IV. INFERENCES RESPECTING EVANGELISTS AND REVIVAL AGENCIES. THIS HIS treatise has recognized thus far, in religious revivals, the supernatural factor chiefly. The nature of the general discussion, and the interest at present manifested in the subject, forbid, however, that we should pass in silence the various revival instrumentalities and agencies which have been employed by the Christian Church. I. EVANGELists. An evangelist, or revivalist, as now defined, is one who is authorized to preach, though not always ordained, and who, without any particular clerical charge, goes from place to place for the specific purpose of promoting religious revivals. From the nature of the case the inference is readily deducible that such a class of Christian workers may be of special service to the church; and more than this it will be seen, by reference to the original text, that our Lord enjoins a double work in his apostolic commission, namely, that of evangelizing the people, * or making of them disciples, paintɛvσain, and that of instructing them after being made disciples, didasκοντες.† It will also appear, upon a moment's reflection, that these distinct services of bringing to Christ and of instructing in Christ require different talents. He who is eminently successful in the one field may be unqualified for and fail in the other. Some of the early Jewish prophets, for instance, were remarkable evangelists, others as remarkable teachers. John the Baptist, "a burning and shining light," "the voice of one crying in the wilderness," was an evangelist by nature, and was, no doubt, far better qualified for such wilderness work than for being in charge of a city pastorate. Thus also Whitefield was the more successful evangelist, Wesley the more serviceable teacher and organizer. Christmas Evans, Summerfield, and Dr. Nettleton were notable evangelists, but can be regarded as no more than average teachers. Since, therefore, Providence employs means, and the most appropriate. means, in the propagation of divine truth, it is not surprising that evangelists have appeared throughout the history of both the Jewish and Christian dispensations, and that they have been eminently successful in the field of μαθητεύσατη. The unordained evangelist was recognized by Matt. xxviii. 19. Matt. xxviii. 20. See also the distinction in Eph. iv. II. Eusebius (Ecc. Hist., lib. v. chap. 9) describes evangelists as a class of ministers who aided the apostles in their labors, not by taking charge of churches, but by acting as itinerant preachers wherever their assistance was needed. Moses almost upon the threshold of the theocracy.* Thus also our Lord did not hold that apostleship was essential in order to render successful service, nor did he condemn public ministrations though performed by those who were not of his company.† The names of evangelists appearing in the apostolic church readily suggest themselves, and illustrate from * "And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the Lord, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle. "And the Lord came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease. "But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the Spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp. "And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp. "And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. "And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them." (Num. xi. 24-29.) †"And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us; and we forbade him, because he followeth not us. "But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. “For he that is not against us is on our part." (Mark, ix. 38-40.) Compare also 1 Sam. xix. 20-24. what variety of classes they may be taken, and how generally they were employed. Philip, called "the evangelist;" Mark, the companion of Peter; Timothy, "the beloved son;" Titus, whose name became a watchword to the Cretans; Aquila, the tent-maker; Onesiphorus, the Ephesian; Artemas, a messenger of Paul; Epaphroditus, "the fellow-soldier" of Paul; Tychicus, "a faithful minister and fellow-servant in the Lord," and Zenas the lawyer, are among those who have honorable mention. * The New Testament evangelists, it is well to observe, received certain specific directions as to qualifying themselves for their work, and as to governing their conduct while rendering their peculiar services. They were enjoined to rebuke sin; to exhort with authority;† to deport themselves in such a manner as not to be despised; ‡ to aid the apostles; § to cultivate themselves in all matters relating to their work ; || and to reject, rather than call to their aid the help of avowed and persistent heretics. T II. APOLLOS. Of the distinguished evangelists coming into notice at the dawn of Christianity, we select Apollos as representative, briefly sketching his work, as illustrative of the pioneer service often rendered by this class of religious reformers. Apollos was a native of Alexandria; he was a man of singular eloquence, and of remarkable power in † Titus, ii. 15. § 2 Tim. iv. II. * I Tim. v. 20; 2 Tim. iv. 2. || 1 Tim. iv. 13. Titus, iii. 10, 11. the application of Scripture truth; "mighty in the Scriptures," is the compliment paid him in the Acts.* He was, no doubt, far more attractive to lovers of eloquence than the apostle Paul, and would gather an audience in a new field of labor as readily, probably, as any of the regularly appointed apostles. He was a convert of John the Baptist, and as such had been but imperfectly instructed in the doctrines of Christianity. His interpretations of Scripture were, doubtless, often incorrect, though "mighty," and his statements of doctrine must have been far from perfect. His mission, like that of Whitefield, or that of his master, John the Baptist, or that of Elijah the prophet, or like that of Abraham when leaving his home for the wilds of Palestine, seems to have been that of a pioneer. He was preparing the public mind for the reception of a systematic statement of the truths of Christianity; "preparing the way of the Lord," "straightening the crooked paths," "laying the axe at the root of the tree," or, rather, laying bare the root to receive the blow of the axe, were tasks for which he appears admirably qualified. It was for such a purpose that he had come from beyond Jordan to Ephesus, a city which at that time was the largest and most important one belonging to Asia Minor; it was, in a word, the metropolis of the province of Asia. Being constantly visited by ships from all parts of the Mediterranean, and united by public thoroughfares to the marts and markets of the interior, it became the common meeting-place of the various characters * Acts, xviii. 24. |