The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-02-03
BREATH1Nes FOR REVIVAL.

How may a believer know that he SIN
cerely desires revival of religion? lwould
humbly suggest, that where such desires are
genuine, they are universally accompanied
BY longing that the revival should begin
with his own heart. Great searchings OF
Christians have usually preceded signal out
nourInes of the Spirit. When we are more
disposed to bewail our own sins than to
scrutinize and set in order the sins Of others,
we are most likely to receive good.
In making q search for our own offences
and omissions, we shall be struck with 3
general conviction that we have not walked
Closely and affectionately with our adorable
Redeemer We have allowed strangeness
to grow up between him and US. In con-
sequence Of this, il We take into QHr su-ysy
any considerable portion OF time, we shall
observe that our closet exercies have been
less frequent and more brief than In better
days. The soul, coming to itself: Will say,
1t Is long since I lay prostrate before God,
with wrestling Importantly. and to-, un.
some token Of Gods presence with me- y
was long since ] was carried out OF myself
by endearing views Of Christ, as the ebief
among ten thousand and altogether lovely
It is long since my hopes, wishes and a.
surance so fixed themselves upon the com.
ing glory as to make me Indifferent about
choosing among earthly objects. am there
fore revealed to myself as In state Of back
sliding.
Where feelings of this kind agitate. tho
heart, the Christian professor is sometimes
led to doubt altogether as to bis acceptance
with God. Hence it has often been OBJ
served, that the great awakenines Of former
DAYS were very largely preceded by penetrat.
ing doubts among members of the church.
A state Of doubt and anguish is not In itself
a good state; for 1t Is every mans duty,
under the Gospel, to rejoice in believing.
But these violent shakings OF the truth,
where there Is true grace, tend to settle the
root in the earth; and where there is no
grace, the sooner the false professor Is made
to know his error and to seek the true
foundation, the better. The giving up. OF
false hopes has characterized the beginning
of many reviyals.
of the church, as o collective body; but Cos
pel repentance has its seat in the individual
heart. and when whole church repents it
is the sorrowing of the individuals who COM
pose it. Hence the importance OF bringing
this matter home to our own particular case.
These things are unusual, but not, therefore,
unimportant; and it would awaken much
surprise to find whole church IN common
mourning, like "the mourning of Hadadrim-
mon in the valley of Megiddon, every. fam.
lily apart, and their wives apart. ."-Zech. II:
II, 12. !,
Whatever measure of truth there is in the
above suggestions, naturally leads us to ad.
init the indispensable importance of in
dividual self-eXamination as q means to-
wards revival. In vain do shallow and
frothy professors inveigh against the cold
ness and deadness of the community. While
they make no endeavors to reform at home.
II every man would set his own house In
order, there would not be disordered habi-
tation left. We suffer the illusion of a. com.
munity to betray us; it Is we. not the ideal
community, which must repent. When our
Lord Jesus calls on dead churches to awake
and arise, he is 10 be answered by the obedi.
ence and return of particular disciples. And
revival Is taking place, when individual be-
heyers remember from whence they are
fallen, and repent. and do their first works.
The church begins to be enriched, when
weeping Christians acknowledge their desti-
tuition, and each one for himself comes to
Christ for gold and white rainment and eye
salve.-Rev. 3:l8. 1t Is the very best sign
that any one desires the revival OF religion
on Just grounds, when he is seen to be bitter
against his own sins, and disposed TO lay on
himself great part of the responsibility IN
regard to the spiritual declension OF the
church,