Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1903-02-25

! hod has done the best He could-and
the Lord knows lie has cons iderinC the
conditions He has had to deal with
but God pity the Christians who are
content to hear the patter of the drops
of blessing, and who do not set about
TO discover why tho showers and the
downpour have not come. The few
brave-hearted. fuil-faithed Christians
continue TO hold onto COED. They keep
the button of prayer pressed in and
again take up the search for the ar
resting cause that has prevented the
opening OF the windows of Heaven and
the outpouring of the full blessing of
God. Their yearning hearts keep sing
lag:
There shall be showers OF blessing.
Precious. -reViving again.
/ There shall be seasons refreshing.
/ Sent from the Saviour above
showers. showers o: blessing
Showers of blessing. we need:
Mercy drops round US are falling
But for the showers plead
What is a revival? Somehow the idea
has unconsciously taken root IN the
Christi heart that revival means a
strange and unknown manifestation
I Of the Divine Life. This is not true.
y revival is not different manifesto
ton Of the life or Spirit of God. but
IL only that same life and Spirit i'm
fuller and deeper measure. There lies
the unfortunate victim of the deadly
potion. 1t has almost brought the
sleep Of death and quenched the last
remaining spark of life The doctor
and the nurse work heroically and per
= L. l..
patient. who would, if left to him
self, sleep the long sleep Of death.
But the patient is kept on the move
lie is given not an instant's rest. What
are the doctor and the nurse so des-
perately seeking to bring about? \
revival They are not trying to put
something different into that almost
! lifeiess body than the life which has
throbbed there before. They are only
trying to overcome the effect Of the
deadly poison and TO get more of the
same life back again. But now sup
pose the word revival had taken on
some mysterious ard strange mean
ing TO the friends standing around
ANA As the doctor and the nurse at last
succeeded in bringing the full life
ask TO see the revival, expecting the
while to witness some unusual and un-
known manifestation. This suppos-
able case. of course, appears ridiculous
and yet has it not its very important
point OF emphasis for the Christian
who talks about revival. and expects
revival, and longs for a revival. and
yet who forgcts that revival only
means more of the same Divine life
which he now feels in his heart if he is
real child of God.
The First Point Of DfIiculty.-And
right here we believe is perhaps the
first and great point of difficulty. 4
revival means more of God in the heart
and the life. The sweeping revival
which shakes church and community
and country Is only the letting of the
life and Spirit of God flow into the
place left empty by putting away the
things which have been crowding Him
out. As Mr.. Moody used to say: You
! can't crowd more into q full pitcher
but you can pour great deal into an
empty pitcher" And while the Chris
tan heart and the Christian church
remain so full of their own activities
and their own plans there is no chance
Tor the fuller manifestation Of the life
OF God. great many bonfires have
got to be Lighted to get rid Of tic
| rubbish before God can have room i'm
which TO carry on His revival work.
1t has been said that the churches and
Christian work OF the day are organ
ized to death. So much system and
] m Il
that God is crowded out. / really he
lieve that if God would grant to the
churches great incathcring of souls
they would Immediately begin TO con
graduate themselves upon their spIcn-
did organization and system. and claim
the credit for the harvest. Gideon
when called of God 10 lead the Israel
ties against the Midianites and break
their yoke Of bondage. gathered to-
gether an army Of 1000 men. NOT
a large army. 10 be sure o. peciallv i'm
! comparison with the hosts Of tho on
envy, but the ranks Of the I.raelites
were run enough 10 make them conf
/ dent in thems elves. and God declared
/ that if He gave them victory tLcy
/ would claim all the credit az defeat
! ing the powerful enemy. So He told
/ Gideon TO reduce hi. army. and %. 600
| taint-hearted and fearful returned to
/ their homes. But still the army of
/ 10000 was too many. And another
| test came which cut ont o.7O0 men
| Then God was ready 10 act Bv the
| 300 men He would give israel deliver
ancc from the mighty enemy which
encompassed them on every hand. And
| God must needs reduce the confidence
Of the church in its own resources and
abilities and powers before il is safe
for Him to give the abundance of
blessing which is sought for This
must be brought about bv the irdivid-