The Sweetness of Preaching Christ

And let me add to this that there is a very special sweetness about preaching Christ, in the public proclamation of His word. It may be that some brother here has the gift of speech, but has never used it for his Master. Let me put in my witness here. God's word has been unutterably sweet to my own heart, as I have believed it; it has been remarkably precious to me as I have confessed it as a Christian man; but still there is a something, I cannot tell you what, of singular delight about the preaching of this word. Oh, sometimes, when I have prepared my sermon, it has been bitter in my belly, but it has been as honey in my mouth when I have preached it to the great congregation gathered here! If I might choose my destiny, and if I had even to stop out of Heaven for the purpose, it would be Heaven to me to be permitted always to be preaching Christ and the glories of his salvation; and I do not know that I should have any choice between that and Heaven. If I might be privileged to be, without ceasing, lauding and praising and extolling that dear Word of God, the Christ who was born at Bethlehem, if I might tell out to sinners everywhere that God is in him making reconciliation, nay, that He has made reconciliation for all who believe in Him, this might be Heaven enough, at least for one poor heart, world without end.

"How sweet are your words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" Try, brother, whether it will not sweeten your mouth if you begin to preach Christ. Perhaps you have been too quiet and too silent. Get up and speak for Jesus, and see whether the honey does not come into your mouth at once. In the olden time, they pictured the orator with bees buzzing round his lips, storing up the honey that dropped from his sweet utterances. This may be but a fable concerning the human talker; but certainly it is true of the man who preaches Christ, that his lips drop honey, and the more he speaks of his dear Lord and Master, and the less he tries with human eloquence to magnify himself, the more of sacred sweetness shall there be in every word that he utters.