(2 Chron. 35:14-33)

It is very instructive to mark
the actions of Josiah when his heart and conscience had been brought under the
powerful influence of the Word of God. He not only bowed down under that Word
himself, but he sought to lead others to bow likewise. This must ever be the
case where the work is real. It is impossible for a man to feel the weight and
solemnity of truth and not seek to bring others under its influence. No doubt a
quantity of truth may be held in the intellect in a superficial way, but this
will have no practical effect. Inasmuch as it does not affect our own souls,
neither will our mode of presenting it be very likely to act with much power
upon others. In order to speak to hearts on any subject, the heart of
the speaker must feel it.

We do not mean to say that
anything in a preacher’s manner can of itself convert a soul. Tears cannot quicken;
earnestness cannot regenerate. It is "not by might, nor by power, but by
My Spirit, saith the Lord" (Zech. 4:6). It is only by the powerful action
of the Word and Spirit of God that any soul can be born again. Yet God blesses
earnest preaching, and souls are moved by it. We have far too much mechanical
preaching, too much routine work, too much of what may justly be called going
through a service. We want more earnestness, more depth of feeling, more
intensity, more power to weep over the souls of men and a more influential and
abiding sense of the awful doom of impenitent sinners, the value of an immortal
soul, and the solemn realities of the eternal world.

We are persuaded that earnest,
faithful preaching is one of the special wants of this day. Preachers should
consider themselves channels of communication between God and their fellows;
they should be intent, not merely on preaching and teaching, but on saving and
blessing souls. It is quite true that God is glorified and Jesus Christ
magnified by the unfolding of truth, whether men will hear or not, but is this
fact to be allowed to interfere with the ardent desire for results in
reference to souls? Certainly not! The preacher should look for results and
should not be satisfied without them. He should no more think of being
satisfied to go on without results than the farmer would think of going on from
year to year without a crop. What we want is to live before God for the results
of our work, to wait upon Him, to agonize in prayer for souls, to throw all our
energies into the work, and to preach as though the whole thing depended upon
us, although knowing full well that our words will be as temporary as the
morning haze if they are not directed by the Spirit. We are convinced that, in
the divine order of things, the earnest workman must have the fruit of his
labor, and that according to his faith, so shall it be. There may be
exceptions, but as a general rule, we may rest assured that a faithful preacher
will sooner or later reap fruit.

(From "Life and Times of
Josiah," in Miscellaneous Writings, Volume 1.)