Remembering God's Mighty Acts: Faith and Expectation

Perhaps there are no stories that stick by so long as those which we hear in our childhood, those tales which are told us by our fathers and in our nurseries. It is a sad reflection that too many of these stories are idle and vain, so that our minds in early infancy are tinctured with fables and inoculated with strange and lying narratives. [00:00:26]

Now among the early Christians, and the old believers in the far-off times, nursery tales were far different from what they are now, and the stories with which their children were amused were of a far different class from those which fascinated us in the days of our babyhood. [00:00:51]

The ancient Israelites when they dwelt in their own land would all of them tell their children about the Red Sea and the plagues which God wrought in Egypt when he brought his people out of the house of bondage. Among the early Christians we know that it was the custom of parents to recount to their children everything concerning the life of Christ, the acts of the apostles, and the like interesting narratives. [00:01:19]

We have heard that God has at times done very mighty acts. The plain everyday course of the world has been disturbed with wonders at which men have been exceedingly amazed. God has not always permitted his church to go on climbing by slow degrees to victory, but he hath been pleased at times to smite one terrible blow and lay his enemies down upon the earth. [00:04:12]

Have you never read how God won to himself great renown on the day of Pentecost? Turn you to this book of the record of the wonders of the Lord and read. Peter the fisherman stood up and preached in the name of the Lord his God, a multitude assembled and the spirit of God fell upon them and it came to pass that three thousand in one day were pricked in their heart by the hand of God and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. [00:06:42]

The first spread of the gospel is a miracle never to be eclipsed. Whatever God may have done at the Red Sea, he hath done still more within a hundred years after the time when Christ first came into the world. It seemed as if a fire from heaven ran along the ground, nothing could resist its force, the lightning shaft of truth shivered every pinnacle of the idol temple, and Jesus was worshiped from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same. [00:08:15]

When God would slay Sisera it was a woman that must do it with a hammer and a nail. God has done his mightiest works by the meanest instruments. That is a fact most true of all God's works. Peter the fisherman at Pentecost, Luther the humble monk at the Reformation, Whitfield the pot boy of the old bell inn at Gloucester in the time of the last century's revival, and so it must be to the end. [00:21:00]

Moreover, we have noticed in all these stories of God's mighty works in the olden time that whenever he has done any great thing it has been by someone who has had very great faith. I do verily believe at this moment that if God willed it every soul in this hall would be converted now, if God chose to put on the operations of his own mighty spirit, not the most obdurate heart would be able to stand against it. [00:22:00]

All the mighty works of God have been attended with great prayer as well as with great faith. Have you never heard of the commencement of the great American revival? A man unknown and obscure laid it up in his heart to pray that God would bless his country. After praying and wrestling and making the soul stirring inquiry, Lord what will thou have me to do, he hired a room and put up an announcement that there would be a prayer meeting held there at such and such an hour of the day. [00:25:07]

When people hear about what God used to do one of the things they say is oh that was a very long while ago. They imagine that times have altered since then. Says one I can believe anything about the Reformation the largest accounts that can possibly be given, I can take in, and so could I concerning Whitfield and Wesley says another all that is quite true they did labor vigorously and successfully but that was many years ago. [00:28:10]

Does not that furnish an argument to prove that what God has done at one time he can do it another? Now I think I may push it a little further, and say what he has done once is a prophecy of what he intends to do again, that the mighty works which have been accomplished in the olden time shall all be repeated and the Lord's song shall be sung again in Zion and he shall again be greatly glorified. [00:28:54]

I beseech you my friends absorb that idea put it out of your mind whatever God has done in the way of converting sinners is to be looked upon as a precedent, for his arm is not shortened that he cannot save, nor is his ear heavy that he cannot hear, if we are straightened at all we are not straightened in him, we are straightened in our own bowels, let us take the blame of it ourselves. [00:30:06]