Messengers Wanted.
vi. 8. Also, I heard the voice of the Lord, &c.
I. God wants messengers unto sinful men. Tidings concerning sin and salvation, mercy and deliverance, God’s grace and man’s misery, must be published. Might send seraphim and the angel host. God elects to send men to their fellow-men. “Whom shall I send?” is not the inquiry of a Divine perplexity, but the stimulative question of one who calls for willing workers. II. God especially qualifies His messengers. How does He in an especial manner fit men for His highest service? 1. By an awe-inspiring sight of Himself. 2. By distressing convictions of personal sin. 3. By sanctifying all the faculties to His use. III. God’s call should meet with a ready response. He desires volunteers, “Who will go for us?” The constraint of love is the omnipotent motive force. 1. The call is heard individually. “I heard the voice of the Lord.” 2. The call provokes self-surrender. “Here am I.” 3. The call demands entire self-abandonment. “Send me”—anywhere, on any errands, at any time, in any capacity. IV. How may we ascertain that we are required to become messengers of the living God? 1. By the separating voice of God. 2. By the discipline of preparation. 3. By the openings of beckoning opportunities. The “joy of the Lord” will be our strength when most we feel the pressure of “the burden of the Lord.”—Matthew Braithwaithe.