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diff --git a/30449-h/30449-h.htm b/30449-h/30449-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e5857b5 --- /dev/null +++ b/30449-h/30449-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,3808 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN" +"http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd"> +<html> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content= +"text/html; charset=UTF-8"> +<title>The Way To God And How To Find It</title> + +<style type="text/css"> + body {font-family:'Bookman Old Style','Book Antiqua','Garamond';text-align:justify;margin-left:3em;margin-right:3em} + p.pnn {margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0} + p.ps {margin-top:0;margin-bottom:1em} + p.pn {text-indent:1.5em;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0} + p.pns {text-indent:1.5em;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:1em} + p.pc {text-align:center;margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:1em} + p.pt1 {text-align:center;font-size:108%;letter-spacing:0.05em;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0.8em} + p.pt2 {text-align:center;font-size:75%;line-height:1.8em;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:1em} + p.p3 {padding-left:6em;text-indent:-2em;font-size:88%;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0} + p.p3s {padding-left:6em;text-indent:-2em;font-size:88%;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:1em} + .sc {font-variant:small-caps} + .f11 {font-size:75%} + h1 {text-align:center;margin-top:3.0em;margin-bottom:0.8em;font-size:125%;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0.1em} +</style> +</head> +<body> +<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 30449 ***</div> + +<p class="pnn"><a href="#Reader">To The Reader</a></p> +<p class="pnn"><a href="#Contents">Contents</a></p> +<p class="pnn"><a href="#Text">Text</a></p> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:217%;margin-top:1.3em;margin-bottom:1.5em"> +THE WAY TO GOD</p> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:125%;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:6.5em"> +AND HOW TO FIND IT</p> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:117%;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:5.7em"> +By D. L. MOODY</p> +<div style="text-align:center"><img alt="Illustration: Graphic" src="images/graphic.png" + style="width: 58px; height: 87px;"></div> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:121%;margin-top:5.0em;margin-bottom:0.3em"> +Fleming H. Revell Company</p> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:84%;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0.5em"> +Chicago New York Toronto</p> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:63%;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:1.5em"> +<i>Publishers of Evangelical Literature</i></p> +<hr style="margin-top:5.2em;margin-bottom:22.5em"> +<p style= +"text-align:center;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:1.5em;line-height:2.0em;font-size:67%"> +Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1884,<br> +B<span class="sc">y</span> F. H. REVELL,<br> +In the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.</p> +<hr style="margin-top:22em;margin-bottom:9em"> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:138%;letter-spacing:0.2em;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0"> +<a name="Reader" id="Reader">TO THE READER</a></p> +<hr style="width:5em;margin-top:1.7em;margin-bottom:1.3em"> +<div style="font-size:96%;line-height:2em"> +<p class="pn">I<span class="sc">n</span> this small volume I have +endeavored to point out the W<span class="sc">ay to +God</span>.</p> +<p class="pn">I have embodied in the little book a considerable +part of several addresses which have been delivered in different +cities, both of Great Britain and my own country. God has +graciously owned them when spoken from the pulpit, and I trust +will none the less add his blessing now they have been put into +the printed page with additional matter.</p> +<p class="pn">I have called attention first to the Love of God, +the source of all Gifts of Grace; have then endeavored to present +truths to meet the special needs of representative classes, +answering the question, “How man can be just with God,” hoping +thereby to lead souls to Him who is “the Way, the Truth and the +Life.”</p> +<p class="pn">The last chapter is specially addressed to +Backsliders—a class, alas, far too numerous amongst us.</p> +<p class="pn">With the earnest prayer and hope that by the +blessing of God on these pages the reader may be strengthened, +established and settled in the faith of Christ,</p> +<p class="pc">I am, yours in His service,</p> +</div> +<div style="text-align:right"><img alt="Illustration: D. L. Moody's Signature" src="images/DLM.png" + style="width: 255px; height: 108px;"></div> +<hr style="margin-top:21em;margin-bottom:10em"> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:133%;letter-spacing:0.12em;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:1.4em"> +<a name="Contents" id="Contents">CONTENTS.</a></p> +<hr style="width:3.5em;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:1.3em"> +<div style="font-size:96%;line-height:2em"> +<p class="ps"><a href="#I">C<span class="sc">hapter</span> I. +“L<span class="sc">ove that passeth Knowledge</span>”</a></p> +<p class="ps"><a href="#II">C<span class="sc">hapter</span> II. +T<span class="sc">he Gateway into the Kingdom</span></a></p> +<p class="ps"><a href="#III">C<span class="sc">hapter</span> III. + T<span class="sc">he Two Classes</span></a></p> +<p class="ps"><a href="#IV">C<span class="sc">hapter</span> IV. +W<span class="sc">ords of Counsel</span></a></p> +<p class="ps"><a href="#V">C<span class="sc">hapter</span> V. A +D<span class="sc">ivine Saviour</span></a></p> +<p class="ps"><a href="#VI">C<span class="sc">hapter</span> VI. +R<span class="sc">epentance and Restitution</span></a></p> +<p class="ps"><a href="#VII">C<span class="sc">hapter</span> VII. + A<span class="sc">ssurance of Salvation</span></a></p> +<p class="ps"><a href="#VIII">C<span class="sc">hapter</span> +VIII. C<span class="sc">hrist All and in All</span></a></p> +<p class="ps"><a href="#IX">C<span class="sc">hapter</span> IX. +B<span class="sc">acksliding</span></a></p> +</div> +<hr style="margin-top:9em;margin-bottom:5em"> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:183%;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0.8em"> +<a name="Text" id="Text">THE WAY TO GOD.</a></p> +<hr style="width:7.5em;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0"> +<h1><a name="I" id="I">CHAPTER I.</a></h1> +<p class="pt1">“<i>LOVE THAT PASSETH KNOWLEDGE</i>.”</p> +<p class="pt2">“To know the love of Christ which passeth +knowledge.”<br> +(E<span class="sc">phesians</span> iii. 19.)</p> +<p class="pn">I<span class="sc">f</span> I could only make men +understand the real meaning of the words of the apostle +John—“G<span class="sc">od is love</span>,” I would take that +single text, and would go up and down the world proclaiming this +glorious truth. If you can convince a man that you love him you +have won his heart. If we really make people believe that God +loves them, how we should find them crowding into the kingdom of +heaven! The trouble is that men think God hates them; and so they +are all the time running away from Him.</p> +<p class="pn">We built a church in Chicago some years ago; and +were very anxious to teach the people the love of God. We thought +if we could not preach it into their hearts we would try and burn +it in; so we put right over the pulpit in gas-jets these +words—G<span class="sc">od is Love</span>. A man going along the +streets one night glanced through the door, and saw the text. He +was a poor prodigal. As he passed on he thought to himself, “God +is Love! No! He does not love me; for I am a poor miserable +sinner.” He tried to get rid of the text; but it seemed to stand +out right before him in letters of fire. He went on a little +further; then turned round, went back, and went into the meeting. +He did not hear the sermon; but the words of that short text had +got deeply lodged in his heart, and that was enough. It is of +little account what men say if the Word of God only gets an +entrance into the sinner’s heart. He staid after the first +meeting was over; and I found him there weeping like a child. As +I unfolded the Scriptures and told him how God had loved him all +the time, although he had wandered so far away, and how God was +waiting to receive him and forgive him, the light of the Gospel +broke into his mind, and he went away rejoicing.</p> +<p class="pn">There is nothing in this world that men prize so +much us they do Love. Show me a person who has no one to care for +or love him, and I will show you one of the most wretched beings +on the face of the earth. Why do people commit suicide? Very +often it is because this thought steals in upon them—that no one +loves them; and they would rather die than live.</p> +<p class="pn">I know of no truth in the whole Bible that ought to +come home to us with such power and tenderness as that of the +Love of God; and there is no truth in the Bible that Satan would +so much like to blot out. For more than six thousand years he has +been trying to persuade men that God does not love them. He +succeeded in making our first parents believe this lie; and he +too often succeeds with their children.</p> +<p class="pn">The idea that God does not love us often comes from +false teaching. Mothers make a mistake in teaching children that +God does not love them when they do wrong; but only when they do +right. That is not taught in Scripture. You do not teach your +children that when they do wrong you hate them. Their wrong-doing +does not change your love to hate; if it did, you would change +your love a great many times. Because your child is fretful, or +has committed some act of disobedience, you do not cast him out +as though he did not belong to you! No! he is still your child; +and you love him. And if men have gone astray from God it does +not follow that He hates <i>them</i>. It is the sin that He +hates.</p> +<p class="pn">I believe the reason why a great many people think +God does not love them is because they are measuring God by their +own small rule, from their own standpoint. We love men as long as +we consider them worthy of our love; when they are not we cast +them off. It is not so with God. There is a vast difference +between human love and Divine love.</p> +<p class="pns">In Ephesians iii. 18, we are told of the breadth, +and length, and depth, and height, of God’s love. Many of us +think we know something of God’s love; but centuries hence we +shall admit we have never found out much about it. Columbus +discovered America; but what did he know about its great lakes, +rivers, forests, and the Mississippi Valley? He died, without +knowing much about what he had discovered. So, many of us have +discovered something of the love of God; but there are heights, +depths and lengths of it we do not know. That Love is a great +ocean; and we require to plunge into it before we really know +anything of it. It is said of a Roman Catholic Archbishop of +Paris, that when he was thrown into prison and condemned to be +shot, a little while before he was led out to die, he saw a +window in his cell in the shape of a cross. Upon the top of the +cross he wrote “height,” at the bottom “depth,” and at the end of +each arm “length.” He had experienced the truth conveyed in the +hymn—</p> +<p class="p3">“When I survey the wondrous Cross,</p> +<p class="p3s">On which the Prince of Glory died.”</p> +<p class="pn">When we wish to know the love of God we should go +to Calvary. Can we look upon that scene, and say God did not love +us? That cross speaks of the love of God. Greater love never has +been taught than that which the cross teaches. What prompted God +to give up Christ?—what prompted Christ to die?—if it were not +love? “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down +his life for his friends.” Christ laid down His life for His +enemies; Christ laid down His life for His murderers; Christ laid +down His life for them that hated Him; and the spirit of the +cross, the spirit of Calvary, is love. When they were mocking Him +and deriding Him, what did He say? “Father, forgive them, for +they know not what they do.” That is love. He did not call down +fire from heaven to consume them; there was nothing but love in +His heart.</p> +<p class="pn">If you study the Bible you will find that the love +of God is <i>unchangeable</i>. Many who loved you at one time +have perhaps grown cold in their affection, and turned away from +you: it may be that their love is changed to hatred. It is not so +with God. It is recorded of Jesus Christ, just when He was about +to be parted from His disciples and led away to Calvary, that: +“having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto +the end” (John xiii. 1). He knew that one of His disciples would +betray Him; yet He loved Judas. He knew that another disciple +would deny Him, and swear that he never knew Him; and yet He +loved Peter. It was the love which Christ had for Peter that +broke his heart, and brought him back in penitence to the feet of +his Lord. For three years Jesus had been with the disciples +trying to teach them His love, not only by His life and words, +but by His works. And, on the night of His betrayal, He takes a +basin of water, girds Himself with a towel, and taking the place +of a servant, washes their feet; He wanted to convince them of +His unchanging love.</p> +<p class="pn">There is no portion of Scripture I read so often as +John xiv; and there is none that is more sweet to me. I never +tire of reading it. Hear what our Lord says, as He pours out His +heart to His Disciples: “At that day ye shall know that I am in +My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you. He that hath My +commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and +<i>he that loveth Me shall be loved by My Father</i>” (xiv. +20,21). Think of the great God who created heaven and earth +loving you and me! . . . “If a man love Me, he will keep My +words; and My Father will love him; and We will come unto him, +and make Our abode with him” (v. 23).</p> +<p class="pn">Would to God that our puny minds could grasp this +great truth, that the Father and the Son so love us that They +desire to come and abide with us. Not to tarry for a night, but +to come and <i>abide</i> in our hearts.</p> +<p class="pn">We have another passage more wonderful still in +John xvii. 23. “I in them, and thou in Me, that they may be made +perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent +Me, <i>and hast loved them as Thou hast loved Me</i>.” I think +that is one of the most remarkable sayings that ever fell from +the lips of Jesus Christ. There is no reason why the Father +should not love him. He was obedient unto death; He never +transgressed the Father’s law, or turned aside from the path of +perfect obedience by one hair’s breadth. It is very different +with us; and yet, notwithstanding all our rebellion and +foolishness, He says that if we are trusting in Christ, the +Father loves us as He loves the Son. Marvellous love! Wonderful +love! That God can possibly love us as He loves His own Son seems +too good to be true. Yet that is the teaching of Jesus +Christ.</p> +<p class="pn">It is hard to make a sinner believe in this +unchangeable love of God. When a man has wandered away from God +he thinks that God hates him. We must make a distinction between +sin and the sinner. God loves the sinner; but He hates the sin. +He hates sin, because it mars human life. It is just because God +loves the sinner that He hates sin.</p> +<p class="pn">God’s love is not only unchangeable, but +<i>unfailing</i>. In Isaiah xlix. 15, 16 we read: “Can a woman +forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on +the son of her womb? yea, they may forget; yet will I not forget +thee. Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands; thy +walls are continually before Me.”</p> +<p class="pn">Now the strongest human love that we know of is a +<i>mother’s love</i>. Many things will separate a man from his +wife. A father may turn his back on his child; brothers and +sisters may become inveterate enemies; husbands may desert their +wives; wives, their husbands. But a mother’s love endures through +all. In good repute, in bad repute, in the face of the world’s +condemnation, a mother loves on, and hopes that her child may +turn from his evil ways and repent. She remembers the infant +smiles, the merry laugh of childhood, the promise of youth; and +she can never be brought to think him unworthy. Death cannot +quench a mother’s love; it is stronger than death.</p> +<p class="pn">You have seen a mother watching over her sick +child. How willingly she would take the disease into her own body +if she could thus relieve her child! Week after week she will +keep watch; she will let no one else take care of that sick +child.</p> +<p class="pn">A friend of mine, some time ago, was visiting in a +beautiful home where he met a number of friends. After they had +all gone away, having left something behind, he went back to get +it. There he found the lady of the house, a wealthy lady, sitting +behind a poor fellow who looked like a tramp. <i>He was her own +son</i>. Like the prodigal, he had wandered far away: yet the +mother said, “This is my boy; I love him still.” Take a mother +with nine or ten children, if one goes astray, she seems to love +that one more than any of the rest.</p> +<p class="pn">A leading minister in the state of New York once +told me of a father who was a very bad character. The mother did +all she could to prevent the contamination of the boy; but the +influence of the father was stronger, and he led his son into all +kinds of sin until the lad became one of the worst of criminals. +He committed murder, and was put on his trial. All through the +trial, the widowed mother (for the father had died) sat in the +court. When the witnesses testified against the boy it seemed to +hurt the mother much more than the son. When he was found guilty +and sentenced to die, every one else feeling the justice of the +verdict, seemed satisfied at the result. But the mother’s love +never faltered. She begged for a reprieve; but that was denied. +After the execution she craved for the body; and this also was +refused. According to custom, it was buried in the prison yard. A +little while afterwards the mother herself died; but, before she +was taken away, she expressed a desire to be buried by the side +of her boy. She was not ashamed of being known as the mother of a +murderer.</p> +<p class="pn">The story is told of a young woman in Scotland, who +left her home, and became an outcast in Glasgow. Her mother +sought her far and wide, but in vain. At last, she caused her +picture to be hung upon the walls of the Midnight Mission rooms, +where abandoned women resorted. Many gave the picture a passing +glance. One lingered by the picture. It is the same dear face +that looked down upon her in her childhood. She has not forgotten +nor cast off her sinning child; or her picture would never have +been hung upon those walls. The lips seemed to open, and whisper, +“Come home; I forgive you, and love you still.” The poor girl +sank down overwhelmed with her feelings. She was the prodigal +daughter. The sight of her mother’s face had broken her heart. +She became truly penitent for her sins, and with a heart full of +sorrow and shame, returned to her forsaken home; and mother and +daughter were once more united.</p> +<p class="pn">But let me tell you that no mother’s love is to be +compared with the love of God; it does not measure the height of +the depth of God’s love. No mother in this world ever loved her +child as God loves you and me. Think of the love that God must +have had when He gave His Son to die for the world. I used to +think a good deal more of Christ than I did of the Father. +Somehow or other I had the idea that God was a stern judge; that +Christ came between me and God, and appeased the anger of God. +But after I became a father, and for years had an only son, as I +looked at my boy I thought of the Father giving His Son to die; +and it seemed to me as if it required more love for the Father to +give His Son than for the Son to die. Oh, the love that God must +have had for the world when He gave His Son to die for it! “God +so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that +whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have +everlasting life” (John iii. 16). I have never been able to +preach from that text. I have often thought I would; but it is so +high that I can never climb to its height; I have just quoted it +and passed on. Who can fathom the depth of those words: “God so +loved the world?” We can never scale the heights of His love or +fathom its depths. Paul prayed that he might know the height, the +depth, the length, and the breadth, of the love of God; but it +was past his finding out. It “passeth knowledge” (Eph. iii. +19).</p> +<p class="pn">Nothing speaks to us of the love of God, like the +cross of Christ. Come with me to Calvary, and look upon the Son +of God as He hangs there. Can you hear that piercing cry from His +dying lips: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they +do!” and say that He does not love you? “Greater love hath no man +than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John +xv. 13). But Jesus Christ laid down His life <i>for his +enemies</i>.</p> +<p class="pn">Another thought is this: He loved us long before we +ever thought of Him. The idea that he does not love us until we +first love Him is not to be found in Scripture. In 1 John iv. 10, +it is written: “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that +He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our +sins.” He loved us before we ever thought of loving Him. You +loved your children before they knew anything about your love. +And so, long before we ever thought of God, we were in His +thoughts.</p> +<p class="pn">What brought the prodigal home? It was the thought +that his father loved him. Suppose the news had reached him that +he was cast off, and that his father did not care for him any +more, would he have gone back? Never! But the thought dawned upon +him that his father loved him still: so he rose up, and went back +to his home. Dear reader, the love of the Father ought to bring +us back to Him. It was Adam’s calamity and sin that revealed +God’s love. When Adam fell God came down and dealt in mercy with +him. If any one is lost it will not be because God does not love +him: it will be because he has resisted the love of God.</p> +<p class="pn">What will make Heaven attractive? Is it the pearly +gates or the golden streets? No. Heaven will be attractive, +because there we shall behold Him who loved us so much as to give +His only-begotten Son to die for us. What makes home attractive? +Is it the beautiful furniture and stately rooms? No; some homes +with all these are like whited sepulchres. In Brooklyn a mother +was dying; and it was necessary to take her child from her, +because the little child could not understand the nature of the +sickness, and disturbed her mother. Every night the child sobbed +herself to sleep in a neighbor’s house, because she wanted to go +back to her mother’s; but the mother grew worse, and they could +not take the child home. At last the mother died; and after her +death they thought it best not to let the child see her dead +mother in her coffin. After the burial the child ran into one +room crying “Mamma! mamma!” and then into another crying “Mamma! +mamma!” and so went over the whole house: and when the little +creature failed to find that loved one she cried to be taken back +to the neighbors. So what makes heaven attractive is the thought +that we shall see Christ who has loved us and given Himself for +us.</p> +<p class="pn">If you ask me why God should love us, I cannot +tell. I suppose it is because He is a true Father. It is His +nature to love; just as it is the nature of the sun to shine. He +wants you to share in that love. Do not let unbelief keep you +away from Him. Do not think that, because you are a sinner, God +does not love you, or care for you. He does! He wants to save you +and bless you.</p> +<p class="pn">“When we were yet without strength, in due time +Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom. v. 6). Is that not enough to +convince you that He loves you? He would not have died for you if +He had not loved you. Is your heart so hard that you can brace +yourself up against His love, and spurn and despise it? You +<i>can</i> do it; but it will be at your peril.</p> +<p class="pn">I can imagine some saying to themselves, “Yes, we +believe that God loves us, if we love Him; we believe that God +loves the pure and the holy.” Let me say, my friend, not only +does God love the pure and the holy: He also loves the ungodly. +“God commendeth His love toward us, in that, <i>while we were yet +sinners</i>, Christ died for us” (Rom. v. 8). God sent him to +die for the sins of the whole world. If you belong to the world, +then you have part and lot in this love that has been exhibited +in the cross of Christ.</p> +<p class="pn">There is a passage in Revelation (i. 5.) which I +think a great deal of—“Unto Him that loved us, and washed us.” It +might be thought that God would first wash us, and then love us. +But no, He first loved us. About eight years ago the whole +country was intensely excited about Charlie Ross, a child of four +years old, who was stolen. Two men in a gig asked him and an +elder brother if they wanted some candy. They then drove away +with the younger boy, leaving the elder one. For many years a +search has been made in every State and territory. Men have been +over to Great Britain, France, and Germany, and have hunted in +vain for the child. The mother still lives in the hope that she +will see her long lost Charlie. I never remember the whole +country to have been so much agitated about any event unless it +was the assassination of President Garfield. Well, suppose the +mother of Charlie Ross were in some meeting; and that while the +preacher was speaking, she happened to look down amongst the +audience and see her long lost son. Suppose that he was poor, +dirty and ragged, shoeless and coatless, what would she do? Would +she wait till he was washed and decently clothed before she would +acknowledge him? No, she would get off the platform at once, rush +towards him and take him in her arms. After that she would +cleanse and clothe him. So it is with God. He loved us, and +washed us. I can imagine one saying, “If God loves me, why does +He not make me good?” God wants sons and daughters in heaven; He +does not want machines or slaves. He could break our stubborn +hearts, but He wants to draw us towards Himself by the cords of +love.</p> +<p class="pn">He wanted you to sit down with Him at the marriage +supper of the Lamb; to wash you, and make you whiter than snow. +He wants you to walk with Him the crystal pavement of yonder +blissful world. He wants to adopt you into His family; and to +make you a son or a daughter of heaven. Will you trample His love +under your feet? or will you, this hour, give yourself to +Him?</p> +<p class="pn">When our terrible civil war was going on, a mother +received the news that her boy had been wounded in the battle of +the Wilderness. She took the first train, and started for her +boy, although the order had gone forth from the War Department +that no more women should be admitted within the lines. But a +mother’s love knows nothing about orders so she managed by tears +and entreaties to get through the lines to the Wilderness. At +last she found the hospital where her boy was. Then she went to +the doctor and she said: “Will you let me go to the ward and +nurse my boy?”</p> +<p class="pn">The doctor said: “I have just got your boy to +sleep; he is in a very critical state; and I am afraid if you +wake him up the excitement will be so great that it will carry +him off. You had better wait awhile, and remain without until I +tell him that you have come, and break the news gradually to +him.” The mother looked into the doctor’s face and said: “Doctor, +supposing my boy does not wake up, and I should never see him +alive! Let me go and sit down by his side; I won’t speak to him.” +“If you will not speak to him you may do so,” said the +doctor.</p> +<p class="pn">She crept to the cot and looked into the face of +her boy. How she had longed to look at him! How her eyes seemed +to be feasting as she gazed upon his countenance! When she got +near enough she could not keep her hands off; she laid that +tender, loving hand upon his brow. The moment the hand touched +the forehead of her boy, he, without opening his eyes, cried out: +“Mother, you have come!” He knew the touch of that loving hand. +There was love and sympathy in it.</p> +<p class="pn">Ah, sinner, if you feel the loving touch of Jesus +you will recognize it; it is so full of tenderness. The world may +treat you unkindly; but Christ never will. You will never have a +better Friend in this world. What you need is—to come today to +Him. Let His loving arm be underneath you; let His loving hand be +about you; and He will hold you with mighty power. He will keep +you, and fill that heart of yours with His tenderness and +love.</p> +<p class="pn">I can imagine some of you saying, “How shall I go +to Him?” Why, just as you would go to your mother. Have you done +your mother a great injury and a great wrong? If so, you go to +her and you say, “Mother, I want you to forgive me.” Treat Christ +in the same way. Go to Him to-day and tell Him that you have not +loved Him, that you have not treated Him right; confess you sins, +and see how quickly He will bless you.</p> +<p class="pn">I am reminded of another incident—that of a boy who +had been tried by court-martial and ordered to be shot. The +hearts of the father and mother were broken when they heard the +news. In that home was a little girl. She had read the life of +Abraham Lincoln, and she said: “Now, if Abraham Lincoln knew how +my father and mother loved their boy, he would not let my brother +be shot.” She wanted her father to go to Washington to plead for +his boy. But the father said: “No; there is no use; the law must +take its course. They have refused to pardon one or two who have +been sentenced by that court-martial, and an order has gone forth +that the President is not going to interfere again; if a man has +been sentenced by court-martial he must suffer the consequences.” +That father and mother had not faith to believe that their boy +might be pardoned.</p> +<p class="pn">But the little girl was strong in hope; she got on +the train away up in Vermont, and started off to Washington. When +she reached the White House the soldiers refused to let her in; +but she told her pitiful story, and they allowed her to pass. +When she got to the Secretary’s room, where the President’s +private secretary was, he refused to allow her to enter the +private office of the President. But the little girl told her +story, and it touched the heart of the private secretary; so he +passed her in. As she went into Abraham Lincoln’s room, there +were United States senators, generals, governors and leading +politicians, who were there about important business about the +war; but the President happened to see that child standing at his +door. He wanted to know what she wanted, and she went right to +him and told her story in her own language. He was a father, and +the great tears trickled down Abraham Lincoln’s cheeks. He wrote +a dispatch ard sent it to the army to have that boy sent to +Washington at once. When he arrived, the President pardoned him, +gave him thirty days furlough, and sent him home with the little +girl to cheer the hearts of the father and mother.</p> +<p class="pn">Do you want to know how to go to Christ? Go just as +that little girl went to Abraham Lincoln. It may be possible that +you have a dark story to tell. Tell it all out; keep nothing +back. If Abraham Lincoln had compassion on that little girl, +heard her petition and answered it, do you think the Lord Jesus +will not hear your prayer? Do, you think that Abraham Lincoln, or +any man that ever lived on earth, had as much compassion as +Christ? No! He will be touched when no one else will; He will +have mercy when no one else will; He will have pity when no one +else will. If you will go right to Him, confessing your sin and +your need, He will save you.</p> +<p class="pn">A few years ago a man left England and went to +America. He was an Englishman; but he was naturalized, and so +became an American citizen. After a few years he felt restless +and dissatisfied, and went to Cuba; and after he had been in Cuba +a little while civil war broke out there; it was in 1867; and +this man was arrested by the Spanish government as a spy. He was +tried by court-martial, found guilty and ordered to be shot. The +whole trial was conducted in the Spanish language, and the poor +man did not know what was going on. When they told him the +verdict, that he was found guilty and had been condemned to be +shot, he sent to the American Consul and the English Consul, and +laid the whole case before them, proving his innocence and +claiming protection. They examined the case, and found that this +man whom the Spanish officers had condemned to be shot was +perfectly innocent; they went to the Spanish General and said, +“Look here, this man whom you have condemned to death is an +innocent man; he is not guilty.” But the Spanish General said, +“He has been tried by our law; he has been found guilty; he must +die.” There was no electric cable; and these men could not +consult with their governments.</p> +<p class="pn">The morning came on which the man was to be +executed. He was brought out sitting on his coffin in a cart, and +drawn to the place where he was to be executed. A grave was dug. +They took the coffin out of the cart, placed the young man upon +it, took the black cap, and were just pulling it down over his +face. The Spanish soldiers awaited the order to fire. But just +then the American and English Consuls rode up. The English Consul +sprang out of the carriage and took the union jack, the British +flag, and wrapped it around the man, and the American Consul +wrapped around him the star-spangled banner, and then turning to +the Spanish officers they said: “Fire upon those flags if you +dare.” They did not dare to fire upon the flags. There were two +great governments behind those flags. That was the secret of +it.</p> +<p class="pn">“He brought me to the banqueting house, and His +banner over me was love. . . . His left hand is under my head, +and His right hand doth embrace me” (Song Sol. ii. 4, 6). Thank +God we can come under the banner to-day if we will. Any, poor +sinner can come under that banner to-day. His banner of love is +over us. Blessed Gospel; blessed, precious, news. Believe it +to-day; receive it into your heart; and enter into a new life. +Let the love of God be shed abroad in your heart by the Holy +Ghost to-day: it will drive away darkness; it will drive away +gloom; it will drive away sin; and peace and joy shall be +yours.</p> +<h1><a name="II" id="II">CHAPTER II.</a></h1> +<p class="pt1"><i>THE GATEWAY INTO THE KINGDOM</i>.</p> +<p class="pt2">“Except a man be born again he cannot enter the +kingdom of God.”<br> +(J<span class="sc">ohn</span> iii. 3.)</p> +<p class="pn">T<span class="sc">here</span> is no portion of the +Word of God, perhaps, with which we are more familiar than this +passage. I suppose if I were to ask those in any audience if they +believed that Jesus Christ taught the doctrine of the New Birth, +nine tenths of them would say: “Yes, I believe He did.”</p> +<p class="pn">Now if the words of this text are true they embody +one of the most solemn questions that can come before us. We can +afford to be deceived about many things rather than about this +one thing. Christ makes it very plain. He says, “Except a man be +born again, he cannot <i>see</i> the Kingdom of God”—much less +inherit it. This doctrine of the New Birth is therefore the +foundation of all our hopes for the world to come. It is really +the A B C of the Christian religion. My experience has been +this—that if a man is unsound on this doctrine he will be unsound +on almost every other fundamental doctrine in the Bible. A true +understanding of this subject will help a man to solve a thousand +difficulties that he may meet with in the Word of God. Things +that before seemed very dark and mysterious will become very +plain.</p> +<p class="pn">The doctrine of the New Birth upsets all false +religion—all false views about the Bible and about God. A friend +of mine once told me that in one of his after-meetings, a man +came to him with a long list of questions written out for him to +answer. He said: “If you can answer these questions +satisfactorily, I have made up my mind to be a Christian.” “Do +you not think,” said my friend, “that you had better come to +Christ first? Then you can look into these questions.” The man +thought that perhaps he had better do so. After he had received +Christ, he looked again at his list of questions; but then it +seemed to him as if they had all been answered. Nicodemus came +with his troubled mind, and Christ said to him, “Ye must be born +again.” He was treated altogether differently from what he +expected; but I venture to say that was the most blessed night in +all his life. To be “born again” is the greatest blessing that +will ever come to us in this world.</p> +<p class="pn">Notice how the Scripture puts it. “Except a man be +born again,” “born from above,”[Note: John iii. 3. <i>Marginal +reading</i>] “born of the Spirit.” From amongst a number of other +passages where we find this word “<span class= +"sc">except</span>,” I would just name three. “Except ye repent, +ye shall all likewise perish.” (Luke xiii. 3, 5.) “Except ye be +converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into +the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. xviii. 3.) “Except your +righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and +Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of +heaven.” (Matt. v. 20.) They all really mean the same thing.</p> +<p class="pn">I am so thankful that our Lord spoke of the New +Birth to this ruler of the Jews, this doctor of the law, rather +than to the woman at the well of Samaria, or to Matthew the +publican, or to Zaccheus. If He had reserved his teaching on this +great matter for these three, or such as these, people would have +said: “Oh yes, these publicans and harlots need to be converted: +but I am an upright man; I do not need to be converted.” I +suppose Nicodemus was one of the best specimens of the people of +Jerusalem: there was nothing on record against him.</p> +<p class="pn">I think it is scarcely necessary for me to prove +that we need to be born again before we are meet for heaven. I +venture to say that there is no candid man but would say he is +not fit for the kingdom of God, until he is born of another +Spirit. The Bible teaches us that man by nature is lost and +guilty, and our experience confirms this. We know also that the +best and holiest man, if he turn away from God, will very soon +fall into sin.</p> +<p class="pn">Now, let me say what Regeneration is not. It is not +going to church. Very often I see people, and ask them if they +are Christians. “Yes, of course I am; at least, I think I am: I +go to church every Sunday.” Ah, but this is not Regeneration. +Others say, “I am trying to do what is right—am I not a +Christian? Is not that a new birth?” No. What has that to do with +being born again? There is yet another class—those who have +“turned over a new leaf,” and think they are regenerated. No; +forming a new resolution is not being born again.</p> +<p class="pn">Nor will being baptized do you any good. Yet you +hear people say, “Why, I have been baptized; and I was born again +when I was baptized.” They believe that because they were +baptized into the church, they were baptized into the Kingdom of +God. I tell you that it is utterly impossible. You may be +baptized into the church, and yet not be baptized into the Son of +God. Baptism is all right in its place. God forbid that I should +say anything against it. But if you put that in the place of +Regeneration—in the place of the New Birth—it is a terrible +mistake. You cannot be baptized into the Kingdom of God. “Except +a man be <span class="sc">born again</span>, he cannot see the +Kingdom of God.” If any one reading this rests his hopes on +anything else—on any other foundation—I pray that God may sweep +it away.</p> +<p class="pn">Another class say, “I go to the Lord’s Supper; I +partake uniformly of the Sacrament.” Blessed ordinance! Jesus +hath said that as often as ye do it ye commemorate His death. +Yet, that is not being “born again;” that is not passing from +death unto life. Jesus says plainly—and so plainly that there +need not be any mistake about it—“Except a man be born of the +Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.” What has a +sacrament to do with that? What has going to church to do with +being born again?</p> +<p class="pn">Another man comes up and says, “I say my prayers +regularly.” Still I say that is not being born of the Spirit. It +is a very solemn question, then, that comes up before us; and oh! +that every reader would ask himself earnestly and faithfully: +“Have I been born again? Have I been born of the Spirit? Have I +passed from death unto life?”</p> +<p class="pn">There is a class of men who say that special +religious meetings are very good for a certain class of people. +They would be very good if you could get the drunkard there, or +get the gambler there, or get other vicious people there—that +would do a great deal of good. But “we do not need to be +converted.” To whom did Christ utter these words of wisdom? To +Nicodemus. Who was Nicodemus? Was he a drunkard, a gambler, or a +thief? No! No doubt he was one of the very best men in Jerusalem. +He was an honorable Councillor; he belonged to the Sanhedrim; he +held a very high position; he was an orthodox man; he was one of +the very soundest men. And yet what did Christ say to him? +“Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of +God.”</p> +<p class="pn">But I can imagine some one saying, “What am I to +do? I cannot create life. I certainly cannot save myself.” You +certainly cannot; and we do not claim that you can. We tell you +it is utterly impossible to make a man better without Christ; but +that is what men are trying to do. They are trying to patch up +this “old Adam” nature. T<span class="sc">here must be a new +creation</span>. Regeneration is a new creation; and if it is a +new creation it must be the work of God. In the first chapter of +Genesis man does not appear. There is no one there but God. Man +is not there to take part. When God created the earth He was +alone. When Christ redeemed the world He was alone.</p> +<p class="pn">“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that +which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John iii. 6.) The +Ethiopian cannot change his skin, and the leopard cannot change +his spots. You might as well try to make yourselves pure and holy +without the help of God. It would be just as easy for you to do +that as for the black man to wash himself white. A man might just +as well try to leap over the moon as to serve God in the flesh. +Therefore, “that which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that +which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”</p> +<p class="pn">Now God tells us in this chapter how we are to get +into His kingdom. We are not to work our way in—not but that +salvation is worth working for. We admit all that. If there were +rivers and mountains in the way, it would be well worth while to +swim those rivers, and climb those mountains. There is no doubt +that salvation is worth all that effort; but we do not obtain it +by our works. It is “to him that worketh not, but believeth” +(Rom. iv. 5). We work because we are saved; we do not work to be +saved. We work from the cross; but not towards it. It is written, +“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. ii. +12). Why, you must have your salvation before you can work it +out. Suppose I say to my little boy, “I want you to spend that +hundred dollars carefully.” “Well,” he says, “let me have the +hundred dollars; and I will be careful how I spend it.” I +remember when I first left home and went to Boston; I had spent +all my money, and I went to the post-office three times a day. I +knew there was only one mail a day from home; but I thought by +some possibility there might be a letter for me. At last I +received a letter from my little sister; and oh, how glad I was +to get it. She had heard that there were a great many +pick-pockets in Boston, and a large part of that letter was to +urge me to be very careful not to let anybody pick my pocket. Now +I required to have something in my pocket before I could have it +picked. So you must have salvation before you can work it +out.</p> +<p class="pn">When Christ cried out on Calvary, “It is finished!” +He meant what He said. All that men have to do now is just to +accept of the work of Jesus Christ. There is no hope for man or +woman so long as they are trying to work out salvation for +themselves. I can imagine there are some people who will say, as +Nicodemus possibly did, “This is a very mysterious thing.” I see +the scowl on that Pharisee’s brow as he says, “How can these +things be?” It sounds very strange to his ear. “Born again; born +of the Spirit! How can these things be?” A great many people say, +“You must reason it out; but if you do not reason it out, do not +ask us to believe it.” I can imagine a great many people saying +that. When you ask me to reason it out, I tell you frankly I +cannot do it. “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou +hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh +and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the +Spirit.” (John 8.) I do not understand everything about the +wind. You ask me to reason it out. I cannot. It may blow due +north here, and a hundred miles away due south. I may go up a few +hundred feet, and find it blowing in an entirely opposite +direction from what it is down here. You ask me to explain these +currents of wind; but suppose that, because I cannot explain +them, and do not understand them, I were to take my stand and +assert, “Oh, there is no such thing as wind.” I can imagine some +little girl saying, “I know more about it than that man does; +often have I heard the wind, and felt it blowing against my +face;” and she might say, “Did not the wind blow my umbrella out +of my hands the other day? and did I not see it blow a man’s hat +off in the street? Have I not seen it blow the trees in the +forest, and the growing corn in the country?”</p> +<p class="pn">You might just as well tell me that there is no +such thing as wind, as tell me there is no such thing as a man +being born of the Spirit. I have felt the spirit of God working +in my heart, just as really and as truly as I have felt the wind +blowing in my face. I cannot reason it out. There are a great +many things I cannot reason out, but which I believe. I never +could reason out the creation. I can see the world, but I cannot +tell how God made it out of nothing. But almost every man will +admit there was a creative power.</p> +<p class="pn">There are a great many things that I cannot explain +and cannot reason out, and yet that I believe. I heard a +commercial traveler say that he had heard that the ministry and +religion of Jesus Christ were matters of revelation and not of +investigation. “When it pleased God to reveal His Son in Me,” +says Paul (Gal. i, 15, 16). There was a party of young men +together, going up the country; and on their journey they made up +their minds not to believe anything they could not reason out. An +old man heard them; and presently he said, “I heard you say you +would not believe anything you could not reason out.” “Yes,” they +said, “that is so.” “Well,” he said, “coming down on the train +to-day, I noticed some geese, some sheep, some swine, and some +cattle all eating grass. Can you tell me by what process that +same grass was turned into hair, feathers, bristles and wool? Do +you believe it is a fact?” “Oh yes,” they said, “we cannot help +believing that, though we fail to understand it.” “Well,” said +the old man, “I cannot help believing in Jesus Christ.” And I +cannot help believing in the regeneration of man, when I see men +who have been reclaimed, when I see men who have been reformed. +Have not some of the very worst men been regenerated—been picked +up out of the pit, and had their feet set upon the Rock, and a +new song put in their mouths? Their tongues were cursing and +blaspheming; and now are occupied in praising God. Old things +have passed away, and all things have become new. They are not +reformed only, but <span class="sc">regenerated</span>—new men in +Christ Jesus.</p> +<p class="pn">Down there in the dark alleys of one of our great +cities is a poor drunkard. I think if you want to get near hell, +you should go to a poor drunkard’s home. Go to the house of that +poor miserable drunkard. Is there anything more like hell on +earth? See the want and distress that reign there. But hark! A +footstep is heard at the door, and the children run and hide +themselves. The patient wife waits to meet the man. He has been +her torment. Many a time she has borne about the marks of his +blows for weeks. Many a time that strong right hand has been +brought down on her defenseless head. And now she waits expecting +to hear his oaths and suffer his brutal treatment. He comes in +and says to her: “I have been to the meeting; and I heard there +that if I will I can be converted. I believe that God is able to +save me.” Go down to that house again in a few weeks: and what a +change! As you approach you hear some one singing. It is not the +song of a reveller, but the strains of that good old hymn, “Rock +of Ages.” The children are no longer afraid of the man, but +cluster around his knee. His wife is near him, her face lit up +with a happy glow. Is not that a picture of Regeneration? I can +take you to many such homes, made happy by the regenerating power +of the religion of Christ. What men want is the power to overcome +temptation, the power to lead a right life.</p> +<p class="pn">The only way to get into the kingdom of God is to +be “born” into it. The law of this country requires that the +President should be born in the country. When foreigners come to +our shores they have no right to complain against such a law, +which forbids them from ever becoming Presidents. Now, has not +God a right to make a law that all those who become heirs of +eternal life must be “born” into His kingdom?</p> +<p class="pn">An unregenerated man would rather be in hell than +in heaven. Take a man whose heart is full of corruption and +wickedness, and place him in heaven among the pure, the holy and +the redeemed; and he would not want to stay there. Certainly, if +we are to be happy in heaven we must begin to make a heaven here +on earth. Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people. If a +gambler or a blasphemer were taken out of the streets of New York +and placed on the crystal pavement of heaven and under the shadow +of the tree of life, he would say, “I do not want to stay here.” +If men were taken to heaven just as they are by nature, without +having their hearts regenerated, there would be another rebellion +in heaven. Heaven is filled with a company of those who have been +<span class="sc">twice born</span>.</p> +<p class="pn">In the 14th and 15th verses of this chapter we read +“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must +the Son of Man be lifted up; that <span class= +"sc">whosoever</span> believeth in Him should not perish, but +have eternal life.” “WHOSOEVER.” Mark that! Let me tell you who +are unsaved what God has done for you. He has done everything +that He could do toward your salvation. You need not wait for God +to do anything more. In one place he asks the question, what more +could he have done (Isaiah v. 4). He sent His prophets, and they +killed them; then He sent His beloved Son, and they murdered Him. +Now He has sent the Holy Spirit to convince us of sin, and to +show how we are to be saved.</p> +<p class="pn">In this chapter we are told how men are to be +saved, namely, by Him who was lifted up on the cross. Just as +Moses lifted up the brazen serpent in the wilderness, so must the +Son of Man be lifted up, “that whosoever believeth in Him should +not perish, but have eternal life.” Some men complain and say +that it is very unreasonable that they should be held responsible +for the sin of a man six thousand years ago. It was not long ago +that a man was talking to me about this injustice, as he called +it. If a man thinks he is going to answer God in that way, I tell +you it will not do him any good. If you are lost, it will not be +on account of Adam’s sin.</p> +<p class="pn">Let me illustrate this; and perhaps you will be +better able to understand it. Suppose I am dying of consumption, +which I inherited from my father or mother. I did not get the +disease by any fault of my own, by any neglect of my health; I +inherited it, let us suppose. A friend happens to come along: he +looks at me, and says: “Moody, you are in a consumption.” I +reply, “I know it very well; I do not want any one to tell me +that.” “But,” he says, “there is a remedy.” “But, sir, I do not +believe it. I have tried the leading physicians in this country +and in Europe; and they tell me there is no hope.” “But you know +me, Moody; you have known me for years.” “Yes, sir.” “Do you +think, then, I would tell you a falsehood?” “No.” “Well, ten +years ago I was as far gone. I was given up by the physicians to +die; but I took this medicine and it cured me. I am perfectly +well: look at me.” I say that it is “a very strange case.” “Yes, +it may be strange; but it is a fact. This medicine cured me: take +this medicine, and it will cure you. Although it has cost me a +great deal, it shall not cost you anything. Do not make light of +it, I beg of you.” “Well,” I say, “I should like to believe you; +but this is contrary to my reason.”</p> +<p class="pn">Hearing this, my friend goes away and returns with +another friend, and that one testifies to the same thing. I am +still disbelieving; so he goes away, and brings in another +friend, and another, and another, and another; and they all +testify to the same thing. They say they were as bad as myself; +that they took the same medicine that has been offered to me; and +that it has cured them. My friend then hands me the medicine. I +dash it to the ground; I do not believe in its saving power; I +die. The reason is then that I spurned the remedy. So, if you +perish, it will not be because Adam fell; but because you spurned +the remedy offered to save you. You will choose darkness rather +than light. “How then shall ye escape, if ye neglect so great +salvation?” There is no hope for you if you neglect the remedy. +It does no good to look at the wound. If we had been in the +Israelitish camp and had been bitten by one of the fiery +serpents, it would have done us no good to look at the wound. +Looking at the wound will never save any one. What you must do is +to look at the Remedy—look away to Him who hath power to save you +from your sin.</p> +<p class="pn">Behold the camp of the Israelites; look at the +scene that is pictured to your eyes! Many are dying because they +neglect the remedy that is offered. In that arid desert is many a +short and tiny grave; many a child has been bitten by the fiery +serpents. Fathers and mothers are bearing away their children. +Over yonder they are just burying a mother; a loved mother is +about to be laid in the earth. All the family, weeping, gather +around the beloved form. You hear the mournful cries; you see the +bitter tears. The father is being borne away to his last resting +place. There is wailing going up all over the camp. Tears are +pouring down for thousands who have passed away; thousands more +are dying; and the plague is raging from one end of the camp to +the other.</p> +<p class="pn">I see in one tent an Israelitish mother bending +over the form of a beloved boy just coming into the bloom of +life, just budding into manhood. She is wiping away the sweat of +death that is gathering upon his brow. Yet a little while, and +his eyes are fixed and glassy, for life is ebbing fast away. The +mother’s heart-strings are torn and bleeding. All at once she +hears a noise in the camp. A great shout goes up. What does it +mean? She goes to the door of the tent. “What is the noise in the +camp?” she asks those passing by. And some one says: “Why, my +good woman, have you not heard the good news that has come into +the camp?” “No,” says the woman, “Good news! What is it?” “Why, +have you not heard about it? God has provided a remedy.” “What! +for the bitten Israelites? Oh, tell me what the remedy is!” “Why, +God has instructed Moses to make a brazen serpent, and to put it +on a pole in the middle of the camp; and He has declared that +whosoever looks upon it shall live. The shout that you hear is +the shout of the people when they see the serpent lifted up.” The +mother goes back into the tent, and she says: “My boy, I have +good news to tell you. You need not die! My boy, my boy, I have +come with good tidings; you can live!” He is already getting +stupefied; he is so weak he cannot walk to the door of the tent. +She puts her strong arms under him and lifts him up. “Look +yonder; look right there under the hill!” But the boy does not +see anything; he says—“I do not see anything; what is it, +mother?” And she says: “Keep looking, and you will see it.” At +last he catches a glimpse of the glistening serpent; and lo, he +is well! And thus it is with many a young convert. Some men say, +“Oh, we do not believe in sudden conversions.” How long did it +take to cure that boy? How long did it take to cure those +serpent-bitten Israelites? It was just a look; and they were +well.</p> +<p class="pn">That Hebrew boy is a young convert. I can fancy +that I see him now calling on all those who were with him to +praise God. He sees another young man bitten as he was; and he +runs up to him and tells him, “You, need not die.” “Oh,” the +young man replies, “I cannot live; it is not possible. There is +not a physician in Israel who can cure me.” He does not know that +he need not die. “Why, have you not heard the news? God has +provided a remedy.” “What remedy?” “Why, God has told Moses to +lift up a brazen serpent, and has said that none of those who +look upon that serpent shall die.” I can just imagine the young +man. He may be what you call an intellectual young man. He says +to the young convert “You do not think I am going to believe +anything like that? If the physicians in Israel cannot cure me, +how do you think that an old brass serpent on a pole is going to +cure me?” “Why, sir, I was as bad as yourself!” “You do not say +so!” “Yes, I do.” “That is the most astonishing thing I ever +heard,” says the young man: “I wish you would explain the +philosophy of it.” “I cannot. I only know that I looked at that +serpent, and I was cured: that did it. I just looked; that is +all. My mother told me the reports that were being heard through +the camp; and I just believed what my mother said, and I am +perfectly well.” “Well, I do not believe you were bitten as badly +as I have been.” The young man pulls up his sleeve. “Look there! +That mark shows where I was bitten; and I tell you I was worse +than you are.” “Well, if I understood the philosophy of it I +would look and get well.” “Let your philosophy go: <i>look and +live</i>.” “But, sir, you ask me to do an unreasonable thing. If +God had said, Take the brass and rub it into the wound, there +might be something in the brass that would cure the bite. Young +man, explain the philosophy of it.” I have often seen people +before me who have talked in that way. But the young man calls in +another, and takes him into the tent, and says: “Just tell him +how the Lord saved you;” and he tells just the same story; and he +calls in others, and they all say the same thing.</p> +<p class="pn">The young man says it is a very strange thing. “If +the Lord had told Moses to go and get some herbs, or roots, and +stew them, and take the decoction as a medicine, there would be +something in that. But it is so contrary to nature to do such a +thing as look at the serpent, that I cannot do it.” At length his +mother, who has been out in the camp, comes in, and she says, “My +boy, I have just the best news in the world for you. I was in the +camp, and I saw hundreds who were very far gone, and they are all +perfectly well now.” The young man says: “I should like to get +well; it is a very painful thought to die; I want to go into the +promised land, and it is terrible to die here in this wilderness; +but the fact is—I do not understand the remedy. It does not +appeal to my reason. I cannot believe that I can get well in a +moment.” And the young man dies in consequence of his own +unbelief.</p> +<p class="pn">God provided a remedy for this bitten +Israelite—“Look and live!” And there is eternal life for every +poor sinner, Look, and you can be saved, my reader, this very +hour. God has provided a remedy; and it is offered to all. The +trouble is, a great many people are looking at the pole. Do not +look at the pole; that is the church. You need not look at the +church; the church is all right, but the church cannot save you. +Look beyond the pole. Look at the Crucified One. Look to Calvary. +Bear in mind, sinner, that Jesus died for all. You need not look +at ministers; they are just God’s chosen instruments to hold up +the Remedy, to hold up Christ. And so, my friends, take your eyes +off from men; take your eyes off from the church. Lift them up to +Jesus; who took away the sin of the world, and there will be life +for you from this hour.</p> +<p class="pn">Thank God, we do not require an education to teach +us how to look. That little girl, that little boy, only four +years old, who cannot read, can look. When the father is coming +home, the mother says to her little boy, “Look! look! look!” and +the little child learns to look long before he is a year old. And +that is the way to be saved. It is to look at the Lamb of God +“who taketh away the sin of the world;” and there is life this +moment for every one who is willing to look.</p> +<p class="pn">Some men say, “I wish I knew how to be saved.” Just +take God at His word and trust His Son this very day—this very +hour—this very moment. He will save you, if you will trust Him. I +imagine I hear some one saying, “I do not feel the bite as much +as I wish I did. I know I am a sinner, and all that; but I do not +feel the bite enough.” How much does God want you to feel it?</p> +<p class="pn">When I was in Belfast I knew a doctor who had a +friend, a leading surgeon there; and he told me that the +surgeon’s custom was, before performing any operation, to say to +the patient, “Take a good look at the wound, and then fix your +eyes on me; and do not take them off till I get through.” I +thought at the time that was a good illustration. Sinner, take a +good look at your wound; and then fix your eyes on Christ, and do +not take them off. It is better to look at the Remedy than at the +wound. See what a poor wretched sinner you are; and then look at +the Lamb of God who “taketh away the sin of the world.” He died +for the ungodly and the sinner. Say “I will take Him!” And may +God help you to lift your eye to the Man on Calvary. And as the +Israelites looked upon the serpent and were healed, so may you +look and live.</p> +<p class="pn">After the battle of Pittsburgh Landing I was in a +hospital at Murfreesbro. In the middle of the night I was aroused +and told that a man in one of the wards wanted to see me. I went +to him and he called me “chaplain”—I was not the chaplain—and +said he wanted me to help him die. And I said, “I would take you +right up in my arms and carry you into the kingdom of God if I +could; but I cannot do it: I cannot help you die!” And he said, +“Who can?” I said, “The Lord Jesus Christ can—He came for that +purpose.” He shook his head, and said, “He cannot save me; I have +sinned all my life.” And I said, “But He came to save sinners.” I +thought of his mother in the north, and I was sure that she was +anxious that he should die in peace; so I resolved I would stay +with him. I prayed two or three times, and repeated all the +promises I could; for it was evident that in a few hours he would +be gone. I said I wanted to read him a conversation that Christ +had with a man who was anxious about his soul. I turned to the +third chapter of John. His eyes were riveted on me; and when I +came to the 14th and 15th verses—the passage before us—he caught +up the words, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, +even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whosoever +believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” He +stopped me and said, “Is that there?” I said “Yes.” He asked me +to read it again; and I did so. He leant his elbows on the cot +and clasping his hands together, said, “That’s good; won’t you +read it again?” I read it the third time; and then went on with +the rest of the chapter. When I had finished, his eyes were +closed, his hands were folded, and there was a smile on his face. +Oh, how it was lit up! What change had come over it! I saw his +lips quivering, and leaning over him I heard in a faint whisper, +“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must +the Son of Man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in Him +should not perish, but have eternal life.” He opened his eyes and +said, “That’s enough; don’t read any more.” He lingered a few +hours, pillowing his head on those two verses; and then went up +in one of Christ’s chariots, to take his seat in the kingdom of +God.</p> +<p class="pn">Christ said to Nicodemus: “Except a man be born +again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” You may see many +countries; but there is one country—the land of Beulah, which +John Bunyan saw in vision—you shall never behold, unless you are +born again—regenerated by Christ. You can look abroad and see +many beautiful trees; but the tree of life, you shall never +behold, unless your eyes are made clear by faith in the Saviour. +You may see the beautiful rivers of the earth—you may ride upon +their bosoms; but bear in mind that your eye will never rest upon +the river which bursts out from the Throne of God and flows +through the upper Kingdom, unless you are born again. God has +said it; and not man. You will never see the kingdom of God +except you are born again. You may see the kings and lords of the +earth; but the King of kings and Lord of lords you will never see +except you are born again. When you are in London you may go to +the Tower and see the crown of England, which is worth thousands +of dollars, and is guarded there by soldiers; but bear in mind +that your eye will never rest upon the crown of life except you +are born again.</p> +<p class="pn">You may hear the songs of Zion which are sung here; +but one song—that of Moses and the Lamb—the uncircumcised ear +shall never hear; its melody will only gladden the ear of those +who have been born again. You may look upon the beautiful +mansions of earth, but bear in mind the mansions which Christ has +gone to prepare you shall never see unless you are born again. It +is God who says it. You may see ten thousand beautiful things in +this world; but the city that Abraham caught a glimpse of—and +from that time became a pilgrim and sojourner—you shall never see +unless you are born again (Heb. xi. 8, 10-16). You may often be +invited to marriage feasts here; but you will never attend the +marriage supper of the Lamb except you are born again. It is God +who says it, dear friend. You may be looking on the face of your +sainted mother to-night, and feel that she is praying for you; +but the time will come when you shall never see her more unless +you are born again.</p> +<p class="pn">The reader may be a young man or a young lady who +has recently stood by the bedside of a dying mother; and she may +have said, “Be sure and meet me in heaven,” and you made the +promise. Ah! you shall never see her more, except you are born +again. I believe Jesus of Nazareth, sooner than those infidels +who say you do not need to be born again. Parents, if you hope to +see your children who have gone before, you must be born of the +Spirit. Possibly you are a father or a mother who has recently +borne a loved one to the grave; and how dark your home seems! +Never more will you see your child, unless you are born again. If +you wish to be re-united to your loved one, you must be born +again. I may be addressing a father or a mother who has a loved +one up yonder. If you could hear that loved one’s voice, it would +say, “Come this way.” Have you a sainted friend up yonder? Young +man or young lady, have you not a mother in the world of light? +If you could hear her speak, would not she say, “Come this way, +my son,”—“Come this way, my daughter?” If you would ever see her +more you must be born again.</p> +<p class="pn">We all have an Elder Brother there. Nearly nineteen +hundred years ago He crossed over, and from the heavenly shores +He is calling you to heaven. Let us turn our backs upon the +world. Let us give a deaf ear to the world. Let us look to Jesus +on the Cross and be saved. Then we shall one day see the King in +His beauty, and we shall go no more out.</p> +<h1><a name="III" id="III">CHAPTER III.</a></h1> +<p class="pt1"><i>THE TWO CLASSES</i>.</p> +<p class="pt2">“Two men went up into the temple to +pray.”—L<span class="sc">uke</span> xvii. 10.</p> +<p class="pn">I <span class="sc">now</span> want to speak of two +classes: First, those who do not feel their need of a Saviour who +have not been convinced of sin by the Spirit; and Second, those +who are convinced of sin and cry, “What must I do to be +saved?”</p> +<p class="pn">All inquirers can be ranged under two heads: they +have either the spirit of the Pharisee, or the spirit of the +publican. If a man having the spirit of the Pharisee comes into +an after-meeting, I know of no better portion of Scripture to +meet his case than Romans iii. 10: “As it is written, There is +none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth; +there is none that seeketh after God.” Paul is here speaking of +the natural man. “They are all gone out of the way, they are +together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, +not one.” And in the 17th verse and those which follow, we have +“And the way of peace have they not known; there is no fear of +God before their eyes. Now we know what things soever the law +saith, it saith to them who are under the law; that every mouth +may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before +God.”</p> +<p class="pn">Then observe the last clause of verse 22: “For +there is no difference; for all have sinned, and come short of +the glory of God.” Not part of the human family—but +<i>all</i>—“have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” +Another verse which has been very much used to convict men of +their sin is 1 John i. 8: “If we say that we have no sin, we +deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”</p> +<p class="pn">I remember that on one occasion we were holding +meetings in an eastern city of forty thousand inhabitants; and a +lady came and asked us to pray for her husband, whom she purposed +bringing into the after meeting. I have traveled a good deal and +met many pharisaical men; but this man was so clad in +self-righteousness that you could not get the point of the needle +of conviction in anywhere. I said to his wife: “I am glad to see +your faith; but we cannot get near him; he is the most +self-righteous man I ever saw.” She said: “You must! My heart +will break if these meetings end without his conversion.” She +persisted in bringing him; and I got almost tired of the sight of +him.</p> +<p class="pn">But towards the close of our meetings of thirty +days, he came up to me and put his trembling hand on my shoulder. +The place in which the meetings were held was rather cold, and +there was an adjoining room in which only the gas had been +lighted; and he said to me, “Can’t you come in here for a few +minutes?” I thought that he was shaking from cold, and I did not +particularly wish to go where it was colder. But he said: “I am +the worst man in the State of Vermont. I want you to pray for +me.” I thought he had committed a murder, or some other awful +crime; and I asked: “Is there any one sin that particularly +troubles you?” And he said: “My whole life has been a sin. I have +been a conceited, self-righteous Pharisee. I want you to pray for +me.” He was under deep conviction. Man could not have produced +this result; but the Spirit had. About two o’clock in the morning +light broke in upon his soul: and he went up and down the +business street of the city and told what God had done for him; +and has been a most active Christian ever since.</p> +<p class="pn">There are four other passages in dealing with +inquirers, which were used by Christ Himself. “Verily, verily, I +say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the +kingdom of God.” (John iii. 3.)</p> +<p class="pn">In Luke xiii. 3, we read: “Except ye repent, ye +shall all likewise perish.”</p> +<p class="pn">In Matthew xviii., when the disciples came to Jesus +to know who was to be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, we +are told that He took a little child and set him in the midst and +said, “Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become +as little children, ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven” +(xviii. 1-3).</p> +<p class="pn">There is another important “Except” in Matthew v. +20: “Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of +the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter the kingdom +of heaven.”</p> +<p class="pn">A man must be made meet before he will want to go +into the kingdom of God. I would rather go into the kingdom with +the younger brother than stay outside with the elder. Heaven +would be hell to such an one. An elder brother who could not +rejoice at his younger brother’s return would not be “fit” for +the kingdom of God. It is a solemn thing to contemplate; but the +curtain drops and leaves him outside, and the younger brother +within. To him the language of the Saviour under other +circumstances seems appropriate: “Verily I say unto you, That the +publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you” +(Matt. xxi. 31).</p> +<p class="pn">A lady once came to me and wanted a favor for her +daughter. She said: “You must remember I do not sympathize with +you in your doctrine.” I asked: “What is your trouble?” She said: +“I think your abuse of the elder brother is horrible. I think he +is a noble character.” I said that I was willing to hear her +defend him; but that it was a solemn thing to take up such a +position; and that the elder brother needed to be converted as +much as the younger. When people talk of being moral it is well +to get them to take a good look at the old man pleading with his +boy who would not go in.</p> +<p class="pn">But we will pass on now to the other class with +which we have to deal. It is composed of those who are convinced +of sin and from whom the cry comes as from the Philippian jailer, +“What must I do to be saved?” To those who utter this penitential +cry there is no necessity to administer the law. It is well to +bring them straight to the Scripture: “Believe on the Lord Jesus +Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” (Acts xvi. 31). Many will meet +you with a scowl and say, “I don’t know what it is to believe;” +and though it is the law of heaven that they must believe, in +order to be saved—yet they ask for something besides that. We are +to tell them what, and where, and how, to believe.</p> +<p class="pn">In John iii. 35 and 36 we read: “The Father loveth +the Son, and hath given all things into His hand. He that +believeth on the Son <span class="sc">hath</span> everlasting +life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but +the wrath of God abideth on him.”</p> +<p class="pn">Now this looks reasonable. Man lost life by +unbelief—by not believing God’s word; and we got life back again +by believing—by taking God at His word. In other words we get up +where Adam fell down. He stumbled and fell over the stone of +unbelief; and we are lifted up and stand upright by believing. +When people say they cannot believe, show them chapter and verse, +and hold them right to this one thing: “Has God ever broken His +promise for these six thousand years?” The devil and men have +been trying all the time and have not succeeded in showing that +He has broken a single promise; and there would be a jubilee in +hell to-day if one word that He has spoken could be broken. If a +man says that he cannot believe it is well to press him on that +one thing.</p> +<p class="pn">I can believe God better to-day than I can my own +heart. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately +wicked: who can know it?” (Jer. xxii. 9). I can believe God +better than I can myself. If you want to know the way of Life, +believe that Jesus Christ is a personal Saviour; cut away from +all doctrines and creeds, and come right to the heart of the Son +of God. If you have been feeding on dry doctrine there is not +much growth on that kind of food. Doctrines are to the soul what +the streets which lead to the house of a friend who has invited +me to dinner are to the body. They will lead me there if I take +the right one; but if I remain in the streets my hunger will +never be satisfied. Feeding on doctrines is like trying to live +on dry husks; and lean indeed must the soul remain which partakes +not of the Bread sent down from heaven.</p> +<p class="pn">Some ask: “How am I to get my heart warmed?” It is +by believing. You do not get power to love and serve God until +you believe.</p> +<p class="pn">The apostle John says “If we receive the witness of +men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of +God which He hath testified of His Son. He that believeth on the +Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God +hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that +God gave of His Son. And this is the record, that God hath given +to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the +Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not +life” (1 John v. 9).</p> +<p class="pn">Human affairs would come to a standstill if we did +not take the testimony of men. How should we get on in the +ordinary intercourse of life, and how would commerce get on, if +we disregarded men’s testimony? Things social and commercial +would come to a dead-lock within forty-eight hours! This is the +drift of the apostle’s argument here. “If we receive the witness +of men, the witness of God is greater.” God has borne witness to +Jesus Christ. And if man can believe his fellow men who are +frequently telling untruths and whom we are constantly finding +unfaithful, why should we not take God at His word and believe +His testimony?</p> +<p class="pn">Faith is a belief in testimony. It is not a leap in +the dark, as some tell us. That would be no faith at all. God +does not ask any man to believe without giving him something to +believe. You might as well ask a man to see without eyes; to hear +without ears; and to walk without feet—as to bid him believe +without giving him something to believe.</p> +<p class="pn">When I started for California I procured a +guide-book. This told me, that after leaving the State of +Illinois, I should cross the Mississippi, and then the Missouri; +get into Nebraska; then over the Rocky Mountains to the Mormon +settlement at Salt Lake City, and by the way of the Sierra Nevada +into San Francisco. I found the guide book all right as I went +along; and I should have been a miserable sceptic if, having +proved it to be correct three-fourths of the way, I had said that +I would not believe it for the remainder of the journey.</p> +<p class="pn">Suppose a man, in directing me to the Post Office, +gives me ten landmarks; and that, in my progress there, I find +nine of them to be as he told me; I should have good reason to +believe that I was coming to the Post Office.</p> +<p class="pn">And if, by believing, I get a new life, and a hope, +a peace, a joy, and a rest to my soul, that I never had before; +if I get self-control, and find that I have a power to resist +evil and to do good, I have pretty good proof that I am in the +right road to the “city which hath foundations, whose builder and +maker is God.” And if things have taken place, and are now taking +place, as recorded in God’s Word, I have good reason to conclude +that what yet remains will be fulfilled. And yet people talk of +doubting. There can be no true faith where there is fear. Faith +is to take God at His word, unconditionally. There cannot be true +peace where there is fear. “Perfect love casteth out fear.” How +wretched a wife would be if she doubted her husband! and how +miserable a mother would feel if after her boy had gone away from +home she had reason, from his neglect, to question that son’s +devotion! True love never has a doubt.</p> +<p class="pn">There are three things indispensable to +faith—knowledge, assent, and appropriation.</p> +<p class="pn">We must know God. “And this is life eternal, that +they might <i>know</i> Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ +whom Thou hast sent” (John xvii. 3). Then we must not only give +our assent to what we know; but we must lay hold of the truth. If +a man simply give his assent to the plan of salvation, it will +not save him: he must accept Christ as his Saviour. He must +receive and appropriate Him.</p> +<p class="pn">Some say they cannot tell how a man’s life can be +affected by his belief. But let some one cry out that some +building in which we happen to be sitting, is on fire; and see +how soon we should act on our belief and get out. We are all the +time influenced by what we believe. We cannot help it. And let a +man believe the record that God has given of Christ, and it will +very quickly affect his whole life.</p> +<p class="pn">Take John v. 24. There is enough truth in that one +verse for every soul to rest upon for salvation. It does not +admit the shadow of a doubt. “Verily, verily”—which means truly, +truly—“I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on +Him that sent Me, hath—<i>hath</i>—everlasting life, and shall +not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto +life.”</p> +<p class="pn">Now if a person really hears the word of Jesus and +believes with the heart on God who sent the Son to be the Saviour +of the world, and lays hold of and appropriates this great +salvation, there is no fear of judgment. He will not be looking +forward with dread to the Great White Throne; for we read in 1 +John iv. 17: “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have +boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we in +this world.”</p> +<p class="pn">If we believe, there is for us no condemnation, no +judgment. That is behind us, and passed; and we shall have +boldness in the day of judgment.</p> +<p class="pn">I remember reading of a man who was on trial for +his life. He had friends with influence; and they procured a +pardon for him from the king on condition that he was to go +through the trial, and be condemned. He went into court with the +pardon in his pocket. The feeling ran very high against him, and +the judge said that the court was shocked that he was so much +unconcerned. But, when the sentence was pronounced, he pulled out +the pardon, presented it, and walked out a free man. He has been +pardoned; and so have we. Then let death come, we have nought to +fear. All the grave-diggers in the world cannot dig a grave large +enough and deep enough to hold eternal life; all the coffin +makers in the world cannot make a coffin large enough and tight +enough to hold eternal life. Death has had his hand on Christ +once, but never again.</p> +<p class="pn">Jesus said: “I am the Resurrection, and the Life: +he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: +and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die” (John +xi. 25, 26). And in the Apocalypse we read that the risen Saviour +said to John, “I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I +am alive for evermore” (Rev i. 18). Death cannot touch Him +again.</p> +<p class="pn">We get life by believing. In fact we get more than +Adam lost; for the redeemed child of God is heir to a richer and +more glorious inheritance than Adam in Paradise could ever have +conceived; yea, and that inheritance endures forever—it is +inalienable.</p> +<p class="pn">I would much rather have my life hid with Christ in +God than have lived in Paradise; for Adam might have sinned and +fallen after being there ten thousand years. But the believer is +safer, if these things become real to him. Let us make them a +fact, and not a fiction. God has said it; and that is enough. Let +us trust Him even where we cannot trace Him. Let the same +confidence animate us that was in little Maggie as related in the +following simple but touching incident which I read in the +<i>Bible Treasury</i>:—</p> +<p class="pn">“I had been absent from home for some days, and was +wondering, as I again draw near the homestead, if my little +Maggie, just able to sit alone, would remember me. To test her +memory, I stationed myself where I could see her, but could not +be seen by her, and called her name in the familiar tone, +‘Maggie!’ She dropped her playthings, glanced around the room, +and then looked down upon her toys. Again I repeated her name, +‘Maggie!’ when she once more surveyed the room; but, not seeing +her <i>father’s</i> face, she looked very sad, and slowly resumed +her employment. Once more I called, ‘Maggie!’ when, dropping her +playthings, and bursting into tears, she stretched out her arms +in the direction whence the sound proceeded, knowing that, though +she could not see him, her father <i>must be there</i>, +<span class="sc">for she knew his voice</span>.”</p> +<p class="pn">Now, we have power to see and to hear, and we have +power to believe. It is all folly for the inquirers to take the +ground that they cannot believe. They can, if they will. But the +trouble with most people is that they have connected <span class= +"sc">feeling</span> with <span class="sc">believing</span>. Now +Feeling has nothing whatever to do with Believing. The Bible does +not say—He that feeleth, or he that feeleth and believeth, hath +everlasting life. Nothing of the kind. I cannot control my +feelings. If I could, I should never feel ill, or have a headache +or toothache. I should be well all the while. But I can believe +God; and if we get our feet on that rock, let doubts and fears +come and the waves surge around us, the anchor will hold.</p> +<p class="pn">Some people are all the time looking at their +faith. Faith is the hand that takes the blessing. I heard this +illustration of a beggar. Suppose you were to meet a man in the +street whom you had known for years as being accustomed to beg; +and you offered him some money, and he were to say to you: “I +thank you; I don’t want your money: I am not a beggar.” “How is +that?” “Last night a man put a thousand dollars into my hands.” +“He did! How did you know it was good money?” “I took it to the +bank and deposited it and have got a bank book.” “How did you get +this gift?” “I asked for alms; and after the gentleman talked +with me he took out a thousand dollars in money and put it in my +hand.” “How do you know that he put it in the right hand?” “What +do I care about which hand; so that I have got the money.” Many +people are always thinking whether the faith by which they lay +hold of Christ is the right kind—but what is far more essential +is to see that we have the right kind of Christ.</p> +<p class="pn">Faith is the eye of the soul; and who would ever +think of taking out an eye to see if it were the right kind so +long as the sight was perfect? It is not my taste, but it is what +I taste, that satisfies my appetite. So, dear friends, it is +taking God at His Word that is the means of our salvation. The +truth cannot be made too simple.</p> +<p class="pn">There is a man living in the city of New York who +has a home on the Hudson River. His daughter and her family went +to spend the winter with him: and in the course of the season the +scarlet fever broke out. One little girl was put in quarantine, +to be kept separate from the rest. Every morning the old +grandfather used to go and bid his grandchild, “Goodbye,” before +going to his business. On one of these occasions the little thing +took the old man by the hand, and, leading him to a corner of the +room, without saying a word she pointed to the floor where she +had arranged some small crackers so they would spell out, +“Grandpa, I want a box of paints.” He said nothing. On his return +home he hung up his overcoat and went to the room as usual: when +his little grandchild, without looking to see if her wish had +been complied with, took him into the same corner, where he saw +spelled out in the same way, “Grandpa, I thank you for the box of +paints.” The old man would not have missed gratifying the child +for anything. That was faith.</p> +<p class="pn">Faith is taking God at His Word; and those people +who want some token are always getting into trouble. We want to +come to this: G<span class="sc">od says it—let us believe +it</span>.</p> +<p class="pn">But some say, Faith is the gift of God. So is the +air; but you have to breathe it. So is bread; but you have to eat +it. So is water; but you have to drink it. Some are wanting a +miraculous kind of feeling. That is not faith. “Faith cometh by +hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Rom. x. 17). That is +whence faith comes. It is not for me to sit down and wait for +faith to come stealing over me with a strange sensation; but it +is for me to take God at His Word. And you cannot believe, unless +you have something to believe. So take the Word as it is written, +and appropriate it, and lay hold of it.</p> +<p class="pn">In John vi. 47, 48 we read: “Verily, verily, I say +unto you, He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life. I am +that Bread of life.” There is the bread right at hand. Partake of +it. I might have thousands of loaves within my home, and as many +hungry men in waiting. They might assent to the fact that the +bread was there; but unless they each took a loaf and commenced +eating, their hunger would not be satisfied. So Christ is the +Bread of heaven; and as the body feeds on natural food, so the +soul must feed on Christ.</p> +<p class="pn">If a drowning man sees a rope thrown out to rescue +him he must lay hold of it; and in order to do so he must let go +everything else. If a man is sick he must take the medicine—for +simply looking at it will not cure him. A knowledge of Christ +will not help the inquirer, unless he believes in Him, and takes +hold of Him, as his only hope. The bitten Israelites might have +believed that the serpent was lifted up; but unless they had +looked they would not have lived (Num. xxi. 6-9).</p> +<p class="pn">I believe that a certain line of steamers will +convey me across the ocean, because I have tried it: but this +will not help another man who may want to go, unless he acts upon +my knowledge. So a knowledge of Christ does not help us unless we +act upon it. That is what it is to believe on the Lord Jesus +Christ. It is to act on what we believe. As a man steps on board +a steamer to cross the Atlantic, so we must take Christ and make +a commitment of our souls to Him; and He has promised to keep all +who put their trust in Him. To believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, +is simply to take Him at His word.</p> +<h1><a name="IV" id="IV">CHAPTER IV.</a></h1> +<p class="pt1"><i>WORDS OF COUNSEL</i>.</p> +<p class="pt2">“A bruised reed shall He not break.”—I<span class= +"sc">saiah</span> xlii. 3; M<span class="sc">att</span>. xii. +20.</p> +<p class="pn">I<span class="sc">t</span> is dangerous for those +who are seeking salvation to lean upon the experience of other +people. Many are waiting for a repetition of the experience of +their grandfather or grandmother. I had a friend who was +converted in a field; and he thinks the whole town ought to go +down into that meadow and be converted. Another was converted +under a bridge; and he thinks that if any enquirer were to go +there he would find the Lord. The best thing for the anxious is +to go right to the Word of God. If there are any persons in the +world to whom the Word ought to be very precious it is those who +are asking how to be saved.</p> +<p class="pn">For instance a man may say, “I have no strength.” +Let him turn to Romans v. 6. “For when we were yet without +strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” It is because +we have no strength that we need Christ. He has come to give +strength to the weak.</p> +<p class="pn">Another may say, “I cannot see.” Christ says, “I am +the Light of the world” (John viii. 12). He came, not only to +give light, but “to open the blind eyes” (Isa. xlii. 7).</p> +<p class="pn">Another may say, “I do not think a man can be saved +all at once.” A person holding that view was in the Enquiry-room +one night; and I drew his attention to Romans vi. 23. “The wages +of sin is death; but the <i>gift</i> of God is eternal life +through Jesus Christ our Lord.” How long does it take to accept a +gift? There must be a moment when you have it not, and another +when you have it—a moment when it is another’s, and the next when +it is yours. It does not take six months to get eternal life. It +may however in some cases be like the mustard seed, very small at +the commencement. Some people are converted so gradually that, +like the morning light, it is impossible to tell when the dawn +began; while, with others, it is like the flashing of a meteor, +and the truth bursts upon them suddenly.</p> +<p class="pn">I would not go across the street to prove when I +was converted; but what is important is for me to know that I +really have been.</p> +<p class="pn">It may be that a child has been so carefully +trained that it is impossible to tell when the new birth began; +but there must have been a moment when the change took place, and +when he became a partaker of the Divine nature.</p> +<p class="pn">Some people do not believe in <span class= +"sc">sudden conversion</span>. But I will challenge any one to +show a conversion in the New Testament that was not +instantaneous. “As Jesus passed by He saw Levi, the son of +Alpheus, sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, +‘Follow Me’: and he arose and followed Him” (Matt. ix. 9). +Nothing could be more sudden than that.</p> +<p class="pn">Zaccheus, the publican, sought to see Jesus; and +because he was little of stature he climbed up a tree. When Jesus +came to the place He looked up and saw him, and said, “Zaccheus, +make haste, and come down” (Luke xix. 5). His conversion must +have taken place somewhere between the branch and the ground. We +are told that he received Jesus joyfully, and said, “Behold, +Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have +taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him +fourfold” (Luke xix. 8). Very few in these days could say that +in proof of their conversion.</p> +<p class="pn">The whole house of Cornelius was converted +suddenly; for so Peter preached Christ to him and his company the +Holy Ghost fell on them, and they were baptized. (Acts x.)</p> +<p class="pn">On the day of Pentecost three thousand gladly +received the Word. They were not only converted, but they were +baptized the same day. (Acts ii.)</p> +<p class="pn">And when Philip talked to the eunuch, as they went +on their way, the eunuch said to Philip, “See, here is water: +what doth hinder me to be baptized?” Nothing hindered. And Philip +said, “If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.” And +they both went down into the water; and the man of great +authority under Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians, was +baptized, and went on his way rejoicing. (Acts viii. 26-38.) You +will find all through Scripture that conversions were sudden and +instantaneous.</p> +<p class="pn">A man has been in the habit of stealing money from +his employer. Suppose he has taken $1,000 in twelve months; +should we tell him to take $500 the next year, and less the next +year, and the next, until in five years the sum taken would be +only $50? That would be upon the same principle as gradual +conversion.</p> +<p class="pn">If such a person were brought before the court and +pardoned, because he could not change his mode of life all at +once, it would be considered a very strange proceeding.</p> +<p class="pn">But the Bible says, “Let him that stole steal no +more” (Eph. iv. 28). It is “right about face!” Suppose a person +is in the habit of cursing one hundred times a day: should we +advise him not to utter more than ninety oaths the following day, +and eighty the next day; so that in the course of time he would +get rid of the habit? The Saviour says, “Swear not at all.” +(Matt. v. 34.)</p> +<p class="pn">Suppose another man is in the habit of getting +drunk and beating his wife twice a month; if he only did so once +a month, and then only once in six months, that would be, upon +the same ground, as reasonable as gradual conversion. Suppose +Ananias had been sent to Paul, when he was on his way to Damascus +breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples, +and casting them into prison, to tell him not to kill so many as +he intended; and to let enmity die out of his heart gradually, +but not all at once. Suppose he had been told that it would not +do to stop breathing out threatenings and slaughter, and to +commence preaching Christ all at once, because the philosophers +would say that the change was so sudden it would not hold out; +this would be the same kind of reasoning as is used by those who +do not believe in instantaneous conversion.</p> +<p class="pn">Then another class say that they are afraid that +they will not hold out. This is a numerous and very hopeful +class. I like to see a man distrust himself. It is a good thing +to get such to look to God, and to remember that it is not he who +holds God, but that it is God who holds him. Some want to get +hold of Christ; but the thing is to get Christ to take hold of +you in answer to prayer. Let such read Psalm cxxi.; “I will lift +up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help +cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not +suffer thy foot to be moved: He that keepeth thee will not +slumber. Behold, He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor +sleep. The Lord is thy keeper; the Lord is thy shade upon thy +right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by +night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: He shall +preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy +coming in, from this time forth, and even for evermore.”</p> +<p class="pn">Some one calls that the traveler’s psalm. It is a +beautiful psalm for those of us who are pilgrims through this +world; and one with which we should be well acquainted.</p> +<p class="pn">God can do what He has done before. He kept Joseph +in Egypt; Moses before Pharaoh; Daniel in Babylon; and enabled +Elijah to stand before Ahab in that dark day. And I am so +thankful that these I have mentioned were men of like passions +with ourselves. It was God who made them so great. What man wants +is to look to God. Real true faith is man’s weakness leaning on +God’s strength. When man has no strength, if he leans on God he +becomes powerful. The trouble is that we have too much strength +and confidence in ourselves.</p> +<p class="pn">Again in Hebrews vi. 17, 18: “Wherein God, willing +more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the +immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath that by two +immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we +might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay +hold upon the hope set before us: which hope we have as an anchor +of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into +that within the vail; whither the Forerunner is for us entered, +even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of +Melchisedec.”</p> +<p class="pn">Now these are precious verses to those who are +afraid of falling, who fear that they will not hold out. It is +God’s work to hold. It is the Shepherd’s business to keep the +sheep. Who ever heard of the sheep going to bring back the +shepherd? People have an idea that they have to keep themselves +and Christ too. It is a false idea. It is the work of the +Shepherd to look after them, and to take care of those who trust +Him. And He has promised to do it. I once heard that when a sea +captain was dying he said, “Glory to God; the anchor holds.” He +trusted in Christ. His anchor had taken hold of the solid rock. +An Irishman said, on one occasion, that “he trembled; but the +Rock never did.” We want to get sure footing.</p> +<p class="pn">In 2 Timothy i. 12 Paul says: “I know whom I have +believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I +have committed unto Him against that day.” That was Paul’s +persuasion.</p> +<p class="pn">During the late war of the rebellion, one of the +chaplains, going through the hospitals, came to a man who was +dying. Finding that he was a Christian, he asked to what +persuasion he belonged, and was told “Paul’s persuasion.” “Is he +a Methodist?” he asked; for the Methodists all claim Paul. “No.” +“Is he a Presbyterian?” for the Presbyterians lay special claim +to Paul. “No,” was the answer. “Does he belong to the Episcopal +Church?” for all the Episcopalian brethren contend that they have +a claim to the Chief Apostle. “No,” he was not an Episcopalian. +“Then, to what persuasion does he belong?” “I am persuaded that +He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against +that day.” It is a grand persuasion; and it gave the dying +soldier rest in a dying hour.</p> +<p class="pn">Let those who fear that they will not hold out turn +to the 24th verse of the Epistle of Jude: “Now unto Him that is +able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless +before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.”</p> +<p class="pn">Then look at Isaiah xli. 10: “Fear thou not; for I +am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will +strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee +with the right hand of My righteousness.”</p> +<p class="pn">Then see verse 13: “For I the Lord thy God will +hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help +thee.”</p> +<p class="pn">Now if God has got hold of my right hand in His, +cannot He hold me and keep me? Has not God the power to keep? The +great God who made heaven and earth can keep a poor sinner like +you and like me if we trust Him. To refrain from feeling +confidence in God for fear of falling—would be like a man who +refused a pardon, for fear that he should get into prison again; +or a drowning man who refused to be rescued, for fear of falling +into the water again.</p> +<p class="pn">Many men look forth at the Christian life, and fear +that they will not have sufficient strength to hold out to the +end. They forget the promise that “as thy days, thy strength” +(Deut. xxxiii. 25). It reminds me of the pendulum to the clock +which grew disheartened at the thought of having to travel so +many thousands of miles; but when it reflected that the distance +was to be accomplished by “tick, tick, tick,” it took fresh +courage to go its daily journey. So it is the special privilege +of the Christian to commit himself to the keeping of his heavenly +Father and to trust Him day by day. It is a comforting thing to +know that the Lord will not begin the good work without also +finishing it.</p> +<p class="pn">There are two kinds of sceptics—one class with +honest difficulties; and another class who delight only in +discussion. I used to think that this latter class would always +be a thorn in my flesh; but they do not prick me now. I expect to +find them right along the journey. Men of this stamp used to hang +around Christ to entangle Him in His talk. They come into our +meetings to hold a discussion. To all such I would commend Paul’s +advice to Timothy: “But foolish and unlearned questions avoid; +knowing that they do gender strifes.” (2 Tim. ii. 23.) Unlearned +questions: Many young converts make a woful mistake. They think +they are to defend the whole Bible. I knew very little of the +Bible when I was first converted; and I thought that I had to +defend it from beginning to end against all comers; but a Boston +infidel got hold of me, floored all my arguments at once, and +discouraged me. But I have got over that now. There are many +things in the Word of God that I do not profess to +understand.</p> +<p class="pn">When I am asked what I do with them. I say, “I +don’t do anything.”</p> +<p class="pn">“How do you explain them?” “I don’t explain +them.”</p> +<p class="pn">“What do you do with them?” “Why, I believe +them.”</p> +<p class="pn">And when I am told, “I would not believe anything +that I do not understand,” I simply reply that I do.</p> +<p class="pn">There are many things which were dark and +mysterious five years ago, on which I have since had a flood of +light; and I expect to be finding out something fresh about God +throughout eternity. I make a point of not discussing disputed +passages of Scripture. An old divine has said that some people, +if they want to eat fish, commence by picking the bones. I leave +such things till I have light on them. I am not bound to explain +what I do not comprehend. “The secret things belong unto the Lord +our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us, and +to our children, for ever” (Deut. xxii. 29); and these I take, +and eat, and feed upon, in order to get spiritual strength.</p> +<p class="pn">Than there is a little sound advice in Titus iii. +9. “But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and +contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are +unprofitable and vain.”</p> +<p class="pn">But now here comes an honest sceptic. With him I +would deal as tenderly as a mother with her sick child. I have no +sympathy with those people who, because a man is sceptical, cast +him off and will have nothing to do with him.</p> +<p class="pn">I was in an Inquiry-meeting, some time ago, and I +handed over to a Christian lady, whom I had known some time, one +who was sceptical. On looking round soon after I noticed the +enquirer marching out of the hall. I asked, “Why have you let her +go?” “Oh, she is a sceptic!” was the reply. I ran to the door and +got her to stop, and introduced her to another Christian worker +who spent over an hour in conversation and prayer with her. He +visited her and her husband; and, in the course of a week, that +intelligent lady cast off her scepticism and came out an active +Christian. It took time, tact, and prayer; but if a person of +this class is honest we ought to deal with such an one as the +Master would have us.</p> +<p class="pn">Here are a few passages for doubting enquirers:</p> +<p class="pn">“If any man will do His will, he shall know of the +doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself” +(John vii. 17). If a man is not willing to do the will of God he +will not know the doctrine. There is no class of sceptics who are +ignorant of the fact that God desires them to give up sin; and if +a man is willing to turn from sin and take the light and thank +Him for what He does give, and not expect to have light on the +whole Bible all at once, he will get more light day by day; make +progress step by step; and be led right out of darkness into the +clear light of heaven.</p> +<p class="pn">In Daniel xii. 10 we are told: “Many shall be +purified, and made white, and tried: but the wicked shall do +wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise +shall understand.”</p> +<p class="pn">Now God will never reveal His secrets to His +enemies. Never! And if a man persists in living in sin he will +not know the doctrines of God.</p> +<p class="pn">“The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him; +and He will show them His covenant” (Ps. xxv. 14).</p> +<p class="pn">And in John xv. 15 we read: “Henceforth I call you +not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth: +but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard +of my Father I have made known unto you.” When you become friends +of Christ you will know His secrets. The Lord said, “Shall I hide +from Abraham the things which I do?” (Gen. xviii. 17).</p> +<p class="pn">Now those who resemble God are the most likely to +understand God. If a man is not willing to turn from sin he will +not know God’s will, nor will God reveal His secrets to him. But +if a man is willing to turn from sin he will be surprised to see +how the light will come in!</p> +<p class="pn">I remember one night when the Bible was the driest +and darkest book in the universe to me. The next day it became +entirely different. I thought I had the key to it. I had been +born of the Spirit. But before I knew anything of the mind of God +I had to give up my sin. I believe God meets every soul on the +spot of self-surrender; and when they are willing to let Him +guide and lead. The trouble with many sceptics is their +self-conceit. They know more than the Almighty! and they do not +come in a teachable spirit. But the moment a man comes in a +receptive spirit he is blessed; for “If any of you lack wisdom, +let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and +upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James i. 5).</p> +<h1><a name="V" id="V">CHAPTER V.</a></h1> +<p class="pt1"><i>A DIVINE SAVIOUR</i>.</p> +<p class="pt2">“Thou art <span class="sc">the Christ</span>, the +Son of the living God.”<br> +(M<span class="sc">atthew</span> xvi. 1; J<span class= +"sc">ohn</span> vi. 69.)</p> +<p class="pn">W<span class="sc">e</span> meet with a certain +class of Enquirers who do not believe in the Divinity of Christ. +There are many passages that will give light on this subject.</p> +<p class="pn">In 1 Corinthians xv. 47, we are told: “The first +man is of the earth earthy: the second man is the Lord from +heaven.”</p> +<p class="pn">In 1 John v. 20: “We know that the Son of God is +come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him +that is true; and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son +Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.”</p> +<p class="pn">Again in John xvii. 3: “And this is life eternal, +that they might know Thee, the only true God; and Jesus Christ, +whom Thou hast sent.”</p> +<p class="pn">And then, in Mark xiv. 60: “The high priest stood +up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest Thou nothing? +What is it which these witness against thee? But He held His +peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked Him, and +said unto Him, Art Thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And +Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of Man sitting on the +right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the +high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further +witnesses? Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they +all condemned Him to be guilty of death.”</p> +<p class="pn">Now what brought me to believe in the Divinity of +Christ was this: I did not know where to place Christ, or what to +do with Him, if He were not divine. When I was a boy I thought +that He was a good man like Moses, Joseph, or Abraham. I even +thought that He was the best man who had ever lived on the earth. +But I found that Christ had a higher claim. He claimed to be +God-Man, to be divine; to have come from heaven. He said: “Before +Abraham was I am” (John viii. 58). I could not understand this; +and I was driven to the conclusion—and I challenge any candid man +to deny the inference, or meet the argument—that Jesus Christ is +either an impostor or deceiver, or He is the God-Man—God manifest +in the flesh. And for these reasons. The first commandment is, +“Thou shalt have no other gods before Me” (Exod. xx. 2). Look at +the millions throughout Christendom who worship Jesus Christ as +God. If Christ be not God this is idolatry. We are all guilty of +breaking the first commandment if Jesus Christ were mere man—if +He were a created being, and not what He claims to be.</p> +<p class="pn">Some people, who do not admit His divinity, say +that He was the best man who ever lived; but if He were not +Divine, for that very reason He ought not to be reckoned a good +man, for He laid claim to an honor and dignity to which these +very people declare He had no right or title. That would rank Him +as a deceiver.</p> +<p class="pn">Others say that He thought He was divine, but that +He was deceived. As if Jesus Christ were carried away by a +delusion and deception, and thought that He was more than He was! +I could not conceive of a lower idea of Jesus Christ than that. +This would not only make Him out an impostor; but that He was out +of His mind, and that He did not know who He was, or where He +came from. Now if Jesus Christ was not what He claimed to be, the +Saviour of the world; and if He did not come from heaven, He was +a gross deceiver.</p> +<p class="pn">But how can any one read the life of Jesus Christ +and make Him out a deceiver? A man has generally some motive for +being an impostor. What was Christ’s motive? He knew that the +course He was pursuing would conduct Him to the cross; that His +name would be cast out as vile; and that many of His followers +would be called upon to lay down their lives for His sake. Nearly +every one of the apostles were martyrs; and they were considered +as off-scouring and refuse in the midst of the people. If a man +is an impostor, he has a motive at the back of his hypocrisy. But +what was Christ’s object? The record is that “He went about doing +good.” This is not the work of an impostor. Do not let the enemy +of your soul deceive you.</p> +<p class="pn">In John v. 21 we read: “For as the Father raiseth +up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom +He will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all +judgment unto the Son: that all men should honor the Son, even as +they honor the Father. He that honoureth not the Son, honoureth +not the Father which hath sent Him.”</p> +<p class="pn">Now notice: by the Jewish law if a man were a +blasphemer he was to be put to death; and supposing Christ to be +merely human if this be not blasphemy I do not know where you +will find it. “He that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the +Father.” That is downright blasphemy if Christ be not divine. If +Moses, or Elijah, or Elisha, or any other mortal had said, “You +must honour me as you honor God;” and had put himself on a level +with God, it would have been downright blasphemy.</p> +<p class="pn">The Jews put Christ to death because they said that +He was not what He claimed to be. It was on that testimony He was +put under oath. The high priest said: “I adjure Thee by the +living God, that Thou tell us whether Thou be the Christ, the Son +of God” (Matt. xxvi. 63). And when the Jews came round Him and +said, “How long dost Thou make us to doubt? If Thou be the Christ +tell us plainly.” Jesus said, “I and My Father are one.” Then the +Jews took up stones again to stone Him. (John x. 24-33.) They +said they did not want to hear more, for that was blasphemy. It +was for declaring Himself to be the Son of God that He was +condemned and put to death. (Matt. xxvi. 63-66).</p> +<p class="pn">Now if Jesus Christ were mere man the Jews did +right, according to their law, in putting Him to death. In +Leviticus xxiv. 16, we read: “And he that blasphemeth the name of +the Lord, he shall surely be put to death, and all the +congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as +he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the +Lord, shall be put to death.”</p> +<p class="pn">This law obliged them to put to death every one who +blasphemed. It was making the statement that He was divine that +cost Him His life; and by the Mosaic law He ought to have +suffered the death penalty. In John xvi. 15, Christ says, “All +things that the Father hath are Mine: therefore said I, that He +shall take of Mine, and shall show it unto you.” How could He be +merely a good man and use language as that?</p> +<p class="pn">No doubt has ever entered my mind on the point +since I was converted.</p> +<p class="pn">A notorious sinner was once asked how he could +prove the divinity of Christ. His answer was, “Why, He has saved +me; and that is a pretty good proof, is it not?”</p> +<p class="pn">An infidel on one occasion said to me, “I have been +studying the life of John the Baptist, Mr. Moody. Why don’t you +preach him? He was a greater character than Christ. You would do +a greater work.” I said to him, “My friend, you preach John the +Baptist; and I will follow you and preach Christ: and we will see +who will do the most good.” “You will do the most good,” he said, +“because the people are so superstitious.” Ah! John was beheaded; +and his disciples begged his body and buried it: but Christ has +risen from the dead; He has “ascended on high; He has led +captivity captive; and received gifts for men.” (Ps. lxviii. +18.)</p> +<p class="pn">Our Christ <span class="sc">lives</span>. Many +people have not found out that Christ has risen from the grave. +They worship a dead Saviour, like Mary, who said, “They have +taken away my Lord; and I know not where they have laid Him.” +(John xx. 13.) That is the trouble with those who doubt the +divinity of our Lord.</p> +<p class="pn">Then look at Matthew xviii. 20. “Where two or three +are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of +them.” “T<span class="sc">here am</span> I.” Well now, if He is a +mere man, how can He be there? All these are strong passages.</p> +<p class="pn">Again in Matthew xxviii. 18. “And Jesus came and +spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven +and in earth.” Could He be a mere man and talk in that way? “All +power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth!”</p> +<p class="pn">Then again in Matthew xxviii. 20. “Teaching them to +observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and, lo, I am +with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” If He were mere +man, how could He be with us? Yet He says, “I am with you away, +even unto the end of the world!”</p> +<p class="pn">Then again in Mark ii. 7. “Why doth this Man thus +speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? And +immediately when Jesus perceived in His Spirit that they reasoned +within themselves, He said unto them, Why reason ye these things +in your hearts? Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the +palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee, or to say, Arise and take up +thy bed and walk?”</p> +<p class="pn">Some men will meet you and say, “Did not Elisha +also raise the dead?” Notice that in the rare instances in which +men have raised the dead, they did it by the power of God. They +called on God to do it. But when Christ was on earth He did not +call upon the Father to bring the dead to life, When He went to +the house of Jairus He said, “Damsel, I say unto thee, Arise.” +(Mark v. 41.)</p> +<p class="pn">He had power to impart life. When they were +carrying the young man out of Nain He had compassion on the +widowed mother and came and touched the bier and said, “Young +man, I say unto thee, Arise.” (Luke vii. 14.)</p> +<p class="pn">He spake; and the dead arose.</p> +<p class="pn">And when He raised Lazarus He called with a loud +voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” (John xi. 43.) And Lazarus heard, +and came forth.</p> +<p class="pn">Some one has said, It was a good thing that Lazarus +was mentioned by name, or all the dead within the sound of +Christ’s voice would immediately have risen.</p> +<p class="pn">In John v. 25, Jesus says: “Verily, verily, I say +unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall +hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live.” +What blasphemy would this have been, had He not been divine! The +proof is overwhelming, if you will but examine the Word of +God.</p> +<p class="pn">And then another thing—no good man except Jesus +Christ has ever allowed anybody to worship him. When this was +done He never rebuked the worshiper. In John ix. 38, we read that +when the blind man was found by Christ he said, “Lord, I believe. +And he worshiped Him.” The Lord did not rebuke him.</p> +<p class="pn">Then again, Revelation xxii. 6, runs thus: “And he +said unto me, These things are faithful and true; and the Lord +God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show unto His servants +the things which must shortly be done. Behold, I come quickly: +blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this +book. And I John saw these things and heard them. And when I had +heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the +angel which showed me these things. Then saith He unto me, See +thou do it not; for I am thy fellow-servant and of thy brethren +the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book, +<i>worship God</i>.”</p> +<p class="pn">We see here that even that angel would not allow +John to worship him. Even an angel from heaven! And if Gabriel +came down here from the presence of God it would be a sin to +worship him, or any seraph, or any cherub, or Michael, or any +archangel.</p> +<p class="pn">“W<span class="sc">orship God</span>!” And if Jesus +Christ were not God manifest in the flesh we are guilty of +idolatry in worshiping Him. In Matthew xiv. 33, we read: “Then +they that were in the ship came and <i>worshiped</i> Him, saying, +Of a truth Thou art the Son of God.” He did not rebuke them.</p> +<p class="pn">And in Matthew viii. 2, we also read: “And, behold, +there came a leper and <i>worshiped</i> Him, saying, Lord, if +Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean.”</p> +<p class="pn">In Matthew xv. 25: “Then came she, and +<i>worshiped</i> Him, saying, Lord, help me!”</p> +<p class="pn">There are many other passages; but I give these as +sufficient in my opinion to prove beyond any doubt the Divinity +of our Lord.</p> +<p class="pn">In the 14th chapter of Acts we are told the heathen +at Lystra came with garlands and would have done sacrifice to +Paul and Barnabas because they had cured an impotent man; but the +evangelists rent their clothes and told these Lystrans that they +were but men, and not to be worshipped; as if it were a great +sin. And if Jesus Christ is a mere man, we are all guilty of a +great sin in worshipping Him.</p> +<p class="pn">But if He is, as we believe, the only-begotten and +well-beloved Son of God, let us yield to His claims upon us; let +us rest on His all-atoning work, and go forth to serve Him all +the days of our life.</p> +<h1><a name="VI" id="VI">CHAPTER VI.</a></h1> +<p class="pt1"><i>REPENTANCE AND RESTITUTION</i>.</p> +<p class="pt2">“God commandeth all men everywhere to +repent.”—A<span class="sc">cts</span> xvii. 30.</p> +<p class="pn">R<span class="sc">epentance</span> is one of the +fundamental doctrines of the Bible. Yet I believe it is one of +those truths that many people little understand at the present +day. There are more people to-day in the mist and darkness about +Repentance, Regeneration, the Atonement, and such-like +fundamental truths, than perhaps on any other doctrines. Yet from +our earliest years we have heard about them. If I were to ask for +a definition of Repentance, a great many would give a very +strange and false idea of it.</p> +<p class="pn">A man is not prepared to believe or to receive the +Gospel, unless he is ready to repent of his sins and turn from +them. Until John the Baptist met Christ, he had but one text, +“Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. iii. +2). But if he had continued to say this, and had stopped there +without pointing the people to Christ the Lamb of God, he would +not have accomplished much.</p> +<p class="pn">When Christ came, He took up the same wilderness +cry, “Repent; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. iv. +17). And when our Lord sent out His disciples, it was with the +same message, “that men should repent” (Mark vi. 12). After He +had been glorified, and when the Holy Ghost came down, we find +Peter on the day of Pentecost raising the same cry, “Repent!” It +was this preaching—Repent, and believe the Gospel—that wrought +such marvellous results then. (Acts ii. 38-47). And we find +that, when Paul went to Athens, he uttered the same cry, +“<i>Now</i> God commandeth <i>all men, everywhere</i>, to +repent” (Acts xvii. 30).</p> +<p class="pn">Before I speak of what Repentance <i>is</i>, let me +briefly say what it <i>is not</i>. Repentance is not <i>fear</i>. +Many people have confounded the two. They think they have to be +alarmed and terrified; and they are waiting for some kind of fear +to come down upon them. But multitudes become alarmed who do not +really repent. You have heard of men at sea during a terrible +storm. Perhaps they have been very profane men; but when the +danger came they suddenly grew quiet, and began to cry to God for +mercy. Yet you would not say they repented. When the storm had +passed away, they went on swearing the same as before. You might +think that the king of Egypt repented when God sent the terrible +plagues upon him and his land. But it was not repentance at all. +The moment God’s hand was removed Pharaoh’s heart was harder than +ever. He did not turn from a single sin; he was the same man. So +that there was no true repentance there.</p> +<p class="pn">Often, when death comes into a family, it looks as +if the event would be sanctified to the conversion of all who are +in the house. Yet in six months’ time all may be forgotten. Some +who read this have perhaps passed through that experience. When +God’s hand was heavy upon them it looked as if they were going to +repent; but the trial has been removed—and lo and behold, the +impression has all gone.</p> +<p class="pn">Then again, Repentance is not <i>feeling</i>. I +find a great many people are waiting for a certain kind of +feeling to come. They would like to turn to God; but think they +cannot do it until this feeling comes. When I was in Baltimore I +used to preach every Sunday in the Penitentiary to nine hundred +convicts. There was hardly a man there who did not feel miserable +enough: they had plenty of feeling. For the first week or ten +days of their imprisonment many of them cried half the time. Yet, +when they were released, most of them would go right back to +their old ways. The truth was, that they felt very bad because +they had got caught; that was all. So you have seen a man in the +time of trial show a good deal of feeling: but very often it is +only because he has got into trouble; not because he has +committed sin, or because his conscience tells him he has done +evil in the sight of God. It seems as if the trial were going to +result in true repentance; but the feeling too often passes +away.</p> +<p class="pn">Once again, Repentance is not <i>fasting and +afflicting the body</i>. A man may fast for weeks and months and +years, and yet not repent of one sin. Neither is it +<i>remorse</i>. Judas had terrible remorse—enough to make him go +and hang himself; but that was not repentance. I believe if he +had gone to his Lord, fallen on his face, and confessed his sin, +he would have been forgiven. Instead of this he went to the +priests, and then put an end to his life. A man may do all sorts +of penance—but there is no true repentance in that. Put that down +in your mind. You cannot meet the claims of God by offering the +fruit of your body for the sin of your soul. Away with such a +delusion!</p> +<p class="pn">Repentance is not <i>conviction of sin</i>. That +may sound strange to some. I have seen men under such deep +conviction of sin that they could not sleep at night; they could +not enjoy a single meal. They went on for months in this state; +and yet they were not converted; they did not truly repent. Do +not confound conviction of sin with Repentance.</p> +<p class="pn">Neither is <i>praying</i>—Repentance. That too may +sound strange. Many people, when they become anxious about their +soul’s salvation, say, “I will pray, and read the Bible;” and +they think that will bring about the desired effect. But it will +not do it. You may read the Bible and cry to God a great deal, +and yet never repent. Many people cry loudly to God, and yet do +not repent.</p> +<p class="pn">Another thing: it is not <i>breaking off some one +sin</i>. A great many people make that mistake. A man who has +been a drunkard signs the pledge, and stops drinking. Breaking +off one sin is not Repentance. Forsaking one vice is like +breaking off one limb of a tree, when the whole tree has to come +down. A profane man stops swearing; very good: but if he does not +break off <i>from every sin</i> it is not Repentance—it is not +the work of God in the soul. When God works He hews down the +whole tree. He wants to have a man turn from every sin. Supposing +I am in a vessel out at sea, and I find the ship leaks in three +or four places. I may go and stop up one hole; yet down goes the +vessel. Or suppose I am wounded in three or four places, and I +get a remedy for one wound: if the other two or three wounds are +neglected, my life will soon be gone. True Repentance is not +merely breaking off this or that particular sin.</p> +<p class="pn">Well then, you will ask, what is Repentance? I will +give you a good definition: it is “right about face!” In the +Irish language the word “Repentance” means even more than “right +about face!” It implies that a man who has been walking in one +direction has not only faced about, but is actually walking in an +exactly contrary direction. “Turn ye, turn ye; for why will ye +die?” A man may have little feeling or much feeling; but if he +does not turn away from sin, God will not have mercy on him. +Repentance has also been described as “a change of mind.” For +instance, there is the parable told by Christ: “A certain man had +two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to-day +in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not” (Matt. xxi. +28, 29). After he had said “I will not” he thought over it, and +changed his mind. Perhaps he may have said to himself, “I did not +speak very respectfully to my father. He asked me to go and work, +and I told him I would not go. I think I was wrong.” But suppose +he had only said this, and still had not gone, he would not have +repented. He was not only convinced that he was wrong; but he +went off into the fields, hoeing, or mowing or whatever it was. +That is Christ’s definition of repentance. If a man says, “By the +grace of God I will forsake my sin, and do His will,” that is +Repentance—a turning right about.</p> +<p class="pn">Some one has said, man is born with his face turned +away from God. When he truly repents he is turned right around +towards God; he leaves his old life.</p> +<p class="pn">Can a man at once repent? Certainly he can. It does +not take a long while to turn around. It does not take a man six +months to change his mind. There was a vessel that went down some +time ago on the Newfoundland coast. As she was bearing towards +the shore, there was a moment when the captain could have given +orders to reverse the engines and turn back. If the engines had +been reversed then, the ship would have been saved. But there was +a moment when it was too late. So there is a moment, I believe, +in every man’s life when he can halt and say, “By the grace of +God I will go no further towards death and ruin. I repent of my +sins and turn from them.” You may say you have not got feeling +enough; but if you are convinced that you are on the wrong road, +turn right about, and say, “I will no longer go on in the way of +rebellion and sin as I have done.”</p> +<p class="pn">Just then, when you are willing to turn towards +God, salvation may be yours.</p> +<p class="pn">I find that every case of conversion recorded in +the Bible was instantaneous. Repentance and faith came very +suddenly. The moment a man made up his mind, God gave him the +power. God does not ask any man to do what he has not the power +to do. He would not command “all men everywhere to repent” (Acts +xvii. 30) if they were not able to do so. Man has no one to blame +but himself if he does not repent and believe the Gospel. One of +the leading ministers of the Gospel in Ohio wrote me a letter +some time ago describing his conversion; it very forcibly +illustrates this point of instantaneous decision. He said:</p> +<p class="pn">“I was nineteen years old, and was reading law with +a Christian lawyer in Vermont. One afternoon when he was away +from home, his good wife said to me as I came into the house, ‘I +want you to go to class-meeting with me to-night and become a +Christian, so that you can conduct family worship while my +husband is away.’ ‘Well, I’ll do it,’ I said, without any +thought. When I came into the house again she asked me if I was +honest in what I had said. I replied, ‘Yes, so far as going to +meeting with you is concerned; that is only courteous.’</p> +<p class="pn">“I went with her to the class-meeting, as I had +often done before. About a dozen persons were present in a little +school-house. The leader had spoken to all in the room but myself +and two others. He was speaking to the person next me, when the +thought occurred to me: he will ask me if I have anything to say. +I said to myself: I have decided to be a Christian sometime; why +not begin now? In less time than a minute after these thoughts +had passed through my mind he said, speaking to me familiarly—for +he knew me very well—‘Brother Charles, have you anything to say?’ +I replied, with perfect coolness, ‘Yes, sir. I have just decided, +within the last thirty seconds, that I will begin a Christian +life, and would like to have you pray for me.’</p> +<p class="pn">“My coolness staggered him; I think he almost +doubted my sincerity. He said very little, but passed on and +spoke to the other two. After a few general remarks, he turned to +me and said, ‘Brother Charles, will you close the meeting with +prayer?’ He knew I had never prayed in public. Up to this moment +I had no feeling. It was purely a business transaction. My first +thought was: I cannot pray, and I will ask him to excuse me. My +second was: I have said I will begin a Christian life; and this +is a part of it. So I said, ‘Let us pray.’ And somewhere between +the time I started to kneel and the time my knees struck the +floor the Lord converted my soul.</p> +<p class="pn">“The first words I said were, ‘Glory to God!’ What +I said after that I do not know, and it does not matter, for my +soul was too full to say much but Glory! From that hour the devil +has never dared to challenge my conversion. To Christ be all the +praise.”</p> +<p class="pn">Many people are waiting, they cannot exactly tell +for what, but for some sort of miraculous feeling to come +stealing over them—some mysterious kind of faith. I was speaking +to a man some years ago, and he always had one answer to give me. +For five years I tried to win him to Christ, and every year he +said, “It has not ‘struck me’ yet.” “Man, what do you mean? What +has not struck you?” “Well,” he said, “I am not going to become a +Christian until it strikes me; and it has not struck me yet. I do +not see it in the way you see it.” “But don’t you know you are a +sinner?” “Yes, I know I am a sinner.” “Well, don’t you know that +God wants to have mercy on you—that there is forgiveness with +God? He wants you to repent and come to Him.” “Yes, I know that; +but—it has not struck me yet.” He always fell back on that. Poor +man! he went down to his grave in a state of indecision. Sixty +long years God gave him to repent; and all he had to say at the +end of those years was that it “had not struck him yet.”</p> +<p class="pn">Is any reader waiting for some strange feeling—you +do not know what? Nowhere in the Bible is a man told to wait; God +is commanding you now to repent.</p> +<p class="pn">Do you think God can forgive a man when he does not +want to be forgiven? Would he be happy if God forgave him in this +state of mind? Why, if a man went into the kingdom of God without +repentance, heaven would be hell to him. Heaven is a prepared +place for a prepared people. If your boy has done wrong, and will +not repent, you cannot forgive him. You would be doing him an +injustice. Suppose he goes to your desk, and steals $10, and +squanders it. When you come home your servant tells you what your +boy has done. You ask if it is true, and he denies it. But at +last you have certain proof. Even when he finds he cannot deny it +any longer, he will not confess the sin, but says he will do it +again the first chance he gets. Would you say to him, “Well, I +forgive you,” and leave the matter there? No! Yet people say that +God is going to save all men, whether they repent or +not—drunkards, thieves, harlots, whoremongers, it makes no +difference. “God is so merciful,” they say. Dear friend, do not +be deceived by the god of this world. Where there is true +repentance and a turning from sin unto God, He will meet and +bless you; but He never blesses until there is sincere +repentance.</p> +<p class="pn">David made a woful mistake in this respect with his +rebellious son, Absalom. He could not have done his son a greater +injustice than to forgive him when his heart was unchanged. There +could be no true reconciliation between them when there was no +repentance. But God does not make these mistakes. David got into +trouble on account of his error of judgment. His son soon drove +his father from the throne.</p> +<p class="pn">Speaking on repentance, Dr. Brooks, of St. Louis, +well remarks: “Repentance, strictly speaking, means a ‘change of +mind or purpose;’ consequently it is the judgment which the +sinner pronounces upon himself, in view of the love of God +displayed in the death of Christ, connected with the abandonment +of all confidence in himself and with trust in the only Saviour +of sinners. Saving repentance and saving faith always go +together; and you need not be worried about repentance if you +will believe.”</p> +<p class="pn">“Some people are no sure that they have ‘repented +enough.’ If you mean by this that you must repent in order to +incline God to be merciful to you, the sooner you give over such +repentance the better. God is already merciful, as He has fully +shown at the Cross of Calvary; and it is a grievous dishonor to +His heart of love if you think that your tears and anguish will +move Him, not knowing that ‘the goodness of God leadeth thee to +repentance.’ It is not your badness, therefore, but His goodness +that leads to repentance; hence the true way to repent is to +believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, ‘who was delivered for our +offences, and was raised again for our justification.’”</p> +<p class="pn">Another thing. If there is true repentance it will +bring forth fruit. If we have done wrong to any one we should +never ask God to forgive us, until we are willing to make +restitution. If I have done any man a great injustice and can +make it good, I need not ask God to forgive me until I am willing +to make it good. Suppose I have taken something that does not +belong to me. I have no right to expect forgiveness until I make +restitution.</p> +<p class="pn">I remember preaching in one of our large cities, +when a fine-looking man came up to me at the close. He was in +great distress of mind. “The fact is,” he said, “I am a +defaulter. I have taken money that belonged to my employers. How +can I become a Christian without restoring it?” “Have you got the +money?” He told me he had not got it all. He had taken about +$1,500, and he still had about $900. He said “Could I not take +that money and go into business, and make enough to pay them +back?” I told him that was a delusion of Satan; that he could not +expect to prosper on stolen money; that he should restore all he +had, and go and ask his employers to have mercy upon him and +forgive him. “But they will put me in prison,” he said: “cannot +you give me any help?” “No, you must restore the money before you +can expect to get any help from God.” “It is pretty hard,” he +said. “Yes. it is hard; but the great mistake was in doing the +wrong at first.”</p> +<p class="pn">His burden became so heavy that it got to be +insupportable. He handed me the money—950 dollars and some +cents—and asked me to take it back to his employers. The next +evening the two employers and myself met in a side room of the +church. I laid the money down, and informed them it was from one +of their <i>employes</i>. I told them the story, and said he +wanted mercy from them, not justice. The tears trickled down the +cheeks of these two men, and they said, “Forgive him! Yes, we +will be glad to forgive him.” I went down stairs and brought him +up. After he had confessed his guilt and been forgiven, we all +got down on our knees and had a blessed prayer-meeting. God met +us and blessed us there.</p> +<p class="pn">There was a friend of mine who some time ago had +come to Christ and wished to consecrate himself and his wealth to +God. He had formerly had transactions with the government, and +had taken advantage of them. This thing came up when he was +converted, and his conscience troubled him. He said, “I want to +consecrate my wealth, but it seems as if God will not take it.” +He had a terrible struggle; his conscience kept rising up and +smiting him. At last he drew a check for $1,500 and sent it to +the United States Treasury. He told me he received such a +blessing when he had done it. That was bringing forth “fruits +meet for repentance.” I believe a great many men are crying to +God for light; and they are not getting it because they are not +honest.</p> +<p class="pn">I was once preaching, and a man came to me who was +only thirty-two years old, but whose hair was very grey. He said, +“I want you to notice that my hair is grey, and I am only +thirty-two years old. For twelve years I have carried a great +burden.” “Well,” I said, “what is it?” He looked around as if +afraid some one would hear him. “Well,” he answered, “my father +died and left my mother with the county newspaper, and left her +only that: that was all she had. After he died the paper begun to +waste away; and I saw my mother was fast sinking into a state of +need. The building and the paper were insured for a thousand +dollars, and when I was twenty years old I set fire to the +building, and obtained the thousand dollars, and gave it to my +mother. For twelve years that sin has been haunting me. I have +tried to drown it by indulgence in pleasure and sin; I have +cursed God; I have gone into infidelity; I have tried to make out +that the Bible is not true; I have done everything I could: but +all these years I have been tormented.” I said, “There is a way +out of that.” He inquired “How?” I said, “Make restitution. Let +us sit down and calculate the interest, and then you pay the +Company the money.” It would have done you good to see that man’s +face light up when he found there was mercy for him. He said he +would be glad to pay back the money and interest if he could only +be forgiven.</p> +<p class="pn">There are men to-day who are in darkness and +bondage because they are not willing to turn from their sins and +confess them; and I do not know how a man can hope to be forgiven +if he is not willing to confess his sins.</p> +<p class="pn">Bear in mind that <i>now</i> is the only day of +mercy you will ever have. You can repent now, and have the awful +record blotted out. God waits to forgive you; He is seeking to +bring you to Himself. But I think the Bible teaches clearly that +there is <i>no repentance after this life</i>. There are some who +tell you of the possibility of repentance in the grave; but I do +not find that in Scripture. I have looked my Bible over very +carefully, and I cannot find that a man will have another +opportunity of being saved.</p> +<p class="pn"><i>Why should he ask for any more time?</i> You +have time enough to repent now. You can turn from your sins this +moment if you will. God says: “I have no pleasure in the death of +him that dieth; wherefore turn, and live ye” (Ezek. xviii. +32).</p> +<p class="pn">Christ said, He “came not to call the righteous, +but sinners to repentance.” Are you a sinner? Then the call to +repent is addressed to you. Take your place in the dust at the +Saviour’s feet, and acknowledge your guilt. Say, like the +publican of old, “God be merciful to me a sinner!” and see how +quickly He will pardon and bless you. He will even justify you +and reckon you as righteous, by virtue of the righteousness of +Him who bore your sins in His own body on the Cross.</p> +<p class="pn">There are some perhaps who think themselves +righteous; and that, therefore, there is no need for them to +repent and believe the Gospel. They are like the Pharisee in the +parable, who thanked God that he was not as other +men—“extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican;” +and who went on to say, “I fast twice a week; I give tithes of +all I possess.” What is the judgment about such self-righteous +persons? “I tell you this man [the poor, contrite, repenting +publican] went down to his house justified rather than the +other” (Luke xviii. 11-14). “There is none righteous; no, not +one.” “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” +(Rom. iii. 10, 23). Let no one say <i>he</i> does not need to +repent. Let each one take his true place—that of a sinner; then +God will lift him up to the place of forgiveness and +justification. “Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased: and +he that humbleth himself shall be exalted” (Luke xiv. 11).</p> +<p class="pn">Wherever God sees true repentance in the heart He +meets that soul.</p> +<p class="pn">I was in Colorado, preaching the gospel some time +ago, and I heard something that touched my heart very much. The +governor of the State was passing through the prison, and in one +cell he found a boy who had his window full of flowers, that +seemed to have been watched with very tender care. The governor +looked at the prisoner, and then at the flowers, and asked whose +they were, “These are my flowers,” said the poor convict. “Are +you fond of flowers?” “Yes, sir.” “How long have you been here?” +He told him so many years: he was in for a long sentence. The +governor was surprised to find him so fond of the flowers, and he +said, “Can you tell me why you like these flowers so much?” With +much emotion he replied, “While my mother was alive she thought a +good deal of flowers; and when I came here I thought if I had +these they would remind me of mother.” The governor was so +pleased that he said, “Well, young man, if you think so much of +your mother I think you will appreciate your liberty,” and he +pardoned him then and there.</p> +<p class="pn">When God finds that beautiful flower of true +repentance springing up in a man’s heart, then salvation comes to +that man.</p> +<h1><a name="VII" id="VII">CHAPTER VII.</a></h1> +<p class="pt1"><i>ASSURANCE OF SALVATION</i>.</p> +<p class="pn f11">“These things have I written unto you that +believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may knew that ye +have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son +of God.”</p> +<p class="pt2">(1 J<span class="sc">ohn</span> v. 13. )</p> +<p class="pn">T<span class="sc">here</span> are two classes who +ought not to have Assurance. First: those who are in the Church, +but who are not converted, having never been born of the Spirit. +Second: those not willing to do God’s will; who are not ready to +take the place that God has mapped out for them, but want to fill +some other place.</p> +<p class="pn">Some one will ask “Have all God’s people +Assurance?” No; I think a good many of God’s dear people have no +Assurance; but it is the privilege of every child of God to have +beyond doubt a knowledge of his own salvation. No man is fit for +God’s service who is filled with doubts. If a man is not sure of +his own salvation, how can he help any one else into the kingdom +of God? If I seem in danger of drowning and do not know whether I +shall ever reach the shore, I cannot assist another. I must first +get on the solid rock myself; and then I can lend my brother a +helping hand. If being myself blind I were to tell another blind +man how to get sight, he might reply, “First get healed yourself; +and then you can tell me.” I recently met with a young man who +was a Christian: but he had not attained to victory over sin. He +was in terrible darkness. Such an one is not fit to work for God, +because he has besetting sins; and he has not the victory over +his doubts, because he has not the victory over his sins.</p> +<p class="pn">None will have time or heart to work for God, who +are not assured as to their own salvation. They have as much as +they can attend to; and being themselves burdened with doubts, +they cannot help others to carry their burdens. There is no rest, +joy, or peace—no liberty, nor power—where doubts and uncertainty +exist.</p> +<p class="pn">Now it seems as if there are three wiles of Satan +against which we ought to be on our guard. In the first place he +moves all his kingdom to keep us away from Christ; then he +devotes himself to get us into “Doubting Castle:” but if we have, +in spite of him, a clear ringing witness for the Son of God, he +will do all he can to blacken our characters and belie our +testimony.</p> +<p class="pn">Some seem to think that it is presumption not to +have doubts; but doubt is very dishonoring to God. If any one +were to say that they had known a person for thirty years and yet +doubted him, it would not be very creditable; and when we have +known God for ten, twenty or thirty years does it not reflect on +His veracity to doubt Him.</p> +<p class="pn">Could Paul and the early Christians and martyrs +have gone through what they did if they had been filled with +doubts, and had not known whether they were going to heaven or to +perdition after they had been burned at the stake? They must have +had A<span class="sc">ssurance</span>.</p> +<p class="pn">Mr. Spurgeon says: “I never heard of a stork that +when it met with a fir tree demurred as to its right to build its +nest there; and I never heard of a coney yet that questioned +whether it had a permit to run into the rock. Why, these +creatures would soon perish if they were always doubting and +fearing as to whether they had a right to use providential +provisions.</p> +<p class="pn">“The stork says to himself, ‘Ah, here is a fir +tree:’ he consults with his mate, ‘Will this do for the nest in +which we may rear our young?’ ‘Aye,’ says she; and they gather +the materials, and arrange them. There is never any deliberation, +‘May we build here?’ but they bring their sticks and make their +nest.</p> +<p class="pn">“The wild goat on the crag does not say, ‘Have I a +right here?’ No, he must be somewhere: and there is a crag which +exactly suits him; and he springs upon it.</p> +<p class="pn">“Yet, though these dumb creatures know the +provision of their God, the sinner does not recognize the +provision of his Saviour. He quibbles and questions, ‘May I?’ and +am ‘I am afraid it is not for me;’ and ‘I think it cannot be +meant for me;’ and ‘I am afraid it is too good to be true.’</p> +<p class="pn">“And yet nobody ever said to the stork, ‘Whosoever +buildeth on this fir tree shall never have his nest pulled down.’ +No inspired word has ever said to the coney, ‘Whosoever runs into +this rock cleft shall never be driven out of it.’ If it had been +so it would make assurance doubly sure.”</p> +<p class="pn">“And yet here is Christ provided for sinners, just +the sort of a Saviour sinners need; and the encouragement is +added, ‘Him that cometh unto Me I will in no wise cast out;’ +‘Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.’”</p> +<p class="pn">Now let us come to the Word. John tells us in his +Gospel what Christ did for us on earth. In his Epistle He tells +us what He is doing for us in heaven as our Advocate. In his +Gospel there are only two chapters in which the word “believe” +does not occur. With these two exceptions, every chapter in John +is “Believe! <i>Believe!!</i> B<span class="sc">elieve</span>!!!” +He tells us in xx. 31, “But these are written, that ye might +believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that, +believing, ye might have life through His name.” That is the +purpose for which he wrote the Gospel—“that we might believe that +Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God: and that, believing, we +might have life through His name” (John xx. 31).</p> +<p class="pn">Turn to 1 John v. 13, he there tells us why he +wrote this Epistle: “These things have I written unto you that +believe on the name of the Son of God.” Notice to whom he writes +it “You that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may +know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the +name of the Son of God.” There are only five short chapters in +this first Epistle, and the word “know” occurs over forty times. +It is “<i>Know!</i> K<span class="sc">now</span>!! KNOW!!!” The +Key to it is K<span class="sc">now</span>! and all through the +Epistle there rings out the refrain—“that we might know that we +have eternal life.”</p> +<p class="pn">I went twelve hundred miles down the Mississippi in +the spring some years ago; and every evening, just as the sun +went down, you might have seen men, and sometimes women, riding +up to the banks of the river on either side on mules or horses, +and sometimes coming on foot, for the purpose of lighting up the +Government lights; and all down that mighty river there were +landmarks which guided the pilots in their dangerous navigation. +Now God has given us lights or landmarks to tell us whether we +are His children or not; and what we need to do is to examine the +tokens He has given us.</p> +<p class="pn">In the third chapter of John’s first Epistle there +are five things worth knowing.</p> +<p class="pn">In the fifth verse we read the first: “And ye +<i>know</i> that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in +Him is no sin.” Not what I have done, but what HE has done. Has +He failed in His mission? Is He not able to do what He came for? +Did ever any heaven-sent man fail yet? and could God’s own Son +fail? H<span class="sc">e was manifested to take away our +sins</span>.</p> +<p class="pn">Again, in the nineteenth verse, the second thing +worth knowing: “And hereby <i>we know</i> that we are of the +truth, and shall <i>assure</i> our hearts before Him.” +W<span class="sc">e know</span> that we are of <span class= +"sc">the truth</span>. And if the truth make us free, we shall be +free indeed. “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall +be free indeed.” (John viii. 36.)</p> +<p class="pn">The third thing worth knowing is in the fourteenth +verse, “<i>We know</i> that we have passed from death unto life, +because we love the brethren.” The natural man does not like +godly people, nor does he care to be in their company. “He that +loveth not his brother abideth in death.” He has no spiritual +life.</p> +<p class="pn">The fourth thing worth knowing we find in verse +twenty-four: “And he that keepeth His commandments dwelleth in +Him, and He in him. And hereby <i>we know</i> that He abideth in +us, by the Spirit which He hath given us.” We can tell what kind +of Spirit we have if we possess the Spirit of Christ—a +Christ-like spirit—not the same in degree, but the same in kind. +If I am meek, gentle, and forgiving; if I have a spirit filled +with peace and joy; if I am long-suffering and gentle, like the +Son of God—that is a test: and in that way we are to tell whether +we have eternal life or not.</p> +<p class="pn">The fifth thing worth knowing, and the best of all, +is “Beloved, <i>now</i>.” Notice the word “N<span class= +"sc">ow</span>.” It does not say when you come to die. “Beloved, +<i>now</i> are we the sons of God; and it doth not yet appear +what we shall be: but <i>we know</i> that, when He shall appear; +we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is” (v. 2).</p> +<p class="pn">But some will say, “Well, I believe all that; but +then I have sinned since I became a Christian.” Is there a man or +a woman on the face of the earth who has not sinned since +becoming a Christian? Not one! There never has been, and never +will be, a soul on this earth who has not sinned, or who will not +sin, at some time of their Christian experience. But God has made +provision for believers’ sins. <i>We</i> are not to make +provision for them; but God has. Bear that in mind.</p> +<p class="pn">Turn to 1 John ii. 1: “My little children, these +things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we +have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” He +is here writing to the righteous. “If any man sin, +<i>we</i>”—John put himself in—“we have an Advocate with the +Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” What an Advocate! He attends +to our interests at the very best place—the throne of God. He +said, “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth; it is expedient for +you that I go away” (John xvi. 7). He went away to become our +High Priest, and also our Advocate. He has had some hard cases to +plead; but he has never lost one: and if you entrust your +immortal interests to Him, He will “present you faultless before +the presence of His glory with exceeding joy” (Jude 24).</p> +<p class="pn">The past sins of Christians are all forgiven as +soon as they are confessed; and they are never to be mentioned. +That is a question which is not to be opened up again. If our +sins have been put away, that is the end of them. They are not to +be remembered; and God will not mention them any more. This is +very plain. Suppose I have a son who, while I am from home, does +wrong. When I go home he throws his arms around my neck and says, +“Papa, I did what you told me not to do. I am very sorry. Do +forgive me.” I say: “Yes, my son,” and kiss him. He wipes away +his tears, and goes off rejoicing.</p> +<p class="pn">But the next day he says: “Papa, I wish you would +forgive me for the wrong I did yesterday.” I should say: “Why, my +son, that thing is settled; and I don’t want it mentioned again.” +“But I wish you would forgive me: it would help me to hear you +say, ‘I forgive you.’” Would that be honoring me? Would it not +grieve me to have my boy doubt me? But to gratify him I say +again, “I forgive you, my son.”</p> +<p class="pn">And if, the next day, he were again to bring up +that old sin, and ask forgiveness, would not that grieve me to +the heart? And so, my dear reader, if God has forgiven us, never +let us mention the past. Let us forget those things which are +behind, and reach forth unto those which are before, and press +toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in +Christ Jesus. Let the sins of the past go; for “If we confess our +sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to +cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John i. 9).</p> +<p class="pn">And let me say that this principle is recognized in +courts of justice. A case came up in the courts of a country—I +won’t say where—in which a man had had trouble with his wife; but +he forgave her, and then afterwards brought her into court. And, +when it was known that he had forgiven her, the judge said that +the thing was settled. The judge recognized the soundness of the +principle, that if a sin were once forgiven there was an end of +it. And do you think the Judge of all the earth will forgive you +and me, and open the question again? Our sins are gone for time +and eternity, if God forgives: and what we have to do is to +confess and forsake our sins.</p> +<p class="pn">Again in 2 Corinthians xiii. 5: “Examine yourselves +whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not +your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be +reprobates?” Now examine yourselves. Try your religion. Put it to +the test. Can you forgive an enemy? That is a good way to know if +you are a child of God. Can you forgive an injury, or take an +affront, as Christ did? Can you be censured for doing well, and +not murmur? Can you be misjudged and misrepresented, and yet keep +a Christ-like spirit?</p> +<p class="pn">Another good test is to read Galatians v., and +notice the fruits of the Spirit; and see if you have them. “The +fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, +gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such +there is no law.” If I have the fruits of the Spirit I must have +the Spirit. I could not have the fruits without the Spirit any +more than there could be an orange without the tree. And Christ +says “Ye shall know them by their fruits;” “for the tree is known +by his fruits.” Make the tree good, and the fruit will be good. +The only way to get the fruit is to have the Spirit. That is the +way to examine ourselves whether we are the children of God.</p> +<p class="pn">Then there is another very striking passage. In +Romans viii. 9, Paul says: “Now, if any man have not the Spirit +of Christ, he is none of His.” That ought to settle the question, +even though one may have gone through all the external forms that +are considered necessary by some to constitute a member of a +Church. Read Paul’s life, and put yours alongside of it. If your +life resembles his, it is a proof that you are born again—that +you are a new creature in Christ Jesus.</p> +<p class="pn">But although you may be born again, it will require +time to become a full-grown Christian. Justification is +instantaneous; but sanctification is a life-work. We are to grow +in wisdom. Peter says “Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our +Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. iii. 18); and in the +first chapter of his Second Epistle, “Add to your faith virtue; +and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to +temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness +brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if +these things be in you and abound they make you that ye shall +neither be barron nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord +Jesus Christ.” So that we are to add grace to grace. A tree may +be perfect in its first year of growth; but it does not attain +its maturity. So with the Christian: he may be a true child of +God, but not a matured Christian. The eighth of Romans is very +important, and we should be very familiar with it. In the +fourteenth verse the apostle says: “For as many as are led by the +Spirit of God they are the sons of God.” Just as the soldier is +led by his captain, the pupil by his teacher, or the traveller by +his guide; so the Holy Spirit will be the guide of every true +child of God.</p> +<p class="pn">Then let me call your attention to another fact. +All Paul’s teaching in nearly every Epistle rings out the +doctrine of assurance. He says in 2 Corinthians v. 1: “For we +<i>know</i> that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were +dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with +hands, eternal in the heavens.” He had a title to the mansions +above, and he says—<i>I know it</i>. He was not living in +uncertainty. He said: “I have a desire to depart and be with +Christ” (Phil. i. 23); and if he had been uncertain he would not +have said that. Then in Colossians iii. 4, he says: “When Christ, +who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him +in glory.” I am told that Dr. Watts’ tombstone bears this same +passage of Scripture. There is no doubt there.</p> +<p class="pn">Then turn to Colossians i. 12: “Giving thanks unto +the Father, which <span class="sc">hath</span> made us meet to be +partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; who +<i>hath</i> delivered us from the power of darkness, and +<i>hath</i> translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son.”</p> +<p class="pn">Three <i>haths</i>: “<span class="sc">hath</span> +made us meet;” “<span class="sc">hath</span> delivered us;” and +“<span class="sc">hath</span> translated us.” It does not say +that He is going to make us meet; that He is going to deliver; +that He is going to translate.</p> +<p class="pn">Then again in verse 14th: “In whom we have +redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” We +are either forgiven or we are not, we should not give ourselves +any rest until we get into the kingdom of God; nor until we can +each look up and say, “I know that if my earthly house of this +tabernacle were dissolved, I have a building of God, a house not +made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Cor. v. 1).</p> +<p class="pn">Look at Romans viii. 32: “He that spared not His +own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with +Him also freely give us all things?” If He gave us His Son, will +He not give us the certainty that He is ours. I have heard this +illustration. There was a man who owed $10,000, and would have +been made a bankrupt, but a friend came forward and paid the sum. +It was found afterwards that he owed a few dollars more; but he +did not for a moment entertain a doubt that, as his friend had +paid the larger amount, he would also pay the smaller. And we +have high warrant for saying that if God has given us His Son He +will with Him also freely give us all things; and if we want to +realize our salvation beyond controversy He will not leave us in +darkness.</p> +<p class="pn">Again in the 33d verse: “Who shall lay anything to +the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he +that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is +risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also +maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love +of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or +famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For +Thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as +sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more +than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded +that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor +powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor +depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from +the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”</p> +<p class="pn">That has the right ring in it. There is Assurance +for you. “I K<span class="sc">now</span>.” Do you think that the +God who has justified me will condemn me? That is quite an +absurdity. God is going to save us so that neither men, angels, +nor devils, can bring any charge against us or Him. He will have +the work complete.</p> +<p class="pn">Job lived in a darker day than we do; but we read +in Job xix. 25: “I <i>know</i> that my Redeemer liveth, and that +He shall stand in the latter day upon the earth.”</p> +<p class="pn">The same confidence breathes through Paul’s last +words to Timothy: “For the which cause I also suffer these +things: nevertheless I am not ashamed; for I <i>know</i> whom I +have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that +which I have committed unto Him against that day.” It is not a +matter of doubt, but of knowledge. “I know.” “I am persuaded.” +The word “Hope,” is not used in the Scripture to express doubt. +It is used in regard to the second coming of Christ, or to the +resurrection of the body. We do not say that we “hope” we are +Christians. I do not say that I “hope” I am an American, or that +I “hope” I am a married man. These are settled things. I may say +that I “hope” to go back to my home, or I hope to attend such a +meeting. I do not say that I “hope” to come to this country, for +I am here. And so, if we are born of God we know it; and He will +not leave us in darkness if we search the Scriptures.</p> +<p class="pn">Christ taught this doctrine to His seventy +disciples when they returned elated with their success, saying, +“Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through Thy name.” The +Lord seemed to check them, and said that He would give them +something to rejoice in. “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, +that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice because +your names are written in heaven.” (Luke x. 20.)</p> +<p class="pn">It is the privilege of every one of us to know, +beyond a doubt, that our salvation is sure. Then we can work for +others. But if we are doubtful of our own salvation, we are not +fit for the service of God.</p> +<p class="pn">Another passage is John v. 24: “Verily, verily I +say unto you: He that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that +sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into +‘<i>judgment</i>,’” (the new translation has it so), “but is +passed from death unto life.”</p> +<p class="pn">Some people say that you never can tell till you +are before the great white throne of Judgment whether you are +saved or not. Why, my dear friend, if your life is hid with +Christ in God, you are not coming into judgment for your sins. We +may come into judgment for reward. This is clearly taught where +the lord reckoned with the servant to whom five talents had been +given, and who brought other five talents saying, “Lord, thou +deliveredst unto me five talents; behold, I have gained beside +them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou +good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few +things; I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into +the joy of thy lord.” (Matt. xxv. 20, 21.) We shall be judged +for our stewardship. That is one thing; but salvation—eternal +life—is another.</p> +<p class="pn">Will God demand payment twice of the debt which +Christ has paid for us? If Christ bear my sins in His own body on +the tree, am I to answer for them as well?</p> +<p class="pn">Isaiah tells us that, “He was wounded for our +transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the +chastisement of our peace was upon Him: and with His stripes we +are healed.” In Romans iv. 25, we read: He “was delivered for our +offences, and was raised again for our justification.” Let us +believe, and get the benefit of His finished work.</p> +<p class="pn">Then again in John x. 9: “I am the door: by Me if +any man enter in he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and +find pasture.” That is the promise. Then the 27th verse, “My +sheep hear my voice; and I know them, and they follow Me. And I +give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither +shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My father which gave +them is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of +my Father’s hand.” Think of that! The Father, the Son, and the +Holy Ghost, are pledged to keep us. You see that it is not only +the Father, not only the Son, but the three persons of the Triune +God.</p> +<p class="pn">Now, a great many people want some token outside of +God’s word. That habit always brings doubt. If I made a promise +to meet a man at a certain hour and place to-morrow, and he were +to ask me for my watch as a token of my sincerity, it would be a +slur on my truthfulness. We must not question what God has said: +He has made statement after statement, and multiplied figure upon +figure. Christ says: “I am the door; by Me if any man enter in he +shall be saved.” “I am the Good Shepherd, and know My sheep, and +am known of Mine.” “I am the light of the world; he that +followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light +of life.” “I am the truth;” receive Me, and you will have the +truth; for I am the embodiment of truth. Do you want to know the +way? “I am the way:” follow Me, and I will lead you into the +kingdom. Are you hungering after righteousness? “I am the Bread +of life:” if you eat of Me you shall never hunger. “I am the +Water of life:” if you drink of this water it shall be within you +“a well of water springing up unto everlasting life.” “I am the +resurrection and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he +were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth +in Me shall never die.” (John xi. 25, 26.)</p> +<p class="pn">Let me remind you where our doubts come from. A +good many of God’s dear people never get beyond knowing +themselves servants. He calls us “friends.” If you go into a +house you will soon see the difference between the servant and +the son. The son walks at perfect liberty all over the house; he +is at home. But the servant takes a subordinate place. What we +want is to get beyond servants. We ought to realize our standing +with God as sons and daughters. He will not “un-child” His +children. God has not only adopted us, but we are His by birth: +we have been born into His kingdom. My little boy was as much +mine when he was a day old as now that he is fourteen. He was +<i>my son</i>; although it did not appear what he would be when +he attained manhood. He is mine; although he may have to undergo +probation under tutors and governors. The children of God are not +perfect; but we are perfectly His children.</p> +<p class="pn">Another origin of doubts is looking at ourselves. +If you want to be wretched and miserable, filled with doubts from +morning till night, look at yourselves. “Thou wilt keep him in +perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee.” (Isa. xxvi. 3.) +Many of God’s dear children are robbed of joy because they keep +looking at themselves.</p> +<p class="pn">Some one has said: “There are three ways to look. +If you want to be wretched, look within; if you wish to be +distracted, look around; but if you would have peace, look up.” +Peter looked away from Christ, and he immediately began to sink. +The Master said to him: “O thou of little faith! Wherefore didst +thou doubt?” (Matt. xiv. 31.) He had God’s eternal word, which +was sure footing, and better than either marble, granite or iron; +but the moment he took his eyes off Christ down he went. Those +who look around cannot see how unstable and dishonoring is their +walk. We want to look straight at the “Author and Finisher of our +faith.”</p> +<p class="pn">When I was a boy I could only make a straight track +in the snow, by keeping my eyes fixed upon a tree or some object +before me. The moment I took my eye off the mark set in front of +me, I walked crooked. It is only when we look fixedly on Christ +that we find perfect peace. After He rose from the dead He showed +His disciples His hands and His feet. (Luke xxiv. 40.) That was +the ground of their peace. If you want to scatter your doubts, +look at the blood; and if you want to increase your doubts, look +at yourself. You will get doubts enough for years by being +occupied with yourself for a few days.</p> +<p class="pn">Then again: look at what He is, and at what He has +done; not at what you are, and what you have done. That is the +way to get peace and rest.</p> +<p class="pn">Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation declaring the +emancipation of three millions of slaves. On a certain day their +chains were to fall off, and they were to be free. The +proclamation was put up on the trees and fences wherever the +Northern Army marched. A good many slaves could not read: but +others read the proclamation, and most of them believed it; and +on a certain day a glad shout went up, “We are free!” Some did +not believe it, and stayed with their old masters; but it did not +alter the fact that they were free. Christ, the Captain of our +salvation, has proclaimed freedom to all who have faith in Him. +Let us take Him at His word. Their feelings would not have made +the slaves free. The power must come from the outside. Looking at +ourselves will not make us free, but it is looking to Christ with +the eye of faith.</p> +<p class="pn">Bishop Ryle has strikingly said: “Faith is the +root, and Assurance the flower.” Doubtless you can never have the +flower without the root; but it is no less certain you may have +the root, and not the flower.</p> +<p class="pn">“Faith is that poor trembling woman who came behind +Jesus in the press, and touched the hem of His garment. (Mark v. +27.) Assurance is Stephen standing calmly in the midst of his +murderers, and saying, ‘I see the heavens opened, and the Son of +Man standing on the right hand of God’” (Acts vii. 56).</p> +<p class="pn">“Faith is the penitent thief, crying, ‘Lord, +remember me’ (Luke xxiii. 42). Assurance is Job sitting in the +dust, covered with sores, and saying, ‘I know that my Redeemer +liveth;’ ‘Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him’” (Job xix. +25; xiii. 15).</p> +<p class="pn">“Faith is Peter’s drowning cry, as he began to +sink, ‘Lord, save me!’ (Matt. xxiv. 30). Assurance is that same +Peter declaring before the Council, in after-times, ‘This is the +stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become +the head of the corner: neither is there salvation in any other; +for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby +we must be saved’” (Acts iv. 11, 12).</p> +<p class="pn">“Faith is the anxious, trembling voice, ‘Lord, I +believe; help Thou mine unbelief!’ (Mark ix. 24). Assurance is +the confident challenge, ‘Who shall lay anything to the charge of +God’s elect? Who is he that condemneth?’” (Rom. viii. 33, +34).</p> +<p class="pn">Faith is Saul praying in the house of Judas at +Damascus, sorrowful, blind, and alone. (Acts ix. 11.) Assurance +is Paul, the aged prisoner, looking calmly into the grave, and +saying, ‘I know whom I have believed.’ ‘There is a crown laid up +for me’ (2 Tim. i. 12; iv. 8).</p> +<p class="pn">“Faith is L<span class="sc">ife</span>. How great +the blessing! Who can tell the gulf between life and death? And +yet life may be weak, sickly, unhealthy, painful, trying, +anxious, worn, burdensome, joyless, smileless, to the very +end.</p> +<p class="pn">“Assurance is <i>more than life</i>. It is health, +strength, power, vigor, activity, energy, manliness, beauty.”</p> +<p class="pn">A minister once pronounced the benediction in this +way: “The heart of God to make us welcome; the blood of Christ to +make us clean, and the Holy Spirit to make us certain.” The +security of the believer is the result of the operation of the +Spirit of God.</p> +<p class="pn">Another writer says: “I have seen shrubs and trees +grow out of the rocks, and overhang fearful precipices, roaring +cataracts, and deep running waters; but they maintained their +position, and threw out their foliage and branches as much as if +they had been in the midst of a dense forest.” It was their hold +on the rock that made them secure; and the influences of nature +that sustained their life. So believers are oftentimes exposed to +the most horrible dangers in their journey to heaven; but, so +long as they are “rooted and grounded” in the Rock of Ages, they +are perfectly secure. Their hold of Him is their guarantee; and +the blessings of His grace give them life and sustain them in +life. And as the tree must die, or the rock fall, before a +dissolution can be effected between <i>them</i>, so either the +believer must lose his spiritual life, or the Rock must crumble, +ere their union can be dissolved.</p> +<p class="pn">Speaking of the Lord Jesus, Isaiah says: “I will +fasten Him as a nail in a sure place; and He shall be for a +glorious throne to His Father’s house: and they shall hang upon +Him all the glory of His father’s house, the offspring and the +issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, +even to all the vessels of flagons” (xxii. 23, 24).</p> +<p class="pn">There is <span class="sc">one nail</span>, fastened +in a sure place; and on it hang all the flagons and all the cups. +“Oh,” says one little cup, “I am so small and so black, suppose I +were to drop!” “Oh,” says a flagon, “there is no fear of you; but +I am so heavy, so very weighty, suppose I were to drop!” And a +little cup says, “Oh, if I were only like the gold cup there, I +should never fear falling.” But the gold cup answers, “It is not +because I am a gold cup that I keep up; but because I hang upon +the nail.” If the nail gives way we all come down, gold cups, +china cups, pewter cups, and all; but as long as the nail keeps +up, all that hang on Him hang safely.</p> +<p class="pn">I once read these words on a tombstone: “Born, +died, kept.” Let us pray God to keep us in perfect peace, and +assured of salvation.</p> +<h1><a name="VIII" id="VIII">CHAPTER VIII.</a></h1> +<p class="pt1"><i>CHRIST ALL AND IN ALL</i>.</p> +<p class="pt2">C<span class="sc">olossians</span> iii. 11.)</p> +<p class="pn">C<span class="sc">hrist</span> is <i>all</i> to us +that we make Him to be. I want to emphasize that word +“<span class="sc">all</span>.” Some men make Him to be “a root +out of a dry ground,” “without form or comeliness.” He is nothing +to them; they do not want Him. Some Christians have a very small +Saviour, for they are not willing to receive Him fully, and let +Him do great and mighty things for them. Others have a mighty +Saviour, because they make Him to be great and mighty.</p> +<p class="pn">If we would know what Christ wants to be to us, we +must first of all know Him as our Saviour from sin. When the +angel came down from heaven to proclaim that He was to be born +into the world, you remember he gave His name, “He shall be +called J<span class="sc">esus</span>, for He shall save His +people from their sins.” H<span class="sc">ave we been delivered +from sin</span>? He did not come to save us <i>in</i> our sins, +but <i>from</i> our sins. Now, there are three ways of knowing a +man. Some men you know only by hearsay; others you merely know by +having been once introduced to them, you know them very slightly; +other again you know by having been acquainted with them for +years, you know them intimately. So I believe there are three +classes of people to-day in the Christian Church and out of it: +those who know Christ only by reading or by hearsay, those who +have a historical Christ; those who have a slight personal +acquaintance with Him; and, those who thirst, as Paul did, to +“know Him and the power of His resurrection.” The more we know of +Christ the more we shall love Him, and the better we shall serve +Him.</p> +<p class="pn">Let us look at Him as He hangs upon the Cross, and +see how He has put away sin. He was manifested that He might take +away our sins; and if we really know Him we must first of all see +Him as our Saviour from sin. You remember how the angels said to +the shepherds on the plains of Bethlehem, “Behold, I bring you +good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people: for unto +you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is +Christ the Lord.” (Luke ii. 10, 11.) Then if you go clear back +to Isaiah, seven hundred years before Christ’s birth, you will +find these words: “I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is +no Saviour” (xliii. 11).</p> +<p class="pn">Again, in the First Epistle of John (iv. 14) we +read: “We have seen, and do testify, that the Father sent the Son +to be the Saviour of the world.” All the heathen religions, we +read, teach men to work their way up to God; but the religion of +Jesus Christ is God coming down to men to save them, to lift them +up out of the pit of sin. In Luke xix. 10, we read that Christ +Himself told the people what He had come for: “The Son of Man is +come to seek and to save that which was lost.” So we start from +the Cross, not from the cradle. Christ has opened up a new and +living way to the Father; He has taken all the stumbling-blocks +out of the way, so that every man who accepts of Christ as his +Saviour can have salvation.</p> +<p class="pn">But Christ is not only a Saviour. I might save a +man from drowning and rescue him from an untimely grave; but I +might probably not be able to do any more for him. Christ is +something more than a Saviour. When the children of Israel were +placed behind the blood, that blood was their salvation; but they +would still have heard the crack of the slave-driver’s whip if +they had not been delivered from the Egyptian yoke of bondage: +then it was that God delivered them from the hand of the king of +Egypt. I have little sympathy with the idea that God comes down +to save us, and then leaves us in prison, the slaves of our +besetting sins. No; He has come to deliver us, and to give us +victory over our evil tempers, our passions, and our lusts. Are +you a professed Christian but one who is a slave to some +besetting sin? If you want to get victory over that temper or +that lust, go on to know Christ more intimately. He brings +deliverance for the past, the present, and the future. “Who +delivered; who doth deliver; who will yet deliver.” (2 Cor. i. +10.)</p> +<p class="pn">How often, like the children of Israel when they +came to the Red Sea, have we become discouraged because +everything looked dark before us, behind us, and around us, and +we knew not which way to turn. Like Peter we have said, “To whom +shall we go?” But God has appeared for our deliverance. He has +brought us through the Red Sea right out into the wilderness, and +opened up the way into the Promised Land. But Christ is not only +our Deliverer; He is our Redeemer. That is something more than +being our Saviour. He has brought us back. “Ye have sold +yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.” +(Isaiah lii. 3.) “We were not redeemed with corruptible things, as +silver and gold.” (1 Peter i. 18.) If gold could have redeemed +us, could He not have created ten thousand worlds full of +gold?</p> +<p class="pn">When God had redeemed the children of Israel from +the bondage of Egypt, and brought them through the Red Sea, they +struck out for the wilderness; and then God became to them their +Way. I am so thankful the Lord has not left us in darkness as to +the right way. There is no living man who has been groping in the +darkness but may know the way. “I am the Way,” says Christ. If we +follow Christ we shall be in the right way, and have the right +doctrine. Who could lead the children of Israel through the +wilderness like the Almighty God Himself? He knew the pitfalls +and dangers of the way, and guided the people through all their +wilderness journey right into the promised land. It is true that +if it had not been for their accursed unbelief they might have +crossed into the land at Kadesh Barnea, and taken possession of +it, but they desired something besides God’s word; so they were +turned back, and had to wander in the desert for forty years. I +believe there are thousands of God’s children wandering in the +wilderness still. The Lord has delivered them from the hand of +the Egyptian, and would at once take them through the wilderness +right into the Promised Land, if they were only willing to follow +Christ. Christ has been down here, and has made the rough places +smooth, and the dark places light, and the crooked places +straight. If we will only be led by Him, and will follow Him, all +will be peace, and joy, and rest.</p> +<p class="pn">In the frontier, when a man goes out hunting he +takes a hatchet with him, and cuts off pieces from the bark of +the trees as he goes along through the forest: this is called +“blazing the way.” He does it that he may know the way back, as +there is no pathway through these thick forests. Christ has come +down to this earth; He has “blazed the Way:” and now that He has +gone up on high, if we will but follow him, we shall be kept in +the right path. I will tell you how you may know if you are +following Christ or not. If some one has slandered you, or +misjudged you, do you treat them as your master would have done? +If you do not bear these things in a loving and forgiving spirit, +all the churches and ministers in the world cannot make you +right. “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of +His.” (Romans viii. 9.) “If any man be in Christ Jesus he is a +new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are +become new.” (2 Cor. v. 17.)</p> +<p class="pn">Christ is not only our way; He is the Light upon +the way. He says, “I am the Light of the world.” (John viii. 12; +ix. 5; xii. 46.) He goes on to say, “He that followeth Me shall +not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” It is +impossible for any man or woman who is following Christ to walk +in darkness. If your soul is in the darkness, groping around in +the fog and mist of earth, let me tell you it is because you have +got away from the true light. There is nothing but light that +will dispel darkness. So let those who are walking in spiritual +darkness admit Christ into their hearts: He is the Light. I call +to mind a picture of which I used at one time to think a good +deal; but now I have come to look more closely, I would not put +it up in my house except I turned the face to the wall. It +represents Christ as standing at a door, knocking, and having a +big lantern in His hand. Why, you might as well hang up a lantern +to the sun as put one into Christ’s hand. He is the Sun of +Righteousness; and it is our privilege to walk in the light of an +unclouded sun.</p> +<p class="pn">Many people are hunting after light, and peace, and +joy. We are nowhere told to seek after these things. If we admit +Christ into our hearts these will all come of themselves. I +remember, when a boy, I used to try in vain to catch my shadow. +One day I was walking with my face to the sun; and as I happened +to look around I saw that my shadow was following me. The faster +I went the faster my shadow followed; I could not get away from +it. So when our faces are directed to the Sun of Righteousness, +the peace and joy are sure to come. A man said to me some time +ago, “Moody, how do you feel?” It was so long since I had thought +about my feelings I had to stop and consider awhile, in order to +find out. Some Christians are all the time thinking about their +feelings; and because they do not feel just right they think +their joy is all gone. If we keep our faces towards Christ, and +are occupied with Him, we shall be lifted out of the darkness and +the trouble that may have gathered round our path.</p> +<p class="pn">I remember being in a meeting after the war of the +great rebellion broke out. The war had been going on for about +six months. The army of the North had been defeated at Bull Run, +in fact, we had nothing but defeat, and it looked as though the +republic was going to pieces. So we were much cast down and +discouraged. At this meeting every speaker for awhile seemed as +if he had hung his harp upon the willow; and it was one of the +gloomiest meetings I ever attended. Finally an old man with +beautiful white hair got up to speak, and his face literally +shone. “Young men,” he said “you do not talk like sons of the +King. Though it is dark just here, remember it is light somewhere +else.” Then he went on to say that if it were dark all over the +world, it was light up around the Throne.</p> +<p class="pn">He told us he had come from the east, where a +friend had described to him how he had been up a mountain to +spend the night and see the sun rise. As the party were climbing +up the mountain, and before they had reached the summit, a storm +came on. This friend said to the guide, “I will give this up; +take me back.” The guide smiled, and replied, “I think we shall +get above the storm soon.” On they went; and it was not long +before they got up to where it was as calm as any summer evening. +Down in the valley a terrible storm raged; they could hear the +thunder rolling, and see the lightning’s flash; but all was +serene on the mountain top. “And so, my young friends,” continued +the old man, “though all is dark around you, come a little higher +and the darkness will flee away.” Often when I have been inclined +to get discouraged, I have thought of what he said. Now if you +are down in the valley amidst the thick fog and the darkness, get +a little higher; get nearer to Christ, and know more of Him.</p> +<p class="pn">You remember the Bible says, that when Christ +expired on the cross, the light of the world was put out. God +sent His Son to be the light of the world; but men did not love +the light because it reproved them of their sins. When they were +about to put out this light, what did Christ say to His +disciples? “Ye shall be witnesses unto Me.” (Acts i. 8.) He has +gone up yonder to intercede for us; but He wants us to shine for +Him down here. “Ye are the light of the world.” (Matt. v. 14.) +So our work is to shine; not to blow our own trumpet so that +people may look at us. What we want to do is to show forth +Christ. If we have any light at all it is borrowed light. Some +one said to a young Christian: “Converted! it is all moonshine!” +Said he: “I thank you for the illustration; the moon borrows its +light from the sun; and we borrow ours from the Sun of +Righteousness.” If we are Christ’s, we are here to shine for Him: +by and by he will call us home to our reward.</p> +<p class="pn">I remember hearing of a blind man who sat by the +wayside with a lantern near him. When he was asked what he had a +lantern for, as he could not see the light, he said it was that +people should not stumble ever him. I believe more people stumble +over the inconsistencies of professed Christians than from any +other cause. What is doing more harm to the cause of Christ than +all the scepticism in the world is this cold, dead formalism, +this conformity to the world, this professing what we do not +possess. The eyes of the world are upon us. I think it was George +Fox who said every Quaker ought to light up the country for ten +miles around him. If we were all brightly shining for the Master, +those about us would soon be reached, and there would be a shout +of praise going to heaven.</p> +<p class="pn">People say: “I want to know what is the truth.” +Listen: “I <span class="sc">am the truth</span>,” says Christ. +(John xiv. 5.) If you want to know what the truth is, get +acquainted with Christ. People also complain that they have not +life. Many are trying to give themselves spiritual life. You may +galvanize yourselves and put electricity into yourselves, so to +speak; but the effect will not last very long. Christ alone is +the author of life. If you would have real spiritual life, get to +know Christ. Many try to stir up spiritual life by going to +meetings. That may be well enough; but it will be of no use, +unless they get into contact with the living Christ. Then their +spiritual life will not be a spasmodic thing, but will be +perpetual; flowing on and on, and bringing forth fruit to +God.</p> +<p class="pn">Then Christ is our K<span class="sc">eeper</span>. +A great many young disciples are afraid they will not hold out. +“He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” (Psalm +cxxi. 4.) It is the work of Christ to keep us; and if He keeps us +there will be no danger of our falling. I suppose if Queen +Victoria had to take care of the Crown of England, some thief +might attempt to get access to it; but it is put away in the +Tower of London, and guarded night and day by soldiers. The whole +English army would, if necessary, be called out to protect it. +And we have no strength in ourselves. We are no match for Satan; +he has had six thousand years’ experience. But then we remember +that the One who neither slumbers nor sleeps is our keeper. In +Isaiah xli. 10, we read, “Fear thou not, for I am with thee; be +not dismayed, for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee; yea, I +will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My +righteousness.” In Jude also, verse 24, we are told that He is +“able to keep us from falling.” “We have an Advocate with the +Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (1 John ii. 1.)</p> +<p class="pn">But Christ is something more. He is our +S<span class="sc">hepherd</span>. It is the work of the shepherd +to care for the sheep, to feed them and protect them. “I am the +Good Shepherd;” “My sheep hear My voice.” “I lay down My life for +the sheep.” In that wonderful tenth chapter of John, Christ uses +the personal pronoun no less than twenty-eight times, in +declaring what He is and what He will do. In verse 28 He says, +“They shall never perish; neither shall any [<i>man</i>] pluck +them out of My hand.” But notice the word “man” is in italics. +See how the verse really reads: “Neither shall <span class= +"sc">any</span> pluck them out of My hand”—no devil or man shall +be able to do it. In another place the Scripture declares, “Your +life is hid with Christ in God.” (Col. iii. 3.) How safe and how +secure!</p> +<p class="pn">Christ says, “My sheep hear My voice . . . and they +follow Me.” (John x. 27.) A gentleman in the East heard of a +shepherd who could call all his sheep to him by name. He went and +asked if this was true. The shepherd took him to the pasture +where they were, and called one of them by some name. One sheep +looked up and answered the call, while the others went on feeding +and paid no attention. In the same way he called about a dozen of +the sheep around him. The stranger said, “How do you know one +from the other? They all look perfectly alike.” “Well,” said he, +“you see that sheep toes in a little; that other one has a +squint; one has a little piece of wool off; another has a black +spot; and another has a piece out of its ear.” The man knew all +his sheep by their failings, for he had not a perfect one in the +whole flock. I suppose our Shepherd knows us in the same way.</p> +<p class="pn">An Eastern shepherd was once telling a gentleman +that his sheep knew his voice, and that no stranger could deceive +them. The gentleman thought he would like to put the statement to +the test. So he put on the shepherd’s frock and turban, and took +his staff and went to the flock. He disguised his voice, and +tried to speak as much like the shepherd as he could; but he +could not get a single sheep in the flock to follow him. He asked +the shepherd if his sheep never followed a stranger. He was +obliged to admit that if a sheep got sickly it would follow any +one. So it is with a good many professed Christians; when they +get sickly and weak in the faith, they will follow any teacher +that comes along; but when the soul is in health, a man will not +be carried away by errors and heresies. He will know whether the +“voice” speaks the truth or not. He can soon tell that, if he is +really in communion with God. When God sends a true messenger his +words will find a ready response in the Christian heart.</p> +<p class="pn">Christ is a tender Shepherd. You may some time +think He has not been a very tender Shepherd to you; you are +passing under the rod. It is written, “Whom the Lord loveth He +chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.” (Heb. +xii. 6.) That you are passing under the rod is no proof that +Christ does not love you. A friend of mine lost all his children. +No man could ever have loved his family more; but the scarlet +fever took one by one away; and so the whole four or five, one +after another, died. The poor stricken parents went over to great +Britain, and wandered from one place to another, there and on the +continent. At length they found their way to Syria. One day they +saw an Eastern shepherd come down to a stream, and call his flock +to cross. The sheep came down to the brink, and looked at the +water; but they seemed to shrink from it, and he could not get +them to respond to his call. He then took a little lamb, put it +under one arm; he took another lamb and put it under the other +arm, and thus passed into the stream. The old sheep no longer +stood looking at the water: they plunged in after the shepherd; +and in a few minutes the whole flock was on the other side; and +he led them away to newer and fresher pastures. The bereaved +father and mother, as they looked on the scene, felt that it +taught them a lesson. They no longer murmured because the Great +Shepherd had taken their lambs one by one into yonder world; and +they began to look up and look forward to the time when they +would follow the loved ones they had lost. If you have loved ones +gone before, remember that your Shepherd is calling you to “set +your affection on things above.” (Col. iii. 2.) Let us be +faithful to Him, and follow Him, while we remain in this world. +And if you have not taken Him for your Shepherd, do so this very +day.</p> +<p class="pn">Christ is not only all these things that I have +mentioned: He is also our Mediator, our Sanctifier, our +Justifier; in fact, it would take volumes to tell what He desires +to be to every individual soul. While looking through some papers +I once read this wonderful description of Christ. I do not know +where it originally came from; but it was so fresh to my soul +that I should like to give it to you:—</p> +<p class="pn">“Christ is our Way; we walk in Him. He is our +Truth; we embrace Him. He is our Life; we live in Him. He is our +Lord; we choose Him to rule over us. He is our Master; we serve +Him. He is our Teacher, instructing us in the way of salvation. +He is our Prophet, pointing out the future. He is our Priest, +having atoned for us. He is our Advocate, ever living to make +intercession for us. He is our Saviour, saving to the uttermost. +He is our Root; we grow from Him. He is our Bread; we feed upon +Him. He is our Shepherd, leading us into green pastures. He is +our true Vine; we abide in Him. He is the Water of Life; we slake +our thirst from Him. He is the fairest among ten thousand: we +admire Him above all others. He is ‘the brightness of the +Father’s glory, and the express image of His person;’ we strive +to reflect His likeness. He is the upholder of all things; we +rest upon Him. He is our wisdom; we are guided by Him. He is our +Righteousness; we cast all our imperfections upon Him. He is our +Sanctification; we draw all our power for holy life from Him. He +is our Redemption, redeeming us from all iniquity. He is our +Healer, curing all our diseases. He is our Friend, relieving us +in all our necessities. He is our Brother, cheering us in our +difficulties.”</p> +<p class="pn">Here is another beautiful extract: it is from +Gotthold:</p> +<p class="pn">“For my part, my soul is like a hungry and thirsty +child; and I need His love and consolation for my refreshment. I +am a wandering and lost sheep; and I need Him as a good and +faithful shepherd. My soul is like a frightened dove pursued by +the hawk; and I need His wounds for a refuge. I am a feeble vine; +and I need His cross to lay hold of, and to wind myself about. I +am a sinner; and I need His righteousness. I am naked and bare; +and I need His holiness and innocence for a covering. I am +ignorant; and I need His teaching: simple and foolish; and I need +the guidance of His Holy Spirit. In no situation, and at no time, +can I do without Him. Do I pray? He must prompt, and intercede +for me. Am I arraigned by Satan at the Divine tribunal? He must +be my Advocate. Am I in affliction? He must be my Helper. Am I +persecuted by the world? He must defend me. When I am forsaken, +He must be my Support; when I am dying, my life: when mouldering +in the grave, my Resurrection. Well, then, I will rather part +with all the world, and all that it contains, than with Thee, my +Saviour. And, God be thanked! I know that Thou, too, art neither +able nor willing to do without me. Thou art rich; and I am poor. +Thou hast abundance; and I am needy. Thou hast righteousness; and +I sins. Thou hast wine and oil; and I wounds. Thou hast cordials +and refreshments; and I hunger and thirst.</p> +<p class="pn">Use me then, my Saviour, for whatever purpose, and +in whatever way, Thou mayest require. Here is my poor heart, an +empty vessel; fill it with Thy grace. Here is my sinful and +troubled soul; quicken and refresh it with Thy love. Take my +heart for Thine abode; my mouth to spread the glory of Thy name; +my love and all my powers, for the advancement of Thy believing +people; and never suffer the steadfastness and confidence of my +faith to abate—that so at all times I may be enabled from the +heart to say. ‘Jesus needs me, and I Him; and so we suit each +other.’”</p> +<h1><a name="IX" id="IX">CHAPTER IX.</a></h1> +<p class="pt1"><i>BACKSLIDING</i>.</p> +<p class="pt2">“I will heal their backsliding; I will love them +freely: for Mine anger is turned away.”—H<span class= +"sc">osea</span> xiv. 4.</p> +<p class="pn">T<span class="sc">here</span> are two kinds of +backsliders. Some have never been converted: they have gone +through the form of joining a Christian community and claim to be +backsliders; but they never have, if I may use the expression, +“slid forward.” They may talk of backsliding; but they have never +really been born again. They need to be treated differently from +real back-sliders—those who have been born of the incorruptible +seed, but who have turned aside. We want to bring the latter back +the same road by which they left their first love.</p> +<p class="pn">Turn to Psalm lxxxv. 5. There you read: “Wilt Thou +be angry with us for ever? wilt Thou draw out Thine anger to all +generations? wilt Thou not revive us again: that Thy people may +rejoice in Thee? Show us Thy mercy, O Lord; and grant us Thy +salvation.” Now look again: “<i>I will hear what God the Lord +will speak:</i> for He will speak peace unto His people, and to +His saints; but let them not turn again to folly” (<i>verse</i> +8).</p> +<p class="pn">There is nothing that will do back-sliders so much +good as to come in contact with the Word of God; and for them the +Old Testament is as full of help as the New. The book of Jeremiah +has some wonderful passages for wanderers. What we want to do is +to get back-sliders to hear what God the Lord will say.</p> +<p class="pn">Look for a moment at Jeremiah vi. 10. “To whom +shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, +their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the +word of the Lord is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in +it.” That is the condition of back-sliders. They have no delight +whatever in the word of God. But we want to bring them back, and +let God get their ear. Read from the 14th verse: “They have +healed also the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly, +saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. Were they ashamed +when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all +ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall +among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be +cast down, saith the Lord. Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the +ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, +and walk therein; and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they +said, We will not walk therein. Also I set watchmen over you, +saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We +will not hearken.”</p> +<p class="pn">That was the condition of the Jews when they had +backslidden. They had turned away from the old paths. And that is +the condition of backsliders. They have got away from the good +old book. Adam and Eve fell by not hearkening to the word of God. +They did not believe God’s word; but they believed the tempter. +That is the way backsliders fall—by turning away from the word of +God.</p> +<p class="pn">In Jeremiah ii. we find God pleading with them as a +father would plead with a son. “Thus saith the Lord, What +iniquity have your fathers found in Me, that they are gone from +Me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain? . . . +Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith the Lord; and with +your children’s children will I plead . . . For my people have +committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the Fountain of +living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that +can hold no water.”</p> +<p class="pn">Now there is one thing to which we wish to call the +attention of backsliders; and that is, that the Lord never +forsook them; but that they forsook Him! The Lord never left +them; but they left Him! And this, too, without any cause! He +says, “What iniquity have your fathers found in Me, that they are +gone far from Me?” Is not God the same to-day as when you came to +Him first? Has God changed? Men are apt to think that God has +changed; but the fault is with them. Backslider, I would ask you, +“What iniquity is there in God, that you have left Him and gone +far from Him?” You have, He says, hewed out to yourselves broken +cisterns that hold no water. The world cannot satisfy the new +nature. No earthly well can satisfy the soul that has become a +partaker of the heavenly nature. Honor, wealth and the pleasures +of this world will not satisfy those who, having tasted the water +of life, have gone astray, seeking refreshment at the world’s +fountains. Earthly wells will get dry. They cannot quench +spiritual thirst.</p> +<p class="pn">Again in the 32d verse: “Can a maid forget her +ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet My people have forgotten +Me, days without number.” That is the charge which God brings +against the backslider. They “have forgotten Me, days without +number.”</p> +<p class="pn">I have often startled young ladies when I have said +to them, “My friend, you think more of your ear-rings than of the +Lord.” The reply has been, “No, I do not.” But when I have asked, +“Would you not be troubled if you lost one; and would you not set +about seeking for it?” the answer has been, “Well, yes, I think I +should.” But though they had turned from the Lord, it did not +give them any trouble; nor did they seek after Him that they +might find Him.</p> +<p class="pn">How many once in fellowship and in daily communion +with the Lord now think more of their dresses and ornaments than +of their precious souls! Love does not like to be forgotten. +Mothers would have broken hearts if their children left them and +never wrote a word or sent any memento of their affection; and +God pleads over backsliders as a parent over loved ones who have +gone astray. He tries to woo them back. He asks: “What have I +done that you should have forsaken Me?”</p> +<p class="pn">The most tender and loving words to be found in the +whole of the Bible are from Jehovah to those who have left Him +without a cause. Jer. ii. 19.</p> +<p class="pn">Hear how He argues with such: (Jer. xi. 19.) +“Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings +shall reprove thee; know, therefore, and see, that it is an evil +thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and +that My fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of hosts.”</p> +<p class="pn">I do not exaggerate when I say that I have seen +hundreds of backsliders come back; and I have asked them if they +have not found it an evil and a bitter thing to leave the Lord. +You cannot find a real backslider, who has known the Lord, but +will admit that it is an evil and a bitter thing to turn away +from Him; and I do not know of any one verse more used to bring +back wanderers than that very one. May it bring you back if you +have wandered into the far country.</p> +<p class="pn">Look at Lot. Did not he find it an evil and a +bitter thing? He was twenty years in Sodom, and never made a +convert. He got on well in the sight of the world. Men would have +told you that he was one of the most influential and worthy men +in all Sodom. But alas! alas! he ruined his family. And it is a +pitiful sight to see that old backslider going through the +streets of Sodom at midnight, after he has warned his children, +and they have turned a deaf ear.</p> +<p class="pn">I have never known a man and his wife backslide, +without its proving utter ruin to their children. They will make +a mockery of religion and will deride their parents: “Thine own +wickedness shall correct thee; and thy backsliding shall reprove +thee!” Did not David find it so? Mark him, crying, “O my son +Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee; O +Absalom, my son, my son!” I think it was the ruin, rather than +the death of his son that caused this anguish.</p> +<p class="pn">I remember being engaged in conversation some years +ago, till past midnight, with an old man. He had been for years +wandering on the barren mountains of sin. That night he wanted to +get back. We prayed, and prayed, and prayed, till light broke in +upon him; and he went away rejoicing. The next night he sat in +front of me when I was preaching, and I think that I never saw +any one look so sad and wretched in all my life. He followed me +into the enquiry-room. “What is the trouble?” I asked. “Is your +eye off the Saviour? Have your doubts come back?” “No; it is not +that,” he said. “I did not go to business, but spent all this day +in visiting my children. They are all married and in this city. I +went from house to house, but there was not one but mocked me. It +is the darkest day of my life. I have awoke up to what I have +done. I have taken my children into the world; and now I cannot +get them out.” The Lord had restored unto him the joy of His +salvation; yet there was the bitter consequence of his +transgression. You can run through your experience; and you can +find just such instances repeated again and again. Many who came +to your city years ago serving God, in their prosperity have +forgotten Him: and where are their sons and daughters? Show me +the father and mother who have deserted the Lord and gone back to +the beggarly elements of the world; and I am mistaken if their +children are not on the high road to ruin.</p> +<p class="pn">As we desire to be faithful we warn these +backsliders. It is a sign of love to warn of danger. We may be +looked upon as enemies for a while; but the truest friends are +those who lift up the voice of warning. Israel had no truer +friend than Moses. In Jeremiah God gave His people a weeping +prophet to bring them back to Him; but they cast off God. They +forgot the God who brought them out of Egypt, and who led them +through the desert into the promised land. In their prosperity +they forget Him and turned away. The Lord had told them what +would happen. (Deut. xxviii.) And see what did happen. The king +who make light of the word of God was taken captive by +Nebuchadnezzar, and his children brought up in front of him and +every one slain: his eyes were put out of his head; and he was +bound in fetters of brass and cast into a dungeon in Babylon. (2 +Kings xxv. 7.) That is the way he reaped what he had sown. Surely +it is an evil and a bitter thing to backslide, but the Lord would +win you back with the message of His Work.</p> +<p class="pn">In Jeremiah viii. 5, we read: “Why then is this +people of Jerusalem slidden by a perpetual backsliding? They hold +fast deceit; <i>They refuse to return</i>.” That is what the Lord +brings against them. “T<span class="sc">hey refuse to +return</span>.” “I hearkened and heard; but they spake not +aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have +I done? Every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into +the battle. Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed +times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the +time of their coming; but My people know not the judgment of the +Lord.”</p> +<p class="pn">Now look: “I hearkened and heard; but they spake +not aright.” No family altar! No reading the Bible! No closet +devotion! God stoops to hear; but His people have turned away! If +there be a penitent backslider, one who is anxious for pardon and +restoration, you will find no words more tender than are to be +found in Jeremiah iii. 12: “Go, and proclaim these words toward +the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the +Lord; and I will not cause Mine anger to fall upon you: for I am +merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger forever.” Now +notice: “Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast +transgressed against the Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy +ways to the stranger under every green tree, and ye have not +obeyed My voice, saith the Lord. Turn, O backsliding children, +saith the Lord; for I am married unto you”—think of God coming +and saying, “<i>I am married unto you!</i>—and I will take you +one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to +Zion.”</p> +<p class="pn">“Only acknowledge thine iniquity.” How many times +have I held that passage up to a backslider! “Acknowledge” it; +and God says I will forgive you. I remember a man asking, “Who +said that? Is that there?” And I held up to him the passage, +“Only acknowledge thine iniquity;” and the man went down on his +knees, and cried, “My God, I have sinned”; and the Lord restored +him there and then. If you have wandered, He wants you to come +back.</p> +<p class="pn">He says in another place, “O Ephraim, what shall I +do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your +goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth +away” (Hosea vi. 4). His compassion and His love is +wonderful!</p> +<p class="pn">In Jeremiah iii. 22; “Return, ye backsliding +children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto +Thee; Thou art the Lord our God.” He just puts words into the +mouth of the backslider. Only come; and, if you will come, He +will receive you graciously and love you freely.</p> +<p class="pn">In Hosea xiv. 1, 2, 4: “O Israel, return unto the +Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with +you words, and turn to the Lord (He puts words into your mouth): +say unto Him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously; +so will we render the calves of our lips . . . I will heal their +backsliding, I will love them freely, for Mine auger is turned +away from him.” Just observe that, Turn! <i>Turn!!</i> +T<span class="sc">urn</span>!!! rings all through these +passages.</p> +<p class="pn">Now, if you have wandered, remember that you left +Him, and not He you. You have to get out of the backslider’s pit +just in the same way you got in. And if you take the same road as +when you left the Master you will find Him now, just where you +are.</p> +<p class="pn">If we were to treat Christ as any earthly friend we +should never leave Him; and there would never be a backslider. If +I were in a town for a single week I should not think of going +away without shaking hands with the friends I had made, and +saying “Good bye” to them. I should be justly blamed if I took +the train and left without saying a word to any one. The cry +would be, “What’s the matter?” But did you ever hear of a +backslider bidding the Lord Jesus Christ “Good bye”; going into +his closet and saying “Lord Jesus, I have known Thee ten, twenty, +or thirty years: but I am tired of Thy service; Thy yoke is not +easy, nor Thy burden light; so I am going back to the world, to +the flesh-pots of Egypt. Good bye, Lord Jesus! Farewell”? Did you +ever hear that? No; you never did, and you never will. I tell +you, if you get into the closet and shut out the world and hold +communion with the Master you cannot leave Him. The language of +your heart will be, “To whom shall we go,” but unto Thee? “Thou +hast the words of eternal life” (John vi. 68). You could not go +back to the world if you treated Him in that way. But you left +Him and ran away. You have forgotten Him days without number. +Come back to-day; just as you are! Make up your mind that you +will not rest until God has restored unto you the joy of His +salvation.</p> +<p class="pn">A gentleman in Cornwall once met a Christian in the +street whom he knew to be a backslider. He went up to him, and +said: “Tell me, is there not some estrangement between you and +the Lord Jesus?” The man hung his head, and said, “Yes.” “Well,” +said the gentleman, “what has He done to you?” The answer to +which was a flood of tears.</p> +<p class="pn">In Revelation ii. 4, 5, we read: “Nevertheless I +have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left the first +love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen; and repent, +and do the first works: or else I will come unto thee quickly, +and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou +repent.” I want to guard you against a mistake which some people +make with regard to “doing the first works.” Many think that they +are to have the same experience over again, That has kept +thousands for months without peace; because they have been +waiting for a renewal of their first experience. You will never +have the same experience as when you first came to the Lord. God +never repeats himself. No two people of all earth’s millions look +alike or think alike. You may say that you cannot tell two people +apart; but when you get well acquainted with them you can very +quickly distinguish differences. So, no one person will have the +same experience a second time. If God will restore His joy to +your soul let Him do it in His way. Do not mark out a way for God +to bless you. Do not expect the same experience that you had two +or twenty years ago. You will have a fresh experience, and God +will deal with you in His own way. If you confess your sins and +tell Him that you have wandered from the path of His commandments +He will restore unto you the joy of His salvation.</p> +<p class="pn">I want to call your attention to the manner in +which Peter fell; and I think that nearly all fall pretty much in +the same way. I want to lift up a warning note to those who have +not fallen. “Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he +fall” (1 Cor. x. 12). Twenty-five years ago—and for the first +five years after I was converted—I used to think that if I were +able to stand for twenty years I need fear no fall. But the +nearer you get to the Cross the fiercer the battle. Satan aims +high. He went amongst the twelve; and singled out the +Treasurer—Judas Iscariot, and the Chief Apostle—Peter. Most men +who have fallen have done so on the strongest side of their +character. I am told that the only side upon which Edinburgh +Castle was successfully assailed was where the rocks were +steepest, and where the garrison thought themselves secure. If +any man thinks that he is strong enough to resist the devil at +any one point he needs special watch there, for the tempter comes +that way.</p> +<p class="pn">Abraham stands, as it were, at the head of the +family of faith; and the children of faith may be said to trace +their descent to Abraham: and yet down in Egypt he denied his +wife. (Gen. xii.) Moses was noted for his meekness; and yet he +was kept out of the promised land because of one hasty act and +speech, when he was told by the Lord to speak to the rock so that +the congregation and their beasts should have water to drink. +“Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?” +(Num. xx. 10).</p> +<p class="pn">Elijah was remarkable for his boldness: and yet he +went off a day’s journey into the wilderness like a coward and +hid himself under a juniper tree, requesting for himself that he +might die, because of a message he received from a woman. (1 +Kings xix.) Let us be careful. No matter who the man is—he may be +in the pulpit—but if he gets self-conceited he will be sure to +fall. We who are followers of Christ need constantly to pray to +be made humble, and kept humble. God made Moses’ face so to shine +that other men could see it; but Moses himself wist not that his +face shone, and the more holy in heart a man is the more manifest +to the outer world will be his daily life and conversation. Some +people talk of how humble they are; but if they have true +humility there will be no necessity for them to publish it. It is +not needful. A lighthouse does not have a drum beaten or a +trumpet-blown in order to proclaim the proximity of a lighthouse: +it is its own witness. And so if we have the true light in us it +will show itself. It is not those who make the most noise who +have the most piety. There is a brook, or a little “burn” as the +Scotch call it, not far from where I live; and after a heavy rain +you can hear the rush of its waters a long way off: but let there +come a few days of pleasant weather, and the brook becomes almost +silent. But there is a river near my house, the flow of which I +never heard in my life, as it pours on in its deep and majestic +course the year round. We should have so much of the love of God +within us that its presence shall be evident without our loud +proclamation of the fact.</p> +<p class="pn">The first step in Peter’s downfall was his +self-confidence. The Lord warned him. The Lord said: “Simon, +Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift +you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail +not” (Luke xxii. 31, 32). But Peter said: “I am ready to go with +Thee, both into prison and to death.” “Though all shall be +offended because of Thee, yet will I never be offended.” (Matt. +xxvi. 23.) “James and John, and the others, may leave You; but +You can count on me!” But the Lord warned him: “I tell thee, +Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt +thrice deny that thou knowest Me.” (Luke xxii. 24.)</p> +<p class="pn">Though the Lord rebuked him, Peter said he was +ready to follow Him to death. That boasting is too often a +forerunner of downfall. Let us walk humbly and softly. We have a +great tempter; and, in an unguarded hour, we may stumble and fall +and bring a scandal on Christ.</p> +<p class="pn">The next step in Peter’s downfall was that he went +to sleep. If Satan can rock the Church to sleep he does his work +through God’s own people. Instead of Peter watching one short +hour in Gethsemane, he fell asleep, and the Lord asked him, +“What, could ye not watch with Me one hour?” (Matt. xxvi. 40.) +The next thing was that he fought in the energy of the flesh. The +Lord rebuked him again and said, “They that take the sword shall +perish with the sword.” (Matt. xxvi. 52.) Jesus had to undo what +Peter had done. The next thing, he “followed afar off.” Step by +step he gets away. It is a sad thing when a child of God follows +afar off. When you see him associating with worldly friends, and +throwing his influence on the wrong side, he is following afar +off; and it will not be long before disgrace will be brought upon +the old family name, and Jesus Christ will be wounded in the +house of his friends. The man, by his example, will cause others +to stumble and fall.</p> +<p class="pn">The next thing—Peter is familiar and friendly with +the enemies of Christ. A damsel says to this bold Peter: “Thou +also wast with this Jesus of Galilee.” But he denied before them +all, saying, “I know not what thou sayest.” And when he was gone +out into the porch another maid saw him and said unto them that +were there, “This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.” And +again he denied with an oath. “I do not know the Man.” Another +hour passed; and yet he did not realize his position; when +another confidently affirmed that he was a Galilean, for his +speech betrayed him. And he was angry and began to curse and to +swear, and again denied his Master: and the cock crew. (Matt. +xxvi. 69-74.)</p> +<p class="pn">He commences away up on the pinacle of +self-conceit, and goes down step by step until he breaks out into +cursing, and swears that he never knew his Lord.</p> +<p class="pn">The Master might have turned and said to him, “Is +it true, Peter, that you have forgotten Me so soon? Do you not +remember when your wife’s mother lay sick of a fever that I +rebuked the disease and it left her? Do you not call to mind your +astonishment at the draught of fishes so that you exclaimed, +‘Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord?’ Do you remember +when in answer to your cry, ‘Lord, save me, or I perish,’ I +stretched out My hand and kept you from drowning in the water? +Have you forgotten when, on the Mount of Transfiguration, with +James and John, you said to Me, ‘Lord, it is good to be here: let +us make three tabernacles?’ Have you forgotten being with Me at +the supper-table, and in Gethsemane? Is it true that you have +forgotten Me so soon?” The Lord might have upbraided him with +questions such as these: but He did nothing of the kind. He cast +one look on Peter: and there was so much love in it that it broke +that bold disciple’s heart: and he went out and wept +bitterly.</p> +<p class="pn">And after Christ rose from the dead see how +tenderly He dealt with the erring disciple. The angel at the +sepulchre says, “Tell His disciples, <i>and Peter</i>.” (Mark +xvi. 7.) The Lord did not forget Peter, though Peter had denied +Him thrice; so He caused this kindly special message to be +conveyed to the repentant disciple. What a tender and loving +Saviour we have!</p> +<p class="pn">Friend, if you are one of the wanderers, let the +loving look of the Master win you back; and let Him restore you +to the joy of His salvation.</p> +<p class="pn">Before closing, let me say that I trust God will +restore some backslider reading these pages, who may in the +future become a useful member of society and a bright ornament of +the Church. We should never have had the thirty-second Psalm if +David had not been restored: “Blessed is he whose transgression +is forgiven, whose sin is covered”; or that beautiful fifty-first +Psalm which was written by the restored backslider. Nor should we +have had that wonderful sermon on the day of Pentecost when three +thousand were converted—preached by another restored +backslider.</p> +<p class="pn">May God restore other backsliders and make them a +thousand times more used for His glory than they ever were +before.</p> + +<div>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 30449 ***</div> +</body> +</html> |