Thy mercy, my God, is the theme
of my song. Paul makes it very clear that
the mystery which was hidden from men in time past is now
clearly revealed in the preaching of the Gospel of Christ. God
intends that His people understand the plain truth of the Scripture.
There are no mysterious prophecies to be fulfilled, since all prophecy
is centered in Jesus Christ and His purpose to redeem His elect.
God's purpose in the earth is now made clear as the Lord sends
his preachers into the earth to proclaim it. Jesus Christ
is the Savior of sinners, whether they be Jew or Gentile, bond
or free. He has purchased everlasting and complete redemption for all
of those which were given to him in the eternal covenant of
grace. It is this gospel which is declared
through those whom the Lord has been pleased to send to this
work on earth. He could have used any means to declare the
gospel of his redemption, which he wanted to. He chose to use
sinful men for this task, not out of any urgency, necessity,
nor because they had some natural ability to perform it, but simply
because it seemed good in his sight. Those into whose hands
this glorious message is committed are sent into the world not to
play upon man's emotions, satisfy his religious need, nor to appeal
to his philosophical intellect, but to plainly declare the accomplished
redemption of the Son of God. They are not sent to titillate
the imaginations of their hearers with fantastic interpretations
of obscure passages of Scripture, but to exalt Him who has triumphed
over death and is the center of all prophetic truth. The gospel
of Christ Jesus is a glorious message to sinners in the fact
that Jesus Christ has alone purchased redemption for sinful men, imputing
their sin to himself and his righteousness to them. This is
a message about an accomplished redemption and not one which
must yet be agreed with in order to be effectual. He has obtained
it for those he intended to obtain it for, and it cannot be overturned
or fail in any sense. Paul says that God has committed
this gospel into the hands of men whom he likens to earthen
vessels. A pitcher is a vessel used for dispensing a liquid.
These pitchers are made of clay. But God hath chosen the foolish
things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen
the weak things of the world to confound the things which
are mighty. And base things of the world and things which are
despised hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to
bring to naught things that are. These are not silver pitchers,
for they are not designed for beauty, nor is there intended
purpose ever that they should be the objects of our attention.
Religious men and societies desire more polished dispensers, and
are often willing to pay a high price to obtain them. The message
that these earthen vessels contain cannot be enhanced by declaration
or eloquence, nor is it the purpose of God to exalt the dispenser.
These vessels are fragile and expendable. God is able to raise
up stones to praise Him, and he does not give any man an exclusive
understanding of his truth, regardless of his station or earthly education. Each one of these pictures shall
one day wind up on the scrap heap, broken and forgotten, but
the message will not die with them, for he will fashion others
of the same material to proclaim it." These pitchers must be lifted
by the handle to be poured. Who ever heard of a pitcher which
could pour itself out? Not that we are sufficient of
ourselves to think anything is of ourselves, but our sufficiency
is of God. Unless the Lord sees fit to pour
out a blessing, none of these vessels which He has prepared
will be of any profit, regardless of their education, fine scholarship,
or willingness to the task. Thirst cannot be slaked by the
pitcher. Only the liquid which it contains can suffice for that
purpose. The preaching of the gospel is not designed to bestow
life to dead sinners, but it is a message of life and hope
to those who have been awakened by the Spirit of God to hear
it. The grandness of orators cannot soothe the sin-weary soul,
but when the balm of Gilead is spread out, even by the weakest
of men sent for the task, a sweet relief is applied. These clay
pictures are used so that Christ alone might be glorified. If
the success of the message was dependent in any way on the ability
or suitableness of the preacher, then men could take some credit
for it. But as Paul says, the excellency of the power is of
God and not of us. Christ alone must be magnified,
even as John the baptizer said, He must increase, but I must
decrease. Jesus Christ is not only the
provider of redemption, but he is the supplier of it as well.
He has purchased those which are his, and he is now calling
them to himself. There is nothing that a man can
boast in concerning this great salvation. May our declaration
ever be, but God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross
of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto
me, and I unto the world. Do you rejoice in this gospel?
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