A WORD
TO
CHRISTIAN TEACHERS
AND
STUDENTS FOR THE MINISTRY.
I nivor'si~0i
Y I
BYs i c   I I\       I >
SAMUEL B...SCHIEFFELIN,
WVRITER OF " THE FOUNDATIONS OF HISTORY, A SERIES OF FIRST
THINGS;" BIBLE CATECHISMS, ENTITLED, "t MILK FOR
BABES,' AND' CHILDREN'S BRIEAD," ETC.
"As every man hath received the gift, even To minister the same
one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.  If
any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man
minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God
in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be
praise and dominion forever aid ever, Amen."-X Pet. 4: 10o.
NEW YORK:
BOARD OF PUBLICATION OF THE REFORMED
CHURCH IN AMERICA,,
34 VESEY, CONNER OF CIIURChI STREET.
1877.
le, C ~- 6F 
(V'~
7i,.~ 
",t
S. W. GREEN,
.RNE  AN  EETRTYE
16 arid IS Jacob Street,
NEW Y.... 
A
WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS
AND
STUDENTS FOR THE MINISTRY.
BELOVED IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST:
WE have great reason.to thank the Lord
that we are living in the world at this time,
when  His kingdom  is making such rapid
progress in it, and when so many facilities
are placed in our hands to assist in advancing
that kingdom. Within our day, the world,
which had been for fifteen hundred years al  most entirely closed to the gospel, has been
opened for its reception. During nearly the
whole of that period, the Bible was a sealed
book, and to the masses inaccessible.  Now
it is published in almost every tongue, and is
freely offered without money and without
price.  Never  before  have there been so
many helps to enable us to study the word
of God. Many of these helps, such as mar
I 
2   A WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
ginal references, concordances, Bible textbooks, Bible dictionaries, no student of the
scriptures can well do without; and these
are within the reach of all. Never before
have the evidences of the truth of God's word
been so clear, and the power of that word in
the hearts of men has never been more effective than now. In no period before this have
there been so many teachers in the Church
as there are now.  Beside the regularly ordained ministers and parents, a vast number,
a mighty army of teachers are laboring in
the Sunday-schools throughout the world.
Millions are being taught the way of salvation through them. We have reason to praise
the Lord that there are so many, and with
Moses to exclaim, "Would God that all the
Lord's people were prophets, and that the
Lord would put His Spirit upon them!"
(Nuin. I I: 29). And if any of them not regularly ordained be preaching and casting out
devils in the name of the Lord Jesus, the
Lord evidently working with him, let us remember Jesus' answer to John, "Forbid him
not" (Mark 9: 39), but rather bid him Godspeed.
Let us praise the Lord also for the great
efforts made to quicken teachers and to assist
them in their preparations, so that they may 
TEACHERS APPOINTED OF GOD.
teachi effectively. Conventions are held, and
new methods and new books are being continually presented and adopted. While thus
giving thanks, let us take heed lest, in the
great thirst for new things, some of the
things which are old may in a degree be lost
sight of. The object of the following is not
to present any novelty; but to bring forth
some of the things which are old, to stir up
your pure minds by way of remembrance.
Let us then turn our attention to some of
the old things.
MESSENGERS AND TEACHERS ARE
APPOINTED OF GOD.
In all ages of the world, God has chosen
certain men to go in His name and call their
fellow-men to repent, to believe, and to be
saved. They were to go in the name of
the Lord, with the message, Thus saith
the  Lord  (Ezek. 2: 4; Isai. 42: 5; Exod.
3: Io; Matt. 28: I9).  Beside these messengers, some of whom  were sent on special
missions (Acts  8: 29; 9: II; I O: 20), the
Church has never been without certain persons appointed of God, to edify His people
and train up their children. In the fulness
of time, God took upon Himself our nature,
the "word became flesh," and He spoke to
3 
4    A WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
us Himself (John I: 1 I4; Gal. 4: 4; i Tim.
3: i6; 2 Cor. 5:  i9).  "God, who, at sundry
times and in divers manners, spake in time
past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath
in these last days spoken unto us by His
Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all
things, by whom also He made the worlds;
Who, being the brightness of His glory and
the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power,
when He had by Himself purged our sins,
sat down on the right hand of the Majesty
on high" (Heb. I: I). Among the gifts of
Christ, when  He ascended on high, were
"some,  evangelists;  some,  pastors  and
teachers; for the perfecting of the saints,
for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ"  (Eph. 4: 8, ii;
I Cor. 1 2: 28).
While the Lord Jesus was in the world,
He not only taught, Himself, but He sent
His apostles and other chosen messengers,
seventy at one time, two and two, before His
face whither He Himself would come (Luke
Io: I). Besides teachers thus appointed,
certain others became witnesses for Christ.
The leper when cleansed, " began to publish
it much" (Mark I: 45); the man  out of
whom the devils were cast, "published how 
TEACHERS APPOINTED OF GOD.
great things Jesus had done unto him"
(Luke 8: 39).  Those led to believe that
Jesus was the Christ began at once to tell
others; the woman with whom Christ spoke
at Jacob's well, "left her water-pot, and
w,ent her way into the city, and saith to the
men, Come, see a man, which told me all
things that ever I did: is - not this the
Christ?" (John 4: 29). Andrew, convinced
that Jesus was the Lamb of God, "first
findeth his own brother Simon, and saith
unto him,  We  have found the Messiah.
And he brought him to Jesus" (John I: 4!).
"Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto
him, We have found him, of whom Moses in
the law, and the prophets did write, Jesus
of Nazareth. Come and see" (John I: 45,46).
Just before his ascension, the Lord Jesus
said to His disciples, "All power is given
unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye
therefore and teach all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching
them to observe all things whatsoever I have
commanded you; and, lo, I am with you
alway, unto the end of the world" (Matt.
28: i8). Thus charged, the disciples, after
waiting, according to His directions, until
they received power from on high, when
5 
6'A WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACIIERS.
filled with the Holy Ghost on the day of
Pentecost, began at once to preach, "that
God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye
crucified, both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2 36;
i Cor. 2: 2). The early Christians, when
there was a great persecution against the
Church in Jerusalem, were scattered abroad,
and they went everywhere preaching Christ
(Acts 8: I, 4, 5); and the hand of the ILord
was with them (Acts ii: 2i).  In tile early
church, all were teachers.
All Christians should bear in mind, that
even without speaking they are witnesses
for Christ; "are living epistles k1nown and
read of all men, manifestly declared to be
the epistle of Christ written with the Spirit
of the living God" (2 Cor. 3: 2 3); and the
world is apt to judge Christianity by the
lives of its professors, and many read no
other- Bible.  It was a very natural remark
made  by a convert, in relating his experience, when pointing to a humble, consistent professor, he said, " The life of that man
killed me." Thus all Christians are preachers or witnesses, and, constrained by the
love of Christ, will try to lead others to Him.
But while all Christians are bearing testimony, all Christians are not fit to expound
or explain the Scriptures.  There are many 
PARENTS APPOINTED AS TEACHERS.   7
now like those to whom  Paul says," For
when for the time ye ought to be teachers,
ye have need that one  teach you  again
which be the first principles of the oracles
of God" (Heb. 5: I2; Eph. 4: I4). He
speaks of others as "desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what
they say, nor whereof they affirm" (I Tim.
I: 7). The Lord told Peter, "Feed my sheep,
feed my  lambs."   Peter, as an elder, exhorted the elders to feed the flock among
them (I Pet. 5: I). Paul exhorted the elders
of the Church in Ephesus, "to feed the
Church of God, which He hath purchased
with His own blood" (Acts 20: 28). Paul
charges Timothy in regard to teachers, "The
things that thou hast heard of me, commit
thou to faithful men, who shall be able to
teach others also" (2 Tim. 2: 2). Thus was
the office of teacher guarded and committed
to the most experienced in the Church.
PARENTS PARTICULARLY APPOINTED OF
GOD AS TEACHERS.
God's covenants with His people have
always embraced their children.  It was
thus with Adam (Rom. 5: 12; I Cor. i5: 22);
with Noah (Gen. 9: 9); with Abraham
(Gen. I7:9; Acts 2: 39); with the Jews 
8    A WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
(Deut. 5: 2, 3; 29: II); David, etc. (2 Sam.
7: I2;  Rom.  9:4, 5;  I Cor. 7: I4; Eph.
6:4).  Speaking of Abraham, God said, "I
know him that he will command his children and his household after him" (Gen.
i8: I9). In the Ten Commandments God
says, He visits the iniquity of the fathers
upon their children; and blesses the children
of them who keep His commandments.
The charge to the Israelites was, "And these
words, which I command thee this day, shall
be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them
diligently unto thy children, and s.halt talk of
them when thou sittest in thine house, and
when thou walkest by the way, and when
thou liest down, and when thou risest up"
(Deut. 6: 4-7).  The charge  to Christians
now is, " YTe fathers, provoke not your children to wrath; but bring them up in the
nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Eph.
6: 4).
A  young child's heart is very easily impressed. Children will enjoy Bible stories
and truths, if lovingly presented, more than
Mother Goose's melodies; for they soon
discern  what  is foolish.   A  small  seed
planted in the child's heart ywill grow to be a
large tree, bearing fruit either good or bad
according to the seed planted.  A scratch on 
PARENTS APPOINTED AS TEACHERS.
a twig will become an ugly scar on the tree.
"As the twig is bent, the tree is inclined."
Therefore care for the little ones.   The
heart of a child left to itself is like rich
soil in a garden with nothing planted in it.
It will soon produce enormous weeds. The
only remedy is to fill it early with good
seed before the weeds get started.  Parents
by the direct appointment of God are bound
to teach their children; and they have no
right. to transfer that duty to a Sabbathschool teacher, or to any other person.
Many parents not only disregard the command of God, and break the covenant made
by them with Him and His Church, but
also rob and deprive their children of covenant blessings by neglecting their promises,
their privilege, and their duties; many forget the vow and covenant, in some cases
made again and again, in presenting children for baptism, to see their children instructed and brought up in Christian doctrine to the utmost of their power. Parents
who are faithful in this respect, may confidently look for the salvation of their children; even though they may not live to see it
(Gen. i8: I9; Prov. 22: 6; I Sam. I 28; 2
Tim. 3: I5).
Talking, not long since, with two minis    I 1.*..    *.e ~~
9 
10   A WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
ters about God's covenant with believers
and their children, and the importance of
early instructing them, one of the ministers
said, "Some years ago, I was called to the
bedside of one  of the members  of my
church who was dying. I found him in a
very happy frame of mind. I asked him
whether he had not any burden?'No,' replied he,'I have settled all my earthly affairs, and all is peace and joy.' Knowing
that he had six grown-up children, and not
one of them members of the church, I
asked him if he was not troubled about
them?' Not in the least,' was his reply;'I
have committed them to a covenant-keeping
God, and have no anxiety in regard to them.'
After his death," continued the minister, "the
children one after another began to join the
church, and last week I received the remaining one into our communion."  The
other minister, referring to the importance
of the early teaching of children, related the
following: " Vhen I was settled in my former charge, there was in that place a very
old man, known as Uncle Nath, who had
been a drunken loafer as long as the people
could recollect. He was respectably connected, and all means were used to restore
him, but in vain. His case was considered
!.-.:_!n:.*.. 
PARENTS APPOINTED AS TEACHERS.   I I
hopeless. On one of my Wednesday evening lectures, I preached on the doctrine of
election. There were some persons present
who were opposed to the doctrine preached;
and on their way from the church began to
speak against it.  When to their surprise,
Uncle Nath, who happened for a wonder to
have been at the meeting, suddenly interrupted them with the exclamation,' The
dominie  is right; that is just what  my
mother taught me eighty years ago, when I
was a little boy;' and he then repeated an
answer from a catechism which his mother
had then taught him, and silenced the
scoffers. On Saturday evening he walked
nearly five miles to have a talk with me, his
family thinking he was on a spree. The
following Sabbath he was seen in church,
and was kindly asked to dinner by one of
the members; and he attended again in the
afternoon. He came to the prayer-meetings,
stopped drinking, and gave every evidence
of being a changed man. At the next communion he was asked to join the church;
but his reply was,'Not yet; for fifty years
I have been, as every body knows, a poor
forlorn drunkard, and they might think it
was hasty for me to join the church at once.'
At the succeeding communion he united 
I12 A WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
with the church, and lived a humble, consistent Christian until his death five years
after.  He was eighty-three years old when
the seed, planted eighty years before by a
pious mother, long since dead, produced
fruit."
Let us therefore bear in mind, as among
the old things, that God's messengers are
called and sent by Him; that teachers in the
church are -appointed by Him; that every
Christian is a witness for Him. And let
Christian parents remember, as one among
the oldest of things, God's covenant with us
and ourchildren, and the obligations resting
upon us, and the rights of our children because of that covenant. Let us give them to
the Lord when babes, and bring them to
Jesus when very little children.  He will take
them up in His arms, put His hands upon
them and bless them (Mark 10: 13); and
they will never forget it. Satisfied early
with His mercy, they will rejoice and be
glad all their days (Psm. 90: I4, I6).
MESSENGERS OF GOD.
Many Sunday-school teachers, especially
those in mission-schools, are doing the work
of evangelists, carrying thie gospel to the
lost. All such should examine their call and 
MESSENGERS OF GOD.
their qualifications to act as a messenger of
the Lord. The following questions may
assist in making such an examination:
Do you believe with your heart in the Lord
Jesus Christ? (Rom. IO: IO).
Do you love Him, and His word, and His
people? (John I4: 23; I3:34).
Have you a desire to glorify Him? (Rev.
I: 5, 6).
Have you presented your body a living
sacrifice unto God? (Rom. I2: I, 2; I Cor.
6:20; Tit. 2: I2).
Have you a desire to bring souls to Him to
be saved? (I Cor. 9: I9, 20, 2I; 7: i6; Rom.
I: I4; James 5: 20; Acts 4: 12).
Do you receive the doctrine that salvation is by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ?
(Rom. 5: I; Eph. 2: 8, 9; John 3: I6, 36).
Do you know that your teaching is in accordance with the word of God? (Isai. 8: 20;
2 Pet. I: 21i; Matt. I5: 9).
Do you seek first by prayer and the study
of that word the teaching of the Holy
Ghost?  (John I6: 13, I4; I4:26.)
Do you seek to hold up Christ, so that
with Paul you can say, " Ve preach not our selves, but Christ Jesus the Lord"? (2 Cor.
4:5; I Cor. 2: 2; John 12: 32).'
Do you, like Paul, not counting that you
I3 
14   A WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
have fully attained, seek to grow in grace
and in the knowledge of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ? (Phil. 3: 8, i2; 2 Pet.
3 I8; John I7:3).
Do you seek to have the presence of the
Lord with you? and do you look to Him to
prosper your work?  (Matt.  28:20; Mark
i6: 20).
Are you ready, when the Lord calls you to
any work anywhere, to answer, "Here am I,
send me"?  (Isai. 6:8; Acts I3: 2; To- 19;
I6: 6, io).
Are you as ready to teach one or two in a
mission field, as a large number in a city
church?  Remember some of Christ's greatest addresses were to individuals: to the
woman at Jacob's well (John 4: 29); and to
Nicodemus (John 3). Paul preached to a few
women gathered at a prayer-meeting by a
river's side; and the result was the conversion of Lydia, the founding of the church at
Philippi, and the planting of the gospel in
Europe (Acts i6: I3).
Can you speak that which you know from
your own experience of the joys of salvation?  The blind, the deaf, the dead, cannot
teach what they can neither feel nor know.
The leper when cleansed, the blind man to
whom sight was given, the man out of whom 
MIESSENGERS OF GOD.
the devils were cast, all spoke what they
knew and what they felt. What an impression is made, when some poor outcast, or
some drunkard, who has been in the depths,
in a plain, simple manner gives an account
of his former degradation, wretchedness, and
despair; and then speaks of his deliverance
through faith in Christ, and of his present
joy and peace. You should be enabled to
say, "I live by the faith of the Son of God,
who loved me, and gave Himself for me"
(Gal. 2: 20). "' The Lord heard my cry: He
brought me up also out of an horrible pit,
out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a
rock and established my goings. And He
hath put a new song in my mouth, praise
unto our God" (Psm. 40: i). Relying upon
the word of God, you should know that, believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, all your
sins are forgiven (Col. I:'4; Acts 2:38;
10: 43; 26: i8; I John 2:1I2); thatyouhave
eternal life (John 3: 36; I John 5: 13); that
you are saved (Rom. 8: i; I Pet. 2: 24;
Titus 3: 5; Eph. I: 7); that all things are
working together for your good (Rom.
8: 28); and that all things present and to
come are now yours (i Cor. 3.: 2I). Rejoicing thus in your own salvation, through
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, you will have
I5 
i6   A WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
power in drawing others to Him. MIany
Christians, really children of God, not seeing the fulness there is in Christ; looking
to themselves, and depending  upon themselves, instead of upon Christ alone; and
not taking the word of God as it is plainly
written; deprive themselves of the joy and
peace which come through faith, and are not
fit to be teachers of others. The promises
made to faith are all in the present tense, and
are to be realized and to be rejoiced in izow.
"Being justified by faith, we have peace with
God  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ
(Rom. 5: I); " He that believeth hzat eternal
life" (John 3: 36); "is passed from death
unto life" (John 5: 24). And the motives
to love and good works are: Because ye are
sons of God, children of the light, redeemed,
bought with a price, therefore be ye followers of God as dear children (Gal. 4: 6; I
Cor. 6: 20; 2 Cor. 7: I; Eph. 4: 32; 5  I).
The Apostle John considered it so important that believers should be assured of their
salvation that he uses very strong language.
" He that believeth on the Son of God hath
the witness in himself: he that believeth not
God had made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His
Son. And this is the record, that God liath 
MESSENGERS OF GOD.
given to us eternal life, and this life is in His
Son."  "These things have I written unto
you that believe on the name of the Son of
God; that ye may know that ye have eternal
life " (I John 5: io). The lamented Harlan
Page, who was so active, devoted, and successful in leading sinners to Christ, when on
his dying-bed was for a time in much mental distress.  He wished for clear evidence
of his union to Christ, and to have a constant
sense of His immediate presence. He said
he had been endeavoring to examine his past
life, but it was all a blank. " Oh!" said he
to a Christian friend, "I have done nothing
for Christ. What an unprofitable life have I
lived! How can one be a Christian who has
done no more to prevent his acquaintances,
and even his own household, from going
down to hell?"  His friend tried in vain to
comfort-him.  A few days after, he called on
him and found that the desire of his heart
was granted.  Christ was with him; and his
emphatic language wvas, "It seems as if I
never knew before what it was to love Him."
He appeared to have a new view of the love
of Christ, which he was anxious to commu nicate.   He  had turned  his thoughts to
Christ's works and words, and death for
sinners.  He had evidence of his love to
I7 
i8   A WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
Christ also from another source; he said, "I
love His people. Oh! how my heart goes out
toward all the dear brethren who love
Christ, and are trying to save poor sinners
from hell." The cloud returned no more
till his spirit took its upward flight. The
joy and peace obtained by this devoted, earnest Christian worker  on  his dying-bed,
came, then, simply by faith in the words and
work of the Lord Jesus; and any of us can
have the same joy and peace all our lives
long, by believing the record which God has
given of His Son (I John 5: II, 13; I Pet.
I: 8; Rom. 15: I3; Phil. 4: 4). The following answer to the first question in the Heidelberg Catechism should be the happy experience of all Christians, especially of those
who are desirous of teaching others.
"Question. What is thy only comfort in
life and death?
"Answer. That I, with body and soul (I
Cor. 6: i9, 20), both in life and death (Rom.
14: 7, 8, 9), am not my own, but belong unto
my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ (I Cor.
3: 23), wlio, with His precious blood (I Pet.
I: I8, i9), hath fully satisfied for all my sins
(i John I::7), and delivered me from all
the power of the devil (I John 3: 8; Heb.
2: 14, I5); and so preserves me (John 6: 39; 
M,ESSENGERS OF GOD.
Io: 28, 29), that, without the will of my
Heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from
my head (Luke 21i: i8; Matt. I0: 30); yea,
all things must be subservient to my salvation (Rom. 8: 28); and therefore, by His
Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal
life (2 Cor. I: 22; 5: 5), and makes me sincerely willing and ready henceforth to live
unto Him (Rom. 8: I4; 7: 22)."
Having this faith, you may become an
effective teacher, though living in obscurity,
sickness, and poverty.  A short time since, a
young lady, wealthy and moving in our first
circles, was noticed distributing among her
acquaintances tracts conveying pure gospel
truth, teaching a present salvation, as well
as eternal, by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
to be enjoyed and rejoiced in. A friend,
knowing she attended one of our fashionable
churches, asked her where she got those clear
views (which she evidently had in her own
experience), and what minister she heard
them from? Her reply was, "I did not get
them from any minister I was induced to
call on Mrs. C., who has been confined to
her bed for eighteen years, and is supported
by charity. Her submissive spirit, in her
poverty and her long affliction,' her know ledge of the Bible, her clear views of Jesus
IOg 
0' A WORD TO CHIRIS''IAN TEACHERS.
and of salvation through faith in Him, her
peace and joy, have led me, and also others,
to trust inll Jesus; and committing myself
to Him, and looking constantly to Him, I
have peace and joy." This young lady has
Bible readings, attended by many old Christians who are deriving benefit from the
teachings of the poor, obscure, bedridden invalid, one of God's messengers.
Many Christians make a mistake in thinking that we are not saved until we are in
heaven. We hear, sometimes, ministers close
their prayers with, " Save us at last." Whatever they mean by that phrase, it should not
be used. The word of God teaches that believers are saved (i Cor. I: i8; 2 Cor. 2: I5;
Eph. 2:5; 2 Tim. I: 9; Titus 3:5); that
their salvation is now-and forever.  "The
believer hal,i everlasting life, and shall not
come into condemnation; but is passed from
death unto life" (John 5: 24; I John 5: I3).
Because they are saved they are told, "Work
out your own salvation with fear and trembling"-with anxious care or solicitude-(2
Cor. 7: I5). "For it is God which worketh in
you both to will and to do of His good pleasure"
(Phil. 2: i2).  " Giving thanks unto the Father which hal,~ mzade us meet to be partakers
of the inheritance of the saints in light. 
MESSENGERS OF GOD.
Who hatl delivered us from the power of
darkness, and hat/i translated us into the
kingdom of His dear Son, in whom we hazve
redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins" (Col. I:  10, I2, I3, I4).
Many teach that our great aim should be
to be prepared for death, whereas our great
aim should be to be prepared to live. To use
the language of another," Many people think
that religion is only a preparation for the safe
passage across the river of death into the land
of immortality. You are not to prepare for
death, God will take care of that. God has
given you an immortal soul and the power
to influence your fellow-men. Dying is only
instantaneous experience, but living is awful.
It isn't so solemn a thought that we may die
at five o'clock, but that we may live till five
o'clock. It is awful to live; for in our jokes,
in our speeches, in our publications, in our
daily intercourse, we are so unconsciously
exerting an influence over our fellow-men
which may  go  on  forever  and  forever;
therefore  living  is so awful.   Therefore
Christianity knows that to prepare a man for
living is to prepare him also for dying."'
If you can answer, then, to your own con science that you know the Lord Jesus Christ;
that you have received Him and His salva
21 
22 A WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
tion as freely offered in the Gospel; that you
have peace and joy through believing; and
that, constrained by the love of Christ and
moved by the Holy Ghost, your desire is to
lead others to Christ, that He may be glorified
and that they may be saved, you may be sure
that you are called of God to speak, and your
word will be attended with power.
MOTIVES.
As laborers in Christ's vineyard, it is well
for us to examine not only our credentials,
but also our motives. These may be selfish
and worldly. We may be laboring to quiet
conscience, or to earn heaven, or to be seen
of men. Even such laborers receive pay;
but it is in this world only. Jesus says,
"They who give alms, who make long prayers to be seen of men, have their reward"
(Matt. 6: 2, 5). They who assisted in building the temple were paid for their labor, and
so were Noah's carpenters, but they were not
saved. Jesus told His disciples, "In the world
ye shall  have tribulation"  (John i6:33);
"Ye shall be hated of all men for my name's
sake" (Matt. Io: 22); "Woe unto you when
all men shall speak well of you" (Luke
6;26).  Speaking, of Paul, Jesus said, "I
will show him how great things he must suf 
MIOTIVES.
fer for my name's sake" (Acts 9: i6). Paul
gives an account of the pay he received for
his preaching: he says, " Five times received
I forty stripes save one; thrice was I beaten
with rods, once was I stoned, etc., etc. (2 Cor.
II: 24). Yet he rejoiced while thus suffering
for Christ (Col. I: 24; 2 Cor. 7: 4   Phil.
2: I7); and said, "Our light affliction, which
is but for a moment, worketh for us a far
more exceeding and eternal weight of glory"
(2 Cor. 4: I7). Christians, however, are encouraged to look for a reward boti now and
hereafter for any sacrifice made for Christ.
He says, "Whosoever shall give a cup of cold
water only in the name of a disciple, shall in
no wise lose his reward" (Matt. 10: 42).
"There is no man that hath left house, or
parents, or wife, or children for the kingdom
of God's sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the
world to come life everlasting" (Luke
I8'29; Matt. i9: 29; 25: 34).  "Well done,
good and faithful servant: thou hast been
faithful over a few things, I will make thee
ruler over many things: enter thou into the
joy of thy Lord" (Matt. 25: 2I).  Moses "had
respect unto the recompense of the reward"
(Heb. II: 26).  Paul said, "I have fought a
good fight, I have finished my course, I have
23 
24   A WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for
me a crown of righteousness, which the
Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give to me
at that day: and not to me only, but unto all
them also that love His appearing" (2 Tim.
4: 8). And even Christ said, when about to
leave the world, "I have finished the work
which Thou gavest me to do; and now, O
Father, glorify Thou me with Thine own
self, with the glory which I had with Thee
before the world was" (John I7:5). We are
rewarded in our preparation to teach as well
as for the teaching; for by it we grow in
grace and knowledge.  "The liberal soul
(or the soul of blessing) shall be made fat;
and he that watereth shall be watered also
himself" (Prov. I I: 25). We are often rewarded by those whom we attempt to teach.
Paul showed not only Christian courtesy
but much wisdom when, writing to the converts in Rome, he said, "I long to see you,
that I may impart unto you some spiritual
gift, to the end ye may be established; that
is, that I may be comforted (or cheered) together with you by the mutual faith both of
you and me" (Rom. I I2; I5: 24, 32; Acts
II:23; 2 Cor. 7: I3).  Many, who have visited sick or dying Christians to cheer them,
have often felt, w,hen leaving them, that they 
MOTIVES.
have received much more than they have
given. The submissive spirit, the faith and
joy of the sufferers, made them the teachers.
By drawing out the knowledge and faith of
their fellow-Christians, ministers and teachers may have their own increased.
But there are higher motives than that of
looking for a reward.   He, who  rushing
through fire and smoke to save a child from
a burning house, or who plunges into the
ocean to save a drowning man, does not
thinkl of a reward. His aim is to save, and
he is willing to risk his life in doing so.
Love is the greatest motive power in the
universe. " God is love, and every one that
loveth is born of God" (I John 4: 7, 8).
"God so loved the world that He gave His
only begotten Son, that wvhosoever believeth
in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  Jesus gave Himself; His children have the same spirit. "If any man
have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of
His'" (Rom. 8: 9). "The love of God is shed
abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost
which is given unto us" (Rom. 5: 5).  "The
love of Christ constraineth us: because we
thus judge, that if one died for all, then were
all dead: and that LHe died for'all, that they
which live should not henceforth live unto
2
25 
26   A WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
themselves, but unto Him which died for
them and rose again" (2 Cort. 5: I4). Moved
therefore by that love, we cannot but try to
save others, and with Paul exclaim, "Woe
is unto me if I preach not the Gospel" (i
Cor. 9: i6).  "The earth and the works that
are therein shall be burned up" (2 Pet. 3: io).
All around us are souls perishing. If we are
ready to risk our lives to save the temporal
life of others, shall we not strive more earnestly to save them from eterizal death?
MANNER.
The manner of delivering the message
committed to us is of great importance. As
ambassadors for Christ, we should keep self
out of sight and always present the Lord and
lift Him up (John 3: I4; I2: 32; I Cor.
2:2; i:i8; 2 Cor.4:5).  We are to come
with the message, "THUS SAITH THE LORD."
We should not present it as if we had any
doubt of it, or were indifferent to it, or to
the Lord, or to those to whom it is sent.
We should not deliver it as a matter of form
or mere duty, or as a college student does
an essay; but we should show in our manner
that we have a message from God to men, to
the saved and the lost, and'are constrained
to deliver it. Our whole soul should be in
I
I 
MIANNER.
terested in it, for life or death depends upon
its reception.  It is to be a savor of life
unto life or of death unto death (2 Cor.
2: i6). "He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved; but he that believeth not
shall be damned" (Mark i6: i6). If we were
to go into a house on fire, to warn the inmates to escape for their lives, could they
think there was any danger if we drew their
attention to other subjects, or showed no
anxiety on their account? There is no more
solemn sight in the world to men and angels
than that of a concourse of anxious souls
with faces uplifted to hear a Gospel message.  It is related of Jesus, that "when He
saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted and
were as sheep having no shepherd" (Matt.
9: 36). Looking as He did at times upon
four and five thousand anxious faces, and
knowing what was in each heart, its burden,
its capabilities, and its destiny, no wonder
that He was moved with compassion; no
wonder that He said unto His disciples,
"The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; pray ye, therefore, the Lord
of the harvest that He will send forth laborers into His harvest" (Matt. 9: 37).  Let us
be thus moved with compassion when we
27 
28   A WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
speak in Christ's name; for every heart has a
burden, and  knoweth  its own  bitterness
(Prov. I4: io), altiough we  may  not be
able to see it, and every unsaved heart has a
skeleton in it.
Fill your own heart with your message, and
then you will be eloquent in delivering it;
for out of the abundance of the heart the
mouth speaketh (Matt. I2: 34; Acts 4: 20).
Use the miost simple words and Bible language where practicable, so that the most
ignorant in the congregation may understand
you, and even children become interested.
There is a power in simplicity and earnestness, even with the most cultivated.  Speak
so distinctly that the poor man by the door,
who is a little deaf, may hear every word.
Keep command of your voice. Speak naturally. "' When most impressed, be self-possessed." Despise theatrical airs. Don't try
to imitate another, but be yourself.
Shun debt.  It will be like a millstone
around your neck. It will interfere with
your comfort, your studies, and your influence. Ministers holding high positions have
lost all by assuming responsibilities they
could not meet. What influence for good
can a Christian teacher have, when, as has
been the case, men speaking of him would 
MANNER.
say, "I would not trust him or take his word
for a dollar"? Many a minister has become
involved in trying to build a church edifice,
with the hope that a building may draw the
people, forgetting that the church is a congregation of believers, not the building they
meet in. Aim then to build churches, as
Paul did, by gathering souls unto Christ;
and then let them put up buildings for themselves. "Owe no man any thing but to love
one another" (Rom. 13: 8); "No man that
warreth entangleth himself with the affairs
of this life" (2 Tim. 2: 4).
Man is said to be a bundle of habits.
There is no doubt we are in a great degree
creatures of habit.  Therefore examine your
habits of body, mind, and heart. To be eccentric, careless, or a sloven, is no sign of
being a genius or of having common sense.
A bad habit is a crime. Put aside, therefore,
every bad habit and put on good ones.
There may be a temporary self-denial; there
is sure to be a lasting enjoyment.
Paul, speaking of his consecration of himself with all his powers to the preaching of
the gospel, says  "For —though I be free
from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all that I might,gain the more."
"Unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I
.9 
30   A WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
might gain the Jews.  To the weak became
I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am
made all things to all men, that I might by
all means save some."' I bring myself down
to all, I sympathize with all, I subject myself
to self-denials, I strive against the flesh, "I
therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight
I, not as one that beateth the air: but I keep
under mny body, and bring it into subjection:
lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway"
(be disapproved or rejected), and my preaching be fruitless (I Cor. 9: I6-27).  Wheresoever you are in the church or in the world,
"let your conversation be as becometh the
gospel of Christ" (Phil. I: 27).  Every act
and every word of an ambassador is weighed.
A single act may destroy all your usefulness
as a Christian teacher.
Do'not be tempted to be careless or negligent in your preparation, even when with a
class or in a field, in your view, below your
powers; but, wherever you are, do what you
have to do with all your might. Not long
since, a graduate from one of our seminaries
was visited at a mission station where he was
located. He was away fishing, at which he
spent much of his time. When spoken to in
reference to it, hlis reply was, "I can prepare
I 
MANNER.
a sermon good enough for these people in
fifteen minutes." It was not long before he
was going round trying to sell books for a
living.
Guard against any appearance of harshness or severity in delivering your message.
A man may teach or preach even a good
sermon in such a manner as not only to spoil
the effect of it, but likewise impair his usefulness as a minister or teacher ever after.
Be careful to speak the truth in love, and
show that you sympathize with those to
whom you speak. Aim to win their hearts.
Paul says, "Knowing the terror men have
of the Lord, we persuade men" (2 Cor. 5 I i).
There is one peculiarity in regard to Paul's
manner of preaching and teaching worthy of
particular notice, that is, he was constantly
beseeching men. In his epistles, seventeen
times appear the words, "I beseech   you."'
After speaking of sin and of our lost condition by nature; of the law and of our just
condemnation; of the work of Christ and of
our salvation through faith in him; and of
the gift of the Holy Ghost and our privileges
as sons of God, hle says, "I beseech you
therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,
that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable unto God, which is your
3I 
32   A WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
reasonable service" (Rom. I 2: i). And again,
" I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus
Christ's sake and for the love of the Spirit"
(Rom. I5: 30). "I beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ" (2 Cor. io: i).
' I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech
you" (Eph. 4: I). "Though I might be bold
to enjoin thee, yet for love's sake I rather
beseech thee" (Philemon 8). And he even
speaks of God as beseeching, "As though
God did beseech you by us: we pray you in
Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God" (2
Cor. 5: 20; 6: i). Paul gives us the manner
of his beseeching:" I ceased not to warn
every man night and day with tears" (Acts
20: 3I). Such preaching and such teaching
shows the unction of the Holy Ghost, and is
always attended with power' "Love never
faileth" (I Cor. I3: 8).
Among the fruits of the Spirit are love,
joy, peace, and faith (Gal. 5: 22).  Terror
of the Lord, gloom and doubts, are the fruits
of unbelief.  "A moping Christian is a monster." A long face is not an expression of
Christianity. A morose and gloomy Christianr will repel, rather than draw others to
Christ. Ignorance of the truth, or weakness
of faith, if you are a Christian, will make you
a doubting one.  Aud a doubter will make 
33
doubters, instead of believers; therefore be a
believer, if you wish to make others believe.
Remember your bodies are Christ's (i Cor.
6: 20). Therefore present them to Him a
living sacrifice (Rom. 12: i). There is such
a connection between our bodies and our
spirits that the one affects the other.  An
ailing body sometimes interferes with our
Christian hope, and is apt to impair a
message. We may mistake the miseries of
a weak digestion for the hidings of God's
face. A dyspeptic man is apt to preach a
dyspeptic sermon. Cultivate, therefore, the
health of your body as well as the soul
(3 John 2).
Avoid the habit of whining when you ask
God for what you need. You would not
like your children, every time they come to
you, to be whining and groaning. We should
always rejoice when we meet the Lord, and
address Him as loving children, rather than
as trembling slaves.  The fear of the Lord
spoken of in the Old Testament is the loving
reverence of a child, not the dread of a slave.
Again and again the Psalmist tells us, "Let
us come before His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto Him:"
"Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous, and shout for  joy" (Psm. 95: I, 2;
2'
MAN NER. 
34   A WVORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
IO0: 2; Psm. 32: II; 33: I). Jesus says,
"These things have I spoken unto you, that
my joy might remain in you, and that your
joy might be full" (John I5: II). When He
appeared to them at their first prayer-meeting, it is said, "Then were the disciples glad,
when they saw the Lord" (John 20: 20). No
wonder, then, that Paul exclaims, "Rejoice
in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice"
(Phil. 4: 4).
Other fruits of the Spirit much needed by
teachers are, long-suffering, gentleness, and
meekness (Gal. 5: 22). " The servant of the
Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all,
apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing
those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth" (2 Tim. 2-: 24).
Arguments will not convince a man against
his will; fear drives men from God (Gen.
3: 8, io).  Jesus says, "I, if I be lifted up
from the earth, will draw all unto me" (John
I2 32; 3: I4, I5; I Cor. I; i8, 23, 24; 2: 2).
Remember that you are only an instrument in God's hands: that you may plant,
or you may water what others have planted,
but God gives the increase. So then neither
is he that planteth any thing, neither he
that watereth; but God that giveth the in
I 
MANNER.
crease (i Cor. 3:7).  Keep this in mind, for
you will be tempted to glorify self: as has
been said, "You will find the devil patting
you on the back and saying, That was good!"
Be ready to be laid aside when your work
is done, and with John the Baptist to say,
"He must increase, but I must decrease"
(John 3: 30).  We can rejoice even when
laid aside; for as members of Christ we are
partakers of His increase and of His glory
(Rom. 8: I7).
There is sometimes shown a great want of
reverence in the use of the name of God;
sometimes using that name to fill up blank
spaces in prayer. Ministers in sermons will
speak about Him, and discuss His nature and
His attributes, as they would if they were
talking about the Emperor of China, or any
distant earthly potentate; ignoring the actual
presence of God.  This is a great mistake.
In our prayers, instead of  looking to
Christ as the way to the Father-for no man
cometh to the Father except by him (John
4: 6)-we are apt to think of the Lord
Jesus and speak of Him as if He were always, and only, within the veil-in some distant part of the universe. It is.very important that we should know and believe the
teachings of the Bible as to the presence of
35 
36   A WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
the Holy Ghost in believers, and of the Lord
Jesus Christ with believers, especially when
they meet or teach in His name. It is true
that God is always omnipresent, and all His
creatures live, move, and have their being in
Him, beast as well as man; but He is with
His people in a different sense. He manifests himself to them as He does not to the
world. As in the tabernacle, and in the
temple, He made His presence known to His
people as their God, so now, believers, the
true temples of God (I Cor. 3: I6; 6: I9;
I Pet. 2: 5), have His presence manifested
with them and in them. Believing his word,
the presence of the Lord Jesus should be
looked for and realized, whenever two or
three Christians meet in His name (Matt.
I8: 20). And they who speak, or pray, should
do so as in the presence of the Lord Jesus, and
as moved by the Holy Ghost within them
(John I4: I7; Acts 2:4; Rom. 8:I4, i6, 26).
They would then have divine help, as well
as the enjoyment of the presence of the
Lord.
THE IHOLY GHOST
Many Christians are ignorant of the Bible
teachings concerning the Holy Ghost: in
regard to His personality, His work, and His
z 
THIE HOLY GHOST. 
presence with the people of God. Some regard Him as an influence, instead of as a
person. We are told that the Holy Spirit,
as a person, directs the movements of Christians.  The Centurion was directed to send
for Peter, and the Spirit said unto Peter,
"Behold three men seek thee. Go with
them, for I have sent them" (Acts IO: 20).
The Holy Ghost said, " Separate me Barnabas
and Saul for the work whereunto I have called
them" (Acts 13: 2). So they, being sent forth
by the Holy Ghost, departed into Seleucia
(Acts I3:4). Paul and Silas were forbidden
of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in
Asia. They assayed to go into Bithynia, but
the Spirit suffered them not (Acts 16: 6, 7).
Unto the elders of the church in Ephesus
Paul says, "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which
the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers
(bishops) to feed the church of God, which
He hath purchased with His own blood"
(Acts 20: 28).  Speaking of the various gifts
of the Spirit, Paul says," But all these worketh that one and the self same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will "
(I Cor. I2:II).  Let us recognize the con stant presence of the Holy Ghost with the
Church, controlling and correcting it.
37 
38   A WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACIHERS.
Tile manner of life of many Christians,
and their prayers, would be very different,
if they felt that they were temples of the
Holy Ghost. Many appear to think that
they meet the Holy Ghost only at prayermeetings, or in church.  It is true we may
ask for special outpourings of the Holy
Ghost, and special gifts for ourselves, and
for the conversion of sinners; but, if we are
Christians, the Holy Ghost is in us before
we go to the meeting, and prays in us when
there (John 14: i6; Rom  8 14, 26).  That
sweet hymn of Cowper, "Oh! for a closer
walk with God," is often improperly used.
Some of the verses are only suitable for a
mourning backslider to pray over in his
closet.  The stanza, "Return, O holy dove!"
teaches that the Holy Ghost comes to and
leaves believers, which is contrary to the
teachings of Christ (John I4: I6, 17; and of
Paul, I CQr. -3 i6; 6:i9).  Christians will
sing, week after week, "I hate the sins that
made Thee mourn and drove Thee from my
breast," and go on singing the same for
years, doing themselves harm all the time.
They do not sing it with the understanding
and the heart, or they would not sing it more
than once, if at all. There is such a thing
as making a self-righteousness of our con 
GOD WALKING WITII BELIEVERS.
fessions, as well as of our doubts and unbelief. Some appear to think it presumption
to take God at His word, and find fault with
those who find peace in believing it.  No
one can truly sing the rest of the hymn,
without already having the Holy Spirit in
him. Let us look at some of the teachings
of the Bible as to the dwelling of the Holy
Ghost with us, and of His abiding with us
and in us.
GOD WALKING AND DWELLING WITHI
BELIEVERS.
The communion of God with His chosen
people is taught throughout the whole Bible.
He repeatedly manifested Himself to Adam,
to the patriarchs, and to Moses. Enoch
walked with God: certainly in a different
sense from merely trusting in Him. In the
tabernacle- and the temple God made His
presence visible, but did not confine Himself
to any place.  He promised, "I will dwell
among the children of Israel, and will be
their God" (Exod. 29: 45; Zech. 2: io); "I
will walk among you, and will be your God,
and ye shall be my people" (Levit. 26: 1I2).
As Enoch walked with God, to him manifestly present, so should we, each one of us.
We should believe what Jesus said in reply
39 
40   A WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
to the question, " Lord, how is it that Thou
wilt manifest Thyself unto us, and not unto
the world?"  Jesus answered, "If a man love
me, he will keep my words: and my Father
will love him, and we will come unto him,
and  make  our  abode  with  him"  (John
I4: 2I, 23).  And  we  should believe the
word of God as quoted by Paul, "Ye are the
temple of the living God; as God hath said,
I will dwell in them, and walk in them:
and I will be their God, and they shall be
my people" (2 Cor. 6: i6).  Believing God,
we can claim the fulfilment of His promise,
and enjoy His manifested presence always
with us.
Solomon, in his prayer at the dedication of
the temple, said, "But will God in vrery deed
dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven
and the heaven of heavens cannot contain
Thee; how much less this house which I have
built! (2 Chron. 6: i8).  That house with
all it contained has passed away; not one
stone has been left upon another. The types,
which the temple, the high priest, the altar,
and the sacrifices represented, have all been
fulfilled. In the church on earth there is no
more altar nor sacrifice.  The Great High
Priest " after He had offered one sacrifice for
sins forever, sat down on the right hand of
iI 
GOD WALKING WITH BELIEVERS.    41
God. For by one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified"
(Heb.  IO: IO, I 2, I4).  That  which the
temple itself represented remains. Every
believer is the temple of God; their bodies
the temple of the Holy Ghost (I Cor. 3: i6;
6: i9; 2 Cor. 6: i6); together they are
built up a spiritual house (I Pet. 2 5);
Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone: in whom all the building fitly framed
together groweth unto an holy temple in the
Lord: in whom ye also are builded together
for an habitation of God through the Spirit"
(Eph. 2: 20). It is well for us to bear this
in mind, for many are inclined to cling to
the old temple and its ceremonial rites, which
have passed away. Jesus, when He said,
"Destroy this temple, and in three days I
will raise it up," "spake of the temple of His
body" (John 2: I 9); "For in Him dwelleth
all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" (Col.
2: 9). At the consecration of the first temple God said, "Now mine eyes shall be
open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer
that is made in this place. For now have I
chosen and sanctified this house, that my
name may be there forever: and mine eyes
anrid mine heart shall be there perpetually"
(2 Chron. 7:'I5).  The believer, the true 
42   A WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACIIERS.
temple of God, can claim the fulfilment of
this promise, as it is written, "For the eyes
of the Lord are over the righteous, and His
ears are open unto their prayers" (i Pet.
3: I2).  As every Christian is the temple of
God, so every Christian is a priest. "Ye
also, as lively stones are built up a spiritual
house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus
Christ"' (i Pet. 2: 5).  It is an assumption,
contrary to the word of God, for any order
of men to claim exclusively that they are
priests. Peter, speaking to all Christians,
says, "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people,
that ye should show forth the praises of Him
who hath called you out of darkness into
His marvellous light" (I Pet. 2: 9; Rev.
I: 6; Rom. I 2: i).
Even  during the old dispensation God
chose the hearts of believers for His abode,
rather than the temple.  "For thus saith the
Holy One that inhabiteth eternity, whose
name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy
place, with him also that is of a contrite and
humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite"
(Isa. 57: I5).  " Where is the house that ye
build unto me? and where is the place of my 
INDWELLING OF THE HOLY GHOST.   43
rest? to this man will I look, even to him
that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and
trembleth at my word" (Isa. 66: I, 2
Psalm 34: 18; 5: II).  Stephen, quoting
this passage, says, "The Most High dwelleth
not in temples made with hands" (Acts
7: 48).  The Psalmist says, "Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea,
for the rebellious also, that the Lord God
might dwell among them" (Psalm 68: i8;
Eph. 4: 8; 2: 22).  Now let us turn to the
teachings of the New Testament on this subject.  It is a very important one, not only
for our comfort and joy; but as teachers, the
presence of the Holy Ghost in us is our
strength.
INDWELLING OF THE HOLY GHOST.
In the early part of His ministry the Lord
Jesus said unto His disciples, "If ye then,
being evil, know how to give good gifts unto
your children: how much more shall your
heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them
that ask Him" (Luke II: I3). When telling
of the dangers and trials they were to meet
with for His name's sake, He  said,' "But
when they deliver you up, take no thought
how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be 
44   A WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
given you in that same hour what ye shall
speak.  For it is not ye that speak, but the
Spirit of your Father which speaketh in
you" (Matt. Io: i9). When He was about
to be taken from them, He said, "I will pray
the Father, and He shall give you another
Comforter, that He may abide with you for
ever; even the Spirit of truth, whom  the
world cannot receive, because it seeth Him
not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know
Him, for He dzeelleth with you, and shall be
in you" (John I4: I7).  "When  He, the
Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you
into all truth" (John i6. 13), "for he shall
receive of mine, and shall show it unto you"
(John  i6: I4).  After  His  resurrection,
when Jesus met with His disciples, He said
to them, "As my Father hath sent me, even
so send I you. And when He had said this,
He breathed on them, and saith unto them,
Receive ye the Holy Ghost" (John 20: 2I).
In addition to these promises of the coming
of the Holy Ghost, and of His indwelling
and  abiding with them forever, the Lord
Jesus told His disciples to look for a special
baptism of the Holy Ghost giving them
power.   Just before  He  ascended  into
heaven He said unto them, " Tarry ye in the
city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with
4 
INDWELLING OF THE HOLY GHOST.   45
power from on high" (Luke 24: 49). "Ye
shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not
many days hence," "Ye shall receive power,
after that the Holy Ghost is come  upon
you" (Acts I: 5, 8). Accordingly on the day
of Pentecost "'they were all filled with the
Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other
tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance"
(Acts 2: 4). The like effects were produced
when the Holy Ghost fell on. Cornelius and
all them which heard the word spoken by
Peter (Acts I0: 44, 45); and also on the disciples in Ephesus upon whom Paul laid his
hands, "the Holy Ghost came on them; and
they spake with other tongues, and prophesied"  (Acts  19: 6).  While special gifts
should be sought of the Holy Ghost, who
divideth to every man severally as He will
(I Cor. i 2: 8, i I); bear in mind the continual
indwelling of the Holy Ghost in you; and
"that good thing which was committed unto
thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwellethi
in us" (2 Tim. I: I4); "if so be that the
Spirit of God dwell in you" (Rom.  8: 9).
"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our
Spirit that we are the children of God"
(Rom. 8: i6; Gal. 4: 6).  Likewise the
Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we
know not what we should pray for as we 
46   A WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
ought: but the Spiriit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be
uttered (Rom. 8: 26).  The appeal of Paul
to the Corinthians is very suggestive," Know
ye not that ye are the temple of God, and
that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If
any man defile the temple of God, him shall
God destroy; for the temple of God is holy,
which - temple' ye  are"  (i Cor. 3: I6).
"What?  Know ye not that your body is the
temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you,
which ye have of God, and ye are not your
own?  For  ye'are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body, and in
your spirit, which are God's" (i Cor. 6: i9;
Eph. 2: 22).   Therefore "grieve  not the
Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed
unto the day of redemption'" (Eph. I: I3;
4: 30; Heb. 3: io). "O  uench not the Spirit"
(I Thess. 5: I9).
The benediction, "The grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the
communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you
all, Amen" (2 Cor. I3: I4), is by too many
considered simply as finishing the service;
and they go away without taking the blessing with them. We should always carry
with us all that which the benediction comprises; particularly thc communion of the 
THE PRESENCE OF' THE LORD JESUS.  47
Holy Ghost, who is always dwelling and
abiding in us, wherever we are; helping us
in our studies, taking the things which are
Christ's, and showing them unto us (John
i6: I3, I4); helping us in our prayers, and
speaking through us. As of old, "Holy men
of God spake as they were moved by the
Holy Ghost" (2 Pet. I: 2I), SO should all
who speak or teach in His name, seek to be
moved by Him now.
THIE PRESENCE OF THE LORD JESUS.
We should not only bear in mind the presence of the Holy Ghost in us, but also the
presence of the Lord Jesus Christ manifested
to us according to His promise (John I 4: 2 I).
Not merely as God, who is everywhere
present; not as the Holy Ghost, who is always dwelling in us (John 14: i6, I7); but as
the Lord Jesus Christ, through whom alone
we have access to the Father, and with whom
we have communion with the Father (John
I4: 6, 23; I John I: 3). Jesus says," He that
loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I
will love him, and will manifest myself to
him" (John 14: 21). Hie speaks of Himself
as, Jehovah, I am; who was before Abraham
was (John 8: 58).  His name is'Emmanuel,
which being interpreted is, God with us 
48   A WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
(Matt. I: 23).  He  speaks of Himself not
only as the omnipresent and eternal God,
but as Jehovah Jesus, when He says, "Where
two or three are gathered together in my
name, there am I in the midst of them"
(Matt. IS: 20).  Therefore, at your meetings,
have little regard to the presence of any particular person, or to the number of those
present, whether large or small; but, if one
or two Christians are with you, look for, expect, and realize the presence of the Lord
Jesus.  Indeed, you would probably have a
closer intercourse with Him when there are
only two or three present, than when there
are a thousand. When our Lord was about
to ascend into heaven, lie gave a charge to
His disciples very similar to that given by the
Lord to Moses, when He sent himn to deliver
the Israelites. Using almost the same language. He said unto Moses, "Come now,
therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh,
that thou mayest bring forth my people, the
children of Israel, out of Egypt. And Moses
said unto God, Who am I, that I should go
unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth
the children of Israel out of Egypt?  And
he said, Certainly I will be with thee.  Andcl
Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come
unto the children of Israel, and shall say 
THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD JESUS.  49
unto them. The God of your fathers hath
sent me unto you; and they shall say to me,
What is his name? what shall I say unto
them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT
I Am.  And He said, Thus shalt thou say
unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent
me unto you"  (Exod. 3: 10-14).  In like
manner, and using almost the same words,
and with the same promise to be with them,
the Lord Jesus sends His messengers to deliver His people from the slavery and power of
the Prince of this world (John 12: 3I; Eph.
2:2; 6: 12).  "And Jesus came and spake
unto them, saying, All power is given unto
me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore
and teach all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe
whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo,
I am with you alway, unto the end of the
world" (Matt. 28: 18). So then, after the
Lord had spoken unto them, He was received
up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of
God. And they went forth and preached
everywhere, the Lord working with them,
and confirming the word with signs following (Mark I6: 19, 20; Acts 2: 47; II: 2I).
The Lord Jesus appeared visibly to Stephen
(Acts 7: 55); and also to Paul, and talked
3 
50    A WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
with him (Acts 9:5; I Cor. 9: I); and afterward He repeatedly manifested His personal
presence to him (Acts i8: 9, IO; 23: II; 2
Tim. 4:'7). Paul felt Christ's presence
with him so much, that he could say, "I am
crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live;
yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the
life which I now live in the flesh I live by
the faith of the Son of God, who loved me,
and gave Himself for me" (Gal. 2: 20).
There is a connection and fellowship between Christ and believers in all that He has
done for them, even so far as to His changing places with us. "For He hath made Him
to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we
might be made the righteousness of God in
him" (2 Cor. 5: 21; I Pet. 2: 24). So that
each one of us may say, I am crucified with
Christ (Gal. 2:20); am  dead with Christ
(Rom. 6: 8; Col. 3: 3); buried with Christ
(Col. 2:i2; Rom. 6:4); risen with Christ
(Col. 2: I2; 3: I); joint heirs with Christ
(Rom. 8: I7)'; glorified with Christ (John
17:22; Rom.  8:I7, 30); Christ is our life
(Col. 3:4). Let us, therefore, realize this
communion with Christ in all that He has
done for us and is now doing; and also the
presence of the Lord Jesus personally with
us; and, more than all this, let us realize
] 
THIE PRESENCE OF THIE LORD JESUS.  51
that we have an actual living union with
Christ, "for we are members of His body, of
His flesh, and of His bones" (Eph. 5: 30). He
says, "I am the vine, ye are the branches;
without me ye can do nothing" (John 15: 5).
Ile prayed, "As thou, Father, art in me, and
I in Thee, that they also may be one in us"
(John I7: 2I, 23). Therefore, when speaking
for Christ, remember your living union with
Him, and trust in His word, "I am with you,"
and teach and speak and pray, as in His presence, relying upon Him to work with you,
and to confirm the word with signs following
(Mark i6: 20).
Let us not forget that the Lord Jesus.
Christ is on the throne in the kingdom of
God in this world, as well as in heaven. He
says, " All power is given unto me in heaven
and in earth" (Matt. 28: 1I8); "All things
are delivered unto me of my Father" (Matt.
II: 27).  "The Father lovetli the Son, and
hath given all things into His hand" (John
3: 35; 13: 3).  And "has given Him power
over all flesh" (John I7: 2); "and hath put
all things under His feet, and gave Him to be
the head over all things to the church"
(Eph. I: 22).  Let us always bear in mind
that He is our loving, sympathizing Saviour;
and "in that He Himself hath suffered being 
52   A WORD TO CIHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
tempted, He is able to succor them that are
tempted" (Heb. 2: I8).  We speak of His
example as to be followed; we acknowledge
Him as the prophet, and also, as our High
Priest, who has gone within the veil for us:
let us also acknowledge Him as our King,
always present with us; "for He hath said,
I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee; so
that we may boldly say, The Lord is my
helper, and I will not fear what man shall
do unto me" (Heb. I3: 5). In your hearts
acknowledge, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever" (Heb. I3:8).
"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus
the Lord, so walk ye in HIim" (Col. 2: 6).
As in the beginning of our Christian course,
we came to the Father through Him, even
so, through all our course, we are to remember His words, "I am the way, and the truth,
and the life: no man cometh unto the Father
but by me" (John I4: 6); that as our sins
were forgiven by Him, when we first believed
in Him, so we are to continue to regard
Him as " exalted a Prince and a Saviour for
to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness
of sins" (Acts 5: 3I); if we labor and are
heavy laden, we are, as at the beginning, to
go to Jesus; for He says, "I will give you
rest" (Matt. II:28); if our faith needs to
I
i 
THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD JESUS. 53
be strengthened, wve are to say to Him,
"Lord, increase our faith"  (Luke I7: 5);
and through all our course, looking away
from self and from every thing else, we are
to keep "looking unto Jesus, the author and
finisher of our faith" (Heb. I2: 2). We are
never to lose sight of Him as personally
present, especially when we meet, or speak,
in His name (John I4: 23; Matt. i8: 20;
28: 20). We must always remember that it
is in Him and through Him alone that we
see the Father, and have access to the Father
(John I4: 6, 7). Feed upon Him and upon
His words, day by day, as the living bread,
the bread of life (John 6: 35, 48, 63). Live
by faith, as having a personal union with
Him, who says, "Because I live, ye shall live
also" (John 14: 19; 6: 56, 57; II:25, 26;
17:2I, 23; I John I 3)   Say unto Him, as
David did, "-Into Thine hand I commit my
spirit; Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God
of truth" (Psm. 3I:5); do this now.  Then,
when you are about to depart, you will see
Him, as Stephen did, and "calling upon, and
saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" (Acts
7: 59), you will fall asleep. Living thus, you
will have peace and joy all your days, and
have power with God and wvitli men (Gen.
32: 28; John I4: 13).
i
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54' A WORD TO CHRIST''IAN TEACHERS.
MEETINGS.
Let all your meetings be attractive, whether
in tihe family, the Sunday-school, the churclh,
or  your  prayer-meeting.   The  religious
gatherings of the Israelites were the occasions of great joy (I Kings I: 40;'I Chron.
29: 9; 2 Chron. 30: 26; Ezra 6: 22; Deut.
12: 7, 12; i6: I4). So were the first gatherings of the early Christians; "Then were
the disciples glad when they saw the Lord"
(Luke24:41, 52; John i6:22; 20:20; Acts
2: 26). The Psalmist says, "My lips shall
greatly rejoice when I sing unto Thee; and
my soul which Thou hliast redeemed" (Psm.
71: 23). "Let all those that put their trust
in Thee rejoice; let them ever shout for joy,
because Thou defendest them: let them also
that love Thy name be joyful in Thee" (Psm.
5: i I). "Serve the Lord with gladness: come
before His presence with singing" (Psm.
100: 2). In the Bible the word praise occurs
oftener than prayer.   They go  together.
"Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing.
In everything give thanks" (i Thess. 5: i6).
Too many prayer-meetings are cold, formal,
gloomy, cheerless; more like solemn gatherings to attend a funeral, than, as they
should be, a joyful family gathering of
loving children, with a loving Father and 
MEETINGS.
Saviour. They should be so attractive that
even children would like to attend them.
They should be looked forward to with
pleasure.   To  these meetings  all should
come expecting to meet the Lord Jesus withl'
gladness; with hearts prepared to join in the
thanksgivings, praises, and prayers; and, if
moved by the Spirit, to take an active part.
As in the family, we like, at times, to hear
the voices of the little ones, so at dur meetings, the stumbling words of a babe in
Christ, or the words of an uneducated
brother, if spoken from the heart, will do
good.  "How is it then, brethren? When ye
come together, every one of you hath a
psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath
a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all
things be done unto edifying."  " If anything be revealed to another that sitteth by,
let the first hold his peace; for ye may all
prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and
all may be comforted" (I Cor. I4: 26, 30, 3I).
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly
in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing
one another in psalms and hymns, and
spiritual songs, singing with grace in your
hearts to the Lord" (Col. 3: i6).
As in social family gatherings, long
speeches, long prayers, affected manner, or
preaching like a minister, would be neither
55
I 
56    A WORD TO CHIRISTIAN TEACHERS.
expected nor tolerated; neither should they
be, when God's children meet together to
hold  converse  with  Him  and  with  one
another.
When you have nothing to say, say nothing.  "Be more ready to hear than to give
the sacrifice of fools" (Eccl. 5: I). Do not
make a righteousness, or get in the habit, of
confessing the same sins week after week.
Believe in the forgiveness of sins. Do not
be tempted to preach to men in your prayers
to God; or to use them to flatter the minister or any other person present. Be special
in your prayers, rather than general.- Do
not think that you are called upon to bring
in every thing in every prayer. Have some
special object on your heart when you pray
to Jesus.
Be prepared, be in earnest, be prompt,
be ready, be short; short readings, short
speeches, short prayers, short hymns, short
service. Allow not a moment to drag.
Avoid formality; sit together; and let the
meeting be social. It has been remarked,
that sometimes the true prayer-meeting begins, when the brethren gather for social
talk after the formal prayer-meeting is over.
Do  not scold the absent.   You  cannot
draw men by scolding, nor even by urging
t
i 
THE MESSAGE.
them to attend cheerless meetings.   Make
the meeting attractive, and they will need no
urging. John Wesley could draw thousands
of people at five o'clock in the morning.
And lately, when people thought half-past
ten too early to go to church, Mr. Moody
drew the most wealthy and fashionable, as
well as the poor, to his services, when they
had to be there at seven o'clock in the morning to get in.
Have little regard to the presence of any
individuals,  or to having  large  numbers
present. The great object is to secure the
presence of the Lord Jesus, by meeting in
His name, and relying upon His promise to
be with you. See Him and be glad. Afterward, when you meet the absent, and can
say to them, "We have seen the Lord,"
though, like Thomas, they may have doubts,
they will be sure to attend the next meeting
as he did (John o20: 25).
THE MESSAGE.
Being thus called of God, having the Holy
Ghost abiding in you, having a living union
with the Lord Jesus, and having His presence manifestly with you, consider the message you are called to deliver. You cannot
3
57
t
i
i 
58   A WORD TO CIIRISTIAN TEACHEPS.
be too particular in regard to it. The Lord
says, "Ye shall not add unto the Word that
I command you, neither shall ye diminish
ought from it" (Deut. 4: 2; Mark 7: I-I3;
Rev. 22: I8, 19). One of the temptations of
the present day is to try to draw men to hear
a message from God by worldly methods.
Depending upon an attractive edifice, or on
music, or advertised sensational subjects, or
a popular man, or on ceremonial rites; thus
degrading God and His message. The message of God needs no such helps; the more
you honor it and the more simply it is proclaimed, the more men will feel its power.
When Ezekiel was sent to deliver the Lord's
message, the Lord's commission to him was,
"I send thee to the children of Israel, to a
rebellious nation that hath rebelled against
me: they and their fathers have transgressed
against me unto this very day.  I do send
thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto
them, Thus saith the Lord God. And thou,
son of man, be not afraid of them. Thou
shalt speak my words unto them, whether
they will hear or whether they will forbear"
(Ezek. 2: 3-7). "But the house of Israel
will not hearken unto thee; for they will not
hearken unto me" (Ezek. 3': 7). Ezekiel did
not confer with the world, the flesh, or the 
THi  MIESSAGE.
devil, as is too much the case now, to make
the message palatable or to induce them to
hear it. He delivered the message of God
as he received it. Paul did the same, saying,
"Do  I seek to please men? for if I yet
pleased men, I should not be the servant of
Christ" (Gal. I: io). "As we were allowed
of God, to be put in trust with the Gospel,
even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but
God, which trieth our hearts" (I Thess. 2: 4).
The alternative of delivering God's message
exactly as He gives it, is a very solemn one.
" Therefore thou shalt hear the word at my
mouth, and warn them from me. When I
say unto the wicked, 0 wicked man, thou
shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to
warn the wicked from his way, that wicked
man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood
will I require at thine hland. Nevertheless,
if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn
him from it; if he do not turn from his
way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou
hast delivered thy soul" (Ezek. 33: 7; Acts
20: 26, 27).
The message you are to deliver is the same
as it has been from the beginning. It has al ways been, " Repent and believe." " Behold I
bring you glad tidings of great joy." Imme diately after the Fall, God called after Adam,
59
I
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6o    A WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
who was attempting to hide hIimself (Gen.
3: io), and revealed to him the way of salvation through a coming Saviour (Gen. 3: I5).
By faith in the Lamb of God, Abel offered
his sacrifice and was accepted (Heb. II:4).
Noah warned men of the coming flood while
the ark was preparing (I Pet. 3: 20). Abraham was called to leave his idolatrous country (Heb. II:8; Acts 7:2,4; Josh. 24:2).
Lot was warned to leave Sodom and escape
for his life (Gen. 19: I7).  The Israelites
were delivered from Egypt to serve God, and
be a people separate from the world (Levit.
20: 26; Ex. 20: 2; i Cor. 6: 20).  The message of all the messengers and of all the
prophets was, "Say unto them, As I live,
saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the
death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn
from his way and live; turn ye, turn ye from
your evil ways; for why will ye die?" (Ezek.
33: II;  i8: 32; Isai. 55: 6, 7; Jer. 3: 22;
Dan. 9: I3). John the Baptist preached,
"saying, Repent ye; for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand."   He spoke of "t1he
wrath to come," and the "unquenchable fire"
(Matt. 3: 2, 7, I2). He directed hiis followers
to Jesus, saying, "Behold the Lamb of God,
which taketh away the sin of the world"
(John I: 29). Jesus delivered the same mes 
THE MESSAGE.
sage, and spoke frequently of the coming
judgment; of everlasting punishment (Matt.
25: 46); of the danger of being cast into hell
(Matt. 5: 22, 29, 30; IO: 28), describing it as
a place of torment, from which there is no
escape (Luke i6: 23, 26), aS " outer darkness;
there shall be weeping and  gnashing  of
teeth" (Matt. 8: I2; 22: 13; 24: 5I; 25: 30).
"Where the worm dieth not and the fire is
not quenched" (Mlark 9: 43, 44, 45, 46, 48).
Knowing the fearful horrors of hell, He gave
Himself, that "whosoever believeth in Him
should not perish, but have eternal life" (John
3: I5). It is to be feared that warning men to
escape from the wrath to come is too much
neglected. A person lately remarked that he
had regularly attended evangelical churches
and had not heard there was such a place as
hell during the last twelve years.   The
preaching of the apostles was, repent and
believe in the Lord Jesus Christ; and Paul
says, "As though God did beseech you by
us: we pray you, in Christ's stead, be ye
reconciled to God. For He hath made Him
to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we
might be made the righteousness of God in
Him" (2 Cor. 5: 20). No man feels his need
of a Saviour until he feels that he is lost.
Let us try, then, to bring men to realize their
6i
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62    A WORD TO CIRISTIAN TEACHERS.
lost condition and their danger, and then lead
them to Christ; those who pride themselves
on their morality (Matt. 19: 20; Luke
i8: ii); as well as those who glory in their
shame.  Let us bear in mind that "all have
sinned," that "there is no difference" (Rom.
3: 2q, 23), that every one is "condemned already," and'"the wrath of God abideth on
him" (John 3: i8, 36). Let us remember
that "we were dead in trespasses and sins,"
and "were by nature children of wrath, even
as others," that  "by grace we are saved
through faith" (Eph. 2: I, 2, 8), and then, as
saved sinners, let us seek to save others by
carrying the same message that was delivered
by the prophets, John the Baptist, Christ, and
His apostles. Let us beseech men to escape
the wrath to come, to repent, to turn to a
loving God, to believe in the Lord Jesus
Christ, and to receive, thlrough faith, forgiveness of sins, and a free, full, complete present
and eternal salvation; to receive the Holy
Ghost, become-children of God and joint
heirs with Christ, have fellowship with the
Father and the Son, and have joy and peace
now and forever.
Ever since the ten spies, sent with Caleb
and Joshua, brought their evil report to the
Israelites concerning the promised land, the
I
i 
THE MESSAGE.
great majority of those professing to be
teachers sent from God have brought false
reports about the way of salvation. The ten
spies spake of the promised land as having
every thing desirable, but said, the cities are
walled, and there are giants in the way
(Numb. I3: 27, 33). They preached doubts
and fears, and the people believed them
rather than God, and perished through unbelief (Numb. I4: 30, 32; Heb. 3: I9). Many
Christians now wander for years through a
wilderness of trouble, because of their unbelief; who, if they believed God's word as
it is plainly written, might at once enter into
the rest and peace which come even in this
world  through faith  (Rom.  5: I;  Matt.
II:29; Isai. 26:3).  "For we which have
believed do enter into rest" (Heb. 4: I, 3).
The teachings of the ten spies and of the
scribes and pharisees have been continued
ever since, and are the teachings of the largest portion of the so-called Christian Church
throughout the world at the present day.
They neither go in themselves nor suffer
them that are entering to go in (Matt.
23: I3). See, then, that you bring the message of Caleb and Joshua: "Let us go up
at once and possess it, for we are well able
to overcome it;" "the Lord is with us; fear
I
63 
64   A WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
them not" (Numb. I3: 3o; I4: 9). Do not
carry a doubting message.  Allow no "perhaps" to come into your teachings when you
invite sinners to Christ.  Great wrong  is
done to the Lord Jesus, and injurious teaching is given to the sinner, in the use of such
hymns as,
"Come, humble sinner, in whose breast;"
"And make this last resolve-I'll go to Jesus;"
"Perhaps He will admit my plea;
Per/zaps will hear my prayer;
But if I perish, I will pray,
And perish only there.
I can but perish if I go," etc.
Away with such teachings!  Queen Esther
had good reason to use such language when
about to go into the presence of the heathen
King Ahasuerus (Esth. 4: II, i6).  There is
no reason why sinners should be encouraged
to use any such language in regard to the
Lord Jesus; but you are to invite them, in
the name of the Lord Jesus, to go to Him
freely, with the certainty of being received.
Use His words, "Come unto me, all ye that
labor and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest" (Matt. i I: 28).  "Him that cometh
to me  I will in no wise cast out"  (John
6: 37).  "Whosoever will, let him take the
water of life freely" (Rev. 22: I7). As His 
THE MESSAGE.
ambassador, therefore, instead of teaching a
perhaps reception, you are, in Christ's stead,
to beseech all, both saints and sinners, to be
reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:20).  However
low, however vile, however degraded they
may be, they will be welcomed. He came
to save the lost.
"Not the righteous-sinners Jesus came to call."
"All the fitness He requircth is to feel your need of
Him."
Tell them He is not only willing, but
able to save to the uttermost, evermore,
all who  come  unto  God  by Him  (Heb.
7: 25). Offer in His name, to those who
repent of their sins and turn to God
with  faith in  the,Lord  Jesus  Christ, a
free, full, complete, and immediate forgive  ness of sins (Acts 2: 38), and everlasting life
(John 3:36; I John 5: I3); a present and
an eternal salvation (John 5: 24).  There is
no occasion for any, after they know the way
to be saved, and have, with repentance for
their sins, believed in the Lord Jesus Christ,
to take days and months to find that peace
and joy which come at once when there is
full faith in the Lord Jesus  (Rom. 5: I).
The Ethiopian eunuch believed,- was at once
baptized, and went  on his way rejoicing
65 
66    A WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
(Acts 8: 37, 39); the jailer at Philippi, who
was ready to commit suicide, supposing that
the prisoners had fled, asked Paul and Silas,
"Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" The
answer was, "Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ." The same hour of the night he was
baptized, he and all his, straightway, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house
(Acts I6: 3o, 34). The gospel is good tidings of great joy (Luke 2: IO). The fruit
of the Spirit is love, joy, and peace (Gal.
5: 22).  The message to believers is, "Rejoice in the Lord alway; and again I say,
Rejoice" (Phil. 4:4).
Be careful in holding up an error, or an
infidel suggestion, for the purpose of combating it. You may thereby plant an error,
which may take root, while your words may
be lost sight of and forgotten.   Hold up
Christ instead.
Do not openly attack the religion of
others. Striking the darkness does not dissipate it; the only way to do that is to pour
in light.  The only way to overcome error is
to hold up the truth. Attacks provoke opposition.
The scribes and pharisees of the present
day, who, calling themselves " The Church,"
are putting their unjustifiable assumptions,
l 
THE MESSAGE.
their traditions, the teachings of their
Church, or rather sect, their rites, ceremonies, and outward performances in the
place of the word of God, Christ speaks
to in the sorrowful words, "Woe unto
you" (Matt. 23: I3, 23; Luke ii: 42). Their
blind followers can be reached only by
presenting the word of God and the Lord
Jesus Christ. Let them learn through that
word, that even sincere religious observances
when contrary to the word of God, are of no
avail.  "In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of
men," "making the word of God of none
effect through your tradition" (Mark 7: 7,
13)  Hold up Christ as the way, and the
truth, and the life; and without referring to
the false teachings, your hearers will be convinced of their errors and will follow Him.
Paul tells Timothy, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that
needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing
the word of truth;" "avoiding profane and
vain babblings, and oppositions of science
falsely so called" (I Tim. 6: 20; 2 Tim. 2:
I5, I6). The most plausible opposers of the
truth at the present time are a few men
among the class called scientists; men
whose assertions, on account of their learn
67 
68   A WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHIERS.
ing in certain branches of science, attract attention.  The  man who  is honestly and
laboriously seeking for knowledge, but is
working in a wrong direction, is an object
of pity; and much more so when, finding
himself shut in by red sandstone, or lost in
the mists of the nebula, he begins to guess
and calls his guesses science. They speak of
evolution froml the cells of a molecule, as
from an egg; as if the egg produces the hen
without a hen to produce the egg.  They see
a law controlling matter, but ignore the fact,
that where there is a law, there must be a
lawmaker. Poor orphans! without a father,
they try in vain to resign themselves to a
dark future, horrible, because uncertain and
without hope. The utterances of some of
them in regard to the present and the future
sound like the despairing wail of the lost.
The mnistake of some of the   most prominent scientists at the present time is, that
they are giving their whole attention to
the very lowest field of science-that is,
matter. They should consider that there is
a higher universe than that of matter.
There is a universe of mind, which has its
laws and its powers of evolution and reproduction, and which controls nature or matter. and can control and make use of gravi
\
k 
THE MESSAGE.
tation, magnetism, electricity, and all the
other powers of matter. And then, again,
there is another universe higher than those
of matter and mind, and that is, the universe
of morals, which has its laws and its
powers of reproduction; hatred begetting
hatred, and love begetting love. This is the
highest study; for it is this that controls the
mind that controls the matter.  In this we
can study man, and, with the help of His
word, learn about God, the creator of the
heavens and the earth. The material part of
man, his body, is not the man.  He may lose
many of the members of his body and yet be
more of a man than he was before. No man
is a true man unless he controls his body.
The intellect or understanding is not the man.
A man is bound to control and educate his
understanding.   That which  is really the
man is above the body and the intellect, and
controls them both.  The will or the heart is
the real man. That wonderful expression
in the parable of the Prodigal Son, "When
lle came to himself" (Luke 15: I7), exempli fies this.  It is not the mind or intellect that
keeps men from acknowledging the Lord
Jesus Chlrist, but the will; as He says, "Ye
z,ill not come to me that yd might have
life" (John 5: 40; 3: 19).  "Whosoever Will,
69 
7    A WORD TO. CHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
let him take the water of life freely" (Rev.
22: 17).  Therefore  God sends  His mes sage to the heart of man  rather than to
His mind, although  His waord commends
itself to the most exalted  intellect.   He
says, "Apply thine heart to understanding"
(Prov. 2: 2); " My son, give me thine heart"
(Prov. 23:26); "The fool hath said in his
heart, There is no God" (Psm. I4: i); and
Christ says, "Out of the heart of men proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, murders," etc.,
etc.  (Mark  7: 21); and again, "Let  not
your heart be troubled, neither let it be
afraid" (John I4: I, 27).  Therefore we are
required not only to confess with the mouth
the Lord Jesus, but to believe in ouir hearts
(Rom. IO: 9, io). A wicked heart has shown
many a man with brains to be a fool. That
infidels have always been pitiable objects,
even among the heathen, we may judge from
Homer making Hector say,
~;
'The weakest atheist wretch all heaven defies,
But shriniks and shudders when the thunder flies."
Zophar asks, "Canst thou by searching find
out God? canst thou find out the Almighty
unto perfection? It is high as heaven; what
canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst
thou know?" (Job I I:7). They who cannot 
THE MESSAGE.
do this, and therefore deny the existence of
God, reject prayer, and are trying to persuade themselves and others that they arc
descended from brutes, or are the products
of evolution, may well lay to heart the
wvords of the Psalmist, addressed to such,
three thousand years ago: "Understand, ye
brutish among the people; and ye fools,
when will ye be wise?  He that planted the
ear, shall he not hear?  He that formed the
eye, shall he not see?  He that chastiseth
the heathen, shall not he correct? He that
teacheth  man  knowledge,  shall  not  he
know?" (Psm. 94: 8). There is no argument that has the power of the simple word
of God. It reaches the conscience and the
heart as nothing else will. The first words
of the Bible,' In the beginning God created
the heaven and the earth," carry conviction
with them.  Every man at times feels his
helplessness, and his dependence on some
superior being.   Every man is conscious
that he needs something he has  not got.
And when the law of God comes, saying,
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all
thy heart and with all thy mind, and thy
neighbor  as thyself, every man  is condemned by his own conscience, and knows
that he is a sinner. He needs no argument
71 
72   A WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
to convince him that there is a God. He
feels in his heart that there is a coming
judgment.  What he needs is to know how
he may escape the wrath to come, and how
he may be saved. This want can only be
met by the offer of salvation through faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ.
You are therefore to present the same
message to all; to the most learned and the
most ignorant, the old and the young, the
rich and the poor, the king and the beggar,
the moralist and the vicious.   For there is
no difference; for all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3: 22).
And to all, with Paul, let your " speech and
preaching be not with enticing words of
man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the
Spirit and of power" (I Cor. 2: 4); being
determined not to know any thing among
your - hearers save Jesus Christ and Him
crucified" (i Cor. 2:2).  In Christ, we see
the justice, the mercy, and the love of God;
through Him we have the knowledge of the
law and the nature of sin; of our own depravity and our need of an atonement, repentance, and' regeneration; of the resurrection and a future retribution; and of the
way of salvation by faith
Let all your studies of the Scriptures lead
IF
II 
THIE MIESSAGE.
you to Christ, and to grow in the knowledge
of him (Phil. 3: 8; 2 Pet. 3: iS).  Let all
your teachings from the Scriptures lead your
hearers to Christ. Jesus, speaking of the
Old Testament Scriptures, says, "They are
they which testify of me" (John 5:39); and
HLe used them to that end Himself, when,
"Beginning at Moses and all the prophets,
He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself "(Luke
2'4: 27). "And He said unto them, These
are the words which I spake unto you, while
I wlas yet with you, that all things must be
fulfilled, whlich were written in the law of
Moses, and in the prophets, and in the
Psalms, concerning me. Then opened He
their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures"  (Luke  24:44, 45).
Paul says, "The law was our schoolmaster
to bring us unto Christ, that we might be
justified by faith" (Gal. 3: 24).  In the addresses of Peter (Acts 2: i6-36), of Stephen,
(Acts 7: 2-52), and of Paul (Acts I3: i6-38),
Bible history is used simply to lead to Christ
and Him crucified.
Always go to the Scriptures with a teach able spirit, with the spirit of a little child;
for there is a danger that you may go to
them -to confirm some of your own notions
4.
73 
14 A WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
or hobbies;  or you may go to them mechanically, as a carpenter goes to a chest of
tools, selects one to suit his purpose and
then casts it aside; we may so handle scripture that we may not derive any spiritual
benefit while doing so.
In referring to the Scriptures, or in reading them to others, remember that they are
the word of God, and treat them as such.
Remember that Christ and Him crucified,
Christ and the resurrection, is the great message to the saint as well as to the sinner;
to edify the one as well as to save the other.
Paul, in his first epistle to the saints, in the
church in Corinth, uses the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ in the first chapter seventeen times. The Lord Jesus, speaking about
the manna given in the wilderness, which
was to be daily gathered, and daily eaten,
said, " My Father giveth you the true bread
from heaven. For the bread of God is He
which cometh down from heaven, and giveth
life unto the world.  I am that bread of life.
I am the living bread which came down
from heaven: if any mnan eat of this bread
he shall live forever. He that eateth my
flesh and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me
and I in him. He that eateth me, even he
shall live by me. He that eateth of this 
THE MESSAGE.7
bread shall live forever.  It is the spirit
that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you they
are spirit and they are life" (John 6: 32-63).
Gather therefore the words of Jesus for
yourself and others, and feed on them and
on Him by faith. Let not your preparation for others interfere with the daily
gathering for yourself. You cannot be fit
for work without daily food, gathered and
eaten daily. If you only gather that bread
at intervals, or gorge yourself from time to
time, you will become a spiritual dyspeptic.
If you depend on the bread eaten last week,
you will starve. Like the manna, you are
to gather this bread and eat it daily, all
your life here, until you pass over Jordan
into the promised land.
Parents should have the same end in view
in teaching their children from the Bible.
Their aim should always be to lead them to
Christ and cause them to grow in Him by
feeding upon Him.  They would, with their
children, derive much benefit by using catechisms founded on the Bible, every answer
presenting Bible truth, such as the Heidelberg Catechism and the Westminster Catechism; they would grow in knowledge, and
plant seed in the child-which will certainly
75 
76'A WtORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
bear fruit. The sneers of some against all
creeds and catechisms are extremely foolish
and wicked. Every man that has any faith
in the Bible, or any views concerning it, has
a creed; those views are his creed.  His belief, whatever it is, is his creed.  And the
beliefs and the teachings of those who scoff
at creeds and catechisms containing doctrinal truths, gathered by the most experienced Christians, are dangerous, and
should be avoided.
The true test of every catechism or creed,
and of every teacher, is, What think ye of
Christ? Is the teaching in accordance with
the word of God? You are to be guided in
your studies not by what this or that church
teaches, but by what the Bible  teaches.
"To the law and to the testimony: if they
speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" (Isai. 8-: 20;
Mark 7: 7, 9). There have been errors in
the churches from the beginning; even in
those founded by the apostles.  Errors in
practice and errors in doctrine. The epistles
to the church in Corinth, the church in
Galatia, and the church in Colosse, and to
the seven churches in Asia, all speak  of
errors in those churches.   At the present
time the teachings of those sects, claiming 
THE MESSAGE.
that they are the church, will be found to be
the least in accordance with the word of
God. Neither are you to place any depend  ence upon the teachings of those called the
early fathers, excepting only so far as they
accord with the Scriptures. Our Saviour
told His disciples, "Blessed are your eyes,
for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
For verily I say unto you, That  many
prophets and righteous men have desired to
see those things which ye see, and have not
seen them; and to hear those things which
ye hear, and have not heard them" (Matt.
13: i6). The advantage which the disciples
in their day had over the prophets and right  eous men before them, we have over all
who have lived before us; over the fathers,
the disciples and the prophets.,We have all
the truth and all their knowledge of the
truth, and can avoid all their errors and
mistakes; for many of them had erroneous
views; so that in comparison with  the
knowledge of many at the present day, they
may be considered as children, instead of
fathers.   Do  not depend upon  commen  taries; but only use them so far as they
may add to any light you have already re - ceived, after searching the Scriptures your   self.
7 7 
73   A WORD TO CIIRISTIAN TEACHERS.
In preparing yourself to present any subject or message from the word of God, set
your heart to work as well as your mind,
and you will find every thing you meet
tributary to it. Let your study and your
teaching be a continued prayer; looking to
the Holy Spirit to guide you, in regard to
the mnessage, to enable you to understand it;
to fill your own heart with it, and then to assist you in delivering it. Make the word of
God your chief study. Let every thought
and every word of yours be in accordance
with it. Do not aim at novelty; nor, like
the Athenians, be seeking "either to tell or
to hear some  new  thing" (Acts  17: 2I).
The best things in the world are old. Many
of the popular sayings of the present day
are old ones brought out in a new form.
The reproduction of old ideas caused a
French -wit to exclaim against the ancients
as plagiarists, "Confound the fellows! they
stole all our thoughts before we were born."
Never count that you have attained, or are
already perfect (Phil. 3: I2). Make every
thing subservient to the end you have in
view. Gather the best material you can,
old and new; distil it through your own
mind, absorb it into your owvn heart, and use
it for the extension of Christ's kingdom. 
TIlE MESSAGE.
In your own regular reading of the Scrip   tures, which you should keep up, independ   ent of your studies on particular subjects,
read the Scriptures in course; and when
you get through the Bible, begin again at
the beginning. As you go from book to
book, bear in mind when each book was
written, for what object in regard to the
people of God at the time it was written,
and what influence it is to have on  the
church now; what connection it has with
the other books of the Bible, especially with
the New Testament; and, above all, what it
teaches concerning Christ. You will gather
new light every time you thus begin.  In
the accounts of the childhood of the world
and of our race, we learn not only that God
is our Creator, but we feel His fatherhood;
in His talking to our fathers as little chil  dren, we feel that He is talking with us.  In
all the history of the Bible, we learn the
ways of His providence in the punishing of
sinners, and in saving His church.  In read  ing the accounts of the faith and the falls of
the ancient saints, we have our faith strength  ened, and we are instructed to take heed
lest we fall" (i Cor. Io:II).  In the law,
the high-priest, the sacrifices; in Moses, in
the prophets, and in the psalms, we see and
79 
8o   A WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
learn to know more of Christ (Luke 24: 27,
44). We cannot understand the New Testament without the Old; nor the Old Testament without the New.  Tie best interpreters of the Scriptures are the Scriptures
themselves. Therefore study them with the
help of the marginal references and a concordance, rather than with any commentary.
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST, THE POWER OF
GOD UNTO SALVATION.
The preaching and teaching of Christ and
Him crucified is not only "the power of
God and the wisdom of God" in the salvation of men (i Cor. I: I8, 23, 24; Rom.
I: I6), but it is the only sure remedy
for every evil in the world. Christ says,
"Without me ye can do nothing" (John
15: 5).  It is a mistake to endeavor to reform'men before leading them to Christ.
All their resolutions to reform, relying upon
their own strength or on making pledges,
or by joining certain societies, are worthless. Like the reform platforms and resolutions of politicians, they will not be regarded
longer than it is their interest or inclination to keep them.  "Thus saith the Lord;
Cursed be the man that trusteth in man"
(Jer. I7: 5). The only sure way to reform a 
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.
drunkard, or-any other sinner, is to lead him
to Christ. All experience confirms this.
Mr. Sawyer, who is now so successfully
engaged in promoting the cause of temper   ance in connection with the gospel labors of
Mr. Moody, in one of his addresses, after re   lating his own experience, a peculiarly bitter
one, said, "Now, I want to say a word about
men saying they can save themselves, that
they can drink or let it alone. I have seen
this tried so often and fail that I have but
little faith in men trying to save themselves.
I don't believe a man can save himself. I
knew a young lawyer in New York who
kept the pledge for nine years inviolate, and
he used to talk about his own will. But last
Christmas Day the enemy overpowered him
and he took his first drink in nine years,
and before New Year's Day he died in delir   ium tremens. I have little faith in will and
resolutions, but I have great faith in our
God, and I have seen so many miracles per  formed by the Lord Jesus during my tem  perance work that I believe He can save
men even unto the uttermost."  "I want to
say to you drinking men that you can't save
yourselves, and it is no use trying.  You
have got to lay down your burden at Jesus'
feet and get mercy."
4*
81 
82   A WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
Wherever the gospel has been preached in
its purity, the result has always been the
reformation of men and of neighborhoods.
The preaching of Christ and Him crucified
accomplishes this, even without any reference to particular sins. The believer in
Christ is delivered from the power of sin, as
well as from its penalty. The moral effect
of the preaching of Christ is the same in all
places and among all classes: the educated
and the ignorant, the civilized and the
savage. It is a great mistake to think that
men must be civilized, or educated, or raised
from any depth, before they are fit to have
the gospel preached to them. The more degraded and the more hopeless their condition, the more they need the gospel, and the
more readily they receive it.
The early Christians          revolutionized the
Roman Empire by preaching, not politics,
nor reforms, nor science, nor humanitarianism, but simply by preaching Christ and Him
crucified. A change of government does
not elevate the masses, nor does a republic
make them free.
Peoples may not rise though kings may fall."
"Men unfit for freedom can't be free."
There is no freedom where the gospel does
not prevail.
I 
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.
Education does not truly elevate the
masses; but unless controlled by the gospel,
it only gives them more power for evil.
The millions of poor deluded and degraded
papists would be far more dangerous were
they all educated Jesuits.
Civilization does not elevate without the
gospel. It may serve only to introduce ex  travagance, fraud, and refined licentiousness.
The preaching of the gospel of Christ is
always followed by reforms, social and polit  ical; it introduces purity, freedom, educa  tion, and true civilization, and the masses
become elevated. Its whole progress from
the beginning shows this.  The present con  dition of all the nations in the world shows
this. All nations, whether empires or repub  lics, may be graded in accordance with the
degree in which the power and spirit of the
gospel are felt among the people. Where its
power is not felt, the people are controlled
by standing armies; and because of casting
off their allegiance to Christ, they are the
slaves of despots, military rulers, or of
priests; and they will remain so, with a con-,
stant change of rulers, until the gospel
makes them free.  " Where the Spirit of the
Lord is, there is liberty" (2 Cor. 3: I7). The
simple preaching of the gospel is God's or
83 
84   A WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
dained means for fitting men to live both in
this world and the next. Paul reminds the
Christians at Corinth that some of them had
been "idolaters, adulterers, thieves, drunkards,
etc., and that they were sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by
the Spirit of our God" (I Cor. 6: 9, II).  He
reminds the Ephesians, "We  all had our
conversation in times past in the lusts of our
flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of
the mind, and were by nature children of
wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich
in mercy, for His great love wherewith He
loved us, even when we were dead in sins,
hath quickened us together with Christ"
(Eph. 2: 3). He writes to the Colossians
that they once lived in the like sins (Col.
3: 5). Peter reminds the Christians gathered
from the heathen in other countries, that once
"We walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess
of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abom
inable idolatries" (I Pet. 4: 3). That such
practices are not confined to the heathen,
Paul shows. When speaking of the natural
heart of man everywhere, he speaks of it
"As filled with unrighteousness, fornication,
wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full
of envy, murder, deceit, haters of God," etc.,
etc. (Rom. I: 18-32),  He adds, "They are
tI 
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.
all gone out of the way; there is none that
doeth good, no, not one (Rom. 3: I2, 19, 22,
23). To remedy all this, Paul says, "I determined not to know any thing among you save
Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (i Cor.
2: 2). " For I am not ashamed of the gospel
of Christ, for it is the power of God unto
salvation to every one that believeth" (Rom.
I: I6).  The natural heart of man is the
same now that it was in the days of Paul;
and, thanks be unto God! the gospel of
Christ has the same power to save and reform
men now as it had then. There never has
been and there never will be any other way.
Over a century ago the lamented Brainerd
spent his short life as a missionary among
the Indians.  They were stupid, sensual savages, given to strong drink and greatly prejudiced against the whites. In his diary he
says he made Christ crucified the centre and
mark of all his discourses. He led them to
know their deplorable state by nature as
fallen creatures; their inability to extricate
and deliver themselves from it; the utter insufficiency of any external reformation and
amendments of life, or of any religious performances of which they were capable, while
in this state, to bring them into the favor of
God; thence he showed them their absolute
.,e*e. -eee.
85 
86     WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
need of Christ to redeem and save them from
the misery of their fallen state, and opened
His all-sufficiency and willingness to save the
chief of sinners; the freeness and riches of
divine grace, proposed "without money and
without price" to all who will accept the
offer; and urged them, without delay, to be take themselves to Him. The result was
that, although he hlad to preach through a
listless interpreter, and his instructions were
opposed by wicked white men, the Spirit was
poured out from on high, and in eleven
months seventy-seven of these savages be came devout and intelligent Christians, and
many others were brought under Christian
influence. He adds: "It is worthy of remark that numbers of these people are
brought to a strict compliance with the rules
of moraliy and sobriety, and to a conscientious
performance of the external duties of Christianity by the internal power and influence of
divine truths-the peculiar doctrines of grace
-upon their minds, without their having
these moral duties frequently repeated and
inculcated upon them, and the contrary vices
particularly exposed and spoken against.
When these truths were felt at heart, there
was now no vice unreformed, no external
duty neglected."
..'-......
I 
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.
The like results, following the preaching
of the gospel, have been seen in our day in
the reformation and elevation of the savages
of the Fiji, the Sandwich, and many other
islands of the Pacific, the natives of which
were noted for their licentiousness, their cruelty, and their cannibalism.
And in our own land, how often we have
seen the power of the preaching of Christ
and Him crucified, in not only reforming all
classes of individuals, even the most degraded, but also in the closing for a time of
all the theatres, bar-rooms, and gambling-saloons in the place, although no reference may
have been made to them.
Paul says, "Christ sent me  not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with
wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ
should be made of none effect. For the
preaching of the cross is to them that
perish, foolishness; but unto us which
are saved, it is the power  of God"  (I
Cor. I:'I7). The preaching of Christ for
eighteen hundred years has shown itself to
be the power of God. Wherever it is
preached, great signs follow: the ears of
those who are deaf to all other influences are
opened; the eyes of the blind, who are going
on to destruction, are made to see their dan
* -'"-::-'[
87 
88   A WORD TO CHRISTIAN TEACHERS.
ger and the way to escape; the lepers, with
the worst of all diseases, sin, and the prospect of certain death before them, are
cleansed; and the dead, without God and
without hope in the world, are raised to the
enjoyment of life. Restoring the helpless,
the hopeless, the despairing, and the outcast;
the harlot, the drunkard, and the vile, to purity, joy, and peace, are greater works than
the miracles performed in healing the body.
The preaching of the gospel alone does this;
the Lord confirming the word with signs following (Mark i6: 20).
In delivering our message we are encouraged by knowing that He who sends it will
not allow it to return unto Him void; that
salvation is of the Lord; that where He
sends His messenger, He prepares hearts to
receive the message. Philip was sent to the
Ethiopian eunuch who was studying the
Scriptures (Acts 8: 29). Peter was sent to
preach Christ to the centurion, who was directed of God to send for Peter. Ananias
was sent to Paul, who was led of God to expect him (Acts 9: io, 12). Let us therefore
look to God not only to tell us where to go
and to go with us, but also to prepare the
hearts beforehand to receive the message we
bring.
~ —@.@.::
!v  "':."*'
I 
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.
Looking at the millions in the world who
are yet without teachers, we should be mindful of the words of the Lord Jesus, "The
harvest truly is great, but the laborers are
few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth laborers into
His hanrest" (Luke io: 2).
The message, the messenger, and the harvest are all His. Salvation, from the beginning to the end, is of God. Let us therefore give Him all the glory, "saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the
throne, and unto the Lamb" (Rev. 7: Io).
"To the only wise God our Saviour, be
glory and majesty, dominion and power,
both now and ever. Amen" (Jude 25).
Thus sent of God, delivering a message
from God, in the presence of God, having
the Lord Jesus Christ, the I AM, with you,
and the Holy Ghost speaking in you and
through you, and in love beseeching all to
be reconciled to God: you can depend upon
having the Lord working with you and confirming the word with signs following (Mark
I6: 20; Acts 2: 4, 7); and rejoicing in the
Lord always, you may look forward to be
glorified with Him forever (Rom. 8: I7; 2
Cor. 4: I7; Dan. I2: 3; 2 Tim. 4: 8).
89