Sunday 17 May 2009

1859 Revival Preacher – Brownlow North

Brownlow North was greatly used of God in the great 1859 Revival that swept Ulster.

His grandfather was the Bishop of Winchester, who was the son of Lord North, and once Prime Minister of England. Though of noble stock, Brownlow North was a godless young man.

"For forty-four years of my life," he tells us, "my object was to pass time pleasantly; so long as the day was spent agreeably I was satisfied."

In 1854, God laid him low with a severe illness - and then raised him to life eternal, and propelled him forward to successfully labour for Christ. He became one of the most popular preachers in Ulster in 1859.

'The Rich Man And Lazarus'

A book by him that travels under the title, 'The Rich Man and Lazarus,' is a collection of the sermons that he preached during that great awakening in 1859. (You could pick a copy up from the internet - a worthwhile read, especially in this 150th anniversary year of the Revival).

Six Short Rules For Young Christians

Brownlow North authored, 'Six Short Rules For Young Christians.'
In the light of our current Campaign, Rule#3 is particularly relevant:
  1. Never neglect daily private prayer; and when you pray, remember that God is present, and that He hears your prayers. (Hebrews 11:6).

  2. Never neglect daily private Bible reading; and when you read remember that God is speaking to you, and that you are to believe and act upon what He says. I believe all backsliding begins with the neglect of these two rules. (John 5:39).

  3. Never let a day pass without trying to do something for Jesus. Every night reflect on what Jesus has done for you, and then ask yourself, "What am I doing for Him"? (Matthew 5: 13-16)

  4. If you are in doubt as to a thing being right or wrong, go to your room and kneel down and ask God's blessing on it. (Colossians 3:17). If you cannot do this, it is wrong (Romans 16:23).

  5. Never take your Christianity from Christians, or argue that because such and such people do so and so, therefore, you may (2 Corinthians 10:12). You are to ask yourself, "How would Christ act in my place"? And strive to follow Him (John 10:27)

  6. Never believe what you feel, if it contradicts God's Word. Ask yourself, "Can what I feel be true if God's Word is true"? And if BOTH cannot be true, believe God and make your own heart the liar. (Romans 3:4; 1 John 5:10-11).
(Special thanks to our Treasurer for this Campaign - and church historian, Mr David Browne, for supplying me with the above info).

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