You are aware that the Song of Solomon, also called the Canticles, are responsive songs — meaning that one sentence is uttered by Solomon, and the next by Solyma, his spouse. We believe that in this “Song of Songs – which is Solomon’s” – we also hear Christ speaking to his Church –  his bride –  and the Church responding to his words of love in tones which his love suggested to her. The fact that the Song is a responsive song sometimes renders it more difficult to understand. Why? Because, in every case, it is not easy to discover whether it is Solomon or Solyma — Christ or his Church— that is speaking. The first sentence in our text is just of that character; it may be Christ who says, “My vineyard, which is mine, is before me.” Or, the Church may be saying  “My vineyard, which is mine, is before me.” With regard to the latter part of the verse, we have no difficulty. Why? Well, we can see – upon the very face of it – that the latter part is addressed by the spouse; that is, the bride to her Divine Bridegroom for she says, “Thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand.”

Accordingly, let us look at the first sentence: “My vineyard, which is mine, is before me.” We have no difficulty in understanding that this vineyard is Christ’s Church. She is not compared to a grove of trees — even of fruit-bearing trees. There are many trees which are valuable – not only for their fruit, but also for their timber. Moreover, should the trees bear no fruit, they would still have some value. That is not true of members of Christ’s Church. They are like the vine. If the vine does not bring fruit, it is of no value – it is fit for nothing – it cumbereth the ground. The Lord said to the prophet Ezekiel, “What is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest? Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon? Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel: the fire devours both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned. Is it meet for any work?” No, if a vine is fruitless, it is useless. The vine must bear fruit, or it is of no value whatsoever. Hence the Church is always compared to a vineyard. Why? Because if she does not bring forth fruit to the Lord Jesus Christ, she is less useful than even an ordinary mercantile and commercial community. That mercantile community, or body corporate – which is presumably instituted for wise purposes – may further some useful design. However, the Church is of no use whatsoever unless she brings forth the fruit of holiness and of gratitude to her Lord, her Divine Husbandman. Better that she not be called a church at all than that she should pretend to be the Church of Christ, and bring forth no fruit to his praise.

Thus, we have no difficulty in understanding that the vineyard – mentioned in the text – is Christ’s Church, because a vineyard is such a significant symbol of the body of believers who are banded together in love to their Savior. Thus, that body is known by the name of “the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.” We must, therefore, consider the opening sentence of our text as being, first, THE WORDS OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST; and here you see at once two things — first, that Christ claims a special property in his Church; and, secondly, that he has special regard and care for her: “My vineyard, which is mine, is before me.”

The Master here, then, claims a special property in his Church. Twice he mentions his claim: “My vineyard, which is mine,” as if he meant to assert his rights, and to maintain his rights against all comers. The Master is ready to defend his rights in Heaven’s High Court of Chancery… indeed, defend his vineyard against all of his enemies… foes who might seek to snatch his inheritance from him. “Whatever is not mine,” saith the Divine Lover, “but my Church is mine. She is so mine that if I gave up Lebanon… if I should renounce Bashan… and give up all the rest of my possessions… I must retain Zion, my vineyard, my best-beloved.”

We know that the Church is Christ’s by special bonds — not simply by creation. It is true that the Lord Jesus created all of his people, but he does not claim them merely on that ground. Indeed, all men are his by creation – the very devils in hell are his in that sense. Therefore, he does not claim his Church simply by the right of being her Creator. Nor does he claim her merely by the prerogatives of providence. In the sense of exercising his prerogative, the cattle on a thousand hills are his… the lions of the forest… young ravens which cry unto him are his for he supplies their needs. All things are his by providence –  from the stars of heaven down to the midge in the summer’s air… the worm that conceals itself in the grass at eventide. No, no… our Lord Jesus claims his Church by a far higher title than that of creation or providence. Nor is the Church his merely by right of conquest. It is true that he fought for his people… that his people may be considered as the spoils that he took in war. Indeed, he rescued his people from the hand of him that was stronger than them. All of those he rescued he shall into heaven… they may be looked upon as signs and wonders… trophies of what his strong arm did in delivering them from their mighty and malignant foes. Yes, he could claim that title, but, beloved, Christ claims his Church by a better title even than being victor in a great battle.

First, he claims the Church as his own by his Father’s gift. You know that the Church is the property of the three Persons of the holy and blessed Trinity. She is the Father’s property by election; she is the Son’s property by donation, title passing from the hand of the Father to that of the Mediator. Then, the Church is the Spirit’s property by his indwelling – habitation. Thus, all three of the Divine Persons have a right to the Church to fulfill some special office which they exercise towards her. Consequently, Christ claims his Church as his Father’s gift – a love-token…  a reward… a sign of the Father’s favour and regard towards him. He looks on his people as dear – not only for their own sakes – but for the sake of the Father who gave them to his Son; yes, to be his forever and ever. They are his, then, by donation; and, as such, they are very, very precious in his sight since the Father gave them to him.

Next, Christ’s Church is his by purchase. There are some who say that all men are Christ’s by purchase. But, beloved, you and I do not believe in a sham redemption which does not redeem. We do not believe in a universal redemption which extends even to those who were in hell before the Savior died, and includes the fallen angels as well as unrepentant men. We believe in an effectual redemption, and can never agree with those who would teach us that Christ’s blood was shed in vain. The good Shepherd laid down his life for his sheep. Christ loved his Church, and gave himself for it. He bought his own people with his blood. He purchased – not the world’s wide wilderness – but the “spot enclosed by grace,” the vineyard which his own right hand planted. Thus, his vineyard is dear to the heart of Jesus – every vine and every cluster of grapes in this vineyard. Why? He bought the whole of it with his blood. As Naboth – when asked to sell his vineyard to Ahab – he answered the king, “The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my father’s unto thee.” Thus, he kept it even at the cost of his life. Do you think that our Lord Jesus will ever part with his vineyard – ‘which is my vineyard, mine?’ His vineyard was not only his by inheritance from his Father, but also by purchase “not with corruptible things, as silver and gold,” but with his own most precious blood? On every leaf in that vineyard, his blood fell. The red juice that flows so freely from the clusters, when pressed, is his blood in another form. If the soil of the vineyard is rich, it is rich because he enriched the ground with his blood. If the vines bring forth plenteously, it is because of the care he has taken with them.

More than this, the Church is Christ’s by one other tie. That tie, perhaps, makes the vineyard even dearer to him. She is his bride, his spouse. Now, whatever a man may not have a right to, he certainly has a right to his own espoused wife. Whatever legal quibbles may be raised about a piece of earth… about a man’s title to his freehold property… a man has a clear right and title to his own wife. And Jesus looks into the eyes of his spouse – after he redeemed her out of the hand of the enemy, and took her unto himself… yes, after he placed the jewels of his grace about her neck… in her ears… on her hands – yes, after he adorned her with the robe of his own righteousness, and made her beautiful in his beauty… t’is then that he looks at her, and he says, “Thou art mine; thou art mine; and no one else can claim thee. My spouse, thou art no harlot, thou shalt not play the part of an adulteress with many lovers, for thou art mine, and no one but myself can claim thee. None but myself shall partake of thine embraces, none but myself shall receive of the love of thy heart.”

By these three ties, then, O thou Church of Christ, you are his special property. By each of these ties you are endeared to him! Jesus sees on you, O Church of God, the mark of his Father’s love-gift! He sees, too, the evidence of his own loving purchase, and then his espousal of you unto himself to be his forever and ever.

But we must move on and notice that in the first sentence of our text, we are not only told about Christ’s special right to his Church, but also about his special care and observation of her: “My vineyard, which is mine, is before me.”

The Church is “before” Christ in the sense that he so loves her that she has never been out of his presence. The vineyard is so dear to the Husbandman that he never leaves it. He may sometimes hide himself among the vines; but he is always close at hand… watching how they progress… delighting himself with their fragrance and fruitfulness. The Bridegroom is never absent from his spouse, for he loves her too much to be separated from her. Is it not a sweet thought that believers are ever under the eye of Christ? He would not be happy unless he had them continually before him. His Church may be willing to endure his absence for a while, but he loves her so much that he cannot bear to be away from her. She may grow so cold towards him that his absence may seem, to her, to be but a small matter; but the decay of her love is not a little matter to him. His love is strong as death… his jealousy is cruel as the grave… thus, he cannot bear to have her out of his sight even for a minute. He will always pour upon her the beams of his love, and ever fix upon her the affection of his whole heart.

The expression, “My vineyard, which is mine, is before me,” may also mean that Jesus is always caring for it, as well as always loving it. There is never a moment when Christ ceases to care for his vineyard. He himself said, “I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day.” What! water it every moment? Keep it night and day? Yes, he will never neglect it. His word to his Church is, “Lo, I am with you always;” — not merely for half a day, or an hour in the day – leaving his ministers to care for them at other times. No, no… but, “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Jesus still walks among the golden candlesticks. He does not light the candles, and then leave them to burn by themselves. No, he walks among them – keeps them from going out. “My vineyard, which is mine, is before me.” Christ is always in his Church… always caring for his Church… always bidding his providence assist her in her actions… always upholding her in her hours of trial… leading her into all truth… instructing her sons and daughters… and making all her members “meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.”

In this expression, there is also the sense of love and care, but also of knowledge: “My vineyard, which is mine, is before me.” Christ knows every vine in the vineyard. He knows all of the fruit that is on each vine… how much fruit was harvested last year… how much there will be in years to come. Before there was a vine placed in that vineyard, Christ knew how many plants would be planted… where they would be put… what sort they would be… how much fruit they would bring forth. He did not find out by degrees what he inherited. He knew all about his vineyard long before the worlds were formed. There is nothing in his Church that is new to him – he foreknew… foresaw, and foreordained every single particle of mold that lies in that vineyard… every stone that is in its walls… every vine growing within them… Ay, and every leaf, yea – every particle of blight or mildew that falls upon a leaf – all has been settled and ordained, foreknown, and prepared for by the great Proprietor.

“My vineyard, which is mine, is before me.” There is a sweet thought here for all who love the Savior. You, as his Church, and each one of you who are his people, are specially preserved by him. If you do not believe that is so, consider then our Lord’s question, “why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, my way is hidden from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God?” I tell you, soul, that he sees you as much as if there were no others for his eyes to look upon… he cares for you as infinitely – and with as undivided a heart – as if you were the only soul that he ever bought with his blood. If you were his only elect one… his only redeemed one… his only loved one… he could not deal with you more tenderly and more lovingly than he is dealing with you now. If you are Christ’s, you are never behind his back.. yes, you are ever before him. He can always see you though you cannot always see him. When the eye of your faith is dim, the eye of his care sees clearly.

When your heart seems dead and cold, his heart remains hot with infinite affection. When you say, “My God has ceased to be gracious,” you belie and slander him. He is really manifesting his graciousness toward you in another fashion. So, he has changed the manifestation of his purpose from love and mercy. His purpose is the same as ever — to drench you with floods of mercy… to wash you with streams of grace… to fertilize you until you shall be like that vine of Eschol, a “branch with one cluster of grapes.” Yes, a cluster so large and weighty that “they bare it between two upon a staff!” Nay, more! Until the great Husbandman shall make of you such a vine as earth has scarcely seen! Thus, he must transplant you to a better vineyard, even to the hill-top of glory!

I think, then, if we regard the first sentence as the language of Christ, it is very sweet to hear him say, “My vineyard, which is mine, is before me.” My brethren… the deacons… and elders of the church must always take comfort from this thought. If there is anything in the church that grieves us, we must feel, “It is his vineyard, not ours; the matter is before him, so he will know what to do with it.” Dear brethren, I am sure we should lay down our tasks if the Master is not with us. I would dare not be a minister – and you would dare not be church-officers – unless we felt that your vine was before him. In your different districts of the vineyard… let the sick… the sorrowful… the backsliding… all be carried before your God. Let all the members feel that – although we are but feeble creatures to be leaders of so great a host –  that the church would be just as carefully looked after as it is now if the church grew to fifteen hundred, but if the Lord will, increased to fifteen thousand! He who is the Husbandman is as able to care for his vines when most numerous as well as, there was only one. That one would have the whole of his attention.

Now, very briefly, I want you to regard this first sentence of our text as the language of the church itself.

According to the eleventh verse, “Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-Hamon; he let out the vineyard unto keepers; every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of silver.” So, dear brethren, every one of us whom the Lord has brought to himself has a part of his vineyard to keep for him. We do not sing, with Wesley —

“A charge to keep I have,
A God to glorify,
A never-dying soul to save,
And fit it for the sky,”

Why do we not sing Wesley’s song? Because we do not believe anything of the kind. We leave the work of saving souls in higher hands than our own. Now, after our souls are saved, then we have a charge to keep them. That charge? To publish the name and fame of Jesus to the utmost of our power… to seek to bring others under a sound gospel in order to tell them what they must do to be saved.

There are a great many people who seem to forget that they have a vineyard of their own to keep. Either that, or else – if they remember that they have their own – they cannot say, “My vineyard, which is mine, is before me,” No, they cannot say that because they go about gazing on other people’s vineyards. Instead of keeping their eyes fixed upon their own, they say, “Look at So-and-so’s vineyard; I don’t think he trims his vines in the new style.” I usually notice that those persons – who have such wonderful plans of their own, and who are always finding fault with other people’s plans – never do anything except find fault. I like the deacons and elders of the church, and the teachers in the Sunday-school to have no other plan than this — to do all the good they can, and do it in the name of the Lord Jesus. When they are doing that let no other people interfere with them. Let them do all the good that they can.

It is always well when a man has his work before him… knows what he is going to do… and goes straight at it. There are far too many people gadding about to see what others are doing – to spy out their plans and methods of working. Let me tell you, brethren, that the best way to succeed is to have no plan but this, “Whatsoever your hand finds to do, do it with all of your might.” When I see the members of a church laying down a multiplicity of rules, I know that they are getting themselves into a multiplicity of troubles. If they will leave rules and regulations to come up when actually needed, they will find them when they want them. Let every man – who has the Spirit of God within him – set about the work which he is called to do. Let him attend to the portion of the vineyard, which is before him, and try to get his thousand pieces of silver out of his own portion, and not from another plot. There is always a set of grumblers about – who think they could preach better… manage Sunday-schools better… than anybody else. They are the people who generally do nothing at all.

Now, I sometimes receive anonymous letters asking me to amend my style in this way or the other. I know where they come from — they are either from people who are very idle (to whom the penny post gives occupation for their idle hours), or from those who think they can bring notice to themselves by their communications. I usually throw all such letters into the fire. Now, if these people – instead of wasting their time in that way would write a letter with good sound gospel teaching in it to some poor sinner who wants to know the way of salvation; or if they would bestow their thoughts on some poor crossing-sweeper, they would do more good. Certainly, more good would be done in that instead of wasting their pennies on me. I think I can do better without their advice than with it. Still, it is always the grumbling souls who are the idle souls. On the other hand, those men – who get the thousand pieces of silver out of their vineyard – they constantly attend to their own work so that they have no leisure to look upon the work of other people – certainly not with the view of finding fault with their work. They know right well that they have no right to interfere between other men and their Master; and that, to their own Master, each one must stand or fall.

I pray that this church, and every member of it, may always be able to say in the words of our text – I am not responsible for my brother, but I am responsible for myself. Why? It is, ’My vineyard, which is mine, is before me.’ I will always keep my own work before my eyes. I will go about it, and do what I have to do as if there was nobody else in the world doing anything. I will work as if I was the only Christian alive. At the same time, I will always comfort myself with the thought that my feeble labors are not the only labors being rendered to the Master. No, no… there are more than seventy thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal. They too are serving the one living and true God. While I am working, I will pray and hope for every other worker to have a greater success than I will have in my harvest. If I see any one prospering more than I am, I will bless God for it; but I will still say, ‘My vineyard, which is mine, is before me.’ However well my neighbor is getting on… that is no reason why I should slacken my efforts. Indeed, however badly another may succeed, that is no reason why I should neglect my own duty in order to chide him. ‘My vineyard, which is mine, is before me.’”

The next time you are tempted to complain of some brother or sister, check yourself, and say, “It is my vineyard which is before me. There are some ugly thistles in it, and some great nettles over there in the corner. I have not trimmed my vines this summer. I have not taken the little foxes, which spoil the vines; but, henceforth, I will attend more diligently to ‘my vineyard, which is mine.’” A blessed way of keeping from finding fault with other people is to look well to tending to your own vineyard.

I will now turn to the second part of our text, which is the language of the church to her great proprietor and Lord. “Thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand,” — “must have a thousand.” Whatever others have our Lord must have Solomon’s portion; “and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred.” So, then, in the first place, the fruit of the vineyard belongs to Christ; but, in the second place, both Christ and his Church agree to reward the keepers of the vineyard, and to let them have their two hundred.

First, then, all the fruit of the vineyard belongs to Christ, and he must have it. Dwell on that word “must”, and let each one of you feel the blessed necessity. There are some churches where – if they have any fruit, they keep it to themselves. The Word has free course and is glorified  – sinners are saved… saints are comforted… and then they take the honor and glory to themselves. Other churches exist – which give all the glory to the minister. The work succeeds well… everything prospers… and then the keeper of the vineyard has the thousand pieces of silver. There are other churches that give all the glory to the rich people in their midst. “Everything will go well,” say they, “while the squire attends with us, while Mr. So-and-so is one of our deacons, and Mr. So-and-so is so generous a subscriber to our funds.” So there also we see the thousand pieces of silver given to man. Ah! but they must not brethren! Stand back, ye intruders! we dare not give you so much as a farthing’s worth of the fruit of this vineyard. The vineyard is Christ’s – he purchased it with his own life’s blood. As a result, the fruit is all his – he must have it all! None of it must be given to anyone else. Open wide thy hand, O thief, and give up the fruit you have taken to yourself! We imperatively demand the fruit returned – give it all up, sir, for Jesus Christ must have it all even as Solomon had the thousand pieces of silver.

But, brothers and sisters, it sometimes happens in a church, that there is no glory at all. The church is so badly off – the congregation so small – there is such an absence of zeal. So very feeble has the spirit of prayer become that there is no glory to be given to anyone! What shall we say to such a church as that? “Brethren, do not rest satisfied with such a state of things as that; do not say, ‘Solomon must be content with a hundred.’ No, he must have his thousand.” I want all the members of this church to feel that our Solomon – our Lord Jesus Christ must have his thousand pieces of silver. We must not allow one year to go below the mark of the previous year. If Christ received glory through us last year, he must have as much – even more – glory through us this year. If we had a revival in years gone by, we must have a revival now. If Solomon had a thousand pieces of silver from us once, we must never let our tribute to him be any less. Souls must still be brought to the Savior, even should —

“The wide world esteem it strange,
Gaze and admire, and hate the change.”

The ministry must still be powerful… the prayer-meetings must continue to be full of faith and fervor… the members must keep on striving together in love for the extension of Christ’s kingdom… his kingdom must come… his will must be done on earth as it is in heaven. We will not put in an “if” or a “perhaps”; it must be so, and we will not be satisfied unless it is. “Thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand.”

Suppose, my brethren, in looking back upon the past year, we find that we have not had so much of the Master’s presence, and have not done so much for him as in years gone by. What shall we say? That we will make it up next year? Oh, no! that will not do; our Solomon must have his thousand this year. Shall he have less than the stipulated rental for his vineyard? Shall I contribute less, today, to my Lord’s honor than I did yesterday? Shall I be less zealous, less useful, less laborious? Shall the minister preach less than he did? Shall the elders visit less than they used to visit? Will you, church-members, pray less – serve Christ less? If you love him less, you will do so. But, brethren, I trust that you do not love him less. I am sure that you owe him more – you are plunging every day deeper and deeper into debt to him. He is continually revealing to you more and more of the heights and depths… yes, the lengths and breadths of his love – a love that passes knowledge. He is ever leading you further – and yet further still – into the mysteries of his kingdom… teaching you to know him better, which is much more than knowing mere doctrine.

So I ask you — can you love him less than you did in the years gone by? Will you pray to him less earnestly and praise him less fervently? No, brethren and sisters, I think that, as Christians, we shall unanimously cry, “As we come nearer to thyself, O Lord, make us the more fruitful! And as years increase upon us, let it not be said that we do less for our Master at fifty than we did at five-and-twenty.” Let not people be able to say concerning any one of us, “He did run well; what did hinder him?” Let not the Spirit of God chide any one of us, and say, “You have left your first love.” Let us insist upon it – that as we began – we will continue pressing onward. No, no… not that we will simply go on as we began. Rather, we will seek to go “from strength to strength,” until every one of us shall appear in Zion before our God. I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem – by the undiminished beauty and the undivided love of your Lord – that ye love him no less than ye did in the day of your espousal to him! O ye keepers of the vineyard… my brethren in the ministry… ye who go out from this church to preach the Word… If ye gave him glory last year… if ye loved the souls of men… if ye knew how to wrestle with the Angel of the covenant in months gone by… you must do the same now! Today! You must not do less than you used to do – NO, NO. You must not preach less earnestly – you must not pray less fervently; but rather, you must love him more and serve him better. May the Spirit of God enable you so to do!

But, alas! there are some of you who never give our King Solomon anything. Perhaps you are the people of God; at least, you profess to be so; but what are you doing for him? I do not think there are many members of my own church of whom I have cause to complain, but there may be some. Perhaps you have been converted for years, yet you do not know that you were ever the means of bringing a soul to Jesus. You say that you love the Savior, but what are you doing for him? Coming here is not doing anything… on Sabbath-days or week-nights to listen to his Word. There are other and better ways of showing your love to the Savior than simply by coming to hear another man talk to you about him. Oh, if I have one idle member in the church who talks of loving Christ, but who does nothing for him, I will look that member in the face and say that faith without works is dead… that the love which does not show itself in practical piety is a pretended love… a painted flame… t’is not the gift of heaven! Believe me, if I knew which one I described, I will tell him to his face.

I feel that I must also say that if we are doing something for Christ, none of us is doing enough for him. Brethren, I feel sometimes as if I wished that I had a thousand tongues to tell the story of his grace. I longed that each day was a year… each year a century… that I could keep telling of his love. Often, when the sermon is over, I chide myself because I seem to have spoken so coldly and the theme demanded a tongue of fire. I have painted so badly that lovely face of his… if painted as I envisage it… if only you could see it, his face would so captivate your hearts that you would never want to see another. Yet from my heart, I can honestly say that I do desire to give my Lord and Master his thousand pieces of silver.

“I’ll praise my Maker with my breath,
And when my voice is lost in death,
Praise shall employ my nobler powers.”

I cannot stop preaching, brethren; and you cannot cease praying. We cannot – no, not any of us – not if we truly love our Lord give up working for him. I am sure that if we should live to be so very old, and so very feeble, that we could hardly get outside our own door, that we would still try to serve him to the very last; we would find some means of praising him even on our dying bed.

Now I will conclude with a few remarks upon the last words of the text: “and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred,” which means that the keepers of the vineyard are to receive a reward. Christ’s ministers are to receive the love… regard… and the esteem of his people for his sake. Joseph Irons put this thought very prettily… I forget his exact words, but they are to the effect that Christ’s ministers really do get their two hundred. They have one hundred while they are preaching in their own enjoyment of the sweetness of the mystery which they open up to others; and then they have another hundred in the success of their ministry. Yes, in the joy of seeing sinners saved… harlots reclaimed… drunkards converted. Our Master is a blessed Paymaster for he pays us while we are doing his work… in the work itself. He pays us when the work is done, and then he says that he has only begun to pay us for – when the whole of our work here is over – we shall enter into his joy, and receive the fulness of our reward.

Here, this eve, I may, perhaps, have some members of country churches present who are not kind to their minister. I can speak plainly upon this point because my people are almost too kind to me; but I say will say this to members of other churches — Take care of your minister, for you will never get a blessing unless you are kind to him whom God has set over you. If your minister does not have his two hundred — that is, if he has not your love and respect, and if you do not give him sufficiently to keep him above want — you cannot expect the Spirit of God to work with you. I believe there are scores of churches in which no good is ever done for this very reason. God says, “You starve my minister, so I will starve you. You find fault with him, and quarrel with him; then I will find fault with you, and quarrel with you. There shall be no blessing upon you; you shall be like Gilboa, there shall be neither dew nor rain upon you.” I sometimes hear sad stories of what is done in some churches to the minister of Christ. He is looked upon as the drudge and slave of the community. Some self-important, pompous member lords his title, wealth or station – indeed, his seeming one thousand – over both pastor and people, while that poor man – even when he is preaching the everlasting gospel – often has to wonder how he will get his next coat in which he is to appear in the pulpit. The one he wears is nearly out at the elbows. Sadly, if even he were to hint that another is needed, he would receive notice to go elsewhere. They would tell him that he was a mere hireling… looking for loaves and fishes… as if there were either loaves or fishes to be got out of such people as they are in his congregation. I have often heard it remarked that the minister has a certain sum paid to him… but the great mass of the people never think, “He is our pastor, we must try to cheer his heart, and make glad his spirit.” This state of things ought to be altered; and, until it is, the Lord will have a quarrel with those who behave in such a manner… dying as they themselves may be on the vine.

I will say no more upon that point, but I shall repeat that our great Solomon must have his thousand. The minister will cry, even though he is himself starving, “Solomon must have his thousand.” I was once travelling through Hertfordshire, and stayed the night at a certain place, and the minister said to me, “Will you preach here this evening, sir?” “Yes,” I replied, “I should like an opportunity of talking to your people if you will give them notice.” I went into the minister’s house, and I found that they only gave him thirteen shillings a week, and I saw that his coat was threadbare. When I went into the pulpit, I thought, “I will just give these people something;” and I did, too, I can assure you; and after that, I gave him something, and they gave him something, and we just managed to contribute together enough to get him a new suit of livery, as he called it; and I do not think that brother has been quite as low down in the depths of poverty as he was then when Jesus met his need.

Indeed, there are scores of places in the country where ministers are treated as that poor man was, but it ought not to be so. The minister of Christ must have some regard… some esteem… some honor in his church; but, after all, our Lord Jesus Christ must have his thousand. My own people may take home to themselves the first part of my discourse, but you big farmer-deacons must take the latter part to yourselves. Don’t you go to sleep to-night until you have thought, “What can we do for that poor man who is to preach for us next Sunday?” As for my own members, you can think about the first part. Let it be your joy to know that the vineyard is Christ’s vineyard, and that it ever lies before him. Let each one of you seek to give to Jesus his thousand pieces of silver, — all the honor, and the glory, and the praise, and the love, and the service that you can render to him from the beginning of the year to the end thereof. Amen.