Earnest Christianity

James Caughey

Dec. 11. — Good news from our spiritual troops! Last night’s adventure quite awakened them out of their deceitful dream. Their human confidences — Jer. 2: 37, — their trust in an arm of flesh, have died the death! My refusing to preach, though in the pulpit, came like a thunder-clap! Such a thing as not thought of, was unheard of. They had fully expected a great revival, and was this to be the end of it? It was quite over ruled for good; for though there was the appearance of grief, or impatience, or self-will, or wounded pride and vanity, or precipitation, and some were stumbled and offended, yet the really spiritual part took it to heart, were alarmed, fled to their closets, betook them to prayer! Some prayed part of the night, I understand; others, most of the night, and a few, all night! Praise our God! This will do! The crisis is past!

As to self, last night I went to my knees, also, with sighs and groans. But, taking up my pocket Bible, my eye rested on the old promise given me of the Lord, on first catching a glimpse of England’s shores, as we neared the coast from America. This was it — Isa. 38: 16 - 20. O, I remember that moment! Standing on the deck of the steamer, Bible in hand, as England rose out of the waves, I opened it upon that passage, which was sweetly applied to my heart. I felt assured the Lord would be with me in that strange land. It has often been a comfort to me since, when in any trouble. Last night it sweetly soothed me. I closed the book, and believed. It was oil upon the troubled waves within. But soon sorrow and sighing came over me again, like a sea. I laid down,

“ — while sorrow sighed itself to sleep,
And man, o’er laboured with his being’s strife,
Shrinks to that sweet forgetfulness of life.”

I arose this morning refreshed, but to groan and sigh and pray.
And now, what shall I say? Is the hand of God in all this? Is the affair between Christ and us? Have the people been trusting in an arm of flesh? And has the arm of flesh been trusting in the people? Jer. 17: 5 They relying upon my past successes, and hoping for popularity, which came not, and I trusting in their wonted zeal and ability. Then it was right we should be mutually disappointed and humbled together. Farmers some times speak of “catching the tail of a shower,” — have we, just caught the tail of that curse? “Thus saith the Lord: Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm and whose heart departeth from the Lord!” Jer. 17. 5. Let us humble our selves before the Lord, lest the curse come round again as a deprecated shower does sometimes, giving “the head and front” of its offending, instead of the tail. If I have been trusting in self, or pulpit preparation, it is well I should know it, confess and repent before the Lord. He will humble us all, till we learn to trust in himself alone. “Salvation is of the Lord,” therefore the glory should be all his own. Trust verified in man is apt to bring glory to man, or largely divides the glory due to God alone. This he will not bear; but will either punish for it afterwards, or crush in the beginning, as we would a young viper in the shell, that we may learn not to think of men or of self above that which is written.

God will not part with his glory; he has said, “My glory will not I give to another. “he gives us life and health, and food, raiment and knowledge, wealth, distinction and influence, if need be, and friends, and pardon, his Spirit, and holiness, and happiness, and success in his work, — yea, himself, and will share his heaven with us; but he will not give us his GLORY! It is right, my Lord, it is right! Amen to what my Lord doth say! Amen to what he has done and does!

He ever calls upon us to cease from man, and to trust only in himself for victory. To this reduction of all human confidences God has evidently brought us all at this crisis. If we sink from Him, also, as it sometimes happens, abandoning all hope for a revival now, and ceasing all effort, then the chastisement has not been sanctified. In this case Satan’s evil will has its way; the advantage is on his side, and further humblings are to be expected.

Let me examine myself, try my own self, know my motives. Is there any energy in my soul? Surely I have not backslidden. These tours, even to recruit health, are dangerous, I am aware. The soul is apt to lose its fine edge, — its secret power with God may be weakened by travelling about in strange countries, and among a people of a strange language; it may become soft and effeminate, unwilling to endure hardness, and to become a fool for Christ, unbelief may tinge the Spirit, and many other enervating thoughts. What sayest thou, my soul? Judge thy self, that thou be not judged; condemn thyself, if need be, that thou mayest not be condemned. Let me say, with an ancient Christian and preacher, “Go up, my soul, into the tribunal of conscience, — there set thyself before thyself, hide not thyself behind thyself, lest God bring thee forth before thyself.” Is there life within? A dead fish, if cast into a stream, will go with the stream; but a living fish will stem it. What is wanting? O, I want more of God, and more faith and love.

Cecil says, faith is the master-spring of a minister; be sees hell before him, and thousands of souls shut up there in everlasting agonies, he beholds Jesus Christ standing forth to save men from rushing into this bottomless abyss; he feels himself sent to proclaim his ability and love, he wants no fourth idea; every fourth idea is contemptible, — every fourth idea is a grand impertinence. I beg pardon, Mr. Cecil, but another idea rushes upon me with irresistible force, — I want more love, fire sent down from heaven into my soul, — a signal baptism of the Holy Ghost, to enable me to believe and feel the full force of those three great ideas to which earth and heaven might well assent with acclamations! Feigned zeal is false zeal, as painted fire is no fire; it warms nobody, burns nobody. It is easy to be what one really is, and safe and pleasant too. One is natural then; the contrary is but acting, feigning a character, — which, by the grace of God, I never will. Amen.

Let me get a fresh glimpse of God, of Jesus, of heaven, of hell; so certain, so near, as to say, with a minister now in Paradise “Yonder glory! Yonder flames!” pointing directly thitherward, as if he saw them plainly with his eyes. O, I must, — yes, I must preach with just such a vivid faith; must imitate my blessed Lord and Master himself, who, as Mr. Harris says, entered into the busy mart of the world, where nothing was heard but the monotonous him of the traders, and, lifting up his voice like the trump of God, he sought to break the spell which infatuated them, while he exclaimed, “What is a man profited if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or, what will a man give in exchange for his soul? — Who brought the sinners of his day to the threshold of the infinite, and showed it flushed in one part with living glories, and in another burning with fiercest flames of wrath; while he assured them that in one or other of these states they would shortly be fixed forever. Ay! This is the soil of preaching that is wanting in this nineteenth century. God help me I must imitate my Lord, then and I must have clearer views of The cross, too; a higher estimate of the value of the soul, more vivid views of it peril, a burning, consuming ardor for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. These principles are linked together like chain-shot, which sweep everything before them. O, thou eternal Spirit, change the chambers of my soul with them! Think of these things, O my soul! As in the days of martyrdom, so now,

“Mighty are the soul’s commandments,
To support, restrain, or raise”

Friday afternoon. Dec. 11th — My soul engages itself with God. “But I gave myself to prayer,’’ says the Psalmist, or, as an old writer renders it, “But I prayer.” As if he had said, “I and prayer are one; my whole being has resolved itself into prayer; my heart, my hopes and desires, my reason and conscience, my eyes, my tongue, my hips, my knees, my all I am prayer all over!” O, there is much need of this in my case, now!

Sinners are hard; one spoke truly, that they appear as if they had been on the anvil of hell, and Satan himself had beaten them into adamant. However, they are not harder than some American sinners I have encountered. I must not forget I have battled harder and longer in America, with less success. But we have set our hearts upon a great revival; have been urging our faith, and screwing it up to a high figure; believing that if we set our mark for small things, we shall act accordingly, and it will be unto us according to our low mark. There is much in this. Yet Satan has taken some advantage, just here. Well, let him, — the promise stands sure, — there is a faith that will remove mountains, as well as wither the fruitless fig-tree. — Matt 21: 18 – 22.

Satan was more strongly entrenched in Huddersfield than we expected. Now for a siege, if need be! We must have victory. If our weapons were carnal, we might despair. They are of other metal. There are “towers of pride and walls of confidence,” which may not be taken by storm, but they may yield to a regular siege, — to sapping and mining, and other means of attack. We must be ready for every advantage. Jesus, our great Captain, will direct, Let us cut off, if possible, satanic supplies from the besieged. When Satan fails to relieve, they cannot long hold out. Look out for flags of truce, or offers to capitulate upon honourable terms. The carnal mind glories, if it may but evacuate under arms. This shall not be, God being our helper. No! The arms of rebellion must be grounded at the feet of Jesus; submit to terms, not dictate them. This is our “war instruction;” It shall sound and reverberate like a thunder. Then look out for the flag of defiance; but renew hostilities. The contest must be thorough and determined; no parleying with the enemy. “I am doing a great work, and cannot come down; why should the work cease, while I come down to you?” said Nehemiah. So let us say. When reduced to extremities, they will surrender at discretion.

These Yorkshire men are sturdy sinners. Like Job’s Leviathan, their “heart is as firm as a stone;” they “laugh at the shaking of a spear.” — Job 41: 24 - 29. I have met many such, in my time. Trans-Atlantic sinners are not a whit behind them. Human nature is the same, the world over. As Cowper says:

“Man is the genuine offspring of revolt
Stubborn and sturdy, a wild ass’s colt.”

There was truth in that remark, “Their eyes are not like the fish-pools of Heshbon, full of water; but like the mountains of Gilboa, which have neither rain nor dew upon them.”

Ay as well try to thaw oil out of flint as tears from some eyes; or, as soon melt an ice-bound river by breathing upon it, till the Holy Spirit comes, and then,

“As the great sun, when he his influence
Sheds on the frost-bound waters, the glad stream
Flows to the ray, and warbles as it flows.’’
Be it even so; eyes void of tears, as flints of oil. There was a rod once in mortal hand which melted the granite rock, and turned it into a fountain.

“The rock into a fountain flowed.”

That rod I look not for, but the word of the Lord I have; the power is what I need, — the same power that attended the touch of the rod of Moses. The word then will make hitherto dry eyes like fountains of waters. The sooner, perhaps, my own cheeks are wet in crying with the Psalmist, “Rivers of water run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law,” the sooner it may be so with others. The weeping-time is coming, I trust. The wells are filled with earth. Like Isaac’s servants, we must dig hard to have the wells opened in spite of all the Philistines of earth and hell! — Gen. 26. 15 - 19.

Let me not say, with the poet, “Not to triumph is worse than not to win.” Nay, that is selfish. But, triumph or no triumph, let me win souls — Prov. 11: 30. “He that winneth souls in wise; “wisdom does not always, attend a triumph. It is worse not to win than not to triumph; although success in soul-winning has often with me been the prelude to sore temptation. ‘‘Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the saver of his knowledge by us in every place,” said Paul. But he immediately added, speaking of the contrasted effects of their preaching. “To the one we are the saver of death unto death, and to the other of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?’’ Who is he that has not only courage to incur, but ability to cope with, troubles which are sure to follow, from devils and men. He, and he only, it may be presumed, who is called of God, as was Aaron, otherwise he would be utterly cast down and destroyed.

‘It is well thus privately to count the cost. My eyes look to where the Psalmist did, — to the hills, to the heavenly hills, from whence cometh my help, from thence came my former vigor, in the bygone days of my sanctuary strength.

A poet speaks of the eagle careering in his own course of joy relying firmly on his own mountain rigor, breasting the storm, defying the red bolts; his eye on the sun, his wing on the wind, swerving not a hair, but bearing onward, right on. Ay, that is it! I would be an eagle, to thus mount up high at God’s command, or, to dwell and abide on the ROCK, on the crag of the rock, and the strong place; to beheld the prey afar off; where the slain of the Lord are, there to be. — Job 39: 27, 30.

The eagle was an emblem of victory upon ancient banners, and is upon the modern. I would be one of Isaiah’s eagles, that wait on the Lord; that renew their strength, mount up on wings, that run without weariness, and walk up and down conflict’s field without faintness. — Isaiah 40: 31.

Well, this “noting down” my feelings does me good; it enables me to say, with David, “Blessed be the Lout my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight;” ay, and the tongue, by and by, as the tongue of a ready writer David says, the tongue of the wicked is their sword, and that they take good care to whet it. Why may not the tongue of a God-sent preacher be the sword of the Lord? “bathed in heaven,’’ as Isaiah says. It “reacheth unto the soul,” echoes Jeremiah. Why, then, may not such an one whet his tongue also? The pen is a good hone after the word of God and prayer. Isaiah speaks of the tongue of fire devouring the stubble. St. James says, “The tongue is a fire, — setteth on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire of hell ‘ Why, then, may not the tongue of a preacher be a fire also? The devil kindles many a bad fire with the human tongue “ sets on fire the course of nature” in the tongue-owner, and in others. Why may not God kindle his fires by the tongue, also, and set the devil’s kingdom in a blaze? Strange, if Satan can “set the tongue on fire of hell,” and Christ cannot set it on fire of heaven! How often have I felt the fire of God begin to burn in my soul, when my pen set a going! The pen has converted many a tongue into flame, — set a country on fire, and revolutionized nations.

And now for the conflict in right good earnest, — the Law, Calvary, Repentance, Faith, Regeneration, the Witness of the Spirit, Holiness, Perfect Love, the Resurrection, Judgment, Heaven, Hell, in lightning and thundering truth. O, my soul! What themes are these; if thou wert more fully baptized with the Holy Ghost! Come on, then, as thou art! Christ shall endue thee with power from on high, when thou art in dreadful conflict.

“Set thyself about it, as the sea
About the earth, lashing it day and night;
And leave the stamp of thine own soul in it,
As thorough as the fossil flower in clay.
The theme shall start and struggle in thy breast,
Like the Spirit in its tomb at rising,
Bending the stones, and crying RESURRECTION!”