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To win a soul....
From Spurgeon's sermon, "Farm Laborers"
A sermon is vain talk and dreary word-spinning
unless the Holy Spirit enlivens it.
The human heart will remain barren, even though Paul himself
should preach, unless God the Holy Spirit shall work
with Paul and bless the word to those that hear it.
Therefore, do not make too much of preachers;
for when they have done all, they are unprofitable servants.
If any of you think that it is an easy thing to win a
soul,
I should like you to attempt it.
Suppose that without divine aid you should try to save a soul--
you might as well attempt to make a world.
Why, you cannot create even a fly,
how can you create a new heart and a right spirit?
Regeneration is a great mystery, it is out of your reach.
What can you and I do in this matter? It is far beyond our line.
We can share the truth of God with others; but to 'apply
that truth to the heart and conscience' is quite another thing.
I have preached Jesus Christ with my whole heart,
and yet I know that I have never produced a saving effect
upon a single unregenerate man unless the Spirit of God has
opened the heart and placed the living seed of truth within it.
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