The Filling of Empty Vessels

The Filling of Empty Vessels

INTENDED FOR READING ON LORD'S DAY, JANUARY 13, 1889,

DELIVERED BY C. H. SPURGEON,

AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.

"Even empty vessels; borrow not a few." 2 Kings 4:3.

IT is needful that we read the whole story–"Now there cried a certain
woman of the wives of the sons of the Prophets unto Elisha, saying,
Your servant my husband is dead. And you know that your servant did
fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to
be bondmen. And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for you? Tell me,
what have you in the house? And she said, Your handmaid has not
anything in the house, save a pot of oil. Then he said, Go, borrow
vessels abroad of all your neighbors, even empty vessels; borrow not a
few. And when you are come in, you shall shut the door upon you and
upon your sons and shall pour out into all those vessels and you shall
set aside that which is full.

"So she went from him and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who
brought the vessels to her. And she poured out. And it came to pass,
when the vessels were full, that she said unto her sons, Bring me yet a
vessel. And they said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil
stopped. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell
the oil and pay your debt and live, you and your children on the rest."

The best of men may die in poverty–here is the widow of a Prophet left
in destitution. We must not hastily censure those who leave their
families unprovided for–circumstances may have rendered it impossible
for the breadwinner to do more than supply the pressing wants of the
hour. Yet assuredly it is sad to see the widow of so worthy a man in
such straits! A widow, and especially the widow of a Prophet of the
Lord–our concern for her is tender.

Her husband had been among the persecuted and having been, by
oppression, deprived of all that he had, it came to pass that when he
died he left his wife and children in distress–from which I gather
that holy men may be in the worst of circumstances and yet it will be
no proof that the Lord has forsaken them. We may not judge a person's
character by his position in life. Certainly, poverty is no sign of
Divine Grace, for there are many who bring themselves to it by their
own wickedness. But on the other hand, wealth is no sign of Divine
favor–for many there are who will have their portion in this life,
only, and have no inheritance in the life everlasting.

As a general rule, piety is more often found among the poor than among
the rich–and in persecuting times it is almost of absolute necessity
that a clean conscience should involve poverty. Let this encourage any
here who are just now very low in circumstances. You are where Prophets
and saints have been. God can lift you up and would do so if it were
really for your good. Be more concerned to act like a Christian in your
present condition than to escape from it. Remember, however poor you
are, your Master was poorer and that whatever else you have not, you
still have a share in His love.

Seek to be rich in faith if you are poor in all besides. You can honor
God much in your present condition. You can learn much in it, you can
prove much the Divine faithfulness and you can exercise much sympathy
towards others. Therefore be not impatient. Since other men both
greater and better than you have trod this rough road, bow before the
determination of God's Providence and ask for Divine Grace to be
patient under your affliction.

This sorrowing widow, when she found herself in great poverty and
likely to lose her two sons, went to God in her trouble. She hastened
to God's Prophet, for that was the way in which broken hearts would
then speak to God in special trials. And it was a way with which, as a
Prophet's widow, she was well acquainted. But now we have another
Mediator, Jesus Christ the Righteous, and every Christian in trouble
should take his burden to his God in Christ Jesus. We readily enough
tell our friends and neighbors and it is natural we should, for the
human mind wants sympathy.

But faith would teach us that there is no sympathy equal to that of the
Man Christ Jesus and there is no power to help equal to that of the
heavenly Father. Let us, therefore, never forget to unload our burden
at the foot of the Cross.

We should first tell our troubles to our best Friend. We should go to
Jesus first, to Jesus with child-like reliance upon His power to help.
The woman went to the Prophet. Let us go to our greater Prophet, even
Jesus our Lord, without hesitation or delay.

God was pleased to ordain by His servant a way of escape for the poor
woman. The little oil that she had in the house was to be multiplied
till there should be enough, when sold, to pay her debts with–from
which I gather that if in our distress we take our trouble to God He
will deliver us. This woman is not a solitary instance–she is one of a
great multitude for whom the Lord has worked graciously. It is the rule
of God's Providence that His children should cry to Him in the day of
trouble and that He should be gracious to them and deliver them. Rest
assured that the Lord, who daily provides for the millions of fish in
the sea and the myriads of birds in the air will not suffer His own
children to perish for lack of the things of this life.

He cares for a glowworm on a damp bank and for a fly in a lone wood and
He will never neglect the children of His own house. "I am poor and
needy, yet the Lord thinks upon me," said one of old and so may the
most humble still say. Whether your trouble is about temporal things or
spiritual things, if you leave that trouble with God–cry to Him in
prayer, walk in His fear and trust in His name–sooner or later, in
some way or other, He must make a way of escape for you. Other friends
may fail you. But the Lord God never can. Other promises may turn out
to be mere wind but faithful is He that has promised this to you and He
also will do it. In six troubles He will be with you and in seven there
shall no evil touch you. You shall dwell in the land and verily you
shall be fed. No good thing will He withhold from them that walk
uprightly. How happy might we be if we really and practically believed
this and acted upon it.

Yet the Lord allowed His handmaid to be very sorely pressed. She could
not secure delay nor make any fair terms with the hard creditor. He was
already in the house and he would be satisfied with nothing less than
both her sons. She was so reduced that she had nothing in the house but
a single pot of oil–what could she do? She had hoped for deliverance
but now the night of utter misery was coming on and she saw no light.

Beloved, it has been the same with many of the Lord's tried ones and it
may be the same with you. The Lord does not promise to rescue us in our
time, nor to save us from waiting. Rather does He see it to be right to
try our faith and patience for our good and for His own glory.
Therefore, I say to you whose turn seems to come last–be strong to
wait and do not dishonor the Lord by unbelief. Waiting in faith is a
high form of worship which in some respects excels the adoration of the
shining ones above.

But the way in which this woman was delivered was one which proved and
exercised and strengthened her faith. She had to go and borrow empty
vessels from her neighbors. That was a strange proceeding, empty oil
jars would seem to be useless lumber in her house. Her neighbors, also,
might make remarks upon her singular conduct. She had to shut the door,
that no curious eyes might watch her and she had then, with full
confidence in God, to take her one pot of oil and go on pouring out
from it into the empty vessels till they were all filled.

Unbelief might have said to her, "That is a wild proceeding! How can
you fill these vessels out of that one little jar? There is but very
little oil to begin with, and certainly that cannot be enough to fill
all these borrowed jars. The Prophet has mocked you. He is exposing you
to the jests and jeers of all your neighbors." But her faith, when
exercised, was equal to the emergency. She did what she was commanded
to do–she did it in faith. And the result answered the end.

God takes care to deliver His servants in ways that exercise their
faith. He would not have them be little in faith, for faith is the
wealth of the heavenly life. He desires that the trial of faith should
be carried on till faith grows strong and comes to full assurance. The
sycamore fig never ripens into sweetness unless it is bruised and the
same is true of faith. Expect, O tried Believer, that God will bring
you through, but do not expect Him to bring you through in the way that
human reason would suggest, for that would provide no development for
faith.

Be not laying tracks for God–

"He plants His footsteps in the sea, Provide no chariots for the
Eternal One– "He rides upon the storm."

God has a way of His own. He does His wonders as He pleases. Be content
often to stand still and see the salvation of God. Be ready to obey Him
and that will be far more in accordance with your position as a finite
creature than the vain

attempt to map out a course for your Creator. Keep to the obeying and
rest assured He will not be behind with the providing.

These are the general lessons which we learn from the history. Now I
intend to take the narrative and especially the two or three words I
have culled out of it and use it for instructive purposes as the Holy
Spirit shall help me. First, in reference to the Divine Grace that is
in Christ Jesus. Secondly, in reference to the Mercy Seat. and thirdly,
in reference to the Holy Spirit.

I. There is teaching in this narrative, first of all IN REFERENCE TO
THE GRACE THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS. Let me show you this. The woman was
to get together empty vessels–these were to be set in her room. All
these empty vessels were filled. As long as there were any empty
vessels left, the oil kept flowing in till they were all filled to the
brim. When they were all filled she asked for one more but there was
not another empty one. And then the oil stopped, but not till then. We
will use this as an emblem of spiritual things and this one verse shall
interpret our symbol–

"Dear dying Lamb, Your precious blood

Shall never lose its power,

Till all the ransomed Church of God

Be sa ved to sin no more."

As long as there is one of God's people unsaved, as long as there is a
seeking, repenting, sinner, yet unpardoned, there will be found to be
merit in the Savior still to flow out–till every vessel that needs to
be filled with mercy shall be filled and that to the very brim.

Now in this case notice first of all what was required. In this miracle
all that was required was empty vessels. This is precisely all that
Jesus Christ requires of us–that we be to Himself and His Divine
fullness as empty vessels. The Grace is with Him, not with us. Just as
the oil was in the woman's one pot and not in the empty vessels.
Suppose that one of her neighbors had said to herself, when the boy
came to borrow the vessels, "Poor woman, she modestly asks for an empty
oil jar but I will send her in a full one to help her"?

The lad joyfully accepts the offer and takes home a jar full of oil.
When his mother is pouring out the oil, the boy brings the vessel. She
looks at it and it is full. "My child," says she, "this is of no use to
me. It is full and we cannot fill again what is full already." It might
have been a great loss to her, for the oil might have been of poor
quality and you may be sure that what the Lord made was the best oil
that ever was known. So, if there is one person in this world who is by
nature full of merit. If there is a man in the world that does not want
mercy–that has enough natural goodness to save himself–why Christ
cannot do anything for him and he cannot be of any use as a receiver of
Divine Grace. As long as the man is full of himself, there is no room
for Jesus Christ. It is well said by our hymn–

"None are excluded hence But those who do themselves exclude."

Our own supposed fullness shuts us out from receiving Christ's
fullness. It must be so. You will remember the story of the plowman and
Mr. Hervey. The plowman asked Mr. Hervey what he thought was the
greatest hindrance to men's salvation. Mr. Hervey replied, "Sinful
self." "No," said the plowman, "I think righteous self is a greater
hindrance to men's salvation than sinful self. They that are sinful
will come to Christ for pardon but they that think they are righteous
never will."

The full oil jar can hold no more. A deserving sinner (if such a person
could exist) would be of no use to the Savior and the Savior could be
of no use to him. Another jar is brought and the boy, as he looks into
it, finds that his mother's oil does not flow into it. She is holding
the miraculous jar over the vessel, just as she did with the rest but
the oil does not flow. "What ails this vessel, my child?" says she. And
they begin to shake it. There is some oil left at the bottom. The
neighbor thought who sent it, "Well, I won't pour it all out. Poor
souls, it will be a good thing for them if I leave a little in it."

The mother says to the boy, "The oil won't run in because there is some
oil in the jar already. Pour it out, my son, pour out the last drop,
for I was bid to use empty vessels and this is not empty and nothing
can be done with it." When that is done, the oil begins to flow freely,
till the pot is full to the brim. Now, as long as there is anything
good left in any of you upon which you place your trust, the Divine
Grace of our Lord Jesus will not run into you. Empty vessels! Remember
this. Emptiness is eligibility. Want of natural goodness proves your
need of God's Grace and that need is your capacity to receive.

Some will say, "Truly, I have no good works in the past. But then, I
have good resolves for the future. I am going to be what I should be."
Are these resolutions formed in your own strength? These, also, will
impede the inflow of the heavenly oil. It is when we are without
strength that salvation comes to us. Ah, Friend, if you can save
yourself, Christ will not save you. Again I remind you that you must be
emptied of self in all forms before Divine Grace can fill you.

"No," says one, "I don't trust altogether to my good resolutions but I
am going to pledge myself to this and make a bond to the other and that
will help me." My Lord Jesus does not want your help. Abstain, resolve,
repent, advance–do what you will. But do not join these poor things to
His great salvation. Give up once and for all depending upon what you
have done, even when you have done all–as an unprofitable servant quit
all claims of wage and appeal to mercy only. Dismiss the proud notion
of containing anything in yourself which comes of your fallen nature
and yet can be acceptable with God. Do you think there is some good
thing in you, some strength, something that you can do, or be, that
will help Jesus Christ? I assure you nothing can check the flow of
Divine Grace like such a notion. Empty buckets are most fit for the
well of grace–these shall be filled while the full ones stand idle at
the well's mouth.

But there is another oil jar that is empty, quite empty. Smell it.
There is not a trace of oil. It is a long time since it had anything in
it. You put your finger round the rim but nothing adheres to it. It is
dry, very dry, it is a long time since there was any oil there. Look!
As soon as the woman begins to hold the pot over it, the oil runs into
the empty jar. And it fills to the brim, large as it is. O poor Soul,
if you feel tonight that you are a lost, ruined, empty, undone
sinner–that is just what Jesus wants! There is a full Christ for empty
sinners but none for those who are full of themselves. If you are so
empty as to have no trace of good about you, Jesus will not therefore,
leave you unblest.

If you are saying, "But I don't feel as I should. I don't think as I
should. I don't weep as I should," this only proves how empty you are.
And into all this natural emptiness of yours the super abounding Grace
of the Lord Jesus Christ will flow till it fills you and overflows to
His praise. Oh, that by an act of faith you would receive what Jesus so
freely gives to as many as will receive Him! That is all the empty
sinner has to do–"as many as received Him, to them gave He power to
become the sons of God." All that the Savior wants of us is our need of
being saved and our acceptance of His salvation. Come along with you! O
Lord, I pray You–bring them under the silent but copious flow of the
holy oil, even now!

Now observe what followed. In this miracle, as soon as the empty
vessels were brought, the oil flowed till they were full, of whatever
size they might be. One neighbor lent a little jar, another a large
one. But they were all filled. So, when a sinner receives Jesus, he
shall receive all the Divine Grace he wants till he is full. "You are
complete in Him." "Of His fullness have all we received and grace for
grace." O Soul, if you believe in Jesus you shall find in Him grace to
pardon you, grace to change your nature, grace to keep that nature
changed, grace to preserve you till you are perfect, grace to help you
till you are brought home to Glory!

Christ freely gives everything a sinner wants between the gates of Hell
and the gates of Paradise. He does not half fill but He makes the soul
say, "My cup runs over." He is no half Savior–He is a perfect Redeemer
from the ruin of the Fall. O you empty, needy Sinner, come and take a
full and all-sufficient Savior and be blessed forever!

What was the space in which the miracle endured? How long did this oil
continue to flow? That is a point worth noticing. It flowed as long as
any empty vessel could be brought. And the command was, "borrow not a
few." I know tonight how many souls Christ will bless. He will bless as
many souls as are empty and are placed beneath the flow of His Divine
Grace. That He fills the hungry with good things is always the rule.
And the other rule is equally sure–the rich He sends away empty. We
know how long Christ will continue to save sinners. It is as long as
any needy sinner comes to Him to be saved. If there were no sinners on
earth there would be no room for the Savior on earth. If there were no
guilty ones, there would be no need for His pardoning blood.

If there were no filthy ones, there would be no need of the Fountain in
which they might be cleansed. But as long as there exists an empty,
penniless, poverty-stricken soul that longs and yearns after a precious
Christ–there is a precious Christ for that poor, longing, needy soul.
I feel inclined to cry with the woman in the narrative, "Bring me yet
another vessel." There are many here whom Christ has filled with His
Grace–glory be to His name for it! But is there not yet another vessel
before me? Oh, it is sweet preaching to the sinner who is made to feel
he is a sinner! There is no such successful preaching in the world.

We might be content to preach till midnight if we knew we preached to
those who greatly needed a Savior and were longing for Him–for such
hearts are like the wax that is ready for the seal. When you want
Jesus, you shall have Jesus.

And the deeper your needs become, the more ready will you be to accept
the finished salvation which He freely gives to all who need it. "Bring
me yet a vessel." Don't tell me, "There is not a vessel more," for I am
sure there must be many more. Our Lord has not come to the end of the
vessels yet. There are many more to be filled. We do not live in an age
when all the elect are gathered in, when all the redeemed are brought
home. There are plenty of empty vessels still about. I pray that they
may be brought to the fullness of our Redeemer and be filled to the
brim.

I have used a very simple method of preaching the Gospel in thus
talking. But simple as it is, there are a great many who will not
understand it. Let me just rehearse it again. You have broken God's Law
and you are lost. The only way in which you can get forgiveness is
through the merit of Jesus and that He will freely give you if you
simply come and confess your sin and take Him to be your All in All.
Adore His mercy, magnify His love, accept His Grace–yield to the
working of His Holy Spirit and you are saved. Be you an empty vessel
beneath the out flowing of a full Christ.

Do not try to be a full one, nor a half-full one. But be an empty
vessel and Christ will fill you. He will not miss one of you that is
empty for His desire is to bless you. He delights in it–He longs for
it. Be dead and let Him be your life. Be the beggar and let Him be your
riches. Be sick and let Him be your health. Be lost and let Him be your
Savior. Be nothing and let Him be your All in All. This, indeed, is
faith–to sink the creature in the Creator. To sink self in a Savior.
To be lost in ourselves and to be saved in His righteousness.

Oh, that I could lead your hearts into the Truth of God that we are
saved through faith and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God!
Come, empty Pitcher, stand beneath the flowing fountain and it will
surely fill you. Do you understand me? The Lord make you to prove that
you do so by your practical compliance with my exhortation.

II. I shall further use the text in another way, IN REFERENCE TO
ANSWERS TO PRAYER. My conviction is,

Brethren, that we do not pray enough. I do not, by this remark, measure
our prayers by time but I mean that we do not ask enough of God. We are
not straitened in Him but we are often straitened in ourselves. The
Prophet's advice to the woman was, "Borrow empty vessels"–notice the
next word–"borrow not a few." It was needful, thus to urge her to
large things. Covetous men need restraining but in asking of the Lord,
our hearts need enlarging.

This godly widow had the blessing now at her disposal to increase or
diminish. If she borrowed few vessels, she would have but little oil.
If she borrowed many vessels they should all be filled and she should
have much oil. She was herself to measure out what she should have. And
I believe that you and I, in the matter of spiritual blessings from
God, have more to do with the measurement of our mercies than we think.
We make our blessings little, because our prayers are little.

I will take two points–prayers about ourselves and prayers about
others. Concerning ourselves. Brethren, some have never brought their
sins and prevalent temptations before God. One man has a hasty temper
which he says he cannot overcome. He must overcome it if he is to be
saved from sin. And what he should do is to treat his wretched temper
like an empty vessel and bring it before the Lord. He needs that his
temper should be cured. Let him bring it to the Healer, whose cooling
touch can remove this fever. I say again, his quick temper is an empty
vessel for him to set before the Giver of all Divine Grace, that He may
fill it with sweetness and meekness.

I know one whom I trust is a child of God. But, alas, he has been
carried away by folly and has dishonored the Christian name! He is now
in deep despair and thinks he never can be saved. I fear his despair is
only another form of rebellion against Divine love. If he could have
faith to bring his peculiar temptation before God as well as every
other, it would be overcome for him. There is no sin which the Grace of
God cannot subdue in us. We must not say that such-and-such a sin is
constitutional and therefore we cannot overcome it. It must be overcome
and the Grace of God can do it. Bring this empty vessel and set it down
where Jesus can come into contact with it.

Perhaps, with some of you, your special trial is not so much a sin as a
lack of spiritual attainment. You are still only babes in Christ. You
hear of some that have gained high degrees of Divine Grace, that have
become matrons in the Church, or champions in Israel. My dear Friends,
do not suppose that these attainments are beyond your reach. Do you
want them? Would they not be honorable to God and a blessing to you?
Well, then, ask for them! Set these empty vessels beneath the dropping
of the Divine oil and you shall have these gifts granted to you. In the
matter of Divine Grace, he is poor that will be poor–but he that
desires to be rich and has faith in God, may be rich.

"To him that has shall be given and he shall have more abundance." Oh,
if we do not get from God's fullness great supplies, it is because we
are not greatly receptive nor greatly expectant. But if, like this
woman, we get many empty ves-

sels, we shall have them all filled! Suppose she had brought a number
of empty vessels into the house but she had not used them and the oil
had stopped. She would have been a very foolish woman. But are not many
of us quite as foolish? We have a great many cares, cares about our
boys and girls, cares about our business, cares about household
concerns. But we do not bring these cares to God–we feel as if they
were too little to mention to Him.

This is so absurd that I will have no more to do with such a sinful
silence. Let us tell it all to Jesus. Or else the case stands thus–you
have your empty vessels and you will not bring them to be filled. Why
will you be so wickedly foolish? When the Lord bids you cast your care
upon Him, for He cares for you, why not cast it there? Why will you
carry your sin, your need, your care? These cares are different sets of
empty vessels for the Grace of God to fill. Oh, why, my Brethren, why
have we not larger desires and broader expectations, that according to
our faith it may be done unto us?

The angel of mercy sometimes flies around the tents of God's people and
he bears with him a cornucopia full of the precious blessings.
Oftentimes he stays at a tent, hovering on soft wings, while the
sleeper rests–he looks around the tent but does not see a single empty
vessel into which to pour the benediction and he goes on his way. Soon
he lights on another tent, where, before the dwellers went to sleep,
they set out in their evening prayer a number of empty vessels. He
takes his horn of plenteous mercy and he fills one vessel and then
another.

And when they wake, they are surprised with the rich Grace which has
abounded towards them! Some have feeble wishes, small desires, slender
prayers–hardly any prayers at all–and "they have not, because they
ask not." Others have large desires, earnest prayers, great faith,
large expectations and God gives them according to their faith and they
are enriched. Oh, for many empty vessels to be set forth in this
Church, both night and day, that God's mercy may abound in the
congregation!

The same is true with regard to prayers for others. We ought to treat
others as if they were empty vessels for us to use, so as to glorify
God in their salvation. I wish you would take me and treat me as an
empty vessel and pray that I may be filled with Heaven's own oil. It is
of no use hoping to get good out of a ministry if you do not pray for
it. As a rule I believe congregations get out of a minister what they
put into him. That is to say, if they pray much for him, God will give
him much blessing for them. Those persons who come up to the house of
God and take their seats–and expect their souls to be filled when they
have never prayed that God will help the minister and bless the
sermon–may not expect to be visited with Divine Grace.

Pray for all ministers and all workers for Christ–make them like empty
vessels and ask the Lord to fill them. Christian people should do the
same with their children and relatives. If our children are not
converted, is it not, in some cases, the fact that we have not prayed
for them as we should? We have not brought them before God in
supplication and if they remain unconverted and worldly, how can we
wonder? Let us not leave the empty vessels unfilled. Come, Friends,
think of the unconverted at home. You have still some unsaved
ones–mention them again and again in prayer by name and cease not to
pray.

Christ's Grace ceases not to flow and the efficacy of prayer is not
stayed. Do not cease to pray till all the family is converted, till
there is not another vessel left. Let us do the same with our
neighbors. Are we sufficiently earnest before God with regard to them?
Might we not expect to see a great change in London if the districts
wherein we dwell were more often on our hearts in prayer? You have
heard of the great revival which followed Jonathan Edwards' marvelous
sermon upon "Sinners in the hand of an angry God." That sermon was
marvelous in its effects.

The power of that sermon may be traced to this fact–that a number of
Christian people had met together some days before and prayed that God
would send a blessing with the minister who was to preach on that
occasion. Their prayer put power into Jonathan Edwards' sermon and so
sinners were converted. If we were to take up villages and hamlets and
towns and pray for them with earnest, believing faith, God might
prosper instrumentalities that are now unblessed. And ministers who are
now sowing seed that never springs up, God might bless with a joyful
harvest.

They might not know the reason. But those who prevailed with God would
be able to solve the riddle. Prayer to the Most High would be a quiet
setting of the empty vessel under the running oil and without noise it
would be filled! Let us see what we can do in this matter. Do you
hesitate? When you have the keys of Heaven at your belt will you not
use them? When God puts the whole treasury of His Grace into the
keeping of our faith, shall we let that Grace be unused for want of
earnestness? When He says to us–"Here is carte-blanche for you–ask
what you will and it shall be done unto you"–shall we not open our
mouths widely?

If the Lord promises that when two agree as touching anything
concerning His kingdom, He will grant it to us– why, let us agree at
once! What? Will you not fill up these checks which God has signed and
left blank for you? Will you fill them up for pennies, or for trifling
sums, when the infinite checkbook of God is laid open to you? O saints
of God, be not straitened in yourselves since God does not straiten
you! Bring in the empty vessels and bring in not a few.

III. Once more. I shall use the text in a third way of application IN
REFERENCE TO THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. There was a time in certain
Churches when, if there were a few converted to God, say thirty or
forty at a time, the older friends would hold up their hands, not in
astonishment exactly but in utter unbelief. For they thought some undue
influence or improper excitement must have been present to bring out
such a crowd. I recollect having to deal with those who would say, "We
had one Baptism in ten years under the solid doctrinal teaching of our
former pastor. We had a sound Divine and we were sound ourselves (and
sound asleep, too)! But see what a hurry we are now in! There have been
twenty persons professing to be converted in one month!"

The good Brethren have added, "We hope you will be very cautious. Don't
receive them too fast. There is a deal of excitement abroad and we must
be judicious and watchful, for when the excitement passes away a
terrible reaction may set in!" One good old lady I know of used to say
sarcastically that she hoped the Church would take care that the back
door was easy to open, for she was quite sure that if so many came in
at the front, there would be a good number who would soon have to be
turned out at the back. I am half afraid that she hoped it would be so
to justify her criticisms.

When there were only two or three in a year, our friends ascribed the
work to the Holy Spirit–anything little was of the Holy Spirit. But if
the number of converts rose to thirty or forty and especially if it
came to three hundred, that was mere excitement. When the minister had
to ransack the congregation to find a few who could be drawn into the
Church to make his work look decent–that was the Holy Spirit–but when
converts came pouring in by hundreds, oh, then everyone was frightened
lest it should be fleshly excitement!

Dear Brethren, is not this absurd? Do not these people act on the very
reverse principle of the Prophet's widow? They say, "Bring very few
vessels, vessels very few. Suppose some of them should not be filled!
There is oil enough for one or two–do not bring more–for fear of
failure in such cases. If we see the oil filling hundreds of vessels,
then we say it cannot be oil, it must be some vile imitation of it. We
cannot expect it can all be good oil if so many vessels are filled with
it." The fact is, there are some who do not believe the Holy Spirit to
be great–nor even to be good.

They have an idea that He is not God after all. For if they believed
Him to be God, surely they would expect Him to do great things in this
world and they would look to see another Pentecost, in which thousands
would cry out, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" Instead of thinking
that the period of revival through which we may have passed was
anything in its greatness beyond what the Holy Spirit was likely to do,
I believe, Brethren, it was insignificant compared with what the Holy
Spirit is able and willing to accomplish! If we should live to see a
genuine revival of the best kind, we should see greater things than
these. I hope that when the Holy Spirit comes with power and works with
His Truth–as He will when we fully believe in Him and obey Him–we
shall then hear sermons preached which shall be the means of conversion
of a whole Tabernacle full at once.

I hope to hear that in every Chapel–in every place of worship in
London–the Word of God has had free course and has been glorified. I
hope to hear of places crowded first with one congregation and then
with another which had been waiting to come in. I hope that thousands
will be in hot haste to find the Savior. Why not? You are settling down
to think that this congregation is very great and very wonderful. And
so indeed it is. Where else will you see these thousands constantly
assembled? I trust the day will come when hundreds of houses like this
shall be crowded from floor to ceiling and the cry shall be heard from
tens of thousands, "Come over and help us and tell us what the blood of
Christ can do for us."

God grant this not in England only. We must not fancy that the heathen
are to be converted at the slow pace they have been. The population of
heathendom has increased at a far greater rate than the number of
converts to Christianity. When the increase does come, it will come in
a different style from this–in a Godlike way. Shall a nation be born
at once? Perhaps it shall be so. Why not? The Spirit of God is not
straitened. And when faith comes back to the Church and she brings her
many empty vessels, then the Spirit of God that is in her shall
graciously multiply His Divine work and all the empty nations shall be
filled. England, the United States, France, Prussia, Russia, Italy,
Spain, India, China, Arabia

shall all be filled to the brim with the outpouring of God's eternal
Spirit and myriads shall be saved by the precious blood of Jesus!

I would encourage my Brother and Sister workers here to look for great
things and go to work vigorously because they have an omnipotent God
behind them. Brethren, push forward, undeterred by discouragement. You
do not know, my dear Sister, what you can do. But make a bold attempt.
Your tiny spark may set a county on a blaze. My dear young Brother, you
do not know what you can accomplish. Put it to the test in all
earnestness and you will be surprised at yourself. The Lord can make
use of poor nothings to achieve glorious purposes. It is not your
strength, it is His strength that is to do the work. That strength can
lay hold of but what shall turn out to be Divine strength.

Have faith in God. Believe Him to be true and omnipotent and we shall
see greater things than these. Alas, we fail because we do not believe!
If the Son of Man comes shall He find faith on the earth? I fear He
would discover, but here and there, a grain of mustard seed. May He
grant to many of us that heroic faith which, believing in God, thinks
nothing of difficulties and does not believe in impossibilities but
does right and preaches the Truth of God and expects God to bless it
above what we can ask or even think. May God bless you and may the
first part of my subject be last in your recollection. If you are empty
vessels, come to Christ and be filled. May He fill you with His Grace
tonight for His mercy sake! Amen and Amen.