4. Zealously and Boldly, Painstakingly and Frequently
Thomas Brooks
Ephesians 3:8. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles, the unsearchable riches of Christ.
[5.] Ministers must preach Christ zealously and boldly (Acts 4:20), as well as wisely. When the council had charged Peter and John that they should not preach any more in the name of Christ, they said, in effect, What do you tell us of the whip, or of prisons, or of this and that? We cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard. So Jeremiah: “His word was
1Taken, with editing, from Brooks’ Works, vol 3. Last month’s article spoke of preaching Christ plainly and faithfully.
in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay” (Jer 20:9); the Lord told Isaiah, “Cry aloud, spare not; lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins” (Is 58:1). Isaiah had his tongue touched with a coal of fire from the altar (6:6,7). And when the disciples were to go and preach the gospel, the fire sat upon them (Acts 2:3,4).
The worst of men are in a dead sleep, and the best of men are too often in a sinful slumber, as the spouse (Song 5:2) and the wise virgins (Mt 25); therefore faithful ministers need to cry aloud; they need to be courageous and zealous, to awaken both sinners and saints, so that no one may go sleeping to hell. Every coward is a murderer. The cowardice of the minister is cruelty; if he fears the faces of men he is a murderer of the souls of men. Let men’s hands be as fire and their strength as iron, yet ministers must deal with them and strive to make a conquest on them (Ezk 2:3-8).
Luther professed that he had rather be accounted anything than be accused of wicked silence in Christ’s cause. “Let me be accounted proud,” says he, “let me be accounted covetous, let me be accounted a murderer, yea, guilty of all vices, so that I am not proved guilty of wicked silence for the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Themistocles2 was about to speak to the general of the Greek army against Xerxes, the general held up his staff, as if he had been about to strike him, “Strike,” said Themistocles, “but yet hear!” So should ministers say, Strike, but yet hear; mock, but yet hear; despise, but yet hear; censure, but yet hear; oppose, but yet hear; do what you will, but yet hear. Augustine says, “He is no friend to God that is not zealous for him”.
[6.] They are to preach Christ painstakingly and frequently.3 A minister must be like the bee, which still flies from one flower to another to suck out honey for the good of others. Should not that dreadful word make every idle shepherd tremble: “Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully”, or, negligently (Jer 48:10); “Be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor 15:58). O the dreadful woes that are pronounced in Scripture against idle shepherds! (Jer 23:1; Ezk 13:3, 34:2; Zec 11:17; Mt 23:13-16,23,25,27).
The great Shepherd of our souls, the Lord Jesus, was still feeding His flock, and much in provoking others to do the same work: “Feed My sheep . . .
2A politician in Athens who died in 459 BC.
3The father pays the nurse though the child dies; the doctor has his fee though the patient dies, and the vine-dresser has his reward though the vine wither. So will God deal with faithful ministers (2 Cor 2:15, Is 49:2-4).
Feed My lambs” (Jn 21:15); “Preach the word . . . in season, out of season” (2 Tim 4:2). Christ wept for souls, bled for souls and prayed for souls; and shall not ministers sweat much for souls and work much for the good of souls? Doubtless they will give but a sad account to Christ that make anything serve to fill up the hour, that spend two or three hours at the end of a week to fit themselves for Sabbath exercises. Idleness is hateful in anyone, but most abominable and intolerable in ministers; and sooner or later no one shall pay so dear for it as they will. Witness the frequent woes that are denounced in Scripture against them.