DELIVERED BY
C. H. SPURGEON,
AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.
"Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in
multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry. And Solomon reigned
over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and
unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all
the days of his life. And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty
measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal, ten fat oxen,
and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred sheep, beside
harts, and roebucks, and fallow deer, and fatted fowl. For he had
dominion over all the region on this side the river, from Tiphsah even
to Azzah, over all the kings on this side the river: and he had peace
on all sides round about him. And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every
man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba,
all the days of Solomon. And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of
horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. And those
officers provided victuals for King Solomon, and for all that came unto
King Solomon's table, every man in his month: they lacked nothing.
Barley also and straw for the horses and camels brought they unto the
place where the officers were, every man according to his charge." 1
Kings 4:20-28.
We will read a few verses first, and at the close of them you will find
the text.
The last words are the text for this occasion. From the whole passage
you will see that the kingdom of Israel under the sway of Solomon was a
fair type of the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps it most
exactly describes His future dominion, in the long-expected Glory of
the latter days. The present state of the Church may be compared to the
reign of David, splendid with victories, but disturbed with battles.
But there are better days to come, days in which the kingdom shall be
extended and become more manifest–and then the Lord Jesus Christ shall
be even more conspicuously seen as the Solomon of the kingdom, "who
shall have dominion from sea to sea."
Yet even now, as "we that have believed do enter into rest," so do we
also enter into the richest provision which is made in the Covenant of
Grace, even at this present time. And I may say of all who have come
under the sway of Christ, that we dwell in a region of peace, seated,
every man, under his vine and fig tree and none making us afraid.
"There is, therefore, now no condemnation to them which are in Christ
Jesus," and, "therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ." "The peace of God which passes all
understanding" does keep our heart and mind by Jesus Christ.
Israel under Solomon had abundance as well as peace. What says the
historian? They were "as the sand which is by the sea in multitude,
eating and drinking and making merry." It is said that there was such
plenty in the land in Solomon's time that gold was of no more value
than silver and silver became of little more value than iron! And as
for the other metals, they were little accounted of. So common had
precious metals become, they were scarcely precious any longer, they
were so plentiful! The whole land flowed with milk and honey and the
people rejoiced and were glad. Certainly the Lord Jesus Christ has
brought His people into a state of the greatest plenty, for, "all
things are yours; whether things present, or things to come; or life,
or death; all are yours; and you are Christ's; and Christ is God's."
What plenty must that man have to whom the Lord has said, "No good
thing will I withhold from them that walk uprightly"! "Whatever you
shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive." He has given us
carte blanche in prayer. He has put into our hands the keys of His
treasury and has bid us take what we will! He has said, "Delight
yourself also in
the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart." And He has
added, "Open your mouth wide and I will fill it." If we have not, it is
"because we ask not, or because we ask amiss."
So, too, we dwell in a kingdom which is ruled with wisdom. It is said
of Solomon, in this chapter, that he had wisdom and understanding
exceeding much and largeness of heart, even as the sand on the sea
shore. And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of
the east country and all the wisdom of the Egyptians. Is not this,
also, our honor and privilege? Behold, this day the Lord Jesus Christ
is "made unto us wisdom." "We have an unction from the Holy One, and
know all things" while we dwell in Him, for, "the secret of the Lord is
with them that fear Him, and He will show them His Covenant." "If any
man will do His will he shall know of the doctrine." "All your children
shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your
children."
Therefore we dwell under a rule of wisdom, which wisdom imparts itself
to each one of us according to his capacity to receive it, yes, even to
those whose experience is but shallow–"to teach the young men wisdom,
and the babes knowledge and discretion." "If any man lacks wisdom, let
him ask of God that gives to all men liberally and upbraids not."
Israel had a king who was full ofpower. Solomon had squadrons of horse
and chariots of war and he was so strong that the kings of the earth
dared not come into conflict with him, but paid him tribute. As for our
King, He has better forces than horses and chariots of war, for He has
but to speak to His Father and He will presently send Him 20 legions of
angels!
All power is delivered unto Him in Heaven and in earth. The fullness of
the Godhead dwells in Him for the defense and help of His people. And
if you will but open your eyes, you shall see horses of fire and
chariots of fire round about your Lord. Hosts of angels are ascending
and descending upon the Son of Man and all Heaven is in motion for the
purposes of God in Christ Jesus. Not an angel stands still beneath the
sway of Christ, but each one either ascends or descends to do his
Master's bidding! Talk of mighty princes–He is the Prince of the kings
of the earth, the "blessed and only Potentate," to whom belongs rule
over all principalities and powers!
I might go on with the parallel, but that is not the object of my
discourse. The great kingdom of Solomon was managed by a well-appointed
body of officers and certain persons were set over each province, who,
among other duties, had to provide for king Solomon's table and stable.
The table was very sumptuously furnished, as you saw in the reading,
and in the stable stood horses of war and also swift camels which were
used in the same manner as our modern post-horses–to carry messages
rapidly from one station to another. These swift horses and camels were
made to run from town to town with the royal mandates and thus the
whole country was kept in speedy communication with the capital.
Appointed officers were bound to provide for these horses and camels
and all else that concerned the king's business.
My subject at this time will illustrate the likeness between this
arrangement and the methods of our Lord's kingdom.
I. First we shall note that EACH OF SOLOMON'S OFFICERS HAD A CHARGE.
The text says, "Every man according to his charge." We have officers
about modern courts who may be highly ornamental, but when you have
said that, there is very little else to add. On high days and holidays
they wear many decorations and glitter in their stars and garters and
sumptuous garments–but what particular charge they fulfill, it is
beyond my power to say. In Solomon's court all his officers had a
service to carry out, "every man according to his charge."
It is exactly so in the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. If we are
truly His, He has called us to some work and office and He wills us to
discharge that office diligently. We are not to be gentlemen-at-ease,
but men-at-arms; not loiterers, but laborers; not glittering spangles,
but burning and shining lights! It is an exceeding glory to be the
lowest servant of King Jesus! It is more honor to be a dishwasher in
Christ's kitchen than to be a peer of the realm! The meanest position
that can be occupied in the kingdom of Jesus Christ, if any can be mean
in such a service, has a touch of Divine Glory about it and if we
rightfully discharge it, though it is only to wash the saints' feet, we
partake in the honor of our Master, who Himself did not disdain to do
the same.
But no man is put in any office in the Church that he may merely be
ornamental. We are set in our places with an end and design, every man
according to his charge–every woman according to her charge. My dear
Brother, you do not occupy the post of a minister or a pastor that you
may be respected, but that you may "adorn the doctrine of God, your
Savior, in all things." You are not, my dear Brother, ordained to be an
elder or a deacon in a Church that our Lord may put honor upon you,
though He does put honor upon you in it, but that you may bring glory
to God–that the people may see the Grace of God in you–and may
magnify God in you! Churches were not made for ministers, but ministers
for
churches! We who are officers in the Church are not ordained for our
own sakes, but for the people's sake and we should always remember that
fact and live with it before our eyes.
Dear Friend, if you are called to teach in the school. If you are
called to visit from house to house, or to act as a City Missionary, or
a Bible Woman, you have work to do and you must do it well, or render a
sorrowful account at the last. Office is not given to you that you may
get credit by it and have the honor of filling it, but that you may do
real service to your Lord and Master Jesus Christ. No servant of Christ
can be faithful if he regards that title as one of barren honor
involving no responsibility. If we would be servants and officers under
our great King, we must bow our necks to the yoke and not imagine that
it will suffice to bind burdens upon other men's shoulders and act as
lookers-on ourselves. It is said of Job's cattle, that "the oxen were
plowing and the asses were feeding beside them." But in our Lord's
fields, we must all be oxen and steadily keep to the furrow.
Those who served Solomon were officers under a strict king, for such
was his wisdom that he would not tolerate unfaithfulness in any office.
He chose the best men and so long as he retained them, he meant
business and expected prompt attention. If they did not do their duty,
he did his and sent them packing. It is very much so in the Church of
Jesus Christ. I am not speaking as if the children of God could perish,
but I do say this–in the service of Christ if you are not a faithful
servant you will soon have to make room for another. You may be laid
aside by sickness and then you will have suffering instead of serving.
Or you may be made to drop into the rear rank and go behind and weep in
sorrow because you did not faithfully do your duty in the front.
Remember that text, "The Lord your God is a jealous God," and rest
assured that our Lord Jesus Christ is like His Father–He will have the
diligent obedience of His servants and their faithful zeal–or else He
will chastise them and take away their commissions! "Be you clean," He
says, "that bear the vessels of the Lord," for He will be had in
reverence of them that are about Him–and unholy servants and
unfaithful servants shall soon find that their Master can do without
them. Many a minister has had to come away from a place of advantage
because he did not zealously use it to win souls and lead the people on
to the holy war.
I do not doubt that many rising officers have been sent back to the
ranks because the Commander-in-Chief could not have patience with them
any longer in their positions. They were removed because they
discouraged their fellow soldiers and checked the progress of the
campaign. Do not suppose that our Lord Jesus Christ is any less strict
in His discipline than Moses, for love is always severe towards those
it highly favors. I greatly question the love of that man who can
tolerate unchastity in his wife–certainly the Husband of the Church
will not do so! The love of our Lord Jesus is of so fervent a character
that He cannot bear a divided heart, or a negligent walk in any of us.
There is a text which some Christian people do not like and so they cut
the heart out of it–"Our God is a consuming fire."
They say, "God, out of Christ, is a consuming fire." The text does not
say that! It speaks of, "Our God," and that means our Covenant God, our
God in Christ and it is God in Christ Jesus who is a consuming fire!
Beware how you deal with Him, for while His love is strong as death,
His jealousy is cruel as the grave! And if our hearts and motives and
aims in His service once become divided, it will be as great a crime as
if one of Solomon's servants should have been playing into the hands of
Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Solomon would have taken care that a man
who had two lords should not have him for one of them! None of us can
serve two masters–certainly, if Christ is one of them, He will be the
only one! A divided heart is abhorrence to the loving Savior and we
must not insult Him with it.
The officers of Solomon were also obliged to recollect that the orderly
working of the whole system depended upon each one of them. That is to
say, Solomon had so arranged it that there was a certain troop of
horses in a certain town and the appointed officer must see to their
fodder–barley and straw were to be on the spot in full quantity for
the horses at that particular depot. It would not have done to send it
anywhere else and, if an officer had failed to supply his department,
the horses must have starved and the system been thrown out of gear.
Now, in any well arranged Christian Church, a Christian who is not
faithful to his charge little knows what mischief he does. But, as far
as he can, he puts the whole machine out of gear and, apart from the
interposing mercy and supreme wisdom of Christ, he would throw the
whole economy of the Lord's house into disorder.
Brothers and Sisters, we think when we neglect a part of our service
that it ends there, but it does not! A father neglects his duty to his
children–there is mischief to the child, but it goes further–that
child in later life spreads the evil by his example and transmits it to
his descendants. Yes, to his children's children after him! A Christian
man in a
Church keeps in the background when he should be in the front, or he
comes to the front when he should be in the rear and this is just the
upsetting of the whole business so that affairs cannot move smoothly.
The little Church cannot prosper because an influential member is where
he ought not to be!
In a great house, the servants must keep their places and if the cook
will persist in doing the chambermaid's duties and does not prepare the
meals, everything is in a muddle! And if, on the other hand, the maid
who has to clean the rooms neglects that duty, but thinks she must be
in the kitchen, there will be no comfort either by day or by night! You
can all see the bearing of this upon a Christian Church. To change the
figure, a Church is like a house and if the windows are put where the
doors should be, or if what should make the roof is laid on the floor,
the house is out of order. To be "fitly framed together" is the true
condition of the Lord's house.
The Church is also compared to the body. If the eye should transfer
itself to the foot, or if the ear should move to the hand, or if the
hand should take the place of the foot, or the foot should attempt to
do the work of the mouth, our comely frames would become monstrosities!
So it must be in the system of the Church of Jesus Christ if His
arrangements are broken through. Under God everything depends upon each
child of God having his "charge" and looking well to it. If he does not
look well to his own department, the Christian man does damage to
others as well as to himself.
In Solomon's kingdom it came to pass that the spirit of the king
infused itself into all his officers and, therefore, the country was
well governed. Beloved, I pray that it may be so with this Church and
with all the Churches of Jesus Christ, that the Spirit of our great
King may infuse itself into us all! Nothing makes men fight like having
a hero for a leader. When Cromwell came to the front, nobody was
afraid. Away went the cavaliers like chaff before the wind when once he
was present! And, surely, when our glorious Master, the Captain of our
salvation, the Standard Bearer among ten thousand, is seen to be in the
midst of a Church, then everything goes well and we all fight with
confidence and daring.
One man sometimes seems to have the power of pervading thousands of
other men. His spirit appears to govern, to move, to stir the hearts of
his fellow men till the man lives in them all! And so is it supremely
with the Lord Christ! We live in Him and He lives in us. If we are all
moved by the Spirit which dwells in Jesus–the Spirit of love, of
self-denial, of consuming zeal and of ardor–then all will be done
gloriously! If we imitate His consecration, His prayerfulness, His
boldness and His gentleness, what a troop shall we make and how well
will our Solomon's kingdom be administered!
Only one more thought here. When Solomon's kingdom came to mischief it
was through one of his officers. You remember that when Solomon died,
Jeroboam split the kingdom in two and he was a runaway servant.
Whenever a Church comes to ruin, we grieve to confess that it is
generally through its own officers. I fear it is more often the
ministers than any other persons! The great heresies which have
infested the Church have not sprung from the mass of the people, but
from certain famous leaders. And at this day the heart of our Churches,
I believe, is infinitely more sound than the ministry! I wish it were
not so, but I cannot conceal my fears.
When our Lord was betrayed, it was not by private followers such as
Mary Magdalene, Zaccheus, or Joseph of Arimathaea–but by Judas, the
treasurer of the College of Apostles. It was an Apostle who sold his
Master for 30 pieces of silver. Still the fault is equally grievous if
it is committed by the lowest officer. As I have already said, we are
all servants–we are all clothed with responsibilities and we can, if
the Holy Spirit shall leave us to it, do grievous damage–more damage
than the outside world can ever accomplish!
Let the raging crowd surround Zion's walls! Let them cast up their
banks and seek to shoot their arrows there. But lo, the virgin daughter
of Zion has shaken her head at her foes and laughed them to scorn! But
when the traitor comes within–when it is written, "Judas, also, which
betrayed Him, knew the place"–then is the Master betrayed in the
garden where He resorted for prayer. When from the heart of the Church
there springs a serpent, even her Head must be stung! Let the question
go round, "Lord, is it I?" And may God, in His Grace, grant that none
of us may ever betray our charge and so bring damage to the glorious
cause and kingdom of our blessed King!
II. Our second head is somewhat like the first. We now note that EACH
MAN WAS BOUND TO ACT
ACCORDING TO HIS CHARGE–"Every man according to his charge." The
officers were bound to obey their orders, first, as to matter. Certain
of them had to provide fat oxen for Solomon's table and others had to
see that the roebucks were hunted and that the fowls were hunted for
the same purpose, while others were commissioned to provide the barley
and the straw for the horses and the camels. As I have already said, if
they had gone out of place–if the man who had to
provide the barley for the horses had fed the chickens with it and if
the officer who was bound to hunt the roebucks had occupied himself
with carting the straw–there would have been great confusion.
And so, dear Brother, when you will not do what you were evidently
meant to do and are quite able to do, but must attempt something quite
out of your range, all goes amiss. Observe your own body–if your ear
were to have a feeling that it ought to eat instead of hear, the mouth
would be interfered with and the feeding of the frame would be very
badly done. The eye is a very serviceable member, but if it persisted
in refusing to see and must take to hearing, we should be run over in
the streets! Each member has its own office in the body and must attend
to its own work and not to the office of another.
Dear Friend, have you found out what you can do–what the Lord has
fitted you to do and what He has blessed you in doing? Then keep to it
and do it better and better! And by no means complain of your vocation.
Do not find fault with others whose work differs from your own. The eye
would be very foolish if it should say, "Do not tell me about that
frivolous member, the ear–it is of no use–it only knows what it is
told and it is so blind that it could not see a house if it were within
a yard of it, nor even a mountain a mile high." Equally idle would it
be if the ear should say, "Do not tell me about the mouth. It is a
selfish organ, always wanting to be fed. It is good for nothing, for it
cannot hear and if a cannon were fired off close to it, it would not
perceive it."
Neither may the mouth say, "That roving foot is always running about.
Why does it not work like the hand?" Nor may the hand find fault with
the tongue because it boasts great things and does nothing. There would
be sad confusion in the body if such a spirit prevailed! But the hand
keeps to its work and even there is a subdivision of service. The
little finger plays a part which the thumb cannot fulfill. And there is
something for the thumb which the forefinger cannot do. So should it be
in the Church of God–you should each find out what you can do and then
seek, God the Holy Spirit helping you, to do that to the very best of
your ability out of love to Jesus Christ.
Observe that with Solomon it was "every man according to his charge" as
to measure, for if a man had charge of a stable where there were 2,000
horses, he had to send in more barley and straw than the officer who
superintended a smaller stable of only 500 horse. The purveyor who was
ordered to supply Solomon's table with fat bullocks had to send more
than he who fed the tables of the inferior officers. Note this well,
for certain of us are bound to do much more than others. Some of us
bear heavy responsibilities and if we were to say, "I shall do no more
than anybody else! I need not overburden myself," we should be unfit to
occupy the position to which God has called us.
Dear Friends, I am not afraid that any of you will do too much for
Jesus Christ, but I would like you to try! Just see now whether you can
be too ardent, too self-sacrificing, too zealous, or too consecrated!
It is a pity that such a thing is never attempted. I have never known
anybody who could accuse himself of so rare a crime! Oh, no, we all
feel that all we can do, and more, is well deserved by our blessed
Master who has given us our charge. Do not forget that you who are
fathers ought to be better men than those single men who have no
children to look up to them and to copy their example. You who are
large employers ought to be better men because your workmen will watch
how you live. You who have talents and abilities ought to be more
active than those who have none, for five talents call for more
interest than one.
Remember the rule of proportion. If you have five talents and your
brother has only one, you may do twice as much as he does and yet fall
short. He is faithful with his small capital, but your proportion is
five times as much and, therefore, twice as much falls short of what is
expected from you. Many a servant girl gives her four penny-piece to
the offering and if the same proportion were carried out among those
who are wealthy, gold would not be so rare a metal in the Lord's
treasury! A tithe may be too much for some, but a half might not be
enough for another! Let it be, "Every man according to his charge," as
to measure as well as to matter. "Every man according to his charge,"
applied to place, for if the servant who had to send in barley for the
camels to Jerusalem had sent it off to Joppa, or if the Joppa man had
sent all his fodder to Jericho, there would have been considerable
trouble and outcry in the stables!
And if the fatted beef and the venison for Solomon's table, when he
stopped in the house of the forest of Lebanon, had been sent over to
his other house on Mount Zion, the king would have had his table poorly
supplied. Some men are not satisfied to serve God in their proper
place–they must run 50 miles off, or a hundred, before they can work.
Is this right? I remember a little text in the Proverbs–"As a bird
that wanders from her nest, so is a man that wanders from his place."
There is a sphere for every star which decks the sky and a blade of
grass for every drop of dew which spangles the mead. Oh that everyone
would keep his place!
Very much depends on position. Statues upon a building may look
magnificent and seem to be in fine proportion, but if those statues
were, one night, to say, "We do not like standing up here in this
exposed place. We will walk down and stand in the public square," you
would see, at once, that the artist never meant them to be there, for
they would be out of proportion in their new position. So a man is a
man when he keeps his niche, but he may be a nobody if he leaves it.
Many a man have I known who has done nothing till he has found his
place and then he has astonished his friends. I find it so with young
men entering the ministry–a Brother has not succeeded. In fact, he has
been an utter failure in his first position and yet, when God has
opened the proper door for him, he has done marvels! Why did he not
succeed before? Because he was out of his place.
The best thing applied to the purpose for which it is not suited is a
mere waste. And the best man in an unsuitable position may unwittingly
be a hindrance to the cause he loves. Solomon's officer would have been
very foolish if he had sent his barley down to Dan when it was his duty
to supply Beersheba! Find your place, good Brother, and do not be in a
hurry to move. He who works in a shop in a dozen towns in a dozen years
will, at the end, look in vain for a shop which will hire him! The
spirit of roving tends to poverty. Those who are eager to move because
they imagine that they will leave their troubles behind them are much
deceived, for these are found everywhere. You may soon get into some
such predicament as Jonah, who thought that all would be well if he
could avoid Nineveh trials, but he had forgotten the troubles of being
aboard ship in a storm.
I do not suppose he ever ran away to Tarshish again. That one
experiment satisfied him and I hope you will profit by his experience.
Do not try running away on your own account, for if you endeavor to
escape your Lord's hard work, I would have you remember that the sea is
quite as tempestuous now, as ever, and whales are fewer now than in
Jonah's day–and not at all so likely to carry a live man to shore!
Keep your place, "every man according to his charge." Once more, every
man was to act according to his charge as to time, because the passage
speaks of each one, "in his month." If the January man had taken care
to provide for Solomon's table in February, what would have happened?
There was a man for February and there would have been two supplies for
one month, but none for the first weeks of the year!
If the August officer had kept back the corn till September which was
needed by the horses and the camels in August, what would the poor
creatures have done during that month? While the barley was coming, the
steeds would have been starving. In serving Christ there is a great
deal in being up to time, punctual in everything. Not tomorrow,
Brother– not tomorrow, that is somebody else's day–today is the day
for you! Up and do the day's work. Some soul is to be won for Christ,
some Truth of God to be vindicated, some deed of kindly charity to be
worked, some holy prevalent prayer to be offered and it is to be done
at once.
As always tomorrow's sun has risen, see that you have carried out your
charge, for time in reference to these solemn matters is life.
Promptness we always admire in responsible persons. If they have any
public duty to do, we cannot endure to see men leaving matters in
arrears, to be done by-and-by, or never done at all. If Jesus Christ
"straightway" did this and that, as Mark always takes care to tell us
He did, let us imitate His promptness and serve God without the
sluggard's delays.
III. I close with the third point, that EACH MAN WOULD RECEIVE SUPPLIES
"ACCORDING TO HIS
CHARGE." I do not quite understand the precise and definite bearing of
my text. Surely it means not only that one set of officers was to send
in the barley, but that another set of officers was to receive the
barley and the straw in proportion to the number of horses and camels.
"Barley also and straw for the horses and camels brought they unto the
place where the officers were, every man according to his charge." That
is to say, according to the number of horses to be provided for, such
was the amount of corn and of straw that was sent in for their food.
So I gather, first, that concerning the servants of our Lord Jesus
Christ a great charge from Him is a guarantee of great supplies. There
is something very comfortable about this as to temporals. Some declare
that God sends mouths and does not send bread, or at least they say He
sends the mouths to one house and the bread to another. If it is so,
those who get too much bread should send it round to their neighbors.
Yet I note that somehow where there are mouths, bread does come. It
often amazes me, I must confess, and it brings tears to my eyes when I
see it and, indeed, it is perfectly amazing that poor widows with a
swarm of little children feed them in some fashion.
The poor woman comes to the Orphanage about a little boy and she does
not like to part with him, but need compels. And when we have said, "My
good woman, how many children had you when your husband died?" she has
replied, "Seven, Sir, and none of them able to earn a penny." "You have
been fighting your way alone these three or four years, how have you
done it?" "Ah, Sir," she answers, "God only knows. I cannot tell you."
No, no and there are many of God's dear children who could not tell you
how they lived, but they have lived and their children, too! The Lord
leaves them a great charge and in His own way He sends a supply. Most
of us have found that if our King sends us the camels, He sends us the
barley. It has been so in my case in the matter of our 250 orphan
children at Stockwell. Our gracious God has always sent us enough and
the boys have known no lack. And when we receive another 250 children
and have girls as well as boys, I feel sure our heavenly Father will
provide for them all.
I hope you will all remember that the provision must come
instrumentally through the Lord's own people and much of it through the
readers and hearers of the sermons, but come it will! If my Lord puts
more camels into my stable, I shall look for the corresponding increase
in the barley and the straw, for I am quite sure He will send it. When
I think of my dear friend, Mr. George Muller, with 2,050 orphan
children and nothing to depend upon, as they say, but just prayer and
faith, I rejoice greatly! He never has a fear or a need and is as
restful as if he were an Incarnate Sabbath! If we had 20,000 orphans to
feed, our Master is quite able to supply them all! He feeds the
universe and we may well trust Him. If we have a simple, childlike
faith, we shall find that a great charge is a guarantee of a great
supply–"Every man according to his charge."
As it is in temporals, so is it in Grace. When God gives a man a few
people to look after, He gives him Grace enough. And when He gives him
10 times that number, He gives him more of His Holy Spirit. And when He
gives him a hundred times that number, He increases the Divine
anointing. If the Lord sends you a little trial, dear Brother, you
shall have Grace enough. And if He sends you a huge trial, you shall
still have Grace enough! If He gives you some little work to do in the
back settlements, your strength shall be as your day. And if He allots
you a great charge in the front of the enemy's fire, you shall not come
short. "Every man according to his charge." You will not have a
farthing's worth of Grace over.
You shall never have so much that you can boast about it and talk of
having lived for months without sinning and the like kind of nonsense!
You shall be forced to feel that when you have done all, you are an
unprofitable servant. Never in my life have I had, in the morning, left
from yesterday's manna as much as would cover a three penny-piece. I
have always been so hungry that I have had to devour all I could get
then and there. I have lived from hand to mouth–the hand has been that
of my Lord, which is always full, and the mouth has been mine–and it
has been always gaping for more. When, in my ministry, I have had a
double quantity of food, I have had a double number to feed upon it!
The Lord's Grace has been sufficient for my necessities, but it has
never left me room for glorying in self. Still, take it as a sure fact
that a great charge is a guarantee of a great supply.
Now we will turn the Truth of God over and say that a great supply
indicates a great charge. O that some would think of this! A man has
grown richer than he used to be. Brother, with more barley and more
straw you ought to keep more camels. I mean that God did not send that
corn for the mice to destroy, but He means it to be eaten. When God
gives men money or means of any sort, they ought to feel that they are
His stewards and must use all they have for their Master! If you do not
use it, but hoard it, it will happen to you as once befell a little
brook. It had always been running and rippling along, rolling its
gladsome stream down to the river and thus always emptying itself, but
remaining full. This little brook became greedy and said, "I have been
too extravagant. I have made no provision for the hot summer weather. I
always give all I get–it keeps running through me in one perpetual
stream and none of it stays. This must be altered. I will make a great
store and become full."
So there came a bank across it–it was dammed up and the waters kept on
swelling and rising. After a little time the water turned green and
foul. It became encumbered with all sorts of weeds, was the haunt of
all manner of creeping things and gave forth an offensive smell. It
became a very great nuisance to the villagers and they called in the
sanitary commissioners to get rid of it, for it was breeding fever.
What now, you once sparkling brook? What an end has come to your bright
and cheerful life! Do you see the drift of the parable? Remember that
in Palestine there is one sea which always receives and never gives
out. What is its name? The Dead Sea. It must always be the Dead Sea
while this is its character. If they were to cut a channel into the
great ocean, to let its waters run away, it might grow sweet, but
otherwise it never can do so.
The man who receives much but gives nothing is dead while he lives! He
who has great receipts should reckon that he has a great charge and act
accordingly. When a Brother has great talents, great possessions, great
influence–when he is
great at anything–by God's Grace let him say, "God requires great
things of me; for to whom much is given, him shall much be required."
It is a law of the Kingdom of Christ–a law which He will take care is
always carried out. So I finish up with this. Somebody will say, "I
could almost wish that I could escape from the responsibility of being
a servant of Christ." Dear Brother, take note of these two or three
facts. You cannot better your circumstances as a servant of Christ by
diminishing your charge! If you say, "I shall not attempt quite so
much," you will not improve your circumstances by that course, for if
you diminish work, the Lord will diminish the strength.
Our great Solomon will stop some of the supplies if you have fewer
camels to feed and so you will be no better off. If you have to keep
six, He will give you provision for six. If you take to keeping three,
He will only give you supplies for three and you will be poorer, rather
than richer! Neither can you improve your circumstances by entirely and
only increasing the supply! For if you receive more straw and barley,
certainly our Solomon will send you more camels! When you have more
strength you will have more trials. When God's children do not
discharge their service with the means which He entrusts to them, He
frequently lets them take shares in a "limited liability company" which
is the same thing as throwing your money into the river. Or He leaves
them to become shareholders in a breaking bank with unlimited
catastrophe as its capital–and this is more terrible still!
It often happens to a man who has scraped and saved and yet stinted the
cause of Christ, that in his later years, he is in straits and he cries
to himself, "It is all gone and I wish I had used it better before it
went. It would have been far better to give it to the Lord than to see
the lawyers devour it." Ah, your sin has found you out! Your Master
could not trust you and so He has taken away His goods from you and now
you wish that you had behaved yourself. Let us take warning from such
bad managers and let us see to it that as our charge is, so we cry for
supplies–and that as the supplies come, we use them wisely.
Everything for Jesus, the glorious Solomon of our hearts, the Beloved
of our souls! Life for Jesus! Death for Jesus! Time for Jesus! Eternity
for Jesus! Hand and heart for Jesus! Brain and tongue for Jesus! Night
and day for Jesus! Sickness or health for Jesus! Honor or dishonor for
Jesus! Shame or glory for Jesus! Everything for Jesus, "every man
according to his charge." So may it be! Amen.
[The original title of this sermon was The Dromedaries.]
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Prayer to God in Trouble an Acceptable Sacrifice