Jeremiah 23:21-22

I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran; I have not spoken them, yet they prophesied.

A Divine call indispensable to the success of a minister of the Gospel

I. A Divine call is necessary to warrant any man in taking upon himself the ministerial office. First, he ought to be satisfied that, in making his decision, he is not swayed by worldly motives, and should examine himself strictly as to the singleness of his aim, and earnestness of his desire, to promote God’s glory and the good of souls. But as there may exist this desire on our part, when there is no call on God s, there is a second necessary point in regard to which we must be satisfied, namely, our fitness for the work; and this is a matter which must be determined not by ourselves, but by the proper authorities of the Church. But there is still another security against error in reference to this matter; for we must, in the third place, clearly see a way open in Providence for our approach to the ministerial office; and I can conceive that, not only may a man be satisfied as to the two first points, but his way may be so hedged up, that his vocation may be as clear as if a voice were to address him from heaven upon the subject.

II. The man who intrudes into the ministerial. Office without a proper call, has no right to expect the Divine blessing upon his labours, whilst he is uncalled and unsent. There are few things more absurd and thoroughly inconsistent with every principle of propriety, than the grounds on which young men have too often been appointed to the holy ministry. How often have we known young men licensed to preach the Gospel, merely because they had attended the requisite number of years at college, and were able to undergo an examination, whilst decisive evidences of personal religion were neither sought nor given; and then ordained as ministers of Christ upon being presented to a living by a patron, who, perhaps, had little interest in the parish, and still less in the cause of vital godliness! How deplorable that a youth inexperienced in the Christian warfare should be appointed to lead the hosts of the Lord! How deplorable that a person should be ordained to rouse and watch over the souls of others, who never felt any concern for his own; that one should be appointed to deal with persons labouring under the convictions of an awakened conscience, who is altogether ignorant of the matter, and to point out the way of salvation to others when he knows it only by hearsay himself! It is only a converted and divinely-called ministry, whose labours God can be expected to own and render profitable to His Church. However profound the intellect and acute the discrimination and splendid the eloquence of a mere man-taught preacher, though he may gratify the itching ears of his audience, and excite their admiration of himself, so far as the grand ends of preaching are concerned, he is like a man beating the air.

III. Though a person may have entered into the sacred ministry without a proper call, there is here a hope held out, that if he is faithful in the discharge of ministerial duty, God may favour him with a call and render his labours at last eminently successful. It would seem from Jeremiah 23:22, that, even though a person to enter the ministerial office from improper motives, and without a Divine call, yet, if he act according to the instructions of God’s Word, and apply it for the regulation of his own heart and conduct, and be diligent and faithful in the performance of ministerial duty, he will be caught by the truth with which he is brought into contact, and converted and commissioned by God, and made to see the Divine pleasure prospering in his hand. This is certainly a perilous experiment for any man to make, but there are undoubted instances on record of unconverted men intruding into the ministerial office from secular motives, whose presumption has been pardoned, whose souls have been converted, Whose official appointment has been recognised of God, and whose labours have ultimately been abundantly blessed. Oh, what need of intimate and very frequent communion with God, that our graces may be kept in lively exercise, that, when we mingle with our people, coming fresh from the ivory palaces, all our garments may smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia; that, being constantly conversant with spiritual things, and having our affections placed upon them, an habitual solemnity may pervade our conduct, so that it may be no effort for us, wherever we go, always to bear in mind that we are the servants of the Lord Jesus. Ah, were we thus always to act, how should our private conduct “illustrate and enforce our public services! (W. B. Clark.)

If they had stood in My counsel, and had caused My people to hear My words.

The ideal preacher

I. His mental position. “If they had stood in My counsel.” By God’s “counsel” here we understand His written Word. To stand in it implies making His Word the permanent sphere of the mind, the one great subject of study and scene of action. This mental position is--

1. Most necessary. God’s thoughts alone and not man’s can spiritually and effectively help humanity, and these thoughts are only to be got at by profoundly studying the Scriptures, and thus standing in the counsel of the Lord.

2. Most ennobling. The man who lives in the Scriptures will have an elevation of spirit, a nobility of nature, a dignity of bearing that will give him power over the minds of men.

II. His grand work, “Caused My people to hear My words.”

1. This is the most difficult work. Man’s spiritual ears are so sealed by carnality, worldliness, and sin, that they will not listen Notwithstanding, this is the preacher’s work.

2. This is the most urgent work. The words of the Lord are a man’s only light, hope, and salvation.

III. His true test. “They should have turned” their hearers “from their evil ways,” &c.

1. Conversion from evil is the great want of mankind.

2. Conversion from evil is the great tendency of Gods Word. (Homilist.)

God’s ministers must deal faithfully with men

Ministers should not be merely like dials on watches, or milestones on the road, but like clocks and larums, to sound the alarm to sinners. Aaron wore bells as well as pomegranates, and the prophets were commanded to lift up their voices like a trumpet. A sleeping sentinel may be the loss of the city. (Bishop Hall.)

The effectiveness of faithful dealings with the wicked

Dr. Pierson said, that at the funeral of a man who had been very generous but ungodly and dissipated, he felt unwilling to say anything that would be untrue to his convictions, and accordingly spoke to the business men, who were there in large numbers, of the folly of neglecting the soul even for the sake of worldly profit. One of them cursed and swore that he would provide in his will that he (Mr. Pierson) should never officiate at his funeral. Shortly after, he was smitten of an incurable disease, and for months he lingered in great agony, and died. He sent for Mr. Pierson, and begged him to pray for and with him. He also wrote him a letter in which he said, “Be always honest and true with men; tell them the truth, and even those who at the time may take offence, will afterwards stand by you and approve your cause.” When he came to look into the hereafter, he wanted no shallow quicksand of flattering falsehood on which to rest his feet.