Part 30

We find that there are many preachers in our time to whom the Lord puts the question, “Lovest thou me more than these?” Not, however these _fisheries_, but these _lands_, cattle, horses, mules, bank stocks, railroad stocks, houses, barns, mills, shops, stores, offices, politics, wives, children, fathers or mothers. He is very exacting and speaks very decidedly. “If you love these more than me, _you can not be my disciples_.” This is most fearful language. What is the test? The test is simply this, if we love the Lord more than these, we will follow him and do his work. If we love the Lord less than these, we will forsake the Lord’s work and follow these. This is a matter that preaching brethren ought to put to their consciences. Can men who have the ability to preach Christ, who have tried it and know they can succeed, and whom the Lord has blessed in their efforts, turn from this great work to the pursuits of the world, at will, with impunity? We do not believe they can. It is a fearful thing for them to do so. We know men of great ability—men who can shake up society from its center to its circumference, if they will try, whose talents are measurably buried, or what is the same thing, devoted to the world. These will certainly give a most strict account.

MAN’S ACCOUNTABILITY.

Every sane man _can_ and _does believe_ and _decide_ that _he will do this_, and that _he will not do that_, every day of his life. Hence our Lord, when he wept over Jerusalem, cried, “O Jerusalem! Jerusalem! how oft would I have gathered your children as a hen gathers her brood, but _ye would not_.” In this view of the subject, the man of God could say, “_Choose_ ye this day whom ye will serve.” In the same spirit, the Lord says, “If any man _will_ come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me.” To the same amount, the apostle Paul says, “To whomsoever _you yield yourselves_ servants to obey, his servants ye are.” In the same Spirit, the New Testament closes, saying, “Whoever _will_, let him come.” This justifies the Lord in saying, “He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” This all being so, the Lord, in referring to the last judgment, refers to the wickedness of man, as the ground of their condemnation. He says, _they who have done evil_, shall come forth to the resurrection of damnation. They who _do his commandments_, shall enter by the gates into the city, and have a right to the tree of life. The Lord says, “Because I have called and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded; but ye have set at naught all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity, and mock when your fear cometh; when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me; for that they hated knowledge, and did not _choose_ the fear of the Lord. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.” Prov. i. 24-33. This, my friends, is the wisdom of God. It will stand when all human reasoning will go for nothing.

THE NEW AND THE OLD.

We do not desire to prevent discussion and investigation, or to deprive brethren of great inventive genius from exercising their extraordinary powers, nor to deprive men of the pleasure of making discoveries; but we are not favorable to allowing every man the privilege of taking out a patent right for everything that may be new _to him_; because it may not only be old with others, but _useless_, or even an old and oft exploded error. What we need now is, not so much men to make discoveries and invent something _new_, as men to push the _old_, the well-tried, and that which is known to be valuable. We do not desire, on the one hand, to be everlastingly hearing some new thing, nor, on the other hand, prohibited from hearing any thing new. We do not desire to be ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth, nor to be never learning; but to have our eyes open to anything profitable, that may be advanced, and continue in the faithful practice of what we know. But the main work is to push the truth through the world which we already have. Nothing is more sickening and disgusting, than for some mere boys, who have hardly read a half-dozen volumes, to start out under a pretence of discovering _new_ truth, “going on to perfection,” explaining the inner and outer man, the inner light, inner consciousness, conscience, the will, new modes of revelation, the manner of the Spirit’s work, etc., etc. We have had a perfect surfeit of all this kind of thing.

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We do not need proud and vain young men to invent something new and glorify themselves, but humble and devoted young men, who will be content to “preach the word,” “contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints,” and persevere in pushing the gospel through the world. We have no faith in these young _sap heads_ who are trying to render themselves famous by pointing out to the world the errors of Alexander Campbell. It is true that it is not absolutely impossible that even a very young man should discover some important new truth, or an old one, that had, for a time, been neglected and covered up, but it is not at all probable; and certain it is, that it is not the province of young men to spend a large share of their time in trying to present something new. We claim not to have comprehended all truth, so as to render it impossible for any thing more to be discovered; but the main work is to impress the truth we have upon the rising generation, and bring as many as possible under its influence. We want humble, working, and pious men, to spread the principles of the gospel through the world.

“MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD.”

No people can or ought to prosper that will not respect the wisdom of God as set forth in both the teaching and example of our Lord and his apostles. We can not make ourselves, as a great, rapidly increasing and prospering body, an exception to this rule. If we desire and intend to prosper in the great and good work of uniting saints, building up the church and saving men, we must confine ourselves strictly to the gospel—to the things of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ—determined to know nothing but Christ and him crucified—to glory in nothing but the cross of Christ. Our mission, as a religious body, as a christian ministry, and as christian writers, is not of this world. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God, to the pulling down of strong holds. “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against wicked spirits in the heavenly regions.” Our King commanded one of his men, when he drew a sword, and commencing battle with it, struck off the ear of the servant Malchus, to _put up the sword_, adding that they who take the sword _shall perish by the sword_. The apostle Paul fits out the christian soldier and equips him for his work. The following are the habiliments for the warfare: The loins are to be girt about with _truth_, the breast-plate of _righteousness_ is to be put on, the feet are to be shod with a _preparation of the gospel_. The shield of _faith_ is to be taken, the helmet of _salvation_ and the sword of the _Spirit_, which is the _word of God_. Here is the christian armor—our preparation for war. There is nothing carnal about it—no preparation to war against flesh and blood. We must hold fast to this armor—the heavenly armor—and use it with skill, resorting to no other, and we shall see the tall sons of men in thousands fall before us and join the army.

POLICY IN PREACHING.

Public men must be prudent, judicious and noble in their bearing, presenting the truth in the love of it. Men must not miscalculate their influence, their power, and time for presenting things. Preachers must know _when_ and _where_ things are to be said and done. Many men drive their audiences away, by their repulsive course, and think it the opposition of the people to the truth, that drives them away. We speak plainly on all the great issues between ourselves and the parties around us, in the pulpit, and yet seldom give offense, and never fail to have a good hearing from the parties around us, and seldom fail to gain some of them to the truth. And, what is better, when they are gained, _they are gained indeed_—not by persuading them that there is but little difference between us, but by making them both _see and feel_ the difference, _and convincing them of the truth_. Any thing short of this is of no account.

Some men are for using a little Jesuitism. They would preach on common ground matters till they draw their hearers on and gain their attention. But we have nothing to do with any such policy. There is a vast amount of the most important and plain truth in the gospel, that the parties around us know comparatively nothing about, and consequently have no objection to it. They will hear it and be pleased with it. The main matter is to develop fully and largely, in the simplest style possible, with heart and solicitude for the happiness and salvation of the people, the whole scheme of redemption from the beginning, as if the people knew nothing at all about it. This must be done with power, and not in a prosing, indifferent and unfeeling manner. It will find way to honest hearts, in almost any community in this country.

THE CAUSE OF CHRIST IS ABOVE PARTISAN POLITICS.

We have done a noble work, and that work is not to be foiled, defeated and destroyed by men who know not our Master and love not his cause. We have been raised up by the Lord to be a mighty community. God has a mission for us, a great mission, and we are not to be defeated in it. That mission must be done. The Lord has put into our hands facilities for doing this great work, and he requires it at our hands. That work is simply to restore his own pure religion to the people of this generation, and build up the church as it was at the beginning. We have ascertained that the Lord laid but one foundation, reared but one building upon it, had but one temple, one body, one family, but one church. This one body had but one head, but one leader, and we are to keep our eye on him, follow him, love him and serve him for ever. We can not turn aside to the strifes of the world, from our legitimate work. We have preached union among the children of God, struggled for it and prayed for it long and ardently, and we now appreciate its value more than ever, since we feel its power and influence in time of trouble. An influence that can bind us _in one body_, in _one fellowship_, in the midst of such commotions and excitements, is not of this world. It is not an earthly influence, but above the earth. It is from God. We know each other as the children of God, the disciples of Christ, as christians, and not as political partisans. We know not a man because he belongs to this political party, or that; not because he lives on the one side of a geographical line, or the other; not because he holds to this political creed or that; but we know him because he is a child of God, an heir of the same inheritance, and redeemed by the same blood of the Covenant. The bond that binds us together is not an earthly bond, and it is not limited by time. It is the _love_ of God. It is not limited to this world, but shall last co-existent with the years of God. It shall live and be fresh and vigorous when all worldly schemes and policies and their advocates, shall be forgotten. Those who enjoy it shall also live beyond all the turmoil of political strife, beyond all the struggles and trials that beset our faith in this life. May we not live in vain, but do good in our day and generation. Mercy and peace upon the Israel of God.

“COME OUT OF BABYLON.”

The Lord calls to his people wherever they may be scattered in Babylon, saying, “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues.” We live emphatically in the time for extending this cry, and we must extend it. The warning to those in danger, is a most righteous and benevolent warning, and those who hear it shall praise God forever, that it has reached their hearts, and induced them to abandon the devoted city. There is no escape for one soul, only by fleeing to the Lord, and that can only be done by abandoning all human laws, and adhering to the law of the Lord. “See that ye refuse not him that speaketh; for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven; whose voice then shook the earth; but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things that can not be shaken, may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which can not be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear.” Thanks to Heaven, there is a kingdom that can not be moved. “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but, _he that doeth the will_ of my Father who is in heaven.” “He,” says the Lord, “who hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man.” “He who hears these sayings of mine, and does them not, I will liken him to a foolish man.” Our work is to try and call the attention of all nations to the sayings of our Lord, and induce them to hear him. They must hear him, or be lost for ever.

Come out of Babylon, O you saints of the Lord, wherever you are, and commit yourselves to the hands of the Lord. “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues.” Hear the holy John describe her destruction: “A mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city, Babylon, be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.” “After these things, I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia: Salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord, our God; for true and righteous are his judgments; for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again, they said, Alleluia, and her smoke rose up forever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped him that sat upon the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia! And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia; for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and his wife hath made herself ready.”

Wonderful things are before us, and let us be in readiness for their approach. When Paul was leaving the disciples, expecting to meet them no more in the flesh, he said, “I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified.” This same word, another Apostle says, is able to save your souls, and the Lord says, “The words which I speak to you shall judge you in the last day.” His word lives and abides forever and ever. If we were making our dying request, and that to the dearest friends we have on earth, we would request them to abandon all human authorities and hold on to the word of the Lord for ever.

PREACH “FIRST PRINCIPLES.”

There is no telling the evils that have arisen in some old congregations, from preachers assuming that their audiences knew all about what are usually called first principles, and not preaching them. In this way, they never get their audiences to understand the principles of the gospel at all. They preach to their half-sleeping audiences, not _hearers_, some little, exhortatory sermon, of twenty-five or thirty minutes, and not a syllable is recollected two days. The people are thankful that the sermon was short, and the preacher thankful that “service” is over. In this way the gospel has literally been shut out of some churches, and year after year passes without any thing like a clear development of the gospel, and neither the church nor the regular hearers understand the gospel, or know the difference between the gospel and something else. This also gives rise to textuary preaching and preaching a sermon “to develop a single thought.” We heard of one preacher who delivered a sermon on the text, “And there shall be no night there.” The wording was soft as a summer breeze and as harmless as a butterfly. Now, we must say that we abominate this as mere trash. We want good, sound, solid and manly preaching, containing principles and practical instruction, that will make an audience _think_ and _feel_, and _that to some purpose_. Let us advocate the cause, maintain and defend it, with zeal, earnestness and power. Unfold the great principles of the faith, spread them out and let the world see them, and see at the same time that we intend they shall prevail. The principles are self-evidently right, and there is no reason why any man should be ashamed of them, or afraid to advocate them. They can be carried through the world, and we have the men and ability, and, the Lord helping us, we shall spread them throughout the land.

DEVELOPING THE TALENTS OF THE YOUNG.

We must make an effort to bring out our young people. If they are brought into the church, and not employed any way, not induced to do anything, nor in any way made useful, one half of them will be led off into the world again. A bishop who understands this matter, will engage not simply the attention of the young, but their ability, whatever it may be, and bring it out. We fell in company with a bishop of this kind a few evenings since, on the cars, who informed us, if our memory is not at fault, that out of about forty male members in his congregation, in Illinois, all but some three took some part in the public worship, by way of reading, prayer, or exhortation. We have recently heard of several churches of this sort. These can worship without a preacher, can “draw out an audience,” and will, in a short time, send out preachers. Bishops who thus bring forward their young men, are bishops indeed. They do not imagine that their work is to sing, pray, preach, break the loaf, rule, and do every thing, and that the duty of the audience is simply to obey them. It is the work of a Christian bishop to develop and bring out the talent in the congregation, and apply it to the work of the Lord. Here is where our preachers are to come from. The church must furnish the preachers of Christ. No other institution will ever do it. We need not look to our colleges to make preachers. They will never do it. We need the colleges as much as any of our brethren have ever thought; but not to make preachers, but _to educate our young men who want to preach or do anything else_.

WHAT A PREACHER MUST BE.

He must be earnest. Men who preach the gospel of Christ must be earnest. They must not trifle with the gospel and the souls of men. The theme is too vast, the responsibility too great and the issues too momentous to be treated in a careless, indifferent and prosing manner. The idea of a man speaking of questions of life and death, eternal happiness and eternal misery, the glories to be revealed at the appearing and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the terrible destruction that shall be the destiny to all who obey not the gospel, in a cold, dull and unfeeling manner, is preposterous. These are the most awful, momentous and sublime themes that ever dwelt upon the lips of men; and let him who speaks of them, remember that he is pleading in a case of life and death. Let him speak with earnestness, spirit and power.

He must be a man of perseverance. A man who can not preach a week without any success, and not become discouraged, had better go home. He is not the man. It is nothing strange to preach a dozen or fifteen discourses without success. Let him preach again. If he still has no success, let him humble himself before the Lord, in most fervent prayer, and make another effort. If he shall still fail in one place, go to another, and try again. Remember Noah, who preached one hundred and twenty years, without an addition, and preach on and pray on. Trust in the Lord, and work on.

He must be a man that can not be discouraged. He must be determined that he will listen to no discouraging tales. When met by some faint-hearted, sickly, and half-believing brother, who doles out his story about the troubles among the brethren, the opposition to be encountered, and how “hard a place it is,” where he is operating, he must pay no attention to it, but rise above it, and bear it in mind that there are good and honest-hearted souls in every community, who will receive and obey the gospel, if it is faithfully presented. Keep these in your mind, preaching brother, and try to save them, and you will succeed in a vast majority of cases. Inspire your audience with courage and confidence, especially the brethren. Allow no whining, complaining, and saying, “We can’t do anything,” and believe nothing of the kind. You _can do something_, and you must tell the people so, and _keep on_ till you do it. You must not work in doubt, but in strong confidence that you have the truth—that you are advocating the cause of righteousness—that God is in it, will be with you, never leave you nor forsake you—that you can, by the help of the Lord, make the cause prosper, and will do it.

THEORY AND PRACTICE.

It is one thing for a man to _say_ he is for the Bible, the whole Bible and nothing but the Bible, and it is quite another thing to _learn_ and _practice_ some of the first and clearest lessons of the Bible. The only authority there is in the Bible for preaching the gospel at all, requires that it be preached in all the world—to every creature. Yet, strange to say, the first thing many seem to think of, and the only thing, is the mere vicinity where they reside. They are frequently few, weak and uninfluential; can get no preacher to their vicinity; or if they do get one once in a great while, they entertain him with an account of their weakness and inability to pay, make him sacrifice more to preach for them than they all sacrifice to support him. In other words, if they ought to give him thirty dollars, by a hard stretch they raise fifteen dollars, and send him off fifteen dollars minus what he ought to have had. After thus disheartening him, breaking him down and starving him, or especially his wife and children, they comment upon the old adage, “charity begins at home.”