The Russellville Democrat., 1884-09-11


ought 10 be abandoned. hope that
not only Methodists, but all christ.
ians il the community viii make
tKeir arrangements With reference V
this meeting and feel at perfect lib
erty to come and participate In Its
services.
A revival OF religion Is what We
want--a revival that win refresh and
invigorate the church and save II
from worldliness, and save sinners
who are daily exposed to eternal
damnatlon. And unaniinity Of feel.
ing and concert of action upon the
part OF the christians OF the commu
nifty, together with faith and agoniz
ing prayer will secure it. A revival
is what we need above all things
just now. Nothing bu. the favor Of
God embodied and manifested IN a
gracious revival can control and
eliminate the evils that now surround
us. What our now sainted Bishop
Pierce said of the nation last year,
may truthfully be said of this COM
munity-"The moral atmosphere is
full OF malaria. We need pente-
costial revival-mighty, rushing, to
purify it"
We need "a moral upheaval, a
work of thorough regeneration.
"The church itself needs puritica-
tion-not so much by the expulsion
of the disorderly, as by a higher
standard of ethics in business, In
personal habits. in social life and a
daily conscious experience Of the
grace of God in the heart.
"Dearly beloved, / am no. taking
gloomy views of things. | am not
a panic maker. But | address my
self to felt want; to potent facts
to what every thinking man who
loves his race knows as well as l.
"Any, every system OF theology OF
morals, which leaves the heart un-
changed is failure, a fraud, snare.
/ believe in the christian religion as
the wisdom and power Of God--the
great salvation provided for all peo-
pie. believe in prayer and effort,
faith and works. | believe a great
revival OF pure and undefiled relig
ion is according to the will of God
as revealed in the Scriptures, and
that God will respond in power to
the cry of faith and the agony OF
prayer"
Dear brethren, these are stirring
words and / hope they will be i'm
pressed deeply upon every one Of us.
The mind that originated them is no
more of earth the hand that penned
them is cold in death, but they are
truth and they are life.
And now / beseech you brethren
and sisters, in view of the interests
involved, and Gods Willingness to
bless, set your hearts on a revival
arrange all your plans to this end.
Pray for and expect this result.
Let us pray aud work for repeti-
tion OF the. Pentecost in our midst.
Why not expect God to convert hun
dreds of souls here in the next few
weeks? Am | presumptuous?
The one hundred and twenty at
Jerusalem had THREE THOUSAND adj.
ded to them In ONE DAY.
Well, there are in Russellville, 400
or 500 professed christians. Why
not go to work to double our num-
Der in the next few weeks? We may
brethren, if we will let that same
unity of feeling and action charac-
terze us. that characterized the de
ciples at PentecosS.
We read that "they ALL coNTIN-
UED WITH ONE ACCORD IN PRAYER AND
supPLicATIoN." sAnd when the day
Of Pentecost was fully come they
were all with one accord in one
place" And again we read that
"they were of one heart and OF one
soul"
Let such unity, such prayer, such
agony and such faith and patience,
pervade the hearts of Russellville's
400 or 600 christians and what
would be the result? What could we
accomplish? Why, it would produce
revolution that would astound the
world. shake the very empire OF hell,
intimidate the devil, give us victory
over sin and bring host Of sinners
to Christ.
Is this too mucE to expect? God
forbid that one OF us should think
so. Is the Lords ear heavy that
He cannot heari Is His hand short
ened that He cannot save? He has
promised, let us prove Him. his
power is sufficient, let us trust it.
Oh that the church may travail.
In the language of Bishop Pierce
again. let me exhort everyone who
| loves immortal souls-"Let every
christian 60 into his chamber and
pray three times day "Thy king.
dom come" "Let every preacher
Gin Russe.iville) ascend Mount Car
mel and pray till the little cloud
rises from the sea, and Then in the
/ spirit OF prophecy. announce that he
hears the sound Of abundance Of
Train"
May The good Lord unite oul
hearts and minds and give rs gra
cious revival. More next week
Sept. s, 1854. Al 7. MELToN.