THE CHRISTIAN AFRIKANERS - The Works of F. N. Lee

come to church every night -- to listen to an exposition of the infallible Word of God. Then heasked all in the pews to lift up their hearts to God, and to pray as the Spirit moved.This practice speedily spread to most of the other pulpits in the land. It has become thecharacteristic and peculiar feature of the Calvinism of the South African Churches. I could wishwith all of my heart that this feature would be exported to every church in the whole world. For itsblessings are untold. No one then ever spoke in tongues in these South African Reformed Churches.But after the day of Pentecost was commemorated each year, there has been a deepening work ofthe Spirit of God in the hearts of almost all believers who had attended the services. Indeed, therehas also been much spin-off, even into the lives of the non-churchgoers of the land -- through theircontact with those who had attended these services.Andrew Murray also became a great power in education in South Africa. He got very muchinvolved in the christianisation of the school system (that was then being de-christianised underBritish control). Indeed, he promoted new life in it -- to the extent to which he was able.He also became very concerned about the social welfare services. He felt they were not being donechristianly enough in South Africa. So, in his preaching and in his practice, he got young people tobecome more involved in social welfare. Indeed, he established Huguenot College in his town ofWellington. It is still operative today, and offers courses to train not only Missionaries butespecially Social Workers -- to help the poor and the needy, and to rehabilitate people.This is one of the greatest factors why the Reformed Churches of South Africa today are involvedto such an extraordinary degree in medical work, in care of unwed mothers and orphans, and inoperating homes for retarded children and suchlike. This is regarded as a vital diaconal work of theChurch of Jesus Christ. For if this work is not being done -- and if all we are doing is telling peoplehow to be saved in a vacuum (but no concrete expression is being given to the ministry of mercy bythe Church as an institution in the world) -- then we are very little more than sounding brasses andtinkling cymbals. All of this, I trace back especially to the work of this godly man, AndrewMurray.He was also concerned about the inadequate extent to which the Reformed people were readingtheir Bibles. So he pioneered a system of daily readings to the Bible called "Uit die Beek" (alias"From the Brook"). This was printed up, and copies blanketed the land. People were encouraged toread their Bible and meditate every day. This also led to the creation and establishment of the SouthAfrican Bible and Prayer Association, which became a powerful instrument in the hand of the Lordto sustain this true Holy Ghost revival.Andrew Murray had many sons and descendants, nearly all of them being good Christians --something like the descendants of Jonathan Edwards in the United States. Many became Preachersor Ministers and Missionaries. Even my own Professor of Philosophy at the University of CapeTown (under whom I wrote my M.A.) -- Professor Andrew H. Murray -- is a descendant of Rev.Dr. Andrew Murray.Dr. Andrew Murray, in the English-speaking world, is best known for those of his writings thathave been translated into English -- nearly all of them of a devotional nature. Such include workssuch as Abide in Christ; Absolute Surrender; The Full Blessing of Pentecost; The Holiest of All;Holy in Christ; How to Raise Your Children for Christ; Humility; With Jesus in the School ofPrayer; The Inner Chamber; The Master's Indwelling; The Spirit of Christ; The Spiritual Life; andWaiting Upon God.Yet we need to know that he was also a great expositor of the Word of God. He wrote a tremendous