the Fourth Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Mornings and Evenings with Jesus
It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them, that believe. - 1 Corinthians 1:21.
FAITH cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. The highest view we can take of preaching is, that it is a divine institution; and we are expressly assured of this by the apostle, who tells us that “when the Saviour ascended on high he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” It is a permanent appointment. The trumpet of the gospel is to be blown till we hear the last trumpet sound. And if it be an appointment of God, the only wise God, it must be a wise appointment. It displays much of the wisdom of God. Nothing in the communication of knowledge has ever yet been found like a living address from man to man. Nothing is capable of producing so much impression and effect. Hence all our modern institutions employ their orators and lecturers.
It is certain our blessed Lord left nothing behind him in manuscript; but he was a prophet, and he was a preacher; and. “never man spake like this man; the common people heard him gladly.” The poor were evangelized, and multitudes followed him wherever he went. If he preached on the mountain or on the sea-shore, there were they. “He came down like rain upon the mown grass, as showers that water the earth.” “His doctrine dropped as the rain, and his speech distilled as the dew.” It was by preaching that the nations were Christianized at first; and it was by this means that the work of the Reformation was so successful. By the preaching of Knox and others, Scotland was evangelized; and by the preaching of the everlasting gospel by Whitefield and others, the revival of religion in our country was so greatly promoted.
It is well ascertained, that the largest proportion of persons who have been awakened to a concern about their spiritual state has resulted not so much from reading the word as by the preaching of it.
Be ye filled with the Spirit. - Ephesians 5:18.
THIS is peculiarly the dispensation of the Spirit: and the influences of the Spirit are essential to the success of preaching, and all other means of grace. We are not now to look for supernatural gifts. These were necessary at first; but the pledge being once given it does not need to be repeated, otherwise it would cease to be miraculous. But the ordinary influences of the Holy Ghost are still needed, and are still granted. Ministers have still the “treasure in earthen vessels,” and are as dependent as ever upon God.
Means are not given to cut us off from God, but to lead us to him, and to induce us to cry, “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” The Spirit of God is still the “Spirit of grace and supplications;” “the fruit of the Spirit” is still “in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth;” the Spirit still fills the believer with all peace, and strength, and joy.
The Bible is full of this doctrine. Let us then beware of practically denying it, or of “limiting the Holy One of Israel;” and also beware of “grieving” the Holy Spirit: remembering that it is said the “sin against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven.” We do not know what that sin is. God has not designed we should know. And the reason is obvious. If a person who wishes to preserve his grounds from thieves and intruders affixes to some part thereof a notice that spring guns are placed thereon, he would not mention the precise spot on which they were placed, because then every other part might be approached without danger; and if we would avoid the sin against the Holy Ghost-be quickened by the Spirit-pray in the Spirit-walk in the Spirit- and bring forth the fruits of the Spirit-let us give heed to the Apostle’s injunction, “Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be ye filled with the Spirit:” and to the encouraging declaration of the Saviour, “If ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give his Holy Spirit unto them that ask him?”
