“Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper” (Amos 9.13.)
Introduction. God’s promises are not exhausted when they are fulfilled. They continue to overflow as we draw from them. Frequently you find a promise literally fulfilled that shall be fulfilled spiritually, the promise this way continuing to overflow. This is true of the promise before us. The land of Canaan has been a rich and fruitful one. It is barren now, but it will flow with milk and honey again, if once the severity of Turkish rule is removed. The soil is not barren. Neglect and robbers are to blame. But, my dear friends, though Palestine will again thrive, I take it this verse holds more fully a spiritual than an earthly promise.
(1) A Great Promise of Spiritual Revival. One season, by reason of the abundant harvest, shall run into another: souls will be gathered into the Church like in Whitfield’s time. (This will by no means clear the ministers who have been content with dull routine.) The revival will have in it converts who grow in grace amazingly fast: the plowman shall overtake the harvester. This fruitfulness will come by increased activity: preachers during a revival may preach ten or twelve times in a week. There seems to be no fatigue in being greatly blessed. We are experiencing such beginnings of revival right now. Seed is bringing forth a twenty fold, thirty fold result, yet we hope for a hundred. Anglicans, Independents, Methodists, and Baptists are all busy. “The mountains shall drop sweet wine”—this means that conversions will happen in unusual places. I have seen this, Roman Catholics and military men crowding in to hear the Word from a Puritanic minister. Sailors, men supposed to be the least likely to be reached by the gospel, are calling me brother! Out of one whole crew just three are unconverted. An eyewitness told me, “I never heard such praying before—they pray with such power as only a sailor can pray.” And “the mountains shall drop sweet wine”—this means that some extraordinary sinners will become extraordinary saints, and even, as in John Newton’s case, extraordinary ministers.
(2) What Doctrinal Lesson is Taught by Revival. When God promises to bless his Church and to save sinners, he does not add, if men are willing. Man has a free will, and God does not abuse it. He just bends it as with a mighty rushing wind, by his grace. God’s power is the doctrine of revival. It is God who causes the increase, whether gradually by slow degrees, or suddenly all at once.
(3) An Incentive for Further Exertion. If God withholds the dew, we are not to withhold the plow. But what an incentive to further work, when we are having such success! It is time to invest in the Lord! Sow the seed everywhere. There is a wondrous harvest coming. But we must not be proud even of God’s power. All the more in time of revival, God desires to work through instruments. Now clouds of blessing have come to us from America. God sent them. It is our duty to bring down the rain. It’s already falling on some parts of our country. Pray! The Church has often been plagued by God because she did not make proper use of his favor.
(4) A Word of Warning. In any revival of religion it is often those who are totally unconnected to a church that are brought to hear the gospel, and to repentance. But let me give a warning: It would be the hell of hells to have been in the midst of a revival and die unconverted.
Selection from Conclusion. “Ah! man, thou mayest laugh thyself into hell, but thou canst not laugh thyself out of it…Give up thy sins.”
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