Month: March 2013

  • “The dawn is to be seen… you may by prayers” (John Elias)

    I recently finished reading Banner of Truth’s “John Elias:  Life, Letters and Essays” (by Edward Morgan, revised edition, published in one volume, 1973). Elias (1774-1841) was a Welsh Calvinistic minister who was burdened for reformation and revival, and he prayed for it, and exhorted others to pray as well. As I was rereading my last blog post, “THOUGH you are LITTLE, YET!”, I was reminded of some words John Elias wrote in two different letters addressed to two sisters, Mrs Jones and Mrs Davies of London. Here’s the first… (p. 242):

    DESIRES for PROSPERITY IN THE CHURCH
    Llanfechell 30 January 1829

    Dear Sisters, – I am thankful to you for your kind letter; in this
    you excel the brethren, like Deborah and Jael in former days I
    have not received a letter from London this long time. I was
    longing to hear of your welfare. Your letter gave me great joy; I
    was glad to find that things were in a lively and comfortable state
    among you I am, however, very sorry to learn that so few have
    entered the church during the last two years. It is painful that the
    church is so barren. What has become of all the excellent sermons
    that were delivered in your pulpit all that time? If none are born
    again among you, is there any growth in the children that are
    already in the house? Do they feed upon the bread of life, and gain
    strength?

    Notwithstanding appearances, let us not despair or be dis-
    heartened. Perhaps some of the good seed cast into the ground is
    not devoured up by the birds, or scorched by the heat, or choked
    by the thorns, but may yet appear and bear fruit. God is ever
    living almighty, and infinitely merciful, and he can of these stones
    raise up children unto Abraham and make a barren church a
    joyful mother of children. It is a great blessing to be enabled to
    remain in the Lord’s house. A delightful morning, a glorious day,
    will yet surely come. The dawn is to be seen over the hills, in the
    faithful promises. Let us believe, expect, pray, and labour. . .

    * * *

    As the Roman Catholic Church was choosing a new Pope this past week, I was doing a little reading on Martin Luther and the Reformation, and was reminded of the motto of the Protestant Reformation:

    “Post tenebras lux”
    “After darkness, light”

    I was familiar with the Reformation Wall in Geneva, but I didn’t realize that motto is engraved on either side of the four largest statues there:

    Theodore Beza (1519 – 1605)
    John Calvin (1509 – 1564)
    William Farel (1489 – 1565)
    John Knox (c.1513 – 1572)

    And beside those four figures, there are three others on either side:

    William the Silent (1533 – 1584)
    Gaspard de Coligny (1519 – 1572)
    Frederick William of Brandenburg (1620 – 1688)
    Roger Williams (1603 – 1684)
    Oliver Cromwell (1599 – 1658)
    Stephen Bocskay (1557 – 1607)


    As I looked at that picture, I was profoundly humbled to realize that each and every one of us who are longing for and working toward reformation and revival in the Church, though we are little, yet we too are part of the lineage of the great cloud of witnesses on that wall, as well as all the saints throughout all the ages who were commended through their faith (see Hebrews 11-12:2).

    Hebrews 11:1-2 (ESV)
    Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
    For by it the people of old received their commendation…

    Several years later, in 1837, in another letter to these same two women, Elias expressed his grief over the spiritual condition of the Church at that time, and then added this exhortation (p. 244):

    Dear sisters, you may by prayers do much towards the success
    of the great cause. The throne of grace is open for you, and the
    prayers of women are as acceptable as those of the most popular
    minister, in the name of the great Mediator. If you would walk
    with God and please him, be often at the throne of grace, seeking
    for guidance and strength.

    As we look at these spiritual giants, it’s far too easy for us to be tempted and say, “What can *I* do?”

    But, along with Beza, Calvin, Farel, and Knox, and all the rest,
    the throne of grace is open for all of us who know Jesus Christ as our Mediator!

    And, in midst of darkness, we must pray and plead and hope for light,
    for we may by our prayers do much towards the success of the great cause!

    This has been the call of the Israel of God, of the generation of Jacob, and of all the reformers throughout all the ages!

    Post tenebras lux!

    After darkness, light!

    That delightful morning, a glorious day, will yet surely come!

    The dawn is to be seen over the hills, in the faithful promises!

    Isaiah 45:11, 19
    Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker,
    Ask me of things to come concerning my sons,
    and concerning the work of my hands command ye me…
      I have not spoken in secret,
    in a dark place of the earth:
    I said not unto the seed of Jacob,
    Seek ye me in vain:
    I the LORD speak righteousness,
    I declare things that are right.

    For those of us whom God has called and burdened to work toward and to pray for reformation and revival, may our God keep us steadfast, immovable, and always abounding in the work He has begun in us, for, as Elias wrote,

    It is a great blessing to be enabled to
    remain in the Lord’s house. A delightful morning, a glorious day,
    will yet surely come. The dawn is to be seen over the hills, in the
    faithful promises. Let us believe, expect, pray, and labour. . .

    Psalm 145:19
    He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him:
    he also will hear their cry, and will save them.

    Psalm 112:4
    Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness:
    he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.

    II Chronicles 20:5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court, 6  And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee? 7  Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever? 8  And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying, 9  If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.

    Please note:  If God has been giving you a burden to work toward and to pray for reformation and revival in His Church, if there’s any way I can assist you, or if you have any questions, please comment below and/or message me. Please also see my other sites: http://tent_of_meeting.xanga.com ~ prayer for revival and http://naphtali_deer.xanga.com ~ Bible teaching with an eye to experiential/experimental Calvinism.

    Information on the Reformation Wall taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reformation_Wall / CC BY-SA 3.0.
    Work found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ReformationsdenkmalGenf2.jpg by Picswiss (CC BY-SA 3.0).

    Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible. / Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.