Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1901-03-28


Holy Ghost, and you know the bible
says that sin against the Holy Ghost
shall never be forgiven. neither in this
world nor the world to come. Now,
II you are painter, and | speak
against your pictures, do | not speak
against you? II you are an architect
and ! speak against building you
put up. do ! not speak against YOU?
IL a revival be the work of the Holy
Ghost and speak against that revival,
do not speak against the Holy Ghost?
And whose speaketh against the Holy
Ghost, says the Bible, he shall never
be forgiven, neither in this world nor
in the world to come. l think some
times people have made fatal mistake
in this direction.
Many of you know the history Of
Aaron Burr. He was one Of the most
brilliant men of his day. I suppose
this country never produced stronger
intellect. He was capable OF doing
anything good and great for his coun-
try or for the church Of his God had he
been rightly disposed, but his name is
United States government. which he
tried to overthrow, and with libertin-
ism and immortality. Do you know
where Aaron Burr started on the town.
ward road? 1t was when he was in
college and he became anxious about
his soul and was about to put himself
under the influences OF a revival. and
minister of religion said: Don't go
there, Aaron; don't go there. That's
a place of wildfre and great excite
ment. No religion about that. Don't
go there" He tarried away. His seri-
GUS impressions departed. He started
on the downward road. And who is
responsible for his ruin for this world
and his everlasting ruin in the world
to come? Was 1t the minister who
warned him against that revival?
When | speak of excitement in reviv-
ais | do not mean temporary derange-
ment of the nerves, do not mean the
absurd things of which We have read
as Transporting sometimes in the church
of Christ, but mean an intelligent, in
tense. all absorbing agitation of body
mind and soul in the work of spiritual
escape and spiritual rescue.
Goodness of the Objector.
Now come to the real, genuine
cause of objection to revivals. That
is the GOODNESS of the objector. 1t Is
the secret and hidden but unmistaka-
BILE cause in every case, a low state
of religion in the heart. Wide awake,
consecrated, useful Christians are
never afraid of revivals. 1t is the spir-
itually dead who are afraid of having
their sepulcher molested. The chief
agents of the devil during great
awakening are always unconverted
professors OF religion. As soon as
Christ's work begins they begin to gos-
sip against 1t and take a pail Of water
and try to put out this spark OF re-
liglous influence. and they try to put
out another spark. Do they succeed?
AS well when Chicago was on fire
might some one have gone out with a
garden water pot trying to extinguish
it, The difficulty is that when a re-
vival begins in a church 1t begins at
so many points that while you have
doused one anxious soul with a pail
OF cold water there are 500 other anx-
ious souls on fire. Oh. how much bet
ter it would be to lay hold of the
chariot of Christs gospel ard help
pull 1t on rather than to fling our
selves in front of the wheels, trying
to block their progress. We will not
stop the chariot, but We ourselves will
be ground to powder.
An Unconverted Ministry.
But think, after all, the greatest
obstacle to revivals throughout Christ
endom is an unconverted ministry.
We must believe that the vast major
ity of those who officiate at sacred al
tars are regenerated, but suppose
there may float into the ministry OF
all the denominations OF Christians
men whose hearts have never been
changed by grace. They are all an
tagonistic to revivals. How did they
get into the ministry? Perhaps som
of them chose it as a means OF liveli-
hood. Perhaps some of them were sin
cere, but were mistaken. As Thomas
Chalmers said, he had been many
years preaching the gospel before his
heart had been changed, and as many
ministers of the gospel declare they
were preaching and had been ordained
to sacred orders years and years before
their hearts were regenerated. Gra-
cious God. what a solemn thought for
those Of us who minister at the altar!
With the present ministry in the pref
ent temperature Of piety, this land will
never be enveloped in REVEALS. While
the pews on one side the altar cry for
mercy. the pulpits on the other side
the altar must cry for mercy. Minis
pull each other down. Ministers strug-
Cling for ecclesiastical place. Minis
tiers lethargic with whole congrega-
tons dying on their hands. What a
spectacle!
Aroused pulpits will make aroused
peWs. Pulplts aname VIII make peWs
aflame. Everybody believes in re-
vival in trade. everybody likes reviv-
al in literature, everybody likes a re-
vival in art. yet a great multitude can
not understand revival in matters OF
religion. Depend upon 1t, where you
find man antagonistic to revivals.
whether he be in pulpit or pew. he
needs to be regenerated by the grace
of God.
More Troops wanted.
During our civil war the president of
the United States made proclamation
for $4,000 troops. Some of you remem-
Der the big stir. But the King Of the
universe today asks for twelve hun