II. Consider the need of this stirring amongst the faithful people of God.
It might be supposed that the true and faithful people of God would not require it, and that they would be irresistibly drawn on by the constraining power of the love of Christ. But this is not the teaching of Scripture, and I am sure it is not the conclusion from experience. We must never forget that the wise virgins went to sleep. Nor must we even lose sight of those thrilling words addressed by St. Paul to those in Rome whom he describes as “beloved of God, and called to be saints,” [79a] when in the prospect of the second Advent he said to them, “Now it is high time to awake out of sleep.” [79b] Had they not, you may say, been already aroused from sleep? Had they not been awakened from the sleep of death, and brought into a new life in Christ Jesus? How, then, should it be high time for them to awake out of sleep? Were they not already the “beloved of God”?
Now, this brings us exactly to the point; to the great need of Divine stirring, even for those who have already been awakened into a new life in Christ Jesus. Turn to the Song of Solomon, and you will find the whole thing explained. In ch. v. the Bridegroom is described as returning home at night, and, knocking at the door of his home, calls to the Bride within, and says, “Open to me.” [80] Now what is her state of mind when she hears His knock and listens to His voice? “I sleep, but my heart waketh.” Have we not there the exact description of very common Christian life? How many are there still sleeping, though they hear the knock and their heart waketh? They are neither fully asleep nor fully awake. They are awake enough to hear the voice, but too sleepy to act on it. But we cannot be satisfied with this half and half condition. The Bride in the Song of Solomon was so long in arousing herself, that when at length she did so, it was too late. In ver. 6 she tells her sad, sad story. “I opened to my Beloved, but my Beloved had withdrawn Himself and was gone.” Should not such a description arouse us all? Most truly may it be said that He is standing at our own doors both knocking and calling. Sin is raging, error is spreading, misery is abounding, hell is filling; but, thanks be to God, Christ Jesus is saving, and shall His own chosen people be sleeping quietly, seeking their own ease, and sitting down content if only they can entertain a well-grounded hope that the heavy burden of their own sin has been blotted out through His most precious blood. “Stir up, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the wills of Thy faithful people.”
A WILLING SERVICE
“Who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord?”—1 Chron. xxix. 5.
The occasion was a very solemn one. It was the last act of David’s reign. He had long desired to build a temple for the glory of God, but he was not allowed to carry out his wish. So he collected the necessary materials, and at length, when he had decided to abdicate in favour of Solomon, he called an assembly and declared Solomon, who was still young and tender, to be his successor, then handed over to him the plans which he had prepared for the Temple, and concluded with a solemn charge. [81]
Having thus ended what may be termed the official business of his life, the aged king proceeded to address the congregation. Let us study four things in that address; his question, his thanksgiving, his prayer, and his final appeal.
HIS QUESTION
He told them how he was passing away, and how the work was great, so he asked them a question which may be well put to every congregation in every age, “Who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord?”
Now, we hear a great deal in these days of consecration. The idea of consecration is not a new thing in the Church of God, and I am sure that we want more of the true spirit of it in our own hearts. There is such a thing as consecration of heart, and consecration of service. The consecration of heart is the surrender of the whole man with the affections, the powers, and the strong will to the Lord. The consecration of service is the dedication of all our active powers to his work. When David said, “I am thine,” [82a] it was the consecration of heart, and when Isaiah said, “Here am I, send me,” [82b] it was the consecration of service. Now, it was the consecration of service for which David appealed, and it is this practical consecration of service on which we are dependent for the work in a parish. Who is willing to consecrate his service? I cannot see into the secrets of the hearts, but I know who ought to be willing—all those who believe in the words of our Blessed Saviour, “For their sakes I consecrate Myself.” [82c] Did He, the spotless Son of God, consecrate Himself to be the atoning sacrifice for us? And if we believe that, can we doubt for one moment who it is that should be willing to consecrate his service to Him? Redeemed sinner, is it not you? Pardoned believer, is it not you? Are you ready to fall at His feet and say, “Here am I; let me be Thine. Here is my skill: use it. Here is my intellect: use it. Here is my power of speech: use it. Here is my money: use it. Here is all, all I have and all I am: let it all be Thine own, and help me to employ it for Thy glory”?