Sin can be deceitful thereby exceedingly exposing the souls to delusion. Therefore an effective preacher should diligently lookout every nook and corner where a soul can find a false refuge. The sower should be so thorough and discriminating as to render it as nearly impossible as the nature of the case will admit that the soul should entertain a false hope.
If a man has the real witness of the Holy Spirit in himself, he will know it and also be able to distinguish it from presumption. It will be clear to him as the light of the day and obvious like the light of a star.
The Holy Scriptures are full of evidence that distinguished the real testimony of the Spirit with our spirit, from damning presumption. We are not left in ignorance of the circumstances which go before, which accompany, and which follow, the true, genuine testimony of the Spirit of God with the spirit of a believer.
Understanding or hearing the voice of the Spirit could sometimes be confusing to human comprehension. How often have many vain men mistaken the voice of their own imagination for this witness of the Spirit of God, and thence idly presumed they were the children of God while they were doing the works of the devil!
The great mass of sinners is careless, unconvicted. One should not assume their conviction and preparedness to receive Christ. When preachers are eager to urge sinners immediately to accept Christ, is to begin the work of soul-winning at the wrong end. The sinner needs to hear the whole truth of the word. Though in some cases, there may be a conviction in some men, which is already ripe, and the preacher just needs to present Christ, with the hope of His being accepted; but at ordinary times such cases are exceptional.
The purpose of the preaching of the gospel to secure the salvation of souls. Thus the admonition of the Scripture above relates to the matter, order, and manner of preaching.
We need a work of the Holy Spirit of a supernatural kind, putting power into the preaching of the Word, inspiring all believers with heavenly energy, and solemnly affecting the hearts of the careless, so that they turn to God and live. We should not be drunk with the wine of carnal excitement but be filled with the Spirit. We would behold the fire descending from heaven in answer to the effectual fervent prayers of righteous men. Let us entreat the Lord our God to make bare His holy Old-fashioned Doctrine
Such is the face value of any help from man. However, God’s promises are ‘yea’ and ‘amen’, signed, sealed, and delivered as He desires. This should inspire confidence in the true children of God whenever the enemy tries to assail from every side.
It does not matter which man is on your side or who is against you. Your trust should be in the Lord. Above all take heed, that God is with you in everything you do till death. If God is on the side of any man, can anyone be against him or be able to hurt him?