This week Spring continues to look at the power of the pulpit.
We learn that the pulpit is powerful because:
(i) different ages of the world and different lands, and different departments of the Christian Church, are a sort of transcript of the pulpits that have instructed them, and hear their peculiarities to the present hour;
(ii) the very derangement and abuse of the pulpit is evidence of its power;
(iii) in aiming at the great and single object the pulpit has in view, it gains other things; things which it does not so directly aim at, but which belong to it as its natural allies which are incidental to it, and follow in its train of influences and blessings.
An interesting point that the pulpit's power is shown by the abuse that it receives: 'God has chained the arm of persecution in this land, but he has not sealed the lips of obloquy. Nor is it "as though some strange thing had happened to us," that men there are who are never more eloquent than when speaking and writing against God's ministers. If we were to give a word of counsel to these men, we would tell them, that it is the devil's work they are doing, and we would caution them against spitting out their venom so freely at the foot of God's altars. One thing comforts us. Such men are not wont to contend with shadows. The pulpit may glory in having such enemies, for it shows its worth and importance. It must have power, else would it never have excited so much concern and suspicion, and provoked such ribaldry and rage. That it has a being in such a world as this, is proof that it has power which even such a world cannot overcome.'
The pulpit's steadfastness despite serious opposition is indeed a testimony to its power.
R
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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