WE feel led to address our fellow-Christians through these pages, and pray God that no offense may be given, but rather that all may be stirred up.
Few sober-minded Christians will question that we are living in serious times. Dark days they have been. Infidelity has been flooding the land for some years past, and the ordained ministry both of Church and dissent have been almost vying with one another for the foremost place in this soul-destroying work.
Christian men have been tampering with this very evil, instead of standing out in bold decision, and in loyalty to Christ their Master, denouncing it, and purging themselves from all association with those who fearlessly proclaim their unbelief from pulpit, platform, and press. A falsely called Christian charity has led many to temporize with the heretical teachers of the day, and these have become well-nigh swamped by the rising tide of apostasy. A feeling of horror has no doubt been experienced at the blasphemous utterances which have of late been pouring forth from the pulpit of the City Temple. That a worm of the dust should presume to talk of “the Agnosticism of Jesus,” and to speak of the blessed Son of God as “the Great Agnostic,” does indeed make one realize that we are in the perilous times spoken of in the Scriptures of truth; but what can one say of a reception being accorded to such a blasphemer by eight hundred ministers at Oxford recently, a well-known speaker at Christian conventions taking a prominent part? We are warned by the Word of God that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, and these times are upon us indeed. It is vain to expect a recovery or a remedy. Things will get darker instead of brighter, and evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived (2 Tim. 3:1313But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:13)).
But the Lord is coming. That bright and blessed hope has been revived in many hearts of late, and the cry is still going forth to wider circles, “Behold the Bridegroom!” In Revelation 22:1717And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. (Revelation 22:17) we three times find the word “Come.” First, “The Spirit and the Bride say, Come.” This is an invitation to the Lord Himself. He had just announced Himself as “the root and offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.” In this we get the twofold aspect of His coming, as it affects Israel and the earth, and as it affects the Church or the heavenly saints.
The hope of earthly blessing for the Jews and for all the nations is bound up with Christ as the root and offspring of David. Christ is the source from whence all the earthly promises flow; He is also the One in whom and by whom they will all be fulfilled. He is thus “the root and the offspring.”
But for the Church higher and better things are in store; and to her, the Bride, Christ is presented as “the bright and morning star.” Where do we look to see the morning star? Is it not into the heavens? So for the Christian, Christ’s coming is a heavenly hope and not an earthly one. Again, when does the morning star appear? Is it not at the very darkest time of the night, and just before the break of day?
Christian reader, the night is dark indeed! Infidelity is sweeping over Christendom; the Word of God is being given up by thousands of professed Christians; worldliness and godlessness are spreading, but the Lord is at hand. “Surely I come quickly” is His promise.
The Bridegroom is at hand. Does not the Bride long for His return? Listen. “The Spirit and the Bride say, Come.” These words have often been wrongly applied by earnest preachers of the gospel, as though they contained an appeal to the sinner to come to Jesus. But no, it is the language of the Church. It is the desire awakened in the heart of the Bride by the announcement of Jesus Himself, “I come quickly.” The ready response from her heart is — Come! In this first “Come” we find the true and proper language of the Church as a whole.
But there are many individual Christians who form a part of that spiritual Bride who have never had their attention called to the blessed hope. They have been looking upon death as a certainty. To these the second “Come” refers: “Let Him that heareth say, Come.” This second “Come” is likewise addressed to Christ. It may be that for the first time since some of our readers were brought to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, they are now reading about the coming of Christ. For the first time do they, perhaps, hear that the coming of the Lord and not death is the proper hope of the Church. Instead of turning away and saying, “These are strange and peculiar views,” acknowledge with grateful and overflowing heart that it is the truth of God; join in the Church’s cry. The Bride, led by the Spirit of God, cries to her absent but returning Lord, Come! Well then, you, too, take up the same cry — “Let him that heareth say, Come.”
But now we reach the third “Come.” This time it is addressed to the sinner. Oh, thirsty souls, ye who are finding out that the world with all its empty pleasures, its fleeting joys, its passing vanities, does not and cannot satisfy you; ye who have drunk at the religious fountains of the world as well as its sinful fountains; ye who have sought in vain from the forms of religion, from its rites and ceremonies, for that peace of conscience, that rest of heart, that assurance of salvation, that certainty of heaven with the present joy of the hope of the glory of God, all which blessings can alone be had through living faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and personal acquaintance with that once crucified but now risen and glorified Saviour — come to Him! “Let him that is athirst come.” The invitation goes world-wide; it extends to all, rich and poor, high and low, learned and ignorant; none are excluded — “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
And is not this last gospel appeal going forth to-day? Side by side with the revival of the hope of Christ’s return, a special gospel activity may be seen reaching to all the dark corners of Christendom. Gospel missions in theaters, public halls, and in various ecclesiastical buildings, constantly held in the towns and cities; tent missions, open-air missions, &c., in villages and country places; and now, as we write, a vast and spreading revival in Wales, setting the whole district in a flame. Are not these signs of the times?
We thank God for the revival in Wales. We believe it is God’s answer to the prayers of His people. Unlike all the special missions of recent years, this revival is utterly beyond the control of man. It is a movement amongst the people, independent altogether of ministers and preachers of note. Theological professors and doctors of divinity have been cutting and clipping the Bible with their “higher critical” scissors. God in His sovereignty is now sweeping masses of men, women, and children into the place of safety before the close of the day of grace.
We hope and pray and believe that this work of revival will spread all over England, Scotland, and Ireland, and what we feel led of God to do now is to urge upon all our Christian readers the importance of constant and earnest and believing prayer, that a right direction may be given to the work. Let every one of us pray earnestly, “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?” — and then be ready.
Many who read these lines have often dwelt upon the solemn exhortation of 2 Timothy 2:20, 2120But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor. 21If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. (2 Timothy 2:20‑21). Solemn indeed it is in view of the confusion and increasing worldliness and apostasy of the professing Church. It is true without a doubt that whoever wants to be a vessel unto honor, sanctified and meet for the Master’s use, must purge himself from all vessels to dishonor, some of which are enumerated in the chapter we are quoting from. Profane and vain babblings, faith-overthrowing heresies, foolish and unlearned questions, must be shunned and avoided. Every one that nameth the name of the Lord is bidden to depart from iniquity.
But is there not a tendency to rest satisfied with this process of purging oneself from what is evil? What are we here for? What is the duty and privilege of each individual Christian? Is it not to be a vessel meet for the Master’s use? Then the Lord Jesus Christ, our divine Master, has work for us each to do, and He wants to use us. Let us each be ready and prepared.
We are writing specially for those who have the truth and know the truth. The gospel in its clearness is familiar to us all. What are we doing with it? To whom are we carrying it? What sacrifices of time, money, or comfort do we make to spread it in the localities where we reside, or in the districts beyond? At any rate, if we are not much mistaken, an awakening of spiritual need is about to burst forth. The Lord is coming quickly. “Surely, I come quickly,” He testifies, and adds His sure “Amen.” Do we want to meet Him with joy? Do we desire in truth to say, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus?” Then let us not be found sleeping, but watching; and not only watching, but working for Him who is worthy of all we have and are! A. H. B.