Ralph Erskine was born at Monilaws, Northumberland, in 1685, the son of a Scottish minister. He graduated from the University of Edinburgh at age 19. As a young man, he requested of the Lord, "Lord, put Thy fear in my heart. Let my thoughts be holy, and let me do for Thy glory all that I do. Bless me in my lawful work. Give me a good judgement and memory--a firm belief in Jesus Christ, and an assured token of Thy love." He entered the ministry in 1709, and his life of ministry reflected the Lord's faithful answer to his youthful prayer. He made clear the sinfulness of man and the absolute Righteousness of God revealed in Christ Jesus. As Paul said in Romans 1:16-17, this is "the Power of God to salvation for everyone who believes".
He said: "The gospel is preached in vain, if men do not take God at His Word, and then hang upon it. Because thus (by believing and hanging, depending upon it, Ed.) we glorify God; and the more we rest upon the Divine Word, the more we glorify Him. Because faith hath no other way of living, but upon the Word of God: "Man liveth not by bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4)
And God abundantly attended such preaching of the Righteousness of God! The following is taken from "Mountain Movers", a collection of short bigraphical sketches by George Ella(containing 34 period sketches. available at $35.99):
"Erskin's ministry was so blessed that revival broke out and the worshippers filled the church and churchyard. After the services, prayer and thanksgiving went on in small groups sometimes all night long. One seeker arose at two in the morning to pray in secret and found the the whole town on its knees so that the entire countryside hummed like a gigantic hive of bees as hundreds of penitent sinners poured out their petitions to God under the dome of heaven. The seeker writes marveling in the fact that he could hardly find a place to pray though it was raining steadily."
Oh for that kind of Gospel focus, those kind of "seekers" and that kind of Spirit born repentant prayer!
He said: "The gospel is preached in vain, if men do not take God at His Word, and then hang upon it. Because thus (by believing and hanging, depending upon it, Ed.) we glorify God; and the more we rest upon the Divine Word, the more we glorify Him. Because faith hath no other way of living, but upon the Word of God: "Man liveth not by bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4)
And God abundantly attended such preaching of the Righteousness of God! The following is taken from "Mountain Movers", a collection of short bigraphical sketches by George Ella(containing 34 period sketches. available at $35.99):
"Erskin's ministry was so blessed that revival broke out and the worshippers filled the church and churchyard. After the services, prayer and thanksgiving went on in small groups sometimes all night long. One seeker arose at two in the morning to pray in secret and found the the whole town on its knees so that the entire countryside hummed like a gigantic hive of bees as hundreds of penitent sinners poured out their petitions to God under the dome of heaven. The seeker writes marveling in the fact that he could hardly find a place to pray though it was raining steadily."
Oh for that kind of Gospel focus, those kind of "seekers" and that kind of Spirit born repentant prayer!