Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament

⁹ But perhaps the Householder has not gone out to call you? If he has not gone out, what mean our addresses to you? For we are servants of his household, we are sent to hire labourers. Why do you stand still then? You have now ended the number of your years; hasten after the denarius. For this is the “going out” of the Householder, the making himself known; forasmuch as he that is in the house is hidden, he is not seen by those who are without; but when he “goes out” of the house, he is seen by those without.

So Christ is in secret, as long as He is not known and acknowledged; but when He is acknowledged, He has gone out to hire labourers. For now He has come forth from a hidden place, to be known of men: everywhere Christ is known, Christ is preached; all places whatsoever under the heaven proclaim aloud the glory of Christ. He was in a manner the object of derision and contempt among the Jews, He appeared in low estate and was despised. For He hid His Majesty, and manifested His infirmity.

That in Him which was manifested was despised, and that which was hidden was not known. “For had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” But is He still to be despised now that He sits in heaven, if He were despised when He was hanging on the tree? They who crucified Him wagged their head, and standing before His Cross, as though they had attained the fruit of their cruel rage, they said in mockery, “If He be the Son of God, let Him come down from the Cross.

He saved others, Himself He cannot save.” He came not down, because He lay hid. For with far greater ease could He have come down from the Cross, who had power to rise again from the grave. He showed forth an example of patience for our instruction. He delayed His power, and was not acknowledged. For He had not then gone out to hire labourers, He had gone out, He had not made Himself known. On the third day He rose again, He showed Himself to His disciples, ascended into heaven, and sent the Holy Ghost on the fiftieth day after the resurrection, the tenth after the ascension.

The Holy Ghost who was sent filled all who were in one room, one hundred and twenty men. They “were filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with the tongues of all nations;” now was the calling manifest, now He went out to hire. For now the power of truth began to be made known to all. For then even one man having received the Holy Ghost, spoke by himself with the tongues of all nations. But now in the Church oneness itself, as one man speaks in the tongues of all nations. For what tongue has not the Christian religion reached? To what limits does it not extend? Now is there no one “who hides himself from the heat thereof;” and delay is still ventured by him who stands still at the eleventh hour.