 | There have been outstanding periods in the history of the church when the intensified activity of the Holy Spirit has amazed her. Such times are known as revivals. True revivals do not result from some special work of the Spirit of God different from his normal gracious influences! Rather they are the effect of an increased measure of precisely the same power and grace which operate at every time and in every place that the church has been found since Pentecost. In revival times the Spirit's work remains what it ever has been since Pentecost, namely the work of inwardly convincing the unconverted by the Word, inwardly regenerating sinners by the Word, inwardly teaching and sanctifying saints by the Word, and inwardly prompting worship of Father and Son by the Word. [What then are we to make of outward manifestations that many assume to be obvious signs of conversion? And what about personal revelations that seem to occur in some revivals?] . . . During past revivals there have arisen certain trends in the thinking of the church and the practice of believers which have paralleled the posture of the modern Pentecostal movement. When these arose, the servants of God most directly instrumental in the revivals, have left the much loved work of evangelism and teaching vehemently to fight such trends. The stamping out of attitudes like those central to today's charismatic forces was considered more necessary to the well-being of the church than the carrying on with the revival. And when doctrines and practices like those of the 'full gospel' fame prevailed, men most familiar with the experience of revival noted that revivals were quenched by them. The Great Awakening by Joseph Tracy is a valuable volume on the revival connected with the great names of Edwards, Whitefield, and the Tennents. It quotes numerous first-hand reports of the 18th century revival, written by the pastors whose preaching of truth was the chief human means of revival. Their observations are of peculiar value because they shepherded the revived flocks both before and after the Great Awakening. In all these reports, the ministers were careful to deny that their labors in revival ministry had any associations whatsoever with revelations or miracles. With great joy many of them report in words such as these: "We have not known trances, visions, revelations, or the like. We have had freedom from the appearances of a censorious spirit." This last report shows how revelations were classed with wicked shows of the flesh. Trances and visions did crop up, only to be crushed by responsible leaders. New England pastors in revival fought every form of subjected guidance, even if this claimed to be of the Spirit. Their demand was that Scripture be the objective and the only guide to their practices. James Davenport for a time followed a subjective guidance and was considered a fanatic. Due to the labors of other pastors, he later renounced his former attitude in these words: "I confess I have been much led astray following impulses or impressions as a rule of conduct, whether they come with or without a text of Scripture; and my neglecting, also, duly to observe the analogy of Scripture. I am persuaded this was a great means of corrupting my experiences and carrying me off from the Word of God, and a great handle, which the false spirit has made use of with respect to a number, and me especially."  Aware that religious excitement could carry away multitudes, revival pastors labored with unceasing zeal to examine every experience of converts by the doctrines of God's Word. Nothing was acceptable to them but the normal, inward operations of the Spirit in conviction, regeneration, and sanctification. Examinations were rigid. The following is typical of pastoral reports:
"They (the converts) can give a clear, distinct account of a preparatory law-work, in all the parts of it; of their discovery of Christ, in his ability, and willingness to save them in particular, and every way suited to their perishing circumstances, to make them completely and eternally happy; of their closing in with him as offered in the gospel; of the change of heart; and so consequently of principles, desires, inclinations and affections that perceptibly followed thereupon. And their lives and conversations, as far as I can observe myself, and learn from the unprejudiced, are corresponding and agreeing with their experiences." . . . Continue in part 2 tomorrow. |  |
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