The following quote is taken from A History of the 1859 Ulster Revival, Volume 1.
“Almost at any hour, or in any place, in the church, or a barn, or in the open air, large meetings could be collected for prayer. A feeling of deep solemnity seemed to pervade the whole community. The engrossing cares of the world appeared for a time to have lost hold of men’s minds. Wherever acquaintances met, whether in the market-place, the shop, the highway, or the private dwelling, the subject of conversation was the revival of religion, and the salvation of the soul. Much of the reserve which usually characterizes the different classes of society toward each other was thrown off. The beggar in rags, or the labourer in his working clothes, might be seen at every public meeting seated beside the well-dressed lady or gentleman. Enter a house for the purpose of administering consolation to some one labouring under convictions, and you would be sure to find there persons from the different grades of society in the neighbourhood… Referring to the town of Ballymena, with which…I am best acquainted-little prayer-meetings were frequently held in the middle of the day, and at the busiest hour of it. More than once have I been attracted, in passing along the street, by the voice of prayer or praise, and on entering the house from which it proceeded-a house in which I had never been before-found a large apartment filled with earnest worshippers, almost all of whom were on their knees, and bathed in tears…In fact, under the melting power of redeeming grace, the whole town seemed to be fused into one common brotherhood in Christ Jesus.”
True revival is when God comes down and dwells with His people in power, glory, and love. The greatest hope that believers have is the hope of glory which is Christ in them (Colossians 1:27). When this Christ dwells in His people and they have the experiential knowledge and understanding of this life of Christ in the soul, the people of His love cannot keep apart from each other and they cannot keep from praying. To behold another believer who has the very life of Christ in him or her is to behold something of the beauty and glory of Christ Himself. These people who behold Christ in each other have the only true love in the universe in them and this love moves them to come together and seek the origin of this love for themselves and others. When God steps out of heaven and down on the earth His people are full of Him and desire more and more of His presence. There is a magnificent power to this kingly grace that dwells in souls and then conquers souls for the King Himself. All the usual things of daily life lose their luster and so don’t have the hold on people that they usually do. In days like this the very power of Christianity is seen and felt by unbelievers by the love that believers have for one another. The greatest evangelistic ministry in revival appears to be when believers are together and others are drawn to them. This should teach us to seek the Lord for revival because the true power and life of revival is the Lord. How hard our hearts must be if we will not seek Him for Himself, the true good of His people, and for the true good of others.
In the fifth lecture of THE REVIVAL OF RELIGION in 1840 Robert S. Candlish supplies the following quote:
“Where a great effect is to be produced, it is satisfactory to discern an adequate cause. Where a great work is to be done, it is most important to have a sufficient instrument. The revival of religion is a great effect, a great work. Is the word of God a sufficient instrument? To ascertain this, consider how that word deals with men who are the subjects of this work; how it grapples with the different parts of their mental and moral constitution-how its doctrine appeals to the reason, the conscience, the will, the heart.”
We live in a day where massive amounts of money and efforts are given to find ways to get people to great events or various things for evangelistic purposes. But if we reflect on this but for a moment, we will see a problem with this. What is sufficient to produce salvation and revival? It is only the whole counsel of God and prayer. Regardless of whether people adhere to inerrancy of what other belief they may or may not have regarding the Scripture, if they do not see it as sufficient in the conversion of souls they don’t have an adequate belief of Scripture. It is the word of God preached that God uses to bring souls into His kingdom. It is prayer that God uses to change hearts. In revival men had no use for anything but prayer and the word. That should instruct us what to do and what not to do now. The instruments God uses are the ones we should focus on.
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