My heart responds to this appeal for a new surrender to the Lord. The Holy Spirit is the greatest thing that can come to us as a people. It is worth more than money. We could not count money in such quantities as part of the leaders of this work. And the influence of the leadership here in Washington touches the remotest parts of the world. You would be surprised to know how quickly a spiritual uplift here rebounds to farthest China, remote Siberia, and to the farthest Indies. So I am in favor of our uniting in seeking the Lord, confessing our sins, and praying that the Holy Ghost may possess us as workers, and that this seeking of God may stimulate activity among us and bring to the forefront latent ability and power, that this work may grow into the loud cry, and speedily be finished.
The church in every age has had to rise to a great consecration before great things have been accomplished. You may look over any period which has marked a great revival, and you will find that the revival began by prayer and by the consecration of a few, and then it passed on to others, until a great work was wrought.
The mission of the church is to fulfill Scripture. Christ and Paul and others mentioned the fact that the Scripture had been written, and that they were fulfilling the specifications of Scripture. It takes resolution and faith and prayer for a church to undertake to deliver a message that God has given.
I believe the time has come when consecration and spiritual leadership and power ought to characterize all our effort, as a definite progressive program to finish the work. We ought to unite our efforts and hearts in every way possible, that there shall not be a shadow between brethren, nor one word that we have said against another that we do not confess. If we put sin out of our hearts, if we become channels for the Holy Spirit to flow through to other benighted souls, if we are possessed with apostolic zeal, we can do this great work that God has committed to us.
My heart responds to the words of our chairman, and I shall earnestly join every effort that I understand, to help to strengthen my own heart in spiritual things, and to do my very best to lift up the hands of my brethren who are struggling to promote the work both in the homeland and in foreign fields.
