Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-07-23
SALVATION BY SENSATION
By Bishop w. H. Gambler

diers, priests and publicans. fell
down at the call to repentance ut
tered by the prophet of the wilder
ness. Paul was both excited and
exciting in his ministry; so much
SO that some thought him mad. The
Apostle to the Gentiles was under
necessity of proving even to the
church at Corinth. which he had
founded, that he was not beside
himself. Luther was so fervent
that some of his contemporaries
questioned his mental balance Law
ington and others belaboured Wes-
ley, Whitefield, and Fletcher for
enthusiasm; and Jonathan Ed
wards and the leaders of the Great
Awakening were berated roundly
for their excessive zeal by certain
prim preachers of their time.
But heavenly flame. kindled in
the heart by the truths Of the Cos
pei burning under the power Of
kthe Holy Gnost, is one thing, and
1.-THE burning of strange fire" with
a view to amazing the bystanders,
is quite another thing. The first is
to be preserved in the churches like
the sacred fire in the Temple; out
the second is a profanity worthy of
death,-and ALWAYS RESULT
ING IN SPIRITUAL DEATH. The
former is the gift of Cod from
above; the latter is the mimickry Of
the Holy Spirit from beneath
The distinguished correspondent.
whose report of a recent sensational
meeting in one of our great cities
was quoted in the outset of this
article, is right when he suggests
that the churches would be more
prosperous and religion more pow
erful in our country. II the efforts
of the ensation-mongers were no
longer engaged and the pastors of
the churches did their own work in
the regular way. The conviction is
growing with many devout and wise
men, who yearn for the progress of
the kingdom OF Christ, that we shall
not see the general revival needed
for the salvation of our country until
we get rid of the commercialized
evangelist, and return to simple faith
in the unsensa tional preaching of the
gospel as the only means of saving
the people. The multiplication Of
galvanizing meetings, in which dead
souls have been made to show a
semblance of life like dead frogs are
made to jump and sQuirm by the use
of a battery, have done more harm
than good; they have almost para
lyzed the religious faculties of null
titudes of people to whom their OPP
orators have applied them. Many
people. who have run after these
unwholesome excitations for years.
can hardly feel a touch of interest
in the great truths of the gospel
when preached without the tricks Of
the commercial evangelist; they have
been hurt by too frequent hypno7
things.
1t is time sober minded men and
women took hold of the regular work
of the churches with renewed earn
estness and turned away forever
from the apostles of salvation by
sensation.
The kingdom of God can never be
advanced by sensation. The gospel
penetrates to deeper uepths than the
senses, and does its regenerative
work beyond and above the senses.
Wherefore the Apostle to the Gen
tiles says, without reference to
heaven and with exclusive reference
to the power of the Holy Spirit upon
the human heart in this present
world, "eye hath not seen. nor ear
heard, neither have entered into the
heart of man. the things which God
hath prepared for them that love
him; but God hath revealed them
unto us by the Spirit. Appeals to
the senses have no effect beyond the
TRANSPLANT sensation which thew ex-
cite; the regeneration of character
is wrought only in the depths of the
spiritual nature. where the Spirit Of
God meets and cleanses the human
spirit.