thank God, and thank you, that you do listen to what is said in this
pulpit. But there are many people who have a bad trick of minding
the preacher carefully enough for a minute or two, and then letting
their wits wander, and think about something else; and then if any
word in the sermon strikes them, waking up suddenly, and thinking
again for a little, and then letting their thoughts run wild again;
and so on. Whereby it happens that they only recollect a few scraps
of the sermon, a word here, and a sentence there, and get into their
heads all sorts of mistakes and false notions about the preacher's
meaning.

That is not right; that is not worthy of reasonable grown men: that
is only pardonable in little scatter-brained children. Men and women
should listen steadily, reverently throughout; so, and so only, will
they be able to judge of the message which the preacher brings them.
Listen to me, therefore, all through this sermon, and may God give
you grace to understand it and lay it to heart, for it is the good
news of the kingdom of God.

You recollect, I hope, that I have often told you, that the Lord
Jesus Christ's words would never pass away; that His prophecies are
continually coming true, and being fulfilled over and over again.
Now this text is not one of His prophecies, but it is a prophecy
about Him; one which He fulfilled, and which He has been fulfilling
again and again. He is fulfilling it, as I believe, more than ever,
now in these very days.

If you will look at the 61st chapter of Isaiah, you will find this
prophecy; and you will find, too, what will surprise you at first,
that Isaiah was speaking of himself. He says, "That the Spirit of