The Work of T. B. Barratt

T. B. Barratt

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781351629966
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Religion

This title, first published in 1985, contains two of Thomas Ball Barratt's influential works; In the Days of the Latter Rain and When the Fire Fell and an Outline of My Life. T. B. Barratt was a British-born Norwegian pastor and one of the founding figures of the Pentecostal movement in Europe. He attracted international attention after he held revival meetings in Oslo from 1907, and influenced other European leaders of the Pentecostal movement of the divine origin of the movement. This title will be of interest to students of nineteenth-century religious and social history.

IN THE DAYS
OF THE
LATTER RAIN

BY
THOMAS BALL BARRATT

Revised Edition

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I.

A Call TO Pentecost

CHAPTER II.

A Friendly Talk With Ministers AND Christian Workers

CHAPTER III.

Tongues OF Fire

CHAPTER IV.

More About THE Pentecostal Outpouring

CHAPTER V.

Pentecost With Tongues From Heaven Not From Below

CHAPTER VI.

The Pentecostal Visions OF To-Day

CHAPTER VII.

The Gift OF Prophecy

CHAPTER VIII.

The Truth About THE Pentecostal Revival, or Movement

CHAPTER IX.

The Baptism IN THE Holy Ghost FOR Children

CHAPTER X.

To Seekers After “The Promise OF THE Father”

CHAPTER XI.

A Spiritual Union OF Fire-Baptised Saints

CHAPTER I.
A Call to Pentecost

“THE PROMISE IS UNTO YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN” (Acts ii. 39).

THERE are, in our day, so many claims made on the members of the different churches and Missions, calling for support and active work, that some of the most vital interests are often thrust aside, or only occasionally touched upon.

I refer especially this time to the little thought given to the necessity of being endued with

“Power from on high.”

There are church members who, when merely reading that statement, are apt to say: “Nonsense! what do I care about such high-toned phrases? That may do for ministers, but it is completely outside my sphere!”

And still, without this power, all the other interests of the church drag on, drag on—and become a drudgery instead of a delight.

Those Christians who have not quite closed their ears to the voice of the Holy Spirit, as He points to the dead state of numerous church members, are getting alarmed, and are beginning to see that the

Supreme Need

of the Church to-day is not any got-up man-made revival —but a mighty outpouring of Pentecostal power. It finds expression in many ways. Prayer-circles are being formed, and prayers are constantly being offered up in churches and elsewhere for a general Pentecostal Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Leaders of the various churches and denominations are complaining of the spiritual dearth prevalent in so many communities, clogging the wheels of the church and preventing the onward march of the great kingdom of Christ.

It was said of John the Baptist that “he was a burning and a shining light.” Both are necessary, not only to shine, but also to burn. There is much would-be Christianity in our day, but it has only an outward brightness, there is no fire within. I was surprised one day to see the bright light in the windows of a house on one side of the hills close by Oslo. It seemed as if the house was on fire, but it was only the reflection of the sun. Some Christians reflect the glory of Christ, others have it within, they both burn and shine. They have Christ and His Holy Spirit within them.

God be praised, the cry is constantly growing more intense : “Oh, that the fire of heaven might fall with all its refining and strengthening power on all Christians.”

It is very easy to see that the churches are not reaching the masses as they ought to. Crowds surge by their doors without ever a thought of entering.

Then, in order to reach them, all kinds of devices are resorted to, with the cry : “Let us reach the people by all means !” And many a time the Church has adopted methods that cannot possibly be blessed by the Holy Spirit, to save the world. What is the good of getting a crowd into the church for a “special occasion” unless there is Pentecostal power in the pulpit and in the pew? Do you think the “secrets of the unbeliever’s heart will be made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth?” (I. Cor. xiv. 25).

There are even revival meetings held that seem to leave a very weak impression on the community. A very influential and wealthy layman in America said to me in answer to my question: “Don’t you have revival meetings in your church?” “Yes, but they do not revive! They are more a financial operation than anything, for clearing church expenses.” Now just fancy that—a revival that can only pull the people up to the level of giving a little more than usual to the cause of Christ! On what level do that class of people generally stand during the rest of the year? I will tell you. They attend church just when it pleases them, just to keep up the appearance of being members, or not to offend the Pastor, or because they have some general interest in religious work. They have associations there, and like to appear in stylish or attractive dresses, of course “in proper keeping with the surroundings.” They give their pastor a good salary (perhaps?), and are interested in his high-flowing rhetoric and proud of his popularity (and I would not disparage this for a moment, but he himself will one day find out that souls have to be won by another power than that, and give up his seeking for reputation and honour! Then what oratory he may be master of will have another effect on his hearers); they are interested in philanthropic work, or may merely come and go as members without burdening theirs hearts with any of the claims of church members save living a moral life, attending services and the ordinary routine of church life. They, many of them, have no evil conscience because of supporting theatres by their presence there, or leading the minds and hearts of their children away from vital religion and personal communion with God by card-playing and dancing. They will merely laugh you to scorn if you, “in this intelligent age,” should mention it in so many words.

Can you expect a revival, a genuine, heart-searching, lasting revival of grace, where such a state of things exists, in any general way? Should a real

Holy Ghost Revival

strike such a church by some kind of a miracle, it would either sweep away all the vain idols of these would-be members and humble them in the dust before the Lord, revealing to them their lukewarmness and worldliness (I. John ii. 15-17), and bring them out on the resurrection side of the Cross of Christ—washed and cleansed in His atoning blood, or it would make them ask for their certificates of church-membership, and seek another church as dead as themselves. “Birds of a feather flock together.”

The real facts, when known, are these, that a number of church members have

Never been Saved !

They have been received into membership merely on a general confession of their acceptance of Christ and Christian principles, and the doctrines of the church. But they have never experienced a change of heart, and therefore know nothing by practical, personal experience of being justified through the merits of Christ by faith, and regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit (Rom. v. 1; John iii. 8). Much less do they know anything by experience of the blessings of sanctification and the baptism of the Holy Ghost. There are, nevertheless, some of them, having heard about this blessing—the full Pentecost—seeking it, but vainly, because they have not yet entered in by the door to the kingdom of Christ. We have really met cases where people are seeking this Pentecostal power who have not yet been saved. How so? Simply because they have claimed that church membership is sufficient to make them Christians. What stupendous blindness! How often have I, on asking people if they were Christians, been met with the answer: “Oh, yes, I belong to the _____ church” or, “Yes, sir, I go to hear Dr. _____” And they seem stupefied if you reveal to them that the Church cannot save, or that church-membership is not enough. “Protestants ! do Protestants live in such blindness?” Yes, by the thousand, I am sorry to say.

Do not suppose that I disparage church-membership. It is a matter of your own conscience to which church you will belong. But, for God’s and your own sake, see well to it that you do not put your salvation in that.

How can we expect any other state of things in the churches, when they are so full of nominal Christians?

The work must, naturally, be hindered from progressing. The pastor weeps and prays, and plans and studies the best methods of work (the sincere pastor does), and many of the sincere members do so too, but something is in the way. What is it? Ah, friend, there is “death in the pot.” Not one, but many Achans, even on the Official Boards. They have touched the forbidden and condemned thing. They have hid it in their hearts.

Now, you may be perfectly assured that if this is tolerated your church will not prosper. It may keep up an outward appearance for a time, so long as you have an attractive, unsanctified orator in the pulpit, but the deep work, that lasts for eternity, and for which the B church is supposed to stand, will not be done. You have lost your first love! (Rev. iii. 17). But,

A Revival is coming !

Praised be God ! There are many praying and waiting souls, both among the ministers and the laity. They have already heard the sound of many waters. The revival is coming, it is coming! Hallelujah ! But when it does come, many of those who prayed for it will be surprised, Ah, it HAS ALREADY COMMENCED and the surprise is seen, the consternation, yea even the doubt and opposition of many, because it came in a way they did not expect or care for.

To be candid, dear reader, I do not believe that anything now, short of the same Pentecostal power that fell on the disciples at Jerusalem will suffice; but when that once falls on the Church as a whole, we will witness the same demonstrations as recorded in the Acts, and the same, yea, even greater results, because the Church is more extensive now than then.

You may be prepared for any marvellous exhibition of the “power from on high” in these days. So do not be surprised. If you want to be in the fray when the blessing comes, if you want to see the glory of the Lord as He demonstrates His mighty power to save sinners and sanctify and empower His people with His Divine strength, then you must fall into line with His claims.

Oh, let us take this matter seriously ! There is no time for man-made schemes and proud and haughty attempts to do the work that

God alone can do.

When will you get to see that our plans, ideas, theories and schemes, that we are asking God to bless, are only a hindrance to His cause—so much rubbish that fills the track where the Gospel train is to roll by. The sooner we get it out of the way the better. We have to get there where we ask God, “What are your plans, your interests? What kind of work is it you have in store for me?” (Eph. ii. 10). Anything else must be doomed to destruction, but if we go where God wants us to go and do His will, endued with Pentecostal power—spiritual dynamite—we will be surprised to see the wonderful success God gives us.

But ere it comes to this, something

will have to die (John xii. 24),

and that something may be you. You must die to self, the world, and all your un-Christlike motives and pride, and make a complete surrender of yourself to God.

And ere this revival can enter the Church of Christ GENERALLY, and in its FULL POWER, the Church must have its bochim (vale of weeping, Judges ii. 1-5). Its pride and formalism, its self-seeking spirit, its bigotry and worldliness, must be blotted out through the blood of Christ, before it gets the power. The Church has

sinned

and polluted its ways by touching the unclean thing. The Holy Spirit has been grieved and all the leaders of the churches, in all the denominations, ought to cry out to the people of God, as they confess their own sine, and call them to repentance. The constant covering over of sins and weakness, making excuses for impurity and lukewarmness will never satisfy the Holy Spirit. The time is come for the Church to shake off its fetters, and break away from the yoke of formalism; and its arro-gancy and half-hearted fight in the interests of Christ must be publicly confessed ...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• In The Days of The Latter Rain
• When the fire fell and an outline of my life