News of the Boston revival of religious interest has spread far and wide. Lovers of God and lovers of humanity must be deeply interested in a movement which has taken so great a hold of so large a number of intelligent people. To the thoughtful it shows what should never have been disputed, namely that notwithstanding the fact that we are a fallen race, "Prone to sin as the sparks to fly upward," nevertheless there is still remaining in us something of the character of our Creator, in whose image our father Adam was made. The fall affected some of us from the one standpoint and some from another; but left us, as a whole, in that undone condition from which we cannot extricate ourselves, because it is a part of our human nature. As the Scriptures declare, "We were born in sin and shapen in iniquity, in sin did our mothers conceive us." If every trace of the Divine likeness had been obliterated from our hearts and heads, there would be nothing left upon which truth and grace might operate. We are glad that we have been forced to vacate the thought of "total depravity," once inculcated as the essence of our orthodoxy. The fact that we are not "totally depraved" is the mainspring of hope and endeavor on behalf of mankind on the part of God and those who have enlisted on his side in the warfare against Sin and Satan.
Possibly the revival preaching did not include as much of a reference to Christ crucified as some of us could have wished; but it certainly did not ignore this basic feature of salvation. In any event, to have awakened thinking minds to the fact that the things of eternity are worthy of more time and thought and endeavor than the things of this present life this alone is a great achievement, and the engineers of the revival movement deserve considerable credit from this standpoint alone.
But already we hear protests from various quarters to the effect that revival influences are not permanent; that those thus reached almost as quickly fall away, and that it is more difficult than ever to reach them again. But admitting that this has been the general record of revivals, we hold that it is no reason why we should complain and sit idly by and watch the slipping and sliding away of those who for a time at least have taken a stand for righteousness, for God, for manhood, for Christ. Rather, Christian people should take such steps as will assist these multitudes who have indicated their desire to henceforth walk in the ways of righteousness. Our Christian knowledge should be put at their disposal, that they might thus be enabled to stand.
Our Lord, the great Teacher, gives us the key to the situation. In the parable of the sower he explains to us that men's hearts have much to do with their reception of the Truth. It is not enough that we have seed and ground and that the seed be properly planted. The ground must be of the proper kind and, if certain elements be lacking, these should be supplied, or weeds eradicated, in order to have the proper yield.
Without controverting the thought that our Lord referred to different classes of hearts and intended to show by this parable that some of them could not possibly be expected to bring forth the fruitage desired in this Gospel Age, we may safely apply the parable to Boston and vicinity, as though all those reached by the revival belong to the stony ground, the thorny ground and the good ground classes of the parable. Those of shallow soil must, perforce, wither away, because they have not a sufficiency of depth of character to bring forth the fruitage of this Gospel Age. Those now called by Divine grace, who will "make their calling and election sure," must be "able to stand" trials and persecutions. Such as cannot endure these are in the parable represented as stony-ground hearers, who at first rejoice, but because of their shallowness the Truth perishes with them as they are exposed to trials and persecutions on its account. The thorny ground is rich and might bring forth as largely as any of the good ground thirty, sixty or a hundred fold but the thorns are there and must be combated, must be uprooted. These thorns, as our Lord explains, do not represent gambling, intoxication, and various atrocious wrongs, but rather, as he explained, they symbolize in the parable the cares of the present life and the deceitfulness of riches. Matt. 13:22
The new convert needs instruction in the Word of God in the hopes and promises therein set forth. As St. Peter declares, God has "given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that we might become partakers of the Divine nature and escape the corruption that is in the world through selfish desire." We urge, therefore, upon all God's people, ministers and laymen, that they seek to indoctrinate the new converts not with sectarianism, which has proved unsatisfactory to everybody, almost to the degree of nauseation, but with the doctrine (teaching) of Christ, the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets the doctrine of the Bible pure and simple. To the extent that we give them these unadulterated, we communicate to them "The power of God unto salvation," abe to keep them from falling.
Accordingly we should introduce them to "Studies in the Scriptures," that they may thus be fortified, prepared, for the assaults of the world, the flesh and the Adversary, which are sure to come upon them. We must show them what the Apostle refers to as "The prize of our high calling in Christ." We must explain to them the glorious privilege that is ours, of becoming members of the "elect" Church the "Bride, the Lamb's Wife." (Rev. 21:9) We must tell them of the glorious Kingdom in which our Lord promised that his faithful should share, saying, "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne" (Rev. 3:21), and "Fear not, little flock, it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom." We must get them to pray for this Kingdom as our Lord taught us, "Pray ye, thy [HGL446] Kingdom come, thy will be done in earth, as it is done in heaven." Matt. 6:10
To the extent that we can get these doctrines fed into the minds and hearts of new converts we will be successful in supplying them with a weed destroyer that will kill the seeds of the thorns and thistles of earthly ambitions and pleasures, because only as those ambitions perish can "the good seed of the Kingdom" flourish, and the heart be fully enlisted in the things of the Kingdom the "things not seen as yet." Only those who obtain the opening of the eyes of their understanding to the wonderful truths of the Divine Word can have the right appreciation of the "length and breadth and height and depth of the love of God, which passeth all understanding." (Eph. 3:19) And only such can appreciate "the things which the natural eye hath not seen and the ear hath not heard, the things which God hath in reservation for them that love him."
These love God more than they love houses or lands or parents or children or anything more than they love themselves so that they are willing to lay down their lives in his service. To so many as we shall be able to communicate these glorious hopes and promises to these we may be sure the blessings of the revival will not be temporary, but permanent, glorious!
We must hope that some of those who have been induced by this revival to turn over a "new leaf" are really "hungering and thirsting for righteousness"; for only to such is the promise, "They shall be filled." To these hungry ones food must be supplied or they will become faint by the way, if, indeed, they do not perish. The Apostle suggests that they need first "The sincere milk of the Word, that they may grow thereby." This milk of the Truth consists of the first doctrines of Christ; how that we were all sinners, born such, inheriting imperfection, mental, moral and physical, under father Adam's death sentence. (Rom. 5:12) They must realize the meaning of this alienation from the Father, the unfitness for the heavenly Kingdom, the need of the Savior to die on our behalf as our Redeemer, and that through the merit of his sacrifice we are permitted to return to Divine fellowship. They must learn that this is what the Apostle calls justification by faith a heavenly harmony with God, based upon a sinless will, however imperfectly we may be able to control our mortal flesh. We may rest in the assurance that in the Father's sight the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin.
After digesting this milk and rejoicing in the reconciliation to the Father, the new beginners were invited to take another step to consecrate themselves their wills, minds, bodies, time, influence, money, talents, to God, to Christ, to the service of the Truth and righteousness. Properly enough such a sacrifice calls for a reason. Why should we do this? What is to be gained? The reply is that during this Gospel Age the heavenly Father is seeking a "little flock" of the same character likeness as His Son, our Redeemer, to be his joint-heirs, his co-laborers, in the heavenly Kingdom. If in the service of righteousness with their Master they now suffer with Him, they will be accounted worthy during His Millennial Kingdom to reign with Him, to sit with Him in His throne. (Rev. 3:21) These truths are meat indeed that the world knows not of. Feasting on these, babes in Christ very speedily become strong in the Lord and in the power of His might and in the use of His Word. Is it not what all true Christians need? It surely is!
Of course, many will call this suggestion an extreme one and intimate that saintship is not to be expected nor attempted. But are they not mistaken? Is not the call of the entire Gospel Age to saintship? Were not the early Church called saints? Did not our dear Redeemer pray, "Sanctify them through thy Truth. Thy Word is Truth." Seeing the height of this calling to the Divine nature is it any wonder that the standard of fitness would be a high one?
Could we expect that God would accept any but the pure in heart in intention, in endeavor to membership in the Royal Priesthood? Many who read these lines have already on their book shelves "Studies in the Scriptures" ("The Divine Plan of the Ages"). We urge the reading of these and proffer to those too poor to pay for the cloth-bound book a copy in magazine form, free, in response to a postal-card request and promise to read it.