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Zion's Advocate--August 1875 THE ministers of Christ are, of course, more or less exercised constantly upon the subject of what and how to preach ; also, many who are not engaged in the work of the ministry re at times exercised upon the subject, at least so far as to criticize ministers, pointing out the defects they may discover in their efforts, both as to matter and manner. The first proposition— What to Preach—we might suppose, could readily be disposed of, since there are so many express declarations of the Scriptures upon the subject, such as: Preach the Word ; preach Christ; preach the Gospel; preach Christ crucified—the word of faith which we preach &c; but while all this is very plain to him who has eyes to see and a heart to understand, yet all who engage in preaching are not agreed as to who Christ is, and entertaining different opinions about him; their testimony is inharmonious. As witnesses they do not agree. “There was a division among the people because of him” when he was upon the earth and that division exists to this day. The prophet Isaiah was inspired to inquire for God's ministers in all ages, "Lord, who hath believed our report?“ The Gospel of the Kingdom of Christ is a report of Christ. Those who preach it not only make a report, but a correct, a true and faithful report of him—who he is, what he did, what he is now doing, what he will yet do to consummate the grand and glorious design of God in the work of Christ and the salvation of sinners by virtue of that work; hence the importance of knowing him in order to make a correct report of him. As it is written: “It is life eternal to know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent.” The question is settled, that preaching, which is the Gospel of Christ, is what is in harmony God’s revealed will, and in strict accordance with the word of his grace. Upon the question of how this work is to be performed, we have the examples of Christ and his apostles for our guide. The apostles were men of like passions with us. They had the same class of persons to preach to that we have. “The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God,” was in the ministry of John the Baptist."In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying,"Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” After the baptism of Jesus and the forty days’ conflict with the Devil, and after John was committed to prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of God and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent and believe the Gospel." The apostles preached after this example, and according to the command of Christ, repentance and remission of sins among all nations. The Master of the house also preached to his disciples upon the Mount of Olives, and comforted the mourner, the poor in spirit, the meek, they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peace-makers and those who are persecuted for righteousness sake. Thus we have the precept and also the command--he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it was he who was ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead. But some object and say, Why preach repentance to dead sinners? They can neither hear, see nor understand. That is true; that they hear not, see not, understand not, so far as the preacher is concerned or is able to effect them; but why did the prophet call upon the dry bones to hear the word of the Lord? He answered, “And I prophesied as I was commanded.” That was authority then for all who feared God, and it is still the authority for all such. This objection, however, will lie against all the exhortations and admonitions to the saints as it does against addresses to the ungodly, for the Christian has no more power than the unbeliever. The difference between them is not in the power, but in the will; as it written: "To will is present with me, but to perform that which is good I find not.” Newton gives a pertinent paraphrase of this in the following verse: “By nature prone to ill,
Till thine appointed hour;
I was as destitute of will
As now I am of power.” The apostle in II Thess. iii, 4, gives the key to this apparent mystery or paradox: "And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you.” That is the principle upon which all commands, exhortations, admonitions, reproofs, &c., are addressed to the saints, for they have nothing but what they have received, “As a man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.” Again to the Galatians v, 10: "I have confidence in you through the Lord that you will be none otherwise minded,” &c. The theory that we must preach to men according to the power they possess to obey is sublimated Arminianism, and yet; the advocates of it are very fraid of being called Arminians. Christians know, however, by the word of his grace, and by the revelation of that word in their hearts, when it comes in power and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance, that Christ’s word is true which says, “Without me you can do nothing.” The Spirit takes the word of Christ and shows it to his people, and thus it is verified in the experience. To preach to men upon the ground that they have power to do what is commanded, or to refuse to preach to them because they have not the power, shows that the confidence is in the flesh and not in God; that they depend upon the will of the flesh and not upon the power God, and that is the very essence, double refined, of Arminianism. The minister of Christ does not preach to any class of men upon the consideration of their ability or inability. He has the sentence of death in himself, and therefore cannot trust in himself; and he has no confidence in the flesh of any other, but his confidence, his faith and hope, is in God, from whence alone are his expectations. God has given a dispensation of the Gospel to him, has commanded him to preach unto the people, and he feels the woe if he does not preach the Gospel—not if he does not preach, simply, at all times and in any place—but, woe is me, if what I preach is not the Gospel, for God says of all who do not preach the Gospel, who pretend to it, but preach another gospel, “Let him be accursed.” There comes in the heaviest woe; but there is also a woe felt by Christ’s ministers if they hold their peace, and when a door is opened before them and they do not go in and occupy. The Word of God is a fire in their bones; they are impelled forward and cannot contain, whether men hear or forbear. Like the milch-kine tied to the cart, with their calves shut up at home, with the ark of the Lord upon the cart, they go the strait way, turning neither to the right hand nor the left, [I Sam. vi, 10-12] and if persecuted in one city they flee to another. If even their professed brethren become neglectful of them, and muzzle them while they tread out the corn, they will still preach in other localities and in regions beyond, and, with the prophet they will say, “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut of from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” [Heb. iii, 17-18] John Clark
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Griffin's History 
