Darby on Evangelism
Extracts from letters written from New York, London etc from 1860
"I should also be exceedingly sorry to see that the
peculiar principles of brethren, and their just and never to be loosened
attachment to the assembling of the saints, led to the giving up of work among
souls. It was quite the contrary at the first. And if love is at work - if the
meetings are to be blest it must be so - what works in the world blesses the
meeting; only we must have the thought of the Holy Ghost really being in
both"
Excerpt from a letter written in 1860
"But I believe
that, in all times, blessing within is in the measure of the spirit of
evangelisation. The reason is very simple. It is the presence of God which
blesses, and God is love, and it is love which makes one seek souls. It is not
at all to despise or neglect the care of souls that are christian. Nothing is
more important in its place, but it seems to me that the two things go together
where the love of God is found.
Excerpt from a letter written from
London on January 23, 1862
"The gifts are clearly distinct, but I do
not see that one should enfeeble the other...
The evil is not earnest
devotedness to evangelising - it is itself the way of blessing to an assembly,
or rather Gods working in one by His presence builds up the other - it is
being absorbed by it. But this affects the evangelising itself; there is less
of Christ in it, more of mans importance, and when pursued in a revival
way, more of delusive work; it never gives a solid foundation to build upon. I
should be most loath to weaken evangelisation: I believe God is blessing it,
specially for gathering out in these last days, and it is healthful for an
assembly that their hearts are engaged in it. At the very beginning it
characterised brethren, and I trust still does, though it be more common now on
all hands. The love exercised in it binds also saints together...Finally, the
hand cannot say to the foot, I have no need of you. I do not reject the joy of
counting converts, but we must not lean upon it: "When ye shall have done all
these things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; we
have done that which was our duty to do." The bond of service to Christ is kept
up, and that is of great importance. It is not refering to the effect of our
work, but our work and heart to Him.
I am sure if we were near Christ
we should do both well, assuming of course that Christ has called us to it. Do
not be content to put one in place of the other, but see what Christ means by
it. Be with Christ about the saintswhen you have to say to them. Be with Christ
as to both, and then see what is the result."
Extacts from a letter
written from New York, November, 1874
"I should be greatly grieved if
brethren ceased to be an evangelising set of Christians. Indeed, they would
fade in their own spiritual standing, and get probably sectarian, not in theory
but in practice, because the enlarging principle of love would not be there.
Thank God, it is not as yet so...
At the beginning brethren were
engaged, and pretty much alone, in the roughest evangelising - fairs, markets,
races, regattas, and everywhere in the open air. Gatherings grew up, and the
care of them became needful, though evangelising went on, and was blessed, and
in a measure is in many places...At all times in a general way we have to do
it, as Paul says to Timothy."