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never called anyone whom He was not ready to prepare. The instructions are definite and dis tinct. • The church is ordered to go to the world, but two thousand years have passed and the church is still rubbing its eyes and yawning in place of going. The Message: “ Preach the preach ing that I bid thee.” The true preach er preaches the Word. He has a divine message, essentially of a doctrinal char acter. It is practical. Not an essay. Not an entertaining talk. Not a play upon sentiment. Not a moral lecture. When God commanded Jeremiah to go He said (Jer. 1:6, 7, 17) «Say not, I am a ch ild; fo r tbou shalt g o to all tbat I shall send thee, and what soever I command thee, thou shalt speak. * * * Thou, therefore, gird up th y loins and arise, and speak unto all that I com mand thee; be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them.” The preacher as not to invent a mes sage, but to carry the message given him (1 Cor. 2:1, 2) “ And I, brethren, when I came unto you, came not w ith excellency o f speech or o f wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony o f God. F or I determined not to kn ow anything among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (2 Tim. 4:2) «Preach the W ord ; be instant in season, out o f season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, w ith all longsuffering and doctrine.” , (Ezek. 2:7) «And. .thou shalt speak m y w ords unto them whether they w ill hear, or whether they w ill forbear; fo r they are most re bellious.” When a man preaches God’s Word he has the satisfaction of God’s approv al. God fixes the scope of the messa'ge, and the responsibility is transferred to God as soon as the hearer receives the message. (Ezek. 33:7) «So thou, O son o f man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house o f Israel: therefore, thou shalt hear the w ord o f my mouth and warn them from me.” Truth must be driven home. It must he heart-searching. The Word must he made to strike and stick. Men must be pricked in their hearts. (2 Cor. 5: 11 ) “ Knowing; therefore the terror o f the Lord, we persuade men.”
Lord was suspended;, He is saved from death, but is set aside. Then his fel lowship with the Lord LESSON was no doubt inter- EXPOSITION rupted. Where Jonah T. C. Horton was, and how long this continued, we do not know.. No doubt it was long e- nough to effect a work of grace in his heart. It is of the mercy of God that He is ever willing to renew fellowship and favor when it is broken through sin. It was no doubt a glad day to Jonah when God’s Word came to him again and he felt the consciousness of God’s favor and smile upon him. What grief it brings, after once knowing the joy of communion, if it is broken. Three days and three nights of soli tude with God wrought wonders in Jona'h. In the midst of the deep he learned some deep doctrines. .For in stance, God’s sovereignty and grace, “ Salvation is of the Lord.” He learn ed it in a strange school,^r-“ The Whale Theological Seminary!” It is a doc trine that is not taught in any of the schools of false systems. (Acts 4:12) “ Neither is there salvation in any other. F or there is none other name under heaven» given among men» whereby w e must be saved.” (Rev. 7:10) «And cried w ith a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb.” (1) JONAH’S SECOND COMMIS SION, vs. m 2. The Lord forgave and restored him. Gave him a second chance. This is not always the case when opportunity is neglected. Jonah: became the first apostle to the Gentiles. He was an example of judgment and mercy and a fit. servant for such a service. The Commission: “ Arise, go to Nineveh.” There is no escape from God or duty. The call of the. Lord to the church is, “ Go ye.” The call comes first, the preparation afterward. God
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