A revival breaks the power of the world and of sin over Christians … They have a new foretaste of heaven and new desires after union with God; and the charm of the world is broken, and the power of sin overcome. When the churches are thus awakened and reformed, the reformation and salvation of sinners will follow, going through the same stages of conviction, repentance, and reformation. Their hearts will be broken down and changed.
– Charles G. Finney –
It is not falling into water that drowns, but lying in it. It is not falling into sin that damns, but lying in it without repentance.
– Thomas Watson –
I had not discoursed long when the congregation melted into tears… a little boy about seven or eight years of age cried out exceeding piteously indeed and wept as though his little heart would break. I asked the little boy what he cried for. He answered ‘my sins!’ I then asked him what he wanted. He answered, ‘Christ!’ … Many of the assembled were deeply affected, groaning and sobbing; there was a great weeping and mourning.
– William Bramwell –
When the conviction as to its mental process reaches its crisis, the person, through weakness, is unable to sit or stand, and either kneels or lies down. A great number of convicted persons in this town and neighborhood, and now I believe in all directions in the north where the Revival prevails, are “smitten down”… They fall with a deep groan… with the intensely earnest plea, “Lord Jesus, have mercy on my soul!”
– The Irish Revival, 1859 –
You must preach God’s justice and vengeance against sin as well as his love for the sinner. You must preach hell as well as heaven. You must let your Gospel match the intuition of humanity or you may as well throw it into the sea, and thus save both trouble and money. A Gospel of love never matched anybody’s soul. The great want in this day is truth that cuts – convicting truth – truth that convicts and convinces the sinner, and pulls off the bandages from his eyes.
– Catherine Booth –
A heart ready to melt at the sight of human suffering and need is necessary to successful soul-winning … Where there is no real soul-burden for sinners, there will be no revival. The early Church travailed in pain for the souls of dying men.
– JW Mahood –
If I should die, I shall be able to say to the rising generation, God will surely visit you. A work is begun that will not end till the world be subdued to the Savior.
– Andrew Fuller –
The outpourings of the Spirit will bring about the work of conversion in a wonderful manner. They will result in the calling of new laborers who will be zealous to carry the gospel to the nations of the world.
– Charles L. Chaney –
The Birth of Missions in America
Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments.
– Daniel 9:3-5 –