By THOMAS BOSTON.
VIII.
(Continued from p. 462.)
Fifthly, Christ was much in prayer;
and that, 1, Before He preached; as Luke, ix. 18. Follow Him in this, O my soul. Thou hast much need to pray before thou preachest. Be busy with God in prayer, when thou art thinking on dealing with the souls of men. Let thy sermons be sermons of many prayers. Well doth prayer become every Christian, but much more a preacher of the gospel. Three things, said Luther, make a divine, tentatio, meditatio, et precatio. Be stirred up, O my soul, to this necessary work; and for this end consider, 1. That thou canst not otherwise say of thy preaching, Thus saith the Lord. How wilt thou get a word from God, if thou do not seek it? and how canst thou seek it but by earnest prayer? If otherwise, thou mayest get something that is the product of thy empty head to mumble over before the people, and spend a little time with them in the Church. But O! it is a miserable preaching where the preacher can say, Thus say I to you, but no more; and cannot say, Thus saith the Lord. 2. Consider thy own insufficiency and weakness, together with the weight of the work, Who is sufficient for these things? which if thou do, thou wilt not dare study without prayer, nor yet pray without study, when God allows thee time for both. It is a weighty work to bring sinners in to Christ, to pluck the brands out of the fire. Hast thou not great need then to be serious with God before thou preach? 3. Consider that word, Jer. xxiii. 22—”But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way.” There is no doubt but preachers not standing in God’s counsel this day, and not making men to hear God’s words, is one great reason of the unsuccessfulness of the gospel. Now this way, to wit, prayer in faith, is the most proper expedient for acquaintance with the counsel of God. Neglect it not then, O my soul, but be much in the duty.
Lastly, Remember that thou hast found much good of such a practice,
and hast found much of the Lord’s help both in studying and preaching, by so doing. For which cause thou allottest the Sabbath morning entirely to that exercise, and meditation, if thou canst get it done. Wherefore, let this be thy work. And there are these things which thou wouldst specially mind to pray for with respect to this. (1.) That thou mayest have a word from the Lord to deliver unto them; that thou mayest not preach to them the product of thy own wisdom, and that which merely flows from thy reason; for this is poor heartless preaching. (2.) That thy soul may be affected with the case of the people to whom thou preachest. If that be wanting, it will be tongue-preaching, but not heart-preaching. (3.) That thy heart may be inflamed with zeal for the glory of thy Master; that out of love to God, and love to souls, thy preaching may flow. (4.) That the Lord may preach it into thy own heart, both when thou studiest and deliverest it. For if this be not, thou shalt be like one that feeds others, but starves himself for hunger; or like a way-mark, that shews the way to men, but never moves a foot itself. (5.) That thou mayest be helped to deliver it; and that—(1.) With a suitable frame, thy heart being affected with what thou speakest.—(2.) Faithfully keeping up nothing that the Lord gives thee; and—(3.) Without confusion of mind or fear of man. (6.) That thou mayest have bodily strength allowed for the work, that thy indisposition disturb thee not. Lastly, That God would countenance thee in the work with His presence and power in ordinances, to make the word spoken a convincing and converting word to them that are out of Christ; a healing word to be broken; confirming to the weak, doubting and staggering ones, &c.; that God himself would drive the fish into the net, when thou spreadest it out. In a word, that thou mayest be helped to approve thyself to God, as a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2. After preaching, Christ was taken up in this work
—Mark vi. 46; Matth. xiv. 23—And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray. Follow Christ in this, O my soul. It is better to do this, than go away with the great people in the afternoon; which I shun as much as I can; and when at any time I do it, it is a kind of torment to me; which I have shunned, and do resolve to shun more; and if at any time I be necessitated to go, that I shall spend more time alone through grace. Pray to God, O my soul, that thy labours be not unsuccessful; that what thou hast delivered, may not be as water spilt on the ground. Pray for pardon of thy failings in public duties; and that God may accept of thy mite which thou givest with a willing mind; that he would not withdraw his blessing because of thy failings; but that he would be pleased to water with the dew of Heaven the ground wherein thou didst sow the seed, that it may spring up in due time; that the Word preached may be as a nail fastened by the Master of Assemblies, so as the devil may not be able to draw it out. Think not, O my soul, that thy work is over, and thou hast no more to do, when the people are dismissed. No, no; it is not so. Think with thyself, that the devil was as busy as thou wast, when thou wast preaching; and that afterwards he is not idle. And shall he be working to undo thy work, and thou unconcerned to hold it together? O no; it must not be so; God will not be pleased with this. And alas! I have been too slack in this point before this: Lord, help me to amend. If a man had a servant that would go out and sow his seed very diligently and faithfully; but would come in, and sit down idle when it is sown, and forget to harrow it, and hide it with earth; would the master be well pleased with him? yea, would he not be highly displeased, because the fowls would come and pick it up? So, O my soul, if thou shouldst be never so much concerned to get good seed, and never so faithful and diligent in sowing of it—yet if after, thou turn careless, and take not the way to cover it, by serious seeking to the Lord, that he may keep it in the hearts of people, and make it to prosper the devil may pick it all up; and where is thy labour then; and how will the Lord be pleased with thee? Therefore, pray more frequently, cry more fervently to God, when the public work is over, than thou hast done; and endeavour to be as much concerned when it is over, as when thou wast going to do it. I do not doubt, but many times, when thou preachest, some get checks and convictions of guilt; some perhaps are strengthened; but both impressions wear off very soon. I fear thou must confess, and take with a sinful hand in this, in that thou dost not enough labour to get the seed covered when it is sown, and the nail driven farther in when it is entered. Though many times thy body is wearied after the public work, yet sure thou mayest do more than thou dost; and if thy soul were more deeply affected, the weariness of body would not be so much in thy mind; but thou wouldst trample on it, that thou might get good done by thy work, and souls might not always thus be robbed by that greedy vulture and roaring lion, the enemy of thy own salvation, and the salvation of others. Although he has been as busy to do harm all the day to souls as thou hast been to do good, yet he will not complain of weariness at night. Take courage then, O my soul, and be strong in the Lord; and do not give it over to this enemy; endeavour to hold him at the staff’s end. Thou hast a good second; Christ is concerned for His own seed as well as thou. Go on then, and be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, and let that ravenous fowl never get a grain away as long as thou canst get it kept from him. Thus then, O my soul, follow Christ in being taking up in this so necessary an exercise. Thy Lord and Master had no wants to get made up, there was no fear of His failing in this work of the gospel; yet He prayed to give all, and especially preachers of His Word, an example. Lay not aside the pattern then, but write after His copy even in this.
(To be continued.)
The Law out of Christ is terrible as a lion: the Law in Him is meek as a lamb.—John Bunyan.