It is a year of miracles. Tell it to the wide, wide
world; tell it everywhere. “The eye of the Lord” hath
been upon us, “from the beginning of the year even unto
the end of the year.” Two hundred and ten persons have
this year united with us in church fellowship; about
enough to have formed a church. One half the churches
in London cannot number so many in their entire body;
and yet the Lord has brought so many into our midst.
And still they come; still they come. Whenever I have
an opportunity of seeing those who are converted to
God, they come in such numbers that many have to be
sent away. Still they come, still they come; and well I
am assured, that I have as many still in this
congregation, who will during the present year come
forward to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. How often has
the sacred pool of baptism been opened this year! How
sweetly have we assembled round the Lord’s table! What
precious moments we have had at the Monday evening
prayer meetings! And how glorious it has been when we
have recognized brother after brother, sister after
sister publicly, by giving them the right hand of
fellowship! In all our ways we hope we have
acknowledged him, and he has directed our paths. Sing
unto the Lord, for he hath done wonders; bless his
name, for he has worked miracles; praise his grace, for
he hath highly exalted his people; for he has worked
miracles; praise his grace, for he hath highly exalted
his people; unto him be honor, for ever and ever. And
mark you, brethren, this church has known what it is to
come out of Egypt. We have not toiled with our feet
here. I hope there has been no desire to draw unfit
persons into the church, I have had no toiling with my
feet, I am sure, in preaching the gospel-no legal
preaching-none of your exciting preaching-none of all
that toiling with your feet; but we have had nothing
but the rain from heaven. We have not laboured to
excite carnal passions, nor to preach sermons with a
view of driving you into religious fevers. Sturdy old
Calvinism will not let us do that. We cannot preach
such sermons as Arminians can. The land has been
watered by the rain of heaven. We have not had any of
those fatal pestilential mists that sometimes gather
round the church. It is proverbial, that wherever the
revivalists go, they always carry desolation; before
them is an Eden; behind them is a desert; wherever they
go they scorch the land like firebrands; though
hundreds seem to be converted to God, they are
converted to ten times blacker sins than before, and
the last end of them is worse than the first.* We want
not the getting up of a little feverish passion by
appealing to the natural man; it is the drinking water
of the rain of heaven that does the good. I trust it
has been so here, and that “the eyes of the Lord” have
been upon you “from the beginning of the ear even to
the end of the year.”
So, beloved, I can say that, as a minister, the eyes of
the Lord have been upon me this year. It has been my
privilege, many times this year to preach his word. I
think, more than four hundred times have I stood in the
pulpit to testify his truth, and the eyes of the Lord
have been upon me. Blessed be his name! whether it has
been in the north, in the south, in the east, or in the
west, I have never lacked a congregation; nor have I
ever gone again to any of the places I have preached
at, without hearing of souls converted. I cannot
remember a single village, or town, that I have visited
a second time without meeting with some who blessed God
that they heard the word of truth there. When I went to
Bradford last time, I stated in the pulpit that I had
never heard of a soul being converted through my
preaching there; and the good pew-opener came to
Brother Dowson, and said, “Why didn’t you tell Mr.
Spurgeon that such-a-one joined the church through
hearing him?” and instantly that dear man of God told
me the cheering news. We have met with much opposition
this year. Thanks to our brethren in the ministry, we
have not had very much assistance from them. We have
been enabled to say to them all, “I will not take from
you, from a thread to a shoe-latchet, lest ye should
say, I have made him rich.” But how much of that
bigotry which formerly existed has subsided! How much
of that sneer, which was at one time so common, has now
gone away! I am now, rather more afraid of their smiles
than their frowns-though I do not think I feel much of
either. Cedo nulli, was my motto at the beginning, and
I take it once more. I yield to none; but by the grace
of God I preach his truth, and still, if he help me,
will I hold on my way. And to the Three-one God, be
eternal honor. Amen.
*The revivalists since this period have been usually true
preachers of the gospel with whom we have the fullest sympathy.
Our remarks were intended for certain American Arminian ravers who
had done much mischief.
“This article originally appeared here at Bible Bulletin Board.”
