“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.