it may
not be in vain. When our petitions are really
inspired and indicted by Him, we may know
that oar praying will be effectual.
The fact that Gods people. with one accord
are looking for revival, is quite sure indica-
ton that it is approaching. And thus IN many
places the work has actually commonwealth
very generally Gods working forces are rally :
ing for service and en- ering with increased
vigOr upon the work assigned them, in the en-
ployment of the established means of grace.
These things all indicate an approaching re-
vival.
not the mere excitement of feeling. Men may
come together at almost any time, and by va
rious skiilfully employed appliances succeed in
awakening fervor of feeling which shall COM
municate itself from one to another, until a
whole community may be wrought up to high
mitch of aXCtnmpnt and pO0d
results remain except those of a baneful ma
ture. The more we have of such man.made,
purely mechanical awakenings, the worse we
are off. Infdelty and distaste for all religion
are more likely to result from them than any
real growth of Christian graces
The revival for which the prophet prayed, is
quickened progress of Gods work-that spec.
ial work for mankind which in His revelation,
through Jesus Christ, He has shown it to be
His desire to do.
This work of God consisted in doing as Christ
did-"going about doing good,' and in every
direction where necessity calls to relieve the
wants of the needy. Visiting the sick, feeding
the hungry, clothing the naked, and generally
aiding the poor and suffering, is emphatically
the work Of God.
Gods work is to destroy vice aud cultivate
virtue. To root out dishonesty, falsehood, de-
ception, every kind of vice; and establishing in
their place truthfulness, trustfulness, gener
osity of kindness of all the virtues which rem
uCA happy duu uciplul oil buo Itld'
tions between man and man in this world.
1t being Gods work that is to be revived
implying that it has ceased or is in a low de-
gree--leads to asking that if it is Gods work,
why does it not go constantly forward without
lessening of efficiency or vigor?
The answer is easy to be found. In the plan
which God has formed-the best plan acco,d-
ing to His infinite wisdom-Gods work for
man must be carried on through man. The
Savior took upon himself our nature, when he
came to work out our salvation Through hui
manly the salvation of humanity must ba
wrought out. And so now God works through
man in saving man; he employs his own peo-
ple--those who are in sympathy with him and
love his work. When these human means fail
or are wanting. then the work Of God ceases.
1t is not that God loses interest that seasons OF
religious declension occur, it is because men
have lost their interest in their fellows, and
have ceased to offer themselves to the Lord, to
be used by him. A revival does not mean
quickening of the divine compassion-that is
always full and free; not the awakening of
Gods willingness to save He is always will
ing. 1t means the quickening OF His people
in the special direction of earnest labor for
Him and His cause
1t being Gods work that is to be revived, it
is not the work of any man, it is not primarily
the work If the church. And it must be Goa
himself who must revive it. None of our plans
which may pass for revival will bring gen
une revival. None but God cat produce true
revival. The prophet realized this and earn
estly entreated God to revive His own work
We must ask God because we are His instru-
Misunderstanding made us masters of ourselves
and gwen us the righl of self possession and
self control, He will not take and use us for
His work until We ask Him in a proper way,
any sooner than al honest man would take
without permission the property of his neigh
Dor and employ it in his own service.
When we properly ask God to revive His
work. we do. in fact, ask Him to take US and
use us for this purpose, since in this way only
can He revive His work. Our own hearty CO.
operation is necessary to revival; it is not for
US to lay out the work except as we do so un-
der the Spirits direction. And when we thus
prepared of God begin to work under the lead
OF the divine spirit, then has the revival of
Gods work commenced, and then may we ex-
pect the blessed results to follow which always
accompany such revival If we have laid
aside bitterness and hardness, and honestly
presented ourselves to God to be used by Him,
the reviv al may commence now