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calvary, Christian, Earnest payment, earnestness, God, Gospel, Heaven, hell, Immortality, James Henley Thornwell, Jesus, Jesus Christ, ministers, ministry, preachers, preaching, presbyterian, Sinai Peninsula, sinner, the, Thornwell, urgency
James Henley Thornwell:
How can a minister who feels the value of the soul, or of the realities of eternity, be cold and unmoved when warning sinners to flee from the wrath to come? Heaven or Hell, life or death, eternal life or eternal death, depend on the success of his message, and can he be indifferent whether it is received or not? Can he see the terrible cloud of Divine wrath gathering thick above the sinner’s head ready to beat in one tremendous storm upon him and not be in earnest in warning him of danger! Eternity is at stake! The minister must be earnest; if he has the soul and the feelings of a Christian he must be earnest. The law thunders in terrific peals its notes of condemnation; the Saviour groans and dies and meets its demands; yet the sinner is asleep-asleep on the very brink of hell, and who will awake him? Sinai and Calvary alike urge the minister to be earnest; he must lift up his voice like a trumpet until the sinner hears his warning and obeys his instructions.”
- The Collected Writings of Thornwell, Vol. 4, pp. 571, 572
The answer to Thornwell’s question opening this quote is plain to see – the hireling! ‘Tis obvious from reading ANY book in the Bible that true men of God love His chosen people and warn, admonish, and instruct them.
I certainly agree with Manfred. I don’t mean to be judgmental, but I can’t help but wonder what percentage of preachers in this 21st century will give even a thought to the fact that everyone to whom they preach is a heartbeat away from an eternity in heaven or hell. It ought to be a sobering thought.