Improve Church Attendance

From the desk of Charles H. Spurgeon:

I believe that the best, surest, and most permanent way to fill a place of worship is to preach the gospel, and to preach it in a natural, simple, interesting, earnest way. The gospel itself has a singularly fascinating power about it, and unless impeded by an unworthy delivery, or by some other great evil, it will win its own way. It certainly did so at the first, and what is to hinder it now? Like the angels, it flew upon its own wings; like the dew, it tarried not for man, neither waited for the sons of men.

The gospel has a secret charm about it which secures a hearing: it casts its good spell over human ears, and they must hearken. It is God’s own word to men; it is precisely what human necessities require; it commends itself to man’s conscience, and, sent home by the Holy Spirit, it wakes an echo in every heart.

In every age, the faithful preaching of the good news has brought forth hosts of men to hear it, made willing in the day of God’s power. Decked in the glories of free and sovereign grace, wearing the crown-royal of the covenant, and the purple of atonement – the gospel, like a queen, is still glorious for beauty, and supreme over hearts and minds.

Published in all its fullness, with a clear statement of its efficacy and immutability, it is still the most acceptable news that ever reached the ears of mortals.

Ministry Cannot Succeed Without Divine Help

Samuel Davies

Men are naturally inclined to oppose the Gospel. Therefore, it is evident that nothing but the divine power of God can make the Gospel effectual for their sanctification. We may preach and teach but our efforts will have no power to sway the will of man unless God empowers the message and messenger. Samuel Davies explains further:

So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. (1 Corinthians 3:7)

When we see a people enjoy the frequent cultivations of the gospel, and the means of spiritual fruitfulness, and yet few new trees of righteousness planted, and those, that have been planted, seemingly withering and unfruitful, we cannot but conclude that something is wanting; without which all the means they enjoy be of no service. We should naturally turn our thoughts to an inquiry, what was wanting, had we tilled our lands from year to year without a crop. And since we find at present, which notwithstanding all the labors bestowed upon us, we lie in a deep sleep, and hardly know what it is of late to be animated with the news of some careless sinner here and there awakened to serious concern about his eternal estate, it is high time to inquire what is wanting. . . .

[T]he success of the ministry of the gospel with respect to saints and sinners, entirely depends upon the concurring influences of divine grace; or, that without the divine agency to render the gospel successful, all the labors of its ministers will be in vain. . . .

Such is the present degeneracy of human nature, that all the ministrations of the gospel cannot remedy it, without the concurring efficacy of divine grace. . . .

The metaphors used in sacred scripture to illustrate this case, sufficiently prove the degeneracy of mankind, and their entire opposition to the gospel. They are represented as spiritually dead, Ephesians 2:1, John 5:25, that is, though they are still capable of the exercises of reason and animal actions, yet they are really destitute of a supernatural principle of spiritual life, and incapable of suitable exercises towards God. And can a Paul or an Apollos quicken the dead with convictive arguments, with strong persuasions, or tender and passionate expostulations? No; none but he can do it whose almighty voice bade Lazarus come forth. . . . .

What can the charms of eloquence do to charm deaf adders that stop their ears? (Psalm 58:4). The Israelites might as well pretend to overthrow the walls of Jericho with the sound of ram’s horns, as we with our feeble breath to overthrow the strong-holds of Satan in the hearts of sinners! It is the divine agency alone that gives the success in both cases. Clay cannot open the eyes of the blind, except in his almighty hands who could form a world out of nothing. . . . (“The Success of the Ministry of the Gospel, Owing to a Divine Influence”)