“Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?” Psalm 85:6

William Paton Mackay, 1839-1885

In his own words, here is the testimony of Scottish doctor William Paton Mackay, author of Revive Us Again.

My dear mother had been a godly, pious woman, quite often telling me of the Savior, and many times I had been a witness to her wrestling in prayer for my soul’s salvation. But nothing had made a deep impression on me. The older I grew the more wicked I became.

One day a seriously injured (laborer) was brought into the hospital. The case was hopeless. He seemed to realize his condition, for he was fully conscious, and asked me how long he would last. I gave him my opinion in as cautious a manner as I could. “Have you any relatives whom we could notify?” I continued. The patient shook his head. His only wish was to see his landlady, because he owed her a small sum, and also wished to bid her farewell. He also requested his landlady send him, “The Book.”

I went to see him on my regular visits at least once a day. What struck me most was the quiet, almost happy expression constantly on his face. After the man died, some things about the deceased’s affairs were to be attended to in my presence. “What shall we do with this?” asked the nurse, holding up a book in her hand. “What kind of book is it?” I asked. “The Bible of the poor man. As long as he was able to read it, he did so, and when he was unable to do so anymore, he kept it under his bed cover.”

I took the Bible and – could I trust my eyes? It was my own Bible! The Bible which my mother had given me when I left my parents’ home, and which later, when short of money, I sold for a small amount. My name was still in it, written in my mother’s hand.

With a deep sense of shame, I looked upon the precious Book. It had given comfort and refreshing to the unfortunate man in his last hours. It had been a guide to him into eternal life, so that he had been enabled to die in peace and happiness. And this Book, the last gift of my mother, I had actually sold for a ridiculous price. Be it sufficient to say that the regained possession of my Bible was the cause of my conversion.”

Taken from “Then SINGS My Soul” by Robert J. Morgan

Lyrics

This beloved song which has been sung by millions, praises God and concludes with a request for spiritual revival.

Stanza 1

“We praise Thee, O God, For the Son of Thy love, For Jesus who died, And is now gone above.”

Refrain:

Hallelujah, thine the glory!
Hallelujah, Amen!
Hallelujah, thine the glory!
Revive us again.

Stanza 2

“We praise Thee, O God, For Thy Spirit of light, Who has shown us our Savior, And scattered our night.”

Stanza 3

“All glory and praise To the Lamb that was slain, Who has borne all our sins And has cleansed every stain.”

Stanza 4

“All glory and praise To the God of all grace, Who has bought us, and sought us, And guided our ways.”

Stanza 5

“Revive us again, Fill each heart with Thy love; May each soul be rekindled With fire from above.”

Doctrine Found in Revive Us Again

Jesus is the only begotten Son of God whom He gave to save all people. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
Jesus died for our sins so that we might have redemption. Romans 5:8
He is now gone above to reign at God’s right hand and wait the time for His second coming. Acts 1:9-11.
The Spirit of light is the Holy Spirit whom the Father sent in Jesus’s name. John 14:26
The Spirit has shown us our Savior because He testified of Christ in the written word. John 15:26
The Spirit has also scattered our night because He revealed to the apostles all the light of God’s truth. John 16:13
Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. John 1:29
It was prophesied that He would come to bear our sins. Isaiah 53:4-5
Jesus has cleansed every stain because His blood was the purchase price of our redemption. 1 Peter 1:18-21
Our God is a God of all grace. 1 Peter 5:10
All of God’s spiritual blessings, the sending of His Son, the revelation of His word, and the offer of salvation–are the results of His wonderful grace. Romans 3:24-26, Ephesians 2:8-10
He continues to guide His people by the word of His grace. Acts 20:32
Some have objected to the idea of asking God to “revive us again,” because they think that necessarily implies that we have fallen away from God, are spiritually dead, and need to be brought back to life. However, the fact is that all of us have undoubtedly experienced periods of discouragement or other such problems from which we need to be revived or renewed in our service to God. Habakkuk 3:2
Every Christian needs to have the inward man revived or renewed every day. 2 Corinthians 4:16
The fire from above, which will accomplish this, is the word of God in our hearts. Jeremiah 20:9

CONCLUSION

The chorus repeats this combination of praising God and asking for revival.

“Hallelujah! Thine the glory! Hallelujah! Amen!
Hallelujah! Thine the glory! Revive us again!

As we sing songs like this, we certainly need to be expressing our worship and devotion to God with thankfulness for all His blessings, even as we ask Him to “Revive Us Again.”

Taken from “HymnStudiesBlog”.