E d d y

RE E
b W h

R NT R R
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CHA PT ER O T HA T PA S S E T H NO LE E

CHA PT ER ATE A N T O THE N O

CHA PT ER III C LA S S E S

CHA PT ER OR S CO N S EL

A NE A O R

CHA PT ER E P E N T AN E E S T T T ON

CHA PT ER AS S R N E AL AT O N

C HR S T

CHAPT R A S L
 thi l I h in

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I could o nly make men understan d the real meaning

the words Of the ap o stle John I wou d
take tha t single t ext an d w o d go up an d down th e w o rld
p ro claimin g this glorious truth If you can convince a man
tha t love him you have won his heart If we rea ll y make
people believe that God loves them we shoul d find them
crowdi g int o the king dom Of heaven The trou ble is that
men thi k God hates them an d they are the tim e run
away from Him
We built a church in Chicago some years ag o an d
were very anxious t o teach the people the love God We
thought we coul d preach it in t o their hearts we o d
try and burn it in so we put righ t over the p pit in gas j ets
the s e word s O A man go ing along the streets
nigh t glanced thr o ugh the door and the text He
wa s a p o or prodi al he passed he though t to ms elf
God is Love He does l o ve me for I am a poor
miserable sinner He trie d ge t ri d Of the text bu t it
seeme d t o s tan d out right befo re hi m in let t ers fire He
wen t o n a li ttle further then t urn e d ro un d wen t back
went into the meeting He did hear the sermon the
ords that short t ext had got deeply lodged in his hear t
and that was en o ugh I t i s little account wh t men s ay
if the Word Of God only ge t s an en trance into the s inner s
heart He staid af t er the first mee ting wa s over and I foun d
him there weeping li e a child I unfol d e d the Scrip tures
an d to l d hi m God ha d l o ved hi m all the time a l though
he had wandered far away an d God was ai ting t o
re c eive him an d forgive him the light the Gospel bro ke
in to his min d and he wen t away rej oicing
There is nothing in this worl d tha t men p rize much a s
they do L ove Show me a person no t o care for
love and I will S how o f the mos t wretche d
beings the fa c e the ear th Why d o people commit s ui
cide ery Often it is because this though t steals in up o n
the m that no l o ve s them an d they w ould ra ther die
t han live
I know n o truth in the wh le Bible tha t ough t t o c o m e
home to us wi th s uch p ower t endernes s as tha t the
Love Of God an d there is no tru th in the Bi ble t ha t Sa t an
woul d m u ch li e t o blo t more than thousan d
years he has bee n trying to p ersuade m en tha t God does n o t
love them He s u c ceede d in making firs t p aren ts believ e
thi s an d he too Often s ucceeds with their chil dren
The idea tha t Go d doe s no t love u s Of ten comes from fal s e
t eaching Mo thers m a e mistake in t eaching chi l dren that
God does no t love them when they d o wrong but on ly when
they right Tha t is n o t taugh t in Scripture do
no t t each your c hildren tha t when they wrong you ha t e
them Their wro ng doing does n ot change your l ove to hate
i t d i d you wo d cha ge your love a gre t m any times
B ecause our chil d i s fretful has commi tt e d s ome ac t of
disobe dience you d o n o t cast hi m as though he no t
 L O VE T PA SS T KNO LE GE

belong to he is s ti ll your chil d and you l ove

And if men have gone as tray from God i t d oes fo ll ow tha t
He hate s It is the that He hat es
I bel ieve the reason why a grea t ma y people think
does love them i s because they are measuring Go d by
their s all r e from their s t andpoin t We ove
men as long as we consider them worthy our love when
they are not we cast them It is no t with God There
a vas t di erenc be tween human love and D ivine love
phesian s iii we are told of the breadth an d
length an d d epth and height God s love Many Of u s
think we kn o w something of God s love but centuries hen c e
we shall admit we have never found o ut uch a b out it Col
umbus discovere d America bu t hat did he know a bo u t i t s
great lakes rivers forests and the Mississippi alley He
e d with out knowing much a b ou t what he had di covered
m any Of have scovered some thing the love God
bu t there are heigh t s depths an d lengths it we do not
know That Love is a great o cean and require t o p l u ge
into i t before we really know anything of it It is said a
oman Catho lic Arch b ishop Of Paris that when he was thrown
into prison and condemned t o be shot a l ittl e whil e b efore he
was led to die he a windo in his ce l in the shape of
a cross pon the top of the cross he wrote height at the
bottom depth and at the end of each arm length He
had exp erienced the truth conveyed in the hymn
e e ous s
ce
When wish t o know the love God we s o d go t o
Cal vary Can we look upon that scene and say God di d not
love us That cross spea s of the l ove God Greater love
never has been taught than that which the cross t eaches
What prompted God to give up Chris t what promp ted Christ
t o die it were not love Greater love hath n o man
than thi s t ha t a m an lay down hi s life his friends
Chris t lai d down Hi s li e His enemies Chris t laid down
His life His m urderers Chris t lai d down His life for the m
tha t hated Him an d the s p i t the cross the S pirit Of Cal
vary is love When they were mocking Him and eri d ing
Him wh a t d id He Father them they know
no t wha t t hey do Tha t is love He no t call down fire
from heaven t o consume them th re n o thing bu t lov in
His heart
If you s tudy the Bi b le you wil fin d tha t the love God
is M any love at time have per
haps grown ol d in their a ec tion and turne d away from you
i t may be tha t their love is change d t o ha tred I t is no t s o
wi th It is recorded Of Jesu s Chri t j us t when
a b out to be parted fro m His disciple s an d le d aw ay to Calvary
tha t ha ing ove d His which were in the world He
loved the m unto the end John He knew tha t
o f His di s ciple s wo d betray Hi m yet He love d Ju d as He
knew tha t ano ther disciple wou d d eny Hi m an d s wear tha t
he never knew Him an d ye t He loved Peter It was the l o v
which Chris t ha d for Peter tha t broke hi s hear t an d brough t
him back in p eniten c e t o the fee t his L o rd three ear s
J esu s ha d bee n th the disciple s trying t o t each the m Hi s
love no t only by Hi s l fe an d wor d s but by His work s An d
on th e nigh t Of be trayal He t akes a basin wa t er ird s
Himsel wi th a t owel an d t ak g t he place Of a servan t
washes their fee t He wan t e d t o co n vince the m of
c hanging love
There is no portion Scripture I read Of t e n a s J ohn
and there is none tha t is m o re sweet to me I never tir
reading it Hear what Lord says as He p ours Hi s
hear t t o Hi s D is ciples A t tha t d ay ye s hall kn o w tha I a m
 L O VE T PA SSE T KNO LED GE

in My Father and ye in Me and I in you He that hath My

commandments and keepeth them he it i s that l oveth Me
and xiv
Thin k the great God crea t ed heaven and earth lovin g
an d m e If a man love Me he will keep My
words and My Father will l ove him and We wi l c o m e un t o
him and make abode with him
Woul d t o God that puny min d s cou l d grasp this great
tr th tha t the Father and the Son so love us that They desire
t o come and abide with us to tarry for a night bu t t o
c o me in our hearts
We have ano ther passage m o re wonderful sti l in J ohn
xvii I in them and thou in Me that they may be
made perfec t in and that the worl d may know that Thou
has t sent Me I
think tha t is of the most remarkable sayings that ever fel
fro m the l ps Jesus Chris t There is no reason the
Fa ther sho d not love him He was o b e ent unto death
He never t ansgressed the Father s law turned aside fro m
the path Of perfect O edience b y one hair s breadth It is very
feren t th us and yet no t iths t an ng all re b el on
foolishness He says that if we are tr sting in Christ the
Father l oves us as He loves the Son Won
love That God can p o ssibly love us He loves
Son seems too good to be true Y et tha t is the t eaching
J Chris t
It is hard to make a s inner be lieve in th s unchangeable
love When a man has wandere away from God he
thin ks that God hates him We must ma e a distin ction
be tween and the sinner God loves si ner but he
hates the sin He hates because it mars human life
It is just because God l oves the sinner that He hate
God s love is on y un changeab l e but
Isaiah xl x we read Can a woman forge t her su ck ng
chi d tha t she sh ou d not have compassi o n the Of her
w o m b yea they m ay f o rge t ye t will I no t forge t thee
hol d I have graven thee u p on the palms of han ds thy
walls are c o n tinual y before Me
the strongest human l o ve tha t we kn o w of i s
Many things will sep ara t e a man from his wife
A fa ther m ay turn his ba c k his chil d brother s and s is ters
may be c ome inve t era t e e n emies husban ds may d e s ert their
wives wive s their hu s bands Bu t a m o ther s l o ve en dures
through goo d re p ute in ba d repu t e in the fa c e of the
worl d s c o n d emnation a mo ther l o ves on an d h ope s tha t her
chil d m ay t urn from ev l way s an d re p e n t She reme m
bers the infan t smiles the merry laugh chil dhoo the
promis e youth and s he can never be bro ugh t think him
unwo rthy D eath c anno t quen ch a m o ther s l o ve i t i s
str onger tha n dea th
have s een a m o ther watching o ver her sick child
willingly would t ake sease into her body
if s he c oul d thus re ieve her child Week aft er eek ll
k e ep watch will let no else take care ha t sick child
A frien d o f mine some time ag o wa s visi ting i n beau ti
f ul h ome where he met a nu mber frien d s After they ha d
all gone away having lef t s ome thing behind he went ba c k to
ge t i t There he found the la dy Of the house a weal thy la dy
s itting behin d a poor fe low lo o ked like
Like the pro digal he had wandered far away
ye t the m other said This i s my I love him still Take
a m o ther with n ine o r t en children if goe a stray
s ee m s t o love that more than any the r st
A leading m inister in the s tate Of York o nce told me
o f a father who a very bad character The mother did all
she coul d t o prevent the contamination the boy but the
influence the father was stronger an d he led his int o
 LO V T T PA SSE T KNO LED GE

k ds Of until the lad be c am e the worst Of

cri n al s He committed mu der and was put on trial
All thr ough the trial the widowed mother for the father had
d ed in the court When the i tnesses testifie d aga nst
the b oy it seemed t o hu t the m other much more than the son
When he was foun d guilty an d s en t enced to die every e l se
feeling the ju tice Of the verdi c t seemed s atisfied at the result
Bu t the mo ther s love never fal t ered She b egged for a
reprieve bu t tha t wa s denied After the execution she crave d
for the b ody and this also was refused According t o custom
it buried in the p son yard A little hi e af terwards
the mo ther herself died b ut b efore was a en away she
expressed a desire t o be buried by the side of her boy She
was not ashamed of b ei g kn o n as the mother of a murderer
The story is t o l d of a young woman in S c otland wh o left
her home and b ecame an outcast in Glasgow Her mother
sought her far an d wide bu t vain At last she caused her
pictu e t o b e hung u on the wal s the Midnight Mission
rooms where abandoned women resorted Many gave the
picture a passing l ance l ngere d by the picture I t is
same dear face that looke d d o n upon her in her childhood
She has not forgotten nor cast her sinn ing c l d or her
picture would ne er have been hung upon those walls The
lips seemed to Open and wh sper Come home I forgive you
and love you sti l The poor girl sa do n overwhelmed
th her fee lings She was the prodigal daughter The
sight of her mother s face had b ro en her heart She b ecame
truly penitent for her sin s and ith a heart fu l of sorr o w and
shame returned to her forsa en home an d m o ther and
daughter were once more nited
Bu t let me tel you tha t no mo her s love is t o b e
red ith the l ove of God it does not measu e the height
depth of God s l ove mother in this orl d eve
oved her child as God loves you and me Thi k the love
 G OD

t a t G o d u s t have ha d when He gave His Son to die the

worl d I used t o think a goo d d eal more Of Chris t tha n I di d
the Fa ther Someh o w o ther I ha d the idea tha t G o d
a s t ern j udge tha t Chris t came be tween m e an d God and
a pp ease d the anger Go d But after I became a father
year s had an only son I l o oke d a t my though t o f
the Fa ther giving His to an d i t s eemed to me a s if i t
requ re d more l o ve for the Fa her to give His Son than for
Son t o the l o ve that G o d m us t have had for the
w o rl d when He gave Hi s S o n t o die for it Go d s o love d the
world tha t He gave only beg o tten S o n tha t whosoever
believe h in Him sho d no t p erish bu t have everlas ting life
John iii I have never been able t o preach from tha t
t ex t I have Often th o ugh t I would bu t i t i s s o high tha t I
can never climb t o i t s hei ht I have j us t quo te d i t an d
passed Wh o c an fathom the depth of tho s e w o rds Go d
loved the worl d We can never scal e the heights
love o r fathom i t s d epths Paul praye d tha t he migh t
know the heigh t the depth the leng th and the b rea d th o f
the love G od b u t i t was pas t his fi nding ou t It pa seth
kn o wle ge iii
o thi g speaks t o us the l o ve G o d like the c r o ss Of
Christ Come with me t o Calvary and lo o k upon the
God as He hangs there Can you hear tha t piercing cry fr o m
His dying l ips Fa ther forgive them for they know n o t
what they and s ay tha t He does not l o ve Greater
love ha th no m an than this that a man lay d own his life for
friends John But Jesus Chri s t laid d own His
life
Ano ther thoug t this He loved us long before we ever
though t Him The idea that he does no t love us until
fi rst l ove Him is no t t o be found in crip ture John iv
it is ritten Herein is love not tha t we l ove d Go d
that He l ove d us an d s ent His Son t o be the propitia tion
 L O VE T T PA SSE T KNO L ED GE

sin s He loved us before we ever though t of l ovi g Him

Y ou loved y o ur children b ef o re they knew anything about
y o ur love An d long b efore we ever thought God we
were in t oughts
What brought the prodigal home I t was the thought
that fa ther l oved him Suppose the news h ad reached
him tha t he was cast and that his father not care
him any more wo d he have gone back ever But the
thought dawned upon him that his father l o ved him s ti l so
rose up and went back to his home D ear reader the
love the Father ough t to bring us back t o Him It was
Adam s calamity and sin hat revealed God s l ove When
Adam fell God came down and deal t in mercy with him If
any is los t i t will not be because Go d does l o ve
it w b e because he has resisted the love of God
Wha t wi make Heaven attractive it the pearly gates
the golden streets Heaven wi be attrac ive
c ause there we shall beho l d Him who loved so much as t o
g ve His o nly beg o tten Son to die for us hat ma es om
attractive it the b eau ti u furniture and stately rooms
s ome h o mes with all these are l ike whited sepulchres
Brookl a mother was dying and it was necessary to ta e
her child from her b ecause the l ttle chi d cou d no t under
s tand the nature the sic ness and sturb ed her mother
very night the c d so bb ed hersel to s l eep a neigh b or s
house b ecause she wanted to go back to her other s b ut
the mother grew worse and they could not ta e child
home At last the mo her ed and after her death they
t ought it b es t not to let the chi d see her dead mother in her
cof n Aft er the buria l the chil d ran into room crying
Mamma mamma l and then into another crying Mamma
mamma an d so ent over the ho l e house and when the
little creature fai ed to fi nd that l oved one she cried to b e ta en
 G OD

ba ck t o the neighb o rs wha t make s heaven a ttractive

the though t t a t we shall Christ has love d u s an d
given Himself for us
If me why G o d should l o ve us I canno t tell I
suppose i t is b ecause He is a true Father It is nature t o
l o ve j us t as i t is the nature of the to shine He wan t s
to share in that love no t let un b el ef keep away
from Him not think t ha t becau e you are a s inner Go d
d oe s no t love c are for y o u He d o e s He wan ts t o
s ave you an d b l es s you
When we were yet wi thou t s treng th in d ue im e Chris t
ed for the ungodly v that no t enough to
vince you t ha t He loves you He w o uld no t have die d yo u
if He ha d loved you your hear t so har d tha t you can
brace y o urself up agains t His love an d S p rn an d d e sp i s e i t
i t bu t it wil be a t your peril
I c an imagine some saying to themselves Y e s we
lieve tha t G o d l ove s us if we love Him we believe t ha t Go d
loves the pure an d the ho ly Le t me m y friend no t
o nly doe s God love the pure and the ho ly He also l o ves the
ungodly G o d commendeth His l ove t owar d us in tha t
Chris t died f o r u s v Go d
s en t him to die for the sins t he who l e worl d If you b elong
t o the W orld then you have p r t and lo t thi s love tha t has
been ex i ite d in the cros s of Chris t
There i s a pa s sage in eve l a tion i whi ch I think a
great deal nto Him that l o ved us and washed us
It migh t be though t that God would first wash us an d then
l o ve us Bu t no He firs t loved us About eig t years ago
the who l e c o un try intense ly excited abou t Charl ie oss a
chil d four year s Old who st olen men in a gig
asked him and an el er b rother if they wanted some candy
They then drove away wi th the younger b oy leavin g the el d er
 L O VE T T PA SSE T KNO LED G E

one m any years a search has been ma d e in every S t at e

an d territo r Me n have been over to Great Britain France
and Germany an d have hun t e d in vain for t he child The
mother still live s in the tha t she wi l her long l o st
Charl e I never remember the who l e country to have been
s o much agitated abou t any even t nless i t the assa s in
a tion Presiden Garfield Well suppose the mother
Charl e oss were in some m eeting an d that while the
preacher was spea ing happened t o l ook down am ongs t
the audience an d see her long los t s o n Suppose that he was
poor rty and ragged shoeles s and coa tl ess what wo d she
do Would she wait t i he ashed and d ecentl y clothe d
b efore she would acknowl edge she wou l d get
the platform a t once rush toward s him and take him in her
arms After that she wou d cleanse and clothe him i t is
with God He loved us and washed us I can imagine
saying If God loves me why does He no t make me good
God ants sons and daugh ter s i n heaven He doe s no t want
machines or s l aves He could break stu bb o n heart s b u t
He ants to aw us t o wards Himself by the c ords l ove
He wan t ed you t o sit do n th Him at the marriage
per the Lam b to wash you and m ke you w ter than
snow He wants you to walk with Him the crysta l pavemen t
yonder b issful worl d He wants to adop t you in t o Hi s
fami y and to make you a son or a daughter of
you tramp l e His love under your feet or you thi s hour
give yourself t o Him
When terri b le ci il was g oing a mother re
the new s that her b oy had b een wounded in the battl e
Of the Wilderness She took the first trai and started for
her b oy a l though the order had gone forth from the War
D epartment that no more women shou d b e ad tted within
the lin es But a mo ther s love ows no thin g a out o rd ers
 G OD

s o she m anage d by tear s an d e n trea tie s t o ge t t r o ugh the

lin es t o the Wilderness At la st s he f o un d the hospital where
her boy wa s Then s he we t t o the do ct o r an d sh e s aid
W you le t me t o the war d an d nurse my boy
The doc t or s ai d I have j ust go t your t o lee p he
i s in a very c ri ti c al s tate and I am afraid if you wake hi m up
the ex c i t emen t will be grea t tha t it i carry him Yo u
ha d b e tt er wai t aw le an d re m ain wi thout until I t ell
tha t have c o m e and break th e news gra d ually t o him
The mo ther looke d in to the d o ct o r s face an d said D oc t or
s upposing my d o es not wake up an d I sh o uld n ver s ee
hi m alive m e g o an d down by hi s side I w o n t
speak t o him If you l not sp e ak t o you
d o s o said the d o ct or
She crep t t o the c o t a n d l ooked in t o the face her b oy
s he ha d l o nge d to look a t him her eye seem e d
t o be feas ting a s she gazed upon countena ce When she
go t near en o ugh s he coul d keep her hands she laid
tha t t e n der lovin g hand up on brow The m o men t the
han d t ouched the foreh ad her boy he withou t Opening
his eyes cried Mo ther have come He kne
the t ouch that loving hand There was love an d sy pathy
in i t
Ah sinne r if you feel the lo ing t ouch o f Je s u s y o u wil
recognize i t i t i s s o full tenderness The w orl d m ay trea t
unkin y bu t Chri st never i Yo u W ll never have a
be tt er Friend in this world What nee d is to come t o
d ay t o Him Let His loving arm be underneath le t His
ovin g han d be abou t an d He wi h l d wi th mighty
po wer He will keep y o u and that hear t yours with
Hi s t en d erness an d l ove
I c a n imagine so m e you saying shall I go t o
Him Why j us t a s you w o uld go t o your m o ther Have
 L O VE T T PA SSE T KNO LED GE

you done y o ur m o ther a grea t injury and a grea t wro ng If

you g o to her and you say Mother I wa t you t o for
give me Trea t Christ in the same way to t o day
tell that you have no t love d Him tha t y o u have no t
treated Him right confess you sin s and qui c kly He
l bles s
I am reminded another inciden tha t a b o y wh o
ha d been t ried by c our t martial and ordere d t o be sho t The
hearts Of the father an d mother were bro en when they heard
the news In that home was a ittle girl She ha d rea d the
life Of Abraham Lincoln an d said if A b raham
Lincoln knew my father an d mother loved their boy he
would m y brother be sho t She wanted her fa ther t o
go to Washington t o plead f o r his boy Bu t the father s ai
there is no use the must take i t s course They
have refused t o pardon who have been s en t e n ced
by that court martia l and an o rder has gone for h tha t the
Presiden t is not goin g to interfere again if a man ha s been
sen t ence d by c o ur t martial he mus t su er the c onsequences
Tha t father and m o ther ha d no t faith to believe that their boy
might be pardoned
Bu t the littl e girl was s tr o ng in she go t on the train
way up in ermont an d started to Washington When
reached the W te House the soldiers refused to le t in
b ut she t old her pitifu story and they allowe d her to pass
When she got to the Secretary s r o om where the Presiden t s
private s ecreta y was he refused t o a llo w her to en t er the
privat e O ce the President B u t the little girl t ol d her
story and it t o u ched the heart of the private secre t ary s o he
passe d her in As she went into Abraha m Li coln s r o om
there were nite d Sta e s senators general s governors and
leading poli ticians who were there a b ou t imp o rt ant bu s i ess
abou the w ar but Presiden t happene d to see that child
 G OD

s tan ng a t his door He wante d t o kno w wha t s he wan te d

an d s he wen t righ t t o hi m an d t ol d her s tory in her la n
guage He wa s a father an d the grea t tear s tri c kle d d own
Abraham Lin col s cheeks He ispatch an d sen t
t o th e army t o have tha t boy s ent to Was ngton a t once
When he arrived the Presi d en t pardone d gave him thirty
d ay furlough an d sen t him h ome with the li t tle girl t o cheer
heart s Of the father an d o ther
wan t t o know how t o go t o Christ Go ju t a s
tha t lit tle girl wen t t o Abraha m Lin c oln It may be possibl e
tha t you have a d ark s t ory t o t ell Tell i t all keep no th
back If Ab raha m Linc oln c ompa s sion o n tha t li ttle
girl hear d her p e tition an d n s were d it d o y o u thi k th e
L o r d Jesus w ll n o t hear y o ur p rayer think tha t
Abraha m Lincoln or any man tha t ever live d o n earth ha d
a s much c o mpassi o n a s Chris t He will be t o uched when
no else wi l He w ll have mercy when n o o ne else will
He will have pi ty when no else i If will go righ t
t o Him confes sin g your s in an d y o r nee d He will s ave y o u
A years ag o a m an lef t nglan d and wen t o America
He wa s an nglishman bu t h e na t uralize d an d s o
came an Am e rican citizen Af er few years he fel t re stles s
an d s s atisfied an d wen t to Cuba an d after he had been
Cuba a li t tle while civil broke ou t there i t was in
an d thi s man wa s arreste d by the Spanish governmen t
s p y He trie d court marti found gu ty an d ordered
t o be s ho t The wh ole trial wa s c onduc t ed in the Spanish
lan uage and the po o r m an di d know wha t was going o n
When they t old him the verdic t tha t h e was foun d g l ty and
ha d been c o ndemne d t o be sh o t he sen t t o th e American Co n
an d the nglish Consul and laid the whole ca s e bef o re
them proving his in n o cenc an d claiming pr o te cti o n They
examine d the case an d fou d that thi s m an wh o m the S p n
 L O VE T PA SSE T KNO L G

i sh O cer had condemne d to be sho t was perfec tly in n o c ent

they wen t t o the Spanish General and s aid Look here t his
m an whom have condemned to death i s an inno c ent man
he i s n ot guilty But Spanish G eneral sai d He has
bee n trie d by law he h as been found gui l ty he m us t
There was n o ele ctric ca ble and the s e men c oul d
c on sul t th their g o vernmen t s
The m o rning came o n which the m an was t o be e xe cut e d
H e was bro ugh t sitting co n in a cart and drawn
to the place where he t o be execu t e d A grave was dug
They t ook the cof n the c ar t pla c e d the young man
upon i t t o o k the b l ack c ap an d were j ust pul g i t down over
hi s face The Span sh so l diers awai ted the or d er fire B ut
j ust then the American and nglish Cons s ro d e up The
nglish Consu sprang ou t th e carriage an d t ook the union
j a c k the British flag and wrappe d i t aroun d the man and the
Ameri c an Cons wrapped around hi m the s t ar pangl ed ban
ner and then turning t o the Spanish they said Fi e
upon th o se flags if you d are They did not dare to fire up o n
the flags There were t w o great governments beh n d th o se
flags That wa s the s e cret it
He brought m e t o the b anqueting house an d His banner
o ver m e was l ove His left han d is under my head
and His right hand do th embrace me Song Sol
Thank God we can come un der the b anner to ay we will
Any poor inner can come un d er that banner t o d ay His
bann er love over us Blessed Gospel blessed precious
news Bel eve i t t o day re c eive i t in to your heart and en t er
n t o a new life Le t the love Of God b e she d abroad in your
heart by the Holy Ghost to ay it ll drive a ay darknes s
it wi l drive away gloom it w ll drive away sin and peace
j o y shall be y o u s
 G OD

P II

b dm

HERE no po rtio n the Word G o d p erhaps wi th

which we are more famil iar than thi s pa s age I s uppose if I
were t o ask those in any au dien ce they believed ha t Jesus
Ch s t t augh t t he d octrine o f the Bir th
them would Y es I believe He
if the w o rd s Of this text are t rue th ey e mbody of
the mos t s olemn que s ti o n s tha t can c o me before us We can
a ford t o be d eceive d abou t m any thin g s rather tha n ab out
t s o ne thing Chris t m akes it very p lain He s ays
c ep t a man be born aga in he canno t the ingdom Go d
much les s inherit i t Thi s doc trine of the Birth is
therefore the fo ndati o n Of all our hopes the w o rld to co m e
I t i s really the A B C Of the Chris tian religion My
ence ha s been this tha t if a m an i s u so n d on this doc t rine
he ll be un soun d o n almos t every o ther fundamen t al d oc
trine in the i ble A true un d ers tanding thi s s ubj ec t w l
hel p a m an t o s olve a h ousan d di c tie s tha t he may m eet
with in t he Wor d Of G od T hings tha t bef o re s ee m e d very
d ark an d mysterious i l be c ome very p lain
The doctrine the Birth up e ts all false religio n
all false views a ou t t he Bi bl e an d ab o u t Go d A frien d o f
mine o ce t old me tha t in one of his aft er mee tin gs m an
c am e t o with long lis t of uestions wri tten o u t f o r him
He s ai d If y o u can answer th e e que sti on s s a t
 GA TE A Y INT O KINGD O

I have ma d e up m y min d to be a Christian Do

not think s aid my friend that had better come t o
Chris t first Then can look int o these ques tions The
man though t that perhaps he ha d better do After he had
received Chris t he looked again a t his li s t Of question s b ut
then i t s eemed to him as if they ha d all been an s ered ico
demus c ame with his troubled mind and Christ s ai d t o him
Y e mus t be b o rn again He was trea t e d altogether fer
n tly fro m wha t he expe ct ed bu t I venture t o s ay tha t wa s
mos t blessed nigh t in all hi s life To be born again
greates blessing tha t will ever come to us in this world
oti c e the Scrip ture puts it xcep t a man be b o rn
again born fro m a b ove b orn the Spirit From
amongs t a number other passage s where we fi nd this word
E E PT I would j ust nam e three xcep t ye repent ye
shall all likewise p erish Luke xiii xcept ye be
converted an d become as li ttle chil dren ye sha ll not enter
to the kingd o m of heaven Matt xviii xcept your
righ t e o usness s hal exceed the righ eousness the Scri b es
an d Phari s ees ye shall in case enter into the kingdom
heaven Matt v They all really m ean the s ame
thing
I am s o thankful that our Lord spoke the Birth to
this ruler the Je s this doctor the law rather than to
the woman at the ell Samaria to Ma t the the publican
or to If He ha d reserved his teach ng th s great
ma t ter for these three s uch a s these peop l e would have
said these pu blicans and harl ots nee d t o be
verted but I am an upright man I do n ot need t o be
verted I suppose icodemus Of be st specimens
the peo l e of Jeru s alem there was no thing record
again s t him
h
 I think it is sc ar c e l y ne c e ss ary for m e t o prove t ha t w e
nee d t o be b orn again before w e are m ee t h eav en v en
ture t o tha t th ere i s no c an did b u t w oul d s ay h e
fit king d o m Go d u n til he born ano ther
p rit The Bib l e t eaches u s t at m an b y nature i s lo st an d
guil ty an d e xperien c e c on firm s th i s We know al s o tha t
th e bes t an d h olies t m an if h e tu rn away fro m w v e ry
s oon fall in t o
Now le t m e s ay wha t Rege n era tio n i s It i s
ing t o ch ur c h ery oft en I see people an d a s k th e m if they
are Chris tian s Ye s of c our e I a m a t lea st I think I a m
I t o ch ur ch every Sun d ay Ah bu t this i s no t Rege n era
ti on th er I a m t rying t o d o wh a t i s right I
a C h ri sti an tha t a new bir th Wh at h as
tha t d o wi th b eing bo rn again T h ere i s ye t ano th e r cla ss
th o s e h av e turne d o v er a new leaf an d think th ey
are r egenera t e d form ing a new re s ol utio n i s b ein g
bo rn again
will being bap tize d any goo d Ye t h ear
p eo p le s ay Why I have been bap tize d an d I wa s born again
wh en I w a s bap tize d T h e y beli e v e that b e c au s e th ey wer
bap tize d in t o th e ch ur ch th ey w ere b ap tize d in t o the King d o m
Go d I t ell th a t i t i s u tt erly i mpo ss ible m ay be
bap tize d in t o th e c h ur c h an d ye t n o t be bap tize d in t o th e
Go d Bap ti sm i s all right in i ts pla c e Go d forbi d tha t I
sh oul d s ay any thing again st it B ut if yo u pu t tha t th e
pla c e Regenera tion th e pla c e t he New B i r th is a
t errible mis take You b ap tize d in t o th e King d o m
xc ep t a m an be ORN I N he c anno t s ee the King

d o m Go d If any one r ea ding this res t s h ope s any

thing el s e an y o th e r foun d a tio n p ray th a t Go d m ay
s weep away
 NT

o ther c l a ss s ay I go t o the L or d s Supper I part ake

u i or y the Sa c r m en t Ble ss e d or dinan c e Je s u s
h ath s ai d tha t as oft en as ye i t y e c o mm e m orat e d eath
Ye t ha t is no t b ein g bor agai n tha t i s no t pa ss ing fro m
d eath un t o life Je s u s s ay s plainly an d s o plainly that there
nee d no t be any i st ake abou t xc ep t a m an be born
th e Spiri t he c anno t en t er in t o the King d o m of Go d Wh a t
h a s a s a cra m en t t o d o wi th th a t Wh a t has goin g c h ur c h
th bein g bor n agai n
An o th er m an c o m e s up an d s ay s I s ay m y p r ayer s r eg
S ll I s ay th a t i s no t ein g born the Sp irit It i s
a v e ry s ole m n que stion th en tha t c om e s up before u s an d
t at e v ery rea d er w ou d a s k hims e l f earne stly an d fai thfully
Hav e I been born aga i n Have I been born th e Spiri t
Have I pa ss e d fro m d ea th un t o l e
T h ere is a cla ss m en wh o s ay th a t s pe ci al reli i ou s
m ee ti g s are v ery goo d for a c erta i n cla ss people They
woul d be ve ry goo d if you c oul d ge t the d runkar d there ge t
gam bler th ere ge t o th er vi ci ou s peop l e th ere th at
wo d a grea t d eal goo d Bu t w e d o nee d t o b e
c onver te d To wh o m Ch ri st u tt er th e s e wor ds wi s
To Ni c o d e mu s Wh o wa s Ni c o d e m u s Wa s h e a
drun ar d a gam bler a th i ef No No d oub t he wa s
the very be st m en in Jeru s ale m He w a s an h onorable
Cou c illor he belonge d t o the Sanhe d rim h e h el d a very
hi gh po s iti on he wa s an orth o d o x m an he w a s the
ve ry s oun d e st m en ye t wh a t C h ri st t o hi m
x ep t a m an be born again he t th e kin g d o m

But I c an im a ine s o m e s aying What am I t o d o

I c anno t c reat e life I c er tai y c anno t s ave my s elf
c er t ain ly c anno t an d we d o cl ai m th a t you c an We t ell
i t is u tt erly i mpo ss ible t o m ake a m an be tt er wi th ou t
 TO

C h i st bu t th a t i s wha t m e n are trying t o d o T h ey are try

i ng t o pa tch up th i s A d a m na ture T ERE S
RE I O N Regenera ti on i s a new c rea tion an d if i t is a
c rea tion i t m u st be the work th e fi r st ch ap t er
Gene sis m an d oe s n o t appear T h ere i s no th ere bu t
Go d Man i s th ere t ake par t Wh en Go d c rea t e d th e
earth He wa s alone Whe n C h ri st r e d ee m e d th e wo rl d He wa s
alone
T h at wh i c h i s b o rn th e fles h is flesh an d th a t wh i c h
i s b orn th e Spiri t i s piri t Jo h n iii T h e thiopian
c anno t ch nge his s kin an d the leopa rd c anno t ch ange
s po t s You m i ght as well try m ake your s elve s pure an d
h oly wi th ou t the h elp It woul d b e j u st a s ea sy
th a t a s for the bla c k m an t o wa sh h i s elf wh i t e A
m an m igh t j u st a s we try t o leap ov er the m oon a s s e rv e
in th e e sh T h erefore th a t wh i ch is b orn th e e s h
i s e sh an d th a t wh i ch i s born Spiri t i s s piri t
Now Go d t ell s us i n th i s ch ap t e r we are t o ge t in t o
H is king d o m We are n o t t o work way b u t th a t
s alva tion i s wo rth working We a d mit all th a t If th ere
were rive s an d m oun t ain s in th e way i t woul d b e well wo rth
wh ile t o s wi m th o s e rive rs an d lim b th o s e m oun t ain s T h e r
d o u b t th a t s alvation i s wor th all tha t bu t
no t ob t ain i t b y work s I t is h i m th at worke t
bu t b elieve th iv We work be c au s e we are s av e d
we work t o b e s av e d We work fro m cro ss bu t
t owar ds i t I t i s w ri tt en Work your alva ti on
wi th f ear an d tre m bling Phil Why yo u m u st
h a v e y o ur s alv a tion b efore c an work it S uppo s e I
s ay my i ttle boy I wan t y ou t o s pen d th a t h un d re d
lar s c arefully W ll he s ay s le t m e h av e th e hun d re d
ol ar s an d I will be c areful h ow I Spen d i t I re m e m b e r
when I first left h o m e a n d wen t Bo st on I h a d pe n t all my
 THE G A TE A I T I G DO

m oney an d I wen t t o the po st th ree ti m e s a d ay I

knew t ere wa s o y m ail a d ay f o m h o m e bu t I th ought
by o m e po ss ib ty th ere mi gh t be a le tt er m e At la st I
re c e i ve d a le tt er fro m m y l i t tle si ster an d h ow gl a d I wa s
ge t i t S h e h a d h eard th a t th ere were a grea t m any p ick
po cke ts in B o st on an d a large par t of th at le tt er wa s t o urge
m e t o b e very c re f t o le t anybo dy pi ck m y po cke t Now
I requ i re d t o h av e s o m e th ing in m y po c ke t before I c oul d
h av e i t pi c ke d you m u st h av e s alv a tion before you c an
ork it
Wh en C h st c i e d Calva y I t i s fini sh e d He
m ean t what He s ai d tha t m en h ave t o d o no w is ju st t o
a cc ep t the w ork Je s u s Chri st There i s n o h ope for m an
wo m an s o lo g a s th ey are trying t o w ork s alvati on
th e ms elve s I c an i m ag ine th ere are s o m e people wh o ill
s ay a s N ic o d e m u s po ss ibly di d T h s is a ve ry m y st eri ou s
t ng I s ee th e sc o wl th a t P hari s ee s brow as h e s ay s
How c an th e s e thi ng s be It s oun ds very strange t o
ear Born again born th e Spiri t How c an th e s e th i ng s
be A grea m any peop l e s ay You m u st rea s on i t bu t
d o no t rea s on i t d o no t a s k t o believe i t I c an
im agine a grea t m any people s ayi g that Wh en you ask m e
rea s on i t I t e l you fran ly I c anno t d o i t The
win d blowe th wh ere it i st e th an d th ou heare st the s ou d
th ereof bu t c an st n o t t ell wh en c e i t c o m e th an d whi the r i t
oe th s o is every th a t is born th e Sp i rit Jo h n
I d o no t un d er st an d e very thi g abou t th e win d You
a s k m e t o rea s on it I c ann o t It m ay b l o w due north
h ere an d a hun dre d m ile s a w ay d ue s ou th I m ay up a
few h un dre d fee t an d fi n d i t blo w ing in an en tirely Oppo si t e
re c tion fro m wh a t i t is d o wn h ere You a s k m e e xpla n
th e s e curren ts in d bu t s uppo s e tha t be c au s e I c anno t
e plain th em an d un d er st an d th e m I were t o t ake my
st an d an d a ss er t th ere is no s u ch thing as wi n d
c an i m a ine s o m e li ttle girl s aying I know m ore abou t i t
th n th a t m an d oe s often h ave I h ear d th e in d an d fel t i t
blowi ng again st m y fa c e an d might s ay D i d th e
n d b low m y u m brella m y h an ds the o th er d ay an d
I no t i t blow a m an s hat in th e stree t Have I
no t seen i t b lo w th e tree s in the fore st an d the gr owing c o rn
in th e c o u n try
might j u st a s wel t ell m e tha t th ere i s s u ch
t n g a s wi n d as t ell m e th ere i s no s u ch th ing a s a m an
be i g b orn th e Spiri t I h ave fel t th e s piri t Go d work i ng
in m y h ear t ju st really an d as t ruly a s I h ave fel t th e win d
blo wing in m y f a c e I it There are a great
m any thing s I cann o t r ea s on b ut wh i ch I b elie v e I
n ever c o d rea s on th e c reati on I c an s ee the w orl d b ut
I c anno t t ell m ade it no thing Bu t al m o s t
every m an wi a dm i t th ere wa s a c reativ e power
T h ere are a grea t m any thing s th a t I c ann o t e plain a n d
c anno t rea s on an d y e t th a t I belie v e I h ear d a c o mm er
t ravele r th a t h e h a d h ear d th a t th e m ini stry an d
r e gion Je s u s C h ri st were m att er s r e v elation an d
in v e stiga tio When i t plea s e d Go d t o r e v eal Son in
Me s ay s P a Gal i T h ere a par ty yo un g
m en oge th er going th e c o u n try an d th e i r j ou ne y
th ey m a d e up th eir m in ds no t t o b elieve any th ing th ey c oul d
rea s on An m an h ear d pre s en tly h e
s ai d I h ear d y o u woul d no t b elie v e any hing
co d r ea s on Ye s th e y s ai d th a t
Well h e s ai d c o ming d o w n th e train t o d ay I no i c e d
s o m e geese s o m e sh eep s o m e s wine an d s o m e c a ttle
ea ting gra ss Can t ell m e b y wh a t pro c e s s th a t a m e
g ra s s was tu rn e d in t o h ai r an d wool
b elie v e i t i s fa ct y e s th e y s ai d we c a n o t
 THE GA TEWA Y IN TO THE

h elp believi g th a t th ough w e fail t o un d er st an d i t el

s ai d th e m an I c anno t h e l p belie ving in Je s u s C hri st
An d I c anno t h el p believing in th e regenera tion m an wh en
I s ee m en h ave b een re claim e d when I s ee m en h av e
been reform e d Have no t s om e the v ery w or st m en b een
regenerate d been p i cke d up the pi t an d h a d th eir fee t
upo n th e Ro ck an d a new s o g pu t in th e i r m ou ths
T h ei r t ongue s were c ur sing an d bla s phe ming an d now are
o ccupie d in praising Go d things h ave pa ss e d a w ay an d
all thing s h ave be c o m e ne w They are no t reform e d onl y bu t
RE ENER E m en in Chri st Je s u s
D o wn th ere in th e d ark alley s of grea t citi e s is
a poor drunkar d I th n k if you want t o ge t near h ell you
sh ou d go t o a poor d runkar d s h o m e Go t o th e hou s e tha t
poor mis erable drunkar d I s th ere any thing m ore l ke h el
earth See the wan t an d d i stre ss th a t r eign there B u t
h ark A foo tst ep is h ear d th e d oor an d th e chil dren run
an d h i d e th e ms elve s T h e patien t wif e wai ts t o m ee t th e
m an He b een h er t orm en t Many a ti m e sh e ha s born e
about th e m ark s hi s bl o ws for w eek s Many a ti m e th a t
strong right h an d h a s been brought d o wn on h er d efen s ele ss
h ea d sh e w ai ts e xpe cting t o h ear his oa ths an d
s u er b ru t al treatm en t He c o m e s in an d s y s t o h er I
have been t o th e m ee ti ng an d I h ar d th ere t ha t if I will I
c an be c onv er te d I believe th a t is able t o s ave m e
Go d o wn t o that h ou s e again in a f ew week s wh a t a
ch ange you approa ch yo u h ea r s o m e singing I t i s
no t the s ong a reveller b u t the strain s th a t goo d
hymn Ro c k ge s T h e c il dre n are no longer afrai d
th e m an bu t clu st er aroun d hi s kn ee wi fe i s near
h er f a c e li t up i th a h appy glo w I s th at a pi cture
Regeneration I c an t ake you t o any s u c h h om e s m a d e
h appy by th e r egenera tin g po w e r th e religion C ist
 THE WA Y T O G OD

W h a t m en wan t th e powe r o v er c o m e t e m p t ation

power lea d a ri ght life
The on l y w ay ge t in t o th e king d o m Go d is be
born in to i t The law thi s c oun try r equ re s th a t th e
P re s i d en t sh ou d be born in th e c oun try When foreigner s
com e sh ore s th ey h ave righ t t o c o m plain again st
s u c h a law wh ich forb ids the m fro m e v er be c o ming P e s i d en ts
Now h a s no t Go d a ri ght t o m ake a law that all th o s e
be c o m e h eir s e ternal life m ust be born in t o Hi s ki n g
dom
un regene ra t e d m an wo ul d r a th er be in h ell th a n in
h e ven Take a wh o s e h ear t is full c orrup ti on an d
wi c ke d ne ss an d pla c e h i m in h eaven a m ong th e pure th e h oly
an d the r e dee m e d an d h e woul d no t wan t st ay th ere Ce r
i f we are t o b e h app y in h eaven m u st b e in m ake
a h eav en h ere earth eav e n i s a prepare d pla c e f or a
prepare d people If a ga m ble r a were t aken
th e stree ts New York an d pla c e d on th e c rystal pave
m en t h eaven un d er th e sh a d ow the tree life he
oul d s ay I d o n o t wan t t o st ay h ere If m en w ere t aken
heave n j u st a s th e y are b y na ture wi th ou t h aving th eir
h earts regenera t e d th ere wo ul d b e ano th er r ebell on h eaven
Heav e n i s fi lle d with a c o mpany th o s e wh o h a e b een I E

O RN
In th e th an d ve rs e s th i s ch ap t er we rea d A s
Mo s e s l ft e d up the s erpen t in th e wi l d erne ss even mu st
th e So n Man be lif t e d up tha t O S O E ER believ e th in Hi m
sh o d peri sh bu t h ave e t ernal l fe
Ma rk th a t L e t m e t ell y o u wh o are un s av e d wha t has
one He h a s d one every th ing th a t He c oul d d o t o
war d yo r s alva tion You nee d n o t wai t fo r Go d t o d o any
thin g m ore In pla c e he a s k s th e que stion wha t m ore
c o d he h av e d one I s aiah v He s en t Hi s prop h e ts an d
 THE G A TE WA Y IN TO THE IN GD O

th ey kille d th e m th en He s e n t b elo ve d Son an d th ey

m u d ere d Hi m He h a s s en t th e Hol y Sp i rit
in c e si n sh ow we are t o be s ave d
th i s ch ap ter we are t ol d h ow m e n are t o b e s av e d
nam ely b y H im wa s l fte d up th e c ro ss Ju st as
Mo s e s lif te d up the braze n s erpen t in the w l erne ss s o m u st
the Son Man be li te d up th at who s oe v er believ e th in H im
sh oul d n o t peri s h bu t h av e e t e al life So m e m en c o m
p l ain an d s ay th a t i t is ve ry unrea s onable th a t the y sh ou d be
h el d r e s pon si ble for th e sin a m an s ix thou s an d year s ago
It wa s lo g ago tha t a m an wa s t alking t o m e abou t
t i s inju stic e as he c al e d i t If a m an thi nk s he i s going
t o an swer in th a t w ay I t ell it wil no t d o him any
goo d If you are lo st it will no t be a cc oun t of d a m s si n
L e t m e il u stra t e th s an d perh ap s yo u w l be be tt er able
t o un d er stan d i t Su po s e I a m d ying c on s um p ti on whic h
I in h eri te d fro m m y fath er m o ther I no t ge t th e di s
ea s e by any faul t m y by any n egle c t m y h eal th I
in e ri te d i t le t u s s uppo s e A fri en d h appen s t o c o m e along
he look s a t m e an d s ay s Moo dy you are in a
ti on I rep ly I kno w i t ve ry w e l I d o no t w an t any one
t o t ell m e th a t Bu t he s ay s t here is a r e m e dy
Bu t I d o no t believe i t I h ave t ri e d the lea ng
phy sici an s in th is c oun try an d urope an d th ey t el m e
there is no Bu t you kn ow m e Moo dy you h ave
kno n m e for year s Ye s D o you thi nk t hen I
w ou d t ell a fal s e h oo d No Well t en year s ago
I w a s a s far gone I w a s given up by th e phy sician s t o die
bu t I t ook th is m e di ci ne an d i t c ure d m e I a m perfe c t ly
w ell look a t m e I s ay th a t i t is a v ery strange c a s e
Ye s i t m ay be strange bu t i t is a fa ct T s m e cine
cu e d m e t ake this m e di cine n d it will c ure yo u ough
i t ha s c o st m e a grea t d eal i t s h al c o st yo u anythi g D o
 THE TO

m ake light i t I b eg y ou Well I s ay I s o l d

like believe bu t th i s i s c on tra ry t o m y r e s on
Hearing this m y frien d goe a w ay an d r e turn s wi t
o th e r frien d an d tha t t e st fi e s th e s a m e th ing I a m
still d i s belie ving h e oe s away an d bring s i n ano ther
f ri n d an d a n o th er an d an o th er an d ano th er a n d th ey all
t e st y th e s am e th ing T h e y s ay th e y were a s b a d as
s elf th a t th e y t ook th e s am e m e d i cin e th a t ha s bee n o ere d
m e a n d tha t i t h a s cure d th e m My f rien d th e n an d s
m e th e m e cine I d a sh i t th e groun d I d o no t belie v e in
aving p owe r I die T h e rea s on i s then tha t I s purne d
re m e dy perish i t will be be c au s e A d a m
f ell bu t b e c au s e S purne d th e re m e dy o ere d t o s av
will ch oo s e arkne ss r a th e r than light the n sh all
y e e sc ape if y e negle ct grea t s alv a ion T h ere i s no
yo u if n egle ct th e re m e dy I t d oe s n o goo d t o look a t
th e woun d If we h a d been in th e I s raeli tish c a m p an d h a d
b e en bitten by o ne the fi e ry s e rpen ts i t woul d h av e d one u s
no goo d t o look a t the wou n d L ooking at th e woun d wi
n e v er s av e any W h a t you m u st is look a t th e
Re m e dy look away Hi m h a th powe r t o s a v e
fr o m y ou r sin
Be h ol d th e c a m p the I s raeli t e s look a t th e s c ene tha t
i s pi ture d t o your e y e s Man y are dyi g be c au s e th ey
negle ct th e re m e d y th a t i s o e r e d th a t a ri d d e s er t i s
m an y a sh or t an d tin y grave m an y a ch il d h a s b en bi tt en by
th e fi ery s e rpen ts Fath er s an d m o th er s are bearing a w ay
their ch il dren v er y on d e r th ey are j u st bur i g a m o th er
a love d m o th e r i s ab ou t t o be lai d in th e ear th th e fam ily
weeping gath e r aroun d th e belove d for m Yo u h ear th e
m ou rnful crie s you th e b i tt er t ear s T h e fa t h er i s bein g
born e aw ay la st re stin g pla c e T h ere i s wa n g goi g
up all o v er th e c am p Tear s are pou ring d own th o u s an ds
 THE G A TEWA Y INTO THE IN GD O

wh o h ave pa ss e d a w ay th ou s an ds m ore are dyi g an d th e

plague is raging fro m en d the c a mp t o the o th er
I s ee in t en t an I s raeli ti sh m o ther ben ding over th e
fo rm a belove d boy ju st c o m in g in t o the b l oo m life j u st
budding i t o m anhoo d S h e is p ng aw ay the swea t
d ea th th a t i s ga the ring upon h i s bro w Ye t a li ttl e while
an d his eye s are fixe d an d gla ss y fo r life is ebbing fa st a w ay
T h e m o ther s h eart stri ng s are t orn an d bl ee ding a t on c e
h ear s a noise in th e c a m p grea t s hou t goe s up Wh a t
d oe i t m ean S h e goe s t o the d oor th e t en t Wh a t is
th e o ise in th e c amp s he a s k s those pa ssing by
s om e s ay s W h y m y goo d w o m an h ave you no t h ear d
th e goo d news that h a s c om e in t o the c am p No s ay s
th e wo m an Goo d ne ws Wha t is i t h ave you
no t h ear d abou t i t provid e d a re m e dy W at
th e bi tt en t ell m e wha t the re m e d y is
Go d h a s in stru ct e d o s e s t o m ake a brazen s erpen t
an d t o it a pole in th e m id l e of t he c a mp an d He
has d e cl are d th a t wh o s oever look s upon i t s hall live T h e
sh ou t tha t h ear i s th e s hou t o f th e people wh en t hey s ee
the s erpen t l if te d up The m o t her goe s ba c k in t o the ten t
an d she s ay s My boy I have goo d ne s t o t el you
nee d die My m y boy I h ave c om e wi th goo d
t ng s y ou c an live He is alrea d y ge tti g he i s
so weak he c anno t w to th e d oor of th e t en t S h e pu ts h er
strong ar ms n d e r him an d lifts hi m up L ook yon d er
look ri ght th ere un d er th e h ill Bu t th e boy d oe s
any thing h e s ay s n ot any thi g what i s i t
m o th er s he s ay s K eep look ing you w i
it last he c a tch e s a g i p s e the gli st en ing s e pen t
an d h e is w ell thu s it i s wi th m any a young c onvert
So m e m en s ay w e d o not believe s u dd en c onver
si on s l on di d i t t ake th a t boy How lon
 THE WA Y T O G OD

di d i t t ake cure th o s e s erpe n t bi tt en I sr aeli te s It wa s ju st

a look an d th ey w ere well
T h a t He b rew b oy is a y oung c on v e rt I can fan cy th a t I
see h i m no w c alling all th o s e w h o were w i th him t o prai s e
Go d He see s ano th e r y oung m an bi tt en a s h e w a s an d
run s up h im an d t ell h i m nee d no t
th e young m a n r eplie s I c anno t li v e i t i s n o t po ssible
T h ere is p hysi cian I s rael wh o c an c ure m e He d oe s
k o w th a t h e n ee d no t die Wh y have you h ear d
th e n ew s Go d h a s p rovi d e d a re m e d y Wh a t re m e dy
Wh y h a s t ol d Mo s s t o lift up a b r aze n s erpen t an d
h a s s ai d tha t no n e th o s e wh o l ok upon th a t s e rpen t s h all
di e I can ju st i m agine th e y ung m an He m ay be wh a t
c all a n in telle ctual y oung m an He s ay s t o th e y oung
c onv er t do think I a m going t o bel i e v e any th ing
li e th a t the p h y s i cian s in I s rae canno t c ure m e
th ink th a t an bra s s erpen t on p o l e i s going t o c ure
me Wh y s ir I wa s as b a d a s y our s e lf You
Ye s I d o T h at i s th e m o st a st oni sh in g
th ing I ev e r h ear d s ays th e y o ung m an I wi sh
oul d e xplain th e p hi o s op hy it I c an no t I only
k ow th a t I looke d a t th a t s e rpen t an d I w a s c ure d tha t
i t I j u st looke d th a t i s all m o th er t ol d m e the
p o rt s th a t were being h ear d th rough the c a m p an d I j u st
wh at my m o th er s ai d an d I a m perfe ctly w ell Well
I do b elie v e you were bitt en as b a dly a s I have b een
T h e y oung m an p ull s u p h i s s leeve L ook th ere Th at
m ark sh ow s wh ere I was b itten an d I t ell you I wor s e
than you are Well if I un d er st oo d th e p h ilo s op hy it I
w oul d look an d ge t w ell L e t you r p h ilo s op h y go
Bu t a sk m e t o a n unrea s onable thing
If s aid Take th e bra ss an d rub i t into the woun d
th e r e might b e s o m e thing in th e bras s th a t wo ul d cure th e bi t e
 THE G A TEWA Y INTO THE IN GD O

Young m an e xplai n th e p hilo s ophy i t I h av e of te n s een

people before m e h av e t alke d in th a t way B u t th e
young m an c all s in ano ther an d t ake s h im in t o th e ten t an d
s ays Ju st t ell him the y ou an d he t e l s
ju st th e s am e sto ry an d h e c all s in o th er s an d th ey all say
th e s am e th ing
T h e you g m an s ay s i t is a very strange th i g If the
L or d h a d t ol d Mo s e s to an d get s o m e h erb s roo ts an d
st ew the m an d t ake th e d e c o cti on a s a m e dicine there w oul d
b e s o m e th ing in that Bu t i t i s so c on trary t o nature to
d o s u ch a thing as look at th e s e en t tha t I c anno t d o i t
length m o th er wh o h a s been in the c am p c o m e s
i n an d she s ay s boy I h ave j u st the bes t news in
the worl d for I wa s in th e c a m p an d I s aw hun
dre ds wh o were v ery far gone and th ey are all perfe c tly
w ell n o w T h e y oung m an s ay s I sh oul d like t o ge t
w ell i t is a v ery painful th ough t die I wan t t o go in to
th e pro s e d lan d an d i t i s t errible t o die h ere in th i s wil d er
ne ss b u t t he fact i s d o no t u n d er stan d t he re m e dy It
d oe s appeal t o m y r ea s on I c anno t bel i eve th a t I c an
ge t well in a m o m en t An d th e y oung m an die s in
hi s unbelief
provi d e d a re m e dy for thi s bitten I s raeli t e L ook
an d live th ere i s e ternal li f e for every poor sinner
L ook an d you can be s ave d m y rea der t s v ery hour Go d
h a s provi d e d a re m e dy an d i t i s o ere d T h e troubl e
i s a great m any people are looking a t th e po l e D o look
a t the pole th a t i s th e ch ur ch n ee d no t look a t the
ch ur ch th e ch ur ch i s ri gh t bu t the ch ur ch c anno t av e
L ook beyon d th e pol e L ook a t t he
L ook to Calvary Bear in min d si nner th a t Je s u s die d for
all nee d not look at min ister s they are j u st Go d s
ch o s en in stru m en ts t o h ol d up the Re m e dy to h ol d up Chri st
 THE WA Y TO G OD

An d s o m y frie n ds t ake y ou r eye s fro m m en t ake your

eye s fro m the c h ur c h L ift th e m up t o Je s u wh o t ook
a w ay th e s i n th e w orl d an d th ere will be life for fro m
thi s h our
T h ank Go d we d o no t require an e du c a tion t o t ea c h us
t o look T h a t li ttle girl th a t li ttle boy only four year s
wh o c anno t rea d c an look Wh en th e f ath er i s c o ming
h o m e th e m o th e r s a s h e r li ttle L ook look look
an d the li ttle ch il d learn s t o look long b efore he i s a y ea r
th a t i s th e way be s ave d I t i s look a t L am b
wh o t ake th a w ay th e s in th e worl d an d th e r e i s
lif e th i s m o m en t every who i s willing look
So m e m e n I wi sh I knew h ow t o b e s a v e d J ust
t ake Go d a t Hi s wor d an d tr ust Hi s Son th i s v ery d ay thi s
v ery h our th i s v ery m o m en t He will s ave you if yo u ill
tru st Hi m I i m agine I h ear s o m e s ay ng I d o feel
th e bit e a s m u ch a s I wi sh I di d I know I a m a sinner an d
all tha t b u t I no t feel th e bi t e enough m u c h d oe s
wan t y ou t o feel i t
When I w a s i n Belfa st I kn e w a d o c t or wh o a f rien d
lea ding su rgeon th ere an d he t ol d m e th a t th e s urgeon s
c u st o m wa s before perform ng any opera tion t o s ay t o the
patien t Take a goo d look at the woun d an d the n y our
e ye s m e an d d o no t t ake th e m till I ge t I
th ought a t th e ti m e th a t a goo d illu t ra t on Sinner
t ake a goo d look a t y our w oun d an d th en y ou r eyes
C hri st an d d o no t t ake th e m It is b e tter t o look at
the Re m e dy th an a t th e w oun d See wh a t a poor wre tch e d
sinner are an d th e n look a t th e L a m b o f wh o
t ake th a w ay th e sin the w orl d He die d th e ungo y
an d the s inner Say I wil l t ake H im m ay
h e lp l if t you r ey e t o th e Man o n Calv a ry An d a s th e
 G AT A I TO INGD O

looke d upo n th e s e rpen t an d we r e h ea l e d m ay

look an d live
f t er th e bat le P itts burgh L an ng I w a s in a h o s pi tal
at the mi e th e night I w a s arou s e d an d
th a t a m an i n th e war ds wanted to me I
t o h i m an d he c alle d m e ch plain no t th e
ch aplain an d s ai d he w an t e d m e t o h elp h im die I
s ai d I w oul d take y ou right up in m y ar ms and c arry
th e k ing d o m Go d if I c oul d bu t I c anno t d o i t I
canno t h e lp di e h e s ai d Who c an I s ai d
T h e L or d Je s u s C h ri st c an c am e fo r th a t purpo s e
sh oo his h ea d an d s ai d He c anno t s ave m e I h ave
sinned all m y life An d I s a id Bu t He c am e t o s ave s in
I th ought his m o th er in th e nor th an d I s ure
sh e w a s an xiou s th at he sh oul d die in pea c e I
s ol ve d I w oul d st ay with him I praye d tw o th ree tim e s
repeat e d all th e pro mis e s it w a s e id en t th a t
a few h our s he w oul d be gone I s ai d I w an t e d t o rea d
a c onv er s ation tha t C h rist h a d wi th a m an wh o w a s
abou t h is s oul I tu ne d to t he thir d ch ap t er Jo h n
eye s w ere ri ve t e d m e an d wh en I c am e to th e
an d th ver s e s th e a ss age bef re c augh t up th e
Mo s e s l t e d up s erpen t in the w d erne ss
s o m u st the Son of Man be i te d up that w ho s oever
in Him s hou l d no t peri s h bu t h ave e t er al li e
st oppe d m e and s a id I s tha t t here I said Ye s
a s ke d m e t o rea d i t again an d I di d s o He lean t his
elbows th e c o t an d cla s p i g h i s h an ds t oge th er s aid
That s goo d w on t you rea d i t again I rea d it th e thir d
ti m e an d th en wen t on wi th the re st of the ch ap t er Wh en I
h a d fi i s he d his eye s w ere c lo s e d his h an ds w ere fol d e d an d
th ere wa s a smil e on fa c e h o w w a s li t up W a t
a ch ange h a d c o m e over it I s a w hi s l p s quive rin g and
 THE TO G OD

leanin g over hi m I h ear d in a fai n t wh i s per Mo s e s lif te d

u p th e s erpen t in th e il d erne ss e v en s o m u st the
Ma n be lift e d up th a t wh o s oe v er b elieve th in Him sh oul d
pe ri h b u t h av e e t ernal life He O p ene d his eye and s ai d
T h a t s enough d on t rea d any m ore He lingere d a fe w
h our s pillo ng hi s h ea d on th o s e tw o ver s e s an d then wen t
up in C hri st s ch ario ts t ake his s ea t in th e kin g d o m
Go d
C h ri st s ai d t o Ni c o d e m u s xc ep t m an be b o rn gain
he c anno t s ee the kin g d o m m ay s ee m an y
c oun trie s b u t th ere is c o u n try th e lan d B eulah
wh i ch oh n Bunya n s aw in s ion you s h all ne v r be h ol d
unle ss ar e born again regenerat e d b y C h ri st You c an
look abroa d a n d s ee m an y b eauti f l tree s b u t the tree ife
you s h all nev er b e h ol d unle ss y our eye s are m a d e c lea r by
f ai th i n th e Savio u You m ay s ee th e b eau iful r iv er s the
earth m ay ri d e upon th eir b o s o m s bu t b ear in min d
th at y our w l ne ver re st upon th e riv er wh i ch bur sts
fr o m th e T h rone an d ow s through th e upper King
unle s s a r e b orn again Go d h a s s ai d i t an d
m an You will ne v er see th e ki g d o m e x c ep t are
b orn again m ay s ee th e king s an d lor d s th e ea rth
b ut th e King O f king an d L or d lor ds yo u wi l nev er s ee
e x c ep t are b o rn again W e n you are in L on d on
m ay g o th e Towe r an d th e c rown nglan d whi c h i s
wor th th ou s an ds d ollar s an d i s guar d e d th ere by s ol dier s
b u t b ea r in min d tha t y our eye will n ev er re s t upon th e crown
life e x c ep t ar e b o rn again
h ear th e s ong s io n wh i ch ar e s ung h e re b ut
s ong th a t Mo s e s an d th e L a m b th e un cir c u mci s e d
ear sh all n e v e r h ear i ts m elo dy wi l only gladden th e ear
th o s e wh o h av e b ee b orn again m ay look upon th e
b ea ut ul m an s ion s ear th b ut b ear in m in d th e m a n
 THE G A TE WA Y INTO THE ING D O

sion s whi ch C h ri st h a s gone t o prepare sh all ne v er see

unle ss are born agai It i s Go d wh o s ay s i t
m ay t en th ou s an d beau tiful th i ng s in thi s worl d bu t
th e ci ty th at brah a m c aught a gl m p s e an d fro m th a t
tim e be c am e a pilgri m an d s oj ourner sh a l never s ee
l e ss you are born agai n He b xi You m ay oft en
b e in vite d t o m arriage fea sts h ere bu t you ill ne v e r a tt en d
m arri age s upper th e L am b e x c ep t you are born again
I t is Go d who s ay s i t d ear frien d You m ay be lookin g
th e fa c e of your s ain t e d m o th er t o night an d feel th a t sh e i s
praying for you bu t th e ti m e ll c o m e wh en yo u sh all nev er
s ee h er m ore u le ss are born again
T h e r ea d er m ay be a young m an a young la dy has
re c en tly st oo d by th e be ds i d e a dying m o th er an d she m ay
h av e s ai d Be s ure an d m ee t m e in h eaven and m a de
th e pro mi s e you sh all never h er m ore e xc ep t
are born again I beli eve Je s u s Nazare th s ooner th an
th o s e wh o s ay do no t nee d t o be b o rn aga n
P aren ts if you h ope t o you ch il d ren wh o h av e go n e
fore m u st be born O f th e Spi t P o ss ibly yo u are a
fath er a m o th er has re cen tly borne a love d one t o th e
grave an d d rk your h o m e s ee ms Nev r m ore wi
s ee your chil d u e ss are born again If wi sh t o be
r un it e d t o your love d you m u st be born aga n I m ay
be a ddre s ing a fa ther a m o ther w ho h a s a lov e d up
yon d er If you c o d h ear th a t love d one s vo ic e i t w oul d
say Com e this w ay Have you a sainted frien d up
d er Young m an young la dy h ave no t a m o ther in
th e worl d O f light If you c o d h ear h er Speak w o d
sh e s ay Co m e this w ay m y s on Com e thi s w ay m y
d aughter If wo d e ver s ee h er m ore m u st b e
born agai n
 THE TO

We all h ave an l der Bro th er th ere Nearly nine t een

h un dre d year s ago He c ro ss e d over and fro m th e h eavenly
sh ore s He c a ng you t o h eaven L e t u s turn b a ck
upon the worl d L e t u s giv e a d eaf ear t o th e worl d L e t
u s look to Je s u s o n the Cro ss an d b e s av e d T h en sh all
d ay s ee th e Kin g in b ea uty an d we s h all go m o re
 T A SS

I w an t to Speak of tw o cla ss e s Fir st th o s e wh o do

feel th e ir need a Saviou wh o h ave not been c on vinc e d
sin by th e Spi ri t an d Se c on d th o s e w ho are c on vinc e d
s in an d c ry Wh a t m u st I d o t o b e s ave d
inquirer s c an be range d un d er h ea ds th ey h av e
eith er th e s pirit th e Ph aris ee or th e S piri t O f the publi c an
If a m an h aving th e s piri t th e Ph ari s ee c o m e s in t o an
af er m ee ting I kno w of no be tt er portion S c rip ture t o m ee t
h i s c a s e th an Ro m an s i t is w ri tten T h ere i s
none righteou s no no t th ere i s none tha t
th ere i s none th at s eeke th af te r Go d P aul is h e r e Speaking
th e na tural m an T h ey are all gone th e w ay th ey
are t oge th er be c o m e unpro fit able th re is none th a t d oe th
goo d no no t th e ver s e an d th o s e whi c h
fol lo w w e h ave the pea c e h av e th ey no t known
th ere is no fe r O f Go d before th eir eye s we kno w wh a t
thing s s oe ver t he law s a ith i t s aith t o th e m w ho are un d er
the la w th a t every m ou th m ay be an d all th e wo rl d
m ay be c o m e gu il ty before Go d
T h en ob s erve th e la st clau s e v er s e For th ere i s
no eren c e for all h av e s nn e d and c o m e sh or of the glory
Go d No t par t the hu m an fa m ily bu t h ave
s inne d an d c o m e sh or t of the glory of n o th er v er s e
wh ic h has been very m u ch u s e d t o c on vi ct m e n th eir s in i s
 THE TO G OD

J ohn i If we s ay th a t w e h ave no si n we d e c ei ve
o urs elv e s an d th e tru th i s in u s
I r e m e m ber th a t o n o ne o cc a si on we were h ol ding m e ting s
i n an ea st ern ci ty for ty th o us an d inhab itan ts an d a la d y
c am e an d a s ke d u s t o pray h er h u s ban d who m s he pur
po s e d b ringing into th e af ter m ee ting I h ave travele d a good
d eal an d m e t many p h ari s ai c al m e n bu t thi s m an cla d
i n s elf right eou s n e ss th at c oul d ge t th e p oin t th e
n e e dle convic tion in anywh ere I sai d hi s e I
a m gla d t o s ee yo ur fai th bu t we c anno t ge t nea r h i m h e i s
the m o st s elf right eou s m an I ever s aw S h e s ai d
t My h ear t will b reak if these meetings en d wi th ou t
c on v er s ion S h e per s i st e d in bringing hi m an d I al m o st
ti r e d th e sight h im
Bu t t owards th e clo s e m ee ting s th ir ty d ay s he
c a m e up t o m e an d p ut h i s tre m b l ing h an d m y sh o l d e r
T h e pla c e in whi ch the m ee ing were hel d wa s rather c ol d
th ere was an a dj oining roo in whi ch only th e ga s h a d
b een l ight e d an d he s ai d t o m e Can t c ome in h ere
a f ew m inu t e s I th ought th a t h e wa s h aking fro m c ol d
an d I di d par ti c ularly wish t o go wh ere i t wa s c ol d er Bu t
h e s ai d I a m th e wor st m an in the Sta t e erm on t I
wan t t o pray for m e I t oug ht he h a d c o mmi tt e d a
m ur d er o r s o me o th er awful c ri m e and I a s ke d I s th ere
any s in tha t par ti cularly trouble s h e s ai d
My wh ole life ha s b een a I h ave been a concei te d elf
ight eo u Ph a ri s ee I wan t t o pray me He wa s
un d er dee p c on vi ctio n Man c oul d have pro du c e d this
re s ul t but th e Spiri h a d bou t o clo c k i n th e m orning
light broke in upo n h i s s oul an d h e wen t up an d d own th e
bu s n e ss stree t th e ci ty an d t ol d wha t Go d h a d d on
hi m an d h a s een a m o st a ctiv e C hri stian e v er sin c e
 THE A SSES

T h ere are four o ther pa ss age s in d ea ling with inquirer s

whi ch w ere u s e d by Christ Hims elf erily verily I say
un t o th ee xc ep t a m an be born again h e c anno t see the
king d o m Go d John iii
In L uke iii we rea d xc ep t ye repen t ye sh a l all
likewi s e peri s h
In Matth ew xvi ii when the di sciple s c a m e Je s u s to
know wh o wa s t o b e th e greate st in the king d o m heaven
we are t ol d that He took a li t le c h il d an d s e t him in the mi dst
s aid eri ly I s ay un t o xc ep t ye be c onvert e d
an d be c om e a s littl e ch il dren ye sh all no t en te r th e ki g d o m
h eav en xvi ii
T h e r e i s ano th er i mportan t xc ep t in Ma tth ew v
xc ep t yo ur right eou s ne ss shall e xc ee d th e right eou s ne ss
the S c ribe s an d Ph a ri s ee s ye sh all in no case ente r th e ki g
h eaven
m an m u st b e ma d e mee t before he wi l w a t t o i to
th e king d o m Go d I wou d r a th er go in t o th e kin g d o m
wi th the younger b ro th er th an stay ou tsid e wi th the el d er
Heaven wo d be h ell t o such an el d er bro th er wh o
c oul d rej oi c e a t his younger bro th er s re turn w ou d no t be
fit for th e ing d o m Go d I t i s a s o l e m n thing t o con
t e mpla te bu t the c ur tain an d leave s ou tsi d e an d
th e younger b ro th er wi th n To hi m t he language t he
Saviour un d er o ther ci r cu mstan c e s s ee ms
ily I s ay un t o T h a t t he pub i c an s an d the h arlo ts go i n to
th e ki g d o m before you Ma tt
A la dy once came t o m e an d wan t e d a favor h er
t e r S h e s aid You m u st re m e m ber I d o not s ympa th i ze
wi th you in your d o ctrine I a s ke d Wh a t your
trouble S h e s ai d I t nk you abu s e th e e l d er bro ther
i s h o rrible I th i nk he i s a no bl e c h ara ct er I s aid that I
w lling t o h ear h er d efen d h im b u t th a t i t wa s a s olemn
thing t o t ake u p s u ch a p o si tion an d th a t th e el de r bro th e r
n eeded t o be c on v ert e d a s m u c h as th e younger When pe o
ple t alk be i ng m oral i t i s well t o ge t th e take go o d
look a t th e m an plea ding wi th h i s boy wo d

B ut will pa ss no w t o the o th er c la ss wi th wh i ch
h av e t o d eal I t i s c o m po s e d those are c onv n c e d
sin an d fro m w ho m the cry c o m e s a s fro m th e Ph ilippian
j ailer Wh a t m u st I do t o b e s ave d th o s e utter
thi peni t en tial c ry th ere i s n o n e c e ssi ty t o a dm ini st e r th e law
I t well t o bring th e st raight t o th e S crip t ure Belie v e
o n th e L o rd Je s u s C h rist an d th o u sh al t be s av e d A ct
xvi Many will ee t wi th a s c o wl an d I d on t
know wha t i t i s t o b el e v e an d th ough i t i s th e law h eav en
tha t th e y m u st b elie v e in or d e r t o be s av d ye t th ey a s k
s o m e th ing be s i d e s th at W e are t ell th e m wh a t an d w h e re
an d h ow belie v e
In Jo h n iii an d we rea d T h e Fa th er lov e th th e
Son an d h a th giv e n all thi gs i n t o H is h an d He tha t
o n th e Son e v erla sting life and he that belie ve th
th e s h all s ee li fe bu t the wra th abi d e th

th i s look s r ea s onable Man lo st life b y u nb elief

believing Go d s wor d an d we go t life ba c k agai n by
lie ving t aking Go d at Hi s wor d In o th er wor ds we ge t
up wh e r e d a m fell d o wn stu m ble d an d fell over th e
st one u nbel i ef and are lif te d up an d st an d upri ght by
b eliev ng When people s ay th ey ca n no t believe h ow th e m
ch ap ter an d v er s e an d h ol d the m righ t o thi s thing
Go d e v er b roken Hi s pro mis e for th e s e th ou s an d
y ear s T h e d e vil an d h ave b een trying all th e time a n d
h ave n o t s u c c ee d e d in showing that He h a s broke n a ingle
p r o mi s e an d th ere wo ul d be a j ub ilee in h ll t ay i f on e wo rd
 THE T WO A SSES

th at He has s poken c oul d be broke n If a m an s ay s tha t he

cannot bel i eve i t i s we l t o p e ss him that thing
I can believe Go d be tter t o d ay th an I c an my o w n h ea rt
T h e h ear t is d e c ei tful a b ove all t h ing s an d d e spera t el y
wicked wh o c an know i t Jer x vii I c an be ieve Go d
be tt er than I c a n m y s el f you wan t t o know th e w ay
Life be eve th a t Je s u s Christ is a per s onal Savi our c u t
away fro m all d o ct ne s an d c ree ds an d come right
the h ear t th e Son God If yo u have been f ee ng
d ry d o ctrine th ere i s m u ch growth th at kind foo d
D o ctrine s are to the s oul wh a t th e s treets wh ich lea d t o th e
h ou s e a fri en d wh o h a s i nvite d me t o d nner are t o th e
bo dy T h ey w l lea d me there if I t ake t he righ t bu t if
I re m ai n in th e streets m y hu ger wi never be s atisfi e d
Fee ding doctrin e is like tryi ng t o ive on h u s k s an d
lean indee d m u st th e s oul remain wh c h par t ake s no t the
Brea d s en t down fro m heaven
So m e a s k a m I t o ge t my h ear t warm e d It i s
b y bel e ving You d o ge t power t o love an d serve Go d
til you belie ve
The apo stle Jo h n s ay s If we re c e ive the witness of men
th e wi tne ss Go d is great er for thi s is th e witness of Go d
whi ch He h a th t e stifi e d of Son He th a t be li eve th on the
Son Go d h a th th e tne ss in hims e lf he that believe th
Go d hath m a d e Hi m a liar be c au s e he believe th no t th e
re c or d th a t Go d gave O f His Son th s the re c ord
th a t Go d h ath gi v en t o u s e t ernal l f e an d this life i s Hi s
Son He th a t hath th e h a t h l ife an d he tha t h a th no t
Son Go d hath fe Joh n v
Hum an a fair s wo d come t o a stan dsti l if w e no t
t ke th e t e sti m ony men Ho w sh oul d we ge t i n the
ordi nary in t er c our s e life an d h o w w oul d c omm er c e ge t on
we s regar d e d m en s t e st m ony T hing s s o cial a n d
 THE TO G OD

wo ul d c o m e t o a d e a d lo c k with in forty eight h ou r s

T h i s i s th e drift of th e apo stl e s argum en t h ere If
th e wi tne s O f m en th e witne ss Go d i s great er
has borne i tne ss t o e s u s C h ri st if m an c an be lieve
hi s fel ow men who are frequen tly t elling un t u th s an d wh o m
we are c on st an tly fi n ding unfa ithfu why sh oul d we t ake
Go d a t Hi s w o r d an d believe Hi s t e stim ony
Fai th i s a b elief in t e stim ony I t i s no t i n th e d ark
a s s o m e t el T h a t w oul d no fai th at all doe s
a s k any man t o believe w i th ou t giving h i m s om e th ing t o
believe m ight a s w ell a s k a m an to see wi th o ut eye s
h ear wi th o ut ear s an d t o walk with ou t fee t bi d
b elieve th ou t gi ving h i m s o m e th ing t o believe
W en I st ar t e d for Calif orn i a I pro c ure d a g ui d e b ook
T h i s t ol d m e th a t af t e r leaving th e S t at e Illinoi s I S h oul d
cr o ss th e Mi ss i ss ippi an d th en th e Mi ss ouri ge t in t o
b r a s ka th en over the Ro c ky Moun t ain s t o th e Mo rm on s e t
a t Sal t L ake Ci ty an d by th e way th e Sie rr
N v a d a in t o San Fran c i sc o I foun d th e gui d e book all righ t a s
I wen t along an d I S houl d have been a m i s erable sc ep ti c if
h aving pro v e d i t be c orre ct th ree four th s of w ay I h a d
s ai d tha t I wo d believ e i t th e re m ain der th e
jo u rney
Suppo s e a m an in re c ting m e t o th e P o st iv e
me t en lan d m ark s an d th a t i n my p r ogre ss there I fi n d nine
th e m be a s he t ol d m e I sh oul d have goo d r ea s o n
b elie v e tha t I wa s c oming t o t he P o st ce
An d if b y belie vi g I ge t a l ife an d a pea c e
a an d a re st t o m y s oul th a t I n ever h a d before if I ge t
s elf c on trol an d fi n d th a t I h av e a power t o re sist e vil an d t o
d o goo d I h av e pre tty goo d proo f th a t I am in the right roa d
t o the ci ty which ha th foun d ation s wh o s e buil d er and m aker
is An d i f thing s h a v e t ake n p la c e an d are t akin
 THE T WO A SSES

pla c a s re c ord d in Go d s Wor d I have goo d rea on

lu d e th a t wh a t yet re m ain s ll b e ful le d ye t people
t lk d oub ting T h ere c an be no tru e fai th where th ere i s
fear Fai th i s t o take a t Hi s w or d un c on di tionally
T h ere c anno t true pea c e where th ere i s fear P e rfe c t
l o ve c a st e th fear How w re tc he d a wif e woul d be if sh e
doub ted h e r h u s ban d an d how m is erable a mother wou d feel
if aft er h e r h a d gone away fro m h o me she h a d rea s on
fro m negle ct t o qu e stion th a t s on s d e v o t on Tr ue lov e
never has a d oub t
T h ere are three thing s in di s pen s able to faith knowle dge
a ss en t an d appropri ation
We mu s t kno Go d thi s i s lif e e ternal th a t th ey
might T h ee th e o y t rue Go d an d Je s u s Chri st whom
Thou has t s en t Jo h n xv i Then we m u st not only
ive a ss en t t o wh a t kno w but m u st lay h ol d th e
t ru th If a man simply give his assen t t o the plan O f s alv a
ti on i t will s ave h i m h e m u st a cc ep t Ch ri st a s
Sa our He m u st re c e i ve an d approp i at e
So m e th ey c anno t t ell h o w a m an s lif e c an be a e c te d
by his belief Bu t le t s ome c ry th a t o m e buil di g in
which we h appe n t o be sittin g i s fi re an d s ee h ow s oon
we s hou l d a ct belief an d ge t ou t We are the time
in uen c e d by wh a t we believe We c anno t h elp i t le t
a man bel eve th e re c or d th a t Go d has iven C hri st an d i t
w l very qui ckly a e ct h i s who l e li e
Take John v T h ere is enough t ru th in that v e rs e
eve ry s oul t o re st upon for s alvation I t does no t a dmi t
th e Sh a d ow a d oub t er y ve rily which m eans
truly truly I s ay u t o you He tha t heareth My w or d an d
beli eve th Hi m th a t ent Me hath t everla sti g li e
an d sha ll no t come i t o c on d e mnat on bu t i s pa ss d fro m
d ea th unto l fe
 THE WA Y TO G OD

if a per s on th e w o r d Je sus an d belie ve s

with th e h ear t Go d s en t the Son t o b e t he Saviour
th e w orl d an d lay s hol d an d appropria t e s th i s grea t salva
tion t here i s n o fear j udgmen t He wi ll no t be look i ng
for w ar d wi th drea d t o the Gr a t Whit e Throne for we rea d
in Joh n i v Here i n i s ou r love made perfe ct tha t w e
m ay h ave b ol d ne ss in the day j u dg m en t because a s He i s
s o are we in this worl d
If we believe th ere us c on d e mna tion no j u dg
m en t T h a t is behin d u s an d pa ss e d an d we shall have
b ol d e ss in the d ay j u d g m en t
I re m e m b er rea n g a m an wh o was on trial h i s life
He h a d fr i en ds wi th in uen c e th e y procure d a pardon
h i m fro m the k ng c on di tion tha t he to th ro u gh
the trial an d be c on d emned He wen t in t o c our t wi th th e
par d on in hi s po c ke t The fee ing ran v ery h igh aga in st him
an d the j u d ge s ai d th a t th e c our t wa s h o cke d th a t h e wa s
m u ch unc o ncerne d B u t wh en the s entence w a s pronoun c e d
he pulle d th e par d on pre s en t d i t and wa ke d a free
m an He ha s been par d one d an d h a v e we Then le t
d ea th c o m e we h ave nought t o fear th e grave digger s in
the worl d c anno t dig a grave large enoug h an d d eep enough
h ol d e ternal life all the m aker s in th e w orl d c anno t
m ake a c o n large enough an d tight enough h o l d e t ernal
life D ea th h a s h a d his h an d C h ri st on c e bu t never
again
Je s u s s ai d I am th e Re su rre ction and th e L ife h e th a t
b el eve th in Me th oug h h e were d ea d ye t sh all he live
wh o s oe v er liveth and be lie v e th in Me sh all never di e Jo h n
xi in th e po c alyp s e w e read tha t the ris en
Sav i our s ai d t o Joh n I a m He th a t l i ve th an d w a s d ea d
an d be h ol d I a m a ive for e v er m ore Re v i D eat
ann t t ou c h H i m again
 THE T WO A SSES

We ge t life by belie ving In fa ct we ge t m ore than d a m

l o st the r e d ee m e d ch il d Go d i s h e i r t o a ri cher an d
more gloriou s inheri t an c e than Ada m in P ara di s e c oul d ever
have c on c e ive d y ea an d th a t in h eri tan c e en d ure s forever
i s i n alienable
I woul d m u ch ra th er have m y l e hid with C h ri st in Go d
th an h av e l iv e d in P ara s e for d am mi ght h ave sinne d an d
fallen af t er be ing ther t en t hou s an d year s Bu t the bel i ever
i s s afer if the s e thing s be c o m e r eal t o him L e t u s m ake
them a fa ct an d no t a ficti on Go d h a s s aid it tha t is
enough L e t u s tru st Hi m e v en where we c anno t tra c e Hi m
L e t th e s ame c on fid en c e an im at e th a t w a s in little Maggi e
re l at e d in th e following sim ple bu t t ou ching i ciden t wh i c h
I rea d in th e
I h a d bee n ab s en t fro m h o m e for s o me d ay s an d wa s
won d ering a s I again d ra w near th e h o m e stea d if m y l ittl e
Maggi e j u s t able t o sit alone w o d re m e m ber m e To t e st
her m e m ory I st a ti one d myself where I c ou d s ee h er bu t
c ou d no t be s ee n by h er and c a le d her nam e i n the fa il i ar
t one Maggie S h e droppe d her playth ing s gl an c e d aroun d
th e room an d th e n looke d d o w n upon her t oy s gain I re
her na m e Maggi e w h en she on c e m ore s u veye d the
roo m bu t no t s ee ing h er t fa c e s he looke d very sad
an d s lo wl y re s um d h er e m p l oym en t n c e m ore I c alle d
Maggie wh en dropp n g her p l ay th ing s an d bu ting n t o
t ear s stretche d h er arms in the ire cti on when c e the
s oun d pro c ee d e d knowing th a t th ough c oul d no t s ee him
h er fa ther t t NE OI E
No w we h ave power t o s ee and to h ear an d we h ave
pow er t o bel eve I t is all fo ll y for th e i q er s to t ake the
grou d tha t they c anno t bel i eve They c an i f t hey w Bu t
troubl e w th m o st peopl e is tha t t hey h ave c onne ct e d EE
with E E I N ow Feeli ng has no th ng whatever to do
 THE TO G OD

wi th Be e ving T h e Bi ble d oe s n o t s ay th a t
h e th at an d bel ev e th h a th e v erla sting l e No thi g
th e k n d I c an n o t c on tr ol my feeling s If I c oul d I
sh o l d ne ver feel ill o r h ave a headache t oo th a ch e I
I sh o ul d be w ell all th e wh ile Bu t I c a n b elieve Go d an d if
we ge t fee t o n th a t ro ck le t d o u b t s f ear s c o m e an d
th e wav e s s urge aro un d us th e anch or will h ol d
Som e people the ti m e lookin g a t th eir f ai th Fai th
is th e h an d t ha t t ake s th e bl ss i n g I h ear d th i s il u str ation
a beggar Suppo s e were t o meet a m an i n tree t
who m h a d kno wn year s being a cc ust o m e d beg
an d y ou o ere d s o m e m oney an d he were s ay
I thank you I d on t wan t your m on e y I a m n o t a b eggar
is tha t L a st night a m an pu t a th o us an d d ollars
in t o m y h an ds He d i d di d kn ow i t wa s goo d
m oney I t ook i t t o th e bank an d epo s i te d i t an d h av e
go t a bank book d i d y o u ge t thi s gift I a s ke d
al ms an d af t er th e gen tle m an t alke d wi th m e he t oo k out
a th ou s an d d olla rs i n m oney an d pu t i t in my h an d H ow
know th a t he pu t i t in th e right h an d Wh a t I
care abou t wh i ch hand s o th a t I h av e th e m one y Many
people are alway s th i king whe ther th e fai th by wh i c h th ey
lay h ol d O f Chri s t i s th e right kin d b u t wh a t i s far m ore
e ss en tial i s t o th a t w e h ave th e righ t in d C hri st
Faith i s the e y e th e s oul an d wh o w oul d e v e r thi k
t aking a n eye s ee if i t ere th e right kin d lo n g as
th e s ight w a s perfe c t I t i s n o t m y t a st e b ut i t i s wh a t I
t a st e tha t s a ti sfi e s m y appe tit e So d ear frien ds i t i s t ak n g
a t Hi s Wor d th a t i s th e m ean s O f s alv a tion T h e
tru th c an n o be ma d e si m ple
T h ere i s a man l ving in th e ci ty New York wh o a
th e Hu ds on R iver Hi s d a ught e r h er family
wen t t o S pen d th e win t er wi th hi m and in th e c o u r s e th e
 THE T WO A S ES

s ea s on th e sc arle t fe v er br o ke little gi rl put in

quaran tin e be kep t s eparat e fro m th e re st v ery m o rnin g
th e gran dfa th e r u s ed an d bi d h i s gran d c hil d Goo d
bye before going h i s bu s in e ss o ne th e s e o cc a sion s
the li ttle thing t o ok th e m an by th e han d an d lea ng
him t o a c orner th e r oo m i th ou t s aying a w o r d sh e
po in t e d t o th e floor where sh e h a d arrange d s o me s m all
cra cker s s o th e y wo d s pell Gran dpa I wan t a
pain ts He s ai d no thing h i s ret urn ho m e h e h ung up
h i s over c oa t an d wen t t o th e room a s u s ual when h i s li ttle
gran d c il d ith ou t looking t o s ee if h er i sh h a d b een
plie d wi th t o ok h i m in t o th e s a m e c orner w here he
s pelle d in th e s am e way Gran dpa I th ank y ou the
pain ts Th e m an w oul d n o t hav e mi ss ed gra tify
in g the ch il d anything T h a t wa s faith
Fai th is t aking a t Hi s or d and th o s e peop l e
wan t s o me t oken are alway ge ttin g in t o t rouble We w an t t o
c om e t o thi s S S E IE E
Bu t s o m e Fai th i s the g ft Go d i s th e air but
you h av e b rea th e i t i s brea d bu t have to it
i s wat e r b ut h ave d rin k i t So m e are wan ti ng a
mira c ou s kin d O f feeling T h a t is no t fai th Fai th
c o m e th b y h ea rin g an d h earin g by the Wor d Rom
x T h a t i s wh en c e faith c o m e s I t i s n o t me s it
d ow an d wait for fai th t o c o m e st ealing o ver m e with a
strange s en s a tion bu t i t i s fo r m e t o t ake Go d a t Hi s Wor d
An d yo u c anno t bel eve u e ss have s o m e th ing b elie v e
t ak e the W o r d a s i t is wri tt en an d approp ria te i t an d lay
h ol d O f i t
In Jo h n w e rea d e rily ve ri y I s ay un t o
He th at b elieve th o n Me h at h everla st g l e I a m th a t
Brea d of f e T h ere is th e brea d right at h an d P a rt a e
it I ght h av e h ou s an d s wi t in m y h o m e an d
 T O G OD

m any h un gry men in waiting They migh t assen t t o the

fa ct tha t the bread there b ut unles s they each t oo k a l o af
a n d c ommence d ea ting their hunger w o ul d not be satisfied
Chri st the Brea d heaven an d a s t he b o dy fee d o n
n a tural f o o d so the s o mus t fee d Chris t
If a d rowning man s ees a rope thrown o u t t o re scue him
he m us t lay hol d o f it an d in o rder t o d o s o he mus t le t go
e very thi g else If a man is si c he m us t t a e the m e dicine
f o r s imp ly lookin g a t i t will no t cure him A knowl
edge Chri st will no t help the inquirer unless he be eve in
Him an d t ake s h o l d o f Him as hi s o nly The bi tt en
I s raelite s m igh t have believe d tha t the serp ent wa s li t e d up
but un le ss they had l oo ke d they w o ul d have l v e d
xxi
I believe tha t a c ert ain lin e steamer s will c o nv e y m e
c r o ss o c ean becau s e I have tri e d it but this will n o t
help an o ther m an wh o m ay wan t t o g o unle ss h e ac ts u po n my
kn owledge a knowledge of Chri st d o e s no t help u s ess
we a ct up on i t Tha t is wha t i t is t o believ L or d
Jesu s Chris t It t o ac t wha t we believe A s m an
s t ep s on boar d a st eamer t o cr o s th e Atla n ti c s o w e m us t
ta e Chris t an d make a c o mm i t men t o f oul s t o Him
an d He ha s p romi s ed t o kee p all who p ut their tru st in Hi m
To b liev e o n th e L o r d Je s u s C h i st i mply t o t k e
Hi s w o rd
 C O N EL

b d d h b TT

i s dange o us f o r th o se are seeking salva tion t o lean

upo n the e xp erien c e o ther pe ople Many are wai ting for a
r epe ti tio n the experien c their gran d a ther gran d
mo ther I ha d frien d who wa s converted in a fiel d and he
think th e wh ole t own ough t t o g o dow in t o tha t meadow
an d be c o nverte d An other wa s c onvert e d u der a bridge
an d think s tha t if any enquirer were to go there h e would
fin d the L o r d The bes t thi g for the an xious is t o g o righ t
t o the Word G od If there are any person in the w o rld to
whom the W o r d ough t t o be very pre ci o us i t is those who are
a s king to be saved
For in t an c e a m ay say I have n o strength Le t
turn t o oman s v when we were ye t without
stren th in d ue tim e Christ ed for the ung o dly I t is
cau s e have n o strength tha t we need Chris t He ha s c o m e
t o give s treng th t o the weak
Ano ther may s ay I cann o t s ee Chris t says I a m the
Ligh t the world J ohn viii He came not o y to
ive li ht b u t t o o pen the blin d eyes Isa xlii
An o ther m ay I do think a can b e saved
on c e A p erson holdi n g tha t vie the nq ry
room nigh t an d I drew attention to omans vi
The wages of is death but the God is ternal life
through Jesus Chris t L or d long d o e s it take to
accept a gift There mus t be a m o m en t whe n y o u have i t
 TO

not an d an o ther when you have m o ment when

nothe s th e n e x t when i t is y o ur s I t d oe s no t t ak
m on th s t o e t ernal l e It may however in s o m e c a s e s be
like the mu st ard s e e d very s mall a t the c om m e n c emen t
Som peo p le are c onv e rt e d so gradua y tha t like th e m orn
in g ligh t i t i s impo ss ible t o t ell when the daw n began while
wi th o ther s i t i s lik e the fla s hing a m t e o r and truth
bur sts u po n th e m s u dd e nly
I w ou d no t g o a cr o ss th e stre e t t o p ro v e when I con
e rte d bu t wh t i s i mpo rt an t i s f o r m e t o k no w tha t I r e y
h ave been
It m ay be tha t a c hil d h a s b een s o c ar e f lly t raine d th a t
i s i mpo ss ible t o t ell whe n t he bir th began bu t th e r m u st
have been m o me n t when the ch nge t oo k p la c wh e n he
b e c ame p ar t aker o f th e D i ne na tur
Some p e o ple d o no t believ e i n S E O ER S I O I
wi c hallenge t o s h o w a c onv rsi on th e
t men t tha t no t in st an t a e o u s J e s u s p s e d by He
s aw Levi s o n o f Alp heu s s i tting a t the re c eip t o f cus t o m
an d sai d un t o h im F o ll o w M e an d he r o s e f oll o we d
Hi m M tt ix o thin g c o ul d b e m o re s u dd en th n
th a t
th e p ubli c n s o gh t o s ee J e s u s a n d b c au s e
h e wa s i ttl e o f t a ture h e climbe d up a tre When J s u s
cam to pla c e He looke d u p an d hi m an d s ai d
m ak h a st an d c o m e d o n Luke xix Hi s
c onver s i o n m us t hav t aken p lace o m ewhere be t een the
branch an d the gr o un d ar e t o l d tha t e ceive d J
j oyfu ly an d s ai d Beh ol d L o r d the h lf o f m y g o o ds I giv e
t o the poor an d if I have t ake n any thin g from any by
f l s e ac c u s ti o n I res to re fourfol d L ke xix y
in th e s e d y c ou d s ay tha t i n r oo f o f th eir c on v e r s i
 C O UNSEL

The whole hou s e Cornel u s was c on vert e d s u d denly for

as Pe ter p rea ched Chris t t o him and his c om p any the H oly
Ghost fell on them and they were bap tiz e d Ac ts x
the d ay Pen t ec o st three th o usan d gla ly re c eive d the
Wor d They were n o t o nly c onver ted bu t they were b ap ti e d
the s ame d ay Ac t s ii
And when Phi ip t alke d t o the eunu c h as they wen t on
their way the eunu ch s aid t o Philip See here is water
wha t d o th h n d er me baptized o thing hindered
An d Phi p sai d If thou believes t with all thine hear t th o u
mayes t And they b o th went d o wn in t o the wa t er an d the
man grea t auth o ri ty un der Can d a c e the queen the thi
Opian wa s baptized and went his way rej o icing A ct s
viii Y ou will find all thr o ugh Scrip ture that c o n
versi o n s were sudden and in st antane o u
A man has b een in the habit st ea n g m oney from hi s
Suppose he ha s t ken in twelve mon ths
shoul d we t ell him t o take the next year an d les s the
nex t year an d the next un t il in five years the su m taken
would b e only That w o uld be u po n the s am e p in ciple
gra dual c o nversi o n
If s u ch a person were bro ugh t before the c o urt an d p ar
becau s e he could not change his m o d e o f life all a t
once i t w o uld be considered a very s ange pr o c ee din g
Bu t the Bible say s Le t him that stole steal more
iv It is right ab o ut face Suppose a pers o n
is in the habi t cursin g hun dre d tim es a day should
we a dvise him t o u tter m o re than ninet oaths the f o llo g
day an d eigh ty the n ext day that in the c ourse tim e he
would rid the habit The Savi o ur s ay s Swear no t
at all Ma t t v
Supp o se another man is in the habi t ge ttin g runk an d
b a tin g his fe tw ce a m o n th if he o nly d i d s o on c e a
month and then o nly once in six mon ths tha t wou d b e up on
the same groun d as reas o nable as gradual c onversion Sup
pose Anania s had been sen t t o Pa when he hi s way
t o D amascus breathing threatening s and slaugh t er again st
the disciples and c asting them in t o prison t o t ell him not t o
ki many as he inten d e d an d t o le t enmity die out o f
hear t gradually but n o t all a t o nce Sup p ose he had bee n
t ol d that w o ul d d o t o s t p brea thing o u t threa t ening s
an d slaugh t er an d t o c o m men c e preachi g Chris t all a t once
becau s e the philo s ophe s w o uld tha t the change was so
s udden i t would no t hold this w o ul d be the s ame kin d of
rea s o ni g a s is use d by tho s e do beli ve in
conversi o n
Then ano ther cla ss s ay th a t they are afraid tha t they will
hold This is a n umer o u s and very hopeful class I
like t o s ee a m an dis trus t hi s elf I t is a goo d thing t o get
such t o l oo k t o and t o remember ha t i t is not he
holds God bu t tha t i t is who hol ds him Some wan t to
ge t hold Chris t bu t the thing i s t o ge t Chris t t o t ake hol d
of you in answer t o prayer L e t s uch read Psal m cx xi I
will lift up mine eyes un t the hill fro m whence come th m y
he lp My help cometh from the L or d which made heave n
and earth He will no t su er thy fo o t t o be move d He that
keepeth thee will no t slumber B eh old He that keepe t h Israel
s hall nei ther slumber nor sleep The L or d is thy keeper
the L o r d is thy shade u po n thy right hand The s un shall
no t s mite thee by n o r the m oon by nigh t The Lor d
shall preserve thee from all evil He shall p reserve thy so l
The Lord shall preserve thy going an d thy c o m ing in fr o m
this time for th a n d even evermore
Some o ne c alls tha t the t raveler s psal m I t i s a beautiful
p salm for those o f are p ilgrim s through thi worl d
with which s h o uld be well acquain t e d
 O DS C O UNSEL

God can d o wha t He has done b efore He kept Jo e p h in

g p t Moses before Phara oh D an iel B a bylon an d
a bled l ij ah t o st an d befor ab that dark day An d I
am than ful t ha t these I have mentione d were m en like
passi o ns th ourselves It was God made them
great Wha t ma n wants is t o look to God eal true faith
is m an s weakness leaning G o d s strength When man has
no strength if he leans Go d he becomes powerf The
trouble is tha t we have too much s trength an d c onfiden c e in
o ur elves
Again in Hebrews W erein Go d w llin g m ore
abun d an tly to show u t o the heirs pro mise the im muta
His counsel c onfirmed it by an oa th tha t by two
mutabl e thin g s in wh ch it was impo s sible f o r G o d t o lie we
migh t have a strong cons olation wh o have fled for refuge to
lay hol d up o n the hope before which hope have as
an anch o r the s oul both s re and t eadfast an d which
en tereth into tha t wi thin the vail whither the F o rerunner is
for us entered even Jesus m ade an h gh p ries t for ever af t er
o rder Melchisedec
these are p recious verses t o those who are af ai d
falling wh o fear that they wi not ho l d out It is God s work
t o hold I t is the Shepherd s business t o keep the sheep
Wh o ever hear d of the sheep going to b ring ba c k shep
herd Peop l e have an idea that they have to keep themselves
and Christ too It is a fal s e idea It is the work the
Shepher d t o look after them and t o t ake care t o se who
t rust Him An d He has promise d to d o it I once heard
tha t when a s ea cap t ai n was dying h e sai d Glory to
the anchor holds He truste d in Christ His anchor
had taken hold of th e s o lid rock An Iri shman said on
occa s ion that he trem bl ed but the ock never We
want get sure fo o ting
 In Ti m o thy i Paul s ay s I kno w who m I h ve
believe d an d a m p e rsua d e d tha t He i s abl e t o keep tha t whi ch
I have c o mmitt e d un t o Hi m again st tha t d ay Th t
Paul s p ersua s io n
D ur ng th e la te of r e b elli on one o f the c hap lain s
g o ing thro ugh th e h o s pi tal c am e t o m a n wh o dying
Fin din g tha t h e a Chri stia n h e s ke d wh a t p er s uasi o n
he bel o nge a n d t ol d Pa s p ersua si on Is he a
Me th o di st he s ke d f o r th e M e th o dis ts all clai m Paul
he Pr e s by rian f o r th e Pre s by t eria n s lay
spe cia clai m t o Paul wa s the answer Do s h e
belong t o th e pi s c opal Chur ch fo r t he pi sc op alia n
bre thren c on t e n d th a t they have clai m t o the Chief Apo stle
h e wa s no t a n pi sc op a ia n Then t o wha t
ua s i on d oe s he bel o ng I a m p er s u d e d tha t He i s able
t o ke p tha t whi c h I h av e c o m i tte d u n t o Hi m again st tha t
day I t i s a gran d pe r s ua si on a n d i t gave t h e d yi n g s o l i e r
re st i n a hour
th o s e fear th a t th e y w ll no t h ol d ou t tu n t o
ver s e o f the pis tle Jude unt o th a t is
able t o kee p y o u fro m fa ling an d t o p re s e n t y o u f ul tl e ss
fore th e p r e s e n c e o f His gl o ry wi th e x c ee ng j oy
T h en l oo k I s aiah xli Fear h o u n o t f o r I
wi th thee be no t d i sm aye d f o r I a m God I ll
s tren gthe n thee I h elp thee yea I wil uph ol d th e
i th the igh h an d of My righ t e o u s ne s
The n s ee ver s e For I L o r d th y G o d ill h old
th y righ t han d s ayi g un t o thee Fear n o t I will hel p the
if G o d ha s go t hol d o f m y righ t han d in Hi s c ann o t
He h ol d me an d k e ep m e Has no t G o d the po wer t o ke ep
The grea t G o d wh o m ade heaven and earth kee p a poo r
sinner like y o u a n d like m e if we trus t Him T o refrain fro m
feeling c o nfi d en c e in G o d for fear o f fal ing w o ul d lk
 R C U S L

m an re sed a par d o f o r fear that he sho d ge t in to

prison again d rownin g man who re s e d t o be re s cued
for fear of fall g in t o the wa t er aga in
Many men look fo rth a t the Christian life a n d fear that
they wil n o t have str e ngth t o h ol d ou t t o the end
They f o rge t the promise tha t a s d ay s thy s trength D eut
xx xiii I t re min d s me the pen d ulum to cl o ck hi ch
grew d shear ene d a t the th o ught havin g t o travel so many
thousan d s mi e s but when i t refle c ted that the dis t an c e
t o be accompli he d by tick tick ti ck i t too k fresh
c o urage t o go it s d aily j ourney So i t is the s pecia l privilege
of the Christian t o c o mmit himself t o the keeping hi s
heavenly Father an d trust day by day is a c o m
for ting thing t o kno w that the L o rd will not begin g oo d
w o rk with o u t al s o fini shin g i t
There are kin ds s c ep ti c s class wi th h o ne st
di ficu tie s an d ano ther class wh o d e ight o nly in di sc u s
si o n I used t o th n k tha t this la tter clas s wo d alway be a
th o rn in my flesh bu t they do p rick me I xpe c t
t o fin d the m righ t al o ng the j ou ney Men of this s t am p use d
t o hang aroun d Chri st t o entangle Him in talk They
c ome into o ur m ee tin gs t o h ol d a iscussio n To all such I
wo d c o mm en d Pa s a d vi c e t o Timo thy Bu t fo o sh and
unlearne d ques tions avoi d k owing tha t they d o gender
strifes Tim earne d ques tion s Many
y o ung c onver t s make a woful s t ake They think they are
to defend the whole Bible I knew very little the Bible
when I was first convert ed and I thought tha t I had to defend
it fro m beginnin g t o end agai st all comers bu t a B oston
hold me floored all my argumen ts a t o nce and
d sc ouraged me But I have o ver tha t now There
m any th ng s in the W o r d G o d tha t I do n o t profess
un d ers t and
 When I a sk e wha t I d o wi th them I I d on t
d o any thing
do e xplain th e m I d o n t explain th e m
Wha t d o you d o wi th the m Why I believe the m
An d hen I am t old I woul d believe anythi g th t I
d o n o t u n d ers t and I simply re p ly tha t I do
There are m any thin gs whic h wer d ark an d mys t eri o u
five year s ag o on which I h ve sin c e h ad a fl o o d o f ligh t an d
I expe ct t o be finding ou t s o m e thing fre sh abou t G o d through
ou t e t erni ty I m ake p oin t o f n o t discussing disputed pa s s
ages S c rip ture An d ivin e ha s s ai d tha t s o me people
they wan t t o ea t fi s h c o mm e n c e by pi c king th e b o ne s I
leave su ch thing s ti l I have ligh t on them I am n o t b o un d
t o explain wha t I d o no t c omprehe n d The s e c re t thing
bel o ng unt o the L o r d o ur G o d bu t th o s e thin gs whi c h are
reveale d bel on g un t o us a n d t o o ur ch l d ren for ever D eut
xxix an d the s e I t ak e a n d ea t fee d u po n i n o r d er
t o ge t s p iritual streng th
Th n there i s a li ttle s oun d a d vi c e i n Ti tu s Bu t
v o i d oolis h ques tions and gen e alogie s an d c o n t en ti on s an d
striving s ab o ut the law f o r they are unpr o fi t able and vain
Bu t here c om es a n hone st sc e p t c Wi th hi m
d eal a s t e d erly a s m o ther with h e r si c k child I h ave no
s ymp a thy wi th those people wh o be c au s e m an i s sc ep ti c l
ca st hi m an d will have n o thing t o d o wi th him
I was in an Inquiry mee ting s o m e ti m e ag o an d I h n d
o ver t o Chris tian lady wh o m I ha d known s o me tim e o n e
who wa s s c ep ti c al l o oking r o un d s oo n after I no ti c e d
enquirer m ar ching o u t o f the hall I asked Why have y o u
her g o s he i s a s cepti c the re p ly I ran t o
the d oor an d g o t her t o s t p and in tro duce d her t o ano the
Chris tia n w o rker wh o s pen t over an h o ur in c on ver s a ti o
p rayer wi th her He vi s i t e d her h e r hu s b n d
 ORD S C O UNSEL

c o ur s e o f w ek tha t in t el gent lady c as t her

c me ou t an a ctive Christian It t ook t me tac t
an d prayer bu t if a erson o f this clas s is ho e st we ough t t o
deal w th such an a s the Mas ter w o ul d have us
Here are a few passage for doub ti g enquirers
If any man ill d o His will he shall kno the do c
trine whe ther it be or whe ther I speak myself
John If a man i s w ing to do the will Go d
he wi l know the doctrine There is no class scep t c s
wh o are ign o ran t the fa ct tha t God desires them give up
sin and if a man is wi ling t o turn from sin an d take the
ligh t and thank Him f o r what He doe s give and no t exp e ct t o
have ligh t the wh o le Bib l e all at o nce he ll get more
light day by day make pr o gress step by step an d led
righ t ou t darkness in t o the clear light heaven
In D aniel we are to l d Many s ha l be urified
an d made white an d t ied but the wicke d shall do ickedly
an d none the cked s hall unders t and bu t the wi s e s hall
un ders t and
G od wi l never reveal His secre t s t o His ene m ies
ever An d if a man per s is ts in livin g in s in he wi n o t
kn ow the d o c t nes of G o d
The secret L o rd i s w th them tha t fear Him a n d
will show them His c ovenant xxv
An d in John xv we read Hencefo rth I call you
serv n ts for the servan t no eth n o t wha t his Lord d oe th
bu t I have ca ll ed you friends for all thing s that I have heard
of m y Fa ther I have made n own unto y o u When y o u
c o m e frien ds Chris t will no w His se cre t s The Lord
s i d Shal I hi d e f o m Abraham the th n g s w ch I d o
G e n xviii
th o e wh o re s e m ble God are the m o st ely un d er
t n d Go d If a m an is w ling to turn f om he wi
 T O G OD

n o t kn o w G o d s w ll n or will reveal Hi s s e c re ts t o hi m
Bu t if a m an is willin g t o turn fro m sin he wi be s urp i s e d
t o see the ligh t wil c o m e i n
I remember o n e nigh t when the Bi bl e was th e driest
an d darkes t b oo k in univer s e t o me The nex t d ay i t
b ecame entirely d i eren t I though t I ha d the key t o i t I
ha d been born of the Spiri t B u t bef o re I knew anythi of
the m ind Go d I ha d to give up m y I believe Go d
m ee t every s o ul spo t o f s elf s urren d er an d whe they
willin t o le t gui d e an d lea d The trouble th
m any s cep ti cs is their s elf concei t They know m ore than the
migh ty an d they d o no t come in t eachable s piri t Bu t
the mome n t a m an c ome s in a re c ep tive s p iri t blesse d
fo r If any o f y o u lack wi sd o m le t him a s k God tha t give th
t o all me n liberally an d u p br i d e th no t i t s hall
iven hi m J me
 A D V E SA VI O UR

Th T
T

m et wi h a cer t ain c lass of nquirer s wh o do not

lieve in the D ivinity of Chris t There are many pa s sages that
will give ligh t this sub j ect
In C o rinthian s xv we are t old The first man is
of the earth earthy the sec o n d man i s the L o r d fr o m
heaven
In John v We know t a t the Son of God is come
and ha t h given us an understanding tha t we may know
tha i s true and we are in Him tha t is true even in S on
Je sus Christ This is the true God and eternal li e
Again in John xvii And t s life eternal that they
migh t kn ow The e the o nly t ue and Jesu s Chris t wh o m
Th o u hast s ent
An d then in Mark The high priest sto o d up in
the mids t and asked Jesus saying An s erest Thou nothin g
What is it which these witness again s t thee But He held
peace and answered nothing Again the high priest
asked Him an d said unto Him Art Thou the Chris t the Son
the Blesse d An d Jesus sai d I am an d ye shall see the
Ma n si tt n g the righ t han d of power and c o m g in
the cl o u d s heaven Then the h gh priest rent cl o thes
and saith a t need any further wi tne s ses Y e have
heard the b lasphemy what th nk ye they all
em ed Him to be i t of death
 T O G OD

wha t bro ugh t me t o believ e in the D ivini ty o f C h i st

was thi s I did n o t kn o w where t o pla c e Christ o r wh t t o
do with Him if He were n o t divi n e When I a boy I
th o ugh t tha t He wa s a g o o d m an like M o se s Jo s eph Abra
ham I even th o ught tha t He the bes t man who had ever
live d the earth B u t I foun d tha t Chri t had a higher
clai m He clai m e d t o be G o d Man t o be vine t o have
c o me fr o m heav n He s ai d Bef or e Abraham wa s I
J o hn viii I c o ul d n o t un d er st a n d thi s an d I wa s
d riven t o the c on clu s ion an d I challenge any can di d m a n t o
d en y the inferen c e o r m ee t the argu m en tha t Je s us Chri s t
i s either a n impo st or or de c eiver o r He is the Go d
m anife st in the fle s h An d f o r th e s e reason s fir st c o m
m an dm n t i s Th o u shal t have no o ther go ds bef o re Me
xo d xx Look a t the milli o n s throughout Chri st endom
wor sh ip Je s us Chri st a s G o d If Chri st be G o d this
i s idola try We are all guil ty of bre aking the firs t c o mm and
m e n t if Je s u s Chris t w e r e m ere m a n H e wer c rea t e d
bein g an d no t wha t He c laim s t o be
S o me people d o n o t a dm it Hi s d ivin i ty s ay tha t He
was the bes t man ever live d bu t if were Di e
tha t very rea on He ough t n o t t o b e re cko n e d a g oo d m an
laid claim t o a n h o n o r a n d di ni t t o whi c h thes e very
people de clar e H e h ad no ri h t o r ti tle Tha t w o ul d rank Him
a s a e c eiver
ther s s ay th t He th o ugh t He divine but tha t He
was eceive d A s if Jesu s Chri st were carrie d away by a de
an d d ec ep tion an d though t tha t He m o re than He
wa s I c o ul d c o n c eive o f i d ea of Je s u s Ch i st than
that Thi s w o ul d n o t o nly m ake Him an impo st or bu t
that He wa s ou t Hi s min d an d tha t He di d n o t kn o w
He o r wh e re H e c a m e fr o m if Je s u s Chri st
 A DI VINE SA VI O UR

no t wh a t He cla m e d t o be the Saviour of the w o rld an d if

He did no t c ome fr o m heaven He a gross deceiver
Bu t can any o ne rea d the fe Jesus Chri st a n d
make Him a deceiver A man has genera ly s o me motive
being an impos t o r What Christ s motive He knew
tha t the course He wa s p ursuin g wo d co n duct Him to the
cro s that His n ame would be cast as vile and tha t
man y Hi s f oll o wers w o ld be called upon t o lay down their
live s for Hi s sake early every the apostles were
martyrs and they were c o n s idere d as scouri g and ref se
in the m id st the people If a man is an impostor he has a
m o tive a t ba ck o f hi s hypocrisy But wha t was Christ s
o bj ec t The record i s tha t He went abou t doing good
This is n o t the work an i mpo s t o r Do le t the enemy o f
y o ur s o deceive you
In John v we rea d F o r a s the Fa ther raise th up the
d ead and q ckeneth them even the S o n q ickeneth wh o m
He w ll For the Fa ther j udge th no man b u t hath commit
te d all j udgmen t unto the S o n tha t all men sho ld honor
the Son even as they h o n o r the Father He that honoure th
the Son h onoureth no t the Father whi c h ha th s e n t

n o tic e by the Jewish a m an were a bla s

he to b e put t o death and supposi g Chri s t to b e
mere ly human this be no t blasphemy I d o not know where
wi find it He ha t honou eth not the Son honou eth
no t the Father Tha t is d o w right b lasphemy if Christ be
n o t divine If M o ses l j ah or li sha any other
mortal ha d said Y ou m ust honour me as honour
an d had pu t h m self o n a level with God i t w o d have bee n
d o wnrigh t blasphemy
The Jews put Chri s t to death b ecau s e they said that He
not what He claim e d t o be It o n that testimony He
 T O G OD

wa s p u t u n d e r o a th Th e high p ri e st s ai d I a dj ure The e

by th e livin g G o d that Th o u tell u s wh e th er Th o u b e the
Chri st So n o f G o d Ma tt xx vi An d whe n the
Jew s c a m r o un d Hi m a n d s aid l o n d o s t Thou m ke
u s t o d o ub t If Thou be the Chris t t ell u s p lain y Jesus
s ai d I a n d My Fa ther are on e Then the Jew s t oo k up
to ne s again t o st o n e Hi m J o hn x They s aid
they no t wan t t o hear m ore f o r tha t wa s bla s p h e my It
f o r d e claring Hi ms elf t o be th e S on o f G o d tha t H e was
c o n d emne d a n d p u t t o d ea th Ma tt xxvi
if Je u s C h i t w e re m e re m an the ew s di d right
cc o rdin t o th e ir i n p u ttin g Hi m t o d ea th Leviti c us
xxiv re h e th a t blasphe m e th the n a m e
L o rd h e shall s urely be p u t t o dea th a n d the c o ngre
s h ll c e r tainly st o ne him a s well the s tranger as he
tha t i s b o rn in the lan d wh e n he bla sph e m e th th e n a m e o f
L o r d s hall be p u t t o d ea th
Thi s oblige d th e m t o p u t t o d e a th every on e wh o bla s
I t wa s m aki n g the st a t emen t that He wa s d iv ne
tha t c o s t Hi m Hi s life an d by the Mo s ai c He ough t t o
have s u ere d the death p enal ty In J o h Chris t s y s
All thing s tha t the Father hath are Mine theref o re ai d I
t ha t H e hall t ak e Mi e an d shall sh o i t un t o y o u H o w
c o d He be m erely good m an u s e language a s tha t
d o ub t h a s eve r n te re d m y m in d on th e s in c e I
wa s c o nvert e d
A no t ori o u s s inne r wa s on c e a s k e d he c o l d p r o v e th e
ivin i ty of Chri st Hi s an s w e r Why He ha s s ave d m e
an d tha t i s a p re tty g oo d p r oof i s i t no t
An infidel o n e o c c asi o n s ai d t o m e I have be en stu dy
in g th e life o f J o hn the Ba p tist Mr Mo o dy Why d on t yo u
p reach him He wa s a gre a r chara cter than Chri st Yo u
w oul d d o a grea t er w o r I ai d t o him My frien d
 A D VINE SA

preach J o hn the Bap tis t and I wi foll o w y o u an d pr ach

Chris t and we will s ee wh o ill d o the m o s t goo d
l d o th e m o st he s aid be c ause the people ar e
super sti ti o us Ah John was behea d e d and dis ciple s
begge d body an d burie d i t b ut Chris t has risen fro m the
dea d He ha s as c ended high He ha s le d ca p tivi ty c ap
tive an d re c eive d g f t s men lxviii
Chris t ES Many people have n o t fou d that
Chris t ha s risen from the grave They w orship a dead
Saviour like Mary who said They have t aken away my
L o rd an d I kn o w n o t where they have laid John
xx Tha t i s the tr o uble i th tho s e wh o d o ub t the v i ty
o ur L o r d
Then l oo k a t Ma tthew xvii Where tw o thre e are
ga there d to gether in My name th e re am I in the mid st
th e m T HE R E I Well n o w if He i s a m ere how
c an He be there All the s e are s tr ong pa ss age s
Again in Ma tthew xxvi And Je s us came and sp ake
u t o them s aying power is given u t o Me in heaven and
earth Coul d He a mere ma n an d t a k in tha t way
p ower i s given un t o Me heaven an d earth
Then agai in Ma tthew xxviii Teachin g them to
bserve whatsoever I have c o mm ande d and
am wi th alway even u to the end the w o rld If
were mere man c ould He wi th us Y e t He says
I am with you alway even unto the en d the world
Then again in Mark ii Why doth this Man thus
speak bla s phe es who can forgive sins but only And
imme ately when Jesu s perceived in His Spirit that they rea
ithin themselves He s id un t o them reason ye
these thi gs in you hearts Whether i s i t easier t o
to the sick the pal sy Thy si s b e for iven thee to
Arise an d t ke be d Wa k
 T O G OD

Som m en will m e t y o u D i d no t lisha lso

raise the dead o tice tha t in the rare i s t an c e s in wh ch
m en have raise d the d ea d they di d i t by the p ower of God
They c alled o n t o do i t Bu t when Christ wa s o n earth
He di d no t c all upon the Father t o bring the d e a d t o life
he n we n t t o th e h ouse J He sai d D a m sel
s ay un t o th ee Ari s e Mark v
He ha d po wer t o i mpar t l fe Wh e n they we r e c arrying
th e y ou g m a n o u t ain He ha d c o m p a ss i o n on the wi d
o we d m o th e r an d ca m e an d t ouche d th e bier an d s aid Yo u g
m an s ay un t o thee Ari s e Luke vii
He sp ake an d the d ea d ar o se
An d when He ra i se d L azarus H e c alle d with a lou d v o i c e
L azaru s c o me f o r th J o hn An d L azaru s h rd
c a m e for th
S o m e one h a s s ai d I t wa s a g oo d thin g tha t L azarus
m en t on e d by name o r all the dea d within the s o un d of
Chris t s voice w o ul d i mm e ately have risen
In J ohn v Jesu s s ay erily ver y I s ay un t o
y o u The h o ur i s c o ng an d is when the dea d shall hear
the v oi c e the S o n an d they tha t hear sh ll live
Wha t bla s phe m y w o l d thi s have be en ha d He no t been
d ivin e The pr oo f o verwhelming y o u will bu t e x am in e
th e W o r d o f G o d
An d then ano ther thing n o g oo d m an e xc ep t Je s u s Chris t
h a s ever all o we d anyb o dy t o wo r s hip hi m Whe n thi s
d o ne He never rebuked the worshiper In J o hn ix we
e a d tha t wh en the blin d ma n f o und by Chris he said
L o rd I believe An d he w o r ship ed Him The L o r d di d
no t rebuke h im
Th e n ag in evela ti o n xxii runs t hus An d he s ai d
un t o me These things are fai thful an d true and the L o r d
G o d o f the h oly s en t Hi s ng l t o sh o w un t o
 A DI VINE SA VIO UR

servants the thi g s which m ust sh or tly be done Beh old I

come q ckly blessed is he that keepe th the sayings of the
p rophecy this book And I John these things and
heard them An d whe I had heard and seen I fell down to
w o rship befo re th e fee t the angel which showed me these
thing s Then s aith He un t o me See th o u d o i t for I am
thy fel ow ervan t and o f thy brethren the and
them which keep s ayings thi s b ook
We here tha t even tha t angel woul d allow John t o
worship him ven an angel fro m heaven if Ga b riel
came down here fro m the pre s en c e Go d i t would b e a sin
t o w o rship him any s eraph any cherub Mi chael o r
any archangel
WOR S HI An d if Jesus Chi st were n o t man i
fe st in the flesh we are guilty idolatry in w o rshipi g Him
In Ma tthew xiv we read Then they that were in the
ship came an d Him saying a tru th Th o u ar t the
Son God He did n ot rebuke them
An d in Ma t thew v i we a l so read An d behol d
there came a leper and Him saying L o rd if Th o u
wil t Thou canst make me c l ean
In Mat thew xv Then c a m e she and Him
s ying L ord help me
There are many other pas s ages but I g ve the s e a s
cient in my Opinion t o prove bey on d any d oubt th e D iv nity
Lor d
In the th chap t er A ct s we are told the hea then o f
Lystra came wi th garland s an d w o d have d o ne s acrifice t o
Paul and Barnabas b ecause they ha d cure d an imp o t en t man
b ut the evangelists rent their c l othes and told these
tha t they were bu t m en and not t o b e worsh pped a s if
were a reat sin An d Jesus Christ i s a m ere m an are
uilty o f grea t sin in wor s p pi g Him
 T O G OD

Bu t if He as we believe the o nly beg o tte n an d we l

b el o ve d of G o d le t us yi el d to His claims up on us le t us
re st on Hi s a t on i g w o rk a n d g o f o rth t o s erve Hi m the
d y o ur life
 REPENTA N A ND RES T UTI ON

mm d h y h

is the u d am e n t al d o ctri e s o f th e
Bible Y et I believe i t is those tru th s tha t m any
pe ople i ttle u n d e rs t an d at the presen t d ay There are m ore
people to d ay in the s t an d darkn e s s about epentance
egenera tion the At o nemen t an d such like fundamental
truth s than p erhap s on any o ther d o c tri e s Y e t from o ur
earlies t years we have heard about the m If I were t o
for a de fi nition epentan c e a great m any woul d ive a very
s trang and false idea o f it
m a n i s no t p re p are d be ieve o r t o re c eive the G o sp el
unless he i s rea dy re p ent his s n and turn fr o m them
ntil J o hn the Bap ti st met Chri s t he had but text
pent ye the kingdom of heaven is at hand Ma t t
Bu t if he ha d continued to say th s and had s t oppe d there
withou t p oin tin g the people to Christ the L amb of he
w o d no t have accomplishe d much
When Chri s t came He t ook up the same wi l d ernes s cry
ep en t ki g d om of heaven is at hand Ma tt iv
when L ord sent out disciple s it was with
the sam e m essage tha t men should repent Mark vi
Af ter H e had b een glorified an d when the Holy Ghost ca e
d ow we Peter on the day Pente c o s t rai s in g the s ame
c ry epent I t was this p reachi g epen t an d believe
the Gospel ha t wro ugh t uch ma vell o us r sul t s then
Acts An d we fin d tha t whe n Pau wen t t o
 T O G OD

Athen s he u tt ered the same cry co m mande th

t o repent Acts xvii
B ef o re I s p eak o f wha t epen t ance le t me briefly s ay
what i t epen t ance i s no t Many people have
c o nf ou de d the They think they have t o be ala m e d
an d t errifie d an d they are wai tin g f o r s o me k n d o f fear t o
co m e d o wn upon them B u t mul ti tude s become alarme d who
do not really repen t Y ou have hear d o f men a t s ea d uring a
t erri b le storm Perhaps they have been very p rofane m en
bu t when the d anger c ame they s u dd enly grew quiet an d
gan t o cry to God for mer c y Y e t wo d n ot they
repen t e d When the s t orm ha d p a ss e d away they wen t on
swearing the same a s before Y ou igh t think tha t the k ng
gypt repented when Go d sen t the t errible plague s up o n
him and his la d Bu t i t no t repentan ce a t all
momen t God s han d was removed Pharaoh s hear t was harder
than ever He di d turn fro m a s ingle s in he wa s the
s ame man S o tha t there was t rue repen t ance there
ften when dea th comes in to a family i t looks if th e
e vent w ou d be s anctifie d the c o nversion of who are in
the house Y e t in m o nth s ti m e m ay be forg o t t en
Some who read thi s have perhap s p as e d through tha t
en c e When G o d s han d heavy up o n them i t looke d as if
they were going to repen t bu t the trial ha s been rem o ve d
l o and beh o ld the impressi o n ha s all g one
Then again e p entance is I fin d a grea t
many pe ople are waiting f o r a cer tain kin d feeling c ome
They woul d like t o turn t o G o d bu t think they c ann o t d o i t
until this fee l ing come s When I was in B altim o re I u s e d t o
preach every Sunday in the Peniten tiary t o nin e hundre d c o n
vi cts There hardly a man there who feel mi s er
ble en o ugh they ha d plen ty feeling F o r the fir s wee
o r t en d ay s o f their i m p ri s onmen t m a ny o f the m c i e d h alf
 REPEN TA N A ND RESTIT UTION

the time Y et when they were released mos t them wo d

g o righ t back t o their way s The truth wa s that they fel t
very bad because they ha d got caught tha t wa s all So
have s ee n a m an in the time trial show a go o d deal feel
bu t very often i t i s only because he has g o t in t o tr o uble
because he has commi tted because his c onscien c e
t ells him he ha s d o ne evil in the s igh t of It seems as if
the trial were going t o resul t in true repen t an c e but the feel
in g often passes a ay
nce again epen tan c e i s
A man may fas t for weeks and months and years and yet not
repen t one either is it Judas had ter i b le
remorse en o ugh t o make him go and hang himse f b ut tha t
wa s not repentan c e I be lieve if he ha d gone to his L ord
fallen his face and confessed he wo d have been
forgiven Instead this he went t o the priests and then pu t
an end to his l fe A man may do all sor s penance bu t
there n o true repen t ance in that Put that dow in your
mind cannot meet the claim s God by o fering the
fruit of your b o dy f o r the your so Away wi th su ch
a delusion
epen t an c e no t That may s o u n d
s trange to s ome I have seen men under such deep conv c tion
that they co d not sleep at nigh t they c ould enj oy
a single m eal They went for months in this sta t e and
yet they were not c onvert e d they no t tru y repen t Do
no t c o nfoun d conviction sin th epentance
either is epentan c e Tha t t oo may s o und
s trange Many people when they become anxious a b out
their s o s salva tion I w pray and read the Bib le
and they think that will b rin g a bo ut the desired e ect
But it wi not i t Y ou m ay rea d the Bible an d cry t o G o d
 T O G OD

a great d eal a n d ye t never re p e n t Many people cry l o ud y t o

G o d an d y e t do n o t rep n t
Another thing i t i s n o t A grea t
many people make tha t m i st ak e A m an wh o ha s bee n a
drunkard sign s the p le d ge an d d rinking Bre king
one is no t epen tance F o rsaking vi c e i s ike break
ing o ne li m b o f a t ree when the whole tree ha s t o c o m e
down A p r o fan e s wearing very g oo d bu t if he
d oe s n o t break it is epentan c e is not
the work o f G o d in the s o l Wh en G o d w ork He hew s
d ow n th e wh ole tree He wan ts t o have a m a n turn fr o m
every Suppo sing I a m i n a vessel o u t a t s ea an d I fin d
the s hip leak s in thr e e o r f o ur places I m ay g o st o p up
h ole ye t d own g o e s th e v e ss el su ppo se I a m
w o unde d in thre e o r f o ur p la c es an d I ge t a r e m e dy for o ne
woun d if the o th er three w o un ds are n egle ct e d my
life will s oon be g o ne True ep e n t an c e i s no t m er ely bre ak
ing thi s o r tha t p ar ti cular sin
Well then y o u wi ask wha t i s epent an c e I will give
a g oo d d efini tion i t i s righ t abou t fa c e In the Irish
language the w o r d ep e n t an c e means even m ore than
righ t ab o u t face I t i mp lie s tha t a m a n who has been walk
in g in dire cti on ha s n o t only fa c e d ab o u t bu t i s ctually
walkin g in a n exa ctly c on trary dir cti o n Turn y e turn y e
why will ye die A m an m ay hav e li ttle fe ling or much
feeling bu t if he d o n o t turn away fr o m sin G o d w ll n o t
have mer cy hi m e p e n t an c e has al s o been de s cribe d as
a ange o f m in d F o r in st an c e there is p arable t ol d
by Chri st A c er tain man ha d two s o ns an d he c a m e t o the
first an d s ai d Son go work t o d ay in my vi n eyar d He
an swere d an d s i d I wil Ma t t x xi Aft er he
had sai d I wi l n o t he though t o ver i t an d change d
m in d P e rha p s h e m ay have s aid t o h i ms elf I no t s pe ak
 REPEN TA N A ND RESTIT UTI ON

very respec tfu ly m y father He asked me to go and work

and I t old him I wo d g o I think I wrong Bu t
suppose he had o nly said this and stil l had not gone he wo ul d
n o t have repented He was no t only c onvinced that he wa s
wrong but he wen t into the fi elds hoeing mowi g
whatever i t That is Christ s definition of repentance If
a m an says By the gra c e God I w forsake my an d
do His tha t i s epentan c e tu g righ t abou t
S o me on e ha s s aid man s born w th his face tur ed away
from When he t ly repen t s he is tu ned righ t aroun d
t oward he leaves life
Can a m an a t on c e repen t Certai y he c an I t d oe s
no t ta e a l o ng while t o turn arou d It d oes no t t ake
m an six month s t o change his min d There was a vessel
tha t wen t d own s ome time on the ewf o un dlan d
c o as As was t o wards the sh ore there was a
m oment when the cap tain co d have given orders t o reverse
the en ines and turn ba ck If the engines ha d b een r verse d
then the s h p w o d h ve been saved Bu t there a
momen t when it late S o here i s a momen t I
bel eve in every man s life when he can halt an d say By the
grace o f God I wi go no further t o wards dea th ruin I
r ep ent my s ins and turn f o m them Y ou m ay you
have go t feelin g enough but if are convin ced tha t
are th e wrong r o ad t rn righ t abou t and say I will n o
l o nger g o in the way o f rebell o n and sin a s I have do n e
J u st then when are w l n g t o turn t o ward s God s al
va ti o n may be y o ur s
I find that eve y ca s e conversion recorded in the Bible
was in s t an t aneous epen t an c e and faith came very su d de y
The m o men t a man made up his d Go d gave him the
p ower G o d does no t ask any man t o d o what he has the
po wer t o d o He w o ld no t c om m n d m e n e ve r here
 TO G OD

t o repen t Ac t s xvii if they were not able to do s o Man

ha s no o ne t o blame bu t himself if he does repen t an d
believe the Gospel the leading min isters the G o s
pel in hio wrote me a letter some time ago des cribing his
conversion i t very forcibly llustra t es this point o f
d cisi o n He s ai d
I was nine t een year s old and was rea ng law wi h
Christian lawyer i n er m o n t afternoon when he
away f om home his g oo d wife said t o me as I c ame i t o the
h o u s e I want y o u t o go t o clas s m eeting with me nigh t
an d be c o me a Chris tian tha t y o u can conduc t fami y
sh p hile m y husban d is away Wel I ll do i t I s ai d
with o u t any though t When I c a m e in t o the h o u s e again
asked m e if I was h o nest in wha t I ha d sai d I replie d Y e s
s o far a s goin g t o m e e ting with y o u i s c on c ern e d tha t i s only
c o urteou s
I wen t with her th e class m e e tin g a s I ha d o ft e n d one
before Ab o u t dozen per s on s were presen t in a li ttle sch ool
h o se The lea d er ha d sp oken t o all i n the ro o m bu t m yself
an d o ther s He wa s speakin g t o the p erso n nex t m e
whe n the though t o ccurre d t o m e he l a s k m e if I have
any thin g t o s ay I s ai d t o m ysel I have d eci d e d t o b e a
Christian s ometi m e why n o t begin no w In les s ti m e than
a minu t e aft er these though t s ha d p a se d through m y m in d he
sai d speaking t o m e familiarly for he knew me very wel
Br o ther harle s have anything t o s ay I rep ied with
perfe ct c o oln ess Y es I have ju st de ci d e d within the las t
thirty se c on d s tha t I will be in a Chris tian fe an d w o u d
l ke t o have pray for me
My cool e ss s taggered hi m I thin k he alm o st d o ub t e d
m y sincerity He s aid very lit tle bu t p a se d an d s p o ke
t o the o ther A ter a few general remarks he turn ed t o
m e a n d s ai d Br o th r Charle s w ll you cl o se m e tin g
 REPEN TA NCE A ND RESTIT UTI ON

wi th prayer He kn ew I had never praye d in publ c to

thi s momen t I ha d n o feelin g It purely a business tran
My firs t though t wa s I canno t pray and I
him t o excuse m e My sec o nd was I have said I wi be in
a Chris tian life an d this i s a part of it S o I s aid Le t us
pray An d s o m ewhere be tween the ti m e I st arted t o kneel
and the time m y knee s tru ck the fl o or the L o r d c o nverte d m y
s ou
The firs t wor d s I s ai d were Gl o ry t o G o d Wh a t I
s i d after tha t I do know and it doe s matt er for m y
s oul wa s to o ll t o s ay much b ut Gl o y From tha t hour
the devil has never dared t o chall e nge my conversi o n T o
Ch is t be all the prai s e
Many people are waiting they c annot exac tly tell for wha t
bu t fo r some sor t ra culou s feeli g to come st eali g over
them so m e mysteri o us kin d fai th I was speaking t o a
m an s o me years an d he lways ha d one answer to give
me five year s I tried t o win him to Christ and every
year h e s aid It n o t s t ruck me yet Man what d o
mean What has not str ck you Well he said
I am going t o b ecome a Chris tian un til i t strikes me and
i t has s t ruck me ye t I d o n o t it in the way you see
it Bu t don t you know you are a sinner Y es I know
I a m a sinner Well don t you k ow that God wan t s t o
have m ercy tha t there is forgiveness with God He
wants to repen t and come t o Him Y es I now that
but ha s s tr ck me yet He always fel b ack on that
Poor man he wen t down t o his grave in a st a t e of in decision
Sixty long years God gave to repent and he had t o
s ay a t the end th o se years that it ha d not s tru ck him
ye t
Is any reader wai ting for some s trange feel g you do
not now what owhere in the Bible is a man t old t o wait
i s c om man d n g y o u t o re en t
 T O G OD

Do y o u think G o d c an f o rgive a m a n w h en h e d o e s
wan t to be forgiven Woul d he be ha ppy if G o d forgave him
in this sta t e o f min d Why if a m an wen t in t o the kin g d om
G o d withou t repen t an ce h eaven would be hell t o him
Heaven is a p re p are d place a pre p are d peop l e you
b oy has d o ne wro n g an d will re p ent cann o t forgive
him Y ou w o uld b e doing him an in j ustice Sup p ose he
goe s t o your d e s k a n d s t eals an d squanders it When
you c o me home y o ur servan t t ell s y o u what your boy ha s d o ne
Yo u if i t i s t rue and he d enies it B ut at las t y o u have
cert ain pro o f ve n when he fin d s he canno t d eny i t
l o nger he will c onfe s s the but says he wi l do i t again
the fir st chance he ge t s W o uld s ay Well I
forgiv e you and leave the m a tt er there Y e t p e ople
say tha t Go d i s g o in g t o s ave m en whether they repen t o r
n o t drunkar d s thieve s harlo t s whoremongers i t make s no
erence God is m erciful they say D ear frien d d o
be d e c eived by the god thi s worl d Where there is true
repen t an c e an d a turning rom sin unto God He wil mee t
an d bless bu t He never ble ss es until there is sin c ere

D avid ma d e a w o ful mi stake in thi s re s pe ct wi th his rebel

li o u Ab s al o m He c o ul d n o t h ave d o n e hi s
inj us ti c e t ha n t o f o rgive him whe n hi s heart wa s un change d
There c o uld be no tru be tween the m whe n
there n o repentan c e Bu t doe s n o t m ake these mi s
t akes D avi d go t in t o tr o uble ac c oun t of hi s erro r o f ju dg
m en t His s oo n dr o ve hi s fa ther fr o m the throne
Speaking re p entan c e D r Brooks St L ouis wel
remarks epentance s tri c tly Speaking mean s a change
of m ind or p urpose c on s equen tly i t i s the j udgmen t whi c h
the si ner pronoun c es upon hims elf in view the love of
G o d di splaye d t h e d e ath Chri st c onn ecte d with th e
 REPEN TA N A ND RE STIT UTION

aband on me n t of c onfi d n c e in himself and w th trus t in

the only Savi o ur of s inners Saving re p e n t an c e an d s aving
faith alway s go t ogether and y o u n e ed be w o rried abou t
rep en tan c e y o u wi believe
Some people are no s ure that the hav e re p e n t ed e no ugh
If m ea n by thi s tha t you m us t re p en t in o rder t o in cline
G o d t o be merci l t o you th e s ooner give o ver such
the bett er i s already m erciful as He has f lly
hown a t the Cross o f Calvary and i t is a griev o us shonor
to His hear t love think that our tears an d ang sh
wil m o ve Him n o t knowing that the good ess
leadeth thee t o repen t an c e It is you b adness t erefo re
but His goodness that leads to repentance hence the true
to repen t i s t o b elieve the Lord Jesus Christ wh o
delivered o ences and was raised again for

Another thing If here is true repen t ance it will b ri g

f o rth fr t If have d o ne wrong to any we shou l d
never t o forgive us until we are willing to make res
If I have done any m an a great i jus tice and can
m ake it go o d I need ask God t o forgive m e u til I am
w lli g to make i t goo d Suppose I have t ken some thing
tha doe s el ong to me I have n o righ t to expect f o rgive
ness until I make restitu tion
I remem b er preaching in one of large c i ties when a
l ookin g man came up to me at the cl o se He was in grea
d stres s mind The fa ct he sai d I am a defaulter
I have t aken m oney tha t b e l onged to my emp l oyers How can
I b ecome a Chr stian withou t restoring i t Have
the m oney He told m e he had not go t it all He had taken
abou t and he still had a b out He said Co d
I not tak that money and go into b usiness and make enough
p ay them back I to ld hi m that was a d elusion o f Satan
 T O G OD

tha t he c o d no t expe ct t o p r o sp er o n stolen money tha t

s h o d re sto re a ll he ha d an d g o and hi s employer s t o
have m erc up o n him f o r ive him Bu t they wil pu t
me in prison he said cann o t give me any elp
m u st res t ore the money bef o re y o u c an exp ec t to ge t
any help fro m G o d I t i s p re tty har d he s aid Y es i t
is ha d bu t the r e a t m i t ake i n d mg the w ong
firs t
Hi s bur d e n be c a m e s o h e vy tha t i t g o t t o be in s uppo r tabl e
He han d e d m e the m o ney d ollars and some c en t s an d
asked me t o t ake it back t o employers The ne xt even
ing the tw o em p loyer s and m yself m e t in a s ide room o f
the chur c h I lai d the m o n e y d o wn an d in forme d the m i t
wa s fro m o ne o f their I t o l d the m the st o ry
sai d he wan t e d mer c y fro m the m no t j us tice The t ear s
t rickle d d own the ch e eks th e s e two men an d they s aid
Forgiv hi m Y es we w l be gla d t o f o rgive him I wen t
d own st air s an d br o ugh t hi m up ter he ha d confessed his
guil t an d bee n f o rgiven w e g o t d own on knee s an d
ble s sed p raye r mee ting G o d m e t u s and ble ss e d us t ere
There wa s a friend m ine wh o s o me tim e ago had c ome
t o Chris t an d wishe d t o c o nse c ra t e h im s elf an d his weal th t o
He ha d formerly ha d t ra s a ctio n s wi t the g o vern
m en t and ha d t aken a dvan t age o f the m Thi s thing c ame u p
when he convert ed an d hi s c on cien c e tro u ble d him He
s aid I wan t t o c o nsecra t e my weal th b u t i t seem s as if G o d
will not t ake i t He h a d a t errible s truggle conscience
kep t rising up an d s miting him A t las t he drew a check
an d s en t it t o the ni te d States Treasury He
t old m e he received s u ch a ble s sing when he ha d done it
Tha t bringing forth fr ts meet for repentance I
lieve a grea t m any men are crying t o for ligh t they
are no t g e ttin g i t b e c au s e th ey are no t h one s
 REPENTA NCE A ND

I was once preaching and a man came to me was on l y

thirty two years b ut hose hair was very grey He said
I want to n otice that my hair is grey and I am on l y
thirty two years For twe l ve years I have carried a great
burden Well I said what is it He loo e d around as
if afraid some one woul d hear him We ll he answered
my father die d and left my mother ith the coun ty news
paper an d left her on l y th at th t a ll she had After he
died the paper b egan to was t e a ay and I my mo ther
wa s fast s in ing into a s t ate of need The buil ding and the
paper were insured for a thousand dollars an d when I was
twen ty years I set fire to the buil ding and o b tained the
thousand do ll ars and gave it to my mother t elve years
that has been haunting me I have tried to drown it b y
in pleasure and sin I have cursed God I have gone
in t o infidelity I have tried to make out that the Bibl e is not
true I have d o ne everything I could bu t a ll these year s I
have been tormented I said There is a way out of that
He inquire d I said M ke restitution Let sit
down and calculate the interest and then you pay the Com
pany the money It woul d have done you good to see tha t
man s face light up when he found there was mercy for him
He said he wo ld be gl ad to pay b a ck the money and interest
if he co d on l y b e forgiven
There are men t day who are in darkness and b ondage
becau e they are wi lling to turn from their sins and con
fess them and I do n ot now a man can hope to be for
given if he is not wi ll ing to confess hi s sin s
Bear in min d th t is the on y day mercy wil
ever have Y ou can repent now and h ve the awf l record
bl ott ed God waits to forgive you He is seeking to b ring
t o Himself Bu t I think the Bi bl e teaches cl early that
t ere There are some who l
 T O G OD

y o u o f the p ossibili ty repen t ance in the grave bu t I d o n o t

fin d tha t in Scripture I have looked my Bi ble over very care
fully an d I c anno t fin d that a man have another
o f being s ave d
have ti m e
e no ugh t o repen t can turn fro m y o ur sins thi
m o men t if you will God s ay s I have n o pleasure in the
d ea th o f him tha t die th wheref o re t rn and live ye zek
xviii
Chri st s ai d He came no t t o call the righ t eous b u t sinners
t o r e pen t ance Are you a sinner Then the call t o repent
i s a ddresse d t o y o u Take your place in the dust at the
Sa iour s feet an d a c knowledge your guil Say li e the pub
lican of Go d be merciful t o me a Si nner and
quickly He will par d o n and bles s He will even j ustify
and reck o n a s righteous b y virtue the righteou s
nes s Hi m wh o bore y o ur s in s in Hi s b o dy the
Cross
There are some perhaps wh o think themse l ves righte o us
an d tha t therefore there is no need them to repent and
lieve the G ospel They are li e the Pharis e in the parabl e
thanke d G o d that he a s other men ex t ortion
ers unj us t adulterers even as t is p ubli c an an d who
wen t on to say I fas t twice a week I give ti thes all I
posses s Wha t i s the j udgm nt about such s elf righ t eous
persons I t ell you this man the poor contri t e repenting
publican en t do n to his house justifie d rather than the
other Luke xviii There is none righteous
n ot All have s inned and come short the glory
God iii Let no one does not nee d t o
repen t L e t ea ch o ne take his true p l a c e th t a sinner
then Go d will l ft h im up to the pla c e o f f o r ive ne s s an d j u sti
 REPEN TA NCE A ND RESTIT UTI ON

Whosoever exal t eth himsel f shal be a b ased a n d

he tha hum bl eth himse lf shal l b e exalted Luke xiv
W rever Go d sees true repentance in eart He m ee ts
that soul
I in Co l orado preaching the gospe l s o me time ag o and
I heard something that t o uche my heart very much The
governor of the State was p assing through the prison and in
cell he fou d a boy had his ndow full flowers
that seemed t o have b een watched wit very t ender care The
g o vernor looke d a t the prisoner an d then a t the flowers and
asked whose they were These are m y flowers said the
poor convic t Are you f o nd of flowers
long have you b een here He t o ld him s o m any years he
was in a long sentence The governor was s urprised t o
find him fond of the flowers and he said Can tell me
why you like these flower s so much With much emo tion
he rep lied While my m o ther was alive she tho ght a good
dea l flowers an d when I came here I though t if I had these
they wo d rem nd me of mother The g o vernor was so
pleased th at he said We ll young man if you think so much
of you r mother I thin you wil l appreciate your liberty an d
he pardoned him then and there
hen God finds that b ea tifu flower of true repen tance
springing up in a man s hear t then salva tion c o m e s t o that
man
 TO

h h h h b m
h h h f h b
m

T HE R E are tw o cla s ses wh o ough t to have As surance

Fir st those who are in the Church wh o are con
vert ed having never been born the Spiri t Se c o nd those
ar e no t willing t o d o G o d s ill wh o are no t re a dy take the
pla c e tha t G o d h a s m app e d o u t for the m bu t want t o fill s o m e
o ther p lace
S o m e o ne will Have all G o d s pe o ple Assura ce
I think a goo d many G o d s d ear people have no Assur
an c e bu t it is the p ivilege Of every child G o d t o have
bey o nd d o ub t a kn o wledge Of hi s o wn s alvation man i s
fi t God s ser c e who is fil e d with doub t If a man is
n o t s ure own s alvati o n c an he help any one lse
in t o the king d om of Go d If I s ee m in d ange d rown in g
an d d o kn o w whe ther I shall ever rea ch the sh o re I c an
no t a s sis t an o ther I m u st first ge t the s o lid rock myself
then I c an len d m y bro ther helpi g hand If being
my s elf blin d I were t o t ell ano ther blind man h o w to ge t sigh t
he m igh t re p ly Fir st ge t heale d yourself and then you
t me I re c en tly m e t wi th a young man who wa s a Chri s
t an bu t h e no t a t taine d t o vict o ry over He wa s
t errible d arknes s Such an one i s n o t fi t to work God
b e c au s e he ha s be s e ttin g sins an d h e ha s n o t the vic t ory o e
h i s d o ub ts b e c au s e h e ha s n o t the v c t o ry o v r hi s
 A S A NCE

one wil have time or heart to work for G o d who are n o t

a s sured as sa lvation They have as much as
hey can atten d to an d being themselves bu dened with
dou b ts they cannot help o thers to carry their burdens There
i s n o res t pea c e no l iberty nor power where d o ub ts
an d uncertainty exist
i t seems as if there are three wile s Of Sa t an again s t
which we o ugh t t o be guard In the first p l ace he
move s all kingd om keep us a ay from Christ then he
d evotes himself t o ge t us into D ou b tin g Castl e b ut if
have in S pite Of him a clear ring ng witness for the Son
he i l d o all he c an t o blacken our chara cter s and belie
t estimony
S o me seem t o thi k that it is pre s umption t o have
d oub t s but doubt is very dishonor n g to God If any
were t o that they had known a pers o n for thirty years and
ye t doubted him i t wo d not be very creditable when
we have kn own for ten twenty or thirty years d o e s it
reflec t His veracity t o d ou b t
C o d Paul an d the early Christians an d martyrs have go ne
thr o ugh what they did if they ha d been filled with dou b ts and
had not known whether they were going t o heaven to perdi
tion af ter they ha d been burne d a t the stake They must have
h ad A SS R AN E
Mr Spurgeon s ays I never heard a sto rk that when it
m e t wi th a fir tree demurred a s t o i t s right b d i t s nes t
there an d I neve hear d a coney yet that ques tioned
whe ther it had a permit t o run into the rock Why these
creatures w o ul d soon perish if they were always doubtin g and
feari g as t o whe ther hey had a right t o pro identi p ro
vi sions
The s tork says to mself Ah here is a fi r he
c o n s ult s with his m ate Wi t s do the nest in which we
 TO

m ay rear y oung Aye say an d they ga ther the

material s an d arrange them There is never any del i b er
a tion May we build here bu t they b ing their s ticks and
m ake their nes t
The wil d goa t o n the c rag does no t say Have I a righ t
here he mus t be s omewhere and there is a crag which
exactly s ui t s and he s p ng s upon i t
Y e t t h o ugh these d umb crea tures kn o w the p rovisio n Of
their the sinner d o e s n o t re c ognize the pro sion his
Saviour He quibbles an d que stions May I an d I am
afraid i t is n o t m e an d I think i t canno t m ean t for
me I am afraid i t is t o o goo d t o be true
And ye t nobo dy ever s ai d t o the s t o rk Wh o soever buil e th
o n this fir tree shall never have his nes t p l ed down
ins p ired word has ever sai d t o the c oney Whosoever runs
in t o this rock cleft s hall never be d riven it If i t had
be e n so i t w ul d make assuran c e d oubly ure
An d ye t here is Ch s t p rovi d ed for sinner s j us t
o f a Saviour s inner s nee d an d the enc ouragemen t i s a d de d
Him tha t cometh unt o Me I will in n o wi s e c as t o u t Wh o
s oever will le t hi m take the water life freely
le t us come t o the Wor d J o hn t ell s us in his G o sp el
wh a t Chris t did f o r u s o n earth hi s pis tle He e s us
wha t He is d o ing for u s in heave as o ur A dv o c a te In
G o s p el there are o nly tw o chapter s in which the word believe
o e s n o t occur With thes e tw o ex c ep ti o n s every c hap t er
John is Believe He t el s u s xx
Bu t these are wri tt en tha t ye m igh t believe tha t Je su s
i s the Chris t the s o n o f G o d an d that believing ye migh t
have life through Hi s n a m e Tha t is the purpose for hich he
wro t e the Gospel tha t we migh t believe tha t Jesus i s the
Chris t the G o d and that believin g we migh t h v
lif e thr o ugh Hi s n m e John xx
 A SS URA N SAL VA ON

Turn t o J o hn v he there tells us why he wro t e this

pistle These t n gs have I written unto you tha t believe on
the name the Son Of God otice t o who m he writes it
that believe the name the Son Go d tha t ye
m ay kn ow tha t ye have e ternal l e and tha t ye may believe
o n the nam e Of the S on o f G o d There are o nly fi ve s hort
c hap ters in this fir st pi stle an d the word know o ccurs over
f o rty time s It i s The to
i t is N OW an d all through the pistle there rin gs th e
refrain tha t we migh t kn ow tha t we have etern al life
I wen t twelve hund ed miles down the Mississippi in the
spring some year s and every eve ing j us t a s the
went d o n you might have s een m en an d sometimes women
riding up to the bank s Of the river either side on mu es
horses and sometim es coming foo t for the purpose
lighting up the Gover ment lights and all down that mighty
river there were landmarks hich ided the pilots in their
d angerous na gation Go d has given us lights or land
m ar s to tell us whether we are His children n o t and w at
we nee d t o d o is t o examin e the tokens He has given us
In the third chapter Of John s fi rst pistle there are five
t ng s worth knowing
the fi fth verse we rea d the first ye tha t
He was to take a ay our sins an d in Him
is wha t I ha e done but what has
d o ne Has He failed in His missi o He no t a b le to
d o what He came for D i d ever any heaven sen t man fail
ye t and could God s own Son fail WAS AN I ES T E
TA E AW A S INS
Agai in the nineteenth verse the sec o nd thing w o rth
kn owi g An d hereby that are Of the truth and
sha l hearts b efore Him N O W that are Of
T HE T R T H An d if the truth ma e us free sha ll b e free
in d eed If the S o n therefore shall m ake y o u free sha l be
free in d eed John viii
The third hing worth knowing is in the f o urt eenth ver s e
tha t we have passed fro m dea th un t o life be c au s e
we l o ve the bre thren The nat ural man d oes n o t like g o dly
people n or d oe s he c are t o be in their company He tha t
love th no t hi s br o th e r abi d e th i n d e a th He ha s no S piri tu l

T h e fourth thing wor th know ng we fin d in ver s e twe n ty

four An d he that keepeth His c o mmandmen t s d welleth in
Him an d He i n him And hereby tha t He abi d e th
i n u s by the Spiri t hich H e hath given us We ca n t ell
what kind Spirit we have if we p osses s the Spiri t Ch is t
a Ch st l ke spirit the same in degree bu t the s ame in
k n d If I am m eek gen tl e an d forgiving if I have a spiri t
lle d th peace and if I a m long su ering and gentle
like the Son tha t i s tes t and in tha t way are t o
t ell Whe ther have e t ernal life
The fif th thing wor th knowing an d the bes t o f all i s
Bel o ve d o tice the word It does no t s ay
when y o u c o m e t o Belove d are we the sons Go d
and it do th n o t ye t a pear wha t W e shall be bu t that
when He s hall appear S hall be like Hi m for shall s ee
Him a s is
so m e will Wel I believe all tha t bu t then I
have s inne d since I be c ame a Chris tian there a man
a w o ma n the face the ear th has not sinne d in c e
be oming a Chris tian There never has been and
n ever will be a soul this ear h who ha s not si ned or who
ill n o t a t s o m e time of their Christian experience Bu t
ha s made provision for b elievers S ins are to
m ake p rovision for the m bu t God has B ear tha t in min d
 A SS AN CE SAL A TI

Turn to John My littl e chil dre these things

write I u t o you that ye n ot And if any man S in we
have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous
He is here writi g t o the righteous If any man sin
John p u t mse f we have an Advocate with the Father
Jesu s Chris t the righ teous What an Advocate He attends
to in t eres t s a t the very bes t place the hrone God He
s ai d evertheless I tell you the truth i t is expe en t
you tha t I go away John He W ent away to b ecome
High Priest and so Advocate He has ha d some
hard case s t o plead but has e er los one an d if you
en trust your immortal n terests to He wi prese t you
fa tless before the presence His gl o ry w th ex c ee n g j oy
Jude
The pas t sins Of Chris tian s are as s o on as they
are c onfessed and they are never to be mentioned That is a
question w i ch is not to be Opened up agai If sin s
have been pu t away that the end them They are no t
t o be remembered and God wi l not ment on them any more
This is very plain Suppose I have a who whi e I am
from home does wrong When I go home he th ows his
arms arou d my neck and s ays Papa I did Wha t you tol d
me t o do I am very s o rry forgive me I
my son and kiss him He ipes away his t ear s and
goes rej oicing
But the next day he says Papa I wish you wo d for
ive me for rong I yesterday I Sho d Why
my son that thing is settl ed and I don t want it mentione d
again But I wis you ould forgive me it wo d he lp me
t o hear you I forgive you Wo d that b e honoring
me Wou d it not grieve me to have my doub t me Bu t
to gra tify him I say again I forgive you my s on
 And if t he nex t day he were again t o bring up tha t Old
sin and ask forgivenes oul d no t tha t g ieve me t o t he
hear t And my ear reader if G o d has forgiven never
le t us m ention the pa t L et u s forget those thing s which are
b ehind and reach forth unt o those which are before and
press toward the mark for the prize the high c alling
in Chris t Jesus L et the S in s the p as t If we c o n
fess Our Sins He is faithful j us t forgive us sin s
and cleanse us fro m all unrighteousness J o hn i
let me s ay tha t this p rin ciple is recognize d in court s of
ju s tice A c se c ame u p in the c o ur t a coun try won t
where which man ha d had trouble with wife
bu t he forgave an d then afterwar s brough t her in t o
c our t when it was known that he had forgiven her the
j u d ge s ai d tha t the thing was s ettled The j d ge re c o gn ized
th e s o undn e s s the prin cipl e that if a sin were on c e forgiven
there wa s an end i t An d d o you think the Judge the
ear th will forgive y o u an d an d Open question again
s ins are g on for time an d eternity if Go d forgives an d
wha t we have t o d o i s t o confe ss an d f o r s ake our s in s
Aga in i n C orinthian s xiii xamine your s elves
he ther be in the faith pr o ve your selves now
no t your s elve s h o w tha t Je sus Chris t is in y o u excep t ye
be reprob at es exa ine your s elve s Try your religi o n
Pu t it to the t est Can you forgive an enemy Tha t i s a
goo d way t o know if ar e a chi d Of Can y o u for ive
a n in j ury or t ak e an a fron t as Christ did Can you be
c ensure d d oing we ll and n o t mu ur Can y o u be m is
j u d ge d and misrepresen te d and ye t keep a Christ like S piri t
Ano ther goo d t es t i s t o rea d G ala tians an d no ti c e the
frui ts t he Spiri t and if you have them The frui t
the Spiri t i s love peace long su ering gen tleness g o o d
ne s fai th m eeknes s t emperance against s uch th e re i s no
 TI

l aw If I have the f ui t s the Spirit I must have the Spiri t

I have the fr s w thout the Spi it any more than
there c oul d be an o range without the tree And Chris t says
shal l know them by their fruits for the tree is known
by his fruits Make the t ree good and th e f uit will be good
The only way t o get the frui t is to have the Spiri t Th a t is
the way t o examine o urselves whe ther we are the chi d ren

Then there is an o ther very s triking passage In oman s

viii Pau l says if any man have not the Spirit
Chris t he is none o f His Tha t ough t t o set tle the question
even though may have gone through all external form s
tha t are con s i d ered necessary by some t o cons ti tute a me ber
a Church ead Paul s life an d put yours al ongside of i t
If y o ur life resem bl es his i t is a proof tha t are b orn again
that you are a creature in Chris t esus
B ut although you may be born again it will requi e tim e
t o ecome f ll grown Chris tian Jus tifi cation is in stantane
o us bu t is a life work We are t o g ow in wis
dom Peter s ays Gr o w in gra c e an d in the know l edge
L ord an d Savio r Jesus Chris t Pet iii an d in
firs t chapter his Second pistle Add t o your fai h vir
tue and to virtue knowledge an d t o kno l edge t emperan c e
and t emperance patience an d p atien c e godliness an d
godli ess br therly kin ess and t o br o therly kindness char
i ty For if these things be in an d abou d they ma e you
hat ye shall neither b e barren nor unfru tful in the knowledge
of o ur Lord Jesus Christ that we are t o add grace t o
grace tree may b e perfec t in its first year of gro th bu t
it does no t att ain its maturity with the Ch istian he
may b e a true child of G o d but not a matured Christian The
eighth omans ve important and we sho d b e very
familiar wi th it In the fourteen th verse the apo stle s ay s
 a s m any a s are led by the Spiri t G o d they are the s on
Jus t as the s oldier i s led by hi s capt in the pupil
by t eacher o r the traveller by hi s guide s o the Holy
Spiri t w be the gui d e o f every true chil d o f Go d
The n le t m e c all y o ur a tt ention t o an o ther fact
Pa s t ea ching i n nearly every p i stle rin g s o u t the d oc trin
assurance He s ay s i n C o rinthian s v For we
tha t if earthly h o use of this t abernacle were d ss olve d we
hav e buil ing a hou s e m a d e w h hand s etern al
i n the heavens He had a ti tle t o m an sion s ab o ve
he s ay s He no t li ing in uncer t ain ty He
s ai d I have a d esire t o d epar t an d be with C h ri st Ph
i an d if he been u n c er t ain he woul d no t have s ai d
th t Then in Col o s s ian s iii he s ays Whe n Chri st wh o
o ur fe shall appear then s hall ye also appear wi th Hi m in
glory I am t ol d tha t D r Watt s t o m b s tone bear s thi s s m e
p a s sag e of Sc ip tur e There is no doub t there
Then turn t o C ol o s sian s i Giving thank s un t o
Fa ther which m ade us meet to be partakers of the
o f the s ain ts in light wh o delivered u s fr o m the
p o we o f d arkness transla te d us into the kingdo m o f
Hi s dear
Three HA T ma d e us mee t HA T delivere d
a n d AT H t ranslated us It d o es s ay hat He is g o in g t o
m ake u s me e t that He i s g o ing t o d eliver tha He i s g o i g
t o t ransla te
Then again in verse In wh o m have
ti o n t hro gh Hi s blo o d eve n the forgi eness sins We
are either forgiven we are we sho d n ot give ourselve
any res t until we ge t int o the kingdom nor until we
c an e ach look up and I kn ow that if my earthly house of
this t abernacle were dissolved I have a building a hou e
m a d e with hands e t ernal i n the heavens C or v
 A SS URA N SAL VA TI ON

L o ok a t om ns He tha t spared not Hi s

Son bu t delivere d Him up us all shall He not with
also freely give u s all thin gs If He gave us His Son
wi l He not give us the cer tainty that He is ours I have
he rd this illus trati o n There was a man who o ed
and would have been made a b ankrup t bu t a friend came
fo ar d an d pai d the It found after ards that he
owe d a do ll ars more he did no t for a moment enter
t ain a d oubt tha t as his friend paid the larger amount he
w o uld als o pay the small er And we have high warrant for
s ay g that if God has given us His Son He i ll ith Him
ls o free l y gi e us t hi gs and if we wan t to rea lize our sal
va ti o n beyond controversy He will not leave us in darkness
Again in the verse Who shall lay anythi g to the
charge God s e l ect It is God that he
tha t c ondemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that i s
risen again who is even at the right hand of God who al s o
m ake th in tercession for us Who sha ll s epa ate us from the
love Chris shall tri b ation or d stress or persecution
fami e nakedness or peri o r sword As it is written
F o r Thy sa e we are ki l e d a ll the day long we are
c ounte d as sheep for the s l aughter in all these th gs
we are more than conquerors thro gh Him that l o ed us For
I a m persuaded that neither death nor l e nor ange l s nor
p rin cipalities nor powers nor t gs present nor things to
c ome nor height nor depth nor any other crea re shal b e
able se p ara e us from the love of God w ch is Christ
Je us L ord
That has the right ring in it There is Assurance for you
o D o you thi k that the God who has j ustifi ed me
wil condemn me That is quite an a surd ty God is going
save us so that neither men ange l s nor de s can b ri g a ny
charge aga ns t us He w have work comple te
 T O G OD

live d i n a d arker d ay tha n we d o bu t rea d in J o b

xix I tha t my e d ee m er live th and t ha t He sh l
stand in the lat t er day upon the ear th
The s ame c onfiden c e breathes thr o ugh Paul s la s t w o rds t o
Ti m othy For the which cause I als o su er the s e thin gs
nevertheless I am n o t a s ha m e d f o r I whom I have
an d a m persua d e d tha t He i s able t o kee tha t which I
have c o m it t e d un t o Him agains t tha t d ay I t is no t a
ma tter o f d oub t b u t o f knowledge I kn o w I a m per
Th e w o r d i s n o t use d in the S crip ture t o
e xpre ss d oub t I t i s u s e d in regar d t o th e secon d c o m in g o f
Chris t t o the re s urrec ti o n o f th e b o dy We do no t that
we are Chris tian s d o no t say tha t I I
an A m erican o r tha t I ho p e I a m a arrie d man
The s e are se ttle d t ngs I may tha t I t o go back
t o my ho e o r I t o a tt en d s uch a meeting I d o no t
s ay ho p e t o c o e t o thi s c o untry for I a m here And
s o if are b o rn o f G o d kn o w it an d He ill no t leave u s
i n d arknes s if search the S c ri tures
Chris t taugh t thi s d o c trine t o His seven ty di sc iples when
they re turne d ela t e d wi th their success saying Lord even
the devils are s ubj e ct un t o u s thr o ugh Thy name The Lord
seemed to check them and s ai d tha t He woul give the m
s o mething to re oice in otwithstanding in thi s rej oice
tha t the spirits are subj ec t unto you bu t ra ther rej oice
be c au s e y o ur names are written in heaven Luke x
I t is the privilege of every us know b eyond a
a d oub t tha t our salvation is sure Then we can work for
o ther s Bu t if we are dou b tful our o wn salvation we are
no t fit for the service of God
Ano ther passage is John v eri ly veri y I say unto
y o u He that heareth my word and be lieveth on Him that
en t Me ha th ev e rlasting life an d s hall not co m e in t o
 A SS URA NCE SAL VA TI O

tran sla ti on has i t bu t i s p a ss e d f o m

d ea th un t o life
S o m e peop l e say that never c an te l till y o u are b efore
the gre t white thr one Judgment whether you are s aved or
Why my dear friend if your li e is hid with Christ
are co ng in to j udgment for your sins We
m ay c o me into j udgment f o r reward This is cl early t augh t
where the lord reckoned ith the servant to hom fi ve talents
had been given and who brought other five talents saying
L o rd thou delivereds t unt o me five talents behold I have
gained beside them five t alent s more His l ord said unto
Well done thou good and faith l servant thou hast b een
faithful o ver a things I i ma e thee r er over many
th n gs enter thou into the j oy thy lord Matt xxv
We shall b e j udged for our stewardship That is
one thing but s a lvat on eter al l e another
Wi God demand payment twice of the de b t w c h Christ
has paid for u s If Christ b ear my si s in His own body on
the tree a m I to answer for them as we ll
Isaiah tells us t at He was wounded for
s ions He was b ruised for our iniqu ties the chastisement of
peace upon Him and ith His stripes we are hea l ed
In omans iv we read He del vered for our
and was raised again for our just fi cat on us b el eve
and get the b ene fi t of His finished wor
Then agai in John x I am the door by Me if any
man enter in he sha ll b e saved and shall go in and out and
fi nd past re That is Then the verse
sheep hear my voice and I now them and they fo l ow
Me I ive unto them ete nal l e and they sha never
perish neither sha ll any man p l uc them out of my hand
My father which gave them is great r han a ll no man
is ab l e to p l uck t em out of my Father s hand Thin o f
 that The Fa th e r the S o n and the Ho ly Ghos t are pledged
t o keep us Y ou see th t i t is not nly the Father n o t o nly
bu t the three person s the Triune God
a grea t many peop l e want s o me t oken o u t si d e
G o d s wor d That habit alway s bri g s doubt If I m ade a
p romise t o mee t a man a t a cer t ain hour and pla c t o morrow
an d he were t o me m y watch a s a t oken of my
i ty i t would be a slur my truthf lness We mus t no t
question wha t G o d ha s said He has made s t atemen t aft er
st a temen t an d multiplie d fi ure upon fi gure Chris t s ays
I a m the door by Me if any m an enter he s ha ll be s aved
I am the Good Shepherd and kno My sheep an d a m known
Mine I a m the ligh t the worl d he that fo ll owe t h
hall wa l k in d arkness bu t s hall have the light of life
I am the truth receive Me an d you will have the truth
for I am em b odimen t tru h Do wan t t o kn o w the
way I am the way follow Me and I will lead int o
th e kin gdom Are hungering after I am
t he Bread li e if eat Me shal l never hunger
I am the Water life if you drink this water i t shall
be wi thin y o u a well wa ter springing up un to everlas ting
life I am the resurrection and the life he tha t believe th
in M e though he were dea d ye t shall he live and wh o s o ever
l ve th an d believeth in Me shall never d ie John xi
L e t m e remin d where d o ubt s c o me fr o m A goo d
m any o f G o d s de r p e o ple never get bey o nd knowing them
selve s servan ts He calls friends If go int o a
h o use s oo n the erence between the s ervant and
the s o n The walks a t p erfec t liberty all over the house
h e is a t home But the servan t t ake s a s ubordina t e place
What we want t o get bey o d servan t s We o ught t o realize
our standing ith God as so s and daughter s He wi not
chil d children ha s no t on ly a d o p t ed us bu t
 A SS URA NCE SAL VA TION

are Hi s by birth w e have been born i t o Hi s ki gdo m

My ittle was a s m uch mine when he a day as
that he i s fourteen He although it did not
appear wha t he wou d be when he at t ained manhood He is
mine al though he m ay have t o undergo pro b a t on under
tu t or s an d g o vernor s The children are not perfect
bu t we are p erfec tly His chil dren
An other orig n dou b ts is lo okin g at ourselves If you
wan t t o be wretched and m i s era bl e fil ed with dou b t s from
morning ti nigh t look a t yourselves Thou wil t keep him
in perfec t peace who e m d s tayed Thee Isa xxvi
Many God s dear chi dren are r o bbed j o y because
they keep looking a t themselves
Some ha s s aid There are three ways t o lo o k If
wan t t o be wre t ched look within you w sh to be dis
tra ct ed look around bu t if you would have p eace look up
Peter looke d away f om Christ an d he immed ately began to
sink The Mas ter sai d t o thou little faith
Wherefore dids t thou doub t Ma tt xiv He had God s
e terna l word which was sure footing an d better than either
marb le grani t e iron b u t the momen t he t ook his eyes
Chris t dow he wen t Those who look around cannot see
unsta b le and dishonori g is their walk We wan t t o look
straight at the Author and Fi isher of faith
When I was a boy I co d o nly make a straigh t t rack in
the snow by keepin g my eyes fixed up o n a tree or s ome objec t
before m e The moment I took my eye the mark
f ont m e I walked crooked I t is o y when we look
Chris t that we fin d perfec t peace After He rose from
dead He showed His dis ciples His hands an d fee t
L e xxiv That was the ground their pea c e If
you an t to scatter you d ubts look at the blood and if you
n t in crease o ur d o ub ts l o ok a t y o u s lf wil
 T O G OD

d o ubt s en o ugh for years by bei g occupied with your s e f for a

d ays
Then again look at wh at He i s and at hat He has d one
a t wha t you are and wha t you have done Tha t is the
ge t p ea c e and res t
Ab raham Lin c oln issue d a proclamation declarin g the
eman cip ati o n o f three milli on s slaves a ertain
t heir c hains were t o fall and they were be free The
p rocla m a tion was pu t up the tree s and fen c es wherever the
o rthern Army m ar ched A goo d any s lave s c oul d
read bu t others read the pr o clama tion and most of them
i t and a certain d ay a gla d s hou t wen t up We are
free S o me d id be ieve i t an d s taye d with their
m a s ter s bu t i t d i d no t alter the fac t tha t they were free
Chris t the Captain s alvation has proclaimed freedom
t o all have faith in Him L et ta e Him at His word
Their feeling s woul d n o t have made the s l aves free The
po wer mus t c o me from the outside L oo ing ourselves will
m a e us free b u t it is looking to Chri s t with the eye o f
fai th
B ishop yle has s trikingly s aid Faith i s the roo t a n d
Assuran c e the flower D oubtles s you c an never have the
flower without the root b u t i t n o less certain y o u m ay hav e
roo t and n o t the flower
Fai th is that poor trembling woman who came behin d
Jesus in the p ress and touched the hem o f His garment
Mark v As surance Stephen standing ca mly in the
m idst murderers and sayin I the heavens Opene d
an d the of Man s tandi g the righ t hand o f G o d
A c ts vii
Faith i s the p eni t en t thief crying L o rd re m ember m e
Luke xxiii Assurance is sitting in the dust covered
with s o re s a n d saying I now that my edeemer live th
 A SS SAL VA TI O

Though He slay me yet will I trust in Hi m Job xix

xiii
Fai th i s Peter s d o wning cry as he bega n t o s ink
Lord s ave me Matt xxiv Assurance is that same
Peter dec l aring b efore the Council in after times This is the
stone which was a t nought you b uilders which is b ecome
the head the corner neither is there salvation in any othe
for there is none other name nder heaven given a m ong men
where b y we mus t be saved Ac t s iv
Faith is the anxious t rem b ling voice L o rd I believe
he lp Thou m ine unbelief Mark ix Assurance is the
confiden t challenge s hall lay anything t o the charge
G o d s ele c t Wh o is he that c ondemneth

Faith i s Saul praying in the house Judas a t D amas

cus sorrowfu b ind and alone Acts ix Assurance
is Paul the aged pris o ner lo o king in to the grave
sa ng I now whom I have b e lieved There is a
cro n laid up for me Tim i iv
Faith is L E How great the bl essi g Wh o can t ell
the gulf between life and death yet l e may be weak
sickl y unheal thy painful trying anxious worn b urdensome
j oyless smile l ess to the very end
A s surance is It is health strength power
vig o r activity energy m anliness b eauty
A m ister o nce pronounce d the b ened ction this way
The heart o f to ma e us welcome the bl ood of Christ to
make us clea an d the Ho l y Spirit to ma e us certain
The sec rity the the res lt of the Operation of the
Spirit God
Another writer says I have seen shru b s and tree s gr o w
the roc s and overhang fearf pre cipices r o aring ca t
and dee p runnin waters b ut they main tain e d thei
 T O G OD

p o s ition an d t hrew ou t their foliage an d branches as much

if they had been in the mids t a d ense forest I t was their
hold the rock that m ade t em s ecure an d the influences
na ture tha t sustained their life believer s are oftentimes
expose d t o the mos t horrible dangers in their j ourney t o heaven
bu t s o long as they are r o o t ed an d groun d e d in the ock
Ages they are p erfec tly secure Their ho l d Hi m their
uaran t ee and the blessings Hi s grace give the m life an d
sus t ai n them in life An d as the tree mus t die o r the rock
fall before a dissolu tio n c an be e ected be tween so
ei ther th e believer must l o se hi s S piritual life the o ck mu s t
crumble ere their union can b e d issolve d
S p eaki g the L o r d Jesus Isaiah ay s I will fas t e
Him a s a nai in a s ure p lace and He s hall be a gloriou s
throne Hi s Father s house an d they shall hang upon Him
all the glory His father s o use the o spring and the is sue
a ll vessel s of mall qu ti ty fro m the vessels cup s even t o
the ve s sel s xxii
There is NA fa st ene d in s ure p la e an d i t hang
all the all the cu p s says littl e cup I
a m s o small an d black sup p o s e I were to drop
says a there is n o fear bu t I am heavy s o
very weighty s uppose I were t o drop a li t tle cup say s
if I wer o nly like the gold cup there n ever fear
falling B u t the gol d cu p answer s I t is not because I am
gol d c u p tha t I kee p up bu t because I hang upon the n ail
If the n ai l give s way c o me dow gold c ups china cups
p ew t er cups an d all bu t long as the nail keeps tha t
h ang on Him han s afely
I once rea d these word s a t ombstone B orn ie d
kep L et us pray God t o kee us in erfec t eace
ss ed sal a tio n
 C RIS ALL A ND ALL

P III

is t o us that we ma e t o be I wan t t o
emp asize tha t word Some men ma e Hi m t o be a
roo t out a dry ground ithout form comeliness He
is n othing t o them they no t want Him Some Chris
tian s have a very small Saviour for they are not willing to
receive fully and let Him do great and migh ty thing s
them thers have a mighty Saviour b ecause they m ake
Him t o be grea t an d mighty
If we would kno hat Christ w ants to be to us must
firs t of all know Him as Saviour from sin When the
angel c ame do n from hea en to procl aim that He was to be
born into the worl d remem b er he gave His name He
shall be ca ll ed J for He shall save His peop l e fro m their
s in s H A E W E EEN E I E R E R O S IN He did no t c ome
t o save u s sins but sins ther e are
three ways kno ing a man Some men you know on ly by
hearsay o thers you merel y now by having been once intro
t o them you kno them very sl ghtly other again
know by having been acquainte d with them for years you
know them intimately So I believe there are three c l asses
people t o d ay in the Christian Church and it those
who kn o w Chris t on ly by reading b y hearsay thos e who
h e a historical Christ those ha e a s ight personal
quaintance with Him an d th o se who thirst as Paul did t o
 T O G OD

k no w and p ower of His resurre c tion The m ore

know of Chris t the m ore we shall love Him an d th e be tt er
we shall s erve
Le t u s look Hi m as He hangs upon the Cross and
He pu t away He was m anifeste d tha t He
migh t t ake away our sins and if we real y know Him we
mus t first o f all see Hi m as Saviour ro m sin Yo u
remem b er the angel s sai d t o the shepherds the plains
Behold I bring you oo d tid ings grea t j oy
hich shall be t o all people for un t o you i s b o rn thi s day
the ci ty o f D avid a Saviour which is Chris t the Lord
Luke Then if go clear b ack s e ven
hun dred Christ s birth you w find these w o r ds
I even I am th e L o r d an d be s id e me there i s no Savi o ur
xi
Again in th e Fir st p is tle of J ohn iv we read We
have s een and d o t e s tify hat the Father sen t the t o be
the Savi o ur the worl d All the heathen religions we rea d
t each men w o rk their way up t o but the religio n of
J e s u Chris t i s G o d c o ming d own t o m en t o s ave them t o l t
them u p th e p it o f s in In Luke xix we rea d tha t
Chris t Hims elf t ol d the pe ople wha t He ha d c o me for Th e
S on o f Man i s c o me t o seek an d t o s ave tha t which wa s l o st
So w e st ar t f o m the Cros s no t from the c radle Chri st ha s
p ene d up a an d living t o the Fa ther He has t aken
stumbling blocks the way s o tha t every m an
wh o accep ts o f Chris t as his Savio r c an have s alv tion
But Chris t is onl a Saviour I migh t s ave
from dr o wning and resc e him from an un timely grave
migh t p robably no t be a b le d o any more for him Chris t i s
something m ore than a Saviour When the children o f I s rael
were place d behin d the bl o od tha t blood their s alvati o n
bu t th e y w ou d till hav e hear d the crack of the slav d ive
 C R IST ALL IN ALL

whip if not been delivered from the gyp tian yoke of

bo dage then it was that God del ivered them fro m the hand
the king gypt I have little sympathy with the idea
that God comes d ow t o s ave u s an d then leaves u s in prison
slaves our besetting sins He has come deliver
us and to giv e vict o ry o ver evil tempers pa sion s
an d our lusts Are you a pro fessed Christian b u t who is
a slave t o some besetting sin If you want to get victory ove
that temper or tha t lust go on t o no Chris t more in timately
He b rings de verance for the past the presen t and the
future Who d e vered who doth deliver who will yet
deliver i
How often like the c ildren Israel hen they c me to
the Sea have become iscouraged because everything
l ooked dark b efore us b ehin d us and around us an d we
knew not w ch way to turn Like Peter have said To
whom shal l go But God ha s appeare d for our d liver
ance He has bro ght us through the Sea right nto
the wil derness Opene d up the way into the Promised
Land Bu t Christ i s no t only our D e l iverer He is
edeemer That more than being our Sa iour
He has brought us back have sold yourselve s
n o ught and ye shal l b e redeeme d ithou t money Isaiah
We were not redeemed with cor upti ble things as
silver and gold Peter i If go l d co d have
deemed could He not have crea d ten thousand worl ds ful l
gold
When God ha d re d eeme d the children of Israel f om the
b o ndage gypt and b rought them through the Sea
they struck for i derness and then God became to
t em their Way I am tha kful the L ord has not left us
in darknes s as to the right There is no li in g m an who
has bee n gr p ing in d arkn es s bu t k ow the way I
 T O G OD

a m the Way s ay s Christ If we follow Chris t we s hall b in

the righ t way an d have the righ t doctrine coul d lea d
the c hi dren of Israel through the wil d ernes s ike the Al migh ty
Go d Himself He knew the p i tfall s an d danger s of the way
an d gui d e d the p eople thr ough all their wildernes s j ourney
righ t in to the pr o ise d lan d It is true tha t if i t ha d n o t been
their a ccurse d unbelief they migh t have c ro s se d in t o th e
lan d a t ade s h Barn a an d t aken po ss e s si on o f i t bu t t ey
desire d s ome thing beside s G o d s w o rd s o t hey wer t urn e d
back an d had t o wan d er i n the d eser t f o r f o rty year s I
believe there are t housan ds o d s children wanderin g in the
wi l d erness st ill The Lor d ha s delivere d the m from th e han d
the gyp tian an d woul d a t once t ake the m thr o ugh
il d ernes s right in t o the Pro m ise d Land if they were o nly
wi ing t o fo llo Chris t Chris t ha s bee n d own here an d ha s
made the rough p lace s sm oo th an d dark place s ligh t an d
the c rooked p l ace s straigh t If we will o n l y be le d by Hi m
will follow Him all will be peace an d and res t
I n the frontier when a m an goe s ou t hun ting he ake
ha t che t with him and cu ts piece s fro m the bark
tree s a s he goe s along through the fores t thi s i s calle d
blazing the He d oes i t tha t he kn o w the
back as there i s n o p a t hway through th e se thick f o re st
Chris t has come d own t o thi s ear th He ha s blaze d th e
Way an d that He has g o ne u p high if ll bu t
follow him s hall be kep t i n the righ t pa th I will t el l y o u
m ay know if y o u are following Chri st o r no t If
some has slandere d or m isjudged d o you trea t
the m a s y o ur mas ter wo d have d one If you not
these things in a loving an d f o rgiving s piri t all the churche s
and m inister s in the w o rl d canno t m ake y o u righ t If
m an have the Spiri t of Chris t he i s none o f Hi s
o an s viii If m an be in Chri st J e s u s h e i s
 C RIST ALL IN ALL

crea ture things passed away be h old all thing s

become new Cor v
Chris t is not on ly our way He is the Light upon the way
He says I am the Ligh t the orl d John viii ix
He g o es to He tha t follo eth Me shall no t
walk in darkness b ut shall have the l igh t life It i s
p o s sible for any man woman wh o is fo owing Christ t o
walk in dar ness If your soul is in the darkness grop
aroun d in the fog and mist earth le t me t el l you
i t is b ecause you have got away from the true light There is
nothing but light that will dispel darkness So let those who
are wal ing in spiritual darkness admit Christ into their hearts
He is the Light I call t o mind a picture of which I used at
one time to think a good deal b ut I have come to lo o k
more c l osely I would not put it up in my house excep t I
turned the face to the wa l It represents Christ as standing
a t a door knocking and having a big lantern in His hand
Why you might as wel hang up a lantern t o the sun put
into Christ s hand He is the Sun ighteousness and
i t is privilege t o wal k in the l ght of an un clouded sun
Many peop l e are hunting after light and peace and j oy
We are nowhere to l d to seek after these things If we admit
Christ into hearts these i l all come of themselves I
remem b er when a boy I used to try in vai to catch my
shadow day I walk ng with my face to the sun
and as I happened t o loo arou d I saw that my shado was
fol o ing me The faster I went the faster mv s ha d ow fol
lowed I cou d not get a ay fro it So hen fa c es are
directed to the ighteousness peace an d j oy are
sure to come A man s aid to me some time ago Moody
do you feel It so long since I had though t about
my feelings I had to and consider a hile in order to fin d
o ut Some Christ ans are all the tim e thinkin g abou t their
 T O G OD

feel ng s an d becau s e they d o no t feel j u st righ t they thi n k

their j oy is all gone If we keep our faces t owar d s Chris t and
are occupie d wi th Him we sha l l be lifted o ut the darkness
an d trouble tha t may have gathere d roun d our path
I remember being in a mee t ing aft er the war the great
rebelli o n broke The ha d been going f o r about six
mon ths The army the orth had been defeated a t B
i n fac t we bu t d efeat and i t looke d as
th o ugh the rep ubli c wa s g oin g t o p i eces were much
c as t d own an d discourage d At thi s m eeting every sp eaker
f o r awhile eeme d a s if he ha d hung his harp upon the willow
an d i t wa s the gl oomies t m ee ti gs I ever att en d e d
Finally an ol d man wi th beautiful whi t e hair u p t o speak
an d hi s fa c e li t erally s hone Y oung m en he sai d you d o
no t t a k like son s ing Th o ugh i t i s dark j u st here
r e me m ber i t is ligh t s o mewhere else The he wen t on to
tha t if i t were d ark all o ver the w o rld i t wa s l gh t up
rou d the Thro ne
He t old u s he ha d c o me fro m the ea st where a frien d ha d
d escribe d t o him he had been up a m oun t ain t o Spend
the nigh t an d s ee the sun rise the party were climbing u p
the m oun t ain and bef o re they ha d reache d the s ummi t a
st or m c ame This frien d sai d to the gui d e I will give
this up take me back The guide smiled an d re p lie d I
think we s hall ge t above the st or m s o on they wen t an d
i t was n o t long before they go t u p t o where i t a s calm a s
any s ummer evening D own in the valley a t errible storm
rage d they c oul hear the thunder rolling an d s ee the
ligh tning s flash bu t all s erene on the m o un t ain
An d my young friends con tinued the man though
all is d ark around c ome a li t tl e higher and the d arkne ss
will flee away ften when I have been incline d to ge t
I have thought what he s ai d if y o u
 C RIST ALL ALL

down in the val ey amidst th e thick fog and the darkness get
a littl e higher get nearer to Christ and know more Him
remem b er the Bible s ays that when Christ expired
the cross the light the world put Go d se t
Son t o be the light of the worl d but men di d no t love the
igh t because it reproved them of their sins When they were
about t o pu t this light wha t di d Christ say to His disciples
Y e shall be witnesses u to Me Ac t s i He has gone
up yonder to in tercede for us bu t He wants us to shine for
Him down here Y e are the light of the worl d Matt v
So work is t o hine not t o blow own trumpet
s o that p eo e may look a t us What we wan t to do is to show
forth Christ If we have any light at it is borrowed l ght
Some s aid t o a young Christian Converted it is
moonsh ne Said he I thank you for the illustration
th e m o on borrows its ligh t from the sun and we b orrow ou s
fro m the Sun of ighteousness If are Christ s we are
here t o sh e for by and b y he w l call us home t o
reward
I remember hearing a blind man who sat b y the way
si d e with a lantern near him When he as ed what he
had a lantern for as he co d no t see the ight he sai d i t was
ha t people sho d no t stum b le over him I believe more
people s tumble over the inconsistencies profess e Ch is
tians than from any o ther cause What is doing m ore harm
the cause Christ than all the s cepticism in the w rld is
thi s co l d d ead formalism this co or ity to the world this
profe s sin g wha t we do no t possess The eyes of the orld are
up on I t nk George Fox wh o said every ua er
ough t t o light up the coun try for ten miles around him
we were all b rightly sh n n g for the Master thos e a b ou t us
wo d soon be reached and there wo d be a shout of pr s e
g oin g to heaven
 TO

People I want to kn o w what i s the truth Li st n

I T H E TR T H says Christ John If you wan t
t o know wha t the truth is get acquain t e d with Ch s t Pe o
ple also complain tha t they have no t life Many tryin
to give themselves spiritual life m ay ga l vanize your
s elves an d p u t electricity into yoursel ves t o speak but the
ef e ct will no t las t very l o ng Chris t alone i s the author
life If y o u w o uld have real sp ir tua life ge t t o know Chris t
Many t ry t o s tir up S piritual l e by going to m eetings Tha t
m ay be well en o ugh bu t i t will be no use unless they ge t
in t o c on t a ct with the l ving Chris t Then their spiri tual l fe
wi n o t be a spasmo d ic thing will be perpe tual flowi g
o n and an d bringing forth fr t to God
Then Chris t i s o ur EE E R A great many y o ung sc i
p les are afraid they will no t h ol d ou t He tha t keepe h
Israel sha l neither slumber n o r slee p P s alm cxx
i s the work Chris t to keep us and if H e keeps us there
will be n o danger of o ur falli g I suppose if ueen i ct o ria
ha d t ake care the Cr o wn o f nglan d so m e thief migh t
a ttempt ge t a c ces s t o i t but it is put away in the Tower of
Lon d o n and guarded nigh t an d day by s oldiers whole
nglish army w o d if ne c es s ary be called ou t t o pro t ec t i t
And we have no strength in o urselve s We are no ma t ch for
S t an he has had th ousand years experience Bu t then
we remember that the who nei ther slumbers nor sleeps i s
keeper In Isaiah xli we read Fear thou for I
am th thee be no t dismaye d I am thy I will
strengthen thee yea I will help thee I wil l uphol d th ee
w th the righ t hand My righteousness In Jude l s o
verse we are t ol d tha t He is abl e t o keep us from fall
ing We have an Adv o cate with the Fa ther Je s u s Chri t
the righ t eous J o hn ii
 C R S T ALL IN ALL

Bu t Chris t s o me thing more He is our S H E HE R It

is the work the shepherd to care for the sheep to feed them
and protec t them I am the Good Shepherd My sheep
hear My voice I lay down My life for the sheep In
tha t wonderful t en th chapter of John Christ uses the person l
pronoun n o le ss than twenty eight times in dec l aring hat
He is an d what He will do In verse He says They
shall never p erish neither shall any pluc them
My hand But notice the word man is in italics See
the verse rea ly reads either sha pluck the m
My hand n o devil man shall be abl e to do it In
an o ther place the Scrip ture declares Y our l ife is hid wi th
Chris t in God Col How safe and how secure
Christ says My sheep hear My voice and they fol
Me John x A gentleman in the as t hear d
a shepherd wh o c o uld call his sheep to him b y name He
wen t and asked if t s was true The shepherd too him t o
the pasture where they were and c a ll ed one of the m b y so m e
name s heep looked up answered the call whi e the
others wen t on feed ng and p aid no attention In the s ame
way he calle d a b ou t a dozen the sheep arou d him The
st nger s aid H ow y o u now one from the other They
all lo o k perfectly alike Well s aid he you see tha t
she p t oes in a little that other one has a squin t has a
little p iece wool another has a b lack spot an d another
ha s a p iece its ear The man knew all sheep b y
their failin gs for he had n o t a perfec t one in the whole flo c k
I s uppose Shepherd knows us in the same way
An as t ern shepher d once te l ing a gentl eman that
his sheep knew voice an d that no stranger cou d deceive
them The gen leman thought he woul d like to put the state
men t t o the test So he put on the shepherd s frock and tur
t ook st af went to the o ck He dis u se
 T O G OD

v o ice an d t ried S peak a s mu ch like the shepherd as he

coul d bu t he cou d no t ge t a s ingle sheep in the flock t o fol
him He asked the s h epher d if sheep never fo lowe d
a s tranger He was o b liged admi t tha t if a sheep sickly
it woul d foll o one i t is with a goo d many professe d
Chris ti ns when they get sickly and weak in the faith they
ill f ollow any t eacher tha t come along bu t whe n the s oul
is in heal th a m an will be carried a ay by errors an d
heresies He wil l know whether the voice s peaks the
truth o r He can soon tell that if he is really in com
munion wi th God When s ends a true me s senge
words will find a rea y re s ponse in the Chris tian hear t
Chri st is a tender Shepherd Y ou may s o me ti m e think
He ha s n o t been a very tender Shepherd to you y o u are pass
ing under the rod I t it writ t en Whom the L o rd loveth He
chas teneth and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth
Heb xii Tha t you are pas sing under the is no pro of
tha t Chris t does love A friend mine los t all hi s
ch ldren man coul d ever have l o ve d fa m ily more
bu t the sc arlet fever took by away and the wh ole
fo ur five aft r another ie d The p o or stri c ken p aren ts
we t over great Britain an d wan d ered from o ne place t o
another there an d the c o ntinen t At length they found
their way t o Syria day they an as t ern shepherd
come down to a stre am and c all his fl o ck t o cross The s h eep
came d own t o the b rink an d looked a t the water but they
seemed shrink from it and he c o d no t get them to resp o n d
t o his cal l He then t o ok a li ttle lamb pu t it under arm
he t ook an o ther lam b and put it under other arm an d
thus passed in t o the s tream sheep no longer s t ood
looking at the wa t er they pl unged in after the shepherd an d
in a few minu t es the whole fl o ck was o n the other side and
h e le d the m away t o ne er a n d fresh e r p asture s
 C RIST ALL IN ALL

reave d fa ther and mother a s they looked the scene fel t

tha t i t t augh t them a lesson The no l on ger murmured
because the Great Shepher d had taken their lam b s b y one
i to yonder worl d an d they began to look up and look for
ward t o the time when they woul d fo ll ow the loved ones they
ha d los t If you have loved one s gone before remem b er that
your Shepher d a lling you to set yo r a ection on things
above Col iii Let be faithful to Him and follow
Him while we remain in this world And if y ou have n o t
t ken Him for your Shepherd this very day
Ch s t is on y all these things that I have mention d
He is also Mediator J in fact
i t woul d t ake volume s t o t ell what He desires t o b e t o every
indiv dual s o While looking through some papers I once
rea d thi s won d erf descripti on of Christ I do not know
where it originally came from but it was so fresh to my soul
tha t I should like to give it to you
Chris t is our Way wal k in Him He is our Truth
embrace Him He is Life l ive in Him He is
Lord we choose Him ru l e o ver us He is Master
we serve Him He is our Teacher in structing us in the way
of alvation He is Prophet pointing out the future He
is Priest hav ng atoned for us He is our Advocate ever
living to make intercession for us He is Saviour saving
t o the utterm o s t He is our oot we grow from Him He
is Bread we feed upon Him He is o ur Shepherd lead
ing us in to green pastures He our true ine a bide in
Him He is the Water Life we slake our thirst from Him
He is the faires t among ten t ousand we admire Him a b ov
all others He is the b rightness of the Father s glory an d
the express image of person we strive to reflect His like
ness He is the upholder of all things we rest pon Him
He is wisd o m we are guided b y Him He is our igh t
 T O G OD

we c a st all imperfec tion s u p o n Him He i s

we draw power holy l fe fro m
Him He is o ur ede mption redeeming us from all iniqui ty
He is Healer curing all diseases He is Frien d
re eving u s i n all o ur ne c es s itie s He i s o ur Bro ther cheer
ing u s in our d i cultie s
Here an o ther beauti l extra ct i t is from G o tthol d
my par t my s oul is like a hungry and thirsty child
I need His love and c onso l a ti o n for m y refreshmen t I
am a wandering an d l o t s heep and I nee d Hi m as a goo d
an d faithful s heph rd My s oul i s li e a frigh te n e d d ove
p ursue d by t he hawk an d I n eed Hi s woun d s for a
efuge I a m a feeble vine an d I nee d Hi s cro s s t o
lay h ol d o f and t o n d mysel abou t I a m a s inner
and I n ee d righ t eousness I am nake d bare
an d I n ee d Hi s holines s an d inn o cence for a c overing I a m
ignoran t an d I n ee d t eaching simple an d foolish an d
I n eed gui d ance o f Hi s Holy Spiri t In si tua tion and
a t no time c a n I d o wi thou t Him D o I pray He mus t
p romp t in t erce d e for m e Am I arraigne d by Sa t an a t
the D ivine tribunal He mus t b e my A d voca t e Am I i n
icti o n He m us be my Helper Am I p ersecu t ed by the
world H e mus t d efen d me When I am forsaken He mus t
be my Supp o rt when I am dying my life when moul ering
the grave my esur ecti o n Well then I wi ra ther part
with all the world an d a ll tha t it c ont ns than with Thee
m y Saviour An d G o d be thanked I now that Thou t oo
neither able willing t o d o without me Thou art rich
an d I am poor Thou ha st a b undance and I am eedy
Thou has t righteousness an d I sins Thou ha s t wine and
o il and I wounds Thou has t cordial s and refreshments
an d I hun er th r s
 C RIST ALL ALL

me then my Sa iour whatever purpose an d in

whatever way Thou mayest require Here is my poor heart
an em ty vessel it with grace Here is my sinful
an d trou bl ed soul qui c ken and refresh it with Thy love
Take my hear t for Thin e a b ode my mouth to spread the glory
of Thy name my love and all my powers for the advance
men t peop e and never su er the steadfast
ness and c on fi dence my faith t o abate that at all times
I be ena bl ed from the ear t to Jesu s needs me and
and we suit each other
 TO G OD

h h b d h mf y d
y H

T H E R E are kinds backs l ider s So m e have never

been converted they have g o ne thro gh the form j oining a
Chris tian communi ty an d c l aim to be ba c ksliders they
never have if I may use the expression slid forward
They may t alk back s liding bu t they have never really
been born again They need t o b e trea t ed di erently from real
ac s liders those who have been born of the incorruptibl e
s eed b u t Wh o have turned aside We want to bring the latter
back the same road b y which they left their fi rs t love
Turn to Psalm l xxv There you read Wi l t Thou
angry with u s for ever wil t Thou draw ou t Thine anger
t o al l generation s wil t Thou not revive us again th t Thy
peop l e may rej oice i n Thee Sho us Thy mercy L ord
and grant Thy s alv tion look aga n
for He will speak pea c e un t o
people an d to Hi s s ain t s but let them no t turn again to
f o lly
There is nothing tha t will d o back sliders much good as
t o come in con t act with the Word God and for them the
Tes t amen t is as ful l he lp as the The book
Jeremiah has s o me wonderful passages for wanderers What
we want t o do is ge t back sliders hear wha t God the Lord
will
 L o o k for a momen t at Jeremiah To whom shall
I Speak and give warning that they may hear b ehold their
ear is uncircumcised and they cannot hear en b eho l d the
word of the L ord is unto them a reproach they have no de
light it That is the con tion of b ack s liders They
have no delight whatever in the word of God But want to
b ring them b ack and let God ge t their ear ead from the
th verse They have healed a l so the hurt of the daughter
My peop l e sl ghtl saying eace peace when there i s no
peace Were they ashamed when they had committed a bo m
nay they were not at all ashamed neither could they
blush therefore they shall fall among them that fall at the
time that I isit them they shall b e cast down saith the Lord
Thus saith the L ord Stand ye in the ways and see and ask
for the o l d paths here is the goo d way and a k therein
and ye shal find res t for your so s But they said We will
not walk therein so I set wa t chmen over you saying
Hearken the sound of the tr mpet Bu t t hey said We wi l
not hearken
That the condition of the Jews hen they had b ack
slidden They had turned a ay from the old paths And
that is the condition bac sl ders They have got a ay
from the good o l d b oo Adam and fe ll by not hear en
ing to the word God They not b el eve God s word
b ut they b elieved the tempter That is the way b ac slider s
fall turni g a ay from the ord God
In Jeremiah we fi nd God pleading with them as a father
oul d p l ead th a son Thus saith the Lord What ini
have your fathers found Me that they are go e
fro m Me and have wa l ed after vanity and are b ecome vain
Wherefore I il yet p l ead w th you saith the Lord and
th your chil dren s chil dren will I plead For my peop l e
have co mmitted evils they have forsaken Me the Fou
 T O G OD

t ain living wa t ers and hewed them ci s tern brok e n

c is t erns that can ho l d n o water
there i s thing to which we wish to call the at t en
tion backs l iders and that is that the Lord never forsook
them but that they forsook Him The Lord never lef them
b u t they lef t Him An d thi s ithou t any ca se He
says Wha t iniquity h ave your fa ther s found in Me that
they are gone far from Me I s not God the same to day as
when c ame t o first Has G od changed Men are
ap t t o think tha t G o d changed but the faul t is with them
B ackslider I woul d you What iniquity is there in Go d
tha t you have lef t Him an d gone far fro Him Y ou have
He s ays hewe d t o yourselves bro en cis t ern s tha t hol d no
wa t er The worl d cann o t s atisfy the na ture ear thly
well can s atisfy the soul tha t ha s become a par t aker the
heavenly nature Honor weal th and the p leasures this
world will n o t s atisfy those who having ta te d the water
life have gone astray s eeking refreshmen t at the worl d s foun
t ains arthly we l s will ge t d ry They c anno t quench s piri t
ual thirs t
A ain in the verse Can a m aid forge t her orna
ments a bride her attire ye t My have forgotten Me
day s withou t number Tha t is the charge which brin s
against the back slid er They have forgo tt en Me day s wi th
number
I have often star tle d young ladies when I have sai d to
the m My friend you thi k more of your ear rings than o f
the Lord The rep ly has been I do not But when
I have asked Would you not be t rou bl ed if you lost one
an d w o uld you no t about see ing for it answer ha s
een Well yes I think I should Bu t though they had
t r ed from the L ord i t did no t give them any trouble n o r
d id they seek af t er Him tha t they m i ht find Him
 A CKSL IDI G

many once in fel l owship and in dail y commun i on

with the L ord thin more of their dresses and ornaments
than their precious soul s L ove does not like to b e for
gott en Mothers would have broken hearts if their chil dren
lef t them an d never wrote a word or sent any memento of their
a fection an d God p l eads over backsliders as a parent over
l o ved ones who have gone astray He tries to woo them b ack
He asks What have I done that y o u should have forsaken
Me
The most tender an d l oving words to be fou d in the whole
the Bi bl e are fr o Jehovah to those who have left Him
w thout a cause Jer ii
Hear He argues with su ch Jer xi Thine
wic edness shall correc t thee and thy backs li ngs sha ll
reprove thee know therefore and see that it is an e il thing
and bitter tha t thou has t forsaken L ord thy God and that
My fear is no t in thee saith the Lord God of hosts
I do not exaggerate when I say tha t I ha e seen hundreds
bac s l iders come b ack and I have as ed them if they have
not foun d i t an evi l and a bitter thing to leave the Lord Y ou
cannot fi n d a real b acks lider wh o has known the Lord but
i admi t that it is an evil and a b itter thing to turn away
from Him and I do not know of any verse more use d to
bring b ack wanderers than that very one May it bri g y o u
back if you have wandered into the far cou try
L ook at Lo t D id no t he find it an e il and a bitter thing
He was t enty years in Sodom and never made a convert
He got ell in the sigh t of the world Men wo d have
to l d you that he one of the most influential and orthy
men in Sodom Bu t a l as a l as he ru ned his fam ly
And it is a pitiful sight to see that o l d b ac slider going through
the streets Sodom at midnight after he has warne d his
chil dren an d they have turned a eaf ear
 TO G OD

I have ever nown a man and his wife backslide without

i t s p roving utter ruin to their children They wil l make a
mockery re ligion and will deride their parents Thine
wickedness s hall correct t hee and thy bac s l iding s hall
prove thee D id no t D avid find it so Mark him crying
my A b salom my my Absalom would God I
ha d died for thee A b salom my my son I think
wa s the ruin rather than the death of his hat cau s e d this
anguish
I remember being engage d in conversa tion s ome years ag o
till pas t midni ht with an o l d man He had been for year s
wandering the barren mountains S in Tha t n igh t he
wanted t o ge t back We praye d and prayed and praye d ti l
l ight broke in upon an d he went away rej oicing The
next night h e in fron t m e when I was preaching and I
think tha t I never any one look an d wretched in a ll
my life followe d me in t o the enquiry room Wha t i s
the trou ble I sked Is your eye the Saviour Have
your doubts come back it is not that he said I
di d not go t o business bu t spent all thi s day in visiti g my
children They are all arried an d in this city I wen t f om
house to house bu t there was not bu t moc e d me It is
the darkest day of my life I have awoke up to what I have
d one I have t aken my chil dren in t o the worl d and I
canno t get them The L or d had restored un t o him the
j oy Hi s s alvation yet there the bitter consequence
hi s transgression Y ou can run thro gh your experience
an d you can find j ust such instance s repeated again an d again
Many who came your city years ago serving God in their
p ro perity ave forgotten Him where are their s on s and
daugh t ers Show me the father and mother have deserte d
the L ord and gone back the beggarl y e l emen t s of the worl d
an d I am m i s taken if their chi dren are the high roa d
to ruin
 As we desire to b e faithfu l warn these backsl iders It is
a sign of l ove to arn danger e may b e l oo ed pon as
ene es a while b ut the trues t friends are those who lift up
the voice of arning Israe l had no truer friend than Moses
In Jeremiah Go d gave His people a eeping prophet t o b ng
them b ack t o Him b ut they cast God the G o d
who b rough t them out gypt and led them through
the desert into the promised l and In their prosperity they
forget Him and turned away The Lord had told them what
would happen D eut xxvi And see what di d happen
The king who make ligh t of the word God was taken captive
by ebuchadnezzar and his children brought up in fr o n t of
him and every one slain his eyes ere put out of his head
and he bound in fetters of b rass and cast into a dungeon
in B ab ylon ings xxv That is the way he reaped
hat he had sown Surely it is an evil and a b itter thing to
b ackslide b ut the Lord would win you back with the message
His Work
In Jeremiah vi i read Why then is this people of
Jerusa l em s l idd n by a perpetual b acksliding They ho l d fast
deceit That is hat the L ord bri gs
agai s t them T H E R E SE RET RN I hearkened and
heard but they S pake n o t arigh t n o man repented him
his ickedness saying What have I done very one turned
to his course as the h o rse rusheth into the battl e Y ea the
stor the heaven knoweth her appoin t ed times and the
turtl e and the crane and the s a l o o b serve the time of their
b ut My peop l e know n ot the j udgment of the L ord
look hearkened and heard they spa e no t
aright f m i y l tar read g the B ible closet
devotion God st p s to he r b ut His peop l e have turned
away If there b e a pe itent b ac slider one is nxious
pard on an d rest o ration you will find no words more tender
 T O G OD

than are t o be found in Jeremiah iii Go and proc l aim

these words toward the n orth an d eturn thou backsli d
ing Israe l s aith the L ord and I will no t cause Mine anger t o
fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord and I will
n o t keep anger forever no ti c e nly acknowl edge
thine iniquity tha t thou has t t ransgre ss ed again st the Lor d
thy and has t sc attere d thy ways to the s tranger un d er
every green tree an d ye have obeyed My voice saith the
L ord Turn backsliding children sai th Lord for I
am married unto you think Go d c oming an d sayi g
an d I will t ake a ci ty an d
a family an d I will bring you t o i o n
nly acknowledge t hine iniquity m a y tim e s
have I hel d tha t pa s sage up a b ackslider Acknowledge
i t and s ays I will forgive I remember a man ask
ing Wh o s aid tha t Is tha t there I held up t o him
the passage nly acknowledge thine iniquity and the man
wen t down on his nees and cried My G o d I have sinned
and the Lord res t ored him there an d then If you have
d ered He wan t s t o come back
He say s in ano ther place phraim wha t shall I d o
un t o thee Judah wha t shall I d o un t o thee your
g oo dness i s as a morning cloud and as the early dew it goeth
away H o s ea v i His compassi o n an d love is won

In Jeremiah iii e turn ye an d

I ill heal your b ac slidings B eho l d we come un t o Thee
Thou art the Lord God He j us put s word s in t o the
m o uth of the backslider nly come and if will c o m e
He will receive you graciously an d love freely
In Hosea xiv Israel return un t o the L ord thy
for thou hast fallen by thine iniqui ty Take with
w o rd s and turn the L ord He pu t s w o rds into y o ur mou th
 SL IDING

un o Him Take a ay iniquity and rece ive us gra

will we render the calves of ips I
will heal their b acksli ing I will love them freely for Mine
anger is turned away from him Just o b serve that Turn
rings a ll through these passages
if you have wande ed remem b er that you left Him
and not He you Y ou have to get out of the b ac s l ider s pit
just in the same way you got in And if you ta e the same
road as when you left the Master you will find Him j ust
w ere you are
If we were t o treat Chris t as any ear thl y friend we should
never leave and there wou l d never b e a b ackslider
were in a town for a single week I shou l d not think of going
away ith out sha ing hand s w th the friends I had made and
saying Good b ye t o them I should b e j ustly bl amed if I
t oo the train and left without saying a ord to any one The
cry wo d b e What s the matter But you ever hear
a backslider b idding the L ord Jesus Christ Good b ye going
in t o his closet and sayi g Lord Jesus I have known Thee
t en twenty thirty years b ut I am tired of Thy service
Thy yoke not easy nor Thy burden ligh t s o I am going
back to the world to the po t s of gypt Good b ye Lord
Jesus Fare e ll D id you ever hear that
never did and you never ll I te l you y o u get into the
c l oset and shut out the world and hold communion with
Master you cannot l eave Him The language of you heart
b e To hom shall we go b ut unto Thee Thou hast
the words of eternal l e John Y ou co d not go
back to the worl d if you treated Him in that Bu t you
left Him an d ran away Y ou have forgotten Him days ith
num b er Come b ack to day j ust as you are Make up
your min d that you ill not rest unt God has r stored unto
you the His sa lvatio
 TO G O D

A gentleman in Cornwa ll once met a Ch i s tian in the street

hom he knew t o be a back sl i d er He wen t up t o him and
s aid Tell me is there not s o me estrangement be tween you
the Lord Jesus The man hung hea d an d said
Y es We ll said the gentleman wha t has He done t o
The answer t o hich was a flood tears
In evelation ii we read everth less I have some
wha t against thee because thou hast lef t the first l ove
member therefore from when ce thou ar t fallen and repent
an d do the first w o rks or else I will come u to thee quic ly
an d will remove thy candles tick his place excep t th o u
repent I wan t guard you against a mistake hich some
people ma e with regard t o doing the first works Many
think that they are t o have the same experience o ver again
That kep t thousands for months with o ut p ea c e because
they have been waiting for a renewal their firs t experience
Y ou will never have the same experie ce hen fir s t
came to Lord Go d never repea t s himself peop l e
a ll earth s mil ons lo o k alike think alike Y ou may say
tha t you cannot e l l p ople apart b ut when ge t well
acquain t ed wi th them you can very quickly distinguish di er
no person will have the s ame experience a
second time If God will rest re j oy t o your s ou l let Him
do it in His D o not mark ou t a way for God bles s
D o not expect the sa m e experience tha t you had two
t en ty years ago will have a fresh experience and Go d
ill deal with y o u in His way If you confess your sins
an d tell Him that you have wandered fr o m the path His
commandments He will res t ore unto you the j oy
s alvation
I want t o call your a ttention t o the manner in which Pe ter
fell and I think tha t nearly a ll fa ll pretty much in the same
way I wan t to lift up a warning n o t e those who have n o t
 A CKSLID ING

fallen Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed l es he

fall Cor x Twenty years ago and for the fi rst
fi ve years af er I was c o nverted used to thi that if I were
a b le to stand for twenty years I need fear no fall But the
nearer get t o the Cross the the b attle Sa t an aims
high He went amongst the twe l ve and singled the
Treasurer Judas Iscariot and the Chief Apostl e Peter
Most men who have fallen have done so the stro nge t side
their chara c ter I am t old tha t the o y side upon which
din b urgh Castle wa s successful ly assailed was where the
roc s were s t eepest and where the garrison thought them
se l ves secure any thinks that he is strong enou h to
resist the devi at any one point he nee ds specia l wa t ch there
for the temp ter comes that way
Ab raham s tands as it were at the head of the family of
faith and the ch ld en of faith may be said to trace their
descent to Ab raham and yet do n in g t he denied his
wife Gen xii Moses was noted for his mee ness and
yet he was ept out of the promised l and b ecause of one hasty
act and speech hen he to l d b y the Lord to speak to the
rock so that the congregation and their b easts should ha e
water to drin Hear now ye re b els must we fetch
water out of this roc xx
lij ah was remarka bl e for b oldness and yet he went
a day s j ourney into the w l derness l ike a coward and hid
mse lf u der a uniper tree requesting for himse lf that he
mi ht die b ecause of a message he receive f om a oman
ings xix L et us b e careful matter the man is
he may b e in the p p i t b ut if he gets se l he wil l
be sure to fa ll We who are fo l o ers of Ch st need con
to pray to b e made hum bl e and ept hum b le God
made Moses face so to shine that other men cou d see it b ut
Moses h mse lf ist not that his face shone and the more ho ly
 T O G OD

in heart a man is the more manifes t t o the outer worl d wil l be

his d aily life an d c onver s ation Some people alk
humbl e they are b ut if they have true humi l ity there wi l b e
n o necessity for them to pu blish it It is needfu l A
lighthouse does not have a drum beaten trumpe t bl o n
in order t o pr o clai m the proximity a lighthouse i t is its
witnes s And s o if we have the true igh t in u s i t wil
s how i t self I t is those wh o make the m os t noise who
have the m os piety There is a brook a li t tl e b urn as
the Scotch ca ll it no t far from where I live and after a heavy
rain you can hear the rush water s a l ong way but
le t there c ome a few d ays of p leasan t wea ther and the brook
be c ome s almos t s ilen t But there a river near my house
the of which I never heard in as it pours in
i ts deep an d m j estic course the year round We S hould have
s o m ch of love God within that its presence hall be
viden t without lou pr o c l ama tion the fact
The first step in Pe ter s do nfall wa s his self
The L ord warned The L ord s aid Simon Si on
beho l d Satan hath desired t o have you tha t he may
s ift you whea t bu t I have p rayed thee tha t
thy faith fail not Luke Bu t Peter said
I am ready t o go wit Thee bo th into prison an d t o
death Though all shall be o ended because Thee yet
will I never be Matt xxvi James and
John the o ther s may leave Yo u bu t Y ou can count on
me But the L or d warne d him I te ll thee Peter the
c o ck shall no t crow this day before tha t thou shalt thrice deny
that thou knowes t Me Luke xxii
Though the L or d rebuked him Peter s aid he ready t o
follow Him t o death Tha t boasting i s t oo often a forerunner
downfall L e t walk hum b ly and softly We have a
grea t tempter and in an unguarded h o ur we may s tumble
an d fall and bring a canda Chris t
 G

The next step in Peter s downfall was tha t he wen t t o

sleep If Satan can rock the Church t o s l eep he d o e s his
work through God s own peop l e Instead of Peter watching
s hort hour in Gethsemane he fell asleep and the L ord
aske d What could ye not watch th Me one ho r
Matt xxvi The next thing was tha t he fought in the
energy the flesh The L ord re b u ed him again and said
They that take the sword shall perish with the sword
Mat t xxvi Jesu had to undo hat Pe t er had d one
The next thing he fol owed afar Step by step he
ge t s away I t is a sad thing when a chil d of God fol o s afar
When you see him associating with orl y friends and
throwing his influence the wrong side he is fol owing afar
and it wil l no t be l o ng b efore disgrace will be brough t
upon the o l d family name and Jesus Christ wi ll be
in the house his friends The man by his example will
c ause others to stum b le and fa ll
The next t ing Peter is fami ar and f end y with the
enemies Christ A d amsel says to t s bold Peter Thou
also ast with his Jesu s of Gal ilee B u t he denied before
them sa ing I know not what thou ayest And when
he was gone into the porch another maid saw and
s id unto them that were there This fellow also with
Jesus of azareth An d again he denied with an oath I
d o not know the Man Another hour passed and ye t he di d
no t real ze hi s position when another con fi dently a rmed that
that he was a Ga il ean for speech b etrayed him An d he
was angry and began to curse and to s ear and again denie d
his Master and the cock crew Matt xxvi
He commences away up on the pinac l e sel conceit an d
go es do n step by step until he b reaks ou t int o cursi g
s wears tha t he never knew Lord
 T O G OD

The Ma s ter migh t have turne d and said to him Is it

t rue Peter tha t you have fo gott en Me so soon Do
remember when your wife s mother lay sick of a fever ha t I
re b uke d the disease and it left her D o you no t call t o mind
your astonishment at the draugh t fishes that you ex
clai ed D epar t from me for I am a sinf man L ord
D o you remember when in answer to your cry Lord save
me I perish I s tretche ou t My hand and kept y o u from
drowni g in the water Have you forgo t ten when the
Mount Transfiguration with James an d ohn you sai d t o
Me L ord i t is good to b e here let us make three t aberna
cles Have you forgotten being with Me a t the supper table
an d in Ge thse ane Is i t true tha t y o u have forgotten Me s o
soon Th e Lord migh t have p b raided him with ques tion s
such as the s e bu t He di d nothi g the kind He c as t
l o ok Pe t er and there much love in i t that i t broke
that b old dis ciple s heart and he wen t and wept bitterly
And after Chris t rose from the dea d how ten erly He
d ealt with the erring dis ciple The angel a t the s ep chre
says Tell Hi s disciples Mark xvi The
Lord d id n ot forget Peter though denied Him thrice
so He c aused this kindly spe cial mes s age b e c o nveyed t o the
repentan t disciple Wha t a t en d er an d lovi g Saviour
have
Friend if you are of the wan d erers le t the lovin g
look of the Master you back and let Him restore to
the j oy of His salva ion
B efore closing let m e tha t I trust will res t ore
s o me bac sl ider reading these pages may in the fu ure
b ecome a useful member society and a brigh t ornamen t
the Church We shoul d ever have had the thirty second
Psal m if D avid had not been restored Blesse d is he whose
transgression forgiven hose is c overed tha t
beautiful Psa lm which was written by the restored
backs der shoul d we have had tha t wonderful sermon
o n the of Pentecost when three thousand were converte d
preached b y another restored b ac s lider
May God restore other b ac s li ers an d make them a
thousand times more used for His g l ory than they ever were
before