The Revival on Trial
One spark of fire can do more to prove the power of powder than a
whole library written on the subject.--BILLY SUNDAY.
What Evangelist Sunday says to his congregations is sometimes less
significant than what he helps his congregation to say to the world.
Let us take a sample meeting in the Pittsburgh campaign, with the
tremendous deliverance which it made upon the subject of revivals and
conversions.
A "sea of faces" is a petrified phrase, which means nothing to most
readers. Anybody who will stand on the platform behind Billy Sunday at
one of his great tabernacles understands it. More than twenty thousand
faces, all turned expectantly toward one man, confront you. The faces
rather than the hair predominate. There are no hats in sight.
Like the billows along the shore, which may be observed in detail,
the nearer reaches of this human sea are individualized. What a
Madonna-face yonder girl has! See the muscles of that young man's jaw
working, in the intensity of his interest. The old man who is straining
forward, so as not to miss a word, has put a black and calloused hand
behind his ear. That gray-haired woman with the lorgnette and rolls
of false hair started out with the full consciousness that she was a
"somebody": watch her wilt and become merely a tired, heart-hungry old
woman. And the rows and rows of undistinguished commonplace people,
just like the crowds we meet daily in the street cars.
Somehow, though, each seems here engaged in an individual transaction.
A revival meeting accents personality. Twenty or thirty rows down the
big congregation begins to blurr in appearance, and individual faces
are merged in the mass. The host, which is but an agglomeration of
individuals, is impressive. The "sea of faces" is more affecting than
old ocean's expanse.
Where else may one so see "the people"; or fundamental human nature so
expressing itself? One compares these crowds with the lesser throngs
that followed Jesus when he walked the earth, and recalls that "greater
works than these shall they do." There is a sermon in every aspect of
the Billy Sunday meetings.
Curiously, people will reveal more of themselves, be more candid
concerning their inner experiences, in a crowd than when taken one
by one. Thus this congregation is a rare laboratory. Tonight the
evangelist is going to make an experiment upon revivals and their value.
It is common to object to revivals and to revivalists. Billy Sunday's
reply to this is simply unanswerable: he appeals to the people
themselves for evidence. By a show of hands--and he conducts this
experiment in practically every community he visits--he gives a
convincing demonstration that it is by special evangelistic efforts
that most Christians have entered the Church of Christ. By the same
method, he shows that youth is the time to make the great decision.
When this question is put to a test a dramatic moment, the significance
of which the multitude quickly grasps, ensues. On this occasion there
are more than twenty thousand persons within the Tabernacle. First the
evangelist asks the confessed Christians to rise. The great bulk of
the congregation stands on its feet. Then he asks for those who were
converted in special meetings, revivals of some sort or other, to raise
their hands. From three-fourths to four-fifths of the persons standing
lift their hands in token that they were converted during revivals.
Then--each time elaborating his question so that there may be no
misunderstanding--Sunday asks those who were converted before they were
twenty to indicate it. Here again the majority is so large as to be
simply overwhelming. It almost seems that the whole body of Christians
had become such before they attained their legal majority.
Of the few hundreds that are left standing, Sunday asks in turn for
those who were converted before they were thirty, those who were
converted before they were forty, before they were fifty, before they
were sixty. When it comes to this point of age the scene is thrilling
in its significance. Usually there are only one or two persons standing
who have entered the Christian life after reaching fifty years of age.
The conclusion is irresistible. Unless a person accepts Christ in youth
the chances are enormously against his ever accepting Him subsequently.
The demonstration is an impressive vindication of revivals, and of the
importance of an early decision for Christ.
After such a showing as this, everybody is willing to listen to a
sermon upon revivals and their place in the economy of the Kingdom of
Heaven.
"THE NEED OF REVIVALS"
Somebody asks: "What is a revival?" Revival is a purely philosophical,
common-sense result of the wise use of divinely appointed means,
just the same as water will put out a fire; the same as food will
appease your hunger; just the same as water will slake your thirst;
it is a philosophical common-sense use of divinely appointed means to
accomplish that end. A revival is just as much horse sense as that.
A revival is not material; it does not depend upon material means. It
is a false idea that there is something peculiar in it, that it cannot
be judged by ordinary rules, causes and effects. That is nonsense.
Above your head there is an electric light; that is effect. What is the
cause? Why, the dynamo. Religion can be judged on the same basis of
cause and effect. If you do a thing, results always come. The results
come to the farmer. He has his crops. That is the result. He has to
plow and plant and take care of his farm before the crops come.
Religion needs a baptism of horse sense. That is just pure horse sense.
I believe there is no doctrine more dangerous to the Church today
than to convey the impression that a revival is something peculiar in
itself and cannot be judged by the same rules of causes and effect as
other things. If you preach that to the farmers--if you go to a farmer
and say "God is a sovereign," that is true; if you say "God will give
you crops only when it pleases him and it is no use for you to plow
your ground and plant your crops in the spring," that is all wrong,
and if you preach that doctrine and expect the farmers to believe it,
this country will starve to death in two years. The churches have been
preaching some false doctrines and religion has died out.
[Illustration: "You Sit in Your Pews so Easy that You Become Mildewed"]
Some people think that religion is a good deal like a storm. They
sit around and fold their arms, and that is what is the matter. You
sit in your pews so easy that you become mildewed. Such results will
be sure to follow if you are persuaded that religion is something
mysterious and has no natural connection between the means and the
end. It has a natural connection of common sense and I believe that
when divinely appointed means are used spiritual blessing will accrue
to the individuals and the community in greater numbers than temporal
blessings. You can have spiritual blessings as regularly as the farmer
can have corn, wheat, oats, or you can have potatoes and onions and
cabbage in your garden. I believe that spiritual results will follow
more surely than temporal blessings. I don't believe all this tommyrot
of false doctrines. You might as well sit around beneath the shade
and fan yourself and say "Ain't it hot?" as to expect God to give you
a crop if you don't plow the ground and plant the seed. Until the
Church resorts to the use of divinely appointed means it won't get the
blessing.
What a Revival Does
What is a revival? Now listen to me. A revival does two things. First,
it returns the Church from her backsliding and second, it causes the
conversion of men and women; and it always includes the conviction of
sin on the part of the Church. What a spell the devil seems to cast
over the Church today!
I suppose the people here are pretty fair representatives of the
Church of God, and if everybody did what you do there would never be a
revival. Suppose I did no more than you do, then no people would ever
be converted through my efforts; I would fold my arms and rust out. A
revival helps to bring the unsaved to Jesus Christ.
God Almighty never intended that the devil should triumph over the
Church. He never intended that the saloons should walk rough-shod over
Christianity. And if you think that anybody is going to frighten me,
you don't know me yet.
When is a revival needed? When the individuals are careless and
unconcerned. If the Church were down on her face in prayer they would
be more concerned with the fellow outside. The Church has degenerated
into a third-rate amusement joint, with religion left out.
When is a revival needed? When carelessness and unconcern keep the
people asleep. It is as much the duty of the Church to awaken and work
and labor for the men and women of this city as it is the duty of the
fire department to rush out when the call sounds. What would you think
of the fire department if it slept while the town burned? You would
condemn them, and I will condemn you if you sleep and let men and women
go to hell. It is just as much your business to be awake. The Church of
God is asleep today; it is turned into a dormitory, and has taken the
devil's opiates.
[Illustration: "I NEVER LOOK AT A CHILD OR AN OLDER PERSON WITHOUT
THINKING, 'THERE IS A CASKET OF LOCKED-UP POSSIBILITIES. ONLY THE KEY
OF SALVATION IS NEEDED TO OPEN IT.'"]
[Illustration: "SAMSON WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT COULD TAKE THE JAWBONE OF
AN ASS AND LAY DEAD A THOUSAND PHILISTINES."]
When may a revival be expected? When the wickedness of the wicked
grieves and distresses the Christian. Sometimes people don't seem to
mind the sins of other people. Don't seem to mind while boys and girls
walk the streets of their city and know more of evil than gray-haired
men. You are asleep.
When is a revival needed? When the Christians have lost the spirit of
prayer.
When is a revival needed? When you feel the want of revival and feel
the need of it. Men have had this feeling, ministers have had it until
they thought they would die unless a revival would come to awaken their
people, their students, their deacons and their Sunday-school workers,
unless they would fall down on their faces and renounce the world and
the works and deceits of the devil. When the Church of God draws its
patrons from the theaters the theaters will close up, or else take the
dirty, rotten plays off the stage.
When the Church of God stops voting for the saloon, the saloon will go
to hell. When the members stop having cards in their homes, there won't
be so many black-legged gamblers in the world. This is the truth. You
can't sit around and fold your arms and let God run this business; you
have been doing that too long here. When may a revival be expected?
When Christians confess their sins one to another. Sometimes they
confess in a general way, but they have no earnestness; they get up and
do it in eloquent language, but that doesn't do it. It is when they
break down and cry and pour out their hearts to God in grief, when the
flood-gates open, then I want to tell you the devil will have cold
feet.
Revival Demands Sacrifice
When may a revival be expected? When the wickedness of the wicked
grieves and distresses the Church. When you are willing to make a
sacrifice for the revival; when you are willing to sacrifice your
feelings. You say, "Oh, well, Mr. Sunday hurt my feelings." Then don't
spread them all over his tabernacle for men to walk on. I despise
a touchy man or woman. Make a sacrifice of your feelings; make a
sacrifice of your business, of your time, of your money; you are
willing to give to help to advance God's cause, for God's cause has to
have money the same as a railroad or a steamship company. When you give
your influence and stand up and let people know you stand for Jesus
Christ and it has your indorsement and time and money. Somebody has got
to get on the firing line. Somebody had to go on the firing line and
become bullet meat for $13 a month to overcome slavery. Somebody has
to be willing to make a sacrifice. They must be willing to get out and
hustle and do things for God.
When may a revival be expected? A revival may be expected when
Christian people confess and ask forgiveness for their sins. When
you are willing that God shall promote and use whatever means or
instruments or individuals or methods he is pleased to use to promote
them. Yes. The trouble is he cannot promote a revival if you are
sitting on the judgment of the methods and means that God is employing
to promote a revival. The God Almighty may use any method or means
or individual that he pleases in order to promote a revival. You are
not running it. Let God have his way. You can tell whether you need a
revival. You can tell if you will have one and why you have got one. If
God should ask you sisters and preachers in an audible voice, "Are you
willing that I should promote a revival by using any methods or means
or individual language that I choose to use to promote it?" what would
be your answer? Yes. Then don't growl if I use some things that you
don't like. You have no business to. How can you promote a revival?
Break up your fallow ground, the ground that produces nothing but
weeds, briars, tin cans and brick-bats. Fallow ground is ground that
never had a glow in it. Detroit had a mayor, Pingree, when Detroit had
thousands and thousands of acres of fallow ground. This was taken over
by the municipal government and planted with potatoes with which they
fed the poor of the city.
There are individuals who have never done anything for Jesus Christ,
and I have no doubt there are preachers as well, who have never done
anything for the God Almighty. There are acres and acres of fallow
ground lying right here that have never been touched. Look over your
past life, look over your present life and future and take up the
individual sins and with pencil and paper write them down. A general
confession will never do. You have committed your sins, one by one, and
you will have to confess them one by one. This thing of saying, "God, I
am a sinner," won't do.
"God, I am a gossiper in my neighborhood. God, I have been in my
ice-box while I am here listening to Mr. Sunday." Confess your sins.
How can you promote a revival? You women, if you found that your
husband was giving his love and attention to some other woman and if
you saw that some other woman was encroaching on his mind and heart,
and was usurping your place and was pushing you out of the place,
wouldn't you grieve? Don't you think that God grieves when you push
him out of your life? You don't treat God square. You business men
don't treat God fair. You let a thousand things come in and take the
place that God Almighty had. No wonder you are careless. You blame God
for things you have no right to blame him for. He is not to blame for
anything. You judge God. The spirit loves the Bible; the devil loves
the flesh.
If you don't do your part, don't blame God. How many times have you
blamed God when you are the liar yourself. You are wont to blame him
for the instances of unbelief that have come into your life. When
should we promote a revival? When there is a neglect of prayer? When
your prayers affect God? You never think of going out on the street
without dressing. You would be pinched before you went a block. You
never think of going without breakfast, do you? I bet there are
multitudes that have come here without reading the Bible or praying for
this meeting.
You can measure your desire for salvation by means of the amount of
self-denial you are willing to practice for Jesus Christ. You have
sinned before the Church, before the world, before God.
Don't the Lord have a hard time? Own up, now.
Persecution a Godsend
There are a lot of people in church, doubtless, who have denied
themselves--self-denial for comfort and convenience. There are a lot
of people here who never make any sacrifices for Jesus Christ. They
will not suffer any reproaches for Jesus Christ. Paul says, "I love
to suffer reproaches for Christ." The Bible says, "Woe unto you when
all men shall speak well of you." "Blessed are you when your enemies
persecute you." That is one trouble in the churches of God today.
They are not willing to suffer reproach for God's sake. It would be
a godsend if the Church would suffer persecution today; she hasn't
suffered it for hundreds of years. She is growing rich and lagging
behind. Going back.
Pride! How many times have you found yourself exercising pride? How
many times have you attempted pride of wealth? Proud because you were
related to some of the old families that settled in the Colonies in
1776. That don't get you anything; not at all. I have got as much
to be proud of as to lineage as anyone; my great-grandfather was in
the Revolutionary War, lost a leg at Brandywine; and my father was a
soldier in the Civil War.
Envy! Envy of those that have more talent than you. Envious because
someone can own a limousine Packard and you have to ride a Brush
runabout; envious because some women can wear a sealskin coat and you a
nearseal.
Then there is your grumbling and fault-finding. When speaking of people
behind their backs, telling their faults, whether real or imaginary,
and that is slander. When you sit around and rip people up behind their
backs at your old sewing societies, when you rip and tear and discuss
your neighbors and turn the affair into a sort of a great big gossiping
society, with your fault-finding, grumbling and growling. There is a
big difference between levity and happiness, and pleasure, and all that
sort of thing.
Make up your mind that God has given himself up for you. I would like
to see something come thundering along that I would have more interest
in than I have in the cause of God Almighty! God has a right to the
first place. God is first, remember that.
Multitudes of people are willing to do anything that doesn't require
any self-denial on their part.
I am not a member of any lodge, and never expect to be, but if I were a
member of a lodge and there were a prayer-meeting and a lodge-meeting
coming on Wednesday night, I would be at the prayer-meeting instead of
at the lodge-meeting. I am not against the lodges; they do some good
work in the world, but that doesn't save anyone for God. God is first
and the lodge-meeting is second. God is first and society second. God
is first and business is second. "In the beginning, God!" That is the
way the Bible starts out and it ought to be the way with every living
being. "In the beginning, God." Seek you first God and everything else
shall be added unto you. Christianity is addition; sin is subtraction.
Christianity is peace, joy, salvation, heaven. Sin takes away peace,
happiness, sobriety, and it takes away health. You are robbing God
of the time that you misspend. You are robbing God when you spend
time doing something that don't amount to anything, when you might
do something for Christ. You are robbing God when you go to foolish
amusements, when you sit around reading trashy novels instead of the
Word of God.
"Oh, Lord, revive thy work!"
I have only two minutes more and then I am through. Bad temper. Abuse
your wife and abuse your children; abuse your husband; turn your old
gatling-gun tongue loose. A lady came to me and said, "Mr. Sunday, I
know I have a bad temper, but I am over with it in a minute." So is the
shotgun, but it blows everything to pieces.
And, finally, you abuse the telephone girl because she doesn't connect
you in a minute. Bad temper. I say you abuse your wife, you go cussing
around if supper isn't ready on time; cussing because the coffee isn't
hot; you dig your fork into a hunk of beefsteak and put it on your
plate and then you say: "Where did you get this, in the harness shop?
Take it out and make a hinge for the door." Then you go to your store,
or office, and smile and everybody thinks you are an angel about to
sprout wings and fly to the imperial realm above. Bad temper! You growl
at your children; you snap and snarl around the house until they have
to go to the neighbors to see a smile. They never get a kind word--no
wonder so many of them go to the devil quick.