God, the Dispenser of His Word

It was the custom of Mr. Sharp, who was for many years minister of the gospel in Brighton, England, to take a tour round the country two or three times a year and dispense the word where there was no stated ministry.

He had been, he said, on one of these tours, and had met with much of his dear Master’s presence in the Word and believed the Word had been much blessed not only to his own soul but also to the souls of his hearers. The Lord had brought him home again in peace and safety, and he was that same evening going to preach to his own people in his own little chapel. In meditating on the goodness of the Lord to him in his late journey and having brought him back again once more in peace and safety, he felt his heart more than usually drawn out in love towards his blessed Master, and felt very comfortable both in mind and body. He had likewise a text from which to preach in which he could see much light, beauty, and order. As was his custom, he went into his little closet a short time before commencing to ask the Lord to open his mouth and make the word a blessing to the hearts and souls of his people; he did not on this occasion ask the Lord for a text, as he thought he had one.

A few minutes before it was time to begin, he lost his text. It seemed completely taken away so that he was much perplexed what to do, and that which just before was light, beauty, and order was now nothing but darkness and confusion. He could not think of a single passage on which to fix for a text and felt almost as if he must give it up for that time. The first hymn was given out and sung, and he tremblingly engaged in prayer. Prayer being over, and still no text, he was nearly at his wits’ end what to do, but while the second hymn was given out and sung, these words came to him with some light and sweetness: “Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.” He had just time to look into his concordance to see where the words were found. As he gave them out for his text, he found the Lord present with him.

He opened his mouth and was enabled very blessedly to speak. When the service was over and the congregation had departed, one man only remained, and he was a stranger. He went up to Mr. Sharp and said, “Perhaps, Sir, you will think it strange what I am going to say, but it is no less true than strange that the Lord has brought me nearly two hundred miles to hear the discourse you have preached tonight. I have known the Lord, I trust, for years (or rather, have been known of Him), and many have been the times I have enjoyed sweet union and communion with Him, but in process of time, much darkness and distress of soul came on to such a degree that it brought my soul to the brink of despair and my feeble body to the brink of the grave. Such hold it had upon me that I nearly lost the use of my speech and became, as it were, a dumb man. I had physicians one after another, but they all proved of no value; they did not understand my case, nor could anyone but He who ordered it.

“At length my medical adviser said to me with much earnestness: “You must go to Brighton and try what treatment can be found in Brighton. You will be a dead man if you stop here.” I took his advice and reached Brighton this afternoon, and, as I was roving about to see where I should take up my quarters, I saw a few poor people coming into this place, and thinking perhaps the truth might be preached here, I turned in.

“The Lord has met with me and restored my soul, and He opened my mouth as you can hear. I can now talk, whereas I was nearly dumb when I entered the place. I may now go home again, as the end of my coming is obtained, and I shall, God willing, do so tomorrow.”

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