“And they that art Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts” (Galatians v. 24).
EVERY work of God is serious, but the work put in my hand to-day is very serious. It is a heavy work to ask people to prepare for the Lord’s Feast. “They that are Christ’s have crucified.” That is what happened to our Lord. He was crucified, and we are called on to do the same with our flesh and lusts. To drive nails into them. This is sore work, work that the flesh does not want, but wants to run away from. But they that are Christ’s have done it, and if we are Christ’s we must have done it, and we must do it again. However sore it is, we must take hold of the lusts and the flesh, lay them on their back, and drive the nails into them. We must do more than merely scratch them; we must drive the spikes right through them. The blood must run. Their life must be poured out. Some people only scratch them. The impression of the Lord’s Supper is light upon them, and only remains a short time. In crucifixion both feet and hands were pierced. There was no part of the body left to lean upon the earth. Some people will give their feet but not their hands to be crucified. They will not move much abroad, but do plenty of the lusts of the flesh at home in their huts. Others will give their hands but not their feet. They will go quietly about as if they were doing nothing, yet they spread jealousy and malice among the people. But we who are Christ’s want the spikes to go through all, to kill all, and then to lift up all above the earth. This is our special work to-morrow. But this is preparation day, and what should we be doing to-day? Well, how are we to get it done? The Holy Spirit alone can do all this for us. We can do nothing to crucify the flesh, although we can do much to keep it living. The Holy Spirit comes to our souls and lays the flesh and the lusts on their backs, and He then takes the spikes and drives these into our flesh and lusts. This He does when He works faith in us, and we see the broken body and shed blood of our Lord. This is the great work of the Holy Spirit’s hands. If we are Christ’s, it follows that we must crucify the flesh, and the Holy Spirit alone can do this by working faith. Then on a day of preparation our best preparation is prayer for the Holy Spirit to do this. You are at your own wills to take your own ways in the matter, but this is the way I am taking to-day.—Translation.
* These notes were sent us by the Rev. John Tallach, and are notes of an unpremeditated address by a native elder on the Saturday of a Communion. We are sure our readers will greatly appreciate the original, impressive, and scriptural nature of the address, so effective in its simplicity.—Editor.