The Gift of
Preaching----Advice to a Young Preacher
July 25, 1772.
Dear Sir,
I am glad to hear you are accommodated at D----
where I hope your best endeavours will not be
wanting to make yourself agreeable, by a humble,
inoffensive, and circumspect behaviour.
I greatly approve of your speaking from one of
the lessons in the afternoon: you will find it a
great help to bring you gradually to that habit
and readiness of expression which you desire; and
you will, perhaps, find it make more impression
upon your hearers, than what you read to them
from the pulpit. However, I would not discourage
or dissuade you from reading your sermons for a
time. The chief inconvenience respecting yourself
is that which you mention. A written sermon is
something to lean upon; but it is best for a
preacher to lean wholly upon the Lord. But set
off gradually; the Lord will not despise the day
of small things: pray heartily, that your spirit
may be right with Him, and then all the rest will
be well. And keep on writing: if you compose one
sermon, and should find your heart enlarged to
preach another, still your labour in writing will
not be lost. If your conscience bears you
witness, that you desire to serve the Lord, His
promise (now He has brought you into the
ministry) of a sufficiency and ability for the
work, belongs to you as much as to another.
Your borrowing help from others may arise from a
diffidence of yourself, which is not blameable,
but it may arise, in part, likewise from a
diffidence of the Lord, which is hurtful. I wish
you may get encouragement from that word, Exodus
iv. 11, 12. It was a great encouragement to me.
While I would press you to diligence in every
rational means for the improvement of your stock
in knowledge, and your ability of utterance, I
would have you remember, that preaching is a
gift. It cannot be learned by industry and
imitation only, as a man may learn to make a
chair or a table: it comes from above; and if you
patiently wait upon God, He will bestow this gift
upon you, and increase it in you. It will grow by
exercise. "To him that hath shall be given, and
he shall have more abundantly." And be chiefly
solicitous to obtain an unction upon what you do
say. Perhaps those sermons in which you feel
yourself most deficient, may be made most useful
to others. I hope you will endeavour likewise to
be plain and familiar in your language and
manner, though not low or vulgar, so as to suit
yourself as much as possible to the apprehensions
of the most ignorant people. There are in all
congregations some persons exceedingly ignorant:
yet they have precious souls, and the Lord often
calls such. I pray the Lord to make you wise to
win souls. I hope He will.
You cannot be too jealous of your own heart;
but let no such instances as Mr ---- discourage
you. Cry to Him who is able to hold you up, that
you may be safe, and you shall not cry in vain.
It is indeed an alarming thought, that a man may
pray and preach, be useful and acceptable for a
time, and yet be nothing. But still the
foundation of God standeth sure.
I have a good hope, that I shall never have cause
to repent the part I have taken in your concerns.
While you keep in the path of duty, you will find
it the path of safety. Be punctual in waiting
upon God in secret. This is the life of
everything, the only way, and the sure way, of
maintaining and renewing your strength.
I am, &c.
Sowing the
Seed----Doubting the Truth
April 17, 1776
Dear Sir,
By this time I hope you are both returned in
peace and happy together in your stated, favoured
tract: rejoicing in the name of Jesus yourselves,
and rejoicing to see the savour of it spreading
like a precious perfume among the people. Every
day I hope you find prejudices wearing off, and
more disposed to hear the words of Life. The Lord
has given you a fine first fruits, which I trust
will prove the earnest of a plentiful harvest. In
the meantime He will enable you to sow the seed
in patience, leaving the event in His hands.
Though it does not spring up visibly at once, it
will not be lost. I think He would not have sent
you, if He had not a people there to call; but
they can only come forth to view as He is pleased
to bring them. Satan wild try to hinder and
disturb you, but he is in a chain which he cannot
break, nor go a step further than he is
permitted. And, if you have been instrumental to
the conversion of but a few, in those few you
have an ample reward already for all the
difficulties you have or can meet with. It is
more honourable and important to be an instrument
of saving one soul, than to rescue a whole
kingdom from temporal ruin. Let us, therefore,
while we earnestly desire to be more useful, not
forget to be thankful for what the Lord has been
pleased already to do for us; and let us expect,
knowing whose servants we are, and what a Gospel
we preach, to see some new miracles wrought from
day to day; for, indeed, every real conversion
may be accounted miraculous, being no less than
an immediate exertion of that power which made
the heavens, and commanded the light to shine out
of darkness.
Your little telescope is safe. I wish I had
more of that clear air and sunshine you speak of,
that with you I might have more distinct views of
the land of promise. I cannot say my prospect is
greatly clouded by doubts of my reaching it at
last; but then there is such a languor and
deadness hangs upon my mind, that it is almost
amazing to me how I can entertain any hopes at
all. It seems, if doubting could ever be
reasonable, there is no one who has greater
reason for doubting than myself. But I know not
how to doubt, when I consider the faithfulness,
grace, and compassion of Him who has promised. If
it could be proved that Christ had not died, or
that He did not speak the words which are
ascribed to Him in the Gospel, or that He is not
able to make them good, or that His word cannot
safely be taken; in any of these cases I should
not doubt to purpose, and lie down in despair.
I am, &c.
The Proper Attitude for
Preaching
Dear Sir,
The account which I received by Mr. C----, and
by the letter which he brought from you, of your
welfare, and the welfare of your people, was very
pleasing, though, indeed, no more than I
expected. I believed, from the first of your
going to S----, that you would like the people,
and I believed the Lord had given you that frame
of spirit which He has promised to bless. What
reason have we to praise Him for the knowledge of
His Gospel, and for the honour of being called to
preach it to others; and, likewise, that He has
been pleased to cast your lot and mine amongst a
people who value it, and to crown our poor
labours with some measure of acceptance and
usefulness! How little did we think, in the
unawakened part of our life, to what it was His
good pleasure to reserve us!
The Lord is pleased, in a measure, to show me
the suitableness and necessity of a humble,
dependent frame of heart, a ceasing from self,
and a reliance upon Him in the due use of
appointed means; I am far from having attained,
but I hope I am pressing, at least seeking, after
it. I wish to speak the word simply and
experimentally, and to be so engaged with the
importance of the subject, the worth of souls,
and the thought that I am speaking in the name
and presence of the Most High God, as that I
might, if possible, forget everything else. This
would be an attainment, indeed! More good might
be expected from a broken discourse, delivered in
such a frame, than from the most advantageous
display of knowledge and gifts without it.
Not that I would undervalue propriety and
pertinence of expression: it is our duty to study
to find out acceptable words, and to endeavour to
appear as workmen that need not be ashamed; but
those who have most ability in this way, have
need of a double guard of grace and wisdom, lest
they be tempted to trust in it, or to value
themselves upon it. They that trust in the Lord
shall never be moved; and they that abase
themselves before Him, He will exalt. I am well
persuaded that your conduct and view have been
agreeable to these sentiments; and, therefore,
the Lord has supported, encouraged, and owned
you; and, I trust, He will still bless you, and
make you a blessing to many. He that walketh
humbly, walketh surely.
Believe me to be, &c.
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