SERMON XIX.

PLAIN PREACHING.

1 CORINTHIANS XIV. 8.

"If the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?"

Or the gifts which God has given to his creatures, it too often happens that men value those most by which the possessor of the gift, the mere creature man is exalted; and those least, by which the man is most kept down and out of sight, and the Lord alone exalted. The great apostle Paul found this to be the case among the christians at Corinth. They prized more highly, it seems, the gift of speaking with tongues, and of working miracles, than the gift of prophesying; they loved rather to astonish than to edify, rather to draw the attention to themselves and the gifts of God making them great and glorious, than to set forth the

love and the grace of the Lord, and to give glory to God in the highest. The holy apostle entreats them to follow after love, and to desire spiritual gifts, but rather that they might prophesy. There is no occasion for me to enter now into a discussion of the word prophesying, as I do not intend to dwell upon the prophesying and preaching of those days, but I may just mention that by the word prophesying, we are not only to understand the foretelling of future events, but also the gift of plainly and profitably declaring and expounding the will of God as revealed in His holy word. Prophesying now, is teaching and preaching faithfully, and declaring with great plainness of speech, the lively oracles of the word of God. And as an illustration of the necessity of decidedness in the character of a minister's preaching, and of this great plainness of speech in delivering God's word or message, the apostle says, "For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?"

The figure of the text may seem to be used by the apostle incidentally, but it is one to which those well acquainted with the holy scriptures, are well accustomed. Thus the prophet Joel exclaims, "Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain, let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of

the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand." Thus also the Lord speaks by the prophet Isaiah, "Lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their sin."

We find at the tenth of Numbers, that two trumpets of beaten silver were ordered to be made, which were to be sounded on various occasions to give notice to the people.

These trumpets, when blown in the Jewish camp, did not give an uncertain sound. The Lord had ordained the several distinct ways in which the trumpet should be blown on particular occasions. If one trumpet, the princes who were heads of the thousands had notice to assemble. If an alarm, the camp was to go forward. When the congregation was to be gathered together, they were to blow, but not an alarm. When they were to go to war, an alarm was to be sounded. Also, in the day of their gladness, and in their solemn days, and in the beginnings of their months, they were ordered to blow with their trumpets over their burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of their peace offerings. Thus you see the meaning of the apostle is very clear, when he says, "If the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?"

I. But, let us now inquire, How does this apply to us? My friends, if you are the followers

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of our Lord Jesus Christ, though you may look for rest in His service, you must look for rest no where else. In the world you must make up your mind to find tribulation. I would remind you again and again that a long, sharp warfare is before you, a most glorious, but a most trying one. If you follow the great Captain of your salvation, you need not doubt the glorious event of the warfare; but you must endure hardness as a good soldier of our Lord Jesus Christ. Step by step, you must dispute your way to glory and to heaven, for this plain reason, that there are enemies in the field, who will most certainly dispute your onward progress step by step with you. If you were brought into the church in holy baptism, as I suppose you were, you stand pledged to renounce all terms of peace with the vanities of of this wicked world, the sinful lusts of the flesh, and the great adversary of your souls. You stand pledged to God to keep his commandments and to serve Him truly all the days of your life. It is a glorious warfare to which you are called, but a warfare it decidedly is, for though the church is written in heaven the church triumphant, it is here below the church militant, the warlike and warring church. Therefore, let us "cast off the works of darkness," and let us put on the armour of light; for most assuredly, if we are to lay hold on eternal life, we must "fight

the good fight of faith." You see, then, that you must prepare yourself to the battle.

II. Let us consider, from the words before us, the responsibility of the Minister of the Gospel. Turn with me *to the thirty-third chapter of the book of the prophet Ezekiel. "The word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for a watchman: if when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away; his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand."

Remark, how solemnly the Lord applies these figures. He first reminds the preacher that in himself he is nothing, a dying man

* See also Ezekiel iii. 17, 18, 19.