July - August, 1934
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
252
AWAK E ! Christians, AWAK E ! _ B y ERNEST M. WADSWORTH *
Chicago, Tifinois
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“ It is high time to awake out o f sleep” (Rom . 13:11).
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fashion, content to go along the path of propriety, along the path o f dull routine, but never weeping for sinners, never agonizing for souls. All the ministers of Christ are not awake yet. Are you awake ? .Have you roused out o f the sleep o f self-indulgence, spiritual slothfulness, and passionless ser vice? The world will not be turned right side up while we sleep. Oh, for the passion o f Pau l! Oh, for the spiritual vigor o f Wesley, Whitefield, Brainerd, Spurgeon, and M ood y ! An aroused ministry will mean a revived church, and a revived, reempowered church will mean the conver sion o f millions. D. L. Moody used to say, “ The best way to revive a dead church is to build a big fire in the pulpit.” May God use us to do our best in this evil day. But we need grace to awaken and empower. May God speak to our hearts n ow ! Edgerton Ryerson Young, the noted missionary to the Indians in the Hudson Bay territory, once told us that he was making a long journey by dog sled in an exceedingly low temperature, when suddenly he became aware o f a great drowsiness settling down upon him. He tried to raise himself on his sled. As he did so, it seemed as if a great organ pealed forth the most beautiful music he had ever heard. A glory seemed to fall upon earth and sky. The very tracks.of his dogs in the snow turned to gold. A sense of exquisite comfort delighted him. He said to him self, “ I must stay here and enjoy this scene and this en trancing music.” Suddenly, as if some one shouted in his ear, a voice seemed to say to him, “ Edgerton Ryerson Young, you are freezing to death!” Mustering his re maining strength, he called to his faithful dogs a signal
I n this crucial period o f the world’s history, the church o f God needs to be wide awake and to put on her beau tiful garments and go put against the foe as “ terrible as an army with banners.” But when she ought to be doing thus, a great drowsiness is upon her. A spirit of lethargy seems to have taken possession o f the people o f God. Brethren, are we awake? Have we yet one eye open? The call o f God is sounding in our ears: “ It is high time to awake out o f sleep!” “ Awake thou that sleepest, . . . • and Christ shall give thee light.” “ What meanest thou, O sleeper ? arise, call upon thy God.” T he N eed of a G reat S piritual A wakening [The ends of the world have come upon us. The Judge standeth at the door. “ It is high time” to be awake to the state o f the church, and the gospel privileges and oppor tunities that are ours in our parishes, communities, nation, and on the mission fields o f the world. Brethren, rouse yourselves! See what God will do through you to awaken His sleeping churcRT] Is not our land barren of spiritual harvests ? Is there not much soul-pOverty among the saints ? Is there not much guilty neglect among the ministers of God? Where is the church that burns with holy ardor? Where does the “ plowman . . . overtake the reaper, and the treader o f grapes him that soweth seed” ? Where are preachers preaching'to fully awakened congregations? Come, brother, is not a revival needed among us ? Do you think the pulse o f the church fast enough? “ It is high time to awake.” W e have passed the noon. Evening shades are appearing. Awake, Christians! Awake, espe cially ye ministers o f our God. Charles Haddon Spurgeon was wide awake. The church does well to honor this year his memory, for “ the memory o f the just is blessed.” The following is from his gifted pen : Oh, we never can be content with churches going on as they have been during the last twenty years. I would not be censorious, but solemnly in my own heart I do not believe that the ministers of our churches have been free from the blood of men. I would not say a hard word if I did not feel compelled to do it, but I am constrained to remind my brethren that, let God send what revival He may, it will not exonerate them from the awful guilt that rests upon th?tn for having been idle and dilatory during the last years.., Let all be saved who live now; what about those that have perished while we have been sleeping ? Let God gather in multitudes of sinners, but who must answer for the blood of those men who have been swept into eternity while we have been going on in our canonical.. * Director, Great Commission Prayer League.
which meant home! O ff they went. The music lulled him into a blissful sleep, a sleep from which he did not wake for some time; and when he did waken, Christian Indians were working over him. They had saved his life. The warning message which he had acted upon turned tragedy to tri umph. Oh, that I had a voice to speak to the hidden depths of many a heart! May God rouse us brethren! A great numbness has seized our hearts. Iniquity abounds, and the
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