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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/23096.txt b/23096.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5bb11fa --- /dev/null +++ b/23096.txt @@ -0,0 +1,7024 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of And Judas Iscariot, by J. Wilbur Chapman + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: And Judas Iscariot + Together with other evangelistic addresses + +Author: J. Wilbur Chapman + +Release Date: October 20, 2007 [EBook #23096] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AND JUDAS ISCARIOT *** + + + + +Produced by Al Haines + + + + + + + + + + +_AND_ + +JUDAS ISCARIOT + + +TOGETHER WITH OTHER EVANGELISTIC ADDRESSES + + +BY + +J. WILBUR CHAPMAN + + + + +HODDER & STOUGHTON + +NEW YORK + +GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY + + + + +Copyright + +1906 + +The Winona Publishing Company + + + + +CONTENTS + + + And Judas Iscariot + An Old-Fashioned Home + The Swelling of Jordan + A Call to Judgment + A Changed Life + The Lost Opportunity + A Great Victory + Paul a Pattern of Prayer + A Startling Statement + The Grace of God + Conversion + Five Kings in a Cave + Definiteness of Purpose in Christian Work + The Morning Breaketh + An Obscured Vision + The Compassion of Jesus + Sanctification + An Unheeded Warning + The Approval of the Spirit + A Reasonable Service + The True Christian Life + + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +The sermons contained in this volume are published in response to +numerous requests that they might be put into permanent form. + +The author of these sermons needs no introduction to the Christian +readers of America. His fame as an author, preacher and evangelist is +more than national. As Director of the evangelistic work carried on by +the General Assembly's Committee of the Presbyterian Church, he has +achieved distinction as a preacher of the Gospel. Under his direction +simultaneous evangelistic campaigns have been held in many of the +leading cities of the land, and the Christian Church and the world have +had an experience of a new, aggressive and emphatic evangelism that has +stirred the Church, revived Christian service and been the means under +God of turning thousands to a life of allegiance to Jesus Christ. + +Therefore it is a privilege and pleasure to put into book form some of +the sermons which Dr. Chapman has preached in his evangelistic work and +also as the Director of the Interdenominational Bible Conference at +Winona Lake, Indiana. Thousands have borne witness to the profound +impression and enduring influence of those messages. Especially is +this true of "And Judas Iscariot" and "An Old-Fashioned Home." One can +never forget the scene when the latter sermon was preached on +Thanksgiving Day, 1905, in the great theater in Jersey City. Great +numbers of men have confessed their sins and accepted Jesus Christ as a +personal Savior following the preaching of "The Swelling of Jordan." + +The book is sent forth with devout gratitude to God for his blessing +upon the preaching of these sermons, and with a prayer that even the +reading of them may be attended with deeper devotion to Jesus Christ, +and increasing service to those for whom Christ died. + +PARLEY E. ZARTMANN. + + + + +AND JUDAS ISCARIOT + + +AND JUDAS ISCARIOT + +TEXT: "_And Judas Iscariot._"--Mark 3:19. + +There is something about the name of this miserable man which commands +our attention at once. There is a sort of fascination about his +wickedness, and when we read his story it is difficult to give it up +until we have come to its awful end. It is rather significant, it +would seem to me, that his name should come last in the list of the +Apostles, and the text, "And Judas Iscariot," would suggest to me not +only that his name was last, but that it was there for some special +reason, as I am sure we shall find out that it was. It is also +significant that the first name mentioned in the list of the Apostles +in this third chapter of Mark was Simon, who was surnamed Peter. + +The first mentioned Apostle denied Jesus with an oath, the one last +referred to sold him for thirty pieces of silver and has gone into +eternity with the awful sin of murder charged against him. The +difference between the two is this: their sins were almost equally +great, but the first repented and the grace of God had its perfect work +in him and he was the object of Christ's forgiveness; the second was +filled with remorse without repentance and grace was rejected. The +first became one of the mightiest preachers in the world's history; the +second fills us with horror whenever we read the story of his awful +crime. + +Different names affect us differently. One could not well think of +John without being impressed with the power of love; nor could one +consider Paul without being impressed first of all with his zeal and +then with his learning. Certainly one could not study Peter without +saying that his strongest characteristic was his enthusiasm. It is +helpful to know that the Spirit of God working with one who was a giant +intellectually and with one who was profane and ignorant accomplished +practically the same results, making them both, Paul and Peter, mighty +men whose ministry has made the world richer and better in every way. +But to think of Judas is always to shudder. + +There is a kindred text in this same Gospel of Mark, but the emotions +it stirs are entirely different. The second text is, "And Peter." The +crucifixion is over, the Savior is in the tomb, poor Peter, a +broken-hearted man, is wandering through the streets of the City of the +King. He is at last driven to the company of the disciples, when +suddenly there rushes in upon them the woman who had been at the tomb, +and she exclaims, "He is risen, has gone over into Galilee and wants +his disciples to meet him." This was the angel's message to her. All +the disciples must have hurried to the door that they might hasten to +see their risen Lord--all save Peter. And then came the pathetic and +thrilling text, for the woman gave the message as Jesus gave it to the +angels and they to her, "Go tell his disciples--_and Peter_." + +But this text, "And Judas Iscariot," brings to our recollection the +story of a man who lost his opportunity to be good and great; the +picture of one who was heartless in his betrayal, for within sight of +the Garden of Gethsemane he saluted Jesus with a hypocritical kiss; the +recollection of one in whose ears to-day in eternity there must be +heard the clinking sound of the thirty pieces of silver; and the +account of one who died a horrible death, all because sin had its way +with him and the grace of God was rejected. + +The scene connected with his calling is significant. Mark tells us in +the third chapter of his Gospel that when Jesus saw the man with the +withered hand and healed him, he went out by the seaside and then upon +the mountain, and there called his Apostles round about him, gave them +their commission and sent them forth to do his bidding. + +In Matthew the ninth chapter and the thirty-sixth to the thirty-eighth +verses, we are told that when he saw the multitudes he was moved with +compassion, and he commissioned the twelve and sent them forth that +they might serve as shepherds to the people who appeared to be +shepherdless. "Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is +plenteous, but the laborers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the +harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest." And then +he sent the twelve forth. As a matter of fact the Scriptures +concerning Judas are not so very full, but there is a good outline, and +if one but takes the points presented and allows his imagination to +work in the least, there is a story which is thrilling in its awfulness. + +The four Evangelists tell us of his call, and these are practically +identical in their statement except concerning his names. Matthew and +Mark call him the Betrayer; Luke speaks of him as a Traitor, while John +calls him a Devil. The next thing we learn concerning him is his +rebuke of the woman who came to render her service to Jesus as a proof +of her affection. In John the twelfth chapter, the fourth to the sixth +verse, we read, "Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, +Simon's son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold +for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that +he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and +bare what was put therein." + +Next we hear of him bargaining with the enemies of Jesus for his +betrayal. The account is very full in Matthew, the twenty-sixth +chapter the fourteenth to the sixteenth verse. "Then one of the twelve +called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, and said unto them, +What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they +covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he +sought opportunity to betray him." + +Then we are told of his delivering Jesus into the hands of his enemies, +in Matthew, the twenty-sixth chapter, the forty-seventh to the +forty-ninth verses: "And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the +twelve, came, and with him a great multitude, with swords and staves, +from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now he that betrayed +him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: +hold him fast. And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, Master; +and kissed him." And then finally comes his dreadful end, the account +of his remorse in Matthew, the twenty-seventh chapter, the third and +the fourth verses. "Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw +that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty +pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, I have sinned +in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is +that to us? see thou to that." And the statement of his suicide in +Matthew, the twenty-seventh chapter, the fifth verse, "And he cast down +the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged +himself." + + +I + +The natural question that comes to every student of the life of Judas +must be, "Why was he chosen?" but as Joseph Parker has said, "We may +well ask why were we chosen ourselves, knowing our hearts as we do and +appreciating our weakness as we must." It has been said that if we +study the Apostles we will find them representatives of all kinds of +human nature, which would go to show that if we but yield ourselves to +God, whatever we may be naturally, he can use us for his glory. It was +here that Judas failed. I have heard it said that Jesus did not know +Judas' real character and that he was surprised when Judas turned out +to be the disciple that he was; but let us have none of this spirit in +the consideration of Jesus Christ. Let no man in these days limit +Jesus' knowledge, for he is omniscient and knoweth all things. Let us +not forget what he said himself concerning Judas in John the thirteenth +chapter and the eighteenth verse, "I speak not of you all; I know whom +I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth +bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me." Again, in the sixth +chapter and the seventieth verse, "Jesus answered them. Have not I +chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?" and finally, in the +sixth chapter and the sixty-fourth verse, "But there are some of you +that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that +believed not, and who should betray him." + +There were others who might have been chosen in his stead. The +Apostles found two when in their haste they determined to fill the +vacancy made by his betrayal. Acts 1:23-26, "And they appointed two, +Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And +they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, +shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, that he may take part of +this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, +that he might go to his own place. And they gave forth their lots; and +the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven +apostles." + +It seems to me that there can be no reason for his having been called +of Christ except that he was to serve as a great warning to those of us +who have lived since his day. There are many such warnings in the +Scriptures. + +Jonah was one. God said to him, "Go to Nineveh," and yet, with the +spirit of rebellion, he attempted to sail to Tarshish and we know his +miserable failure. Let it never be forgotten that if Nineveh is God's +choice for you, you can make no other port in safety. The sea will be +against you, the wind against you. It is hard indeed to struggle +against God. + +Jacob was a warning. Deceiving his own father, his sons in turn +deceived him. May we never forget the Scripture which declares, +"Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap." + +Esau was a warning. Coming in from the hunt one day, weary with his +exertions, he detects the savory smell of the mess of pottage, and his +crafty brother says, "I will give you this for your birthright," which +was his right to be a priest in his household; a moment more and the +birthright is gone; and in the New Testament we are told he sought it +with tears and could find no place of repentance. But many a man has +sold his right to be the priest of his household for less than a mess +of pottage, and in a real sense it is true that things done cannot be +undone. + +Saul was a warning. He was commanded to put to death Agag and the +flock, and he kept the best of all the flock and then lied to God's +messenger when he said that the work had been done as he was commanded. +He had no sooner said it than, behold, there was heard the bleating of +the sheep, and the lowing of the oxen. "Be sure your sin will find you +out." + +The New Testament has many warnings like these in the Old, but Judas +surpasses them all. There is something about him that makes us shudder. + +It is said that in Oberammergau, where the Passion Play is presented, +the man taking the character of Judas is always avoided afterwards. He +may have been ever so reputable a citizen, but he has been at least in +action a Judas, and that is enough. + +I was once a pastor at Schuylerville, N. Y., where on the Burgoyne +surrender ground stands a celebrated monument. It is beautiful to look +upon. On one side of it in a niche is General Schuyler, and on the +other side, if I remember correctly, General Gates; on the third, in +the same sort of a niche, another distinguished general is to be seen, +but on the fourth the niche is vacant. When I asked the reason I was +told that "It is the niche which might have been filled by Benedict +Arnold had he not been a traitor." + +The story of Judas is like this. He might have been all that God could +have approved of; he is throughout eternity a murderer, and all because +grace was rejected. Numerous lessons may be drawn from such a story. +Certain things might be said concerning hypocrisy, for he was in the +truest sense a hypocrite. Reference could be made to the fact that sin +is small in its beginnings, sure in its progress, terrific in its +ending, for at the beginning he was doubtless but an average man in +sin, possibly not so different from the others; but he rejected the +influence of Christ. Or, again, from such a character a thrilling +story could be told of the end of transgressors, for hard as may be the +way the end baffles description. Judas certainly tells us this. + + +II + +However much of a warning Judas may be to people of the world, I am +fully persuaded that there are four things which may be said concerning +him. + +First: He gives us a lesson as Christians. There were many names given +him. In Matthew the tenth chapter and the fourth verse, and in Mark +the third chapter and the nineteenth verse, we read that he was a +betrayer; in Luke the sixth chapter and the sixteenth verse he was +called a traitor; in John the sixth chapter and the seventieth verse he +is spoken of as a devil, but in John the twelveth chapter and the sixth +verse he is mentioned as a thief. To me however one of the best names +that could be applied to him is that which Paul feared might be given +to him when he said, "Lest when I have preached to others I myself +should be [literally] disapproved" (1 Corinthians 9:27). It is indeed +a solemn thought, that if we are not right with God he will set us +aside, for he cannot use us. I have in mind a minister, who once +thrilled great numbers of people with his message. Under the power of +his preaching hundreds of people came to Christ. There was possibly no +one in the Church with a brighter future. To-day he is set aside, for +God cannot use him. I have in mind a Sunday school superintendent, who +used to be on every platform speaking for Christ, and then yielded to +undue political influence of the worst sort, lost his vision of Christ +and his power in speaking, and to-day is set aside. But of all the +illustrations, I know of nothing which so stirs me as the story of +Judas. He might have been true and faithful and he might have been +with Christ to-day in glory; instead, he is in hell, a self-confessed +murderer, with the clinking of the thirty pieces of silver to condemn +him, and his awful conscience constantly to accuse him. It is indeed +enough to make our faces pale to realize that, whatever we may be +to-day in the service of God, we can be set aside in less than a week, +and God will cease to use us if we have anything of the spirit of Judas. + +Second: I learn also from Judas that environment is not enough for the +unregenerate. It is folly to state that a poor lost sinner simply by +changing his environment may have his nature changed. As John G. +Woolley has said, "it is like a man with a stubborn horse saying, 'I +will paint the outside of the barn a nice mild color to influence the +horse within.'" + +The well on my place in the country some years ago had in it poisoned +water. It was an attractive well with a house built around about it, +and the neighbors came to me to say that I must under no circumstances +drink from it. What if I had said, "I will decorate the well house +that I may change the water?" It would have been as nonsensical as to +say, "I will change the environment of a man who is wicked by nature, +and thereby make him good." Judas had lived close to Jesus, he had +been with him on the mountain, walked with him by the sea, was +frequently with him, I am sure, in Gethsemane, for we read in John the +eighteenth chapter and the second verse, "And Judas also, which +betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with +his disciples." He was also with him at the Supper. But after all +this uplifting, heavenly influence of the Son of God he sold him for +silver and betrayed him with a kiss. Nothing can answer for the sinner +but regeneration. His case is hopeless without that. + +Third: Hypocrisy is an awful thing. The text in Galatians is for all +such. "Be not deceived; God is not mocked." Those words in Matthew in +connection with the sermon on the Mount are for such, when men in the +great day shall say, "Have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy +name have cast out Devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?" +Jesus will say, "I never knew you." If we read the commission in +Matthew the tenth chapter the fifth to the twentieth verses inclusive, +we shall understand that these Apostles were sent forth to do a mighty +work, and evidently they did it. Judas had that commission, and he may +have fulfilled it in a sense, but he is lost to-day because he was a +hypocrite. The disciples may not have known his true nature. In John +the thirteenth chapter the twenty-first to the twenty-ninth verses we +read, "When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and +testified and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you +shall betray me. Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of +whom he spake. Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his +disciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, +that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake. He then lying on +Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? Jesus answered, He it +is to whom I shall give a sop when I have dipped it. And when he had +dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. And +after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That +thou doest, do quickly. Now no man at the table knew for what intent +he spake this unto him. For some of them thought, because Judas had +the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have +need of against the feast; or that he should give something to the +poor." Which would seem to impress this thought upon us. Oh, may I +say that it is a great sin to be untrue? The only time that Jesus is +severe is not when sinners seek him out, nor when the woman taken in +adultery is driven to him by those who would stone her with stones, nor +with the thief on the Cross, but when he faces hypocrites; he can have +no tenderness for them. + +Fourth: I learn from Judas that sin is of slow progress. There may +have been first just a natural ambition. He thought that the Kingdom +of Jesus was to be a great temporal affair, and he desired to be a part +of it. How many men to-day have wrecked their homes and all but lost +their souls, because of unholy ambitions! It may be an ambition for +your family as well as for yourself. Doubtless Jacob had such when he +stopped at Shechem. The result of his tarrying was his heart-breaking +experience with the worse than murder of his daughter. There are souls +to-day in the lost world who were wrecked upon the rock of ambition. + +Fifth: He was dishonest. It is a short journey from unholy ambition to +dishonesty. The spirit of God Himself calls him a thief. But, + +Sixth: Let it be known that while sin is of slow progress, it is +exceedingly sure. In the twenty-second chapter of Luke and the third +to the sixth verses we read that Satan entered into Judas. It seems to +me as if up to that time he had rather hovered about him, tempting him +with his insinuations, possibly causing him to slip and fall in +occasional sins, but finally he has control and then betrayal, denial +and murder are the results. + +I looked the other day into the face of a man who said to me, "Do you +know me?" and I told him I did not, and he said, "I used to be a +Christian worker and influenced thousands to come to Christ. In an +unguarded moment I determined to leave my ministry and to become rich. +My haste for riches was but a snare. I found myself becoming +unscrupulous in my business life and now I am wrecked, certainly for +time--oh," said he, "can it be for eternity? I am separated from my +wife and my children, whom I shall never see again." And rising in an +agony he cried out as I have rarely heard a man cry, "God have mercy +upon me! God have mercy upon me!" + + +III + +There are but three things that I would like to say concerning Judas as +I come to the end of my message. + +The first is that he was heartless in the extreme. It was just after a +touching scene recorded in Matthew the twenty-sixth chapter the seventh +to the thirteenth verses, "There came unto him a woman having an +alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as +he sat at meat. But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, +saying, To what purpose is this waste? For this ointment might have +been sold for much, and given to the poor. When Jesus understood it, +he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a +good work upon me. For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye +have not always. For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, +she did it for my burial. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this +gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, +that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her." It was +after this that Judas went to the enemies of Jesus and offered to sell +him, and as if that were not enough, it was just after he had left +Gethsemane, in Matthew the twenty-sixth chapter the forty-fifth to the +forty-ninth verses, that he betrayed him with his kiss. "Then cometh +he to his disciples and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your +rest; behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into +the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand +that doth betray me. And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the +twelve, came, and with him a great multitude, with swords and staves, +from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now he that betrayed +him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: +hold him fast. And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, Master; +and kissed him." The blood drops had just been rolling down the cheeks +of the Master, for he sweat, as it were, great drops of blood; and I +can quite understand how upon the very lips of Judas the condemning +blood may have left its mark. But do not condemn him; he is scarcely +more heartless than the man who to-day rejects him after all his +gracious ministry, his sacrificial death and his mediatorial work of +nineteen hundred years. + +Second: His death was awful. Acts 1:18, "Now this man purchased a +field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst +asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out." I can imagine +him going out to the place where he is to end it all, remembering as he +walked how Jesus had looked at him, recalling, doubtless, some of his +spoken messages, and certainly remembering how once he had been with +him in all his unfaithful ministry. All this must have swept before +him like a great panorama, and with the vision of his betrayed Master +still before him he swings himself out into the eternity; and then as +if to make the end more terrible the rope broke and his body burst and +his very bowels gushed forth. Oh, if it be true that the _way_ of the +transgressor is hard, in the name of God what shall we say of the end? + +Third: I would like to imagine another picture. What if instead of +going out to the scene of his disgraceful death he had waited until +after Jesus had risen? What if he had tarried behind some one of those +great trees near the city along the way which he should walk, or, +possibly on the Emmaus way? What if he had hidden behind some great +rock and simply waited? While it is true that he must have trembled as +he waited, what if after it all he had simply thrown himself on the +mercy of Jesus and had said to him, "Master, I have from the first been +untrue; for thirty pieces of silver I sold thee and with these lips I +betrayed thee with a kiss; but Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy +upon me"? There would have been written in the New Testament +Scriptures the most beautiful story that the inspired book contains. +Nothing could have been so wonderful as the spirit of him who is able +to save to the uttermost, and who never turned away from any seeking +sinner, and he would, I am sure, have taken Judas in his very arms; he, +too, might have given him a kiss, not of betrayal, but of the sign of +his complete forgiveness, and Judas might have shone to-day in the city +of God as shines Joseph of Arimathaea, Paul the Apostle, Peter the +Preacher. + +The saddest story I know is the story of Judas, for it is the account +of a man who resisted the grace of God and must regret it through +eternity. + + + + +AN OLD-FASHIONED HOME + +TEXT: "_What have they seen in thy house?_"--2 Kings 20:15. + +If you will tell me what is in your own house by your own choice I will +tell you the story of your home life and will be able to inform you +whether yours is a home in which there is harmony and peace or +confusion and despair. Let me read the names of the guests in your +guest book, allow me to study the titles of the books in your library +in which you have special delight, permit me to scan your magazines +which you particularly like, allow me to listen to your conversation +when you do not know that you are being overheard, give me the +privilege of talking but for a moment to your servants, and make it +possible for me to visit with your friends in whom you have particular +delight--and I will write a true story of what you have been, of what +you are, and of what you will be but for the grace of God, even though +I may not know you personally at all. In other words, whatever may be +seen in your home determines what your home is. + +I was a man grown before I visited Washington, the capital of the +nation. I was the guest of a member of the President's Cabinet. +Riding with him the first evening, when the moon was shining, we +suddenly came upon the National Capitol, and I said to my host, "What +in the world is that?" He said, with a smile, as if he pitied me, +"That is the Capitol building, and that is the home of the nation." I +am sure he was right in a sense, because the building is magnificent, +and is in every way the worthy home of such a nation as ours; but I +think I take issue with him, after careful thought, in his statement +that the Capitol building is the home of the nation. I can recall a +visit made to a home which was not in any sense palatial, where the +old-fashioned father every morning and evening read his Bible, knelt in +prayer with his household about him, commended to God his children each +by name, presented the servants at the throne of grace, and then sang +with them all one of the sweet hymns of the church; and from the +morning prayer they went forth to the day of victory, while from the +evening prayer they went to sleep the undisturbed sleep of the just, +with the angels of heaven keeping watch over them. + +I recall another home in the State of Ohio where the father and mother +were scarcely known outside of their own county. The size of their +farm was ten acres, but they reared two boys and two girls whose +mission has been world-wide and whose names are known wherever the +church of Christ is known and wherever the English language is spoken. +These, in the truest sense, are the homes of the nation, and such homes +give us men and women as true as steel. + +Napoleon once was asked, "What is the greatest need of the French +nation?" He hesitated a moment and then said, with marked emphasis, +"The greatest need of the French nation is mothers." If you will ask +me the greatest need of America I could wish in my reply that I might +speak with the power of a Napoleon and that my words might live as +long, for I would say, the greatest need of the American nation to-day +is homes; not palatial buildings, but homes where Christ is honored, +where God is loved, and where the Bible is studied. + +A returned missionary, who had been for twenty-five years away from his +home because he would not accept his furloughs, was asked after he had +been in California for a little season what impressed him the most +after his absence of a quarter of a century. The reporter expected him +to say that he was impressed with the telephone system which bound +houses and cities together, or that he was amazed at the wireless +telegraphy, by means of which on the wave currents of the air messages +were sent from one city to another; but the returned missionary +expressed no such surprise. He said, "When I went away from America +almost every home had its family altar; now that I have returned I have +watched very carefully and find that a family altar in a home is the +exception and not the rule." Wherever this is true there is real cause +for great alarm, for in proportion as the home fails the nation is in +danger. + +Hezekiah had been sick unto death. The word of the Lord by the mouth +of the Prophet came to him, saying, "Set thy house in order, for thou +must die." Then he recovered for a season. The King of Babylon sent +messengers to him, and when the messengers had gone Isaiah asked him +the question of the text, "What have they seen in thy house?" + +The dearest and most sacred spot on earth is home. Around it are the +most sacred associations, about it cluster the sweetest memories. The +buildings are not always palatial, the furnishings are not always of +the best, but when the home is worthy of the name ladders are let down +from heaven to those below, the angels of God come down, bringing +heaven's blessing and ascend, taking earth's crosses. Such a home is +the dearest spot on earth, because there your father worked and your +mother loved. There is no love which surpasses this. + +Some years ago, when the English soldiers were fighting and a Scotch +regiment came to assist, the Scotchmen, strangely enough, began to die +in great numbers. The skill of the physicians was baffled. They could +not tell why it was that there seemed to be such a rapid falling away +of the men. But at last they discovered the cause. The Scotch pipers +were playing the tunes that reminded the Scotchman of the heather and +the hills, and they were dying of homesickness. When the music was +changed the deaths in such large numbers almost instantly ceased. + +We are drifting away from our old-fashioned homes; fathers have grown +too busy, mothers have delegated their God-given work to others. We +have lost instead of gained. Wherever the homes are full of weakness +the government is in danger. The homes of our country are so many +streams pouring themselves into the great current of moral and social +life. If the home life is pure, then all is pure. I stand with that +company of people today who believe that we are at the beginning of a +great revival of religion, and I am persuaded that this revival is to +be helped on not so much by preaching, though that is not to be +ignored; nor by singing, though that in itself is useful; but it is to +be helped or hindered by the condition of the homes in our land. + + +I + +I have a friend, George R. Stuart, who says that when God himself would +start a nation he made home life the deciding question. He selected +Abraham as the head of the home, and in Genesis, the eighteenth chapter +and the nineteenth verse, he gives the reason for this in these words: +"For I know him, that he will command his children and his household +after him." + +There are two great principles which must prevail in every home: + +First: _Authority_, suggested by the word "command." + +Second: _Example_, suggested by the expression, "He will command his +children and his household after him." + +In order that one may rightly command he must himself be controlled or +be able to obey an authority higher than his own. It is absolutely +impossible for one to be the father he ought to be and not be a +Christian, or to be worthy of the name of mother and not yield +allegiance to Jesus Christ. If we are to set before those about us a +right example, we cannot begin too soon. Your children are a +reproduction of yourself, weakness in them is weakness in yourself, +strength in them is but the reproduction of your own virtue. + +A convention of mothers met some years ago in the city of Cincinnati +and was discussing the question as to when one ought properly to begin +to train the child for Christ. One mother said, "I begin at six"; +another suggested seven as the proper age; another said, "I begin when +my child takes his first step, and thus point him to Christ, or when he +speaks his first word I teach him the name of Jesus." Finally an old +saint arose and said, "You are all of you wrong; the time to begin to +train the child is the generation before the child is born," and this +we all know to be true. + +But the responsibility does not rest simply upon mothers; fathers +cannot ignore their God-given position. Judge Alton B. Parker and his +favorite grandson, Alton Parker Hall, five years old, narrowly escaped +death by drowning in the Hudson River. For half an hour the two played +in the water. Then Judge Parker took the boy for a swim into deep +water. Placing the boy on his back, he swam around for awhile, and +then, deciding to float, turned over, seating the boy astride his +chest. In this manner the judge floated a distance from the wharf +before noticing it. Then he attempted to turn over again, intending to +swim nearer the shore. In the effort to transfer the boy to his back +the little fellow became frightened and tightly clasped the judge about +the neck. Judge Parker called to the boy to let go his hold, but the +youth only held on the tighter, and, frightened at the evident distress +of the judge, began to whimper. In a few moments the grasp of the boy +became so tight that Judge Parker could not breathe. He tried to shake +the boy loose, and then attempted to break his grasp. The boy held on +with the desperation of death, however, and every effort of the judge +only plunged them both beneath the choking waves. With his last few +remaining breaths, Judge Parker gave up the struggle and shouted for +assistance. The mistake that the distinguished man made was that he +went too far from shore with the boy. There are too many men to-day +who are doing the same thing. They are going out too far in social +life, they are too lax in the question of amusements, they are too +thoughtless on the subject of dissipation. Some day they will stop, +themselves recovering, but their boys will be gone. + +Example counts for everything in a home. It there is any blessing in +my own life or others, if there has been any helpfulness in my ministry +to others, I owe it all to my mother, who lived before me a consistent +Christian life and died giving me her blessing; and to my father, who +with his arms about me one day said, "My son, if you go wrong it will +kill me." I was at one time under the influence of a boy older than +myself and cursed with too much money. I had taken my first +questionable step at least, and was on my way one night to a place +which was at least questionable if not sinful. I had turned the street +corner and ahead of me was the very gate to hell. Suddenly, as I +turned, the face of my father came before me and his words rang in my +very soul. If my father had been anything but a consistent Christian +man I myself, I am sure, would have been far from the pulpit, and might +have been in the lost world. There are those who seem to think that +the height of one's ambition is to amass a fortune, to build a palace +or to acquire a social position. My friend, George R. Stuart, says you +may build your palaces, amass your fortunes, provide for the +satisfaction of every desire, but as you sit amid these luxurious +surroundings waiting for the staggering steps of a son, or as you think +of a wayward daughter, all this will be as nothing, for there is +nothing that can give happiness to the parents of Godless, wayward +children. Some one has said, "Every drunkard, every gambler, every +lost woman once sat in a mother's lap, and the downfall of the most of +them may be traced to some defect in home life." + +The real purpose of every home is to shape character for time and +eternity. The home may be one of poverty, the cross of self-sacrifice +may be required, suffering may sometimes be necessary, but wherever a +home fulfills this purpose it is overflowing with joy. One of my +friends has drawn the following picture which he says is fanciful, but +which I think is absolutely true to life: + +Back in the country there is a boy who wants to go to a college and get +an education. They call him a book-worm. Wherever they find him--in +the barn or in the house--he is reading a book. "What a pity it is," +they say, "that Ed cannot get an education!" His father, work as hard +as he will, can no more than support the family by the products of the +farm. One night Ed has retired to his room and there is a family +conference about him. The sisters say, "Father, I wish you would send +Ed to college; if you will we will work harder than we ever did, and we +will make our old dresses do." The mother says, "Yes, I will get along +without any hired help; although I am not as strong as I used to be, I +think I can get along without any hired help." The father says, "Well, +I think by husking corn nights in the barn I can get along without any +assistance." Sugar is banished from the table, butter is banished from +the plate. That family is put down on rigid, yea, suffering, economy +that the boy may go to college. Time passes on. Commencement day has +come and the professors walk in on the stage in their long gowns and +their classic but absurd hats. The interest of the occasion is passing +on, and after a while it comes to a climax of interest as the +valedictorian is introduced. Ed has studied so hard and worked so well +that he has had the honor conferred upon him. There are rounds of +applause, sometimes breaking into vociferation. It is a great day for +Ed. But away back in the galleries are his sisters in their old plain +hats and faded clothes, and the old-fashioned father and mother; dear +me, she has not had a new hat for six years; he has not had a new coat +for a longer time. They rise and look over on the platform, then they +laugh and they cry, and as they sit down, their faces grow pale, and +then are very flushed. Ed gets the garlands and the old-fashioned +group in the gallery have their full share of the triumph. They have +made that scene possible, and in the day that God shall more fully +reward self-sacrifice made for others, he will give grand and glorious +recognition. "As his part is that goeth down to battle, so shall his +part be that tarrieth by the stuff." + +This experience describes a home in the truest sense of the word better +than all the palaces the world has ever known where love is lacking and +the spirit of God is gone. + + +II + +There are two great forces in every home. I speak of the father and +the mother, not but that the children have their part in either making +or breaking a household, but these two are the mightiest of agencies. + +The mother stands first. There are certain things which must be true +of every mother. She must be a Christian. The father may fail if he +must, but let the mother fail and God pity the children. She must be +consistent. The children may forget the inconsistencies of the father +but when the mother fails the impression is lasting as time and almost +as lasting as eternity. She must be prayerful. I do not know of +anything that lifts so many burdens or puts upon the face such a look +of beauty as the spirit of prayer. And she must study her Bible. When +we pray we talk with God, but when we read the Bible God talks with us +and every mother needs his counsel. + +A poor young man stood before a judge in a great court to be sentenced +to death. When asked if he had anything to say, he bowed his head and +said, "Oh, your honor, if I had only had a mother!" + +A mother's love is unfailing. When I was in Atlanta, Georgia, in +October, 1904, a little girl and an old mother came to see the +governor. They had met on the train, and the child agreed to take the +old lady to see the governor of the State. They entered the governor's +office and she spoke as follows: + +"I want to see the governor," was the straightforward request of the +little lady addressed to Major Irwin, the private secretary to the +governor, as he inquired her errand. + +"That is the governor standing there. He will see you in a moment," +replied the major, indicating Governor Terrell standing in the group. +The governor went over to her. "What can I do for you, dear?" he +asked. Throwing back her curls she opened wide her baby brown eyes and +said: + +"Governor, it is not for me; it is for this old lady. Her name is Mrs. +Hackett, and she wants to talk to you about pardoning her boy." This +was said by a little lady of eleven, who spoke with all the grace and +_savoir-faire_ of a woman twice her age. + +In a voice choked with emotion, Mrs. Hackett began her tearful, +scarcely audible story and presented her petition for clemency for her +boy. + +"Governor, have mercy on me," she began, and threw back her bonnet, +showing a face wrinkled by age and furrowed and drawn by suffering, +"and give me back my boy." + +Breaking down under the strain of talking to the governor, whom she had +planned for months to see, the pleading mother gave way to her grief. +The governor was visibly moved, and continued to stroke the curly hair +of Mrs. Hackett's little guide. "Give me back my boy. I am an old +woman, going on seventy-nine, and I cannot be here long. I know I am +standing with one foot in the grave, and I do want to hear my boy, my +baby, say to me, 'Ma, I'm free.' Let me go down on my knees to you and +beg that you have mercy on a mother's breaking heart. During the last +month I picked five hundred pounds of cotton and made two dollars to +get here to see you. I got here without a cent, and this little angel +gave me a dollar--her all. I don't care if I have to walk back home, +for I've seen you and told you of my boy." + +With unsteady voice the governor told her the law, and referred her +gently to the prison commission, assuring her that they would give her +petition the most considerate attention. I am told that when the books +were examined the crime was found to be one of the blackest on the +calendar, and yet the mother loved him. + +Her love always stimulates love. It lasts when everything else fails. +A man cannot wander so far from God as to forget his mother, or go so +deep in sin as to be unmindful of her sweet influence. + +The following is a sketch, full of touching interest, of a little +ragged newsboy who had lost his mother. In the tenderness of his +affection for her he was determined that he would raise a stone to her +memory. His mother and he had kept house together and they had been +all to each other, but now she was taken, and the little fellow's loss +was irreparable. Getting a stone was no easy task, for his earnings +were small; but love is strong. Going to a cutter's yard and finding +that even the cheaper class of stones was far too expensive for him, he +at length fixed upon a broken shaft of marble, part of the remains of +an accident in the yard, and which the proprietor kindly named at such +a low figure that it came within his means. There was much yet to be +done, but the brave little chap was equal to it. + +The next day he conveyed the stone away on a little four-wheeled cart, +and managed to have it put in position. The narrator, curious to know +the last of the stone, visited the cemetery one afternoon, and he thus +describes what he saw and learned: + +"Here it is," said the man in charge, and, sure enough, there was our +monument, at the head of one of the newer graves. I knew it at once. +Just as it was when it left our yard, I was going to say, until I got a +little nearer to it and saw what the little chap had done. I tell you, +boys, when I saw it there was something blurred my eyes, so's I +couldn't read it at first. The little man had tried to keep the lines +straight, and evidently thought that capitals would make it look better +and bigger, for nearly every letter was a capital. I copied it, and +here it is; but you want to see it on the stone to appreciate it: + + + MY MOTHER + SHEE DIED LAST WEAK + SHEE WAS ALL I HAD. SHEE + SED SHEAD BEE WAITING FUR-- + +and here the boy's lettering stopped. After awhile I went back to the +man in charge and asked him what further he knew of the little fellow +who brought the stone. "Not much," he said; "not much. Didn't you +notice a fresh little grave near the one with the stone? Well, that's +where he is. He came here every afternoon for some time working away +at that stone, and one day I missed him, and then for several days. +Then the man came out from the church that had buried the mother and +ordered the grave dug by her side. I asked if it was for the little +chap. He said it was. The boy had sold all his papers one day, and +was hurrying along the street out this way. There was a runaway team +just above the crossing, and--well--he was run over, and lived but a +day or two." He had in his hand when he was picked up an old file +sharpened down to a point, that he did all the lettering with. They +said he seemed to be thinking only of that until he died, for he kept +saying, "I didn't get it done, but she'll know I meant to finish it, +won't she? I'll tell her so, for she'll be waiting for me," and he +died with those words on his lips. When the men in the cutter's yard +heard the story of the boy the next day, they clubbed together, got a +good stone, inscribed upon it the name of the newsboy, which they +succeeded in getting from the superintendent of the Sunday school which +the little fellow attended, and underneath it the touching words: "He +loved his mother." + +God pity the mother with such an influence as this if she is leading in +the wrong direction! + +It is necessary also to say just a word about the father. There are +many pictures of fathers in the Bible. Jacob gives us one when he +cries, "Me ye have bereft of my children." + +David gives another when he cries, "O Absalom, my son." The father of +the Prodigal adds a new touch of beauty to the picture when he calls +for the best robe to be put upon his boy. I allow no one to go beyond +me in paying tribute to a mother's love, but I desire in some special +way to pay tribute to the devotion and consistency of a father. + +There are special requisites which must be made without which no father +can maintain his God-given position. He must be a Christian. I rode +along a country road with my little boy some time ago. I found that he +was speaking to my friends just as I spoke to them. One man called my +attention to it and said, "It is amusing, isn't it?" To me it was +anything but amusing. If my boy is to speak as I speak, walk as I +walk, then God help me to walk as a Christian. + +He must be a man of prayer. No man can bear the burdens of life or +meet its responsibilities properly if he is a stranger to prayer. + +He must be a man of Bible study. One of the most priceless treasures I +have is a Bible my father studied, the pages of which he turned over +and over, and which I never used to read without a great heart throb. + + "I con its pages o'er and o'er; + Its interlinings mark a score + Of promises most potent, sweet, + In verses many of each sheet; + Albeit the gilding dull of age, + And yellow-hued its every page, + No book more precious e'er may be + Than father's Bible is to me. + + "Its tear-stained trace fresh stirs my heart + The corresponding tear to start; + Of trials, troubles herein brought, + For comfort never vainly sought, + For help in sorest hour of need, + For love to crown the daily deed, + No book more precious e'er may be + Than father's Bible is to me." + + +He must also erect in his house a family altar. I know that many +business men will say this is impossible, but it is not impossible. If +your business prevents your praying with your children, then there must +be something wrong with your business. If your life prevents it, then +you ought to see to it that your life is made right and that quickly. + +My friend, George R. Stuart, one of the truest men I know, gave me the +following picture of a Christian home. He said: "When I was preaching +in Nashville, at the conclusion of my sermon a Methodist preacher came +up and laid his hand upon my shoulder and said, 'Brother Stuart, how +your sermon to-day carried me back to my home! My father was a local +preacher, and the best man I ever saw. He is gone to heaven now. We +have a large family; mother is still at home, and I should like to see +all the children together once more and have you come and dedicate our +home to God, while we all rededicate ourselves to God before precious +old mother leaves. If you will come with me, I will gather all the +family together next Friday for that purpose.' I consented to go. The +old home was a short distance from the city of Nashville. There were a +large number of brothers and sisters. One was a farmer; one was a +doctor; one was a real estate man; one was a bookkeeper; one was a +preacher; and so on, so that they represented many professions of life. +The preacher brother took me out to the old home, where all the +children had gathered. As we drove up to the gate I saw the brothers +standing in little groups about the yard, whittling and talking. Did +you never stand in the yard of the old home after an absence of many +years, and entertain memories brought up by every beaten path and tree +and gate and building about the old place? I was introduced to these +noble-looking men who, as the preacher brother told me, were all +members of churches, living consistent Christian lives, save the +younger boy, who had wandered away a little, and the real object of +this visit was to bring him back to God. + +"The old mother was indescribably happy. There was a smile lingering +in the wrinkles of her dear old face. We all gathered in the large, +old-fashioned family room in the old-fashioned semicircle, with mother +in her natural place in the corner. The preacher brother laid the +large family Bible in my lap and said, 'Now, Brother Stuart, you are in +the home of a Methodist preacher; do what you think best.' + +"I replied, 'As I sit to-day in the family of a Methodist preacher, let +us begin our service with an old-fashioned experience meeting. I want +each child, in the order of your ages, to tell your experience.' The +oldest arose and pointed his finger at the oil portrait of his father, +hanging on the wall, and said in substance about as follows: 'Brother +Stuart, there is the picture of the best father God ever gave a family. +Many a time he has taken me to his secret place of prayer, put his hand +on my head, and prayed for his boy. And at every turn of my life, +since he has left me, I have felt the pressure of his hand on my head, +and have seen the tears upon his face, and have heard the prayers from +his trembling lips. I have not been as good a man since his death as I +ought to have been, but I stand up here to-day to tell you and my +brothers and sisters and my dear old mother that I am going to live a +better life from this hour until I die.' Overcome with emotion, he +took his seat, and the children in order spoke on the same line. Each +one referred to the place of secret prayer and the father's hand upon +the head. At last we came to the youngest boy, who, with his face +buried in his hands, was sobbing and refused to speak. The preacher +brother very pathetically said, 'Buddy, say a word; there is no one +here but the family, and it will help you.' + +"He arose, holding the back of his chair, and looked up at me and said, +'Brother Stuart, they tell me that you have come to dedicate this home +to God; but my old mother here has never let it get an inch from God. +They tell you that this meeting is called that my brothers and sisters +may dedicate their lives to God, but they are good. I know them. I am +the only black sheep in this flock. Every step I have wandered away +from God and the life of my precious father, I have felt his hand upon +my head and heard his blessed words of prayer. To-day I come back to +God, back to my father's life, and so help me God, I will never wander +away again.' + +"Following his talk came a burst of sobbing and shouting, and I started +that old hymn, 'Amazing grace (how sweet the sound!) that saved a +wretch like me!' etc., and we had an old-fashioned Methodist +class-meeting, winding up with a shout. As I walked away from that old +homestead I said in my heart, 'It is the salt of a good life that saves +the children.' A boy never gets over the fact that he had a good +father." + +"What have they seen in thy house?" If we are to help our children for +time and eternity, our homes must be better, our lives must be truer, +our ambition to do God's will must be supreme. When these conditions +are met it will be possible for us to answer the question of the text. + + + + +THE SWELLING OF JORDAN + +TEXT: "_How wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?_"--Jer. 12:5. + +High up in the mountains of Anti-Lebanon a famous river was born which +was to play so important a part in the history of God's people that it +would not have been strange if the birds of heaven had chanted their +praises when first it began its journey. From four different places in +the mountain the stream starts. Then the four streams become one, and +in a single channel the river makes its way across the plain. + +There are two chief characteristics which must be borne in mind. The +first is that a part of its journey is through a rocky country, and +caves are on either side of the river, sometimes one above another; +frequently three caves are to be seen one above another. The other +characteristic is that it overflows its banks in all the time of +harvest. These two things must be kept in mind if the text would teach +its lesson. + +There are certain people who will always remember the river Jordan--the +children of Israel first of all, because it separated them from the +Promised Land; and while scripturally Canaan does not stand for Heaven, +yet in the mind of many it does, and the Jordan typifies an experience +which stands between us and the future. Naaman will remember it, for +when he came as a leper to the servant of God he was bidden to wash +seven times in this river. At first he rebelled against the thought, +finally he entered the stream, bathed twice, three times, four, five, +six times, and was still a leper; but you will remember the word of the +Lord, seven times must he bathe, and when the seventh plunge was taken, +behold, his flesh was as the flesh of a little child! No man need +expect to have light and peace and power or eternal life until he has +fulfilled all the commands of God. + +The wild beasts frequently make their way to these caves as a place of +refuge. When the waters begin to rise they are driven out, when they +go to the higher cave, and then to the highest of all, and the waters +constantly rising fill this cave and they are overpowered and put to +death. They are an illustration for us. Men of to-day are in caves of +different sorts; some in the cave of dissipation, others in the cave of +infidelity, and still others in the cave of morality. One day the +waters of judgment will begin to rise, and it will be an awful thing to +stand in terror before God, driven forth without refuge. + + +I + +_Dissipation_. "I am in the clutch of an awful sin," wrote some one to +me recently, whether man or woman I cannot tell, but this was the story: + +Three years before the writer had been free, and then in an unguarded +moment had gone down. Now came the pathetic cry, "I am helpless and +hopeless." I do not know what the sin was, but it makes no difference; +any sin can bind us if we but yield to it. Under the subject of +dissipation I do not speak of drinking as the worst of sins, because it +is not the worst, by any means. I had a thousand times rather admit to +my home the drunkard who has been cursed with his appetite than to +admit there the man who is lecherous, who possibly stands high in +society and in the business world, but whose sin is great and whose +heart is vile beyond description. I speak of drinking because it is +the most common of sins. + +John B. Gough cries out concerning this sin, "I do not speak of it +boastingly," said he, "for I have known what the curse of strong drink +is; I have felt it in my own life and seen it in others, but I say the +truth, let the bread of affliction be given me to eat, take away from +me the friends of my old age, let the hut of poverty be my dwelling +place, let the wasting hand of disease be placed upon me, let me live +in the whirlwind and dwell in the storm, when I would do good let evil +come upon me--do all this, merciful God, but save me from the death of +a drunkard." When he would speak in such language, God pity the man +who yields to such a sin. + +It may be that gambling is your weak point. When I was in Colorado a +young man who was a graduate of Harvard, the honor man of his class, +and who had recently buried his wife, sat at the gambling table, staked +his last dollar and lost it; then deliberately put up his little child +and lost her; and then, in despair, blew out his brains and sent his +soul to hell. When such a man of culture and training would go down +under such a sin, God pity the man who yields to it. + +Or it may be licentiousness, that sin which makes men lower than the +beasts of the field, from which one can scarcely break away. I do not +know what the sin may be that clutches your life, but if you have given +way to it and rejected Christ, how wilt thou do in the swelling of +Jordan, when the waters rise higher and higher and you are without +Christ and without hope? + + +II + +Some are in the cave of infidelity. That there are honest skeptics in +the world we all believe, and the honest skeptic is one who says, "I +cannot believe as you do, and I do not know that I would if I could, +but if your hope is any comfort to you, then cling to it and go down to +your grave trusting in it." + +The dishonest skeptic is the man who sneers at my faith, who laughs at +the old-fashioned religion, who says that once he believed in it but +has grown away from it, seemingly forgetting that the greatest men the +country has ever produced have been humble followers of Jesus of +Nazareth. Infidelity does not satisfy. It leaves an aching void in +life and mocks us in death. Besides, it is deceiving and the talk of +the infidel orator is deceiving. Said one of the most eloquent not +many years ago, "When I think of the Christian's God and the +Christian's Bible, I am glad I am not a Christian. I had rather be the +humblest German peasant that ever lived, sitting in his cottage, vine +clad, from which the grapes hang, made purple by the kiss of the sun as +the day dies out of the sky, shod with wooden shoes, clad in homespun, +at peace with the world, his family about him, with never a thought of +God--I say the truth I had rather be such a peasant than any Christian +that I have ever known." And when he said it the people cheered him. +It was, however, but the trick of an orator. Let us change the +sentences and give a new ring to the thought. "When I think of what +infidelity would do I am glad I am not an infidel; how it would rob me +of the hope of seeing my mother and meeting again my child; how it +would take me in despair to the grave and send me away with a broken +heart--I say I am glad I am not an infidel. I had rather be the +humblest German peasant that ever lived, sitting in his cottage, vine +clad, from which the grapes hang, made purple by the kiss of the sun as +the day dies out of the sky, clad in homespun, shod with wooden shoes, +at peace with the world and at peace with God, his family Bible upon +his knees, the look of ineffable joy in his face and singing that grand +old hymn of Luther's, 'A mighty fortress is our God'--I had rather be +such a German peasant than to be the mightiest infidel the world has +ever known," and so I would, a thousand thousand times. God pity you +if you allow yourself to put Christ out of your life and stand in the +midst of the rising floods with no hope in him! How wilt thou do in +the swelling of Jordan? + + +III + +Some are in the cave of morality. It seems a strange thing to have a +word to say against it, only when we remember that he that offends in +one point is guilty of all, and when we remember God's word as he has +declared, "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all the things +written in the Book of the law to do them." + +Then the question for the moralist is this, "Have you ever offended in +one point?" + +A splendid steamer was launched on Lake Champlain. She made her way +safely across the lake and started back, when a storm came upon her, +the engines were disabled and she drifted to the rocks. "Out with the +anchor," said the captain, and the command was obeyed, but still she +drifted, and although the anchor was down she crashed against the rocks +with an awful force, and all because the anchor chain was three feet +too short. Your morality so far as it goes may be a good tiling, but +it does not reach the standard of God, nor can it until you are safely +united to Christ; and if you have put him out of your life and stand +alone in the midst of the rising floods, then how wilt thou do in the +swelling of Jordan? + +Sin is a terrible thing. It not only blights our hopes and prospects +for the future, but it wrecks the strongest characters. One has only +to open his eyes to see, if he will but look abroad, what dreadful +havoc this awful evil hath wrought in the world, and yet the wonderful +thing is that "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten +Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have +everlasting life," and no matter how dreadful the wreck or how awful +the ruin, Jesus Christ comes seeking to save that which was lost. + +Major Whittle used to tell the story of the aged Quaker named Hartmann +whose son had enlisted in the army. There came the news of a dreadful +battle, and this old father, in fear and trembling, started to the +scene of conflict that he might learn something concerning his boy. +The officer of the day told him that he had not answered to his name, +and that there was every reason to believe that he was dead. This did +not satisfy the father, so, leaving headquarters, he started across the +battlefield, looking for the one who was dearer to him than life. He +would stoop down and turn over the face of this one and then the face +of another, but without success. The night came on, and then with a +lantern he continued his search, all to no purpose. Suddenly the wind, +which was blowing a gale, extinguished his lantern, and he stood there +in the darkness hardly knowing what to do until his fatherly ingenuity, +strength and affection prompted him to call out his son's name, and so +he stood and shouted, "John Hartmann, thy father calleth thee." All +about him he would hear the groans of the dying and some one saying, +"Oh, if that were only my father." He continued his cry with more +pathos and power until at last in the distance he heard his boy's voice +crying tremblingly, "Here, father." The old man made his way across +the field shouting out, "Thank God! Thank God!" Taking him in his +arms, he bore him to headquarters, nursed him back to health and +strength, and he lives to-day. Over the battlefield of the slain this +day walks Jesus Christ, the Son of God, crying out to all who are +wrecked by this awful power, "Thy Father calleth thee," and if there +should be but the faintest response to his cry he would take the lost +in his arms and bear them home to heaven. Will you not come while he +calls to-day? + + + + +A CALL TO JUDGMENT + +TEXT: "_I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I +have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing, therefore +choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live._"--Deut. 30:19. + +Moses was a wonderful man; whether you view him as a poet or as a +leader of men, he is alike great. This text was spoken by him to the +people of Israel at the close of his career. The leadership of God's +chosen people is now to be transferred to Joshua, and it is in order +that he may speak to them as they should be addressed, and at the same +time in order that he may free himself from judgment, that he speaks as +he does. + +I have two great desires as I present this message. + +First, that I might myself be faithful, and that it might be said that +I am free from the blood of all men, for I have not shunned to declare +unto you the whole counsel of God. + +Second, that I might help some one to the knowledge of Christ. This is +no time for argument, for argument always calls forth discussion. It +is no time for theory. Practical, every-day people of the world care +nothing for mere theories. And it is no time for speculation, for to +give such to the people is like giving a stone when they have asked for +bread. But it is time for eternal choice. The audience of the +preacher vanishes when he thinks of the text and its meaning and he is +face to face with the Judgment when he shall be judged for the way he +has spoken, and the people shall be called to account for the way they +have heard. It is indeed a solemn word. "I call heaven and earth to +record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, +blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy +seed may live." + + +I + +_Record_. I desire to use this word as if it were a noun for the time +being, for it will bring to us the same truth. This leads me to say +that every one is making a record, either good or bad. Deep down +through the surface of the earth you will find the evidence of storms +centuries ago; the record was indelibly made. + +Two records are being kept. This is indicated in the twentieth chapter +of Revelation, where it is said, "And the books were opened." Notice +that it is plural and not singular. There is a record in heaven kept +by the Recording Angel. If it were in the memory of God it would be an +awful thing, for while God does not remember forgiven sin, he cannot, +from the very nature of the case, forget unpardoned sin, and if that is +the record one day we shall meet it face to face. + +There is also a record upon earth. We have seen it in the characters +of men who have gone astray, and in the faces of those who have been +affected by their sins. + +In an eastern city where I was preaching my attention was called to a +young man of brilliant prospects. He was a member of a great wholesale +grocery firm, and young men looked at him almost with envy; but he +began to drink, and at the end of a year the senior partner called him +in to say that he must change his conduct or retire from the firm. He +made promises only to break them, and finally, going from bad to worse, +he was forced to retire. One morning we read the news in the paper +that his bloated body had been found floating in the Hudson river; and +his old father, up to a few years ago, walked up and down the streets +with bowed head, giving every evidence of an almost broken heart. Sin +is an awful thing and makes its record on whatever it touches. + + +II + +_Two Ways_. There are just two ways in this world along which men may +walk, and they are not parallel ways. I used to have that idea, but I +am sure it is wrong. As a matter of fact, it is but one way; going in +one direction is death, and in the opposite direction is life. + +First: Away from God, away from his love, every step only leads us +farther from Him--not because of anything he is, but because of what we +have done ourselves. + +A father in the South sent his boy to a northern university, and for +seven years he was away from the restraints of his home. Then he came +back with his diploma but with the habit of intemperance fastened upon +him. It seemed impossible for him to break it, and his old father was +fairly crushed. His mother broke her heart and died, all because of +her boy. And yet the father loved him. One day the old father stepped +from his carriage in the town in which he lived. The son was heard to +make a request of him, and when evidently it was refused the boy turned +and struck him full in the face. The old father staggered and would +have fallen to the walk except for assistance. He entered his +carriage, drove back to his home, the servants saw him go out into the +grove where his wife was buried, throw himself on the grave and shriek +aloud. Some time later the boy returned and the father met him at the +door to say, "You must go away; you have disgraced my name and killed +your mother and broken my heart." This is the measure of a father's +love perhaps in this one instance, but think how many times you have +trifled with God, spurned his love, disregarded his Son, and yet he has +loved you. And remember also that word which says, + + "There is a time, we know not when, + A place, we know not where, + That seals the destiny of men + For glory or despair." + + +Second: _Towards God_. How easy a thing it is, therefore, to be saved +if there is but one way and this way runs in opposite directions, +meaning either life or death. It is just to "right about face," as the +soldier would say, by an act of the will and with the help of God to +turn away from sin and from self. I am very sure we can do it, because +it is commanded in this text, and God would not mock us with a command +which could not be obeyed. I am equally sure that we must do it now, +for God has plainly stated this in his Word. + + +III + +_Choose Life_. As has been indicated, the text proves that we may +choose life if we will, but I have more especially in mind the +question, "Why should we do it?" and I answer, because it is the best +sort of life and the only life. + +One of my friends used to tell of a man whom he saw in Colonel Clarke's +mission. The man rose for prayers and accepted Christ. Later on he +saw him again in the mission. He went forward to testify. He had that +look upon his face the result of sin, because of which you could not +tell whether he was young or old, and leaning up against the platform +he gave his testimony. Among other things he said: "I came to Chicago +some little time ago from my home in the east, my father having made +two requests--first, that I should change my name because I had +disgraced his; second, that I should go away and never return. I had +fallen too low here for them to receive me even in the station house, +and I was on my way to end it all when I heard the music of this +mission and came in and found Christ. As I came down the aisle this +evening I heard one man say to another, 'He is getting paid for this,' +and I wish to say that I am. I have a letter in my pocket from my +father, and he tells me that I cannot come home too soon for him. +Boys, I am getting paid. I have a sister at home whose name I would +hardly dare to have taken upon my impure lips, and she writes me that +every day she has prayed for me and that a welcome home awaits me. I +am getting paid, for to-night I am starting back to my New England +home." + +It is life which we may choose, and life of the very best sort. It is +better than anything that this world can give. Men have tried other +ways, and they have ended in despair and shame and death, but this way +is the path of the just and shines brighter and brighter unto the +perfect day. Therefore choose life and choose it now. + +In St. Paul's cathedral in London it is said that under the dome there +is a red mark, and I have been told that this mark indicates the place +where a workman lost his life. He fell from the scaffolding and was +dashed to pieces upon the floor. I have been told that in the Alps +very frequently you will see black crosses where men have slipped into +eternity as the result of an accident. But I suggest these stories in +order that I may say that where you are at this present moment may be +the black cross of death, because there some one rejected Christ. If +you feel this, choose Jesus Christ; choose him, and choose him now. + +"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have +set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose +life, that both thou and thy seed may live." + + + + +A CHANGED LIFE + +TEXT: "_And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity +eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift +herself up. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said +unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity: And he laid his +hands on her; and immediately she was made straight, and glorified +God._"--Luke 13:11-13. + +These verses present to us one of the most interesting stories +imaginable--of interest to us first because it is one of our Lord's +miracles, and one has only to study these manifestations of his power +to be persuaded of his divinity; interesting, again, because it is the +account of a remarkable recovery from a great infirmity, for instead of +bondage which had held this woman for eighteen years we behold her +standing upright glorifying God. But it is all the more interesting to +us because it presents a picture of what may be called the overflow +ministry of Jesus, of which there are many instances--as, for example, +the account of the staunching of the issue of blood when the woman +touched the hem of his garment. He was going upon another errand, but +was so filled with virtue that when one of the multitude at his side +touched him, by faith healing was the result. And, again, we have an +illustration in the raising of Jairus' daughter, and once again in the +rescue of the widow's son from death. He was on his journey across the +country and beheld the funeral procession coming. Mr. Moody used to +say that Jesus broke up every funeral he attended, and he stops long +enough in this journey to restore this boy to his broken-hearted +mother. Again, in the case of the woman of Samaria, when he is going +about his Father's business, he stops by the wellside to rest, and even +in his resting moments forgives a woman's sins, so that under her +influence an entire city is moved. Would that we could learn that it +is the overflow of our lives that gives power to our Christian +experience! This text is one of the best illustrations of this truth +in the life of our Savior. + + +I + +Many lessons might be drawn from this scripture, the first of which +would be his power to uplift womanhood; but this is so well understood +that it is unnecessary to take a moment of time to discuss it, except +to say in passing that all that woman is today she owes to Jesus of +Nazareth. She was as truly bound as this afflicted woman, and just as +truly was she set free. But I prefer rather to let the woman of +Samaria illustrate many Christians to-day who are bound in one way or +another and so are shorn of power. For this suggestion I am indebted +to my dear friend, the Rev. F. B. Meyer, a brief outline of whose +sermon I recently had the privilege of reading. + +She was a daughter of Abraham, as we read in verse 16, "And ought not +this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan had bound, lo, +these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?" +And therefore she was like many children of God whom we know. What it +is that binds them we cannot always tell. With this person it is +fashion, and with that it is earnings; with another it is pride, and +still another selfishness; with this one it is the encouragement of +some passion, and with still another it is the practice of some secret +sin. It is not necessary to describe the bondage; it is true, alas, +that many of us are sadly crippled in our influence because of these +things, for this woman was just as truly bound as if she had been in +chains. When Jesus entered the synagogue his eye saw her instantly, +and he detected her difficulty. He is in the midst of us to-day, and +while we are unconscious of the bondage of the one who is beside us, he +understands it perfectly. That minister who has lost his old power and +is therefore an enigma to his people, that church officer who is out of +communion and whose testimony has lost its old ring of genuineness, +that young woman bordering on despair because in her heart she knows +she is not right with God, and that young man whose character is being +undermined by the cultivation of a secret sin--all these are known to +him. He looks them through and through, and not a point of weakness is +hidden from his gaze. + +Note again, that she was powerless to help herself. I doubt not that +she had tried again and again to lift herself up. She had been unable +to turn her eyes upward to see the stars, her vision had been centered +upon things below, and in this way she is like many a Christian +attempting to be satisfied with earthly things and making life a +miserable failure. The Scriptures declare that she "could in no wise +lift up herself," and I have been told that this expression is the same +word which is used in another place in the Epistle to the Hebrews, +where Jesus is said to be able to save to the uttermost; so that really +the Scriptures mean that she tried to the uttermost to lift herself up +and failed, and that she had gone to the uttermost in the matter of +bondage, and then because Jesus is able to save to the uttermost he set +her free; or, in other words, her need was met by his power. Oh, what +an encouragement to know that the thing which has been your defeat and +mine he may easily conquer! It is a striking picture to me; he laid +his hands on her and said, "Woman, thou art loosed," and she stood +straight and glorified God. + +Some years ago there came into the McAuley mission, in New York City, a +man who was, because of his sin, unable to speak and was bound down +until, instead of standing a man six feet high, as he should have done, +he was like a dwarf. He came to Christ in the old mission, and when +kneeling at the altar he accepted him, as if by a miracle Jesus set him +free also, and when he stood up the bonds were snapped that held him, +and he had his old stature back again. His speech, however, was not +entirely recovered. It is the custom in the mission for one to observe +his anniversary each year and to give a testimony. Whenever the +anniversary of this man occurred he always had another read his lesson, +then he would stand before the people bowed down as he had been in sin +and suddenly rise before them in the full dignity of his Christian +manhood, glorifying God in his standing. This was like the woman of +the text, and oh, that it might be like some one reading this who, +bound by an appetite or a passion, shall be set free by the power of +God! + +The difference between this woman in the one case bound and wretched +and in the other straight and glorifying God is the difference between +Christians bound by appetite, pride or sin and when set free by the +power of Christ. It is the difference between the average Christian +experience and what God means we should be. + +Two things this woman had--first, his word, when he said, "Woman, thou +art loosed"; and, second, the touch of his hand as he laid his hands +upon her. Both of these privileges we may have. + + +II + +Have you really taken all that God meant you should have? Your life is +the test of this question. If you are constantly failing at the same +point, if you are dominated by a spirit of unrest, if you are lacking +in spiritual power, something is wrong and you need the touch of the +living Christ. The early disciples were an illustration of those of us +who have not yet fully appreciated and appropriated our Savior. He had +given them life, for in the seventeenth of John he declares that this +is true. They had peace as a possession, for in the fourteenth chapter +and twenty-seventh verse he says, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I +give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your +heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." They also had joy as a +gift, for he said, "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy +might remain in you, and that your joy might be full"; and yet they +quarreled among themselves, one of them denied him with an oath, and +all of them forsook him. They were a weak, vacillating company of men, +but suddenly there came a remarkable change. It was as if there had +been two Peters. The first was a coward, the second a perfect giant in +his fearlessness. The first was afraid of a little girl, the second +faced a mob and fearlessly proclaimed the truth of God that condemned +him; and the secret of this change is found in the fact that the Holy +Ghost had fallen upon him and upon them. This is what we need. Jesus +was God's gift to the world, and the Holy Ghost is his gift to the +church. Have we failed to take both? A man over in England, telling +his pastor about his experience, said that he had taken Jesus for his +eternal life and the Holy Ghost for his internal life. This is +certainly what we need to do more than anything else. We need the Holy +Spirit of God in our lives. He would illuminate our minds as we read +the Bible, strengthen our faith as we appropriate Christ, transform our +lives as he came to do, and enable us to live and preach in +demonstration of the Spirit and with power. Have you ever stopped to +think what is really associated with the full acceptance of the third +Person of the Trinity? + +First, _Power_. "Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has +come upon you." + +Second, _Ability to pray_. "We know not what we should pray for as we +ought, but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us." + +Third, _Victory over sin_. "For the law of the Spirit of Christ in +Christ Jesus sets me free from the law of sin and death." + +Fourth, _Cleanness of life_. "Ye have purified your souls in obeying +the truth through the Spirit." + +Fifth, _The representation of Jesus Christ_. Not imitation, but +reproduction, is what we need. + +Two artists are painting before a picture. The work of one is sadly +deficient, the other an inspiration, for one is copying while the other +is reproducing his own work. Oh, that we might be so filled with the +spirit of God that men should take knowledge of us that we not only had +been with Jesus but were like him! Two things we need, both of which +we may have: _His word and his touch_. First, his Word. We surely +have this. Has he not said, "Ye shall receive power"? But with this +there is coupled a condition, "Come out from among them and be ye +separate." Fulfilling this condition, we have only to step out upon +his promise on the ground of the fact that he has said, "That ye might +receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." + +Second, we have the touch of his hand. This emphasizes his reality. +One of the greatest dangers of the day, it seems to me, is the fact +that we are so inclined to make him unreal. It also indicates his +nearness. He can fill us so that his life may come throbbing into our +very being, and this is the secret of victory in the time of +temptation. We must be empty to be filled, but no man can empty +himself. Two ways may be presented for the emptying of a jar of air. +First, use the air pump; but in this way it cannot be perfectly done. +Second, fill the jar with water. This is the better way. When Christ +fills our lives he empties us of self and sin. To some unknown friend +I am indebted for four steps which we must take if we would be loosed +from our bondage and stand straight in the presence of God and men. + +First: What God claims I will yield; that is myself. + +Second: What I yield God accepts. Since I have taken my hands off from +myself I am not my own. + + "I have not much to bring Thee, Lord. + For that great love which made Thee mine, + I have not much to bring Thee, Lord, + But all I am is Thine." + + +Third: What God accepts he fills. + +Fourth: What God fills he uses. + + +III + +Mind you, it is not once and for all that we are filled with the Spirit +of God; there will be a necessity for daily renewal, not only because +we may sin but also because we may use the strength which he has +imparted to us. Three suggestions may be made, therefore, for our +constant infilling. + +First: Make his word your daily portion. Count that day lost which +passes without a portion of his word absorbed into your life. + +Second: Make his will supreme. There can be no joy in the household +when the children rebel against the parents. There can be no power in +Christian experience when our wills are contrary to his. + +Third: Make him the king of your life. His coronation will one day +come, when he shall be proclaimed King of kings and Lord of lords; but +while we wait for that we may crown him in our own lives. + +When Queen Victoria had just ascended her throne she went, as is the +custom of Royalty, to hear "The Messiah" rendered. She had been +instructed as to her conduct by those who knew, and was told that she +must not rise when the others stood at the singing of the Hallelujah +chorus. When that magnificent chorus was being sung and the singers +were shouting "Hallelujah! hallelujah! hallelujah! for the Lord God +omnipotent reigneth," she sat with great difficulty. It seemed as if +she would rise in spite of the custom of kings and queens, but finally +when they came to that part of the chorus where with a shout they +proclaim him King of kings suddenly the young queen rose and stood with +bowed head, as if she would take her own crown from off her head and +cast it at his feet. Let us make him our King and every day be loyal +to him. This is the secret of peace. + + + + +THE LOST OPPORTUNITY + +TEXT: "_And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And +the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be; thyself +hast decided it._"--1 Kings 20:40. + +There is a very striking incident connected with this text. The great +battle is raging, a certain important prisoner has been taken, and if +you read between the lines you seem to know that upon him depend many +of the issues of war. His skill in leading the enemy had been +marvelous, his courage in the thick of the fight striking; and now he +is a prisoner. The king puts him in the keeping of a Jewish soldier, +saying, "Guard this man; if he escapes thy life shall be demanded for +his." It is possible that they gave an extra pull to the thongs that +bound the enemy and the guard was left alone with him. It is an +important duty he has to perform. His life hangs in the balance. He +must have been impressed with it. But, as we read on between the +lines, strange as it may seem, he becomes negligent, his bow is laid +down and his spear is left standing against the tent. He becomes +hungry and takes a few small cakes to eat, he is weary and lies down to +doze and sleep. Suddenly there is a snap and a bound, and the guard +arouses himself just in time to see his prisoner dash into the thicket, +and he is gone. Now the king requires the prisoner at the guard's +hand. Terror-stricken, he falls upon his face to cry aloud in the +words of the text, "And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was +gone. And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be; +thyself hast decided it." + +It is my purpose to show in this illustration that God is always +placing opportunities within our grasp. In a sense they are bound, for +they may be made to do our will if we rightly use them. And it is also +my purpose to show that as saint and sinner alike we have permitted +opportunities to slip away while we doze in weariness or give attention +to matters of less importance. God save us all from the expression, +"It might have been," when it is too late, for even God himself cannot +reverse the wheels of time and bring back the lost opportunity. We see +this all about us. I hold in my hands a piece of cold iron. I cannot +bend it; if I put it in the fire it becomes pliant; if I take it out it +is cold again. There is a point in time, however, where it is bent as +easily as a piece of paper. + +Years ago our nation sent astronomers to Africa to witness the transit +of Venus. Preparation for this great sight had been going on for +months. There was a critical moment when the sun, Venus and the earth +were all in line. Every astronomer knew that at that moment his eye +must be at the smaller end of the glass if he would see the planet go +flying past the larger end. If he should miss that moment no power on +earth could bring the planet back again. The world is full of these +moments. + +Galileo studied the eye of an ox and beheld the principle of the lens. +Watts [Transcriber's note: Watt?] looked at the teakettle lid as it was +lifted by steam, Columbus saw the wind's direction and knew there was +land not far away. The difference between these men, to whom the world +is indebted, and many others is this, that they have looked at the +oxen's eyes and have been unmoved, have allowed the teakettle to boil +without making an impression upon them, and the wind to blow without +leading them to any shore. The opportunity for greatness is gone. +There is not a person in the world but to whom at some time a great +opportunity has been given, and for the use or abuse of it we shall be +called to a strict account. + + +I + +These opportunities for doing good come to the one who is a Christian. + +First: I would not preach to others what I did not first preach to +myself, but there are many of us as ministers like Chalmers, who was +one day visiting an old man seventy-two years of age, apparently in +perfect health. They talked together about everything but Christ. The +minister was inclined to speak about his soul, but did not. Before +morning the old man was dead. Dr. Chalmers returned to the house, +called all the old man's household about him, and offered the most +touching apology and prayer. He spent the entire day in the woods, +saying, "If I had been faithful this might not have been." I have no +question but God would say, "So shall thy judgment be." + +Second: You who are Christian workers have failed. A Christian +merchant was told that there was a certain man with whom he had traded +for years to whom he had never spoken about his soul. "I will speak +the next time I see him," he said, but he never came, for while he was +busy here and there the man was gone from him. Before he came again +death met him. So shall his judgment be. + +Third: You who are parents have failed. Years ago a young Scotchman +from Fife, in Scotland, was leaving home. He was not an active +Christian. His mother went with him to the turn of the road and said, +"Now, Robert, there is one thing you must promise before you go." +"No," said the lad, "I will not promise until I know." "But it will +not be difficult," said his mother. "Then I will promise," he said. +And she said, "Every night before you lie down to sleep read a chapter +and pray." He did not want to promise it, but he did. Who was that +Robert? It was Robert Moffat, the great missionary, who, when he came +into the Kingdom, brought almost a continent in after him. Many a +mother has lost her opportunity to speak to her boy, and she has lost +it because she has not lived as a mother should who would help her boy. +So shall her judgment be. + + +II + +These opportunities come to the unsaved. The Bible is full of men who +have had an opportunity to be saved but are lost. + +First: There is Herod. His face blanches as he listens to the truth, +he is ready to forsake some of his sin; but more is required than that +to be a Christian, and Herod fails. + +Second: Look at Felix. As he gazes into the face of Paul the Apostle +and hears his message, he trembles; a moment more he will be a +Christian; but more is required than that to be saved, and Felix is +lost. + +Third: Behold Judas. See him at the feet of Jesus. Later he is full +of remorse because he has sold him for thirty pieces of silver; but +mere remorse never saved a soul, and Judas is lost. + +You have doubtless heard of that young girl of whom the poet tells us. +She had a string of pearls in her hand and her hand is in the water, +the string is broken, and one by one the pearls slip away. So it has +been with you who have been Christians. My hope is that there may be +one pearl left yet. To-day is the accepted time; do not let the +opportunity slip. + + +III + +The Bible is full of men just the opposite who had opportunities to be +saved and embraced them. + +First: Zaccheus. There was just one day, one hour, one moment; when +Jesus would pass by, and Zaccheus ran to the sycamore tree; but he made +haste and came down, and that saved him. + +Second: Bartimeus. There was just a moment when Jesus was near to hear +the sound of his voice. If Bartimeus failed that moment he would be +blind forever. I can see him quickly turning his sightless eyes in the +direction of the Savior. He cried unto him and it was his earnestness +that saved him. We must make haste while yet it is to-day. + +Third: Coming down from the mountain, where he had preached his great +sermon, Jesus beheld the leper. He was dead, according to the law, yet +he had a napkin bound about his mouth. If one had called to him, "Your +child is dead," he could not have gone to see the little one. But he +breaks through all of this and cries, "If thou wilt thou canst make me +clean." It was his desperation that saved him. + +Fourth: Look at the dying thief, so near that he could have touched +Christ if he had been free. Here yawned before him the very brink of +hell, here was judgment for his sins, for he acknowledged that he was +justly punished. I can see him struggle to decide whether he shall +speak or not, and at last he cries, "Lord, remember me." And Jesus +said, "To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise." It was his last +chance, and he took it. And this may be yours. God forbid that you +should let the opportunity slip away. + +But whether my message is to ministers, to Christian workers, to +parents or to the unsaved, I call your attention to this fact: It was +when the soldier was busy that the prisoner escaped. Many of you have +been busy about pleasure, and some day it will mock you. You have been +caught by the fascination of business, and it does not prevent your +soul having been surrounded by sin from which after a while you cannot +escape, and if the opportunity slips away so shall our judgment be, for +we must decide it. In a few years at the latest, possibly in a few +months, perhaps in a few weeks--who knows but within a few +days?--eternity shall be upon us. If it is an opportunity that is gone +or a soul that is lost it will be a sad eternity indeed for us. To +this end may God keep us watchful. + + + + +A GREAT VICTORY + +TEXT: "_And they stood every man in his place round about the camp, and +all the host ran, and cried, and fled._"--Judges 7:21. + +Few things in this world are so inspiring to the traveler and at the +same time so depressing as a city or temple in ruins. I remember a +delightful experience in passing through the ruins of Karnak and Luxor, +on the Nile in Egypt, and later passing through Phylae at Assuan on the +Nile; and these two thoughts, each the opposite of the other, kept +constantly coming to my mind. The loneliness is oppressive, and one +would be delighted to hear the song of a bird, the bark of a dog, or +the cry of a child. These ruins were once happy homes, or were temples +filled with worshipers. Here little children played and gray-haired +patriarchs worshiped their gods. + +Akin to this picture is the one of the people of Israel at the time of +this story, and the alternating feelings of pleasure and sadness keep +constantly coming and going. The condition of the land beggared +description. Homes were there, but no children were about the doors; +there were fields, but no crops to be harvested; pastures, but no +cattle fed upon them; the hills were to be seen, but no flocks bleated +on their sides; people were there, but they were found in the caves and +hiding away on the mountain sides. When they had entered Canaan, these +chosen people of God, he had said unto them, "And it shall come to +pass, if thou shall hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy +God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee +this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations +of the earth; and all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake +thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God. +Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the +field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy +ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the +flocks of thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. +Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be +when thou goest out. The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise up +against thee to be smitten before thy face; they shall come out against +thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways. The Lord shall command +the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest +thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the Lord thy +God giveth thee. The Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto +himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the +commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways. And all the +people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the +Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee." + +We have here the Old Testament Beatitudes, and there is nothing like +them. + +The story with which the text is associated really begins in the first +verse of the sixth chapter of Judges, "And the children of Israel did +evil in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord delivered them into the +hand of Midian seven years." But there must also be read in connection +with this the last verse of the fifth chapter of Judges, "So let all +thine enemies perish, O Lord; but let them that love him be as the sun +when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years." + +It seems incredible that there could be such a difference in the +experiences of God's people, and yet, as you study them in all their +wanderings, you will find, if you turn over but one leaf of the Bible, +the people who sing to-day are active in evil to-morrow, and the +history of Israel is the history of one's self. Life is like a short +ladder, as some one has said, and we spend most of our time going up to +pray and down to sin. There is a striking picture in the second verse +of the sixth chapter. The chosen people of God were dwelling in caves +instead of their rightful positions in their homes, and the same is +true to-day; men who ought to be at the front are left behind because +they are living selfish lives or lives of sin. Do not for a moment +think that I am saying that because a man is living out of sight that +he is doing nothing, for we have only to remember Gideon to know that +this is not true. He was a hidden man doing an honest work, and the +Angel of the Lord called him, saying, "The Lord is with thee, thou +mighty man of valor." To this Gideon makes a significant reply in the +thirteenth verse of the sixth chapter of Judges, "And Gideon said unto +him, Oh, my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen +us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, +Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken +us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites." For the angel +had said, "The Lord is with thee, Gideon," and Gideon had said, "If the +Lord is with us, then how can these things be?" And the angel did not +say it. How often it is true that we miss the truth of God because we +miss the grammar of the Bible. When Gideon had thus replied, we read +in the fourteenth verse of the sixth chapter, "And the Lord _looked_ +upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel +from the hand of the Midianites; have not I sent thee?" And the thing +to pay special attention to there is that the angel _looked_ at Gideon. +Sometimes in translating a foreign language you come upon a word which +you cannot express in your own language; so it is with us here, for the +Lord looked Gideon into a new man and said unto him, "Go and thou shalt +save the people," which leads me to say that one man right with God is +mightier than a host against God. The seventh chapter of Judges opens +with the significant word "then." You must have all that goes before +in your mind to appreciate this word. God has a plan for every life, +and all your sickness, your disappointment, your discipline, is for +something. There must be a "then" for you. It is the call of God and +the answer to it that makes real life. Compare Gideon the farmer with +Gideon the soldier, and you will see the difference in a human life. +Let one, however low or ignorant, but hear the voice of God and respond +to it, and when such an one answers God's call for his country, for the +church, or for Christ, the heroic in him is being stirred. + +It is said that years ago there used to be a man in Mr. Spurgeon's +Tabernacle who never had spoken in his social meetings, for the reason +that he had a stammering tongue. One day he heard the great preacher +say that the Lord could use even the tongue of the stammerer. It sent +him to his home, and to his knees, and when he rose to his feet after +having yielded himself wholly to God, as if by miracle God gave him the +gift of speech, and I have been told that no one in the Tabernacle +spoke more to the edification of the people or the praise of God than +he. + +Some years ago when John G. Woolley was delivering his closing address +on the commencement day at college a young boy heard him under peculiar +circumstances. He had walked in from the country. It was a hot day, +and to quench his thirst he had tasted the water of one of the springs. +It made him very ill, and just to escape the heat of the sun he crept +under the platform, which had been erected upon the college campus for +the commencement exercises. While there he fell asleep and was +awakened by the sound of a musical voice. Something that the +graduating student said stirred his soul, and he there made a vow that +he would be a preacher. It was God's call to him and his answer. He +has since become one of the world's most famous preachers, and his +influence has been as wide as the world itself. When the Midianites +stood against the children of Israel God called Gideon to lead an army +against them, and this text is part of this story. + +The scene was remarkable. Thirty-two thousand people following +Gideon's leadership with the first flush of the battle upon them. They +were ready to march, and God said when he looked at them, "The people +are too many." They would seem to us to have been too few, for +literally a multitude of Midianites stood against him. But we go wrong +so often by applying human arithmetic to divine decrees. It is said +that when Napoleon marched with his soldiers he was counted as being +equal to 40,000 of his men, and so, after all, it is not a question of +numbers with God, but of the few men whom he can use. + +The test by means of which Gideon's army was decreased was remarkable. +In Judges, the seventh chapter and the second to seventh verses, we +read, "And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are +too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel +vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. Now +therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever +is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from Mount +Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and +there remained ten thousand. And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people +are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them +for thee there; and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This +shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I +say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. So +he brought down the people unto the water; and the Lord said unto +Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog +lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth +down upon his knees to drink. And the number of them that lapped, +putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men; but all the +rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. And the +Lord said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save +you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand; and let all the other +people go every man unto his place." This test is going on now among +men; by the way we walk and talk, by the way we listen and work, men +form their judgment of us, and so does God. We may measure our +spiritual state by the way we spend our leisure moments, by the way we +spend our Saturday afternoons, by our rest days, and by the books we +read. There is flowing past us the stream of literature and the stream +of pleasure, and the question is whether we are going to fall down +before these streams to drink or whether we are just going to dip up as +we hurry along to fulfill our mission; or, in other words, whether we +are to be so taken up with God's plan that we have no time to idle away +and no disposition to turn aside. + +"It does not so much matter how many members one may have in his +church, for under the banner of a popular Christianity soldiers march. +What if there should be a struggle ahead when to be a Christian would +mean to suffer martyrdom, or dying at the stake, or contending with the +beasts of Ephesus like Paul, how then do you think it would be?" And +yet all the time to-day the struggle is going on; both from within and +from without the foe is assailing us, the Bible is being attacked, +Christ is being denied, the resurrection is counted a myth, and the +future is being questioned, and in every part of the church it would +seem as if men thought that the life of the Christian was all a +holiday, for people are idling, gossiping, buying and selling, marrying +and giving in marriage, instead of being in the thick of the fight in +the name of the Lord of hosts. Give us three hundred in the church +right with God rather than the thirty-two thousand compromising with +sin and the world, and we shall win the victory. + + +I + +I am impressed in this story with the thought of how much may be +accomplished without wealth, influence or material strength. We +somehow seem to think that we cannot work as ministers without a fine +equipment. We have an idea that we must have a committee back of us to +be assured of success, that if we are without influence we have a small +mission in the world, forgetting that Michelangelo wrought the frescoes +in the Sistine Chapel with the ochres which he digged with his own +hands in the garden of the Vatican; forgetting also that the greatest +work in the world has been accomplished by men like Gideon, who delayed +not for elaborate preparation, but just took firebrands and +torches--indeed, anything they could lay their hands upon--and cried +out, "The sword of the Lord and of Gideon," and won the victory. The +text is most striking, and presents an outline which any one ought to +be able to see. + + +II + +_They stood_. It is not so easy to stand as to march or to fight. I +have been told that the most difficult service of the soldier is picket +duty; and yet never until we learn to stand shall we be able to fight. +In the fourteenth chapter of Exodus, the thirteenth and fourteenth +verses, we read, "And Moses said unto the people. Fear ye not, stand +still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you +to-day, for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to-day, ye shall see them +again no more forever. The Lord shall fight for you and ye shall hold +your peace." And again, in 2 Chronicles, the twentieth chapter and the +seventeenth verse, it is recorded, "Ye shall not need to fight in this +battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the +Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; +to-morrow go out against them, for the Lord will be with you." + +Three thoughts are impressed upon my mind: + +First: _Before any service, let us stand, giving God a chance with us_. +Let him use you and not you use him so much. In the beginning of his +Christian service Hudson Taylor, the China Inland missionary, was +desirous of being used and cried out for God to send him out into +service. At last God seemed to say to him, "My child, I have made up +my mind to save inland China. If you will come and walk with me I will +do it through you," and the China Inland Mission was born. + +Second: _Wait for orders_. In Ephesians the sixth chapter and the +tenth to the thirteenth verses, we have the following description of a +soldier: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power +of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to +stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh +and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the +rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in +high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye +may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to +stand." The striking part of that description is the sentence, "having +done all, to stand." In other words, with all our ingenuity and our +planning, with all our preparation and equipment, we lack one thing: +that one thing is the touch of the Almighty God. + +Third: _Be willing to do the common thing_. It was rather interesting +to march with thirty-two thousand, and a striking thing to break +pitchers and cry aloud, "The sword of the Lord and of Gideon," but just +to stand was a different matter, and not at all easy. If we were only +willing to do the common things for Christ we should accomplish more in +our lives. + +The great Bethany Sunday school building standing in Philadelphia is a +model in its perfect equipment. The mighty Sunday school held there is +one of the wonders of the world. The building was begun not only in +the mind and heart of the distinguished superintendent, the Hon. John +Wanamaker, but when he appealed for funds as they were then needed one +of the poorest children in the city made practically the first and best +contribution. She gathered bones from the alleyways, sold them and +brought her few pennies to help make this wonderful work a success. + + +III + +_Every man in his place_. + +First: Let us remember that God has a plan for every life. Ephesians +4:8-13, "Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led +captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, +what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the +earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above +all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some, +apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors +and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the +ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come in +the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a +perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." + +Second: That which in our lives fits into God's plans dignifies and +strengthens in every way. + +A few years ago there was a young man selling farming implements. He +felt inclined to do Christian work, and later on became a Christian +Association secretary. He became known locally because of his ability +to sing in a male quartette. He was a good singer. Whether he was +more than the average secretary I do not know. He one day felt the +call to preach and shrank back from it because he felt he was without +ability, then gave himself to God without reserve. He has since become +one of the greatest preachers to men in our country, has possibly led +more men to Christ than any other man of his day, and it was my +privilege a short time ago to see hundreds of men under the power of +his preaching come to Christ; and this was all because Fred B. Smith +gave himself unreservedly to Christ. + +Third: It may be a very ordinary service that God calls you to perform, +but if you feel it your place your service will please him. Rev. Dr. +Torrey tells the story of the poor mother who by hard day's work made +it possible for her boy to attend college. The day of the graduation +came, and he said to her, "You must go with me to the commencement." +Naturally she shrank from it, for her clothing was of the poorest sort; +but he said that there would be no commencement without her. He was +the valedictorian of his class. Proudly he led her into the hall, and +with beaming face she listened while the great throng applauded his +brilliant speech. When he received his gold medal he walked down from +the platform and pinned it upon her breast, saying, "This is yours," +and she was as proud as any queen could have been. It was a very +common thing to wash and iron for one's daily living, but to be honored +thus was something any mother might long to experience. She simply did +her best in a humble way and pleased God. + + +IV + +_Round about the Camp_. + +First: Let it be remembered that we have a responsibility to others. +Some years ago on the Irish Sea a terrific storm was raging. It was +known that just off the coast a vessel was going to pieces. Suddenly +two men, an old sea captain and his son, put out through the storm. +Everybody tried to persuade them not to do so, for it seemed to be +absolutely useless. Over the waves, which appeared almost mountain +high, they pushed along until at last amid the cheers of the waiting +throng they returned with their little boat filled with those who had +been all but lost upon the ship. When the minister said to the old sea +captain, "Why do you do this? Why take such a risk?" he answered, "I +have been there myself, and I knew the danger." It is because we have +been once in sin and now are redeemed by the precious blood of Christ +that we say something to those who are about us. + +Second: We are responsible for others. When Horace Bushnell was a +tutor in Yale he was a stumbling block to all the students because he +was not a Christian. He realized this himself, and yet he said, "How +can I accept Christ or the Bible, for I do not believe in either one." +And then the question came to him as from God, "What do you believe?" +and he said, "I only know there is a difference between right and +wrong." God seemed to say to him, "Have you ever taken that stand +where you would say, 'I am committed to the right even if it ends in +death'?" and he said, "I never have." Falling upon his knees he said, +"O God, if Jesus Christ be true, reveal him to me and I will follow +him." And he began to walk in the light, which constantly increased, +and almost every student in Yale came to Christ. "No man liveth unto +himself alone." We are responsible for the souls of other men. We are +also responsible for their service; if we are half-hearted they will +surely be. + + +V + +"_And the host ran, and cried and fled._" What hosts are against us +to-day? + +First: As individuals there may be coming constantly to our minds a +question of doubt, of pride, or of secret sin, and we wonder if these +are evidences that we are not Christians. Not at all. They are but +the fruit of our old nature, and are the hosts encamped against us. We +have only to take our stand with Christ, right with him, and we shall +win the victory. + +Second: In the Church we meet with indifference, worldliness, +infidelity, and we wonder how we may win the victory. The answer is +simply, "We have but to be right with God and to walk with God," and +three hundred such followers of his could put the enemy to rout quickly. + +Third: There is also a battle which those of us who are Christians are +obliged to fight. It has to do with the unsaved man. Men are not +Christians to-day not because they do not believe, not because they are +without interest in the future, but simply because they have put off +and put off, and I know of no way to overcome this difficulty except by +taking one's stand with Christ and with those who are like-minded with +Christ. Having first concern for the lost, then his intense +earnestness in their salvation, the proscrastination of the sinner will +flee away. For such a victory as this we plead and pray. + + + + +PAUL A PATTERN OF PRAYER + +TEXT: "_If ye shall ask anything in my name I will do it._"--John 14:14. + +Jesus testified in no uncertain way concerning prayer, for not alone in +this chapter does he speak but in all his messages to his disciples he +is seeking to lead them into the place where they may know how to pray. + +In this fourteenth chapter of John, where he is coming into the shadow +of the cross and is speaking to his disciples concerning those things +which ought to have the greatest weight with them, the heart of his +message seems to be prayer. What an encouragement it is to his +disciples to pray when they remember that he said, "Verily, verily, I +say unto you. He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do +also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my +Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that +the Father may be glorified in the Son" (John 14:12-13). + +Jesus was himself a pattern of prayer. He had prayed under all +circumstances; with him the day was born in prayer, went along in +meditation and closed in most intimate fellowship and communion with +his Father. Under all circumstances, whether it be the raising of +Lazarus from the dead, or the breathing in of the very spirit of God so +essential to him in his earthly ministry, he prayed; and because he was +a man of prayer himself, he could speak to his disciples with authority +concerning this subject. + +If we ourselves would know how to pray there are certain great +principles which must be remembered when we come to him. + +First: _We must believe that he is, and that he is the rewarder of them +that diligently seek him_. If one has hazy or mystical ideas of Christ +then from the very nature of the case prayer is impossible. + +Second: _We must believe his word_. Mr. Spurgeon's statement that when +he went to God he always went pleading a promise is the secret of his +great success as a man of prayer. Earthly parents are not insensible +to the pledges they make to their children and surely God cannot be. + +Third: _We must confess and forsake our sins_. To confess sin is to +arraign before us those sins of which we know ourselves to be guilty, +and when they appear before us in solemn and awful procession we must +heartily renounce them. If we do not we cannot pray. In another place +in God's word we read, "Ye ask and receive not, because, . . ." and +while in the verse the rest of the sentence is "Ye ask amiss," we might +finish by saying, "We ask and receive not, because our lives are not +right in God's sight." + +Fourth: _We must exercise our faith_. The little child who prayed for +rain and then wanted to carry an umbrella with her when the sun was +shining is an oft repeated illustration, but such faith as this is what +every child of God must practice. + +The text is exceedingly broad. "If ye shall ask anything in my name I +will do it." It is broad enough to include temporal blessing and +spiritual power, comprehensive enough to lead us to believe that God +will direct our lives if we ask him and will bear our burdens even +though they be almost insignificant in their weight. Thank God for the +"anything" in the text! + +It may be stated truly that God's promises to Israel are especially +concerning temporal blessing and that his promises to the church have +particular reference to spiritual possessions; and they both, the +history of Israel and the history of the church, prove that God will +give to us temporally as well as spiritually. These blessings are +included in the "anything." + +I have been greatly impressed with Paul as a pattern in prayer, and for +the outline of this message as well as for many of the suggestions I am +indebted to an English clergyman, the Rev. E. W. Moore, who has +written, "The Christ Controlled Life," and "Christ in Possession," and +has recently sent out a little book entitled, "The Pattern Prayer Book." + +I have noticed in studying Paul that the burden of his prayer was for +spiritual blessing rather than for temporal power, and throughout the +Epistles at least seven illustrations are to be found concerning this +subject. + + +I + +_Prayer for Pentecost_. Ephesians 3:17-19, "That Christ may dwell in +your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may +be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, +and depth and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth +knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." + +Just what is the burden of this prayer of Paul's? + +First: He is not asking for that indwelling which is ours at +conversion; for this he would not need to pray, for at the moment of +regeneration Christ is ours and eternal life (which is only another way +of saying, "the life of the eternal") is our never failing possession. + +Second: He is not asking for the bodily presence of Christ, as some +have suggested, for in this scripture he states that it is by faith +that Christ is to dwell with us. + +Third: It is by no means a figurative expression, for if this were true +there would be no comfort in it to God's children. Yet, as a matter of +fact, this prayer of Paul's has been an inspiration to God's people +everywhere. It is rather a special Pentecostal privilege for God's +children concerning which Paul is praying. In Galatians 4:19 we read, +"My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be +formed in you." + +And this is his petition. Let it be noticed that the tense of the verb +in this connection denotes singleness of action, so that Paul's prayer +may be answered not gradually but immediately. If this be true then +let it be answered now for you and for me. + +There are three blessings which would flow out of this answer to prayer. + +First: _Constancy of experience_. "That Christ may dwell," pleads the +Apostle. It does not mean that he is to come in a fitful experience, +but the language of the hymn is true, + + "Abide with me; fast falls the even tide, + The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide; + When other helpers fail, and comforts flee, + Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me." + + +Second: _Strength will be our possession_, for the Apostle tells us +that we are to be "rooted and grounded in him." As the roots of the +tree take hold upon the ground and the giant oak withstands the storms +of the Northern coasts, so we may withstand temptation and trial and be +more than conquerors if this prayer is answered. + +Third: _There will be cleansing_, for we are told that "as a man +thinketh in his heart so is he." We are told also that we must keep +our hearts with all diligence, for out of them are the issues of life. +It is easy enough to understand how our lives would be pure if Christ +were only in possession. + + +II + +_Prayer for Perception_. Colossians 1:9-10, "For this cause we also, +since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire +that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom +and spiritual understanding; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto +all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the +knowledge of God." The need of this prayer was not that the Colossians +were weak, or that they had been conspicuous in the failure of their +Christian experience, for in the third and fourth verses of the first +chapter of Colossians, Paul says concerning them, "We give thanks to +God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, +since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye +have to all the saints"; and then in the face of this statement he +prayed earnestly for them. The subject of his prayer was not that he +desired anything, humanly speaking, very great for them; he did not ask +honor, nor did he desire that wealth should be theirs, but merely +states in the ninth verse that they might be filled with the knowledge +of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. I have been +told that literally, this means that they might have full knowledge, +not simply a passing opinion concerning him and his work. + +If we study this particular scripture in which Paul is praying for the +Colossians we will learn how this prayer is to be answered. + +First: We must meditate upon God's word. He makes himself especially +known to his people in his word. There are certain great principles +which we must remember if we would know God's will. + +(1) _We must present our bodies to him_. Romans 12:1, "I beseech you +therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies +a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable +service." + +(2) _We must be delivered from this present evil age_. Galatians 1:4, +"Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this +present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father." + +(3) _We must separate ourselves from the world_. 1 Thessalonians 4:3, +"For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should +abstain from fornication." + +(4) _We must be thankful_. 1 Thessalonians 5:18, "In everything give +thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." + +(5) _We must continue patiently to serve and follow him_. 1 Peter +2:15, "For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to +silence the ignorance of foolish men." + +All of these things are God's will for us. If we but practice them the +results can be only beneficial. As a result of such a study of God's +word the general knowledge of God and his will shall be ours. + +Second: The spiritual perception spoken of in this particular scripture +may be ours, as we listen to the Spirit of God, for he will speak to us +God's message and make known to us God's will. The purpose of this +prayer of Paul's for the Colossians was that they might walk worthy to +all pleasing. What a joy it is to know that we may please God! For +this we should be grateful. + + +III + +_Prayer for Purity_. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, "And the very God of +peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul +and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus +Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it." + +This prayer is also remarkable if we notice the spiritual condition of +the Thessalonians, for of them we read that they had received the word +of God with joy, and had turned from idols to serve the living God, and +yet the Apostle prays for their sanctification. By this he does not +mean sinlessness, and a careful study of his position would lead us to +know that he does not teach that sanctification may be ever apart from +growth. We must day by day come more and more into the likeness of +Christ. There are three words which it would be well for us to +remember in our study of this subject. + +First: _Position_. If we would grow unto his likeness we must be where +he can let shine upon us the light of his countenance. Frances Ridley +Havergal had an aeolian harp sent to her which she tried to play with +her fingers, and failed. At last a friend suggested that she place it +in the window, and the music as the wind touched the strings was +entrancing. We must be where he can use us. + +Second: _Purification_. Sanctification is necessary because God uses +only that which is clean, never an unclean life. + +Third: _Possession_. It is really Christ filling us, and he will fill +us if we give him the opportunity. The extent of this work is made +plain in Paul's prayer: + +(1) The spirit is touched, and the spirit is that part of our nature +which is capable of fellowship with God. + +(2) The soul is filled, and the soul is the seat of all our +intellectual faculties. + +(3) The body is possessed, and since the body is just the servant of +the higher powers of man, we can easily understand how necessary the +work is. It is needful, + +(_a_) For our peace, for the God of peace is to sanctify us. + +(_b_) For our prayers. For Paul is talking about prayer when he +praises. + +(_c_) For our praise, for we are told that we must rejoice evermore. + + +IV + +_Prayer for Power_. Ephesians 1:15-20, "Wherefore I also, after I +heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, +cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; +that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give +unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: +the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what +is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his +inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his +power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty +power; which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, +and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places." + +The Church at Ephesus was in every way remarkable, but to this people +Paul wrote his most spiritual epistle, which in itself is a compliment +to them, for as in another instance it was not necessary for him to +write unto them as if they were carnal. With this people for the space +of two or three years he labored, as we find recorded in Acts the +nineteenth chapter and the tenth verse, "And this continued by the +space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word +of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks." Acts 20:31, "Therefore +watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to +warn every one night and day with tears." + +There were no divisions in this church as at Corinth; there were no +heresies as at Galatia, and no dissensions as at Philippi; and yet, for +all that, he prays most earnestly. The natural question for us to ask +is, just what is it for which he prays, and the question is easily +answered. + +First: For advancement in knowledge; he asks God that the eyes of their +understanding might be enlightened. Under this general petition there +are three special requests. + +(1) _That they might know the hope of their calling_. We have but to +study Paul's Epistles to realize that this calling involved: + +A perfect vision, for one day it is Christ's promise and teaching that +they shall see him as he is. The hope of this would keep them faithful. + +It involved, in the next place, a perfect likeness, for, seeing him as +he is, they would become like him, and the hope of this would keep them +clean. + +It involved, in the third place, a perfect union, for when this hope of +their calling is fulfilled there is no possibility of anything coming +between the believer and Christ; so the fellowship must be perfect. + +(2) Paul also requests that they may know the riches of the glory of +his inheritance in the saints. That is very wonderful. He does not +say the riches of the saints in him--that could be easily understood; +but what an inspiration it is to know that he has glory in us, and that +the mere possession of poor, frail creatures like ourselves is to him a +perfect delight! We sometimes say that we could not get along without +Christ, but how inspiring it is to know that he could not and he would +not get along without us! + +(3) The Apostle also prays that the church at Ephesus might know what +is the exceeding greatness of Christ's power towards us. It is not +simply a great power that is described but an exceedingly great power. +There is absolutely no limit to what he can accomplish in and through +us if we but yield ourselves unreservedly to him. + +Second: Another question, may naturally come to us. Why have we not +this power of his? The answer is simply because the eyes of our +understanding have not been enlightened. We have been too much +self-centered and too closely wedded to the world. We need a stronger +vision. There are stars in the heavens to-day that have never yet been +seen, not because they do not exist but because there has been no glass +invented strong enough to take them in. Each new day brings a vision +of new heavenly bodies. We also need stronger faith, for if we have +become persuaded of the fact that he can do all things the victory is +won when we take this position. + + +V + +_Prayer for Perseverance_. Philippians 1:9-11, "And this I pray, that +your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all +judgment; that ye may approve things that are excellent, that ye may be +sincere and without offence till the day of Christ. Being filled with +the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory +and praise of God." Paul has a tender affection for this Philippian +Church. Naturally he would wish for them only the best things, and the +burden of this prayer of his is, + +First: That they might be able to persevere to the end, or rather to +the day of Christ. Let it not be forgotten that he who said, "Nothing +can separate us from the love of God," at the same time prays that +those who are the object of this love may be faithful in their +perseverance until time shall be no more. It is God's privilege to +preserve us, it is our privilege to persevere; and if we study the +words "preserve" and "persevere" we shall find that they are composed +of almost the same letters with only a slightly different arrangement. +We must be exceedingly careful in our walk and we must rely perfectly +upon Christ. + +Second: Paul prays for the purity of these Philippians when he asks +that they may be sincere and without offence. I have been told that +the word "sincere" sometimes means sunlight; which leads me to say that +our conduct as Christians should be such as to bear the clearest light +of investigation. Possibly the use of this word grew out of the custom +of the people who stored away their goods in the darkest corners of the +bazaar where their defects could not be seen plainly. When the +purchase had been consummated they were brought out into the sunlight. +The word also means "wax." It is said that in the days of imperial +Rome when a sculptor came to a flaw in the marble he filled it with wax +to hide the defect, but when the hot days came and the wax was melted +the defect was seen plainly. Paul is desiring for these Philippians +that there may be none of this, but that their lives should commend +themselves both to God and to men. + +Third: He desires that they may be filled with the fruits of +righteousness, not simply that they may produce fruit of one sort or +another. It is not enough simply to bear fruit. "Herein is my Father +glorified, that ye bear much fruit." This is the overflow experience +of the Christian and must be realized by us all. + + +VI + +_Prayer for Perfectness_. Hebrews 13:20-21, "Now the God of peace, +that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of +the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you +perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is +wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for +ever and ever. Amen." The burden of this prayer of the Apostle is +that his people may do the will of God. This is required in all times +and for various reasons. + +First: The glory of God demands it, and unless we are doing his will we +are robbing him of his glory. Revelation 4-11, "Thou art worthy, O +Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all +things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." + +Second: Our own happiness depends upon it. Let it not be thought for a +moment that we are simply to do God's will when some sort of trial is +upon us, but rather let us remember the scriptural expression, "I +delight to do thy will, O God." What if God's will should be done for +but one year in all things in any of our cities; would the result be +anything else than perfect joy? + +Third: Our safety depends upon it. We must lean hard upon God's will. +In Switzerland at one of the most dangerous passes, where men used to +travel with their faces white with fear, to-day any ordinary traveler +can pass in safety because along the edge of the cliff there is an iron +rail against which you may lean and have almost no danger beside you. +This iron rail corresponds to the will of God for Christians. Paul +also asks in this prayer that God's people may be made perfect to do +his will. We need not be afraid of this word perfect, nor of Paul's +prayer, for as Dr. Moore has said, it is not a perfection of doing but +a perfection to do, not a finality but a fitting. The same Greek word +is used elsewhere, as for example, + +"Fitted." Romans 9:22, "What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to +make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of +wrath fitted to destruction." + +"Prepared." Hebrews 10:5, "Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he +saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou +prepared me." + +"Framed." Hebrews 11:3, "Through faith we understand that the worlds +were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not +made of things which do appear." + +"Restored." Galatians 6:1, "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a +fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of +meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." + +"Mend." Mark 1:19, "And when he had gone a little farther thence, he +saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in +the ship mending their nets." + +The illustration has been used of a man with his leg out of joint. He +cannot walk except with great pain, but when he puts himself without +reserve into the hands of the doctor and the leg is set he can then +rise and walk. He is not a perfect walker, but he is made perfect to +walk. And the idea of all the verses above quoted is that we may be +set with right relations to Christ that he may have his way with us, +that we may stand where he willed we should stand; and as a result we +shall be well pleasing in his sight. + + +VII + +_Prayer for Peace_. 2 Thessalonians 3:16, "Now the Lord of peace +himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all." +Peace is most difficult to define. It is the opposite of unrest, +confusion and strife; and this peace for which the Apostle prays is, +first, not the peace of indifference. Let this never be forgotten. +Second: It is not the peace of prosperous surroundings. Some people +frequently fail at this point but it is the very peace of God himself. +The peace here prayed for looks in three directions. + +First: Godward. "Being justified by faith we have peace with God." +His pardoning voice we hear and he is reconciled. + +Second: Inward. "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; let +not your heart be troubled." + +Third: Outward. With such a possession we may meet trial and bear +burdens and never be moved. How may we secure such a possession? + +(1) By having confidence in Christ's work, for when he met his +disciples and showed them his hands and his side, he said, "Peace be +unto you." + +(2) By submission to Christ's rule. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect +peace," or, as the literal translation is, "Thou wilt keep him in +peace, peace, who trusteth in thee because his mind is set on thee." +This is our possession, and for that Paul prays. + + + + +A STARTLING STATEMENT + +TEXT: "_The wicked shall not be unpunished._"--Prov. 11:21. + +There are very many passages of Scripture which ought to be read in +connection with this text; as for example, "Fools make a mock at sin" +(Proverbs 14:9), for only a fool would. Better trifle with the +pestilence and expose one's self to the plague than to discount the +blighting effects of sin. And, again, "The soul that sinneth it shall +die" (Ezekiel 18:4). From this clear statement of the word of God +there is no escape. Or, again, "Our secret sins in the light of thy +countenance" (Psalm 90:8). There is really nothing hidden from his +sight. We may conceal our sinful thoughts from men and sometimes even +our evil practices; but not from God. Or again, "Sin, when it is +finished, bringeth forth death" (James 1:15). Here is unexampled +progress indicated from which there never has been the slightest +deviation. But one of the sharpest texts in all the Word of God, and +one which men somehow in these days seem to ignore, is Paul's +expression, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: whatsoever a man +soweth, that shall he also reap" (Galatians 6:7), and if we compare +this reference in the New Testament to the text in the Old Testament +the harvest indeed seems to be sure, for "The wicked shall not be +unpunished." + +There is a note of truth in all of these statements for both saint and +sinner. Jeremiah the thirtieth chapter and the eleventh verse, "For I +am with thee, saith the Lord, to save thee: though I make a full end of +all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet I will not make a full +end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave +thee altogether unpunished." The old Prophet is speaking to the people +of Israel; and while he tells them that they are God's people, +nevertheless they shall not altogether go unpunished, for if they sow +to the flesh they must of the flesh reap corruption. In Deuteronomy +the fifth chapter and the ninth verse, we read, "Thou shalt not bow +down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a +jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children +unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me." It is a +solemn fact that the sins of the fathers descend upon the children unto +the third and fourth generation. It is more solemn that so blighting +is the effect of sin that the fourth generation is the last. There is +no fifth. Even though we be pardoned from sin forever, we shall not +altogether go unpunished. + +Certainly it is true that if one rejects Jesus Christ, punishment for +him is absolutely certain. The other day in the city of Chicago the +following appeared in the _Inter-Ocean_ as an editorial under the title +of "Preaching for Men." + +"To those who look upon men as they are it is simply astounding that so +many preachers should act as if the hope of reward alone could be +efficient to move average mankind to leave sin and follow after +righteousness. In every other relation of human life every man is +constantly confronted with the alternative: Do right and be rewarded; +do wrong and be punished. The pressure of fear as well as the pressure +of hope is continually upon him. He knows that he may conceal his +wrongdoing from the eye of man, but he is always under the fear of +discovery and punishment. But he goes to church, and in nine cases out +of ten the preacher, while insisting that he can hide nothing from the +eye of God, yet says nothing to arouse in him that fear of God which is +the beginning of wisdom. If he turn from religion to science he finds +science more positive of the certainty of punishment than of the +certainty of reward. Science cannot, for example, assure him of a long +life, even though he scrupulously obey hygienic laws. But it can +assure him of a speedy death if he wantonly violates those laws. +Precisely this fact that the consequences of sin in punishment can be +foretold more positively than the consequences of righteousness in +reward is what makes fear the strongest influence dominating and +directing human conduct. Yet many preachers deliberately abandon the +appeal to fear and then wonder why their preaching does not move men to +active righteousness. When more preachers recover from the delusion +into which so many of them have fallen such complaints will diminish. +For all human experience proves that the preaching that appeals to fear +of punishment as well as to hope of reward is the preaching that is +really effective--is the preaching of all the great preachers of the +past and the present--is the preaching that moves." + +The statement of the text is exceedingly plain and the teaching is +unquestioned. It is a good thing for us to-day to understand what sin +is, for if we have a wrong conception of sin it naturally follows that +we shall have a wrong conception of the atonement. Without an +understanding of sin there is no sense of guilt, and without the sense +of guilt there is no cry for pardon. The best definitions that I have +ever found for sin are written in the word of God. + + +I + +1. "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the +transgression of the law" (1 John 3:4). The word "transgression" means +to go across. Does your life parallel God's law or cross it? Your +answer to this question determines the measure of your sin. You have +only to read the ten commandments and try to mold your life by them to +find your answer. Better still, you have only to read these +commandments in the light of Jesus' interpretation, where the look of +lust is adultery and anger without cause is murder, to see how far +short you have come; and if this is true certainly you are a sinner, +and the text is for you. "The wicked shall not be unpunished." + +2. "All unrighteousness is sin; and there is a sin not unto death" (1 +John 5:17). Righteousness means right relations with God. You may +make ever so strong a claim to right living and speak ever so +vehemently concerning the good that you are accomplishing in the world, +but the first question for you to settle is this, What is your relation +to God and what have you to say with reference to your acceptance or +rejection of Jesus Christ? It is a solemn thought that whatever we do +counts for nothing if our relation to God be wrong, while the little +that we may do may count for much if we have taken the right position +before him. + +3. "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him +it is sin" (James 4:17). + +Omission, according to this scripture, is sin; neglected opportunity is +sin, shirking responsibility is sin, refusing to obey God is sin; and +so when I ask you about being a Christian, if it is best and right and +you acknowledge that it is, then if you are not a Christian, this very +fact is in itself sin, for when one knows the right and refuses to do +it he is a sinner, and the text is true--"The wicked shall not be +unpunished." + +4. "And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of +faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin" (Romans 14:23). Active +doubt is sin. If you have a doubt concerning the sinfulness of certain +things, then to do those things is sin. If I have the least doubt +concerning the amusements which may be questionable, or the position +which may be doubtful, so long as a doubt or a question remains these +things are sin; and the Bible states the fact that "The wicked shall +not be unpunished." + +5. "And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of +righteousness, and of judgment" (John 16:8). Unbelief is the chiefest +of sins. It is to reject Jesus Christ, it is to close in our own faces +the door of hope, it is to trample the blood of the Son of God under +our feet, and it means also to insult the spirit of grace. + +One morning in the city of New York a man dashed down the street and +past three men standing on the pier. They could not tell how old he +was, nor how he was dressed, but they saw him jump upon the bulkhead +near by, strip off his overcoat, coat and hat, and, before they could +stir to save him, plunge off the end of the pier. There was a short +rope lying near by, and seizing this a man ran with his companions to +the point from which the man had jumped. They threw the rope toward +the struggling figure that they could just make out below them. The +rope fell a foot and a half too short. Then they ran back to the gas +plant and got a longer rope. The ice was running so thick in the river +that the man's head and shoulders were still to be seen above the water +when they returned. Taking careful aim they threw the rope squarely +across the struggling form, shouting, "Catch it and we'll pull you +in." The unknown man, however, making a last effort, threw the rope +aside and shouted back: "Oh, to h--- with it! I'm through!" Then he +sank out of sight. That is a picture of the man who, having offered to +him mercy and grace in Jesus Christ, spurns all that God offers, and is +therefore hopeless. + +Sin separates us from God. + +Sin separates us from each other. + +Sin pollutes us and we become impure. + +Sin deceives us and we are in danger and know it not. + +A friend of mine walking along the streets of Cincinnati early one +morning saw a young girl standing upon the very edge of the roof of one +of the highest office buildings. She was carefully balancing herself +and every moment it seemed as if she would fall. The elevator was not +running, but he made his way hurriedly to the roof of the building, +walked carefully across it, seized her by the hand, drew her back and +found that she had risen in her sleep and all unconsciously was +standing on the very brink of eternity. This is what sin does for us, +and it is a solemn thought that for all such the text is true, "The +wicked shall not be unpunished." + + +II + +I do not make my appeal, however, on the ground that the punishment is +all for the future, for that is indeed sure. I ask you the question, +Do you believe in heaven as a place of rewards? If so, the same +argument will prove the existence of hell. Do you reject hell, because +it seems to you to be inconceivable? Then the same argument will blot +heaven out of existence. What it is that awaits the wicked, I am sure +I do not know--only that it is to be away from God, with the door of +hope shut forever, and the Bible tells me that there is weeping and +wailing and gnashing of teeth, for the wicked shall not be unpunished. +I lift my voice against the punishment here, for sin is so sure in its +deadly work, it is so insidious in its influence, that before you know +it it is upon you; just one day of trifling and you are gone. + +The people about Pittsburg will never forget the Cheswick mine horror +in 1903, when one hundred and eighty-two dead men were taken from the +mine. Under the direction of one of the mining engineers, a rescuing +party started into the mine to see if there was any hope of saving the +men who might be yet alive. The journey is described by one who +volunteered to go with the engineer on his perilous journey. "When we +got to the foot of the shaft, Mr. Taylor lighted a cigar. He blew out +a great cloud of smoke and watched it drift into a passage. 'This +way,' he said, 'The smoke will follow the pure air draught.' So we +went on, Mr. Taylor blowing clouds of smoke, and we following them. +Suddenly he wheeled and yelled; 'The black damp is coming!' The cigar +smoke had stopped as though it had come to a stone wall, and was now +drifting over our heads. We ran with death at our heels, ran with our +tongues dry and swelling and our eyes smarting like balls of fire. It +seemed only a minute until Mr. Taylor shrieked and fell forward on his +face. He crawled along for a while on his hands and knees, and then +fell again and lay still. I stopped for a second, with the idea of +carrying him. Then I realized how hopeless that was. We were still a +quarter of a mile from the mouth of the pit. He was a very heavy man, +and I, as you see, am small and weak. Again I ran choking and beating +my head with my hands. I fell, cut my face, called upon God, struggled +to my feet and fell again. So I plunged on, falling and fighting +forward. Black madness came upon me. The horrible, sickening +after-damp was tearing my heart up through my dry throat. My brain was +bursting through my temples. Then a stroke, as though by a sledge +hammer, and I knew nothing more. They found me at ten minutes past one +Tuesday morning. At first they thought I was dead. Then they saw my +head rise and fall while I weakly pounded on a rock with a stick that I +had caught in my delirium." This is to me a striking picture of what +sin does for us. There is no one so strong but he may be overpowered +by its awful influence. God save us from it, for "The wicked shall not +be unpunished." + + +III + +Oh, is there no hope? For it would seem from the message thus far as +if nothing but despair was ahead of us. Two ways to escape from the +power of sin have been suggested; one is man's way, the other is God's. +Let us consider them both. + +1. Man suggests reformation. But how about the sins of the past? They +are still untouched. Man tells the sinner to do his best; but how +about the will which has been weakened by sinful practices, and which +seems unable to act? Man tells the depraved man to change his +surroundings; but how about the heart that is unclean? The fact is, +man's way will not reach us. + +In January, 1904, the American Liner New York left Southampton and came +into the New York harbor with a sad story to tell. A sailor was +suspended over the side of the vessel making repairs when an enormous +wave tore him away, and he was very soon under the forepart of the +ship. The waves began to carry him away, and a life line was thrown to +him with a buoy attached. The sailor, sometimes visible and then +obscured by the rising of a swell, grasped the line, and a cheer went +up. He took a half turn with the line around his waist, was rolling +himself over into the bight of the line and it looked as if he would be +saved. The sailors on deck were just about to haul in. The poor +fellow's hands and fingers must have been numb, for he suddenly rolled +out of the half-formed bight, losing his grip upon the line. + +None of the passengers could help the man, none of the crew dared jump +to his rescue, no boat could live in such a maelstrom. The sailor, who +was struggling and being whirled around and bobbing like a cork, his +oilskins partially spreading out and sustaining him, kept drifting +further and further away. + +Aroused by the commotion, the second officer came on deck just as the +sailor lost his hold. Tossing aside his cap, overcoat and jacket, he +bade the seamen take a bowline hitch around his body and lower him +away. The volunteer life-saver was cheered by the passengers as he +went over. It was bitter cold, the sleet sharp and the swells ugly. A +strong swim in the trough of the seas and over the crests and the +officer might reach the seaman. It was his only chance. + +He had no more than touched the spume before the waves hurled him +against the side of the steamer again and again, bruising his ankle and +knee, but he struck out bravely and gradually drew nearer the sailor. +For fifteen minutes the second officer struggled. During one of his +brave spurts in the direction of the struggling man he looked up to the +rail. The practiced eye of the seafaring man saw something that caused +him suddenly to turn and breast his way back to the ship. The line was +too short. The seaman holding the line attached to the officer had in +his hands the mere end of it, and there was not another bit to pay out. +It was a sixty fathom line, "all gone," and the officer yet only half +way to the drowning man. It was too late to splice another. Had it +been thought of in time the man might have been saved. A longer +struggle was useless, and the officer allowed himself to be hauled +aboard, leaving the helpless man to go to his last account. That is +always the difficulty with man's effort to save the lost. It does not +reach far enough and fails just when it ought to hold. + +2. God's way. "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all +sin," that is God's message. "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the +unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he +will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly +pardon." This is God's invitation. "I even I, am he that blotteth out +thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins." +This is God's pledge, and he has never failed to keep it. + +In the old days, when England and Scotland were at war, the English +came up against Bruce. They drove him from his castle and as he fled +away from them they let loose his own bloodhounds and set them upon his +trail. His case seemed hopeless. He could hear the bay of the hounds +in the distance, and those who were with him had just about given up in +despair; but not so with Bruce. He came to a stream, flowing through +the forest, he plunged in, waded three bow-shots up the stream and then +out upon the other side. The hounds came up to the stream, stopped and +sniffed; they had lost the track. They turned back defeated, and Bruce +in time won the day. Is it not like this with our sins? Like a pack +of hounds they are after me; wherever I flee they are close upon me. +"The wages of sin is death," I am told, but I have found the way of +escape. Here flows a stream which runs red with the blood of Jesus +Christ, and I plunge in and am free. + + "There is a fountain filled with blood, + Drawn from Immanuel's veins; + And sinners plunged beneath that flood + Lose all their guilty stains." + + + + +THE GRACE OF GOD + +TEXT: "_I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine +own sake, and will not remember thy sins._"--Isaiah 43:25. + +In looking over an old volume of Sermons preached by H. Grattan +Guiness, forty-five years ago, I came across the message which he +delivered with this text as a basis. So deep was the impression made +upon me by my first reading of the sermon that I have taken Mr. +Guiness' outline and ask your careful attention to its development. + +If one should enter a jewelry store and ask to see a diamond, or any +other precious stone, the jeweler would first spread upon his show case +a black cloth and then place the diamonds upon it, not only for +protection but also in order that the black background might bring out +distinctly the brilliancy and worth of the gems. So God gives this +best of all his promises with the dark picture of sin clearly and +thoughtfully portrayed. In verses twenty-second to the twenty-fourth +we read, "But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been +weary of me, O Israel. Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of +thy burnt offerings; neither hast thou honored me with thy sacrifices. +I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with +incense. Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast +thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to +serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities." + +In these verses God says that his people have not called upon him in +prayer, they have not presented their offerings, neither have they +presented unto him themselves. He also affirms that they have wearied +of him, and that they have also wearied him with their iniquities, and +then he exclaims, "I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, +nor wearied thee with incense," and with these clear statements he +gives us the gracious statement of the text, "I, even I, am he that +blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not +remember thy sins." + +Mr. Guiness gives us four beautiful thoughts in this text concerning +our sins. + +First: They are blotted out from God's Book. + +Second: They are blotted out with God's hand. + +Third: They are blotted out for his sake. + +Fourth: They are blotted from his memory. + +A more admirable outline of a text of Scripture I do not know, a more +cheering message to a child of God I have never found. + + +I + +Not long ago, in Chicago, a young man was induced to confess to one +whom he thought was his friend the killing of his father and mother. +As the confession was being made, as he supposed to but one person, it +was all being taken down by those who were near enough to hear him +speak, and when he appeared before the court his own confession was +used against him and sent him to a life imprisonment in the +penitentiary. What was true of this young man is true of us. Every +sermon the minister preaches is recorded, every word an individual +speaks is put down. It is a solemn thought to realize, that at the +judgment we shall give account for even our idle words. + +Science has proven that our acts, our words and even our thoughts make +their indelible record. + +Not long ago in our home we came across a long-unused phonograph. We +started it going, placing upon it one of the cylinders which had been +packed away with the phonograph, and were startled to hear the voice of +one who had been dead for years. We heard the message he dictated, the +song in which he joined and the laugh with which he closed it, and yet +his voice has long been silent in death. There is not a sin of your +youth which has not made its record, not a passion of your mature years +that does not stand somewhere against you, not an act, a feeling or an +imagination that has not been indelibly written; not all the changes of +time, not all the efforts of man, can wipe these things out. + +In the British Museum there is a piece of stone not larger than the +average Bible at least four thousand years old, and in the center of +the stone there is a mark of a bird's foot; four thousand years ago the +track was made, and for four thousand years the record has stood. If +these things are true of us--and they are, according to the Word of +God--then what prospect is there for us but that of eternal punishment? +For when we stand at the judgment there shall appear before us the sins +of omission and the sins of commission, the sins we have forgotten and +the sins we have but recently committed against ourselves, against our +fellow men, and against God. + +It is indeed a black picture, and with whitened faces and rapidly +beating hearts we ask, Is there any hope? I bring you God's gracious +answer to this important question: "I, even I, am he that blotteth out +thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins." +Notice, it is the voice of God speaking. "I, even I," he exclaims, +"will blot out your transgressions." + +It is, first of all, a commercial term. We were in debt to God, +hopelessly in debt, and our obligation has been canceled; over against +our sin is placed the righteousness of the Son of God, and we are free. + + "Jesus paid it all, + All to him I owe; + Sin had left a crimson stain, + He washed it white as snow." + + +It is also a chemical expression, for it is a picture of God applying +the blood of Jesus Christ to every page of the written record. The +sins of our youth long ago passed out of mind; the sins of our manhood, +which have taken up every part of our being, the sins of to-day--all +have gone, for he himself has blotted them out. When we realize that +we are forgiven of God it means more than if we were forgiven of men, +for in the might of his forgiveness our past sins are gone, they shall +not even be mentioned against us; the fear of judgment is taken away, +for Jesus himself says, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that +heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting +life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death +unto life" (John 5:24). It is the Passover story over again, "When I +see the blood, I will pass over you." Thus are our sins blotted out. + + +II + +It is with God's hand that the work is done; and for very many reasons +this is a great comfort to us. + +First: Because it was God's hand that made the record, he it was who +put down all your sins. He never rested in his work; week after week, +month after month, year after year, the recording work was being done +until your record became blacker than the blackest midnight; and behold +the hand that made the record blots it out. + +Second: It was his hand against which you offended. Your sin was +against yourself. It is true it hurt your character, lowered your +self-respect; but more especially was it against God, for you despised +his authority, forsook his service, broke his laws, defied his justice; +you grieved his spirit, and you crucified his Son. And behold it is +the hand against which you committed all these offenses which blotted +out your transgressions. + +Third: It is the offended hand which blots them out. It was the hand +that opened the fountains of the deep, and behold the floods came, the +waters above and the waters below clasped their hands and destruction +was everywhere save in the Ark. It was his hand that brought +destruction upon the cities of the plain, consuming them with a mighty +flame, and it was his hand that opened the sea for the children of +Israel and then closed the sea over the pursuing Egyptians. The very +thought of the offended hand makes us tremble, but behold, it is this +hand that blots out all our transgressions. + +Fourth: It is the hand of justice that does the work. The same hand +wrote, "The wicked shall not go unpunished," and wrote again, "The soul +that sinneth it shall die," and wrote yet again, "The wages of sin is +death." This hand is stretched forth in our behalf. + +I doubt not the question has often come to us, "How can God be just and +be the justifier of them that believe?" In the light of such +statements as these just quoted I am sure it is for this reason--it is +for the offering of the just for the unjust. He made him to be sin for +us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in +him. A man was needed for such an offering, and Christ became man. +The man required must be born under the law, so Christ came in the +likeness of sinful flesh. The man born under the law must be without +sin, so he was born pure. The man born under the law and without sin +must be willing to die, and so he came saying, "I delight to do thy +will, O God." And the man born under the law, without sin and willing +to die must be able to provide an atonement which would make the +wandering sinner and the love of God one, and so Christ at the command +of God was thus furnished a sacrifice of sufficient power and magnitude +to save the whole world. It is this hand of God that blots out our +transgressions. + +Fifth: It is the hand of the Supreme Being that does the work. What a +word of encouragement this is. It was this hand that made the worlds +and hurled them off into space. It was this hand that created man and +made him in the likeness of God. It was this hand that formed the +countless number of angels, and has ever directed their heavenly +movements. It was this hand that wrote the law upon Sinai. And it was +this hand that holds the keys of the kingdoms of heaven and hell. He +blots out our transgressions. From his decision there can be no +appeal. With such a work as this, who shall lay anything to the charge +of God's elect? Would God that justifieth do it, or Christ that died +consent to it? In the light of such a thought the Apostle Paul says, +"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor +principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor +height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us +from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans +8:38-39). + + +III + +Our sins are blotted out for his sake. God saves the sinner not alone +because of pity for the sinner, and certainly not simply because he is +in danger of hell, but in order that he may glorify himself; and this +is no selfish glorification, but rather in order that he may show to us +now and throughout all the ages what he really is. God has made +different revelations of himself. We have beheld his wisdom in +creation, in his providences and in his word. We have seen his justice +in that he gave his only begotten Son to die for poor lost men. We +have seen his power in the working of miracles and the transforming +effect of his grace. It remains for us to see his love in the story of +salvation, for until we behold him as the Savior of the sinner we do +not know him. It is this that shall make us not only rejoice here in +time but rejoice with joy unspeakable in eternity. The Apostle Paul +writes in Ephesians 2:7-8, "That in the ages to come he might shew the +exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ +Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of +yourselves: it is the gift of God." + + +IV + +Our sins are blotted out from God's memory. The last of this wonderful +text is the best. When we detect a failure of memory here in this +world among our friends it is an evidence of weakness, but it is no +weakness in God to forget. This is but another one of those +expressions descriptive of God in which human language is used to +describe a thought and in which human language is too poor an agency to +convey all the depth of the meaning. It is just another picture of God +stooping down to meet our weakness and it is God assuring us that our +sins are gone completely. It is as if they never had existed, for they +shall never stand against us and in the day of judgment they shall not +even be mentioned. Our sins must have been a grief to him, just as the +sin of an earthly child is the source of sorrow to an earthly parent; +but they are so no longer, for he has forgotten. The Bible represents +God as being angry because of our transgressions, but if ever there was +anger with him it is so no longer, for you cannot be angry with a +person whose injury against you you have forgotten entirely. We do not +in this world speak of what we have forgotten, nor will God speak of +our sins. We do not punish what we have forgotten, nor will God permit +us to be punished, for he has blotted out our transgressions and will +remember them no more. There is no awaiting penalty for your sin, +there is no judgment to meet at the great white throne, there is no +hell for you at the last, for your sins, for Christ's sake, have been +forgotten. + +If you cast a stone into the water and it sinks away there is for a +time a ripple, where the stone has gone down; but in a moment it has +gone forever, you can see it no more. So God has cast our sins into +the sea and the place where they have gone cannot even be found. + + +V + +But what must I do to take advantage of all this gracious offer of God? +I answer according to the Scripture. There must be true repentance; +repentance is a change of mind, it is having a new mind for God. There +must be regeneration; regeneration is a change of nature, it is a new +heart for God. There must be conversion; conversion is a change of +living and a new life for God. If we would be born from above we must +accept God's word. + +Two friends were conversing one evening. One of them with a skeptical +mind had just rejected the Bible because it did not tell him the things +that he would know. He insisted on knowing how the worlds were made, +and demanded that he should be told concerning the origin of heaven and +why God permitted it, and because the Bible failed here he would have +none of it. Just as his friend was leaving the skeptic said to him, +"Here is my lantern. I want you to take it and it will light you +home." But the lantern was refused by the Christian man, "for," said +he, "this lantern will not light up the mountains in the distance, nor +the valley stretching away at my feet." His friend was amazed. "Man," +said he, "take the lantern; it will make a road for you across the moor +and light up your pathway home." "Oh," said his friend, "if that is +true I will take it; but listen to me. So is the Bible not for distant +paths of investigation; it is not so much to tell us concerning +creation and existence--we shall know these things by and by. It is +for the path at your feet and it will light you home a space at a +time." The skeptical man saw it in an instant, he took God's word and +came back again to the faith of his childhood. + +So I offer it to you with its promises as of lanterns, if its commands +are carefully received and followed out. You, too, may pass from +darkness into light and you may claim from God this text of mine which +says, "I even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine +own sake, and will not remember thy sins." + + + + +CONVERSION + +TEXT: "_And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and +become as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of +Heaven._"--Matt. 18:3. + +Jesus Christ was the world's greatest teacher and preacher. Multitudes +followed him because he taught them, not as the scribes, but as one +having authority. He came to them with the deepest truth of God, but +couched in such familiar expressions, and told in such a fascinating +way, that all men heard him and went their way rejoicing that so great +a teacher had come into the world as the messenger of God. He desired +to speak to them concerning the kingdom, and seeing on the distant +hillside a farmer sowing his seed, he gave them the parable of the +sower; and every farmer in his company began to understand his message. +He told them the story of a woman baking bread, and in the spreading of +the leaven every housekeeper had a vision of one of the deepest +principles of the coming kingdom. He gave them the account of the boy +who went away from his home, breaking his mother's heart, and, +according to tradition, putting her in her grave; causing his old +father to bow his head in shame again and again, and yet in spite of it +all, his father loving him; and every listener learned from the story a +lesson concerning the love of God which could have been given to him in +no other way. He was acknowledged as the world's greatest teacher and +preacher. + +The text is introduced by the word "verily," and this is peculiar to +Jesus. The word calls especial attention to the coming message. It +was as if he had sounded a bell and said, "Stop and listen"; and +wherever the word "verily" occurs the Bible reader would do well to +give heed to the message of Jesus. + +What hope is there for the moralist when Jesus said, "Except ye be +converted"? What hope can there be for the man who says God is so +merciful that he will not allow him finally to be lost when Jesus said +"Ye shall not enter into the kingdom, except ye be converted and become +as little children." + +It will be necessary for us to read carefully verses eight and nine in +this eighteenth chapter of Matthew, if we would be impressed with the +importance of conversion. There are solemn words here. "Wherefore if +thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from +thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather +than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. +And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it +is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having +two eyes to be cast into hellfire." + +I have been told that there are two ways of reading this text. The +first is as we have it in the King James version; the second would make +it read thus: "Verily, I say unto you, except ye convert yourselves and +become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of +heaven." Those who hold to this second reading say that there is a +difference between regeneration and conversion--that regeneration is +God's part of the contract, while conversion is ours; that conversion +is simply having the willing mind, while regeneration is God's +imparting to us his own life; and to convert one's self is simply to be +willing to be saved. And this is all-important, for even God himself +cannot save us against our wills. But I prefer to use, in my treatment +of the text, the generally accepted idea of conversion, and wish my +message to center around the following questions: What is conversion? +How may I be converted? Do I know when I was converted? How may I +know certainly? + + +I + +What is conversion? I own a piece of property, and you desire to +purchase it. You pay me a price, and the property is transferred from +my ownership to yours. It is a converted piece of property. This is +just a hint as to what conversion is. We were sold under sin; and if +any should object to this expression, we have sold ourselves under sin. +Jesus came and in the shedding of his own blood paid the price of our +redemption. As a child of God, I am bought back from bondage to +freedom. To be converted is to be turned about. Going away from God, +I turn towards him. With my face set away from heaven, I deliberately +turn and accept Jesus, who said, "I am the way, the truth, and the +life." To be converted is to cross the line which separates light from +darkness, and may be done as easily as if one drew a line in the path +before him and stepped over it. Both of these would be by the act of +one's will; only it is to be remembered that when by faith we accept +Jesus there is imparted to us a knowledge which comes from the Holy +Ghost alone; while we seem to be acting in our own strength, yet really +it is in the strength of God. Let it be remembered, however, that no +two people may have exactly the same experience. There is an +illustration of this in the healing of the blind men in the New +Testament. I can imagine them having a convention, and each giving his +testimony. One declares that the only way to receive your sight is to +have clay and spittle put upon your eyes and to wash in the pool of +Siloam. Another ridicules this experience and declares that only the +touch of the fingers of Jesus is necessary. Still another speaks and +emphatically declares that even the touch of Jesus is superfluous, for +at the command of Jesus he saw clearly. Another says that +instantaneous sight is impossible, and describes his own experience, +when he saw men like trees, walking. But when all have given their +testimony, they finally unite in declaring that whereas they once were +blind, now they can see; and after all this is the important matter. A +friend of mine described a number of people who came to view "The +Angelus" that celebrated masterpiece of Millet's. Some people admired +the perspective; others, the figure of the man; others, that of the +woman. One man simply stood aghast as he looked, and exclaimed, "What +a marvelous frame that picture has!" and no two people expressed the +same opinion concerning the masterpiece. How could we expect them to +have the same experience in coming to Christ? + +It may be that some will say, "Why insist upon conversion when my life +is a moral one?" And my answer is that the difficulty with morality is +that it is worked out according to men's standard and falls far short +of God's. + +In my first pastorate I had a blind man as one of my hearers. He used +to walk about the village where I preached, generally without a guide, +and apparently went as easily as a man with eyes. He had a little +stick in his hands, with which he touched the trees and the fences, and +seemed to know by the very sound where he was. One day at noon, when +he should be going home, I saw him walking rapidly away from his home. +I finally convinced him that he was going in the wrong direction, and +he asked me to set him straight, which I did. Going in the new +direction, he used his stick in the same fashion, used his legs in the +same mechanical way, but the difference between the man in the first +instance and the second was this--that in the first picture he was +going away from home, while in the second he was going homeward +rapidly. The trouble with man's morality is that it is self-centered +and not Christ centered if he is rejected. + + +II + +How may I be converted? For from the text which says "Except ye be +converted" it would seem as if some power outside of ourselves must be +working in our behalf, and this is true. The foundation of it all is +the atonement by Christ, his sacrificial death upon the cross. +Rejecting this truth, there is no hope for us. In our sinful +condition, the spirit of God rouses us, convicts us of sin, convinces +us of our need of a Savior, and finally God, in his grace, gives us the +strength to yield, and we pass from darkness to light. + +Sometimes great need drives us to light, as in the case of Nicodemus; +while again great sin compels us to come to him, as in the case of the +thief on the cross. But whether it be need or sin, let us start with +little faith, if we have no more, and God will meet us the moment we +start. I once conducted services in a soldiers' home. The commanding +officer told me, when the service was concluded, of a former inmate, an +old sea captain, who came to the institution a confessed infidel. He +refused to attend any of the services in the chapel; finally he was +taken ill, and then the commanding officer entered his room, asking him +to read the Scriptures, which he declined to do. Again he came +suggesting that he read the Bible to see if there was any part he could +believe, and a bottle of red ink and a pen were left by his bedside, +the officer suggesting that he mark any verse red if he could accept +it. This appealed to the dying man and he said, "Where shall I read?" +The officer said "Begin with John's Gospel." And he did so. He read +through two chapters without making a mark, and through fifteen verses +of the third chapter. Then he came to the sixteenth verse, which is a +picture of the very heart of God, and he reached for his pen and marked +the verse red. When this much of the story had been told we reached +the old captain's room and passed the threshold to find the bed empty, +for he was gone. "I wish you might have seen his Bible," said the +captain. "I sent it to his family recently. There was not a page in +it that was not marked red." Over his bed swung a pasteboard anchor; +marked upon it were these words--"I have cast my anchor in safe +harbor." For he had gone home. + + +III + +Do you know when you were converted? That is, do you know the exact +time? There are two extremes in experiences in this matter. I recall +the experience of an old man who sat in my lecture room one Friday +evening, and just as the hands of the clock marked the hour 9:30 he +said "I will," and came to Christ. That was the moment of his +conversion. But, as for myself, I have not had this experience; I do +not know just when I turned to Christ. It must have been when I was +but a small child. One of the best women I know has had an experience +similar to mine, while one of the greatest preachers in the land has +told me that he was a drunkard until he was 21 years of age, and then, +on his knees, by his father's death bed, he came to the Savior. After +all, it is not so much a question of the knowledge of the day, or the +hour, or the month of one's conversion as "Do we now know Christ?" + + +IV + +How may we know that we have passed from death into life? Certainly +not with our feelings as a proof, for they change as the sands shift on +the seashore. If our feelings be the foundation, then we may be in the +kingdom and out of it a great many times a day. It is not always to be +determined by a great change in one's life, for men who have not +accepted Christ have had such an experience. There is only one sure +way of knowing it, and that is on the authority of the word of God. +John 5:24, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, +and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not +come into condemnation: but is passed from death unto life." And John +6:47, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath +everlasting life." + +It is said that Napoleon while riding in front of his soldiers lost +control of his horse, when a private stepped from the ranks, seized the +horse's bridle and saved the officer's life. Napoleon saluted him and +called him captain. "But, sir," said he, "I am not a captain, only a +private." "Then," said Napoleon, "I will commission you captain." And +immediately he stepped into the company of those officers; they ordered +him to the ranks, but he said, "I am a captain." "By whose authority?" +they said. If then he had replied, "Because I feel like a captain," +how ridiculous it would have been! Pointing to Napoleon, he said, "I +am a captain, because he said it." Thus with God's word as a +foundation we stand secure. + + +V + +Do not forget to notice that we are told that we must come like little +children. Not like the philosophers of the world, but like little +children who always trust implicitly those who are about them. If we +would be saved, we must be willing to be taught, and we must some time +make a beginning. Then why not now? + +Some years ago John B. Gough visited a home in a New England city, and +the heartbroken mother told him that her boy, who was an inebriate, was +confined in an upper room in the house, which was much like a cell. +The great temperance leader went to speak to him and said "Edward, why +don't you pray?" and he said, "Because I don't believe in prayer." +"But," said Mr. Gough, "You must believe in God." And he replied, "I +do not believe in anything." "I am sure you are wrong in this," said +he, "for I know that you believe in your mother." Then there came a +new look into his face when he said, "Yes, I believe in her." "Well," +said Mr. Gough, "you must then believe in love. Let us fall upon our +knees and pray." And the young man began, "O love," and the spirit of +God said unto him, "God is love," and he changed his prayer and said "O +God," and then came the same spirit and said, "God so loved the world +that he gave his only begotten son," and he said "O Christ," and when +he said this the deed was done. He immediately rose from his knees, +and he has been free ever since. + + + + +FIVE KINGS IN A CAVE + +TEXT: "_And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto +Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the +captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your +feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their +feet upon the necks of them. And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor +be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the Lord do +to all your enemies against whom ye fight._"--Joshua 10:24-25. + +The history of the children of Israel is one of the most fascinating +stories ever written. It abounds in illustrations which are as +practical and helpful as any that may be used to-day, drawn from our +every-day experience. God certainly meant that we should use their +story in this way, for in the New Testament we read that the things +which happened to them were as ensamples for us. The word "ensample" +means type, or figure, or illustration. + +To appreciate this text and the story of the five imprisoned kings we +must go back a little bit to the place where the leadership of Moses +had been transferred to Joshua. God is never at a loss for a man; his +plans are never frustrated. If Moses is to be set aside Joshua is in +preparation for his position. Doubtless Joshua may have felt somewhat +restrained, as he was kept in a position of not very great prominence, +but he certainly realized when he stood as the leader of the children +of Israel that all things had been working together for the good of his +leadership, and doubtless he praised Jehovah for his goodness to him. +There are many incidents in connection with the immediate story of the +children of Israel which should be mentioned here. + +When they were ready to move towards Canaan Joshua told them that when +the soles of the feet of the priests touched the water of the Jordan +the water would stand on either side before them and they could pass +dry shod into Canaan. Suddenly the marching began. They stood within +three feet of the waters, which ran the same as they had been running +for years; then two feet, then one, and then six inches, but there was +no parting of the waters before them. Let us remember that God had +said, "When the soles of the feet of the priests touch the water they +shall separate." And it was even as he said, and on dry land the +children of Israel passed over to the other side. It is a perfectly +natural thing for one who is unregenerate to say, "Why insist upon +confession, and the acceptance of Christ, and how can the mere +acceptance of the Savior save me from the penalty and the power of +sin?" But a countless multitude will rise to-day to say, "It was when +we stepped out upon what we could not understand and what seemed as +impassable and impossible as the parting of the waters of the Jordan +that God gave us light and peace." + +When once they were in Canaan what an interesting story that is in +connection with Rahab of Jericho! The spies had entered her home and a +mob outside was seeking them that they might put them to death. Rahab +promised them deliverance, only she exacted from them a promise in +return that they would save alive her father and her mother and her +loved ones; and when she let them down by means of a cord from the +window of her home they said to her, "Bind this scarlet cord in the +window and gather your loved ones here and they shall be saved." And +when the children of Israel had marched about Jericho and the walls +were about to fall, suddenly they lifted their eyes and they saw the +red cord fluttering from the window, and while all else was destroyed +Rahab and all her loved ones were saved. + +What a little thing evidently stood between them and death--just a red +cord! And yet as a matter of fact it is only a red cord that is +between us and death--namely, the blood of the Son of God; for, as in +the Old Testament times when God saw the blood and the destroying angel +passed over the home, so in these New Testament times the blood which +has been received by faith insures us our safety and we are set free +from sin's penalty and sin's power. + +The story of Achan is a note of warning. It is rather singular that +when the children of Israel had taken Jericho they failed at Ai, and +yet not singular when we realize that one man had sinned in all the +company. He had taken gold and silver and a Babylonish garment and had +hidden the same in his tent, and this was in direct disobedience to the +commands of Joshua. The sad thing about sin is that we cannot sin and +suffer alone. Our friends suffer, our kindred must bear a part of the +woe with us. When Achan sinned the children of Israel lost a victory. +Sin is progressive. In the seventh chapter of Joshua and the +twenty-first verse, we read, "When I saw among the spoils a goodly +Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of +gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and +behold they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the +silver under it." And you will notice that, first he saw, then he +coveted, then he took. It is always thus; a sinful imagination will +lead to outbreaking iniquity, and a small sin encouraged will +ultimately mean disgrace. + +The story of the Gibeonites is also interesting. They had heard of the +power of the children of Israel and were afraid of them; but they made +up their minds to deceive them. So, lest the Israelites should think +that they came from a near by territory and therefore should turn +against them they put on old clothes, wore old shoes upon their feet +and carried musty bread in their baggage. Then they stood before +Israel and said, "We have come from a far country; look at our +clothing, it is worn out; and at our shoes, they are in holes; and at +our bread, it was fresh when we started, it is musty to-day." + +And Joshua said, "We will make them hewers of wood and drawers of +water," and they were saved from death but they served in bondage. Let +this be remembered always that deception inevitably means bondage. One +is in bondage to his conscience, for it constantly reproves him. He is +in bondage to the one he has deceived, for he can never stand honestly +before him. He is most of all in bondage to his sin, for he will +surely be found out. + +The Amorites were against the children of Israel and they were a great +company. It is in connection with their struggle against this power +that the text is written. + + +I + +The Israelites started in this conflict with a mighty power against +them, as we have seen. But so have we. There are first of all the +tendencies of our old nature against which we must fight, for just as +with the law of gravitation if I take my hand away from a book or a +stone it falls to the floor or the ground because this law pulls it +downward, so there is a law in my members and has been in the life of +every man since Adam's day pulling me away from the true to the false. +It is for this reason that it is easier to do wrong than to do right, +to be untrue than to be true. Then there is against us the very world +in which we live. Its atmosphere, its business, even its social life +is tainted with that which is sinful or to say the least questionable, +and he who lives in the world and is in any sense of it has a hard +battle to fight. But there are two special things which are against us. + +First: The sins which we have encouraged. It may be in the beginning +very small, but Satan is perfectly satisfied if he can have the least +hold upon the life of the one whom he wishes to wrong. I read in a +Chicago paper the story of a woman who was making a heroic struggle +against an awful curse. She had become addicted to the use of +morphine. For fourteen years she was a consumer of the drug. +Apparently she could not shake off the habit. Building up a resistance +to the action of the drug, her system became accustomed to enormous +quantities of it. She could not eat, nor sleep, nor work without it. +Most of her scanty earnings went to purchase it. She was a seamstress, +and by toiling many hours a day managed to get enough money to buy it. +Some years back she had been a happy wife and mother. Her husband +loved her; she was devoted to him and to their two children. She lost +him; she lost the care of her children; rapidly she drifted away from +them. The powerful narcotic helped to deaden her pain. When her +anguish became unbearable a double dose of it would enable her to +drowse away the hours. + +"I will never again touch or taste morphine, so help me God!" she said. +Immediately she discontinued the use of the drug wholly. She could get +no sleep; she could not swallow food half the time or retain it. She +was beset by horrible visions. She was racked by an inexpressible +longing. But she held on. Those who knew her and watched her +agonizing battle with astonishment and sympathy told her that she was +killing herself. "It may be," she would answer, "but I shall die true +to my oath." "But," they would urge, "a habit like yours, which has +obtained for years, should be broken gradually." "I will master it. I +have blotted it from my life," she would answer. "I shall quit it this +way even if I go into the grave. It has mastered me; it has cost me my +home, husband and children; now I will master it." She started at +shadows, her nights were nights of horror; she would bury her nails in +the palms of her hands and compress her lips to keep from screaming. +There was no rest for her. Still she tried to work and grew weaker. +"You cannot give me that," she said, "I remember my oath. Give me any +medicine you choose save opium. God would forsake me now if I forsook +my promise to him." The physician remonstrated with her, but in vain, +so he gave her a substitute which failed of its effect, as he knew it +would, and she died. Even when the hand of death had clutched her +grimly, though her terrific sufferings would have been allayed by the +poison, she refused to take it. Any person in the room would have +bought it for her and administered it gladly, so that she might pass +away in peace, but she would not prove traitor to herself. She was a +friendless woman except for acquaintances recently made. Her life had +been sad and hard. Held in the grip of an enemy that set its mark upon +her, she was shunned and went her downward way alone. Those who were +with her say that just before the end came she smiled, knowing that she +had won her fight; and yet years ago she began to trifle with sin, and +it had mastered her. + +Again, we have against us sins which not only have been encouraged but +have been committed again and again until they have become a habit of +our lives, and he who has such a sin as this finds himself in the grip +of one who is a tyrant. + +In a city paper the other day I came across the story of a man who once +had some prominence in the world but began to go wrong, naturally +drifted towards the evil and finally found himself surrounded by the +lowest of companions. Because of his natural ability he easily assumed +leadership. + +The particular form of crime they practiced was administering chloral +to those who sat at the bar in the saloon to drink. They did this by +attracting the attention of the man who was to drink to something else +in the room and then the deadly knock-out drops would be administered +and they would rob the man. One night the dose was too strong and the +victim died. The one who caused his death came before the city +authorities recently to give himself up and pitifully ask that he might +be quickly sent to death to pay the penalty of his crime for, said he, +"From that moment my mind has never been at rest. I wandered about +town for two or three days trying to get rid of the sight of that +fellow's face; but at night was when I suffered. The moment I dozed +off I could see him in my dreams beckoning and laughing as he dragged +me over some cliff, and I waked up cold with fear. No one knows what I +suffered. I left the city. I went to Denver. I went to Butte. I +traveled everywhere, but wherever I went night and day that dead man +was hovering around me. I couldn't sleep and my mind began to weaken. +One night I went into a gambling den. I thought the excitement might +drive that vision out of my head. I played roulette. I bet on the +black; the red won. And right before me I saw that printer's face just +like I see you now, grinning as the dealer dragged in my money. I ran +out of that club like a crazy man and wandered about town till I saw a +freight train pulling out of the yards. I climbed into an empty box +car and lay down in the corner to rest. For a few moments the face was +gone. Suddenly a flash of lightning lit up that car as bright as this +cell, and there, just a couple of feet from me, I saw that man I'd +killed plainer than I see you. He reached out and caught me by the +arm. I screamed and jumped out of the car. They found me next day +lying beside the track; and when they got me to a hospital, as I hope +for pardon, that thing's black and blue finger marks showed on my +shoulder. I've been in a lot of places since that but I never got over +it. Finally it got so bad I couldn't stand it and I came back to +Chicago to confess." And just as we have all these things against us +so the children of Israel had the Amorites against them and the five +kings were unitedly arrayed to fight them. + + +II + +But there was a sure deliverance for Israel and there is a sure +deliverance for us. God promised to be with Joshua and his people. +Joshua 1:5, "There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all +the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I +will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." Even the things that were +impossible he helped them to accomplish. Joshua 6:1-2, "Now Jericho +was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, +and none came in. And the Lord said unto Joshua, See, I have given +unto thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of +valor." Even where men had failed him he gave them victory. Joshua +8:1-2, "And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou +dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: +see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his +city, and his land; and thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst +unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle +thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush +for the city behind it." Even where the forces were combined against +them it made no difference. Joshua 10:8, "And the Lord said unto +Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there +shall not a man of them stand before thee." So it is with us. God has +promised to deliver us, and over our sinful nature, the atmosphere of +the world, sins encouraged and sins committed, we may expect a complete +victory. Everything is at man's disposal if only God is with him. In +connection with the children of Israel even the day was made longer +that they might fight their battles. Joshua 10:12-14, "Then spake +Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites +before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, +stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. +And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had +avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book +of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted +not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that +before it, or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a +man: for the Lord fought for Israel." The weak were made strong that +the enemy might not triumph over them. "If God be for us who can be +against us?" In this struggle with the Amorites Israel won the day. + + +III + +The victory of the Israelites over the Amorites was like the general +deliverance which God has given us from the power of sin, but there are +certain sins which may pursue us, and from these we ought to be set +free. When the children of Israel started from Egypt and had passed +through the Red Sea certain of the Egyptians started after them, the +waters of the Sea came together and they were put to death. The next +day the Israelites camped upon the shore and they could easily go back. +Doubtless more than one could say as he turned over the body of a dead +man to see his face, "Why, this is my old tax master who used to beat +me. He will never have power over me again." Is such a deliverance as +this from individual sins possible? I think it is. I can think of +five sins which stand in the way of men and which maybe likened to the +five kings shut up in the cave. + +First: Sinful imagination or secret sins. I doubt not but that almost +every one whose eyes may light upon this sentence has been guilty at +this point. He may have said again and again, "I will never do this +thing again," and he has put the king into the cave and rolled the +stone against the door. + +Second: Impurity. It may be that some one who reads this sentence will +plead guilty at this point, and he may have said, "This sin which is +now my defeat began with only a suggestion of evil which I encouraged; +but I will never be guilty again," and he puts the sin into the cave +and rolls the stone against the door. + +Third: Intemperance, not simply in the matter of drinking strong drink, +but it may be intemperance in the matter of dress, or eating, or +pleasure; in other words, it is the lack of self-control. This has +been the defeat of more men than one, and as you stop and think you +say, "I will never lose control of myself again," and you put the sin +within the cave and roll the stone against the door. + +Fourth: Dishonesty; not simply in what you do but in what you say, for +one may be dishonest in speech as well as in appropriating that which +does not belong to him. If you should be condemned just here and have +determined never to fail again at this point, by an act of your will +you consign this king to the cave and close up the entrance. + +Five: Unbelief, which is the greatest sin of all and is the last and +greatest sin to be put into the cave. As a result of such an action +there may be temporary relief, but not permanent, for the kings may +break away from the cave and organize their forces against you once +more and you go down. Here comes in the power of the text. Bring the +kings out, every one of them, and put your feet upon their necks and +stand in all your right and dignity as Christian men, and expect +deliverance not so much because of what you are but because of the fact +that from the days of the first sin it has been said, "The seed of the +woman shall bruise the serpent's head." + +Near Toledo, Ohio, there used to live an old doctor noted for his +infidelity. He was violent in his opposition to the church. One day +he called Robert Ingersoll to the town where he lived and paid him two +hundred dollars, that he might by means of his lecture break up the +revival meeting. Everybody was afraid of him. He heard of an old +preacher back in the country who was a stranger to the schools but not +a stranger to God, and he asked his friends to make it possible for him +to meet him. Finally they met, and the infidel with a sneer said, "So +you believe the Bible, do you?" and he said, "Yes, sir; do you?" "And +you believe in God, do you?" and he said, "Yes, sir." "Well, I want +you to understand that I am an infidel, and believe none of these +things." The old minister looked at him and said simply, "Well, is +that anything to be proud of?" and it was an arrow that went straight +through the unbeliever. He went back to his office and began to think +it over. "Anything to be proud of," he said, and he finally realized +that he was not in a favorable position. Then he thought of an old +Christian he knew and said, "If I could be such a Christian as that I +would come to Christ." He went to tell the minister, and the minister +said to him, "Get down on your knees and tell God so," and he began to +tell him, then broke down and sobbed out his confession of sin. His +cry for deliverance was heard, and he rose up a free man in Christ +Jesus. From that day till this he has been freed from every one of his +sins, is preaching the Gospel and counts it his highest joy to +contribute in every possible way to the enlargement of the bounds of +the Kingdom of God. So there is deliverance from every form of sin if +we will but move in God's way. + + + + +DEFINITENESS OF PURPOSE IN CHRISTIAN WORK + +TEXT: "_Salute no man by the way._"--Luke 10:4. + +Luke is the only one of the Evangelists giving us the account of the +sending out of the seventy. The others tell us that Christ called +certain men unto him and commissioned them to tell his story; but in +this instance after Jesus had said, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the +air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head," he +calls the seventy and sends them forth prepared to endure any sacrifice +or suffer any affliction if only they may do his will. And when he had +said unto another, "Follow me," but he answered, "Suffer me first to go +and bury my father," Jesus said unto him (Luke 9:60-62), "Let the dead +bury their dead; but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And +another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid +them farewell which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, +No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for +the kingdom of God." From this expression of the Master we quite +understand that no other service, however important it may seem to us, +is to come between us and our devotion to him. And in the expression +concerning the man having put his hand to the plow and looking back we +have one of the strongest illustrations that Jesus ever used. He does +not say that if any one puts his hand to the plow and turns back to +some other form of service he is not fit for the Kingdom of God, but +what he says is this: If any man has his hands to the plow and simply +looks back he is not fit for the Kingdom; and this for two reasons: + +First: Because no man could plow as he ought to unless he would keep +his eyes straight ahead of him, and + +Second: No man could plow if he has his mind fixed upon something else. +Jesus wants his disciples to know that his work is the important work, +that nothing can surpass it. Not only is it wrong for us to turn away +from him to any other service but it is a sin even to take our eyes off +of him to gaze upon anything else. Under such sharp teaching as this +he sends forth the seventy. + +Let it be noted, first, that he sent them forth two by two. Perhaps +one was sent because he was strong in the opposite direction from his +fellow laborer. Who knows but one could speak and the other could +sing? Certainly one was the complement of the other. And they went +forth with burning hearts to give the message of Jesus. That +illustration in the New Testament where four men brought the sick man +to Jesus is along the same line. Two men might have failed utterly, +three men would have found it difficult service, for four men it was +easy. + +I once made my way into the office of a doctor to ask him to come to +Christ. The meetings were in progress in the church and I thought he +was interested. He received me kindly, but firmly declined even to +talk of Christ and I left him, utterly discouraged. The next night the +man gave his heart to Christ, and for this reason, I believe. We had +made him in a little company of church officers a subject of prayer, +and you cannot pray earnestly for one for any length of time without +speaking to him concerning his soul's salvation. Without having had a +conference four men determined to see the doctor, and they all called +upon him within two hours of time. When the first came he laughed at +him; when the second came his prominence in the business world at least +commanded the doctor's respect; when the third came, having driven four +miles in from the country, he began to be interested; and with the +coming of the fourth there was awakened in him a deep conviction. He +closed his office, went to his home and before the evening hour of +service came had accepted Christ. + +We have practically the same commission as the seventy. "As the Father +hath sent me even so send I you," said Jesus to us. These conditions +are as true to-day as in those days in the work of the seventy. + +The harvest is great. There possibly never has been a time when more +people are absenting themselves from the church than at the present +time. These men and women are fit subjects for the Gospel. The +seventy went as the messengers of peace, so may we go. There are +troubled hearts all about us, there are those who are in despair, men +and women who are saying, "Peace, peace," when there is no peace, while +ours is the very message of peace. Jesus said to them, "Carry neither +purse nor scrip nor shoes," for their dependence was upon him. So must +it be to-day. Not upon method nor upon skill must we depend, nor upon +the schemes of men, however successful they may have been in the past, +but upon him. In those days the men were sick and troubled, in these +days they are dead in sins and as his messengers we carry the message +of love. + + +I + +This expression of the text meant very much to the Oriental, for as a +matter of fact the salutation of the Eastern people frequently took a +half an hour of time, and sometimes an hour would be consumed. They +touched their turbans, fell upon their knees, saluted one another with +a holy kiss, talked together concerning their own interests. These +things were a part of the salutation. Jesus says to the seventy, +"Salute no man as you go." They were not bidden to be impolite--this +is farthest from the spirit of the Christian--yet they were +commissioned to be about the king's business and the king's business +required haste. + +The idea of the text is that there must be definiteness of purpose in +Christian work. When Elisha kept his eyes fixed upon Elijah there came +to him as the result the mantle of Elijah and he was clothed with +power. When Gehazi followed Elisha's command and as he went to the +home of the Shunammite saluted no one he became the forerunner of life +to the child. And when Paul said, "This one thing I do," and nothing +could swerve him from his path of duty, he became the mightiest +preacher in the world's history since Christ. But let it not be +thought for a moment that we are advocating a gloomy religion; far from +it. + +I like the story of the little girl who went one day into her +grandfather's room to ask him to read to her and found him asleep with +his head upon the back of the chair, his Bible upon his knees and the +sunlight coming through the window at the proper angle to cast about +him a halo of glory, and she ran to her mother saying, "I have been in +grandpa's room and I have seen God." If as a Christian the people of +the world can have any thought other than this, that we at times at +least remind them of Christ, something is wrong with our Christian +experience. + +There were two sides to the experience of Jesus. In one we see him at +the wedding rejoicing with those that did rejoice, making wine out of +water and contributing to the happiness of all those who were present. +In the other instance we see him upon the mountain side and crying out, +"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem!" with an almost breaking heart. + +When Charles G. Finney was in Utica there came down to see him a woman +who was concerned for the town in which she lived. She returned to her +home and through days and nights found it impossible either to eat or +to sleep because she realized the lost condition of those about her. +At last when she was so weak that she could not pray, she had rest only +when those about her prayed for her. When Mr. Finney reached that town +one of the greatest revivals in his history as an evangelist was the +result. + +I was one day engaged with other pastors in an eastern city in a Gospel +campaign. The ministers were preaching in turn each day and when it +came my time to preach I could find in all the audience scarcely one of +my people. Up to that day the interest had been remarkable, but +somehow from that day on, although people had been converted by the +hundred, there was no perceptible spiritual impression. When the +meetings had closed one of the prominent society leaders of my church +came to explain to me why she was away from the service and she said, +"I gave my afternoon reception and the people of our church were +there." When I told her that I felt that as a result of that afternoon +reception our own church had lost a blessing she seemed utterly amazed; +and yet to this day I am firmly persuaded that hundreds of people might +have come to Christ if we had not in that day grieved the Spirit. + + +II + +The text means that those of us who are Christians shall show by our +very faces that we are on the king's business and that it is solemn +business. + +One day a man knocked at the door of my study, was admitted, sat down +on the couch in the room and began to sob. He did not need to tell me +why he had come. I knew, but finally when he sobbed it out this was +his message: "I have come to ask you to bury my wife, and to ask if you +will not go with me to comfort the children, for they are heartbroken." +I knew by the very look of his face that he had lost a loved one. Do +you think for a moment that those who gaze at us would imagine that we +had the least conviction that people away from Christ were lost? I am +sure they would not. + +The text also means that we shall be desperately in earnest. A father +and his boy heard a minister preach a sermon on the judgment and as +they went to their home the father said, "My boy, it was a great sermon +and you must think about it." And the boy did. He made his way to his +room and threw himself on his bed only to hear his father downstairs +laughing and singing; and he said to himself, "It is not true, for if +my father believed I was in danger of the judgment he could not laugh +and he would not sing." That day was the turning point in the boy's +life. He became a man of renown but never a believer in Jesus Christ +as we accept him. + +The text also indicates how we should pray, with an eye single to his +glory but with a purpose that cannot be shaken. Pray as the Shunammite +prayed, pray as the woman besought the unjust judge; such prayer brings +victory. + + +III + +Did you ever realize that you were standing in the way of the +conversion of your friends? How about your living? If your testimony +rings anything else than true to Christ you are a stumbling block in +the way of some one. + +How about your testimony? In the meetings to which I referred there +came a young woman one day evidently greatly moved. First one pastor +would speak to her and then another, and finally I was given the +privilege. For a long time I could not understand her words for her +sobs and then she said, "I am a Christian, a member of one of the +churches in this movement. I have been engaged to a young man for the +last three years. He was not a Christian. Three weeks ago he was +taken ill and a week ago he died. In all the time that I knew him I +never spoke to him about Christ. I do not know that he even knew that +I was a Christian, and now," she said, with a heart which seemed to be +literally crushed, "he has gone and I never warned him." And the text +means that no one could come within the reach of our influence without +having at least a suggestion made by ourselves to them that we are the +followers of Christ and that we long to have them know him who means so +much to us. + + + + +THE MORNING BREAKETH + +TEXT: "_Watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, The morning +cometh, and also the night._"--Isaiah 21:11-12. + +It is very interesting to note that, whether we study the Old Testament +or the New, nights are always associated with God's mornings. In other +words, he does not leave us in despair without sending to us his +messengers of hope and cheer. + +The Prophet Isaiah in this particular part of his prophecy seems to be +almost broken-hearted because of the sin of the people. As one of the +Scotch preachers has put it, he has practically sobbed himself to +sleep. A great shadow has fallen upon the people of God and he is in +despair because of it. They have sown to the wind and now they are +reaping the whirlwind, a result which is inevitable. They are away +from Zion with its temple, and are deprived of the view of those +mountains which are round about Jerusalem and to this day are clad with +vines and olive trees. They are in captivity and are the abject slaves +of the enemies of God. Isaiah's heart is well-nigh crushed, but in the +midst of the despair he has a vision of the chariots coming and hears a +cry which rejoices his soul, "Babylon is fallen." It is because of +these tidings that he cries out in the words of the text. + +What a night they had had of it! They had been in darkness that was +ever increasing, and the song of thanksgiving which used to fill their +souls because of the nearness of Jehovah had entirely departed from +them. + +The figure of the watchman is often used in the Bible, as for example +when he stands upon the city walls and is told that if he sounds the +trumpet telling of the approach of the enemy and the people hear and do +not take warning their blood is upon their own heads, while if he fails +to sound the trumpet and the people are cut off, their blood is +required at the watchman's hand. And again in the first chapter of +Zechariah the eighth to the eleventh verses, "I saw by night, and +behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle +trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, +speckled and white. Then said I, O my Lord, what are these? And the +angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be. +And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These +are they whom the Lord hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth. +And they answered the angel of the Lord that stood among the myrtle +trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and +behold all the earth sitteth still and is at rest." For here the man +standing in the midst of the myrtle trees is him of whom the prophets +did speak, while the messengers are those who bring him tidings of the +progress of his kingdom. But again where David comes to the watch +tower and sees the two messengers running, the second one bringing him +tidings of the death of his son, and from this watch tower he staggers +back again to his room crying out, "O Absalom, my son, would God I had +died for thee!" + +The poet usually sings of the night as a time of beauty. He sings of +the moon and the stars; but in the Bible night always stands for that +which is dark, foul, loathsome, sinful, cold and deadly. There are +different nights mentioned in the Scripture, for the most part in the +Old Testament. There was that night in Eden when sin blinded the eyes +of Adam and Eve and a great darkness fell round about them. There was +the night of the flood, all because the people had neglected God; and +there was the night of the destroying angel passing over the cities of +Egypt, all because of the indifference of those who knew not God. But +even in these nights God does not leave his people without help, for in +Eden we read, "The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head"; +while in the flood behold the Ark; and in the Passover night we see the +blood of the Paschal lamb sprinkled upon the lintels of the door. + +There are different mornings mentioned in the Scriptures, and as a rule +we find them in the New Testament. + +The morning of his birth. + +The morning of his resurrection. + +The morning of his miracle when the empty nets are filled and the +discouraged fishermen are made to rejoice. + +The morning of his return, when, after the rising of the morning star, +an endless day of blessing shall be ushered in. + +It used to be the custom in Scotland, especially in Aberdeen, for the +night watchman of the city guard as he paced the streets to cry aloud, +"Twelve o'clock and the night is dark; one o'clock and the storm is +heavy," and the restless sleeper would toss upon his pillow and listen +for the tidings of the morning hour, "Two o'clock and the morning is +starry." It is in this spirit that we listen to-day to the cry of the +watchman when he declares, "The morning cometh and also the night." + + +I + +We are in a sense in the night in these days, even though we are +Christians. + +First: Because of the existence of sin. It is everywhere, in the heart +as a mighty principle of evil pulling us down as the law of gravitation +pulls material substances toward the earth's center. In the life as +shown by our habits and practices, for these are the fruits of sin. In +the very air we breathe sin is manifest, and sin has brought the night. + +Second: I sometimes think that the darkness is increasing because as +ministers we fail to preach concerning sin. We speak of it as an error +or a mistake; we talk about the devil and call him his Satanic majesty; +we preach about hell and call it the lost world, while it is true that +in the olden days when men trembled under the word of the preacher the +man of God spoke of the devil and hell and sin in all their awfulness. +But the morning cometh, for while it is true that sin is in the world +and it has gripped many of us, yet because of Christ's death upon the +cross we are free from the penalty of sin; we may be free from the +power of sin, for the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus sets us +free from the law of sin and death; we may be free from the practice of +sin, for Christ is the secret of our deliverance. But the text tells +us that while the morning cometh the night also appears. And so for +those of us whose lives have been such a struggle we cry, "Is there no +deliverance?" and I answer, yes, we shall one day be free from the +presence of sin; and that will be at his return when we shall see him +and be like him, and the new day which is never to close shall be upon +us. + +Third: We are in the night because of the existence of sorrow. Next to +sin this is the greatest fact in the world, for men are born unto +trouble as the sparks fly upward. And somehow the morning and the +night as they are fastened together in this text present to us the +story of our lives, for we are first in the morning when everything +seems peaceful, and almost immediately in the night when we are really +in despair. + +I journeyed from Naples to Rome over a fine piece of railway and found +myself now in the darkness of a tunnel and almost immediately rushing +out onto a fertile plain. That railroad is the story of many a life. +But "Is there no deliverance that is complete?" and I answer, yes, +there is a time coming when there shall be no sea and no tears and no +night, for the former things are passed away. + +Fourth: We are in the night because of mystery. Life is full of +questions. "Why must I have this trial or pain or trouble?" So many +of us are asking these questions, and there is really no answer, at +least none for the present. And yet God has not deceived us, for he +has said, "What I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know +hereafter." He tells us that when we see him we shall know, but also +declares that no one can see his face and live; and then, said the +sainted Augustine, "Let me die that I may see him." It is true that we +shall go on from light into darkness, from morning into the night, but +is there no final deliverance? And I answer, yes, when we see him and +become like him we shall know as we are known. Let us wait and believe +until that day. + +Have you ever seen a perfect rainbow--that is, a rainbow in a perfect +circle? I never have. The most perfect one I have ever seen was on +the plains of Jericho, but it was a half circle. However, in the +Revelation we are told that in that day there shall be a rainbow round +about the throne, when half circles shall be made whole and half things +shall be made complete; that is the morning for which we long. + + +II + +But there is another suggestion, "the morning cometh and also the +night." There is the thought of the transition from the one to the +other. We certainly have been in the night so far as our living is +concerned and our working, but now I feel sure there is coming a change +and we are living in a critical time. May God help us to be faithful. + +All truth is like a cycle and at different points in the circumference +there are truths which must be especially emphasized. + +The late A. J. Gordon once preached a sermon on the "Recurrence of +Doctrine," in which he stated that while in one day justification by +faith was the prominent truth for the church, in another sanctification +was prominent, in still another the return of the Lord, and in still +another the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. All this I firmly believe and +it only proves to me that the prominent truth for to-day is every man +for his neighbor, every friend for his friend, every parent for his +child, the individual seeking the individual for Christ. God is +calling us to action; let us not fail. + +I have a friend who used to use an illustration of a sea captain, his +first mate and his wife wrecked upon a rocky shore, huddled together +upon a rock out from the shore but too far for them to escape by +throwing themselves into the waves. The life-line is shot out to them +and the captain puts it round his first mate and bids him jump and he +is drawn to the shore in safety. Then he put the cord around the waist +of his wife, but the current is running in such a way that she must +spring at just the proper second or she will be thrown back against the +rocks and be killed. And he shouts to her, "Spring!" but she waited to +kiss him and waited too long, sprang into the sea and was thrown back +against the rock and drawn shoreward lifeless. Whether that story is +true or not I cannot say, but it is an illustration of the present day +to me. God is saying, "Now is the day of opportunity." May he pity us +if we fail! + + +III + +While all that has been said is true concerning the morning of the +Eternal Day, in another sense it is true that already a brighter day is +breaking. + +First: A better day for Bible study. This old Book which people have +feared was going to pass away is better to-day than ever. It is the +object of deeper affection, and there is no question but that more +people are believing in it to-day as the inspired Word of God than for +years; and all because they have tested it and it has stood the test. + +Second: A better day of prayer is dawning. Fifty thousand people in +Great Britain are banded together to pray and to pray until the +blessing comes if that be for years. Oh, that God would teach us to +pray! We do not half understand what it means to ask God for blessings. + +A story of prayer which would seem impossible if I did not know it to +be true, for I have friends who have been in the town where it occurred +and have met the descendants of the old sea captain, is the story of +the captain who took his boy and others to fish and in the midst of the +hurricane the boy was washed over board. Broken-hearted, he returned +to the shore and the fisher wife, as was her custom, came down to meet +them, only to sob her way back to her home because her boy was gone. +They spent the night in the kirk in prayer, when the minister said, +"Why not ask God to restore his body?" and they did. They put out to +sea and journeyed sixty miles until he told them to stop and when they +let over the grappling hooks they knew by the very tug of the rope that +they had his body. They bore it back again to the broken-hearted +captain and his wife, who had all the time been waiting in the kirk in +prayer. May God teach us how to pray! + +A brighter day is dawning, and while it may be that some of us cannot +see it, while there may be skeptics who say it is not exactly true, yet +I know from what I have seen myself that the darkness is passing away. + +In June, 1897, the steamer Catalonia at ten o'clock at night was found +to be on fire. One of my friends has told me that he paced the deck +and considered himself lost because the flames were burning fiercely. +Finally the fire was under control and the people sang, "Praise God +from whom all blessings flow." Telling me of the lessons that he +learned on this awful journey, he said: "That night at twelve o'clock, +when the pumps were being forced and the clouds of smoke were taking on +new dimensions and we were wondering what the morning would bring us, +the man on the bridge shouted, as he had at each midnight of the trip, +'Eight bells, all's well!'" Had the man down in a stateroom watching +by the side of his sick wife heard the words, he might have said, "It's +a falsehood," but that man's vision was restricted by the narrow walls +of his stateroom. Had the mother and daughter, sitting in the cabin, +with their arms about each other, wondering why they had been allowed +to sail on the Catalonia and leave their loved ones behind, heard it, +they might have said, "The man is beside himself," but they could not +see beyond the cabin. Had the lonely traveler who stood near the +hatchway given it a thought he might have said, "It's a lie," but he +could not see through the clouds of smoke at which he stared silently. +But the vision of the watch swept the horizon, and there was no +obstruction in the ship's path. He knew that each revolution of the +Catalonia's machinery pushed the ship on her way to Queenstown. He had +a right to say it. + +I somehow seem to hear the sound of the goings in the tops of the trees +and have evidence that God is coming to his church with blessing. It +is true there is in some quarters indifference, in many places +worldliness, but I can see no insurmountable barrier in the way of the +progress of the Kingdom of God. + + + + +AN OBSCURED VISION + +(Preached at the opening of the Winona Lake Bible Conference.) + +TEXT: "_Where there is no vision, the people perish._"--Proverbs 29:18. + +It is not altogether an easy matter to secure a text for such an +occasion as this; not because the texts are so few in number but rather +because they are so many, for one has only to turn over the pages of +the Bible in the most casual way to find them facing him at every +reading. + +Feeling the need of advice for such a time as this, I asked a number of +my friends who knew me intimately and knew the occasion which was +before me to suggest what in their minds would be an appropriate +Scripture, and in their suggestions I have had the most singular +indication of the leading of Providence. + +One said, "Use Hosea 5:4, where God in speaking concerning his people +Israel says, 'They will not frame their doings,'" which means that his +people would not set before themselves the way in which they were +going; or it might mean that they would not set up a plan for their +lives which would be according to his will and which he might bring on +to completion. + +Another said, "Use Genesis 26:18," where we are told that Isaac digged +again the wells of his father Abraham. This is a suggestive incident +and has in it a message for to-day, for if there is one thing needed +more than another it is that the old wells at which our fathers drank +and were refreshed and which, alas! in these modern times have been +filled in, at least to a certain extent, should be opened and men be +summoned once again to drink of their living waters. + +Another said, "Use Jeremiah 6:16, 'Ask for the old paths;'" for as a +matter of fact we cannot improve upon the ways in which our fathers +walked, so far as the revelation of God is concerned or the doing of +his will. + +Still another suggested that I should use Isaiah 62:10, "Gather out the +stones, lift up a standard for the people," in which the description is +of a great prince coming and all hindrances should be removed that the +journey might be robbed of its difficulties and dangers. + +You will notice if you have watched the suggestions of these Christian +workers that the texts are practically all the same, and then when I +tell you that the line of thought they have indicated was the very line +which God suggested to me weeks and months before the conference you +will be impressed as I have been that this subject is not of my own +choosing, and therefore must be a message from God. Neither is the +text one of my own choosing, for God pressed it in upon me again and +again and from it I was afraid to turn away. + +I like the text because it is in the book of Proverbs. This book is +not simply a collection of wise sayings and affectionate exhortations, +for you will remember that the Proverbs were put down after the event +and not before its occurrence. This being true, Proverbs presents an +established fact: here we find what the wise men in all the ages have +learned to be truth. If they speak of sin and its penalty they do it +in the light of their own experience; if they say the fear of the Lord +is the beginning of knowledge they mean that they have tried other +sources of wisdom and all have failed but this. All this makes the +text exceedingly valuable, for the wise men of other days must have +tried to walk without the vision and not only failed themselves but +have set the people astray. + +By a vision we do not mean simply an imagination or dream which might +come to some person who had little practical understanding of the ways +of life, but we mean an appreciation of God's thought and approximate +understanding of his plan and a desire to know his will. + +The word "perish," does not mean destruction, but rather the idea is to +"run wild"; so the literal rendering of the text is, "Where there is no +revelation the people run wild"--that is to say, if God is put out of +thought every man is a law unto himself and therefore is dangerous to +the community in which he lives. He is like a ship sailing for a +harbor without chart or compass and with utter indifference to the pole +star. Whatever your impressions, convictions or purposes, they should +always be squared by reverent, careful and profound study of God's will +and word. + +The first sentence of the Bible is this, "In the beginning God," and it +must be the first sentence of every plan and of every purpose of the +individual and the community or there is danger ahead. + + +I + +There ought never to be an age without a vision, indeed without +repeated visions. If there should be such a time it might be a time of +prosperity, but inevitably souls would be neglected. There ought not +to be an individual without a vision. If there should be such an one +he is missing the best of his life. If there be no vision the horizon +of man may be bounded by his office, his store, his home, his own city +or his native land, while as a matter of fact this is only a part of +what God meant him to do and to be. God's plans are from everlasting +to everlasting. The wonderful work he is doing in this world is only a +part of the plan, for in the ages to come he expects to show forth the +manysidedness of his grace and reveal to us the depth of his love to us +in Christ. + +John McNeill's friend had an eagle which he had reared in the farm yard +with the ordinary fowl that lived there. This friend sold his property +and determined to move to another part of Scotland. He could dispose +of his horses and sell his chickens but no one wanted the eagle. What +should he do with it? He determined to teach it to fly, and threw it +up in the air only to have it come down with a thud upon the ground. +Then he lifted it and placed it upon the barn yard fence and was +holding it for a moment when suddenly the eagle lifted its eyes and +caught a glimpse of the sun. It stretched forth its head as far as it +could, threw out one wing, then another, and with a scream and a bound +was away flying upward until it was lost in the face of the sun. This +is what we are needing to-day--namely, to lift up our eyes and see +God's plan and try to understand his purposes. The eagle so long had +held its head down that it had lost the vision of the sun; the first +glimpse of it set him free. What we mean by a vision, therefore, is an +appreciation of God's purposes and plans and a hearty yielding to him +for service in the accomplishment of the same. + +Joseph Cook when he was making a plea for China's millions said one +day, "Put your ear down to the ground and listen and you will hear the +tramp, tramp, tramp of four hundred millions of weary feet." I have to +say this morning, Lift up your eyes and look, open your ears and listen +and you will both see and hear that God has a great plan for us which +he will reveal to all if only we will permit him to do so. In +proportion as a people loses its faith in a revelation from God it +falls into decay. The student of history recalls vividly the story of +the French Revolution, which is a proof of this statement. + +God has always spoken concerning his plans and it has been to living +men and women that he has granted visions. He came to Abraham and he +saw Christ's day and was glad: he visited Moses and he endured as +seeing him who is invisible: he was lifted up before Isaiah and he +first confessed his sin and shame, then cried, "Here am I, send me." +He granted Saul of Tarsus a vision of himself as he approached Damascus +until he cried, "Who art thou?" and then began to walk in fellowship +with him until like the hero that he was he mounted from the Eternal +City to that City which has foundations whose Builder and Maker is God. +He stood before John as in apocalyptic vision he saw him with his head +and his hair, white like wool, as white as snow and his eyes as a flame +of fire. + +But if you should say, "Oh, yes, but this is in Bible times and we are +living in a different age," then hear me when I say that he has come to +living men and women in our own day with a revelation of his will. He +spoke to Zinzendorf and we have a mighty work among the Moravians. He +revealed himself to the Wesleys and we have the mighty movement of +Methodism. He talked with Edwards and we have the great Revival of New +England. He revealed himself to Finney and we have the great +manifestation of power in the state of New York. He walked and talked +with Moody and we have the greatest evangelistic work of his day and +generation with Moody as his instrument. These were all men with +visions. He has come to great missionaries like Paton who saw the New +Hebrides Islands evangelized while yet they sat in darkness, because he +saw God. He has spoken to our own Fulton in China, who writes that the +people are flocking to Christ. To him it is no surprise, for he knew +that they would do it while others were still skeptical. He knew it +because he knew God. + +Let us remember that, however true it may be that God speaks in +conscience, providence, through the church and by the preaching of his +Word, his supreme revelation is in his own Word. This Book contains +the revealed will of God and this Book is his Word. + + +II + +Why are we not having revelations to-day as we know they have been +given at other times? Why is not some one in our own land especially +working out some of the great plans and purposes of God? The question +is easily answered. The difficulty is not with God. He is the same +forever. We alone must be at fault. Without any spirit of harsh +criticism and with a prayer to God that he will make my spirit as he +would have it, permit me to say that I fear the visions are not being +given to us for the following reasons: + +First: Because of the disrespect shown to his Son. We have come to a +time when men seek to limit his knowledge, and occasionally they are +saying that he did not know concerning the things of which he spake. +Such blasphemy makes us shudder. There is a disposition to +misinterpret his teaching. They did it in Paul's day and he spoke by +inspiration when he said, "If any man present another gospel than that +which I have presented let him be accursed." There is a disposition to +rob him of his deity. "Is Jesus divine?" was the question asked not +long ago of one who called himself a minister, and he answered, "Yes, +in the sense that Buddha is divine or Confucius is divine." Our faces +grow white with fear as we listen to such blasphemous statements in +such an age as this. This helps to overcast the sky and God can hardly +trust us with a vision in such an atmosphere. + +Second: An irreverent criticism of the Word of God. That there is a +reverent criticism all will allow, and that many who are walking these +paths are devout believers in God and in his word I would like to be +among the first to acknowledge. There are three kinds of critics +to-day. First: Those who honestly want the best and who are studying +carefully and prayerfully to know the truth. Second: Those who ape +scholarship. Third: Those whose lives may not be right, and for them +if any part of the Bible could be cut away they would be less +condemned. We need not fear, however; our Bible is not in danger, for +this is largely a question of scholarship. Some of you who listen to +me may not class yourselves as scholars. I certainly do not put myself +in that company, but one thing I know: I have seen the Bible work as no +other book has ever worked, and I have seen Jesus Christ save +miraculously multitudes of poor lost sinners. I am not disturbed for +the future; there are as great scholars as the world has ever known who +still hold to your mother's Bible and who have lost not one whit of +confidence in it. + +Thomas Newberry, a devout English student, spent fifty years in study +to give the world his Newberry Bible. He said, "I accept the theory of +the plenary inspiration of the Scriptures. I have studied every 'jot +and tittle' of the Word of God and after these fifty years I see no +reason for changing my position." Scholars' names almost without +number could be mentioned as believing in the Scriptures as the +divinely inspired Word of God. For myself I would have great assurance +in standing side by side with Dr. Paton, and I would not think of +trembling so long as our sainted Dr. Moorehead walks courageously along +life's journey as he nears its end with faith in God's Word unshaken, +with confidence in God's Son constantly growing. This blessed old Book +has been railed at in all the ages. Men have professed to overthrow +it, they have cut and slashed at it like Jehoiakim of old, but it is +better than ever to-day. It is the Word of God. Heaven and earth may +pass away but this Word, never. + +Not long ago I attended a conference of Christian workers and was told +by one of them that I could not appreciate the Bible except I read it +with the thought of literary criticism in mind. My friend interpreted +a portion of the Word of God for me in this way and it was beautiful. +It reminded me of nothing so much as a diamond perfectly cut, kissed by +the sunlight and throwing back its sparkling light to me as I gazed +upon it. + +Another said that I would never be able to understand the Bible until I +read it from the standpoint of the elocutionist in the best use of that +expression, and he read in my hearing the story of Joseph and his +brethren and I felt that I myself had never read the Bible before and +really had never heard it read. + +Still another came with his higher criticism and said that much of the +Bible was mythical, that the stories I had loved were simply +allegorical; and I listened to him and went back to my Bible to read, +only to find that you may read it any way, spell it out in your youth +letter by letter, read it through your tears as you reach middle life +and your heart is aching, hold it against your heart when your eyes are +too dim to read its pages, and it will yield to you a sweetness which +is actually beyond the power of man to describe. This is a wonderful +Book and in this Book God reveals himself. Handle it irreverently and +you will have no vision. + +Third: It seems to me that the church is not what she ought to be, and +this being true the vision is denied. One of my friends said the other +day that the difficulty with the church is that she has lost her +interrogation point. At the day of Pentecost people were saying, "What +do these things mean?" To-day they never think of saying it. I have +been told in a little pamphlet issued by an English writer that the +church has lost her possessive case, which means that somehow she has +gone on without realizing that the risen, glorified Christ is her +blessed Lord. It is a great thing to say "Jesus"; infinitely greater +is it to say "My Jesus." The church has lost her imperative mode. In +days that are past it was possible for the church to stand in the +presence of evil and say, "In the name of Almighty God this iniquity +must stop." But to-day it is not possible. The church has lost her +present tense. We are constantly looking for blessings in the future. +God's promises are all written for the present. It is to the church on +fire that God grants a vision. + +Fourth: Some of the difficulty must rest with us as ministers of the +Gospel. I fear that some of us have lost our message. It has loosened +its grip upon us, and you never can move another man until you are +first moved yourself by the message you would give to him. + +At a great gathering not long ago I heard a distinguished Eastern +professor speaking. The topic of his lecture was "My Foster Children," +and these foster children were some animals which he had had as pets, +whose habits he had carefully studied. One was a Gila monster from the +plains of Arizona, another was a horned owl, the third was a rat, and +the fourth was an opossum. If you can imagine more uninteresting +subjects than these you are more imaginative than myself, and yet he +thrilled me and held three thousand people in breathless interest. Oh, +my brethren, if I believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and as a +Savior able not only to save to the uttermost but to keep through +eternity, and that message grips me, I am a poor preacher if I fail +with it to grip and move other men. I fear we have lost our boldness. +I am a minister of the glorious Gospel of the grace of God and I have a +right to demand a hearing and to give my message, not because of what I +am myself--God forbid--but because of what my Savior is. Some of us +have lost our passion for souls; we mourn over it, we know that when we +once had this it was the secret of a successful ministry. It is not +wrong for me to say to you this morning that to the minister without a +message, to the minister who has lost his holy boldness, to the +minister who has anything less than a burning passion for souls, God +cannot give his vision. + + +III + +I know that I have your deepest sympathy in the longing which I now +express for this great gathering--namely, that God would give to us a +vision. + +First: As to what the Bible really is. One of my friends told me the +other day of a blind girl who could not read because she had been too +busy and somehow had not thought that she could use the raised letters +which have been such a boon to God's blind children. I am told she +learned that she might read while on these grounds last summer. It was +made possible later on for her to have a teacher and she began to study +little books until she could read quite fluently. One day unknown to +her there was brought into her home a Bible with raised letters and +without telling what the book was it was opened at the fourteenth +chapter of John and she was bidden to read in it. She had no sooner +touched the page, her fingers enabling her to read, "Let not your heart +be troubled, ye believe in God, believe also in me," than with radiant +face she exclaimed, "Why this is God's Word; the very touch of it is +different." I would that we might have this vision. + +Second: I wish that we might have a vision of Christ. He is the +chiefest among ten thousand, and the one altogether lovely. He is a +mighty Savior and a mighty helper. I cannot bring him a burden too +great, nor talk to him about a trial too insignificant. Oh, that we +might see him as he is! + +And finally, I wish that we might know what service is, for knowing +this we would be instant in season and out of season. Some years ago +Fannie Crosby, the blind hymn writer, was speaking in one of the +missions in New York City. Suddenly she stopped and said, "I wonder if +there is not some wandering boy in this audience this evening who would +have the courage to step out from this audience and come up and stand +by my side so that I might put my arms around him and kiss him for his +mother?" There was a hush upon the audience; then a boy from the rear +seat started and came to the platform, and with her arms around about +him and her lips against his cheek for his mother's sake, Fannie Crosby +said, "Oh, my friends, let us rescue the perishing." From this meeting +she went to her home, and sitting in her room wrote: + + "Rescue the perishing, + Care for the dying, + Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave, + Weep o'er the erring one, + Lift up the fallen, + Tell them of Jesus, the Mighty to save." + + +Years afterward she spoke in St. Louis at a great meeting and related +this incident. Before she had finished a man in the audience sprang to +his feet and said, "Miss Crosby, listen to me. I am a prosperous +merchant in this city, a husband and a father, a Christian and an +officer in the church. I was that boy around whom you threw your +arms." Such an experience as that is worth a lifetime of service. I +wish to put myself on record. I know that many of you are with me. I +stand for nothing in these days that would in the least obscure men's +vision of the power of God, or their vision of the glorious majesty of +the Son of God, and I count nothing worth while except to do that thing +which would mean the winning of a soul to Jesus Christ. + +I believe God is giving to some men in these days a vision as to what +may be accomplished if only a mighty work of grace should be given to +us. He certainly is ready to pour out his Spirit upon his own people, +and it is only necessary that we should first of all realize our +weakness, then understand his power, realize that souls are lost and +dying and then know that he is able to save to the uttermost; and above +all to realize that in all ages he has used human instruments for the +accomplishment of his purposes, and realizing these things to see that +our lives are right in his sight, to have such a victory for God as the +world has never seen. For this day we hope and pray and cry aloud, "O +Lord, how long, how long?" + + + + +THE COMPASSION OF JESUS + +TEXT: "_But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with +compassion._"--Matt. 9:36. + +The keynote of the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ was "compassion." +You have but to follow him in his journeys by day and by night to find +the proof of this statement. Whether he ministers to the sick of the +palsy, turns aside to help the father whose child is dead, heals the +woman with the issue of blood, drives away the leprosy from the man +dead by law, stops to open the eyes of the blind man by the wayside, +helps the beggar or wins the member of the Sanhedrim, he is always the +same. + +If you journey with him in the morning on the shores of the Sea of +Galilee, or at noon rest with him as he sits on the well curb of +Jacob's well; it you stop with him in the evening as he bares his side +and thrusts forth his hand to the doubting Thomas, or behold him as he +is roused from his sleep in the boat to quiet the storm; if you study +him on the mountain side at midnight or behold him in the garden of +Gethsemane when no one beholds his agony but the eye of his Father--you +will learn that he was always compassionate. You cannot discover him +under any circumstances when this statement is not true of him. + +This ninth chapter of Matthew is indeed remarkable. It can be +appreciated only when we read the closing part of the eighth chapter, +for it is here that the people, angry because of the destruction of the +swine, besought him to leave their country; and it is here we see him +taking his departure. Men have since that time driven him from their +hearts and their homes for reasons quite as trifling. It is a sad +thing to know that any one can drive him away if he chooses to do so. + +The chapter is remarkable, however, because here we not only read the +story of the calling of Matthew from his position of influence, but +find more specific cases of healing than in most other chapters of the +New Testament. There is the healing of the sick of the palsy in the +second verse, the significant part of which is he was healed when Jesus +saw _their_ faith; the picture of the father whose child was dead and +then raised by him, in the eighteenth verse and the twenty-fifth verse; +the account of the woman with the issue of blood, in the twentieth +verse, and the picture of discouragement when all earthly physicians +had failed changed into great joy when the virtue of the great +physician healed her: the account of the dumb man, in the thirty-second +verse, who was possessed of a devil as well; and then in the +thirty-fifth verse a general statement concerning him to the effect +that he healed all manner of diseases. + +The chapter is also remarkable because these cases presented to Jesus +were of the very worst sort. The man with the palsy could not come +himself, however much he wanted to do so, and four men were required to +bring him; the child was dead and so beyond all human help; the two +blind men were undoubtedly beggars and outcasts; the dumb man was +possessed of a devil in addition to his dumbness; the group of people +who were subjects of his healing power had every manner of disease, but +while the people were different and the cases were desperate, Jesus was +always the same. + +There were six specific illustrations of healing: three of these came +to Jesus for themselves, the two blind men and the woman; two others +were brought to him, the man sick with the palsy and the man who was +dumb; and for the other case the father came and took Jesus to the +child. In all the general cases Jesus went himself to the suffering. + +When all these subjects have been presented then comes the text, which +is its own outline. There is first the picture of the multitudes, a +great number of people. Then the statement that they had fainted; +literally it is, "they were tired." Then they were described as sheep, +the only animal known which in its wandering cannot find its way home +of itself. And finally it was stated that they had no shepherd, the +responsibility for their wandering resting upon others rather than upon +themselves. This is the outline of this message. + + +I + +The picture which Jesus beheld as he walked through his own country is +repeated to-day on every side of us, and he is still moved with +compassion because of those who are helpless and undone. It is true we +have done something for him. The last census shows that the membership +of the Protestant churches has increased more rapidly than the +population. For this we should be thankful. It is also true that the +church machinery of the day is well nigh perfect: the buildings and +equipment with which we have to do have never been excelled. Yet, +counting the membership of both the Catholic and Protestant churches, +there are forty million people to-day in our land who are not in the +church and who evidently do not care for the church. With these people +there seems to be a growing indifference to everything that is +spiritual. + +A man in an apartment house in New York, when asked the other day to do +something for a poor family for the sake of God, answered +blasphemously, "I do not care for the opinion of men, I do not even +care for God himself; I am for myself first, last and all the time." +As we walk the streets we ought to be impressed with the fact that men +on every side of us are lost in the proportion of one to four. As we +sit in a car we ought to be impressed with the fact that one in four +have rejected Christ and are hopeless. In every city it is literally +true that there are thousands of unchurched people without God and +without hope in the world. Of them the text would be true. "But when +he saw the multitudes he was moved with compassion." + + +II + +When Jesus saw these multitudes he saw them fainting or literally +"growing tired," and this is the picture of lost people to-day. I am +persuaded that they are tired of many things which follow in the wake +of sin. + +1. They must be weary of the hollowness of the world, for it cannot +satisfy. I one day talked with a woman in Massachusetts whose +opportunity to mingle with the so-called best people of the world had +been unexcelled. She had been a chosen and welcomed guest in the homes +of royalty and knew intimately every President of the United States +since she had grown to womanhood. After her conversion I asked her if +the life of the world had satisfied; her answer was, "It is hollowness +and sham almost from beginning to end." + +2. The unchurched people must be weary of an accusing conscience. +There is no unrest like it. The man who sees the folly of his conduct +and whose conscience will not let him sleep, the man who realizes the +blighting power of sin and yet seems powerless to heed the call of +conscience, is in a pitiful condition. + + "And I know of the future judgment, + How dreadful so'er it may be, + That to sit alone with my conscience + Would be judgment enough for me." + + +3. They must be tired of the world's sorrow, for it is on every side. +We are born unto trouble as the sparks fly upward and I cannot but +think that in all parts of our cities to-day the people away from +Christ are saying, "Oh, that I knew where peace might be found." + +4. I know they are tired of the slavery of Satan. A man formerly +prominent in social and political circles, the cashier of a bank, when +he found that he was a defaulter took his own life and left a letter +for his wife in which he said, "Oh, if some one had only spoken to me +when I so much needed help all this might have been different." + + +III + +In the Old Testament and New, God's people are represented by the +figure of sheep. Especially it seems to me this must be a good figure, +because sheep when wandering find it impossible to seek again for +themselves their home, and in their helplessness they fittingly +represent the one who wanders away from God. There are so many people +to-day who are trying to find their way back without Christ. They are +like wandering sheep. There are so many who are seeking to climb up +some other way into the favor of God. These are on every side of us, +and the time has come for us to present unto them Jesus Christ the +Savior of the world. + + +IV + +These people that Jesus saw were shepherdless. The responsibility for +their wandering therefore rested not so much upon themselves as upon +the fact that the one who should have cared for them was not doing so. +We are our brother's keeper, whether we are willing to acknowledge it +or not. + +In meetings in California one of the ministers went forth during the +week to invite those who were away from Christ to come to him. He +found an old white-haired soldier who said, "When I was in the army +years ago I promised God that I would be a Christian. I have never +kept my word. Yes, I will come to him now." And when he came his wife +and children came with him. "All these years," he said, "I have waited +for some one to ask me." He called upon another man who had been +impressed in the meetings and this man acknowledged that he had long +felt his need of help, that he had prayed the night before, "O God, if +you want me to come to thee send some one to speak to me." When the +minister came the man trembled when he said, "You must be the messenger +of God for whom I have been waiting," and he came beautifully to +Christ. On every side of us people are waiting as sheep without a +shepherd for us simply to do our duty. + + +V + +The result of this vision which Jesus had was that he did an unusual +thing. In the tenth chapter and the first verse we read, "And when he +had called unto him his twelve disciples he gave them power against +unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness +and all manner of disease." Which leads me to say that we must have +the same spirit. Our present day church methods reach not more than +one-fourth the unsaved and many of these come from the ranks of our +Sunday schools and from Christian homes where for one reason or another +they have not made a profession of their faith in Christ. +Three-fourths of the lost are left to wander farther and farther away +simply because they will not yield to our present day church methods. +This is not as Jesus would have it. + +In the twenty-first chapter of John the fifth and sixth verses we read, +"Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered +him, No. And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the +ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not +able to draw it for the multitudes of fishes." Although these +disciples had toiled and taken nothing the results were all changed +when they cast their net on the right side of the boat. May it not be +that we have been fishing on the wrong side or fishing in our own +strength, or, as some one has said, fishing in too shallow water, when +we should have been casting our nets in the deep? The fact is, we need +him and without him we can do nothing. + +I have been told that of the forty distinct cases of healing in the New +Testament only six came to Jesus by themselves. Twenty were brought to +Jesus and to the fourteen others Jesus was taken. I doubt not that the +proportion is the same to-day, and if it is true then our methods of +work must be changed and instead of praying for them to seek Jesus we +must either take them to Jesus or bring the Master into their company. +There can be no successful winning of the multitudes until the personal +element enters into it all. + +1. There must be prayer. When Jacob went forth to meet Esau he walked +with fear and trembling, but in Genesis thirty-second chapter and +twenty-eighth verse we read, "And he said, Thy name shall be called no +more Jacob, but Israel, for as a prince hast thou power with God and +with men, and hast prevailed," so that long before Esau was met victory +was won. There must be no attempt to win the lost without first of all +we have gained an audience with God in prayer, and if we pray as we +ought to pray he will give us the assurance of victory before we start +upon our mission. + +2. There must be personal contact. It is said that a man recently went +into a jewelry store to buy an opal and rejected all that were +presented to him. One of them he rejected instantly. The salesman +picked it up and closed it in his hand and finally in a casual way +opened his hand and placed the opal upon the counter. "Why," said the +customer, "that is the opal I want. I have never seen anything finer," +and yet he had rejected it first. The salesman told him that it was a +sensitive opal and needed the touch of a human hand before it could +reveal its beauty. Oh, how many souls there are like this in the world! + +I have read that when Robert Louis Stevenson visited the island of the +lepers where Father Damien did his illustrious work he played croquet +with the children, using the same mallets that they used; and when it +was suggested that he put gloves upon his hands he refused to do so +because, he said, "it will remind them the more of the difference +between us." This spirit must prevail in our work if we are to win +souls. + +Two things we may do to reach the lost. + +(1) Speak to them. The power of human speech is simply marvelous. A +Sunday school boy appeared in a Baptist Church to apply for membership +and when they asked him about his conversion he said, "My Sunday school +teacher took me for a walk one Sunday in Prospect Park and talked with +me about Jesus and I gave myself to him." One of the officers of my +church when an unsaved man was asked by his minister to attend special +services in the church and then was urged by his wife to go with her. +Both invitations were angrily declined. He at last agreed to escort +her to the church but not to enter in. The biting cold wind of the +night drove him into the church and he was just in time to hear the +minister's appeal to the unsaved. All were asked to lift their hands +who would know Christ and then he remembered that when he was a boy and +had been drowning in Lake George he lifted up his hand as high as he +could and his brother took hold of it and kept him from sinking. +Suddenly it came to him in the church that he was sinking in another +way, and instantly he raised his hand and Christ took hold of it. I do +not know of a more godly man among all my list of friends than he; and +he says to-day that the invitation given to him and refused with anger +led him to Christ. + +(2) Write. The chief justice of the supreme court of a western state +was not a Christian until a few years ago. He was a genial, kindly +man, and naturally a great lawyer, but he had never confessed Christ as +his Savior, and apparently had little real interest in the church. One +day the pastor of the Presbyterian church determined that he would +write him a letter, and then decided that so great a man would not +receive his communication and destroyed it. But the pastor's wife had +more faith and urged him to write again. He did so, and sent the +second letter and forwarded with it Spurgeon's "All of Grace." He +received word almost instantly that the chief justice had been deeply +impressed, and that as a matter of fact he was waiting for years for +some one to speak to him. The letter moved him and the little book +gave him the instructions needed. To-day he is one of the brightest +Christians I know. His face is a benediction. He said to me one day +that it was a wonderful thing to be a Christian; that he never allowed +any one to meet him that he did not talk with him about his soul. Are +there not hundreds and thousands of other men waiting, as the chief +justice waited, for some one to speak or write? + +3. There must be a personal consecration not only to Christ but to the +work if we would be successful. The biography of Helen Kellar +[Transcriber's note: Keller?], who was released from her imprisonment +by the devotion of her teacher, is an illustration along this line. +This teacher must go to this girl sitting in darkness and describe to +her the commonest objects of every-day life. She told her about water, +heat and cold and when something hurt her she told her with the +language of touch that she loved her and Helen Kellar [Transcriber's +note: Keller?] answered back, "I love you, too." The devotion of this +teacher brought this noble soul to light and power. A work like this +awaits many of us in bringing the lost to Christ. + +When Elisha went down to raise the Shunammite's boy he put his eyes to +the eyes of the boy, his hands to the boy's hands and his mouth to his +mouth. Something like this we must do. We have friends who possess +eyes and see not, we must have eyes for them; they have lips and speak +not, we must speak to God for them; they have hands and reach them not +out after God, and we must have faith for them. In other words, we +must not let them go away from Christ. Such a spirit as this pleases +God and such a spirit saves our friends. A friend told me that with +the ship's surgeon of a vessel he once crossed the sea. He said the +doctor told him that one day a boy fell overboard and was rescued but +the case seemed hopeless. The ship's surgeon casually passing along +the deck said to those who labored with him, "I think you can do +nothing more; you have done all that is possible," and then curiosity +led him to look at the boy for himself. Instantly his whole spirit was +changed. He blew into his nostrils, breathed into his mouth, begged +God to spare him, labored for four hours with him before he could bring +him back to life, for the boy was his own boy. What if we should not +have this spirit with the lost! + + "If grief in Heaven could find a place, + Or shame the worshiper bow down, + Who meets the Savior face to face, + 'Twould be to wear a starless crown." + + +But on the other hand, what if we should simply be faithful? Then may +the following be true of us: + + "Perhaps in Heaven, some day, to me + Some sainted one shall come and say, + All hail, beloved, but for thee + My soul to death had fallen a prey. + And, oh, the rapture of the thought, + One soul to glory to have brought." + + +General Booth of the Salvation Army describes a vessel making its way +home from the Australian gold fields. The miners had struggled to get +rich and at last every man had around about him his belt of gold. The +ship lost her way in the ocean and, set out of her course, suddenly +crashed upon the rocks of an island near by. Almost instantly she +sank. As one miner stood looking at the shore he knew that he was +strong enough as a swimmer to save his gold and save his own life; but +as he was about to throw himself into the sea a little girl whose +mother and father had been washed overboard came over to him to say, +"Oh, sir, can you not save me?" It was then a choice between the child +and the gold. The struggle was terrific but at last the gold was +thrown aside, the child fastened to his body and he struggled through +the waves until he fell exhausted and fainting upon the shore. The +great Salvation Army officer says that when this strong man came to +himself the little child was by his side. Throwing her arms about his +neck she exclaimed with sobs, "Oh, sir, I am so glad you saved me." +"That was worth more to him than the gold," said General Booth. And if +in heaven some day upon the streets of gold we shall meet just one +redeemed soul who was once lost and in the darkness, and we know that +that one soul is there because we were true, the streets of gold will +be better, the gates of pearl will be brighter, the many mansions more +beautiful, the music sweeter, and, if such a thing were possible, the +vision of Christ more entrancing. Certainly it would be thrilling to +hear him say to us, "Inasmuch as ye did it unto these little ones ye +did it unto me." + + + + +SANCTIFICATION + +TEXT: "_This is the will of God, even your sanctification._"--1 Thess. +4:3. + +It is quite significant that the Apostle Paul writes explicitly +concerning sanctification to a church in which he had such delight that +he could write as follows: + +"Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the Church of the +Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be +unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. +We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, +because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every +one of you all toward each other aboundeth; so that we ourselves glory +in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your +persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: which is a manifest token +of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the +kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: seeing it is a righteous +thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; and +to you who are troubled rest with us; when the Lord Jesus shall be +revealed from heaven with his mighty angels. In flaming fire taking +vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of +our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with ever-lasting +destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his +power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be +admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was +believed) in that day" (2 Thessalonians 1:1-10). + +No higher commendation than this could be paid to any followers of the +Lord Jesus Christ, and yet unto such a people we find him saying, "This +is the will of God, even your sanctification." + +It reminds us of that other scene in the New Testament when Nicodemus +comes to Jesus by night. He was a member of the Sanhedrim, he was in +the truest sense of the word a moral man, and yet Jesus, knowing all +this, deliberately looked into his face and said with emphasis, +"Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of +the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born +of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. +Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again" (John 3:5-7). + +Both of these statements lead us to believe that God's requirements for +his people are very high. These we may not attain unto at all in our +own strength or the energy of our flesh or because of any inherited +righteousness which we may possess. There is no way to reach his +standard except by complete identity with Christ; and this is made +possible by means of faith. + +To know the will of God concerning anything is a great satisfaction. +It is like food to our souls if we can say with Jesus, "My meat is to +do God's will." It is an indescribable pleasure if we can say with the +Son of God, "I delight to do thy will." It is the key to the highest +form of knowledge, for we have found it true that "he that doeth the +will of God shall know of the doctrine." It is the promise of eternal +life, for we are told in God's Word, "He that doeth the will of God +abideth forever." There is possibly no place where God's will for us +is more clearly stated than in this text. Sometimes we may know his +will by praying. How often revelations have come thus to us as if from +the very skies concerning his desires for us! We may know it sometimes +by thinking. If one would but yield his mind perfectly to God in his +providences as well as in his word he would know God's will concerning +him. We may know it sometimes by talking to others, for not +infrequently God gives a revelation to one child of his for the +guidance of another's life. But in this connection it is most +definitely stated, "This is the will of God, even your sanctification." +And the Apostle emphasizes his words, + +First: By the use of the most affectionate expression, "Furthermore +then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that +as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye +would abound more and more" (1 Thessalonians 4:1). + +Second: He speaks on the authority of Jesus himself. "For ye know what +commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 4:2). + +Third: He emphasizes it by referring to the second coming of our Lord, +for he well knew that if one was looking for the appearing of the Son +of God he would turn away from fleshly lusts and abstain from that +which was unclean, thus encouraging the work of sanctification. The +Apostle Paul says to the Thessalonians after he has clearly set before +them God's will concerning their living, "But I would not have you to +be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow +not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus +died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God +bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that +we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not +prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from +heaven with a shout with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump +of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are +alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, +to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. +Wherefore comfort one another with these words" (1 Thessalonians +4:13-14). It was not enough for them, in his judgment, to abide in the +faith; they must abound in the works of the Gospel. To talk well +without walking well is not pleasing to God, for the character of the +Christian is thus described, "He walks not after the flesh but after +the Spirit." + +The presentation of this subject impresses upon us the fact that we +have lost many of the best words in the Bible because they have been +misused and their teaching misapprehended. If you speak of holiness +men look askance at you, and yet holiness is simply wholeness or +healthfulness and is to the soul what health is to the body. Who, +then, would be without it? If you speak of sanctification immediately +your hearers imagine you are talking concerning sinlessness, and yet +there is no better word in the Scriptures than sanctification, for in +one way it means separation from sin, in another way it means an +increasing likeness to Christ. There are six particular effects of +faith. + +First: There is union with Christ. It is true that we were chosen in +him before the foundation of the world and that we are an elect people, +but it is also true that we are by nature the children of wrath and it +is necessary that we should make a deliberate choice of him as a +Savior. When by faith we have taken Christ as a Savior we are united +to him. Faith is counting that which seems unreal as real, as untrue +as true and that which seems not to exist as if it existed. Faith +unites us to him. Without him we are as nothing. + +Second: Justification. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them +which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the +Spirit" (Romans 8:1). "He that believeth on him is not condemned; but +he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not +believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (John 3:18). As +we believe in Christ we are clothed with his righteousness. Whether we +can explain it or not, this righteousness answers every demand of God's +justice. Thus it is that Romans the eighth chapter the thirty-third +and the thirty-fourth verses becomes true for us. Let it be noticed, +however, that in both of these verses the two words, "_it_," and "_is_" +are in italics, which would indicate that they were not in the +original. Concerning those who are justified, therefore, the verses +would read as follows: "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's +elect." The rest of the verse is a question, "God that justifieth?" +The thirty-fourth verse reads, "Who is he that condemneth?" and the +answer is a question, "Christ that died, yea rather that is risen +again, who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh +intercession for us?" and Paul here simply means to say that if God can +lay nothing to our charge and Christ would not condemn us then we are +free, and justification at least to the layman carries with it this +thought: + +1. The justified man stands as if he had not sinned at all. His record +is clean. + +2. The debt which sin had incurred is paid and instead of being afraid +and trembling at the thought of sin we sing with rejoicing, "Jesus paid +it all, all to him I owe." + +Third: Participation of his life. Paul writes to the Galatians, "I +live, and yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." And in the fifteenth +chapter of John the first six verses we read, "I am the true vine, and +my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit +he taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, +that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word +which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the +branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no +more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the +branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth +much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in +me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, +and cast them into the fire, and they are burned." So faith unites us +to him and his life becomes a very part of our being. + +(a) It is like the principle of grafting. When the branch is grafted +into the tree the life of the tree throbs its way into the branch and +ultimately there is fruitfulness. If we only could sustain the right +relations to Christ we would have the cure for worldliness. + +(b) Because of this participation and privilege we need not be +concerned. I have heard of a man who grafted a branch into a tree and +then went each day to take the graft out to see what progress it had +made, and the branch died. + +(c) Our life need not be intermittent--that is, hot to-day and cold +to-morrow--but it may be all the time an abundant life; not because of +what we are but because of what Christ is. + +Fourth: Peace. Romans 5:1, "Therefore being justified by faith, we +have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." And peace arises +from a sense of reconciliation. If faith is strong, then peace is +abundant; if it is fitful peace partakes of the same character. That +man who has faith in Jesus Christ as a personal Savior has the +following threefold blessing--first, _Peace with God_; second, _The +Peace of God_; third, _The God of Peace_. + +Fifth: Sanctification. Acts 26:18, "To open their eyes and to turn +them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that +they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which +are sanctified by faith that is in me." Of this we shall speak more at +length a little later. + +Sixth: Assurance. This is plainly written in God's word. Notice John +3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, +that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting +life." And John 5:24, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth +my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and +shall not come into condemnation: but is passed from death unto life." +The entire first Epistle of John also emphasizes the same truth. + + +I + +Sanctification is therefore entirely by faith. + +First: By faith we receive the indwelling of the Spirit and he makes +Christ real to us. Because Christ is real by faith we may walk with +him; and that man who keeps step with Jesus Christ will find that he +has come day by day to turn away from those things which were formerly +his defeat. We may also talk with him. That hymn which we sometimes +sing, + + "A little talk with Jesus, + How it smooths the rugged way," + +has been true in the experience of many of us. We may also be so +constantly associated with him that we may find ourselves actually like +him; and to grow like Christ by the power of the Spirit is to have the +work of Sanctification carried on. + +Second: By faith exercised in God the Spirit continues his work. We +have only to remember the promises of God concerning him, the first of +which is that the Spirit is here carrying on his special work in his +particular dispensation. His second promise is that he is in us if we +be children of God, and we need only to yield to his presence day by +day to be delivered from the power of sin. His third promise is that +he will take of the things of God and show them unto us. Things which +the world's people cannot understand he makes plain unto us. "Eye hath +not seen nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man +to conceive the things which God hath prepared for those who love him," +but the Spirit hath revealed them unto us. The fourth promise is that +he will not leave us. We may resist the Spirit, we may grieve the +Spirit, but we will not grieve him away. His power may be greatly +limited in our lives, the work of sanctification under the influence of +his presence be greatly hindered, but he is with us, "nor height, nor +depth, nor any other creature can separate us from him." + +Third: By faith we have a vision of things unseen and they become real +to us. Faith is to the soul what the eye is to the body. The things +of God become actually real, and becoming so they are powerful. Under +the influence of this vision temporal things are trifling. The +Christian who is true to his position lives in heaven, breathes its +atmosphere, is pervaded by its spirit and so becomes pure, tender, +obedient, loving. No wonder that to these people whose lives were so +attractive Paul wrote in the text, "This is the will of God, even your +sanctification." + + +II + +Justification and sanctification ought to be compared to appreciate the +latter. The first is an act, the second is a work. We do not grow in +justification. There is no distinction between Christians in this +respect; the smallest child accepting Christ is as truly justified as +the saint of a half century. So far as sanctification is concerned +there is the widest possible difference. Justification depends upon +what Christ does for us, sanctification depends upon what Christ does +in us. First of all it is a supernatural work. In this respect among +others it differs from reformation. Henry Drummond has said that in +reformation men work from the circumference, in sanctification they +work from the center. The Triune God may really be counted upon as the +author of this work. In 1 Thessalonians the fifth chapter and the +twenty-third verse we have the work of the Father. "And the very God +of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul +and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus +Christ." In Ephesians fifth chapter twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth +verses we have the work of the Son. "Husbands, love your wives, even +as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it; that he might +sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word." + +In John the seventeenth chapter and the seventeenth verse we have +special emphasis laid upon the work of the Spirit. "Sanctify them +through thy truth; thy word is truth." What folly, therefore, to think +that we could carry on this work by ourselves! + +Second: Just what, therefore, is this work of sanctification? When we +are regenerated we have given to us an entirely new nature. The old +nature and the new are absolutely different; and the old and the new +war one against the other. The Bible is full of the accounts of those +who have met this inward conflict. Some of the most eminent people in +the world whose names have been mentioned in the Bible and out of it +have told the story of their backsliding, their falling, their +repentance, and their lamentation because of their weakness. You have +all read the seventh chapter of Romans. Whether this is the story of +Paul's experience or not, it is the story of yours. Galatians the +fifth chapter sixteenth and seventeenth verses gives us the same +thought. "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not +fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the +spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary, the +one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would." What +is it, therefore? It is just the working day by day of the spirit of +Christ in us. It is the growth of that spiritual nature which after a +while controls our whole being. It is the bringing into subjection of +the old nature until it has no more dominion over us. After Paul's +struggle in the seventh chapter of Romans he comes triumphantly to the +second verse of the eighth chapter of Romans and exclaims, "For the law +of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of +sin and death." + + +III + +It God is the author, then certain things need to be emphasized. + +First: We need only to be yielding day by day to his efforts and +presence and power to become more and more sanctified. His life flows +along the path of least resistance; if there is difficulty with us in +the matter of temper, sharpness of tongue, an impure mind or an +unforgiving spirit, give him liberty and the work is complete. + +Second: We must learn that the least thing may hinder his work in us. +It became necessary for me recently to purchase a hayrake. I was told +of two different kinds, one the old-fashioned kind where the prongs of +the rake must be lifted by hand, the other an automatic arrangement +where by simply touching the foot to a spring the movement of the +wheels would lift the rake at the proper time so that raking hay was a +delight. The first day the rake was in the field it was almost +impossible to use it. It was too heavy to lift by hand and the foot +attachment would not work. We sent for the man who had sold us the +implement. There was just one little part of the attachment missing. +Missing that, hard effort was required and poor work was accomplished. +It may be that some little thing stands in the way of your blessing, or +the lack of some little thing hinders your usefulness. + +Third: We have only to remember the law of growth. We do not grow by +trying. Who ever heard of a boy growing in this way? Who ever heard +of a doctor who had a prescription for growth? Our effort for +Christian growth is just a succession of failures. How many times we +have said, "I am determined to be better; my temper shall never get the +better of me again"! We are beginning at the wrong end. Instead of +dealing with the symptoms, let us see that we are in right relations +with Christ and he will effect the cure. Let us, therefore, just +observe the right attitude towards Christ and we have the secret. + +Henry Drummond has said in one of his books that the problem of the +Christian life is simply this: "Men must be brought to observe the +right attitude. To abide in Christ is to be in right position and that +is all." Much work is done on board a ship in crossing the Atlantic, +yet none of this is spent in making the ship go. The sailor harnesses +his vessel to the wind, he lifts his sail, lays hold of his rudder and +the miracle is wrought. God creates, man utilizes. God gives the +wind, the water, the heat, and man lays hold of that which God has +given us, holding himself in position by the grace of God, and the +power of omnipotence courses within his soul. + + +IV + +We are in this world slowly but surely coming to be like Christ. To be +Christ-like is one thing--we may be in this way or that--but to be like +Christ is entirely different. Wonderful transformations have been +wrought in this world by education and by culture. I remember when I +was a lad in Indiana being told of a celebrated Indianapolis physician +who advertised for the most helpless idiot child and the most hopeless +was brought to him. For weeks and months no impression could be made +upon that child. He used every day to take the child into his parlor, +put him down on the floor and then lie beside him with the sunlight +streaming in his face. He said over and over one syllable of a word +until at last the child caught it, and I remember as a boy seeing that +same child stand upon a platform, repeat the Lord's Prayer and the +twenty-third Psalm and sing a hymn to the praise of God [Transcriber's +note: part of page torn away here, and one, possibly two, words are +missing] is wonderful; but more remarkable than that is the work which +is going on in us day by day. We are becoming more Christlike; one day +we shall be _like Christ_. "But _when_?" you say. This is the answer: +"Beloved, now are ye the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what +we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like +him, for we shall see him as he is." + + + + +AN UNHEEDED WARNING + +TEXT: "_My Spirit shall not always strive with men._"--Genesis 6:31. + +For the truth of this statement one needs only to study his Bible and +he will find written in almost every book of Old Testament and New a +similar expression. At the same time in the study of God's word it +will be revealed to him that God has a great plan which he is carefully +working out. We must be familiar with the beginning and the unfolding +of this plan and with the conclusion he reached. When after the +rebellion of his people and their unwillingness to obey his precepts we +find him saying, "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in +the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was +only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man +on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I +will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both +man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for +it repenteth me that I have made them." + +Then turning to the New Testament Scriptures we find almost a similar +expression when Jesus reaches the climax of his compassionate and +gracious ministry with the children of Israel. "He came unto his own +and his own received him not"; and in the twenty-third chapter of +Matthew and the thirty-seventh to the thirty-ninth verse, inclusive, we +hear him saying, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the +prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I +have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her +chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left +unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, +till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." + +From that day on his special ministry was to the Gentiles, and he has +been seeking in every possible way to bring us to an appreciation of +what it means to know him and to be filled with all his fullness. We +have but to stop for a moment and consider to realize that by many his +overtures have been declined, his Spirit grieved and his Son rejected. +Men have lived as if they had no responsibility towards him at all and +in many instances they have put him entirely out of their +consideration. If we compare present day indifference and sin with the +condition of things at the time of the flood, and then again compare +them with the position of Israel when Jesus turned away from them with +tears, it would seem almost as if the world of the present day had made +progress both in the matter of indifference and rejection; and +therefore it is not strange that such an Old Testament text as this +would be applicable to people living about us. It is a solemn text. +"_My Spirit shall not always strive with men_." It is along the line +of those solemn words of Dr. Alexander: + + "There is a time, we know not when; + A place, we know not where, + That seals the destiny of man + For glory or despair." + +Again we read, "Ye shall seek me and shall not find me, and where I am +there ye cannot come." That also is the spirit of the text. God tells +us, "To-day if ye will hear his voice harden not your heart," which +simply means that if we neglect to hear the heart will become hardened, +the will stubborn, and we shall be unsaved and hopeless. Again he +tells us, "Now is the accepted time, and now is the day of salvation." +So for men to act as if they might come at any time and choose their +own way of salvation is to sin against him, and to all such he speaks +the text--"My Spirit shall not always strive with men." + +It is assumed that the spirit of God does strive with men. If he will +not strive always, then he does strive at some particular time, and +with many of us he is striving now. We may not be willing to confess +it to our friends, but nevertheless it is true. In many ways he is +bringing to our attention the eternal interests of our souls, and this +is striving. + +It is implied that men are resisting the Spirit of God. If this were +not so there could be no striving, and the text indicates that men may +continue so long to resist him and to sin against him that after a +while the door of mercy will close and hope be a thing of the past. + + +I + +What is the striving of the Spirit? I have no doubt but that many are +asking this question seriously and fearfully and it is worthy of our +most careful consideration. + +1. It is just God speaking to us and causing us to say to ourselves if +not to others, "Well, I ought to be a Christian; this life of +worldliness does not pay." There is nothing but an accusing +conscience, a weakened character and a blighted life as the result of +it. Do not for a moment think that this is just an impression that has +come to you; it is the voice of God and you would do well to hear it. +This striving of the Spirit is simply the Spirit of God seeking to +convince men that the only safe life is that which is hid with Christ +in God, safe not only for eternity--the most of us believe that--but +safe for time. Temptations are too powerful for us to withstand alone +and trials are too heavy for us to bear in our own strength. The +striving of the Spirit is just our heavenly Father graciously +attempting to persuade us to yield to him, sometimes by providences. + +When but a lad my old pastor used one night an illustration from which +I never have been able to get away. It was the story of the old +fisherman who took his little boy with him to fish and found that on +his accustomed fishing grounds he was unsuccessful; so, leaving the boy +upon the little island, he started away to fish alone. The mists came +down in his absence and, missing his way, he lost his boy. He rowed +everywhere calling him and at last he heard him in the distance, +saying, "I am up here, papa; over this way." The fisherman found him, +but not quickly enough to enable him to escape the cold night winds, +and the boy sickened and died. The old fisherman said: "Every night +when I stood at my window I could see his outstretching hands and +always above the storm I could hear his voice calling me upward. I +could not but be a Christian." My mother had just a few weeks before +gone home to God, and I heard her voice as plainly as I could hear the +voice of my friend at my side. Every vision of a mother in heaven, of +a child in the skies, is a call of God. He seeks to persuade us by +calamities. The Chicago theater horror, with its hundreds of women and +children dead and disfigured, was God's call to a great city and to the +world. This is the striving of the Spirit. Not with audible voice +does he speak to us but by means of impressions and convictions. Let +us not think for a moment that these come simply because the preacher +has influence and may possibly be possessed of a certain kind of genius +or power. These are God's warnings to us. Be careful, therefore, how +you resist them. Jesus said in John the sixteenth chapter the seventh +to the eleventh verses, "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is +expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter +will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And +when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness +and of judgment. Of sin, because they believe not on me; of +righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; of +judgment, because the prince of this world is judged." The word +"_reprove_" is a judicial word. When the judge has heard the testimony +for or against the criminal and the arguments of the counsel, he +himself sums up the case and lays it before the jury, bringing out the +strong points or the weak ones in relation to the criminal. This is +reproving, and it is this that the Spirit does. He brings before us +Jesus Christ and then presents unto God our treatment of him, and so it +is easy to understand how the text could be true. "My spirit shall not +always strive with men." + +2. How may we know that he is striving? There are very many ways. + +(1) If the attention is aroused and centered upon religious subjects +and interests, then be careful how you treat God. The student who +finds his mind constantly escaping from his books to the thought of +eternity; the business man who cannot possibly escape the thought that +he owes God something and ought not to slight him, these have proofs +that the Spirit is striving. + +After an evangelistic meeting which I recently conducted I received the +following letter, which clearly indicates the striving of the Spirit: + +"I had not attended the church for years until to-night, but being a +visitor in C. and hearing that you were from the East and a +Presbyterian I determined to go. I was lonely and it may be the Spirit +was calling me. I heard you speak of your little boys and of the +sainted mother who has gone before and my proud heart was touched. I, +too, have two darling boys back in the old state, a loving Christian +wife and a dear old mother who in parting said, 'Dear son, I am old and +I may never see you again on earth, but if I am not here when you +return, remember, my son, my boy, we must meet in heaven.' + +"How much that meant to her! I did not quite realize it then, but your +talk to-night impressed me and I believe that her prayers are being +answered together with those of a loving, courageous, steadfast +Christian wife, and that I am at last, at the age of forty-two, +beginning to see how great my opportunities to do good have been and +how my example has been a great hindrance and stumbling block to others +in the way of life. Admitting that this life has no stronger emotion +than our love for our families, how much more I am impressed to-night +with my duty to him who gave his only Son to suffer that we might live +in the life everlasting! + +"In a busy business life and career I had drifted away from the safe +anchorage of the church and Sunday school of my boyhood and had almost +convinced myself that by charity and exercising good will and +kindliness in my business I could do almost as much good as if I were +in the church; but I see my mistake. To make an army effective we must +stand in the ranks, must be soldiers in the army of Christ ready and +willing to do at all times whatever we see before us. + +"I have written my dear old mother a letter to-night which I know will +please her far more than if I had told her I had found a mine of +California gold; her prayers, my wife's, yours and those of other true +Christian men and women have been answered, and I realize that now, +(not next week, nor next month, nor when I get my business finished and +go back to the East) is the day and the hour to remember Christ and +know that his love for us is greater even than the love that tugs at +our heartstrings when we think of the dear little ones at home who +lovingly call us father, and for whom we gladly endure the heartaches +of separation when we know that our labors will contribute to their +comfort and happiness. + +"I realize from the standpoint of a business man how many there are in +the world to criticise your best efforts and your work and how few who +ever stop to say, 'I thank you; you have done me good.' I take time +to-night to do more. I want to say that your message from the King of +kings has not fallen on stony ground. I shall try to enter again the +battle of life, not as only in search of the wealth of this world but +in search of the wealth that the world cannot take away--life +everlasting. + +"You were right. Preach and pray the fathers into the Kingdom of God +and the rest is easy, for all unconsciously our children follow in our +footsteps, watch our every word and action; then how much, how much it +means if our example is wrong!" + + +II + +(1) Whenever we are convinced especially of the sinfulness of sin we +may be sure that the Spirit is striving with us. There are times when +we may be thoughtless and sin with impunity; but not so when the Spirit +is doing his work, for sin is an awful thing. + +(2) Whenever we are impressed with the heinousness of unbelief be +assured that the Spirit is at work, for the worst sin in all this world +is not impurity but rather that we should not believe on Jesus Christ. +To reject him is to sneer at God, to trample the blood of his Son under +foot, to count his sacrifice a common thing and really to crucify him +afresh. In all this impression God speaks. + +(3) When we see the danger of dying in our sins he is moving us. It is +a mystery to me how men can close their eyes in sleep when they realize +that any night God might simply touch them and time would give way to +eternity and the judgment would be before them. As a matter of fact +men are not indifferent to this, and the fact that they are not proves +that the Spirit of God is opening their eyes. + +(4) When he strips us of excuses be sure that he is working. The man +who has said, "I will wait until I am better," begins to realize that +his past sins must be taken into account and no future resolutions can +touch them. The man who has said, "There is time enough," suddenly +realizes that between him and eternity there is but a beat of the +heart. The one who has claimed that hypocrisy in the church kept him +out of it comes to see that hypocrisy proves the life of the church, +for men never counterfeit that which is bad money but rather that which +is good. + +(5) Whenever we see the folly of trusting in any other word than +Christ's then the Spirit of God is with us. Not reformation, for it +does not touch the sins of the past; not resolution, for this is too +weak, and though we may seem better than others, this may be true only +according to our own standard. When we see the folly of these +positions the Spirit of God is doing his work; so be careful how you +treat him. + + +III + +What would be the consequences of the Spirit ceasing his work? We +really could not express it in words. No man has power or energy to +make it plain. We can only just hint at the condition. + +1. There would be an opposition to religion, for whenever you find a +man turning against that which has been the world's hope remember that +the state of that man is awful in the extreme and will grow worse. + +2. There will be an opposition to revivals, to all preaching and to the +ministers of the Gospel wherever this spirit is made manifest. We +ought to tremble for ourselves if this is our spirit, or for others if +it is theirs. + +3. Wherever men settle down into some form of error this is a +description of one who has sinned against the Spirit of God, for there +is a longing in every soul for something outside of and beyond one's +self; and the things of the world cannot alone satisfy. + +4. When men continue to grow worse and worse and seem to glory in their +shame there is great cause for solemn thought. In the light of these +suggestions the text is given, "My Spirit shall not always strive with +men." + + +IV + +Why should he cease his striving? Not because he is not compassionate, +for he is; nor forbearing, for that is his character; not that he is +without patience, for he is infinite in this grace; nor because he is +without mercy, for his mercy is from everlasting to everlasting. + +1. But because it will do the sinner no good to continue his pleadings. +It is a known law of the mind that truth resisted loses its power. Why +should God continue when we only spurn his offers of mercy? + +Agassiz, the great Christian scientist, tells of his work in the +mountains when his assistants lowered him to his work by means of a +rope and a basket. They always tested his weight before letting him +down; and yet he said that one day when they had lowered him deeper +than ever they found that they could not lift him, though they had +tested his weight before he had been lowered. They must go away over +the mountains to secure other assistance. "And then," said the +scientist, "when they did lift me they found that their failure was due +to the fact that they did not take into account the weight of the +rope." Every time you refuse Jesus Christ as your Savior and God calls +you again you must lift against that other refusal, and this is why it +is so difficult for some to come to Christ. + +2. Because to continue warning is to hinder the sinner. The more light +we have the greater guilt. Better would it be for the sinner when all +hope is gone for the Spirit to leave, for he shall be called to account +for warnings. Oh, the solemnity of the day of judgment! + +3. Because to resist the Spirit of God is for men to sin willfully if +the rejection is final. It is a sad thing to say "no" to God, and if +we sin willfully there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins. + + +V + +What is meant by the Spirit not striving? Not that he will be +withdrawn from men in general, but rather from the individual. + +1. He may not follow the sinner, who will be indifferent to preaching, +to praying, to his own spiritual condition, for he has given himself +over to error. + +2. It simply means that we have come to the limit of his patience, for +we have trifled with him in our continued rejection. + +3. It also means that there is just some one point where he will cease +to work. That point may be here and that day may be now, and so the +text is solemn. A long time ago an old woman tripped and fell from the +top of a stone stairway in Boston as she was coming out of the police +station. They called the patrol and carried her to the hospital and +the doctor examining her said to the nurse, "She will not live more +than a day." And when the nurse had won her confidence the old woman +said, "I have traveled from California, stopping at every city of +importance between San Francisco and Boston, visiting two places +always--the police station and the hospital. My boy went away from me +and did not tell me where he was going, so I have sold all my property +and made this journey to seek him out. Some day," she said, "he may +come into this hospital, and if he does tell him that there were two +who never gave him up." When the night came and the doctor standing +beside her said, "It is now but a question of a few minutes," the nurse +bent over her to say, "Tell me the names of the two and I will tell +your son if I see him." With trembling lips and eyes overflowing with +tears she said, "Tell him that the two were God and his mother," and +she was gone. + +I cannot believe that God has given any of you up. You would not be +listening to this message, you certainly would not be reading these +words if he had. He has not given you up. I beseech you therefore +hear him. It would be a sad thing for you to say no to him at the last +and have him take you at your word, and if he has not given you up I am +persuaded that there is some one else in the world deeply concerned for +your soul. + + + + +THE APPROVAL OF THE SPIRIT + +TEXT: "_Yea, saith the Spirit._"--Rev. 14:31. + +The world has had many notable galleries of art in which we have been +enabled to study the beautiful landscape, to consider deeds of heroism +which have made the past illustrious, in which we have also read the +stories of saintly lives; but surpassing all these is the gallery of +art in which we find the text. Humanly speaking John is the artist +while he is an exile on the Island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea. The +words he uses and the figures he presents are suggested by his +surroundings, and it would be difficult to imagine anything more +uplifting than the book of Revelation if it be properly studied and +understood. When John speaks of the Son of Man he describes his voice +as the sound of many waters--undoubtedly suggested by the waves of the +sea breaking at his feet. Locked in by the sea on this lonely island +he gives to us this Revelation for which every Christian should +devoutly thank God. His eyes are opened in an unusual way and before +him as in panoramic vision the past, the present and the future move +quickly, and he makes a record of all the things that he beholds. His +body is on Patmos but as a matter of fact he seems to be walking the +streets of the heavenly city and gives to us a picture of those things +which no mortal eye hath yet beheld. He describes the risen Christ. +It is a new picture, for as he beholds him his head and his hair are +white like wool, as white as snow; and yet it is an old picture he +gives, for he is presented as the Lamb that has been slain, with the +marks of his suffering still upon him, and these help to make his glory +the greater, and if possible to increase the power and sweetness of the +angels' music. He presents to us a revelation of the glorified church +and of the four and twenty elders falling down at the feet of Jesus, +casting their crowns before him and giving him all adoration and +praise. He cheers us with a knowledge of the doom of Satan, for in the +closing part of the book he presents him to us as bound, cast into the +pit and held as a prisoner for a thousand years, while in every other +part of the Bible he is seen going about like a raging lion seeking +whom he may devour. He gives to us some conception of the final +judgment, and the great white throne is lifted up before us; the dead, +small and great, stand before God, the books are opened and those whose +names are not found written in the book are cast away from his presence +forever; and then as a climax of the picture we have before us the new +heaven and the new earth. Again I say, there is nothing so wonderful +as Revelation if only we have the mind of the Spirit in its +interpretation. + +In this text John is speaking of those who die in the Lord and the +whole verse reads as follows: "And I heard a voice from heaven saying +unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from +henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their +labors; and their works do follow them" (Revelation 14:13). Ordinarily +this text has been used only on funeral occasions, but literally +interpreted the text which stands as the heart of the verse may be read +as follows, "Amen, saith the Spirit." It would seem as if the Holy +Ghost were giving his assent to the truth which has been spoken. +"Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord." It is like an old time +antiphonal service, when choir answered choir in the house of God; or, +to put it in another way, it is one of those remarkable interruptions +several instances of which are found in the Scriptures. + +One is in Hebrews the thirteenth chapter and the eighth verse, "Jesus +Christ the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever." According to the +revision this verse has an added word and reads as follows, "Jesus +Christ the same yesterday and to-day, _yea_ and forever." I call +special attention to the little word "yea." Somebody has said that it +is as if the Apostle were saying that Jesus is the same to-day that he +was yesterday, than which no thought could be more comforting. And it +would seem at the closing part of the verse as if the angels of God had +broken in upon his message to say, "Yea, and he is forever the same," +which is certainly true. Could anything be more inspiring than to know +that we have the approval of the Holy Ghost of the things we say or +think? + +There are many representations of the Spirit of God in the Bible. His +love is presented under the figure of the mother love, as in Genesis +the first chapter and the second verse; "And the earth was without +form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the +Spirit of God _moved_ [or brooded] upon the face of the waters." In +this text the Spirit broods over the world as the mother bird hovers +over her little ones. We see him in the figure of the dove in Matthew +the third chapter and the sixteenth verse: "And Jesus, when he was +baptized, went up straightway out of the water, and lo, the heavens +were opened unto him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a +_dove_, and lighting upon him." And here we have a revelation of his +gentleness. Again he is presented to us under the figure of the wind, +"And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty +_wind_, and it filled all the house where they were sitting" (Acts +2:2). Here we see his power. We catch a vision of him in the fire in +Acts the second chapter and the third verse, "And there appeared unto +them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them"; and +here we understand his cleansing influence. But here in this text we +have his directing power. It is as if he were giving particular +attention to all that John is saying and giving his approval to it +because it is the truth. Since the day of Pentecost he has occupied a +new position. + +However, he has existed from all eternity. We behold him in his work +in the Old Testament Scriptures. But from the day of Pentecost the +affairs of the church have been committed to him, its organization, its +development, its services, whether it be the preaching, the praying or +the singing. We cannot ignore him, for he has to do with all the work +and with the preaching of the word. He convicts of sin. John 6:44, +"No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: +and I will raise him up at the last day." He applies Christ to the +awakened sinner, "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he +will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but +whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you +things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and +shall shew it unto you." He helps to interpret the Word of God because +he inspired men to write it. It is impossible to get along without +him. I put no mark of disrespect upon scholarship. I know what it has +accomplished; it has filled libraries with knowledge which has made the +world rich, it has weighed planets and given us almost a perfect +understanding of the heavenly bodies. It has estimated the velocity of +light until we have stopped to say, "Such things are too wonderful for +us." It has read the tracings upon obelisks, and made the past an open +book to us, giving us the secrets of men who have been thousands of +years in their tombs, but I do wish to say that that which comes to us +directly from the Spirit of God is beyond scholarship. Hear what Paul +has said to us in 1 Corinthians the second chapter and the ninth to the +fourteenth verses. "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear +heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God +hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto +us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep +things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the +spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no +man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of +the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the +things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, +not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost +teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural +man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are +foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are +spiritually discerned." + +There are certain great truths to which I am sure the Holy Ghost would +say a deep amen. + + +I + +The Bible _is_ the word of God--not simply that it _contains_ the word +of God, but is that very word. + +Peter tells us where we got our Bible. 2 Peter 1:21, "For the prophecy +came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as +they were moved by the Holy Ghost." It is an inspired Book, and +inspiration is the inbreathing of God himself. This makes the Bible +different from every other book. We cannot study it exactly as we +study others. We may pick it up and say it is just paper, ink and +leather, like any other book, but we have missed the power of it if we +say this. We might say, "Jesus is just a man, eating, drinking, +sleeping, suffering like a man"; but we have missed his power if we say +only this, for the Bible is filled with God, and Jesus is God Himself. +Jesus said, "Ye must be born again if ye are to enter my Kingdom," and +this makes the difference in men. Because of this new birth one man +sees the things of God to which another would be totally blind, and +this makes the difference in books and leaves the Bible incomparably +beyond all other books. + +How may we know that the Bible is the word of God? Not simply +scientifically, although the Bible is a scientific book; but not in +this way any more than we could find life in the body by cutting it up +with a knife. The Bible is like a sensitive plant; approach it in the +wrong way and it will close its leaves and withhold its fragrance. +Come to it reverently and there is no blessing that it cannot bestow. + +1. Accept it by faith and act according to its principles. If God +exists, as we know he does, then talk with him; if Christ is here +presented to us with all his uplifting teachings, then walk with him; +if the promises of God are written here, as we know they are, then +present them to him expecting him to keep his word. + +General Booth of the Salvation Army once said in a great meeting where +I was present that we were poor, weak Christians to-day because we were +not living up to our privileges as Christians. He described a young +man who had lost his position and had gone from one degree of poverty +to another until at last he was on the verge of starvation. With his +wife and little ones about him he sits in deepest gloom. There is a +rap at the door and the postman brings a letter which is a message from +a former employer who tells him that he has just learned of his +distress, that he will help him, and that in the meantime he incloses +his check for a sum of money which he hopes may make him comfortable. +A check is simply a promise to pay. The young man, says General Booth, +looks at it a moment and then begins to rush about the room in great +excitement. "Poor man," said his wife, "I knew it would come to this. +His mind is giving way." Then he presents the check to her and says, +"I know what I shall do with it. I will frame it and hang it on the +wall." Then again he exclaims, "I shall take it to my friend and have +him set it to music and sing it each day," and he might do both of +these and starve to death. What he should have done was to present it +for payment and live off of its proceeds. "We have been framing God's +promises long enough," said General Booth, "and singing them quite long +enough; let us now present them for payment, and we shall know that God +is true." + +2. Live its truth. Whatever God presents as a principle translate into +your life and then believe that God will transform your living. It +will support you in trial and it will comfort you in the deepest sorrow. + +The world was shocked by that great railroad accident which meant the +death of Mrs. Booth-Tucker, but when in Carnegie Hall Commander +Booth-Tucker stood to speak great words concerning his noble wife he +said: "I was once talking with a man in Chicago about becoming a +Christian and he said to me, 'If God had taken away your beautiful wife +and you were left desolate with your little children would you believe +in him?' And," said the Commander before his great New York audience, +"if that man is in this audience to-day let me tell him. God has taken +my beautiful wife and I am here surrounded by my children, but I never +believed in him more thoroughly and was never more confident of the +truth of his Word." + + +II + +Jesus Christ is the Son of God. To this truth I am very sure the Holy +Ghost will add his amen. In John the fifteenth chapter and the +twenty-sixth verse we read, "But when the Comforter is come, whom I +will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which +proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me." And if you would +know that Jesus Christ is God's Son I would suggest, + +1. That you simply test him; try him in heathen lands and tell me if +any other story could thrill and transform as does the story of his +life and death. Dr. Torrey says that whether the story was told in +China or England, whether the story was told in India or Australia, it +was always the same and never was without effect. + +2. Try him in your own life. One day in a service in a western city an +old woman was wheeled into the church in an invalid's chair. I knew by +the expression of her countenance that she was suffering. When I met +her after the service and asked her about her story she said as the +most excruciating pain convulsed her body, "I have not been free from +pain in twenty years and have scarcely slept a night through all that +time," and then, brushing the tears from her eyes, and with an +expectant face, she exclaimed, "but if I could tell you all that Jesus +Christ has been to me in these twenty years I could thrill you through +and through." + +3. If you would know that he is the Son of God just lift him up and +behold him as he draws all men unto him. This is the secret of the +power of great preaching. It made Mr. Moody known whereever the +English language is spoken and constituted Mr. Spurgeon one of the +world's greatest preachers. As a matter of fact there is no other +theme which may be presented in the pulpit by the minister with an +assurance of the co-operation of the Holy Ghost. There may be times +when he may feel obliged to preach concerning philosophy, poetry, art +and science, but unless these things lead directly to Christ we have no +reason for believing that the Holy Ghost will add his amen to our +message, and without this amen the time is almost lost. + + +III + +The church is the body of Christ. I am persuaded that to this truth he +will give his hearty assent. This is Paul's over and over. Notice the +following verses. + +Acts 2:41, "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized; and +the same day there were added _unto them_ about three thousand souls." +The words "unto them" are in italics, so not in the original, and we +ask "added to what?" + +Acts 2: 47, "Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And +the Lord '_added to the Church_' daily such as should be saved." Here +we are beginning to get the truth. + +Acts 5:14, "And believers were the more added _to the Lord_, multitudes +both of men and women." This is the truth. + +You will see that Christ is the head, the church is his body and we +are, as individual members of the church, just being added to him. One +day the body will be completed and then the Lord himself will appear. +If Christ is the head he must control the body. If his life is +hindered and not permitted to flow through every part of it there is +confusion, strife, unrest and loss of power. + +There are certain things which we must do if we are to be in this world +as he would have us. + +He must control the preaching. If given an opportunity he will direct +in the choice of a theme, he will quicken our intellect in the +development of that theme, he will give us an insight into the best way +to present it to our hearers, and putting faith in these preliminary +conditions he will take care of the results. He must also dictate the +praying in a church. There is much of it that is meaningless. It is +too formal, too lifeless, and entirely too general in its character. +In Matthew the eighteenth chapter and the nineteenth verse, we read, +"Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as +touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my +Father which is in heaven." It does not mean that if the two should +agree together as touching any one thing, but agree with him, for +wherever you find two in prayer there are three, and wherever there are +three there are four, and the additional one present is the Spirit of +God waiting to help us in our praying and to present our prayers unto +the Father in the name of Jesus Christ. + +He must inspire the singing of the church. In Ephesians the fifth +chapter and the nineteenth verse we read, "Speaking to yourselves in +psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your +heart to the Lord." One reason why there is such a lack of power in +many churches in this country is due to the fact that the singing is +simply used as filling for the services. Hymns are used in a haphazard +way with little thought as to their bearing upon the theme to be +presented. I am quite persuaded that when the preaching, praying and +singing are all submitted to his control, whatever may be man's opinion +of the service, he himself will give to it his hearty amen. + + +IV + +We are the sons of God. In Romans the eighth chapter the sixteenth and +seventeenth verses we read, "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our +spirit, that we are the children of God; and if children, then heirs; +heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with +him, that we may be also glorified together." To this truth he will +say amen. A careful study of the Scriptures will reveal the fact that, + +1. We are heirs. If therefore this be true we have but to claim our +birthright privilege, and there is no weakness in our lives but may be +offset by the strength of his. Whatever Christ has received as the +head of the church he has received in trust for the body and we may +have our possession in him if we but appropriate it. + +A man in England died the other day in the poorhouse. He had a little +English farm upon which he could raise no grain and he let it go to +waste and died a pauper. His heirs discovered that on this little +English possession there was a copper mine and they are living in +luxury to-day in the possession of that which belonged to their +ancester [Transcriber's note: ancestor?] all the time but was not +appropriated and used by him. + +2. Being sons of God, we are not free from trial; but there is this one +thing to say about our Christian experience: "Our light afflictions +which are but for a moment work for us a far more exceeding and eternal +weight of glory," and God's presence with us in trial is infinitely +better than his absence from us in the time of prosperity. Our trials +are but the discipline through which we must pass in order that we may +one day be prepared to stand in his presence and do his bidding +throughout eternity. + +3. Being sons of God, we are sure one day of glory. The song which has +been singing its way around the world in the Torrey-Alexander meetings +presents this thought to us beautifully. + + "When all my labors and trials are o'er + And I am safe on that beautiful shore, + Just to be near the dear Lord I adore + Will thro' the ages be glory for me. + + "When by the gift of his infinite grace + I am accorded in heaven a place, + Just to be there and look on his face + Will thro' the ages be glory for me. + + "Friends will be there I have loved long ago; + Joy like a river around me will flow; + Yet just a smile from my Savior, I know, + Will thro' the ages be glory for me. + + _Chorus._ + + "Oh, that will be glory for me, + Glory for me, glory for me, + When by his grace I shall look on his face, + That will be glory, be glory for me." + + +Whatever may be our limitations here, they shall be gone there; +whatever may be our weakness here, it shall be lost there. + +Dr. Charles Hodge in his "Lectures on Theology" has given us an +imaginary picture of Laura Bridgman, the famous deaf-mute. The +celebrated theologian has described her standing in the presence of +Christ in that great day when we shall all be before Him, when Christ +shall touch her eyes and say, "Daughter, see," and there shall sweep +through her vision all the glories of the sky; when He shall touch her +ears, which have been so long closed, and say, "Daughter, hear," and +into her soul shall come all the harmonies of heaven; when he shall +touch her lips, which on earth have never spoken a human word, and say, +"Daughter, speak," and with all the angel choir she will burst into the +new song. What Dr. Hodge has said concerning Laura Bridgman will be +true of us. Our day of limitations will be past, the experiences of +weakness be gone, and we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he +is. + +This, therefore, is a good outline of a creed for us to-day. We +believe the Bible is the Word of God, we believe that Jesus is the Son +of God, we believe that the Church is the body of Christ, we believe +that we are by regeneration the sons of God, and making such a +statement we have a right to stop and listen and I am sure we shall +hear as from the skies, "Amen, saith the spirit." + + + + +A REASONABLE SERVICE + +TEXT: "_I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that +ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, +which is your reasonable service._"--Romans 12:1. + +There is perhaps no chapter in the New Testament, certainly none in +this epistle, with which we are more familiar than this one which is +introduced by the text; and yet, however familiar we may be with the +statements, if we read them carefully and study them honestly they must +always come to us not only in the nature of an inspiration but also +with rebuke, especially to those of us who preach. + +Paul's intellectual ability has never been questioned. Yet, giant +though he was in this respect, he was not ashamed to be pathetic when +he likens his care for his people to the care of a nurse for her +children. He is not ashamed to be extravagant when he likens his +sorrow and pain at their backsliding to the travail of a woman for her +child. He is not ashamed to be intense when in the ninth chapter and +the first, second and third verses he says, "I say the truth in Christ, +I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, +that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I +could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my +kinsmen according to the flesh." + +We must also be impressed with the fact that he was not at all afraid +of public criticism. He not only sat at Gamaliel's feet but the great +lawmaker might well have taken his place at his feet, and yet he says, +"I am willing to be counted a fool if only I may win men to Christ." +He is not bound by custom. He not only preaches in the synagogue and +in the places set apart for the churches of the early days, but he goes +about from house to house entreating people to come to Christ. He is +not ashamed to weep, for he sends his messages to the people and +exclaims, "I tell you these things weeping"; and here in this text he +is strikingly unusual, for he is not a preacher speaking with dignity, +nor an Apostle commending obedience, but a loving friend beseeching in +the most pathetic way the yielding of themselves to Christ. + +There are two things to remember about Paul in the study of such a +subject. + +First: He was a Jew and he knew all about offerings. Sacrifices were +not forms to him and a living sacrifice was not a meaningless +expression. He had been present on the great day of Atonement when the +scapegoat bore away the sins of the people. He had heard the chimes of +the bells on the high priest's robe as he moved to and fro before the +entrance to the holy of holies, and he had waited with breathless +silence for him to come forth giving evidence in his coming of the fact +that Israel could once more approach Jehovah. The text to him was +throbbing with holy memories and was full of significance. + +Second: He received his instructions concerning these things of God, +not from men, for when he writes to the Galatians he says: "But I +certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not +after man, for I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, +but by the revelation of Jesus Christ" (Galatians 1:11-12). And so, +since he is a heaven-taught man, we must listen while he speaks and +give heed to his entreaties. + + +I + +_The context_. We shall not appreciate this striking text unless we +take into account its setting. + +The first chapters of Romans present to us a black cloud indeed, for +when the first sentences are spoken we shudder because of their +intensity. We read in the twenty-fourth verse that God gave the people +_up_ to uncleanness; in the twenty-sixth verse that he gave them _up_ +to vile affections, but in the twenty-eighth verse that he gave them +_over_ to a reprobate mind. With this awful condition of affairs we +start; and yet for fear that the man who counts himself a moralist +might read these verses and feel that they did not apply to him, Paul +writes in the third chapter and the twenty-second verse these words, +"Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, unto +all and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference." But +when the cloud is the blackest the rays of light begin to appear, and +they are rays of light from heaven; looking on the one side at mystery +and catching a vision on the other side of grace, Paul exclaims, "I +beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present +your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is +your reasonable service" (Romans 12:1). + +The word mercy is of frequent occurrence in the Bible. "From +everlasting to everlasting is God's mercy," we read. This gives us +some idea of duration. "New every morning and fresh every evening are +his mercies." This reveals to us the fact that they are unchanging. +"He is a God of mercy." This is his character. "Let the wicked +forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return +unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him." This is the invitation +of God given to all the world! But Paul is not speaking of mercy in +general; he goes on in his masterful argument outlining the doctrines +of grace and on the strength of that he uses the text. + +First: We are justified. The fifth chapter and the first verse, +"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our +Lord Jesus Christ." In justification our sins are pardoned and we are +accepted as righteous because of the righteousness of Christ, which is +imputed unto us and received by faith alone. And yet to him this +definition in every day language means that, being justified, we stand +before God as if we never had sinned. No wonder that in the light of +such a doctrine Paul could say, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by +the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, +holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service" (Romans +12:1). + +Second: _We are kept safe_. Romans 5:10, "For if, when we were +enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, +being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." Literally the +closing part of this verse is, "We are kept safe in his life." A child +in its mother's arms could not be so secure as we in his life. +Underneath us are the everlasting arms and around about us the sure +mercies of God. + +Third: _We are baptized into his death_. "Know ye not that so many of +us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?" +(Romans 6:3). "The wages of sin is death." This is God's irrevocable +statement, but Christ died for our sins and Paul's argument here is +that we died with him, so the demands of the law have been met and we +are to go free. No wonder Paul could say, "I beseech you therefore, +brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living +sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." + +Fourth: _We are alive unto God_. Romans 6:11, "Likewise reckon ye also +yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus +Christ our Lord." Not only are we justified and kept safe and +crucified with him and buried with him but in the plan of God we are +risen with him. What a wonderful mercy this is! + +Fifth: _We have deliverance from the self life_. The seventh chapter +of Romans is just the cry of a breaking heart and reaches its climax in +the twenty-fourth verse, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver +me from the body of this death?" But the deliverance is in the eighth +chapter, especially in the second verse, "For the law of the Spirit of +life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." +What a mercy this is! + +Sixth: _For those of us who believe there is no condemnation_. Romans +8:1, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in +Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." +Judgment is past because he has been judged. We have nothing to do +with the great white throne; Christ as our substitute has met sin's +penalty and paid our debts. What a mercy this is! No wonder Paul is +thrilled with the thought of it. + +Seventh: _No separation_. Romans 8:38-39, "For I am persuaded, that +neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, +nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any +other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, +which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." So that for time we are safe and +our eternity is sure. Was there ever such a catalogue of mercies? In +the light of all this the Apostle exclaims, "I beseech you therefore, +brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living +sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service" +(Romans 12:1). + +It is a good thing to study Paul's "_therefores_." He is a logician of +the highest type. + +In Romans 5:1, there is the "_therefore of justification_." + +In Romans the eighth chapter and the first verse there is the +"_therefore of no condemnation_." + +In Romans the twelfth chapter and the first verse there is the +"_therefore of consecration_," and this as a matter of fact is the +outline of the Epistle. + + +II + +_Present your bodies_. This means the entire yielding of one's self to +Christ. It corresponds to the Old Testament presentation of the burnt +offering all of which was consumed. Back in the Old Testament times +for fourteen years there had been no song in the temple, for it was +filled with rubbish and uncleanness, but the rubbish was put away and +the uncleanness vanished, the burnt offering was presented and the song +of the Lord began again. If you have lost your song and have been +deprived of the harmony of heaven then present your bodies a living +sacrifice. + +There is a threefold division in man's nature. + +_The Spirit_, where God abides if we are his children. This is like +the holy of holies. + +_The Soul_, which is the abode of the man himself. + +_The Body_, which is the outer court. + +When Christ was crucified the veil of the temple was rent in twain and +the whole was like one great compartment. I cannot but think that if +we should come to the place of complete consecration, the acceptance in +our lives of what was purchased for us when he was crucified, for us +the veil of the temple would be rent in twain and not only would God +abide in our spirits but he would suffuse our whole nature, look with +our eyes, and speak with our lips. This must have been what Paul meant +when he said, "I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." + + +III + +_A living sacrifice_. That is in contrast with the dead offering of +the Old Testament sacrifice. Suppose for a moment that it would have +been possible for an offering to have been presented in the Old +Testament times and then after that for it to have lived again; it is +inconceivable that this offering would have been put to any unholy use. +I have many times tried to imagine the surprise of the son of the widow +of Nain and the daughter of Jairus after their being raised from the +dead. They certainly could not have lived selfish, sinful lives again, +and I am sure that Lazarus when once he had been in the grave and was +raised at the voice of the Master could never again have been worldly +and unclean. But let it not be forgotten that we are a risen people; +we were crucified with Christ, we died with Christ, we were buried with +Christ, we have risen with Christ! How then ought we to live? + +In one of our western cities a minister told me recently of a young man +who had graduated at a school for stammerers and came to see him one +day. Keeping time with his fingers in the use of his words he said +slowly: + +"I--want--to--speak--to--you." Without following his method of speech +through I will quote what he said: "I have for a long time wanted to be +a Christian and was ashamed to attempt to speak when it was so +imperfectly done, but now I have graduated and I have the control in +part at least of my speech, and I have come to you to-day to make my +confession, for the first use I make of my voice must be the confession +of him who loved me and gave himself for me." + + +IV + +_Your reasonable service_. It is a reasonable service, + +First: Because God uses human instrumentality and he needs you, and it +is therefore a reasonable demand to make, for we should place ourselves +absolutely at his disposal. + +In the guest book of a friend I saw recently a few lines written by Dr. +John Willis Baer in which he said, quoting from another: + +"God gave himself for us. + +"God gave himself to us. + +"God wants to give himself through us." + +But if our lives are inconsistent and our hearts are unclean he cannot +do it. If we have not yielded ourselves altogether God himself is +limited. + +Second: It is a reasonable request to make because of what God has done +for us. + +One of the distinguished ministers of the Presbyterian Church told us +the other day in a conference in a western city that a little boy who +had been operated upon by Dr. Lorenz said as soon as he came out from +under the anesthetic, "It will be a long time before my mother hears +the last of this doctor"; and then, said my friend, "I thought of an +incident in my own life of a poor German boy whose feet were twisted +out of shape, whose mother was poor and could not have him operated +upon, and I determined to bring him to a great doctor and ask him to +take him in charge. The operation was over and was a great success. +When the plaster cast had been taken off from his feet my friend said +he went to take him home. He called his attention to the hospital and +the boy admired it, but he said, 'I like the doctor best.' He spoke of +the nurses and the boy was slightly interested, but said, 'They are +nothing compared to the doctor.' He called his attention to the +perfect equipment of the hospital and he was unmoved except as again +and again he referred to the doctor. They reached the Missouri town +and stepped out of the station together, and the old German mother was +waiting to receive him. She did not look at her boy's face nor at his +hands but she fell on her knees and looked at his feet and then said +sobbing, 'It is just like any other boy's foot.' Taken into her arms, +the minister said all the boy kept saying to her over and over was, +'Mother, you ought to know the doctor that made me walk.'" + +Then my friend said, "There is not one of us for whom Jesus Christ has +not done ten thousand times more for us than the doctor did for this +boy, and we have never spoken for him, we have not yielded ourselves to +him." It must have been with some such spirit as this that the Apostle +said, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that +ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, which is your reasonable +service" (Romans 12:1). + + + + +THE TRUE CHRISTIAN LIFE + +TEXT: "_My beloved is mine, and I am his._"--Sol. Song 2:16. + +"_I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine._"--Sol. Song 6:3. + +"_I am my beloved's and his desire is toward me._"--Sol. Song 7:10. + +These three texts should be read together, and the significant change +found in each text as the thought unfolds should be studied carefully. +They remind one of three mountain peaks one rising higher than the +other until the third is lifted into the very heavens. Indeed, if one +should live in the spirit of this third text he would enjoy what Paul +has described as a life in the heavenly places, and his picture of +Christ would be surpassingly beautiful. At the same time the three +texts give us a complete picture of a true Christian life. The first +text may be regeneration, the second text consecration, and the third +text sanctification. + +The Jews counted this Book, the Song of Solomon, as exceedingly sacred. +They hid it away until the child had come to maturity before he was +allowed to read it, and it was to them the holy of holies of the Old +Testament Scripture. These texts are also like the division of the +ancient tabernacle. There was first of all the outer court where the +altar of sacrifice was to be found--and this must be constantly kept in +mind, for no one can say "my beloved is mine" until he has passed the +altar of sacrifice. It is only by faith in Jesus Christ that we are +adopted into the membership of the family of God. + +The second division was the holy place, where was found the laver. +Here the priests made themselves clean, and they could not minister in +the presence of Jehovah until they had been made clean from all earthly +defilement. This second text gives us the same thought, for here the +writer changes the order exactly and says, "I am my beloved," instead +of saying, "My beloved is mine." This is consecration and the +consecration of a clean life. God will not accept or use that which is +unclean, and it is only as we come to the place where we allow him to +have full control of our lives that we realize we are his. + +The third division of the tabernacle was the holy of holies, where the +high priest made his way once a year that he might stand in the +presence of Jehovah. In this third text, where the writer says, "I am +my beloved's, and his desire is towards me," we have come to the place +in our experience where if his desire for us controls our living we are +in the holy of holies indeed; where we can see him and enjoy his +presence. + + +I + +"_My beloved is mine._" This is regeneration. A minister once +preaching to his congregation said, "Let every one say Jesus," and from +all over the congregation there came the music of his name. "Now," +said the minister, "Let all those who can, say 'my Jesus,'" and the +response was not so hearty. A line ran through the congregation +separating husband from wife and parents from children. It is only by +faith in Christ and by the operation of the grace of God that we can +experience this first text. Two things are true concerning this point. + +First: He wants to make better all that we have. Whatever may be our +natural characteristics, he can make all that we have more beautiful. + +One day in Colorado I wanted to make a journey to the summit of Pike's +Peak, only to find that throughout the entire day the train was +chartered. I was turning away in despair when a railroad man said, +"Why do you not go up at three o'clock to-morrow morning, for then," he +said, "you can see the sun rise, and the sight is beautiful." So the +next morning we started. Just as I was going on the train a railroad +man said, "When you come to the sharp turn in the way as you go up, +look over in the Cripple Creek district and you will see a sight never +to be forgotten." We climbed higher and higher, leaving the darkness +at the foot of the mountain, until at last we came to the place +indicated and I looked away, only to be intensely disappointed. The +sight was almost commonplace. As we pursued the journey upward finally +we came to another place, where I heard some one give an exclamation of +delight. As I looked in the same direction there was a marvelous +transformation. I could see before me a mountain which looked like a +white-robed priest and another like a choir of angels and still another +like a golden ladder reaching up into the skies, and all because the +sun had risen upon the same scenery which a moment ago was +uninteresting. If Christ could only thus take possession of our lives +and become our Savior the transformation would be quite as great. + +Second: He is ours to exercise in our behalf all that he is as Prophet, +Priest and King. His office of Prophet relates to the past, his office +of King to the future when he shall be crowned King of kings and Lord +of lords, but his office as Priest is now being fulfilled and he is my +great High Priest to intercede for me with God and make explanation for +all my weakness. + +Adelaide Proctor has given us the story of a young girl who was in a +convent in France, whose special work it was to attend the portal and +keep the altar clean. The war swept over France, the battle raged near +the convent, many of the soldiers were killed and a number injured. +These were borne into the hospital that they might be nursed back to +strength, and one of them was given to this young girl. Her nursing +was successful, but he tempted her to leave the convent. They made +their way to Paris, where she lost everything that makes life worth +living. Then, just a wreck of her former self, she came back again to +die within the sound of the convent bell. She touched the portal and +instantly it was opened, not by a girl such as she had been but by a +woman such as she might have been--true and noble. She bore her in her +arms to her old cell, nursed her back again to a semblance of her old +strength, and then she slipped into her old place to answer the portal +and keep the altar clean, and not a nun in all the convent ever knew +that she had sinned. This is Christ's ministry in our behalf at this +time. Making up for my weakness, answering for my defects, he is my +High Priest. + + +II + +"_I am my beloved's._" This is really better than the first text, +because if he is mine, and faith is like a hand of the soul, then faith +may grow weary and the result would be sad; if I am his and he holds me +then that is different. In John the tenth chapter, the twenty-eighth +to the thirtieth verses, we have a picture of the true sheepfold and of +the place where the child of God may rest, held in the hand of God and +of his dear son. "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall +never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My +father, which gave them unto me, is greater than all; and no man is +able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one." +What a joy it is to know that we are his! + +First: His by redemption, for we are redeemed not with corruptible +things such as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ. +"Ye are not your own but ye are bought with a price." + +Second: We are his because God gave us to him; in his wonderful +intercessory prayer Jesus said, "Thou gavest them to me," and again, +"Ye are not our own." + +Third: We are his because again and again we have said so with our +lips. How true the text is, then, in the light of the Scripture! If +this is true then what is consecration? It is not giving God +something, for how could we give him that which is already his own? +Consecration is simply taking our hands off and letting him have his +way with us in everything. + +The late George Macgregor used to tell the story of one of the bishops +of the Church of England, who had an invalid wife and who never could +surrender beyond a certain point. He was unwilling to say that he +would give up his wife, for God might call him to some mission he could +not perform, and she had been the constant object of his care. But at +last he won the victory and rose from his knees to say to his friend +that the surrender should be complete, and then they went into the room +of his invalid wife to tell her. With a sweet smile upon her face she +said, "I have reached the same decision and you can go to the ends of +the earth if need be." That night the old bishop's wife died and when +they went across the hall to tell the bishop there was no answer to +their knock. When they entered the door they found the bishop with +eyes closed, hands folded and heart still. He, too, had gone. God did +not want to separate them. He wanted them to be united, their wills +surrendered to him and then he would send them in the same chariot up +into heaven. + + +III + +"_I am my beloved's, and his desire is towards me._" If we would know +God's desire for us we have only to study the Scriptures, and if we +should fulfill his desires we would have an experience of heaven upon +earth. + +First: It is his desire that we should be holy. Ephesians 1:4, +"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the +world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love." +Holiness in not sinlessness, it is to the spiritual nature what health +is to the physical life. In other words, God desires that we should be +spiritually healthy, and this we cannot be with secret sins in our +lives. + +Second: It is his desire that we should be sanctified. 1 Thessalonians +4:3, "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye +should abstain from fornication." + +Sanctification is not sinlessness, it is separation. It is absolutely +useless to think of pleasing God if we are in touch with the world in +any way, for since the days of the crucifixion it has been against him. + +Third: It is his desire that we should present ourselves unto him in +the sense above suggested--namely, that we should take our hands off +from ourselves and allow him to direct and to control his own +possession. Romans 12:1-2, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the +mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, +acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service, and be not +conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your +mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, +will of God." Romans 6:13, "Neither yield ye your members as +instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, +as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments +of righteousness unto God." In these expressions the tense of the verb +indicates that the action is to be definite and that it is to be once +and for all. He has certain desires for us also expressed in the +seventeenth chapter of John. + +First: He desires that we should have joy. Joy is better than +happiness; happiness depends upon our surroundings and circumstances, +joy has nothing to do with these but rather is the result of centering +our affections upon him. + +Second: He desires that we should be one with him. By this I am sure +he means that we should be one in our thought of sin, one in our desire +for holiness, one in our efforts to reach the unsaved, and one in our +longing in all things to be pure and true and good. + +Third: He desires to make us the object of his love. In this +seventeenth chapter of John he tells us that the same love which he had +for his son he has for those of us who are in his Son. Thank God for +this. If he must open the windows of heaven to speak forth his love +for that Son and then has the same for us, oh, what joy it is to be a +Christian! + + + + + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of And Judas Iscariot, by J. 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