But there is a fourth work of the Spirit of God. In Joh_15:26-27, it is said: "He, (that is, the Spirit) shall bear witness of Me, and ye shall bear witness."
Now the Church is in the world not to argue, not to defend God, not to stand forth as an advocate for God, but simply to witness to the truth of the unseen and eternal. And directly, brother ministers, you and I step away from that position, and become advocates pleading instead of witnesses bearing testimony, we step away from the position of power. You and I and the Church are called to bear witness to the death of Christ, His resurrection, His ascension, and the advent of the Holy Ghost. You can talk as you like about His social work, about His teaching, about the philosophy of the administration of His kingdom; but your prime work is to stand up before men, and say:
"I have known and tasted and handled of the death, resurrection, ascension and return of Jesus Christ our Lord."
And whilst you do that the Holy Spirit says: "Amen."
The other day I came on a saw pit. I could see a man sawing a great beam of timber with the long saw which rose and fell, and though I could not see his confederate, I knew that down in the pit there was another man who had hold of the saw; and I could tell the rhythm and the motion of the body of the man I could not see, by noticing the rhythm and the motion of the body of the man I could see. And I saw at once that that was an illustration of the co; witness of the Holy Ghost.
When a man stands up in his pulpit and says; "Jesus died," the Holy Ghosts says: "He did, and it was by Me that He offered Himself to God." When the minister says: "He rose," the Holy Ghost says: "He did: and it was by My power that He was raised and declared to be the Son of God." When we say: "He went back to God and liveth and reigneth with the Father," the Holy Ghost, brooding in the Church, says: "Yea, Amen, I have just left Him; I am in loving fellowship with Him; I and the Son and the Father are one."
O, brother ministers, ever since I learned this, my work has been quite altered, because now, when I enter my pulpit, I go as only a very small part of the great machinery which is in operation. I have to speak, but the Holy Ghost is all the time working with me, and hence the salvation of my people does not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power and demonstration of the Holy Ghost. If they received simply upon my putting of it, the effect would be evanescent, but when the Holy Spirit demonstrates a thing to the conscience it is permanent.
You and I were once at school. We had a problem in geometry. We might have seen at a glance that such and such a thing must be so, but we were called upon to demonstrate it, and the demonstration would be our conclusion. So the Holy Ghost establishes the word of the child, tile servant of God, in the Bible class, in the mission, and in the church.
In London, in the winter, after the services of the church are over, we have our magic-lantern service from nine to ten o'clock for people whose clothes are too shabby to come among the more respectable audiences. If is so dark that Nicodemus does not mind coming in. I carefully prepare my sermon, and keep one proof of it, and give the other to my secretary, who operates from the gallery. I begin to preach. When I say: "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son," I know that as I utter the words he flashes on the screen behind me a picture of the world, a globe with a scroll around it: "God is love." When I say: "Now is the time to accept this Christ," the word "now" will appear behind me. And if I speak of the Savior's dying love and pity, instantly I know, by previous agreement, that Dore's picture of the crucified Christ is appealing to the people. I do not need to look to see if it is there, because the awe, the reverence, the silence of the people indicate to me that that great sight is represented on the canvass. My secretrary demonstrates to the eye what I say to the ear.
My meaning, I trust, is distinct. You and I may go to work for God, may go into
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F.B. Meyer (1847 - 1929)
A contemporary and friend of D. L. Moody and A. C. Dixon, was a Baptist pastor and evangelist in England involved in ministry and inner city mission work on both sides of the Atlantic. Author of numerous religious books and articles, many of which remain in print today, he was described in an obituary as The Archbishop of the Free Churches.Meyer was part of the Higher Life Movement and was known as a crusader against immorality. He preached against drunkenness and prostitution. He is said to have brought about the closing of hundreds of saloons and brothels. Meyer wrote over 40 books, including Christian biographies and devotional commentaries on the Bible. He, along with seven other clergymen, was also a signatory to the London Manifesto asserting that the Second Coming was imminent in 1918. His works include The Way Into the Holiest:, Expositions on the Epistle to the Hebrews (1893) ,The Secret of Guidance, Our Daily Homily and Christian Living.
Frederick Brotherton Meyer, a contemporary and friend of D. L. Moody was a Baptist pastor and evangelist in England involved in ministry and inner city mission work on both sides of the Atlantic. Author of numerous religious books and articles, many of which remain in print today, he has been described as The Archbishop of the Free Churches.
Meyer was part of the Higher Life movement and preached often at the Keswick Convention. He was known as a crusader against immorality. He preached against drunkenness and prostitution. He is said to have brought about the closing of hundreds of saloons and brothels.
F. B. Meyer wrote over 40 books, including Christian biographies and devotional commentaries on the Bible. He, along with seven other clergymen, was also a signatory to the London Manifesto asserting that the Second Coming was imminent in 1918.
Frederick Meyer spent the last few years of his life working as a pastor in England's churches, but still made trips to North America, including one he made at age 80 (his earlier evangelistic tours had included South Africa and Asia, as well as the United States and Canada ). A few days before his death, Meyer wrote the following words to a friend:
Meyer was a Baptist pastor and evangelist in England, born in London. He attended Brighton College and graduated from London University in 1869. He studied theology at Regents Park Baptist College.
Meyer began pastoring churches in 1870. His first pastorate was at Pembroke Baptist Chapel in Liverpool. In 1872 he pastored Priory Street Baptist Church in York. While he was there he met the American evangelist Dwight L. Moody, whom he introduced to other churches in England. The two preachers became lifelong friends.
In 1895 Meyer went to Christ Church in Lambeth. At the time only 100 people attended the church, but within two years over 2,000 were regularly attending. He stayed there for fifteen years, and then began a traveling to preach at conferences and evangelistic services.
His evangelistic tours included South Africa and Asia. He also visited the United States and Canada several times.
He spent the last few years of his life working as a pastor in England's churches, but still made trips to North America, including one he made at age 80.
Meyer was part of the Higher Life movement and preached often at the Keswick Convention. He was known as a crusader against immorality. He preached against drunkenness and prostitution. He is said to have brought about the closing of hundreds of saloons and brothels.
Meyer wrote over 40 books, including Christian biographies and devotional commentaries on the Bible.