our hearts swell within us as we read his noble words, "But none of these things move

me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy"

(Acts 20: 24), we are glad to know, as he himself confessed, that he was a man of like

passions with ourselves (Acts 14: 15) and that he was what he was only by the grace of

God (I Cor. 15: 10). Consequently, when we find this great apostle writing to the Church

that owed so much to his undaunted service, we are humbled yet encouraged at his

We now come to another kind of "opening of the mouth" that is necessary, "Open my

mouth wide, and I will fill it" (Psa. 81: 10). The Psalm reminds Israel of the waters of

Meribah (verse 7), and concludes with regretful exclamation "Oh that my people had

hearkened unto me and walked in my ways!" Then would He have fed them with the

finest of wheat and with honey out of the rock (verses 13-16). The intervening verses

show that the food mentioned is a symbol of the Word of God. We cannot feed others

unless we ourselves are fed. We can only deliver to others that which we have first of all

received (I Cor. 15: 3).

As in Jer. 1: 9, there are many references to the inspiration of the Prophets that do not

apply to-day because, having complete revelation of God, we are not now in need of

individual inspiration but can "fill our mouths" with the self-same words of inspired truth

that opens the ear of the learner and enables him to speak a word that shall be in season

(Isa. 50: 4).

We need to remember moreover that "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth

speaketh" (Matt. 12: 34). There needs to be a treasure in the heart before good things can

be spoken by the mouth, otherwise words will be without profit or power, like the

tinkling cymbal rather than the clear clarion call. We must therefore continue this series

in order to embrace the teaching of the Scripture as to the "Opened heart".

Meanwhile, we summarize once more. For effectual service we need: