9 Sermon Illustrations on Personal Revival

The famous English deist, Anthony Collins of the 17th century, met a plain countryman one day while out walking. He asked him where he was going. "To church, sir." "What are you going to do there?" "Worship God." "Is your God a great or a little God?" "He is both, sir." "How can He be both?" "He is so great, sir, that the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him; and so little that He can dwell in my heart." The unbeliever Collins later declared that this simple answer from the countryman had more effect upon his mind than all the volumes which learned doctors had written against him. This simple countryman had indeed the right concept of God, the God of the Bible, who as a spirit is the Creator of all things and yet indwells the heart of His believing creatures in the person of Jesus Christ. An Irresistible Argument A famous atheist once said, "I can stand all the arguing of Christian apologists, but I have a little servant who is a disciple of Jesus Christ, and her good, pure, honest, truthful life staggers me sometimes." The one irresistible argument for the gospel's power is a regenerated, consecrated life which is a demonstration of the life of Christ. The world may miss seeing the life of God in nature, but they cannot miss seeing it in the lives of those men and women who have the life of Christ. What a wonderful thought to know that we as human beings can become the carriers of the life of God and our lives can become the reflectors of His life.

During the late war, a soldier wrote to his betrothed, telling her of his conversion, and exhorting her to seek Christ. Before it could have reached her, he received a letter of like import from her, to his great surprise and joy. A similar instance is recorded of a husband and wife.

A Bible was sold, at a reduced price to a tailor, who boarded in a house with several apprentice boys. One of them, having seen it, became very anxious to obtain one on the same terms; and soon saved, from his small earnings, a sufficient sum for its purchase. He became serious, and kept his Bible constantly near him whilst at work. His associates in the same occupation were thoughtless, profane, and constantly disposed to ridicule the book he so much prized. One of them in particular, more wicked than the rest, used sometimes to take it up, and read a passage for sport, or something worse. At length, however, the truth became too powerful for his depraved heart; he began to reflect upon the sin he was committing, soon solicited the boon for himself, abstaining from profaneness, and, in connexion with the owner of the Bible, succeeded in making it finable for any one of their number to utter an oath. The effect upon the whole was remarkable; and several of them became truly anxious about their souls, sincerely praying to be made "wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus."

The 31st of January, 1841, when Mr. Jay, of Bath, England, completed fifty years of his ministry, it was observed by his people as a Jubilee. On that occasion the Rev. Timothy East, of Birmingham, stated, that a sermon Mr. Jay preached in London in the early part of his ministry, was blessed to the conversion of a thoughtless and dissolute young man, who became a minister. A sermon preached by that minister thirty-nine years ago, was the arrow of the Almighty that brought Mr. East to repentance, just as he had determined to leave his native country for ever. And a sermon preached by Mr. East twenty-seven years ago, in London, was the means of the conversion of a careless, gay, and dissipated young man, who was John Williams, the late missionary to the South Seas.

About the first of September, 1833, a deep and solemn interest upon the subject of religion, began to be visible in the Presbyterian church and congregation of Washingtonville, New York, and particularly in the Sabbath school. Here commenced that revival flame which subsequently spread through the county, and brought salvation to a multitude of souls.

One Sabbath school teacher, feeling deeply the responsibility resting upon her, and the worth of immortal souls, before the school was dismissed on the Lord's day, affectionately requested her class, consisting of little girls about twelve or thirteen years of age, to remain after the rest of the school had retired. She then began, with an aching heart and with flowing tears, to reason and plead with them upon the subject of personal religion. They were deeply affected, and "wept bitterly" in view of their lost condition. They then all knelt together before the Lord, and the teacher prayed for their salvation; and immediately the scholar next to her commenced praying for herself, and then the next, and so on, until the whole class, with ardent supplications, begged for the forgiveness of their sins and the salvation of their souls. It would take long to tell the history of this class, and relate particular instances of conversions, and the happy changes which took place in the families to which they belonged, and show the family altars which were established. These scholars, with their teacher and their fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, were ere long seen commemorating a Savior's dying love together. The revival extended itself to other towns, and the great day can alone unfold the astonishing results.

# 395. Happy Deaths.