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The Voice in Speech and Song
great love wherewith He has loved us appear in all our efforts.—Lt 48,
1886.
Christ in the Heart—Discourses that have little of Christ and
His righteousness in them are given in the desk. They are Christless
sermons. To preach in the demonstration of the Spirit is completely
beyond the power of those who are without Christ. They are feeble,
empty, and without nourishment. They have no Christ to carry with
them in private life. They are full of boasting, of pride, of self-esteem,
speaking evil of things of which they have no real knowledge. They
manifest an impatience of everything that does not follow in their
line. They will even scoff and mock at sacred things, because they do
not see that spiritual things are spiritually discerned. They degrade
themselves by perverting and falsifying truth.—
Manuscript 15, 1886
.
The Spirit’s Power—Merely to speak to beautiful things that
please the ear and attract attention should not be our purpose. We
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are to present Christ and Him crucified, that souls who are dead in
trespasses and sins may be alarmed and quickened. Those who seek
to teach others need to be converted to Christ; they need to plead with
God that He will imbue them with His Holy Spirit before they can lift
up Christ as the sinner’s only hope. Flowery speeches, pleasing tales,
anecdotes, and stories do not convict the sinner. Men listen to such
words as they would listen to a pleasant song, and the laborers gather
but few sheaves into the garner. The message the sinner should hear
is, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting
life” [
John 3:16
]. And the truth will subdue and tender the soul of the
teacher because he feels its practical utility.—
Manuscript 12, 1891
.
Life-Healing Balm From the Cross—The cross, the cross of
Calvary presented again and again, plainly dwelt upon in every dis-
course, will prove the life-healing balm, will reveal the beauty and
excellence of virtue. Those who quibble over the authenticity of
the Scriptures and question the authority of revelation will not be
influenced.—
Manuscript 20, 1893
.
Jesus in the Discourse—“And this is life eternal, that they might
know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent”
[
John 17:3
]. The eternal Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
This theme will quench unbelief; and yet, sad to say, Jesus has been
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dropped out of many, many discourses that have been preached by