REVIVALS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIX, Issue 12629, 17 October 1905, Page 4

REVIVALS.

A sketch of Christian revivals from the commencement of church history is giren by Principal Lindsay in the "Contemporary Review," and is, in effect, a whole-hearted defence of these movements. The writer contends that " tli«_ " Church of Christ was born in a time of revival, and from revival to revival seems to be a law of its growth." Principal Lindsay commences with St. Paul, who, he submits, conducted a series of. revival meetings, hie epistles describing scenes common to the revivals in every age. So with the mission of St. Francis of Assi. " The words of St. Paul, in ■his first letter t© the Corinthians, the narratives of the Franciscan chroniclers, the accounts contained in the newspapers describing the Welsh revival of to-day, might all 'be used to describe one movement." As to the primitive manifestations, St. Paul frankly admits that some of them were worthless. The speaking "in a tongue " was one' of these. " I had rather," St. Paul says, " speak fine -words with my understanding . . . than ten thousand words. an a tongue," but nevertheless lie thanked God that he had the gift himself. The gift of prophesyings is also analysed, and the " call" which men receive for their mission is noticed. " The whole array of Chiristian saints and heresiarchs, including the greatest, the Bernards, the Loyolas, the Luttheara, the , Foxes,' the WesLeys, had these visions, ,voices, rapt,conditions, and guiding im- . prcssions. The visions we, read of now -in Wiales have a history, which goes I>ack i>o -the first century of the Christian . 'Churphy-'to its very 'beginningJ J An* \ incidental .comparison of the mission of St. 'Francis of Assi' -with the Salvation Army of to-day is at least suggestive. The Franciscans insisted on an obedient band of.-workers, with an almost military organisation. They called themselves "the Army of Jesus." At thehead of the order stood " the General," then a new term in religious lifer The ' hymns of Franciscans remind one also of those of the Salvation Army, with their chorus, " Viva, viva Gesu " (" Hurrah, 'hurrah for Jesus"). RevVals, saj"s Principal Lindsay, are usuhliy associated with an advance in theology. The Pietist revival gave us w tho Calvinist doctrine of gcod works. Wesley gave the death blow to tbe hard scholasticism of the preceding century. After Moody and Sankey the love of God became the prominent theme and the wrath of God was less dwuit upon. " What may come from the Welsh revival no man can yet tell."