Some church members know so little about what the Bible teaches and have made such little progress in the spiritual life that they seem destitute of appreciation of preaching on Christian living. A teacher would as well be lecturing a class of children in the A grade at school on higher mathematics or astronomy as for a preacher to preach to such church members on self-denial, generosity cheerful giving, the beauties of holiness, etc. They see, for instance, no need of the daily study of the Bible or the efficacy and power in daily prayer. Of them Paul speaks as follows: "Of whom [of Christ and his priesthood, his intercession and help] we have many things to say, and hard of interpretation, seeing ye are become dull of hearing [not studious of the word of God, but sluggish and dull]. For when by reason of the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need again that some one teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of solid food. For every one that partaketh of milk is without experience of the word of righteousness for he is a babe. But solid food is for full-grown men, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil." (Heb. 5:11-14.) This passage declares that some do not know what "the word of righteousness" teaches, and are, therefore, inexperienced in its practice; that they do not know the difference between good and evil, because they have not exercised their senses in order to discern this difference; and that God does not expect his children to remain babes always, but that they should go on to full growth and become teachers of others. No one can become a child of God without becoming a babe. "Except ye turn, [71] and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 18:3.) "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God. . . Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John 3:3-5.) But the child of God must not remain a babe always. "Putting away, therefore, all weakness and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as new-born babes, long for the spiritual milk which is without guile, that ye may grow thereby unto salvation." (1 Pet. 2:1, 2.) Through the study of God's word, which contains "all things that pertain unto life and godliness," and the subjugation of animal appetite and passions, God's children "become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust." (2 Pet. 1:4.) By prayerful self-examination we should know how far we have escaped from this corruption and to what extent we have become partakers of the divine nature. God's children with a normal spiritual appetite, hunger and thirst after righteousness. "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth." (Ps. 119:103.)

      Illustrative of this lack of appreciation on the part of a few of preaching on godliness and true holiness, the following incident is given. A new preacher to a certain congregation began a meeting for it; and, in his usual way, while telling sinners what to do to be purged, or saved, from old sins, he preached on right living--against lying, defrauding, extortion, covetousness drunkenness, fornication, etc., and on the importance of forgiving one another, loving one another, loving our [72] enemies, and "denying ungodliness and worldly lusts" and living "soberly and righteously and godly in this present world," while we earnestly look for and desire the coming of the Lord Jesus; and a certain brother of intelligence and influence said to Bro. William Anderson, about the middle of the meeting: "Say, when do you suppose that preacher will get down to his knitting?" Bro. Anderson replied: "You have the matter exactly reversed. You will have to get up on the plane where the preacher is; he will not get down to you at all, he has gone on and left you." With a few, one does not preach unless he argues always against the religious theories of others, and he is not considered strong and bold unless he challenges and dares others to a discussion. To preach firmly and fully the word, to preach "Christ and him crucified," to preach the gospel, to preach the whole counsel of God, is every preacher's duty, and all Christians should encourage him in doing it.

      I do not think it out of order to relate a trying experience I had soon after I began to preach, in speaking on the subject that is commonly called "giving." I had no better sense about preaching then than I have now. I thought then, and still think, that all God's commandments should be preached and obeyed, and that all God's commands concerning any given thing must be preached and obeyed. In studying the Bible, therefore, I found much said on the subject named above, and one morning during a meeting announced that as my subject. I did so with as much innocence and with as pure a motive as I ever announced and preached on the love of God, because I thought all God's children [73] sired to know his will on all subjects. But I was mistaken. I had uttered only a few sentences when I discovered a great indifference and uneasiness on the part of the church. The brethren hung their heads and began to turn and rattle the leaves of their hymn books as though they wanted to sing the "invitation song" just then. I found I could not look at them and preach; so I turned to the sisters, feeling sure they would encourage me. But I was disappointed. Their heads were down, too, and they were twisting the corners of their handkerchiefs and picking at their fans. All seemed ashamed of the young preacher and looked as though they wished he had not chosen that subject, for some of the religious neighbors were present, and these neighbors might think he was preaching a "begging sermon." I was forced to stop. When I paused, all looked up, of course, to see what was the trouble. I waited until I saw I had the attention of all, and said: "Brethren, it is not time to sing yet: so let us close up and put down the books and all listen to me. I have made no mistake; I have chosen this subject on purpose; it is a Bible subject; God intends for us to consider it and to practice what he teaches in regard to it. I am not preaching thus that it may be so done unto me; I am not seeking yours, but you; I am not speaking in respect of want, but seeking fruit that may abound to your account. But I am preaching that you may obey God and be saved; for unless you obey God in this matter of being liberal and cheerful givers, you will never be saved; and if I do not preach and practice it, I cannot be saved." By that time I had undivided attention, and proceeded with good effect. When the children of God are made to realize that their growth in grace and salvation in heaven depend upon their being liberal, "rich toward God" (Luke 12:21), and "rich in good works" [74] (1 Tim. 6:17-19), they are willing to give this matter more earnest heed; and this and every other duty should be placed on the high plane Of service to God. "Honor Jehovah with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy vats shall overflow with new wine." (Prov. 3:9, 10.) How can we lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven and be rich toward God unless we use our money and means as God directs? He who does not desire to learn and do his duty in this particular does not desire to obey God.

      The most powerful and therefore the most convincing of all arguments is the one of doing. If congregations and individual Christians do not make this argument against error and sin, they would as well quit theorizing. The strongest declaration of the faith of Christians in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus is their meeting on the first day of the week to break bread. "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink the cup, ye proclaim the Lord's death till he come." There is, also, not a more logical and eloquent way of preaching the gospel. Ten thousand congregations, and more, meeting on the first day of the week to break bread in memory of Jesus is a mighty proclamation of the gospel! He who neglects this neglects the proclamation of the gospel and helps to destroy, to that extent, the influence of its proclamation by others. The only successful way to prove that the church is "the pillar and ground of the truth" is for the church everywhere to support the truth as God has commanded it to do. When every congregation goes to work and demonstrates by practice that nothing more than the church is necessary in order to evangelize the world, all [75] missionary societies will die; the action of the church will kill them by demonstrating that they are among the "non-essentials." "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord and do not the things which I say?" This is true with regard to every work God has committed to the church. It is encouraging to note that many congregations are doing more and more toward evangelizing the world. Some, however, are behind and will not do anything regularly toward this great work.

      August 17, 1905.

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