And you who would stop Amos--Hear ye the Word of the Lord! There is an
heritage of shame waiting for you. Amaziah! wouldest thou send the rough-
tongued prophet away? "Thy wife shall be an harlot, and thou shalt die."
Shame while thou dost live, and a dishonoured grave, for this is the
portion of those who would hinder faithful preachers from speaking the
Word of the Lord to the men who are setting up GOLD FOR GOD.
XIV. "ENCOURAGE HIM!"
DEUT. i. 38.
"Encourage" who? Why, your new Minister. He will need it. No one but
God knows how much some men suffer in leaving old friends and going among
strangers. One of our most popular preachers told us that when he goes
into a new circuit, he feels like a tree that has been transplanted, and
for a time seems nearer death than life. And it is more than likely the
man who has just come to your place is feeling acutely the separation
from old friends, and the strangeness of everything around him. Do not
be surprised, then, if he is not as friendly at first, as the man was who
has gone away.
"ENCOURAGE HIM!" for there will be plenty to do the other thing. The
enemy of souls, when he is not able to turn back God's soldier, will do
all he can to wound him, and if he can hire some fool of a Christian to
do it, all the better for his purpose. It will be easy to discourage by
quarrels, jealousy and fault-finding. In fact, it requires so little
mental ability to find fault, there is no difficulty in finding someone
to do that, but don't let it be you. Someone else will see to it that
the new Minister has not too easy a time of it. But do you try your
utmost to make him feel that he has come where all he does will be
appreciated, and that he will never need to go out of his own circuit to
find those who will love him for his works' sake, till they know him well
enough to love him for his own.
"ENCOURAGE HIM,"--by being at the services regularly, and in time, and
especially at the Prayer-Meeting. Stay to the Sunday night one, and go
to the one held in the week. What a comfort for the Minister to see the
vestry filled when he gets to the Weekly Prayer-Meeting! and when you are
there, or on your knees at home, pray for him; for if Paul needed the
prayers of the Church, much more do the Preachers to-day.
"ENCOURAGE HIM!" by taking the advice he gives you when he is in the
pulpit. A doctor would feel it if his medicine was treated as many
sermons are. What would the medical man think if he saw the bottle of
physic poured down the sink, or left in the bottle untasted, till there
was a cupboard full of bottles? He would not feel like preparing any
more. How a preacher is encouraged to make fresh sermons, when he sees
that his last was taken into the heart and life of some of his hearers.
"ENCOURAGE HIM!" by letting him know of anyone who has received good from
his preaching or visits. You need not be afraid of making him proud. He
has had enough of the other kind, or, as we sometimes say, he is sure to
have "a stone in the other pocket." We remember visiting one of our sick
class-leaders one Monday, who said, "Who was the young man who preached
here last night?" "Why, that was the new Minister!" "Well, you must
tell him a woman was converted." It will "ENCOURAGE HIM," and James
says, "If one convert him, LET HIM KNOW!"
XV. "WE HAVE NO MIGHT."
2 CHRON. xx. 12.
YET WE NEED IT VERY MUCH. We are in great weakness, and we need power,
for there is a great multitude come against us. It is not the wisest
policy to ignore the strength of our enemy. Jehoshaphat did not. It is
well for us to know the strength of our foes, but let it not lead us to
despair. Who shall number the host of the foes against whom we must
fight? They come to rob us of our inheritance, and if we submit, we
shall be enslaved.
WE have no might, but WE KNOW WHO HAS. The pious king said (verse 6),
"In Thine hand is there not power and might, Art not Thou God?" Is there
more than one God? Some Christians talk as though the Lord had been
obliged to give up some of His power to Bradlaugh & Co. Where is the
sign of a divided kingship? Could all the host of God's foes have
prevented the earthquakes? Do they know when the next will take place?
It is still true that God "shaketh the earth and the pillars thereof
tremble" (Job ix. 6)
"This awful God is ours,
Our Father and our love."
WE KNOW HOW TO GET MIGHT, FOR WE CAN PRAY. Jehoshaphat did not first of
all review his troops, he called a meeting for prayer. The nation fasted
and prayed, and the king led the devotions of his people. What a prayer!
Have you noticed the four questions he puts to his God? And with what
pathos he says "Our eyes are upon Thee!" Shall not the people of God
imitate Judah? "They gathered themselves together to ask help of the
Lord." Why should we not make this the motto of our weekly prayer
meetings--