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Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers
Holy Spirit must be the living agency to convince of sin. The divine
agent presents to the speaker the benefits of the sacrifice made upon
the cross; and as the truth is brought in contact with the souls present,
Christ wins them to Himself, and works to transform their nature.
He is ready to help our infirmities, to teach, to lead, to inspire us
with ideas that are of heavenly birth.
How little can men do in the work of saving souls, and yet how
much through Christ if they are imbued with His spirit! The human
teacher cannot read the hearts of his hearers, but Jesus dispenses
the grace that every soul needs. He understands the capabilities of
man, his weakness, and his strength. The Lord is working on the
human heart, and a minister can be to the souls who are listening
to his words a savor of death unto death, turning them away from
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Christ; or, if he is consecrated, devotional, distrustful of self, but
looking unto Jesus, he may be a savor of life unto life to souls who
are already under the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, and in
whose hearts the Lord is preparing the way for the messages which
He has given to the human agent. Thus the heart of the unbeliever is
touched, and it responds to the message of truth. “Ye are laborers
together with God.” The convictions implanted in the heart, and the
enlightenment of the understanding by the entrance of the word,
work in perfect harmony. The truth brought before the mind has
power to arouse the dormant energies of the soul. The Spirit of God
working in the heart cooperates with the working of God through
His human instrumentalities. When ministers realize the necessity
of thorough reformation in themselves, when they feel that they must
reach a higher standard, their influence upon the churches will be
uplifting and refining.
Secret Faults to be Overcome
There are sinners in the ministry. They are not agonizing to enter
in at the strait gate. God does not work with them, for He cannot
endure the presence of sin. It is the thing that His soul hates. Even
the angels that stood about His throne, whom He loved, but who
kept not their first estate of loyalty, God cast out of heaven with their
rebel leader. Holiness is the foundation of God’s throne; sin is the
opposite of holiness; sin crucified the Son of God. If men could see