IT IS INTERESTING to notice the time when
\nthis prayer was offered. It was a time of mercy. “Lord thou hast been
\nfavorable unto thy land”. It was a time when God had led many to the
\nknowledge of Christ, and covered many sins. “thou hast forgiven the
\niniquity of thy people.” It was now they began to feel their need of
\nanother visit of mercy — “Wilt thou not revive us again?”<\/p>\n
The Thing Prayer For<\/p>\n
“Revive us again,” or literally, return and make us live anew. It is
\nthe prayer of those who have received some life, but feel their need of more.
\nThey had been made alive by the Holy Spirit. They felt the sweetness and
\nexcellence of this new, hidden, divine life. They pant for more — “Wilt
\nthou not revive us again?”<\/p>\n
The Argument Presented<\/p>\n
“That thy people may rejoice in thee.” They plead with God to do this
\nfor the sake of His people, that their joy may be full; and that it may be in
\nthe Lord — in the Lord of their Righteousness — in the Lord their Strength.<\/p>\n
When is the Prayer needed:<\/p>\n
In A Time of Backsliding<\/p>\n
There are many times when, like Ephesus, many of God’s children lose their
\nfirst love. Iniquity abounds, and the love of many waxes cold. Believers lose
\ntheir close and near communion with God. They go out of the holiest, and pray
\nat a distance with a curtain between. They lose their fervency, sweetness, and fullness
\nin secret prayer. They do not pour out their hearts to God.<\/p>\n
They have lost their clear discovery of Christ. They see Him but dimly. They
\nhave lost the sight of His beauty — the savor of His good ointment — the hold
\nof His garment. They seek him, but find Him not. They cannot stir up the heart
\nto lay hold on Christ.<\/p>\n
The Spirit dwells scantily in their soul. The living water seems almost dried
\nup within them. The soul is dry and barren. Corruptions are strong: grace is
\nvery weak.<\/p>\n
Love to the brethren fades. United prayer is forsaken. The little assembly no
\nmore appears beautiful. Compassion for the unconverted is low and cold. Sin is
\nunrebuked, though committed under their eye. Christ is not confessed before
\nmen. Perhaps the soul falls into sin, and is afraid to return; it stays far off
\nfrom God, and lodges in the wilderness.<\/p>\n
Ah! This is the case, I fear with many. It is a fearfully dangerous time.
\nNothing but a visit of the Holy Spirit to your soul can persuade you to return.
\nIt is not a time this prayer — “Wilt thou not revive us again?”<\/p>\n
The soul of a believer needs grace every moment. “By the grace of God I am
\nwhat I am.” But there are times when he needs more grace that at other times.
\nJust as the body continually needs food; but there are times when it needs food
\nmore than at others — times of great bodily exertion, when all powers are to
\nbe put forth.<\/p>\n
Sometimes the soul of a believer is exposed to hot persecution. Reproach breaks
\nthe heart; or it beats like a scorching sun upon the head. “For my love
\nthey are my adversaries.” Sometimes they are God’s children who reproach
\nus, and this is still harder to bear. The soul is ready to rest or sink under
\nit.<\/p>\n
Sometimes it is flattery that tempts the soul. The world speaks well of us, and
\nwe are tempted to pride and vanity. This is still worse to bear.<\/p>\n
Sometimes Satan strives within us, by stirring up fearful corruptions, till
\nthere is a tempest within. Oh, is there a tempted soul that reads these words?
\nJesus prays for thee. You need more peace. Nothing but the oil of the Spirit
\nwill feed the fire of grace when Satan is casting water on it. Send up this
\ncry, “Wilt thou not revive us again?”<\/p>\n
In A Time Of Concern<\/p>\n
“Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time if the latter rain.” When God
\nbegins a time of concern in a place — when the dew is beginning to fall —
\nthen is the time to pray, Lord, stay not thine hand — give us a full shower —
\nleave not one dry. “Wilt thou not revive us again?”<\/p>\n
Who needs this revival?<\/p>\n
Ministers Need It<\/p>\n
Ministers are naturally hard-hearted and unbelieving as other men (Mark 6:14),
\nso that Christ has often to unbraid them. Their faith is all from above. They
\nmust receive from God all that they give. In order to speak the truth with
\npower, they need a personal grasp of it. It is impossible to speak with power
\nfrom mere head knowledge, or even from past experience. If we would speak with
\nenergy, it must be from present feeling of the truth as it is in Jesus. We cannot
\nspeak of the hidden manna unless we have the taste of it on our mouth. We
\ncannot speak of the living water unless it be springing up within us. Like John
\nthe Baptist, we must see Jesus coming, and say; “Behold the Lamb of
\nGod.” We must speak with Christ in our eye, as Stephen did. “I see
\nJesus standing on the right hand of God.” We must speak from a present
\nsense of pardon and access to God, or our words will be cold and lifeless. But
\nhow can we do this if we are not quickened from above. Ministers are far more
\nexposed to be cast down than other men; they are standard bearers, and Satan
\nloves when a standard-bearer fainteth. Oh, what need of full supplies out of
\nChrist’s fullness! Pray, beloved, that it may be so. “Wilt thou not revive
\nus again?”<\/p>\n
God’s Children Need It<\/p>\n
The divine life is all from above. They have no life till they come to Christ.
\n“Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, ye have
\nno life in you.” Now this life is maintained by union to Christ, and by
\ngetting fresh supplies every moment out of His fullness. “He that eateth
\nmy flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me, and I in Him.” In some
\nbelievers this life is maintained by a constant inflowing of the Holy Spirit —
\n“I will water it ever moment” — like the constant supply which the
\nbranch receives from the vine. These are the happiest and most even Christians.
\nOthers have flood-tides of the Spirit carrying them higher and higher.
\nSometimes they get more in a day than for months before. In the one of these,
\ngrace is like a river; in the other, it is like a shower coming down in its
\nseason. Still, in both there is need of revival. The natural heart is all prone
\nto wither. Like a garden in summer, it dries up unless watered. The soul grows
\nfaint and weary in well-doing. Grace is not natural to the heart. The old heart
\nis always for drying and fading. So the child of God needs to be continually
\nlooking out, like Elijah’s servant, for the little cloud over the sea. You need
\nto be constantly pressing near the Fountain of living waters; yea, lying down
\nat the well-head of salvation, and drinking the living water. “Wilt thou
\nnot revive us again?”<\/p>\n
Those Formerly Awakened Need It<\/p>\n
A drop fell from heaven upon their hearts. They trembled, wept, prayed. But the
\nshowers passed by, and the rocky heart ceased to tremble. The eye again closed
\nin slumber; the lips forgot to pray. Ah, how common and sad is this case! The
\nKing of Zion lifted up His voice in this place and cried. Some that were in
\ntheir graves heard His voice, and began to live. But this passed by, and now
\nthey sink back again into the grace of a dead soul. Ah! This is a fearful
\nstate! To go back to death, to love death, and wrong your soul. What can save
\nsuch a one, but another call from Jesus? “Awake, thou that sleepest, and
\narise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” For your sake most
\nof all I pray, “Wilt thou not revive us again?”<\/p>\n
Barren Fig Trees Need It<\/p>\n
Some of you have been planted in this vineyard. You have enjoyed sun and
\nshower. You have passed through all this time of awakening without being moved.
\nYou are still dead, barren, unconverted, fruitless. Ah! There is for you no
\nhope but in this prayer. Ordinary times will not move you. Your heart is harder
\nthan that of other men. What need have you to pray for a deep, pure, effectual
\nwork of God, and that you may not be passed by. Many of you would stand the
\nshock much better now. Many of you have grown experienced in resisting God, and
\nquenching the Spirit. Oh, pray for a time that will remove mountains. None but
\nthe Almighty Spirit can touch your hard heart. “Who art thou, O great
\nmountain? Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain.” “Wilt thou
\nnot revive us again?”<\/p>\n
For whom revival comes:<\/p>\n
It is God who must revive us again. It is not human work. It is all divine. If
\nyou look to men to do it, you will only get that curse in Jeremiah 17.
\n“Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm.”<\/p>\n
The Lord has all the men in His hands. The Son of Man holds the seven stars in
\nHis right hand. The stars are His ministers. He lifts them up, or lets them
\ndown, at His sovereign will. He gives them all their light, or He takes it
\naway. He holds them up and lets them shine clearly, or He holds them in the
\nhollow of His hand, as it seemeth good in His sight. Sometimes He lets them
\nshine on one district of a country, sometimes another. They only shine to lead
\nto Him. The star that leads away from Him is a wandering star, and Christ will
\ncast it into the blackness for ever. We should pray to Christ to make His
\nministers shine on us.<\/p>\n
The Lord had the fullness of the Spirit to Him. The Father has entrusted the
\nwhole work of redemption into the hands of Jesus, and so the spirit is given to
\nHim. “As the Father hath life in himself, and quickeneth whom he will, so
\nhath he given the son to have life in himself, and to quicken whom he
\nwill.”<\/p>\n
It is He who keeps all His own children alive from day to day. He is the
\nFountain of living waters, and His children lie beside the still waters, and
\ndrink every moment eternal life from Him.<\/p>\n
It is He that pours down the Spirit in His sovereignty on those that never knew
\nHim. “I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of
\nJerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplications.” Truly, the whole
\nwork from the beginning to end is His.<\/p>\n
Every means will be in vain until He pours the spirit down (Isaiah 32:15): Upon
\nthe land of my people shall come up thorns and briers, “Until the spirit
\nbe poured upon us from on high.” We may preach publicly, and from house to
\nhouse, we may teach the young, and warn the old, but all will be in vain; until
\nthe spirit be poured upon us from on high, briers and thorns shall grow. Our
\nvineyard shall ne like the garden of the sluggard. We need that Christ should
\nawake; that He should make bare His arm as in the days of old; that He should
\nshed down the Spirit abundantly.<\/p>\n
The children of God should plead with Him. Put your finger on the promise, and
\nplead, “When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, I the Lord
\nwill hear them” (Isaiah 41:7). Tell Him you are poor and needy. Spread out
\nyour wants before Him. Take your emptiness to His Fullness. There is an
\ninfinite supply with Him for everything you need, at the very moment you need
\nit.<\/p>\n
Ungodly men, you are saying, there is no promise to us. But there is, if you
\nwill receive it. Psalms 68:28; “Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led
\ncaptivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious
\nalso, that the LORD God might dwell among them.” Are you a rebel? Go and
\ntell Him so. Oh, if you are willing to be justified by Him, and get your rebel
\nheart changed, go and ask Him, and He will give you living water. Proverbs
\n1:23; “Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you,
\nI will make known my words unto you.” Go and tell Him you are a
\n“Simple one, a scorner”. Ask Him to do what He has promised in
\nEzekiel 34:26; “And I will make them and the places round about my hill a
\nblessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall
\nbe showers of blessing.” Now you cannot say you belong to Zion’s hill, but
\nyou can say you are in the places around this hill. Oh, cry, “Wilt thou
\nnot revive us again?\u201d<\/p>\n
The Effects of A Revival<\/p>\n
The Lord’s children rejoice in Him. They rejoice in Jesus Christ. The purest
\njoy in the world is joy in Christ Jesus. When the Spirit is poured down, His
\npeople get very near and clear views of the Lord Jesus. They eat His flesh and
\ndrink His blood. They come to a personal cleaving to the Lord. They taste that
\nthe Lord is gracious. His blood and righteousness appear infinitely perfect,
\nfull, and free to their souls. They sit under His shadow with great delight.
\nThey rest in the cleft of the rock. Their defense is the munitions of rocks.
\nThey lean on the Beloved. They find infinite strength in Him for the use of
\ntheir soul — grace for grace — all they can need in any hour of trial and
\nsuffering to the very end.<\/p>\n
Then go by Him to the Father. “We joy in God through our Lord Jesus
\nChrist.” We find a portion there — a shield, and exceeding great reward.
\nThis gives joy unspeakable and full of glory.<\/p>\n
Now, God loves to see His children happy in Himself. He loves to see all our
\nsprings in Him. Take and plead that. Oh, you would pray after a different manner
\nif God were to pour water on the thirsty. You would tell Him all, open to Him
\nall sorrows, joys, cares, comforts. All would be told to Him.<\/p>\n
Many flock to Christ. “Who are these that fly like a cloud, and like doves
\nto their windows?” “To him shall the gathering of the people
\nbe.” Just as all the creatures came into the ark, so poor sinners run in
\nsuch a time. Laying aside their garments (Mark 10:50), their jealousies, they
\nflee together into the ark Jesus. Oh, there is not a lovelier sight in all this
\nworld.<\/p>\n
Souls are saved. “Is this not a brand plucked out of the fire?” There
\nis therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. They are
\npassed from death unto life.”<\/p>\n
It is glorifying to God. “He that receives Christ, sets to his seal that
\nGod is true.” He confesses the holiness of God, His love and grace. His
\nmouth is filled with praise. “Bless the Lord, O my soul!\u201d He begins to
\nlong for the image of God, to confess Him before men, to walk in His ways. It
\ngives joy in heaven, and joy in earth. Oh, pray for such a time.<\/p>\n
There is an awakening again of those who have gone back. IF we have not a time
\nof the outpouring of the Spirit, many who once sought Christ, but have gone
\nback, will perish in a dreadful manner; for they generally turn worse than
\nbefore. Sometimes they scoff and make a jest of it all. Satan is all the worse,
\nthat he once was an angel. So they become all the more wicked who have gone
\nback. They generally go deeper into the mire of sin. But if God graciously
\npours down His Spirit, the hardened heart will melt. Pray for this.<\/p>\n
There is an awakening of fresh sinners. It is a sad state of things when
\nsinners are bold in sin, when multitudes can openly break the Sabbath, and
\nopenly frequent the tavern. It is an awful sin when sinners can live in sin,
\nand yet sit unmoved under the preaching of the Word, cast off fear, and
\nrestrain prayer before God. But if the Lord were pleased to revive us again,
\nthis state of things would change.<\/p>\n
I am sure it would be a lovelier sight to see you going in company to the house
\nof prayer, than thronging to the tavern, or the haunts of sin and shame, that
\nwill bring down eternal ruin on your poor soul. It would be sweeter to hear the
\ncry of prayer in your closets, than to hear the sounds of oaths and profane
\njesting, and your hard speeches and reproaches of God’s children. Sweeter far
\nto see your hearts panting after Christ, His pardon, His holiness, His glory,
\nthan to see them turning after the world and its vain idols.<\/p>\n
Oh, lift up your hearts to the Lord for such a time. Plead earnestly the
\npromise, “I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh.” Then this
\nwilderness will become a fruitful field, and its name be, Jehovah-Shammah —
\nthe Lord is there.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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