The Fundamentals - 1910: Vol.12

12

The Fundamentals Second, I have known not a few evangelistic campaigns to be successful, as such, in a marked degree, and one or more churches identified with it, professedly, received but a few members, or none, from the movement. They united in the movement from wrong motives. They were not prepared for the work; were formal, worldly and unspiritual; were without faith. Putting nothing of value into the work, they got noth­ ing out of it. Or the work was not properly followed up. Also, I have known not a few widely advertised and thor­ oughly organized evangelistic campaigns, in which mere senti­ ment was far more conspicuous than the Holy Spirit, and the lachrymals more frequently appealed to than the intellect and conscience; and large numbers were added to the membership of the co-operating churches, who knew nothing whatever of the regenerating work of the Holy Ghost. Third, I have known not a few persons who have been faithful members of the church for many years and never been born again—“had a name to live and were dead.” There are many churches full of life, and apparently great successes, because of humanitarian, educational and socialistic matters in which they are engaged, and entertainments that they give from time to time; and some of the members who give most time and money to these things, and take most pride in them, are spiritually dead. Also, I have known persons, who were, without doubt, saved and sincere, to unite with the church as a result of an evangelistic campaign, to run well for a season and then fall away; and the falling away was unjustly charged to the cam­ paign. The real cause of it may have been one or more of the following reasons: First, The atmosphere of the church was not congenial, being unspiritual and cold. This is of vital im­ portance to “babes in Christ.” Second, In not a few instances the pastors, instead of “feeding the church of God,” with “the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby,” were like those mentioned in the twenty-third chapter of Jeremiah;

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