WAIT HERE FOR THIRD-CLASS.
Passengers on the London “Underground” have often seen the sign-boards, telling the travellers where to wait for the class they mean to travel in. And there is sure to be a large group near one—the notice for third-class passengers. It is so in the road to heaven. Forgetting that the Master has paid first-class fare for us, too many ride third, meaning, when they get to the station where tickets are collected, to change into the first, for all want to die happy. Live holy. Be first-class Christians, and then God will see to it that you die so as to bring honour to Him.
X. SPIRITUAL FARMING.—No. 3.
CULTIVATION.
We have already called the attention of our readers to the subject of ploughing, but we feel we have not pressed upon them with the force it deserves, the necessity of what the Bible calls “breaking up the fallow ground.” What the plough and spade do for the land we must have done for the minds of those who sit in Methodist pews. Unsaved men and women must be compelled to look the truth in the face. Farmers know that so long as the land is hard and cloddy, the seed has no chance to get the nourishment by which it lives; besides by turning it over, the plough exposes that which has been hidden to the light of day, and it is by turning it up that it gets the benefit of the atmosphere. The nitrogen contained in the air is filled with that which the growing seed requires to find in the land, if it is to do well for the worker. Have we not thirty-fold crops where we ought to have hundredfold, for want of better ploughs? The heathen who spoke of preaching as “turning the world upside down” hit on the truth; and those of us who fail to turn up the soil are not likely to reap all we might do. The other day we heard an intelligent man tell the story of his conversion. He was awakened under the preaching of Mr. Robinson Watson. He said, “I never used to listen to sermons, I sat in the corner of the pew and thought of business, or
any machine I was planning, and did not hear a word, but Mr. Robinson compelled me to think and act.”
Does not this man represent many? Are these people to be allowed to come and go, without, in some way or other, being compelled to listen? Let every one of us, from the top to the bottom of the Plan, say, God helping me, I will break up the ground. Indifference shall become difficult. Some of us can remember listening to men whom we feared when they opened the hymn book, for if they began the service with one of the hymns in “Exhorting sinners to return to God,” we knew there would be difficulty in getting to sleep, either in the pew then, or in bed, hours afterwards. Perhaps the greatest want of the church to-day is men who can, by handling the Bible like a gardener does his spade, cause it to be said “The sinners in Zion are afraid, tearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites.”
BETTER FEED A
FAT PIG
THAN A PUBLICAN.
XI. SPIRITUAL FARMING—No. 4.
SOWING.
Those of us who live in the country are reminded, as we see the springing corn, that some one has been at work—the blade comes from the buried seed. Honest work has been done before there can be seen the appearance of good.
Let those of us who work for the great harvest, be
mindful of what we sow.
Let us have nothing in the seed-basket that cannot be termed what Jesus called “The word of the kingdom.” There will be no difficulty in obtaining that. Farmers don’t stint the sower, and God will not withhold seed from His labourers. Let the youthful preacher be encouraged, for just as you have seen the sower fill his basket from the sack, so there is, in the Bible, enough for each, enough for all, enough for evermore.
Sow Bible ideas:—
“Put the Bible into them, my brother,” said an earnest Scotch divine to us many years ago, and there is nothing grows as well, or yields as much, as the Bible, used as seed. People may tell you that they want something else, something more attractive and pleasing. Yes, but they won’t say so in the time of harvest. You may plant your field with flower-seeds, sow tulips, marigolds, mignonette, &c., those will look very well in June and July, but how about September? The very people that asked for them in spring will curse you for them in autumn.
His love of righteousness, His hatred of evil; His love of man, but His dislike to sin; His delight in benevolence, but His determined hostility to wrong-doing. We need to show not only God’s pity for sinners, but His inflexible justice, which did not spare His well-beloved Son, when He bore our sins.
Bible ideas about Conduct:—
Never mind being called legal, if you can back your preaching by the Bible. Put the truth into the people about honesty, industry, and self-denial. Let others spend their time in talking of the angels with bright wings of gold; let us teach men how God means them to live in this world. Those of us who wish to learn how to sow, should study Jesus and Paul. They are examples of what sowers should be.
Bible ideas about Repentance:—
“These things teach and exhort.” One secret of the want of lasting success, is that we do not preach repentance. Men need to have right ideas on this subject. Those who have not repented cannot believe unto righteousness; they can believe unto feeling, but not to right doing! It is not a question so much of tears, as of turning away from sin. The greatest of penitents said, “I turned my feet unto thy testimonies.”
Bible ideas about Jesus:—
That He died for us according to the scriptures. When the Master wished to take away the sadness from His disciples, as they walked to Emmaus, “He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself.” This is what we must do. Put the truth, as it is in Jesus, into the hearts of the people. Let us show from the word of God, that “By
His stripes we are healed.” Nothing gives abiding peace like the thought, Christ has died for my sins. This will lead to loving Jesus, with the kind of affection which will not be tempted to grieve Him by doing that which is evil. Let us see to it that we get the seed in.
It is not enough to get it on the land, we must put it in.
No preacher has done his work thoroughly who does not use the harrow. There are some so-called teachers, who don’t know what the gospel harrow is. This is why the catechism is not taught. The ancient plan of catechising in the church ought to be more general than it is. Why should we not hide the word of God in the hearts of our hearers, by causing them to think over what we have said? We may not be able to get them formally to answer questions, but we may make them think. Some preaching is like raking with the teeth upwards. It may be easier and more speedy, but it is not so likely to hide the seed. It is a good practice for those who have been listened to by others, to talk to themselves after the sermon or lesson is over, and to say, Soul, what hast thou done to-day? How many Bible truths hast thou put into the hearts of the people?
Didst thou put them in?
If thou didst, never fear but thou shalt see harvest some day. His word does not return void. This is not true of thy word, or of anyone else’s, but “the word of the Lord abideth for ever!”
XII. “AND WE WILL—”
The prophet Micah was struck with the energy and devotion of the heathen to their gods. He saw the grip these idols had of their votaries, how no expense was spared, no sacrifice withheld, for the sake of a filthy lie embodied in a stone or golden image. While he listened to the songs of the heathen, his heart warmed as he thought of the greatness of Jehovah, and so he cried out—“All people will walk every one in the name of his God, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.”—Micah iv. 5.
Why should we not serve Jehovah with the same intensity that the heathen shew in their worship? Why should not holiness to the Lord be as enthusiastic and powerful in the lives of Christians as sin formerly was? Why should not men be as much moved by the indwelling Spirit, as they were when full of drink? For instance, you may see, when a man is half drunk, how his pocket is opened; he will stand treat all round; every one in the room may have whatever he likes to order, “Give it a name!” says the drink-inspired heart. Now, we ask, why should not those who are under the power of the Holy Ghost go to some poor widows and “stand treat all round,” by taking the fatherless children to some shop where their poor naked feet shall be well shod?
Shall we not have a shout over the perseverance and patient continuance of the converts? See the worshippers of
the race horse, as, whipped and spurred, the winner draws out from the ruck and passes the post first! How the mad votaries of the gambling idol make the air ring with their cries! And shall not we be as interested as we see men and women contend successfully for “the prize?” Is not the cant sometimes on the side of those who are so anxious for what they call decorum? Let us like Micah, say, “We will,” too. How hard it is to win the heathen over to leave their false gods! And shall we not walk for ever and ever in Jehovah’s name? Why should not Satan and all who help him regard efforts to make apostates as a forlorn hope? O for a strong grip of God! Do some of our readers feel their weakness, and tremble lest they should go back to the assemblies of the heathen? Let us remind them of the promise—“I will strengthen them in the Lord, and they shall walk up and down in His name.” (Zech. x. 12.)
Most of those who serve the devil mean to forsake him before they die. They are self-deceived in many cases, and die as they live. Let us determine that “for ever and ever” shall be our motto. “Signed for life,” as the teetotaler sometimes says. “This God is our God for ever and ever. He will be our guide even unto death.” We need a guide all the way, till we come to the other side of Jordan. After then, no possibility of falling or loss; but though we shall need no guide, we shall delight in the Lord for ever. When this paper comes into the hands of our readers, the Conference will have begun its Sittings. Let every Methodist, from Dan to Beersheba, say, “We will sustain the new President with our prayers, as we did the man of God who went before him.” And the Lord whom our fathers served shall rejoice in the energy and patient continuance
of His people. He shall not complain that we worked harder and sacrificed more for the Gods we served before, than we do for Him; but the heathen shall see signs of the greatness of Jehovah in the enthusiasm and perseverance of His people.