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diff --git a/30657.txt b/30657.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1b2b28b --- /dev/null +++ b/30657.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4033 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Sovereign Grace, by Dwight Moody + +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: Sovereign Grace + Its Source, Its Nature and Its Effects + +Author: Dwight Moody + +Release Date: December 12, 2009 [EBook #30657] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SOVEREIGN GRACE *** + + + + +Produced by Keith G. Richardson + + + + + + + +_Sovereign Grace_ + + +Its Source, Its Nature and Its Effects + + +By D. L. Moody + + +_"By Grace are ye saved."--Ephesians ii. 8_ + + +With Three Gospel Dialogues + + +Chicago New York Toronto + +FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY + +London and Edinburgh + + +_Copyrighted 1891 by Fleming H. Revell Company._ + + + +PREFATORY NOTE. + + +IN the exercise of his high calling, the faithful ambassador of +Christ must not scruple to declare the whole counsel of +God--"rightly dividing the word of truth," to all classes of hearers. +He must warn the openly wicked man that if he persists in his evil +courses, the just judgments of God will inevitably overtake him; he +must unmask the hypocrite; he must utter no uncertain protest +against the crooked and devious ways of the self-seeker and the +time-server. But if he enters into the Spirit of his Master, no part +of his public work will be more congenial or delightful than the +proclamation of the full, free, and sovereign grace of God, +manifested towards sinful men in the gift of His Eternal Son, to be +the Saviour of the world. It has been my happy privilege in years +past to tell out, as best I could, this wonderful story of redeeming +grace. The following pages record the addresses I have given on the +various aspects of this great subject. I pray God that in their +printed form they may serve to deepen in the mind of the reader the +appreciation of this grace, at once so infinite and so undeserved. + +The chapter entitled "A Chime of Gospel Bells," though not strictly +flowing out of the general subject, is in perfect harmony with it; +every note in the chime is intended to ring out the gracious +invitation to "Come" to the God of all grace and be blessed. The +Dialogues which form the latter part of the book were heard with +much interest and profit at some of the London meetings; I think the +perusal of them will be helpful in removing many of the hindrances +that prevent anxious inquirers from accepting without delay the +salvation that God in His grace has provided for the sinful children +of men. + + + +CONTENTS. + + +The Fountain of Grace + +Saved by Grace Alone + +Possessing, and "Working Out" + +Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners + +Law and Grace + +Grace for Living + +Grace for Service + +"A Chime of Gospel Bells" + + + +GOSPEL DIALOGUES: + + +I. What It Is to be a Child of God + +II. How to Become a Christian + +III. What It Is to be Converted + + + "Grace! 'tis a charming sound, + Harmonious to the ear; + Heaven with the echo shall resound, + And all the earth shall hear. + + 'Twas grace that wrote my name + In life's eternal book; + 'Twas grace that gave me to the Lamb, + Who all my sorrows took. + + Grace taught my wandering feet + To tread the heavenly road; + And new supplies each hour I meet, + While pressing on to God. + + Oh let that grace inspire + My soul with strength divine. + May all my prayers to Thee aspire, + And all my days be Thine." + +_Dr. Doddridge._ + + + +SOVEREIGN GRACE + + +CHAPTER I. + + +THE FOUNTAIN OF GRACE. + + +THERE are some words with which we have been familiar from our +infancy up, and probably there are few words in the English language +that are so often used as this word "GRACE." Many of you at your +table "say grace" three times a day. You seldom go into a church +without hearing the word mentioned. You seldom read any part of the +New Testament, especially the Epistles, without meeting the word. + +There is probably not a word in the language so little understood. +There are a great many who have received the grace of God into their +heart, but who, if they should be asked what the word means would be +troubled, and confused, and unable to tell. I experienced the grace +of God a good many years before I really knew the true meaning of +the word. + +Now, grace means unmerited mercy--undeserved favor. If men were to +wake up to the fact, they would not be talking about their own +worthiness when we ask them to come to Christ. When the truth dawns +upon them that Christ came to save the unworthy, then they will +accept salvation. Peter calls God "the God of all grace." + +Men talk about grace, but, as a rule, they know very little about +it. Let a business man go to one of your bankers to borrow a few +hundred dollars for sixty or ninety days; if he is well able to pay, +the banker will perhaps lend him the money if he can get another +responsible man to sign the note with him. They give what they call +three days' grace after the sixty or ninety days have expired; but +they will make the borrower pay interest on the money during these +three days, and if he does not return principal and interest at the +appointed time, they will sell his goods; they will perhaps turn him +out of his house, and take the last piece of furniture in his +possession. That is not grace at all; but that fairly illustrates +man's idea of it. Grace not only frees you from payment of the +interest, but of the principal also. + + +ITS SOURCE. + +In the Gospel by John we read, "The Word was made flesh and dwelt +among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only-begotten +of the Father, full of grace and truth . . . For the law was given +by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." Now you know +that for many years men were constantly trying to find the source of +the Nile. The river of grace has been flowing through this dark +earth for six thousand years, and we certainly ought to be more +anxious to find out its source than to discover the source of the +Nile. I think if you will read your Bible carefully you will find +that this wonderful river of grace comes right from the very heart +of God. + +I remember being in Texas a few years ago, in a place where the +country was very dry and parched. In that dry country there is a +beautiful river that springs right out of the ground. It flows +along; and on both sides of the river you find life and vegetation. +Grace flows like that river; and you can trace its source right up +to the very heart of God. You may say that its highest manifestation +was seen when God gave the Son of His bosom to save this lost world. +"Not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the +offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the +gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto +many." + + +A FREE GIFT. + +Notice, it is the free gift of God. "Grace be unto you, and peace, +from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God +always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by +Jesus Christ." Paul wrote fourteen Epistles; and every one of them +is closed with a prayer for grace. Paul calls it "The free gift of +God." Thousands have been kept out of the kingdom of God because +they do not realize what this free gift is. They think they must do +something to merit salvation. + +The first promise given to fallen man was a promise of grace. God +never promised Adam anything when He put him in Eden. God never +entered into a covenant with him as He did with Abraham. God told +him "of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not +eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely +die;" but when this came to pass then God came and gave him a +gracious promise. He dealt in grace with him. As he left the Garden +of Eden he could say to Eve, "Well, God does love us, though He has +driven us out." There was no sign that Adam recognized his lost +condition. As far as we know there was no cry for mercy or pardon, +no confession of sin. Yet we find that God dealt in grace with him. +God sought Adam out that he might bestow His grace upon him. He met +Adam in his lost and ruined condition, and the first thing He did +was to proclaim the promise of a coming Saviour. + +For six thousand years, God has been trying to teach the world this +great and glorious truth--that He wants to deal with man in love and +in grace. It runs right through the Bible; all along you find this +stream of grace flowing. The very last promise in the closing +chapter of Revelation, like the first promise in Eden, is a promise +of grace: "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." +So the whole revelation, and the whole history of man is encircled +with grace, the free favor of God. + +Some years ago when I was speaking on this subject, a friend sent me +the following: "By the grace of God I am what I am!" This is the +believer's eternal confession. Grace found him a rebel--it leaves +him a son. Grace found him wandering at the gates of hell--it leads +him through the gates of heaven. Grace devised the scheme of +Redemption: Justice never would; Reason never could. And it is grace +which carries out that scheme. No sinner would ever have sought his +God but 'by grace.' The thickets of Eden would have proved Adam's +grave, had not grace called him out. Saul would have lived and died +the haughty self-righteous persecutor had not grace laid him low. +The thief would have continued breathing out his blasphemies, had +not grace arrested his tongue and tuned it for glory. + +"'Out of the knottiest timber,' says Rutherford, 'He can make +vessels of mercy for service in the high palace of glory.'" + +"'I came, I saw, I conquered,' says Toplady, 'may be inscribed by +the Saviour on every monument of grace.' 'I came to the sinner; I +looked upon him; and with a look of omnipotent love, I conquered.'" + +My friend, we would have been this day wandering stars, to whom is +reserved the blackness of darkness--Christless--hopeless +--portionless--had not grace invited us, and grace constrained us. + + +RESTRAINING GRACE. + +It is grace which, at this moment, keeps us. We have often been a +Peter--forsaking our Lord, but brought back to him again. Why not a +Demas or a Judas? 'I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not.' +Is not this our own comment and reflection on life's retrospect? +'Yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.' + +Oh, let us seek to realize our continual dependence on this grace +every moment! 'More grace! more grace!' should be our continual cry. +But the infinite supply is commensurate with the infinite need. The +treasury of grace, though always emptying is always full: the key of +prayer which opens it is always at hand: and the almighty Almoner of +the blessings of grace is always waiting to the gracious. The +recorded promise never can be canceled or reversed--'My grace is +sufficient for thee.' + +Let us seek to dwell much on this inexhaustible theme. The grace of +God is the source of minor temporal as well as of higher spiritual +blessings. + +It accounts for the crumb of daily bread as well as for the crown of +eternal glory. But even in regard to earthly mercies, never forget +the channel of grace through Christ Jesus. It is sweet thus to +connect every (even the smallest and humblest) token of providential +bounty with Calvary's Cross--to have the common blessings of life +stamped with the print of the nails; it makes them doubly precious +to think this flows from Jesus. Let others be contented with the +uncovenanted mercies of God. Be it ours to say as the children of +grace and heirs of glory--'Our Father which art in heaven, give us +this day our daily bread.' Nay, reposing in the all-sufficiency in +all things, promised by 'the God of all grace.' + + + +CHAPTER II. + + +SAVED BY GRACE ALONE. + + +I WANT to call your special attention to the fact that we are saved +by grace alone, not by works _and_ grace. A great many people think +that they can be saved by works. Others think that salvation may be +attained by works and grace together. They need to have their eyes +opened to see that the gift of God is free and apart from works. +"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of +yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should +boast." Many people would put it thus: "For by your works are ye +saved,--or by your tears, or your prayers, or your fastings, or your +trials, or your good resolutions, or your money!" But Paul tells us +plainly that it is "not of works, lest any man should boast." If we +could be saved by works, then of course Christ's mission to this +world was a mistake. There was no need for Him to come. + +What had Paul ever done that could merit salvation? Up to the time +that Christ called him he had done everything he could against +Christ and against Christianity. He was in the very act of going to +Damascus to cast into prison every Christian he could find. If he +had not been stopped, many of them would probably have been put to +death. It was Paul, you remember, who cheered on the mob that stoned +Stephen. Yet we find that when Christ met him He dealt in grace with +him. No apostle says so much against salvation by works _before_ the +cross, as Paul; and none says so much about works _after_ the cross. +He put works in their right place. I have very little sympathy with +any man who has been redeemed by the precious blood of the Son of +God, and who has not got the spirit of work. If we are children of +God we ought not to have a lazy drop of blood in our veins. If a man +tells me that he has been saved, and does not desire to work for the +honor of God, I doubt his salvation. Laziness belongs to the old +creation, not to the new. In all my experience I never knew a lazy +man to be converted--never. I have more hope of the salvation of +drunkards, and thieves, and harlots, than of a lazy man. + + +WHAT THE THIRTY-NINE ARTICLES SAY. + +I find some people have accused me of teaching heresy, because I say +salvation is all of grace. I remember once, a clergyman said I was +teaching false doctrine because I said salvation was all of grace. +He said that works had as much to do with our salvation as grace. At +that time I had never read the Thirty-Nine Articles; if I had I +should have been ready to meet him. I got the Prayer Book, and +looked through the Thirty-Nine Articles; and I found, to my +amazement, that they put it a good deal stronger than I had done. + + +Let us hear what they say-- + +"XI. _Of the Justification of Man._ We are accounted righteous +before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ +by Faith, and not for our own works or deservings: Wherefore, that +we are justified by Faith only, is a most wholesome doctrine, and +very full of comfort." + +"XII. _Of Good Works._ Albeit that Good Works, which are the fruits +of Faith, and follow after Justification, cannot put away our sins, +and endure the severity of God's judgment; yet are they pleasing and +acceptable to God in Christ, and do spring out necessarily of a true +and lively Faith; insomuch that by them a lively Faith may be as +evidently known as a tree discerned by the fruit." + +"XIII. _Of Works Before Justification._ Works done before the grace +of Christ, and the inspiration of His Spirit, are not pleasant to +God; forasmuch as they spring not of faith in Jesus Christ, neither +do they make men meet to receive grace, or (as the school-authors +say) deserve grace of congruity: yea rather, for that they are not +done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done, we doubt not +but they have the nature of sin." + +That is stronger than I ever put it. These Articles say of works +before justification that "they have the nature of sin." I never +called them sin! So you see this is not any new doctrine that we are +preaching. When the church and the world wake up to the fact that +works before salvation go for nought, _then_--and not till then, I +believe--men will come flocking into the kingdom of God by hundreds. +We work from the cross, not to it. WE work because we are saved, not +in order to be saved. We work from salvation, not up to it. +Salvation is the gift of God. + +You have heard the Prayer Book: now hear paul; "Abraham believed +God; and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that +worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him +that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, +his faith is counted for righteousness." Notice what the Apostle +says: "To him that worketh not." That is plain language, is it not? +I may perhaps startle some of you by saying that many of you have +been kept out of the kingdom of God by your good works. Nevertheless +it is true. If you put works in the place of faith, they become a +snare to you. It is "to him that worketh not, but believeth." + +I freely admit salvation is worth working for; it is worth a man's +going round the world on his hands and knees, climbing its +mountains, crossing its valleys, swimming its rivers, going through +all manner of hardship in order to attain it. But we do not get it +in that way. Paul went through all the trials and hardships he had +to endure, because by the grace of God resting on him he was enabled +to do so. + + +PENANCE FOR SIN. + +Would you insult the Almighty by offering Him the fruits of this +frail body to atone for sin? Supposing your Queen were to send me a +magnificent present, and I said to the royal messenger: "I certainly +should not like to accept this from Her Majesty without giving her +something in return." Suppose I should send her a penny! How would +the Queen feel, if I were to insult her in that way? And what have +we that we can offer to God in return for His free gift of +salvation? Less than nothing. We must come and take salvation in +God's way. + +There is no merit in taking a gift. If a beggar comes to my house, +and asks for bread to eat, and I give him a loaf of bread, there is +no merit in his taking the bread. So if you experience the favor of +God, you have to take it as a beggar. Some one has said: "If you +come to God as a prince, you go away as a beggar: if you come as a +beggar, you go away as a prince." It is to the needy that God opens +the wardrobe of heaven, and brings out the robe of righteousness. + +Paul says again: "If by grace, then is it no more of works: +otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it +no more grace: otherwise work is no more work." Paul is reasoning in +this way: that if I work for a gift or attempt to give money for it, +it ceases to be a gift. The only way to get a gift is to take it as +a gift. + +An old man got up in one of our meetings and said, "I have been +forty-two years learning three things." I pricked up my ears at +that; I thought that if I could find out in about three minutes what +a man had taken forty-two years to learn, I should like to do it. +The first thing he said he had learned was that he could do nothing +towards his own salvation. "Well," said I to myself, "that is worth +learning." The second thing he had found out was that God did not +require him to do anything. Well, that was worth finding out too. +And the third thing was that the Lord Jesus Christ had done it all, +that salvation was finished, and that all he had to do was to _take_ +it. Dear friends, let us learn this lesson; let us give up our +struggling and striving, and accept salvation at once. + + +A FREE PARDON. + +I was preaching in the Southern States a few years ago; and the +minister called my attention to one of the elders in his Church. He +said: When the civil war broke out, that man was in one of the far +Southern States, and he enlisted into the Southern army. He was +selected by the Southern General as a spy, and sent to spy out the +Northern army. As you know, armies have no mercy on spies, if they +can catch them. This man was caught. He was tried by court-martial, +and ordered to be shot. While he was in the guard-room, previous to +the time of execution, the Northern soldiers used to bring him his +rations. Every time they came to his cell he would call Abraham +Lincoln by every vile epithet he could think of. It seemed as though +he "lay awake nights" trying to study such names. At last the +soldiers got so angry that they said they would be glad when the +bullet went through his heart. Some of them even said they would +like to put a bullet through him; and if they were not obliged by +military order to feed him, they would let him starve in the prison. +They thought that was what he deserved for talking so unjustly of +Lincoln. + +One day while he was in the prison, waiting to be led out to +execution, a Northern officer came to the cell. The prisoner, full +of rage, thought his time was come to be shot. The officer opened +the prison door, and handed him a free pardon from Abraham Lincoln! +He told him he was at liberty; he could go to his wife and children! +The man who had before been so full of bitterness, and malice, and +rage, suddenly quieted down, and said, "What! has Abraham Lincoln +pardoned me? For what? I never said a good word about him." The +officer said, "If you had what you deserved you would be shot. But +some one interceded for you at Washington and obtained your pardon; +you are now at liberty." The minister, as he told me, said that this +act of undeserved kindness quite broke the man's heart and led to +his conversion. Said the minister, "You let any man speak one word +against Abraham Lincoln now in the hearing of that man, and see what +will happen. There is not a man in all the Republic of America, I +believe, who has a kinder feeling towards our late President than +he." + +Now that is grace. The man did not _deserve_ a pardon. But this is +exactly what grace is: _undeserved mercy_. You may have been a rebel +against God up to this very hour; but if you acknowledge your +rebellion, and are willing to take the mercy that God offers, you +can have it freely. It is there for every soul on the face of the +earth. "The grace of God that bringeth salvation to all men hath +appeared." Thank God for that! Salvation by grace is for all men. If +we are lost, it will not be because God has not provided a Saviour, +but because we spurn the gift of God--because we dash the cup of +salvation from us. + +What says Christ? You remember that when He was on earth, they came +to Him and asked what they should do to work the works of God. He +had been telling them to labor not for the bread that perisheth, but +for the meat that endureth unto everlasting life. Then they asked +Him, "What shall we do that we may work the works of God?" What did +Jesus tell them to do? Did He tell them to go and feed the hungry, +to clothe the naked, to visit the widow and the fatherless in their +affliction? Perhaps you may say that, according to Scripture, is +"pure and undefiled religion." Granted; but something comes before +that. That is all right and necessary in its place. But when these +men wanted to know what they had to do to inherit eternal life, +Jesus said: "This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He +hath sent." + + +YOU CAN BELIEVE. + +A friend lately called my attention to the fact that God has put the +offer of salvation in such a way that the whole world can lay hold +of it. All men can believe. A lame man might not perhaps be able to +visit the sick; but he can believe. A blind man by reason of his +infirmity cannot do many things; but he can believe. A deaf man can +believe. A dying man can believe. God has put salvation so simply +that the young and the old, the wise and the foolish, the rich and +the poor, can all believe if they will. + +Do you think that Christ would have come down from heaven, would +have gone to Gethsemane and to Golgotha, would have suffered as He +did, if man could have worked his way up to heaven?--if he could +have merited salvation by his own efforts? I think if you give five +minutes' consideration to this question you will see, that if man +could have saved himself Christ need not have suffered at all. +Remember, too, what Christ says: "He that climbeth up some other +way, the same is a thief and a robber." He has marked out the way to +God. He has opened up a new and shining way, and He wants us to take +_His_ way. Certainly the attempt to work our way up to heaven is +"climbing up some other way," is it not? If ever a man did succeed +in working his way into heaven we should never hear the last of it! +I have got so terribly sick of these so-called "self-made men." +There are some men whom you cannot approach without hearing them +blow their trumpet, saying, "I am a self-made man. I came here a +poor man ten years ago; and now I am rich." It is all I--I--I! They +go on boasting, and telling what wonderful beings they are! There is +one thing that is excluded from the kingdom of heaven; and that +is--boasting. If you and I ever get there it will be by the sovereign +grace of God. There will be no credit due to ourselves. + + + "Saved by grace alone! + This is all my plea: + Jesus died for all mankind, + And Jesus died for me." + + + +CHAPTER III. + + +POSSESSING, AND "WORKING OUT." + + +I CAN imagine some one asking: What does that passage mean--"Work +out your own salvation with fear and trembling?" Well, I want you to +emphasize the word _your:_ "Work out _your_ salvation." That is most +important. You hear people talk of working out salvation, when all +the time they have not got it. How can you work out what you do not +possess? Paul is here writing to the Christians at Philippi. They +were already saved by the grace of God. Now that they had got this +wonderful gift, he says: "Go, work it out." When you see a person +working for salvation, you may know that he has got a false idea of +the teaching of the Scripture. We have salvation as a gift; and of +course we cannot get it by working for it. It is our appreciation of +this gift that makes us work. + +Many people are working and working, as Rowland Hill says, like +children on a rocking horse--it is a beautiful motion, but there is +no progress. Those who are working for salvation are like men on a +treadmill, going round, and round, and round; toiling, and toiling, +and toiling; but nothing comes of it all. There is no progress, and +there cannot be until you have the motive power within, till the +breath of life comes from God, which can alone give you power to +work for others. + +Suppose I say to my son: "You are going away from home; and I want +you to be very careful how you spend that $500." "Well," he says, +"if you will give me $500, I will be careful about it; but how can I +be careful in spending what I have not got?" And so, unless you have +salvation, you cannot work it out. + +Take another illustration. One summer my boy asked me to give him a +piece of ground that he might have a garden all to himself. I said I +would give it to him; but that I expected he would keep it clear of +weeds, and use it in some way that would make it pleasant and +profitable to him. He was to work out the piece of land; but he +could not do that until I had given it to him. Neither was it his +working it out that secured him the garden. I gave it to him freely, +apart from any merit of his own; but I did so on the understanding +that he should employ it to the best advantage. I think that is a +fair illustration of our working out the salvation that God has +given us. + +Of course these illustrations fail in some points. I could not +impart to my son the willingness to work out the piece of land, +though I could provide him with all the necessary implements. God +not only gives us salvation freely, but he gives us the power to +work it out. + +A writer says on this point: "Paul does not command the Philippians +_to save themselves_. There was no thought in his mind of any +meritorious self-righteousness. Man can by no work of his own either +procure salvation or merit salvation. God worketh the salvation +_within_ the soul--man only worketh that salvation _out_ in the +Christian life. To break off from known sin; to renounce all +self-righteousness; to cast ourselves in loving faith on the merits of +Christ crucified; to commence at once a life of self-denial, of +prayer, of obedience; to turn from all that God forbids, resolutely +and earnestly, unto all that God requires--this is what the text +implies. But then this is not salvation. Salvation is of God--of +grace--of free grace. From the germ to the fruit, from foundation to +top-stone--it is of grace, free grace, altogether and only. But the +'_working out of salvation_'--is _man's part_ in the work of +salvation. God will not repent for the man; nor believe for the man; +nor lead a holy life for the man. God worketh inwardly--man worketh +outwardly. And this outward human work is as necessary as the inward +Divine work." + +God works in us; and then we work _for_ Him. If He has done a work +in us, we certainly ought to go and work for others. A man must have +this salvation, and must know it, before he can work for the +salvation of others. + +Many of you have tried hard to save yourselves; but what has been +the end of it all? I remember a lady in the North of England who +became quite angry when I made this remark publicly: "No one in this +congregation will be saved till they stop trying to save +themselves." Down she came from the gallery, and said to me: "You +have made me perfectly miserable." "Indeed," I said, "how is that?" +"Why, I always thought that if I kept on trying, God would save me +at some time; and now you tell me to stop trying: what, then, am I +to do?" "Why, let the Lord save you." She went off in something like +a rage. It is not always a bad sign when you see a man or a woman +wake up cross, if it is the Word of God that wakes them up. A day or +two afterwards she came and thanked me. She said she had been +turning over in her mind what I had said; and at last the truth +dawned upon her, that though she had worked long, though she had +formed a good many resolutions, she had made no progress. So she +gave up the struggle; and then it was that the Lord Jesus saved her. + +I want to ask you this question: If sin needs forgiveness--and all +sin is against God--how can you work out your own forgiveness? If I +stole $100 from a friend, I could not forgive myself, could I? No +act of mine would bring about forgiveness, unless my friend forgave +me. And so, if I want forgiveness of sin, it must be the work of +God. If we look at salvation as a new life, it must be the work of +God. God is the author of life: you cannot give yourself life. If we +consider it as a gift, it must come from some one outside of +ourselves. That is what I read in the Bible--Salvation as a gift. +While I am speaking, you can make up your mind that you will stop +trying, and take this gift. + +I wish I could get this whole audience to drop the word _try_, and +put the word _trust_ in its place. The forgiving grace of God is +wonderful. He will save you this very minute, if you are willing to +be saved. He delights in mercy. He wants to show that mercy to every +soul. The religion of Christ is not man working his way up to God; +it is God coming down to man. It is Christ coming down to the pit of +sin and woe where we are, bringing us out of the pit, putting our +feet upon a rock, and a new song in our mouth. He will do it this +minute, while I am speaking, if you will let Him. Will you let Him? +That is the question. + +I do not believe much in dreams; but they sometimes illustrate a +point. I heard about a woman who had been trying for a long time, +just like many of you, to be better and better. She tried to save +herself, but made no progress. One night she fell asleep in a very +troubled state of mind, and she had a dream. She thought that she +was in a pit striving to get out--climbing and slipping, climbing +and slipping, climbing and slipping; at last she gave up the +struggle, and laid herself down at the bottom of the pit to die. She +happened to look up, and she saw through the mouth of the pit a +beautiful star. She fixed her eye on it; and it seemed as if the +star lifted her up till she was almost out. But the thought of +herself came to her mind; she looked off at the sides of the pit: +immediately she lost sight of the star, and down to the bottom of +the pit she went. Again she fixed her eye on the star; and again it +seemed to lift her almost out. But once again she took her eye off +the star, and looked at herself; down into the pit she fell again! +The third time she fixed her eye on the star and was lifted higher +and higher, until all at once her feet struck the ground above, and +she awoke from her sleep. + +God taught her a lesson by the dream. She learned that if ever she +was to be saved, she must give up the struggle, and let Jesus Christ +save her. My friends, give up the struggle today! You have tried +long and hard. It has been a hard battle, has it not? Give it up; +and repose in the arms of Jesus Christ. Say "Lord, I come to thee as +a poor sinner; wilt Thou not save me and help me?" "The gift of God +is eternal life." It is offered to all: who will have it? + +I see some children here: let me tell you a story. If you have not +heard it before, please do not forget it. A Sunday school teacher +wished to show his class how free the gift of God is. He took a +silver watch from his pocket one day, and offered it to the eldest +boy in the class. "It is yours, if you will take it." The little +fellow sat and grinned at the teacher. He thought he was joking. The +teacher offered it to the next boy, and said: "Take that watch: it +is yours." The little fellow thought he would be laughed at if he +held out his hand, and therefore he sat still. In the same way the +teacher went nearly round the class: but not one of them would +accept the proffered gift. At length he came to the smallest boy. +When the watch was offered to the little fellow, he took it and put +it into his pocket. All the class laughed at him. "I am thankful, my +boy," said the teacher, "that you believe my word. The watch is +yours. Take good care of it. Wind it up every night." The rest of +the class looked on in amazement; and one of them said: "Teacher, +you don't mean that the watch is his? You don't mean that he hasn't +to give it back to you?" "No," said the teacher, "he hasn't to give +it back to me. It is his own now." "Oh--h--h! if I had only known +that, wouldn't I have taken it!" + +I see you laugh; but my friends you are laughing at yourselves. You +need not go far away to find these boys. Salvation is freely offered +to all, but the trouble is that men do not believe God's Word, and +do not accept the gift. Who will accept it now? + +I found a few lines the other day on this point that I thought very +good. I will close with them: + + + "I would not work my soul to save, + For that my Lord hath done; + But I would work like any slave, + For love of God's dear Son." + + + +CHAPTER IV. + + +GRACE ABOUNDING TO THE CHIEF OF SINNERS. + + +I WANT to lay emphasis on the fact that God desires to show mercy to +all. Christ's last command to His disciples was, "Go ye into _all_ +the world and preach the Gospel to _every_ creature." There may be +some hearing me who have not received this grace, though it has +often been pressed on their acceptance. One reason why many do not +become partakers of this grace is that they think they can do better +without it. The Jews said they were the seed of Abraham. They had +Moses and the Law: therefore they had no need of the pardoning grace +of God that Christ had come to bring. We read in the book of +Revelation of a church that said it was "rich, and increased in +goods, and had need of nothing." That was the trouble when Christ +was down here. Instead of coming to Him to be blessed, the people +too often went away thinking and saying they had no need of His +favor and blessing. + + +THE TWO PRAYERS. + +In the Gospel by Luke Christ brings two men before us. I do not know +that we can get any two cases in Scripture that will give us more +light on this subject than those of the Pharisee and the Publican, +who went into the temple to pray. One went away as empty as he came. +He was like the church described in Revelation, to which I have +referred. He went into the temple desiring nothing; and he got +nothing. The other man asked for something; he asked for pardon and +mercy. And he went down to his house justified. + +Take the prayer of the Pharisee. There is no confession in it, no +adoration, no contrition, no petition. As I have said, he asked for +nothing and he got nothing. Some one has said that he went into the +temple not to pray but to boast. The sun and the moon were as far +apart as these two men. One was altogether of a different spirit to +the other. The one prayed with his head, and the other with his +heart. The one told God what a wonderfully great and good man he +was: "I am not as other men or even as this publican." His prayer +was not a long one; it consisted of thirty-four words; yet there +were five capital "I's" in it. It was self in the beginning, self in +the middle, self in the end--self all through. "'I fast twice a +week;' 'I give tithes of all I possess;' I am a wonderfully good +man, am I not, Lord?" He struck a balance twice a week, and God was +his debtor every time. He paraded his good deeds before God and man. +Such a one was not in a condition to receive the favor of God. + +You can divide the human family to-day into two classes--pharisees +and publicans. There are those who are poor in spirit: the dew of +God's grace will fall upon them. There are others who are drawing +around them the rags of their self-righteousness: they will always +go away without the blessing of God. There were but seven words in +the prayer of the Publican: "God be merciful to me a sinner!" He +came to God confessing his sins, and asking for mercy; and he +received it. + +If you were to run through Scripture, you would find that where men +have gone to God in the spirit of the Publican, He has dealt with +them in mercy and grace. + +A young man came to one of our meetings in New York a few years ago. +He was convicted of sin; and he made up his mind he would go home +and pray. He lived a number of miles away, and he started for home. +On the way, as he was meditating about his sins and wondering what +he was going to do when he got home, the thought occurred to him: +"Why should I not pray right here in the street?" But he found he +did not know just how to begin. Then he remembered that when he was +a child, his mother had taught him this prayer of the Publican: "God +be merciful to me a sinner!" So he began just where he stood. He +said afterwards, that before he got to the little word "me," God met +him in grace, and blessed him. And so the moment we open our lips to +ask God for pardon, if the request comes from the heart, God will +meet us in mercy. + +Let our cry be that of the Publican: "Be merciful _to me!_"--not to +some one else. A mother was telling me some time ago that she had +trouble with one of her sons, because he had not treated his brother +rightly. She sent him upstairs; and after awhile she asked him what +he had been doing. He replied that he had been _praying for his +brother!_ Although he had been the naughty one, he was acting as if +the fault lay with his brother instead of himself. So many of us can +see the failings of others readily enough but when we get a good +look at ourselves, we will get down before God as the Publican did +and cry for mercy: and that cry will bring an immediate answer. God +delights to deal in grace with the poor in spirit. He wants to see +in us a broken and contrite heart. If we take the place of a sinner, +confessing our sins and asking for mercy, the grace of God will meet +us right then and there; and we shall have the assurance of His +forgiveness. + +In Matthew we see how God deals in grace with those who come in the +right spirit. "Then came she and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, help +me!" But he answered and said, "It is not meet to take the +children's bread, and to cast it to dogs." And she said, "Truth, +Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's +table." Then Jesus answered and said unto her, "O woman, great is +thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was +made whole from that very hour." + +The disciples did not understand how full of grace was the heart of +Christ. This poor woman belonged to the far-off coasts of Tyre and +Sidon. She was a poor Gentile, and they wanted to send her away. +They thought she was not one of the elect; she did not belong to the +house of Israel. So they said to the Master, "Send her away, for she +crieth after us." Can you conceive of the loving Saviour sending +away a poor troubled one who comes to Him? I challenge you to find a +single instance of His doing such a thing, from the beginning to the +end of His ministry. Send her away! I believe He would rather send +an angel away than a poor suppliant for His mercy; He delighted to +have such as she come to Him. But He was going to test her, as well +as to give an object-lesson to those who should come after. "It is +not meet," He said, "to take the children's bread, and to cast it to +dogs." + + +A HUMBLE SPIRIT. + +I am afraid if some of us had been in her place we would have +answered somewhat in this fashion: "You call me a Gentile dog, do +you? I would not take anything from you now if you were to give it +to me. Why, I know a Jewish woman who lives in my town. Though she +is a daughter of Abraham she is the meanest woman in the whole +street. I would not let my dogs associate with her." If this poor +woman had replied to the Master in such a fashion, she would not +have got anything. Yet you will find a good many men who respond to +the Saviour in that way when He wants to deal in grace with them. + +What does this Gentile woman say? "Truth Lord; yet the dogs eat of +the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." She took her right +place down at the feet of the blessed Master. There was humility for +you! She was willing to take any place if the Lord would but meet +her need; the Lord blessed her. See asked for a crumb, and He gave +her a whole loaf! + +I once heard Rev. William Arnot say that he was the guest of a +friend who had a favorite dog. The animal would come into the room +where the family were sitting at the dinner table and would stand +looking at his master. If the master threw him a crumb, the dog +would seize it before it got to the floor. But if he put the joint +of meat down on the floor the dog would look at it and leave it +alone, as if it were too good for him. "So," said Mr. Arnot, "there +are many Christians who are satisfied to live on crumbs, when God +wants to give them the whole joint." + + +A FULL BLESSING. + +This poor woman got all she wanted; and if we will come in the right +spirit--if we are humble and poor in spirit--and call upon God for +what we want, He will not disappoint us. She went right to the Son +of God, and appealed to His great loving heart with the cry, "Lord +help me!" and he helped her. Let that cry go up to him today, and +see how quickly the answer will come. I never knew a case where God +did not answer right on the spot, where there was the spirit of +meekness. If on the other hand we are conceited, and think we have a +right to come, putting ourselves on an equality with God, we shall +get nothing. + + +"WORTHINESS." + +In the Gospel by Luke we read of the centurion who had a sick +servant. He felt as though he were not worthy to go himself and ask +Christ to come to his house; so he asked some of his friends to +beseech the Master to come and heal his servant. They went and +delivered the centurion's message, saying, "He is worthy for whom +Thou shouldst do this: for he loveth our nation, and he hath built +us a synagogue." The Jews could not understand grace; so they +thought Christ would grant the request of this man, because he was +worthy. "Why," they said, "he hath built us a synagogue!" It is the +same old story that we hear to-day. Let a man give a few thousand +dollars to build a church and he must have the best pew; "he is +worthy." Perhaps he made his money by selling or making strong +drink; but he has put the Church under an obligation by this gift of +money, and he is considered "worthy." The same spirit was at work in +the days of Christ. + +The Master immediately started for the centurion's house; and it +looked as though He were going because of his personal worthiness. +But if He had done so, it would have upset the whole story as an +illustration of grace. As the Saviour was on the way, out came the +Roman officer himself and told Jesus that he was not worthy to +receive Him under his roof. He had a very different opinion of +himself to that of his Jewish friends. Suppose he had said, "Lord, +you will be my guest; come and heal my servant because I am worthy: +I have built a synagogue." Do you think Christ would have gone? I do +not think he would. But he said, "I am not worthy that Thou shouldst +enter under my roof. Neither thought I myself worthy to come unto +Thee; but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed." + +Jesus marveled at the man's faith. It pleased Him wonderfully to +find such faith and humility. Like the Syro-Phenician woman, he had +low thoughts of himself, and high thoughts of God: therefore he was +in a condition to receive the grace of God. His servant, we are +told, was healed that very hour. His petition was granted at once. +Let us learn a lesson from this man, and take a humble position +before God, crying to him for mercy; then help will come. + + +GREAT FORGIVENESS. + +I never noticed till lately an interesting fact about the story of +the poor sinful woman mentioned in Luke's Gospel, who went into +Simon's house. If you have not observed it before, it will be quite +interesting for you to know it. The incident occurred immediately +after Christ had uttered those memorable words we read in Matthew: +"Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will +give you rest." Matthew closes the narrative there; but in the +seventh chapter of Luke you will find what the result of that +invitation was. A poor fallen woman came into the house where He +was, and obtained the blessing of rest to her soul. I think that +many ministers will bear me out in this statement, that when one has +preached to a large congregation, and has given an invitation to +those who would like to remain and talk about salvation, probably +the only one to do so is a poor fallen one, who will thus become a +partaker of the grace of God. + +We find that the Saviour was invited to the house of Simon, a +Pharisee. While he was there, this poor sinful woman crept into the +house. Perhaps she watched for a chance when the servants were away +from the door, and then slipped into the room where the Master was. +She got down on her knees, and began to wash his feet with her +tears, wiping them with the hairs of her head. While the feast was +going on the Pharisee saw this; and he said to himself: "Jesus must +be a bad man, if He knows who this poor woman is. Even if He did not +know, He would be unclean according to the Mosaic law"--because he +had allowed the woman to touch Him. But the Master knew what Simon +was thinking about. He put some questions to him: "And Jesus +answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. +And he saith, Master, say on. There was a certain creditor which had +two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. +And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell +me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and +said, I suppose that he to whom he forgave most. And He said unto +him, Thou hast rightly judged." + +Then He makes the application, "I came to your house," He says, "and +you gave me no water for my feet; you gave me no kiss; and no oil +for my head. You refused me the common hospitalities of life." In +those days when one went into a gentleman's house, a servant would +be at the door with a basin of water; the guest would slip off his +sandals, and the servant would wash his feet. Then the master of the +house would salute him with a kiss instead of shaking hands as we +do. There would also be oil for his head. Christ had been invited to +Simon's house; but the Pharisee had got Him there in a patronizing +spirit. "You gave me no water, no kiss, no oil; but this woman hath +washed my feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her +head: she hath not ceased to kiss my feet, and she hath anointed +them with ointment. She was forgiven much: and so she loves much." +To the poor woman herself Jesus said, "Thy sins are forgiven." They +may have risen up like a dark mountain before her; but one word from +the Saviour and they were all gone! + +The spirit shown by Simon was altogether different from that of the +poor woman. Christ said that the publicans and harlots would go into +the kingdom of God before the self-righteous Pharisees! Simon, the +Pharisee, got nothing; and so there are many who go away from +religious meetings without one drop of heaven's dew, because they do +not seek for it. From the morning of the creation down to the +present time no man or woman ever went to God with a broken heart +without experiencing the forgiving love and grace of God, if they +believed His Word. It was so with this poor woman. Notice, the +Master did not extract any pledge or promise from her. He did not +ask her to join some synagogue; all He said was, "Thy sins are +forgiven thee." She found grace. So it was with the Syro-Phenician +woman. Christ did not ask any pledge from her; He met her in grace, +and blessed her according to her soul's desire. + +You know what touched the heart of the father of the prodigal; it +was the broken and contrite spirit of his returning son. Would not +the same thing move the heart of any parent here? Suppose you had a +son who had gone astray: the boy comes home; and when you meet him +he begins to confess his sin. Would you not take him to your bosom +and forgive him? Nothing in the wide world would you more readily do +than forgive him. So if we come to God with this contrite spirit, He +will deal in grace with us and receive us freely, When Saul left +Jerusalem, there was nothing he wished for less than to receive the +grace of God. Yet the moment he said, "Lord, what wilt Thou have me +to do?" the forgiving grace of the Master flowed out towards him. We +are told by Matthew and Mark that the thief on the cross, who was +converted, railed on the Saviour at first like the other: but the +moment his heart was broken down and he said, "Lord, remember me!" +that very moment Christ heard and answered his prayer. God is +waiting to cover all your sins today; He has a long and a strong arm +that can reach down to the darkest, vilest, deepest depths of sin. +He will lift you up on a rock, and put a new song into your mouth. +Will you let him do it? + +A man was telling me some time ago that he had prayed for over ten +years that God would have mercy upon him. "Has not God answered your +prayer?" "No." "Indeed! Let me ask you one question: suppose I +offered you that Bible as a gift, and you were afterwards to come +and ask me for it; what would I think of you?" "I do not know what +you would think." "Well, but what do you suppose I would think?" +"You would perhaps think I had gone a little wrong in my head." +"What is the use of your asking that God would deal in grace with +you, if you are not willing to receive it; or if you do not believe +that He gives it to you?" + +When I was on the Pacific coast some years ago, I stayed with a +friend who had a large garden, with a great many orange trees. He +said to me: "Make yourself perfectly at home; if you see anything +you want just help yourself." When I wanted some oranges, I did not +go into the garden and pray to the oranges to tumble into my mouth; +I just put out my hand and took all I required. So it is with us. +Why should we go on asking and beseeching God to have mercy upon us, +when He has already given His Son, and given His Holy Spirit? What +we need is to have a broken and a contrite heart, and to be willing +to receive Him. The trouble with us is that we have locked the doors +of our hearts against Him. + +There is a story that Dr. Arnot was accustomed to tell of a poor +woman who was in great distress because she could not pay her +landlord his rent. The Doctor put some money in his pocket and went +round to her house intending to help her. When he got there he +knocked at the door. He thought he heard some movement inside; but +no one came to open the door. He knocked louder and louder still; +but yet no one came. Finally he kicked at the door, causing some of +neighbors to look out and see what was going on. But he could get no +entrance; and at last he went away thinking his ears must have +deceived him, and that there was really no one there. A day or two +afterwards he met the woman in the street, and told her what had +happened. She held up her hands and exclaimed, "Was that you? I was +in the house all the while; but I thought it was the landlord, and I +had the door locked!" + +Many people are keeping the door of their heart locked against the +Saviour in just the same way. They say "I am afraid I shall have to +give up so much." That is something like a ragged beggar being +unwilling to give up his rags, in order to get a new suit of good +clothes. I pity those people who are all the time looking to see +what they will have to give up. God wants to bestow His marvelous +grace on His people; and there is not a soul who has believed on +Jesus, for whom God has not abundance of grace in store. What would +you say of a man dying of thirst on the banks of a beautiful river, +with the stream flowing past his feet? You would think he was mad! +The river of God's grace flows on without ceasing; why should we not +partake of it, and go on our way rejoicing? + +Do you say you are sinners? It is just to such as you that God's +grace is given. There was a sailor whose mother had long been +praying for him. I do think mothers' prayers are sure to be answered +some day. One night the memory of his mother came home to this man; +he thought of the days of his childhood, and made up his mind he +would try and lead a different life. When he got to New York he +thought he would join the Odd-fellows; he imagined that would be a +good way to begin. What miserable mistakes men make when they get +trying to save themselves! This man applied to a lodge of +Odd-fellows for admission; but the committee found that he was a +drinking man, and so they black-balled him. Then he thought he would +try the Freemasons; they discovered what sort of a man he was, and +they black-balled him too. One day he was walking along Fulton +Street, when he received an invitation to come to the daily +prayer-meeting held there. He went in, and heard about the Saviour; he +received Christ into his heart, and found the peace and power he +wanted. Some days after he stood up in the meeting and told the +story how the Odd-fellows had black-balled him; how the Freemasons +had black-balled him; and how he came to the Lord Jesus Christ, who +had not black-balled him, but took him right in. That is what Christ +will do to every poor penitent sinner. "This Man receiveth sinners." +Come to Him to-day, and He will receive you: His marvelous, +sovereign grace will cover and put away all your sins. + +I am so glad that we have a Saviour who can save unto the very +uttermost. He can save the drunkard, the man who for years has been +the slave of his passions. I was talking to a friend not long ago, +who said that if a man had a father and a mother who were drunkards, +he would inherit the taste for drink, and that there was not much +chance of saving him. I want to say that there is a grand chance for +such men, if they will call upon Jesus Christ to save them. He is +able to destroy the very appetite for drink. He came to destroy the +works of the devil; and if this appetite for gin and whiskey is not +the work of the devil, I want to know what is. I do not know any +more terrible agency that the devil has got than this intoxicating +liquor. + +An Englishman went out from England to Chicago, and became one of +the greatest drunkards in that city. His father and his mother were +drunkards before him. He said that when he was four years old, his +father took him into a public-house, and put the liquor to his lips. +By and by he got a taste for it; and for several years he was a +confirmed drunkard. He became what in America we call a "tramp." He +slept out of doors. One night, on the shore of a lake, he awoke from +his slumber, and began to call upon God to save him. There, at the +midnight hour, this poor, wretched, forlorn object got victory over +his sin. The last time I met him he had been nine-and-a-half years a +sober man. From that memorable midnight hour, he said, he had never +had any desire to touch or taste strong drink. God had kept him all +those years. I am so thankful we have a Gospel that we can carry +into the home of the drunkard, and tell him that Christ will save +him. That is the very thing He came to do. + +Bunyan represents the power of grace, as shown by its first offer to +the Jerusalem sinners, the murderers of Christ, thus: "Repent, every +one of you: be baptized, every one of you, in His name, for the +remission of sins; and you shall, every one of you, receive the Holy +Ghost." + +"But I was one of those who plotted to take away His life. May I be +saved by Him?" + +"Every one of you." + +"But I was one of those who bore false witness against Him. Is there +grace for me?" + +"For every one of you." + +"But I was one of those who cried out, Crucify Him! crucify Him! and +who desired that Barrabas, the murderer, might live, rather than He. +What will become of me, think you?" + +"I am to preach repentance and remission of sins to every one of +you." + +"But I was one of those who did spit in His face when He stood +before His accusers; I also was one that mocked Him when, in +anguish, He hung bleeding on the tree. Is there room for me?" + +"For every one of you." + +"But I was one of those who, in His extremity, said, Give Him gall +and vinegar to drink! Why may I not expect the same when pain and +anguish are upon me?" + +"Repent of these thy wickednesses; and here is remission of sins for +every one of you." + +"But I railed on Him; I reviled Him; I hated Him; I rejoiced to see +Him mocked at by others. Can there be hope for me?" + +"There is; for every one of you." + +Oh, what a blessed "Every-one-of-you" is here! How willing was Peter +and the Lord Jesus by the ministry of Peter--to catch these +murderers with the word of the Gospel, that they might be monuments +of the grace of God! + +Now it is a solemn fact that every one who receives the offer of the +Gospel can lock and bolt the door of his heart, and say to the Lord +Jesus Christ he refuses to let Him in. But it is also a blessed +truth that you can unlock that door and say to Him, "Welcome! thrice +welcome, Son of God, into this heart of mine!" The question is: Will +you let Christ come in and save you? It is not a question of whether +He is able. Who will open their hearts, and let the Saviour come in? + + + "There's a stranger at the door: + Let Him in! + He has been there oft before: + Let Him in! + Let Him in, ere He is gone; + Let Him in, the Holy One, + Jesus Christ, the Father's Son: + Let Him in! + + Open now to Him your heart: + Let Him in! + If you wait He will depart: + Let Him in! + Let Him in, He is your Friend; + He your soul will sure defend; + He will keep you to the end: + Let Him in! + + Hear you now His loving voice? + Let Him in! + Now, oh now, make Him your choice: + Let Him in! + He is standing at the door; + Joy to you He will restore, + And His name you will adore: + Let Him in! + + Now admit the heavenly Guest. + Let Him in! + He will make for you a feast: + Let Him in! + He will speak your sins forgiven, + And when earth-ties all are riven, + He will take you home to heaven, + Let Him in!" + +_Rev. J. B Atchinson_ + + + +CHAPTER V. + + +LAW AND GRACE. + + +IN his Epistle to the Romans, Paul writes "For as by one man's +disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One +shall many be made righteous. Moreover, the law entered that the +offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more +abound: that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace +reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our +Lord." + +Moses was the representative of the law. You remember that he led +the children of Israel through the wilderness, and brought them to +Jordan; but there he left them. He could take them up to the river, +which is a type of death and judgment; but Joshua (which means +Jesus--Saviour) led them right through death and judgment--through +the Jordan into the Promised Land. Here we have the difference +between Law and Grace; between the Law and the Gospel. + +Take another illustration. John the Baptist was the last prophet of +the old dispensation--the last prophet under the law. You remember +that before Christ made His appearance at the Jordan, the cry of +John, day by day was, "Repent: for the kingdom of God is at hand!" +He thundered out the law. He took his hearers down to the Jordan and +baptized them. He put them in the place of death; and that was as +far as he could take them. But there was One coming after him who +could take them into the Promised Land. As Joshua led the people +through the Jordan into Canaan,--so Christ went down into the Jordan +of death, through death and judgment, on to resurrection ground. + +If you run all through Scripture you will find that the law brings +to death. "Sin reigned unto death." A friend was telling me lately +that an acquaintance of his, a minister, was once called upon to +officiate at a funeral, in the place of a chaplain of one of Her +Majesty's prisons, who was absent. He noticed that only one solitary +man followed the body of the criminal to the grave. When the grave +had been covered, this man told the minister that he was an officer +of the law whose duty it was to watch the body of the culprit until +it was buried out of sight; that was "the end" of the British law. + +And that is what the law of God does to the sinner; it brings him +right to death, and leaves him there. I pity deep down in my heart +those who are trying to save themselves by the law. It never has; it +never will; and it never can--save the soul. When people say they +are going to try and do their best, and so save themselves by the +law, I like to take them on their own ground. Have they, ever done +their very best? granting that there _might_ be a chance for them if +they had, was there ever a time when they could not have done a +little better? If a man wants to do his best, let him accept the +grace of God; that is the best thing that any man or woman can +possibly do. + +But you will ask, What is the law given for? It may sound rather +strange, but it is given that it may stop every man's mouth. "We +know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are +under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world +may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law +there shall no flesh be justified in His sight; for by the law is +the knowledge of sin." The law shuts my mouth; grace opens it. The +law locks up my heart; grace opens it--and then the fountain of love +begins to flow out. When men get their eyes opened to see this +glorious truth, they will cease their constant struggle. They will +give up trying to work their way into the kingdom of God by the +deeds of the law. They will give themselves up for lost, and take +salvation as a free gift. + +Life never came through the law. As some one has observed: When the +law was given, three thousand men lost life; but when grace and +truth came at Pentecost, three thousand obtained life. Under the +law, if a man became a drunkard the magistrates would take him out +and stone him to death. When the prodigal came home, grace met him +and embraced him. Law says, Stone him!--grace says, Embrace him! Law +says, Smite him!--grace says, Kiss him! Law went after him, and +bound him; grace said, loose him and let him go! Law tells me how +crooked I am; grace comes and makes me straight. + +I pity those who are always hanging around Sinai, hoping to get life +there. I have an old friend in Chicago who is always lingering at +Sinai. He is a very good man; but I think he will have a different +story to tell when he gets home to heaven. He thinks I preach free +grace too much; and I must confess I do like to speak of the free +grace of God. This friend of mine feels as though he has a kind of +mission to follow me; and whenever he gets a chance he comes in with +the thunders of Sinai. I never yet met him but he was thundering +away from Horeb. The last time I was in Chicago, I said to him, "Are +you still lingering around Sinai?" "Yes," said he, "I believe in the +law." I have made inquiries, and I never heard of any one being +converted under his preaching: the effects have always dwindled and +died out. If the law is the door to heaven, there is no hope for any +of us. A perfect God can only have a perfect standard. He that +offends in one point is guilty of all: so "all have sinned and come +short of the glory of God." + +Paul says to the Galatians: "Is the law then against the promises of +God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have +given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But +the Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by faith +of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before +faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which +should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our +schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by +faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a +schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Jesus +Christ." + + +THE SOFTENING POWER OF GRACE. + +So we see that the law cannot give life; all it can do is to bring +us to Him who is the life. The law is said to be "a schoolmaster." +Perhaps some of you do not know what a schoolmaster is. If you had +been under the same schoolmaster as I was when a boy you would have +known. He had a good cane and it was frequently in use. In the +little country district where I went to school, there were two +parties: for the sake of illustration we may call the one the "law" +party and the other the "grace" party. The law party said that boys +could not possibly be controlled without the cane: and they kept a +schoolmaster there who acted on their plan. The struggle went on, +and at last, on one election day, the law party was put out, and the +grace party ruled in their stead. I happened to be at the school at +that time; and I remember we said to each other that we were going +to have a grand time that winter. There would be no more corporal +punishment, and we were going to be ruled by love. + +I was one of the first to break the rules of the school. We had a +lady teacher, and she asked me to stay behind. I thought the cane +was coming out again; and I was going to protest against it. I was +quite in a fighting mood. She took me alone. She sat down and began +to talk to me kindly. I thought that was worse than the cane; I did +not like it. I saw that she had not got any cane. She said: "I have +made up my mind that if I cannot control the school by love, I will +give it up. I will have no punishment; and if you love me, try and +keep the rules of the school." I felt something right here in my +throat. I was not one to shed many tears; but they would come--I +could not keep them back. I said to her, "You will have no more +trouble with me;" and she did not. I learned more that winter than +in the other three put together. + +That was the difference between law and grace. Christ says, "If you +love Me, keep My commandments." He takes us out from under the law, +and puts us under grace. Grace will break the hardest heart. It was +the love of God that prompted Him to send His only-begotten Son into +the world that He might save it. I suppose the thief had gone +through his trial unsoftened. Probably the law had hardened his +heart. But on the cross no doubt that touching prayer of the +Saviour, "Father, forgive them!" broke his heart, so that he cried, +"Lord, remember me!" He was brought to ask for mercy. I believe +there is no man so far gone but the grace of God will melt his +heart. + +It is told of Isaac T. Hopper, the Quaker, that he once encountered +a profane colored man, named Cain, in Philadelphia, and took him +before a magistrate, who fined him for blasphemy. Twenty years +after, Hopper met Cain, whose appearance was much changed for the +worse. This touched the Friend's heart. He stepped up, spoke kindly, +and shook hands with the forlorn being. "Dost thou remember me," +said the Quaker, "how I had thee fined for swearing?" + +"Yes, indeed, I do: I remember what I paid as well as if it was +yesterday." + +"Well, did it do thee any good?" + +"No, never a bit: it made me mad to have my money taken from me." + +Hopper invited Cain to reckon up the interest on the fine, and paid +him principal and interest too. "I meant it for thy good, Cain; and +I am sorry I did thee any harm." + +Cain's countenance changed; the tears rolled down his cheeks. He +took the money with many thanks, became a quiet man, and was not +heard to swear again. + + +PEACE, GRACE AND GLORY. + +So there is a great deal of difference between law and grace. "Being +justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus +Christ; by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein +we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." There are three +precious things here: peace for the past; grace for the present; and +glory for the future. There is no peace until we see the finished +work of Jesus Christ--until we can look back and see the Cross of +Christ between us and our sins. When we see that Jesus was "the end +of the law for righteousness;" that He "tasted death for every man;" +that He "suffered the Just for the unjust"--then comes peace. Then +there is "the grace wherein we now stand." There is plenty of grace +for us as we need it day by day, and hour by hour. + +Then there is glory for the time to come. A great many people seem +to forget that the best is before us. Dr. Bonar says that everything +before the true believer is "glorious." This thought took hold of my +soul; and I began to look the matter up, and see what I could find +in Scripture that was glorious hereafter. I found that the kingdom +we are going to inherit is glorious: our crown is to be a "crown of +glory;" the city we are going to inhabit is the city of the +glorified; the songs we are to sing are the songs of the glorified; +we are to wear garments of "glory and beauty;" our society will be +the society of the glorified; our rest is to be "glorious;" the +country to which we are going is to be full of "the glory of God and +of the Lamb." There are many who are always looking on the backward +path, and mourning over the troubles through which they have passed; +they keep lugging up the cares and anxieties they have been called +on to bear, and are forever looking at them. Why should we go +reeling and staggering under the burdens and cares of life when we +have such prospects before us? + +If there is nothing but glory beyond, our faces ought to shine +brightly all the time. If a skeptic were to come up here and watch +the countenances of the audience he would find many of you looking +as though there was anything but glory before you. Many a time it +seems to me as if I were at a funeral, people look so sad and +downcast. They do not appear to know much of the joy of the Lord. +Surely if we were looking right on to the glory that awaits us, our +faces would be continually lit up with the light of the upper world. +We can preach by our countenances if we will. The nearer we draw to +that glory-land, where we shall be with Christ--the more peace, and +joy, and rest we ought to have. If we will but come to the throne of +grace, we shall have strength to bear all our troubles and trials. +If you were to take all the afflictions that flesh is heir to and +put them right on any one of us, God has grace enough to carry us +right through without faltering. + +Some one has compiled the following, which beautifully describes the +contrast between law and grace: + +The Law was given by Moses. + +Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. + +The Law says--This do, and thou shalt live. + +Grace says--Live, and then thou shalt do. + +The Law says--Pay me that thou owest. + +Grace says--I frankly forgive thee all. + +The Law says--The wages of sin is death. + +GRACE says--The gift of God is eternal life. + +The Law says--The soul that sinneth, it shall die. + +Grace says--Whosoever believeth in Jesus, though he were dead, yet +shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in Him shall never +die. + +The Law pronounces--Condemnation and death. + +Grace proclaims--Justification and life. + +The Law says--Make you a new heart and a new spirit. + +Grace says--A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put +within you. + +The Law says--Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things +which are written in the book of the law to do them. + +Grace says--Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven, whose +sin is covered; blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute +iniquity. + +The Law says--Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, +and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. + +Grace says--Herein is love: not that we love God, but that He loved +us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. + +The Law speaks of what man must do for God. + +Grace tells of what Christ has done for man. + +The Law addresses man as part of the old creation. + +Grace makes a man a member of the new creation. + +The Law bears on a nature prone to disobedience. + +Grace creates a nature inclined to obedience. + +The Law demands obedience by the terror of the Lord. + +Grace beseeches men by the mercies of God. + +The Law demands holiness. + +Grace gives holiness. + +The Law says--Condemn him. + +Grace says--Embrace him. + +The Law speaks of priestly sacrifices offered year by year +continually, which could never make the comers thereunto perfect. + +Grace says--But this _Man_, after he had offered _one_ sacrifice for +sins forever . . . by one offering hath perfected forever them that +are sanctified. + +The Law declares--That as many as have sinned in the Law, shall be +judged by the Law. + +Grace brings eternal peace to the troubled soul of every child of +God, and proclaims _God's_ salvation in defiance of the accusations +of the adversary. "He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him +that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into +judgment (condemnation), but is passed from death unto life." + + "Whence to me this tranquil spirit-- + Me all sinful as I am? + Is it thus descends the merit + Of the sin-atoning Lamb? + Grace, all power to deliver, + Gift of a Creative Giver, + Like a full, refreshing river, + Ever flowing. + + Over all my course of sinning + Spread its waters without bound, + Cleansing, fertilizing, winning + For the Lord the barren ground. + Lavish from the heavenly treasure, + Fountains of a Father's pleasure, + All the marks of human measure + Overflowing. + + Not my virtue or repenting + Earned the precious boon for me. + Thine, my Saviour, the relenting, + Thine the pangs which set me free-- + Gift of grace beyond all knowing, + From the heart of Jesus flowing, + Ever flowing, overflowing, + Flowing freely." + + + +CHAPTER VI. + + +GRACE FOR LIVING. + + +NOW we come to a very important part of our subject--Grace for +living. One of the saddest things in the present day is the fact +that so many professed Christians have no spiritual power. They bear +no testimony for Christ. There are so few who can go to the homes of +the sick and read the Bible to them, pray with them, and minister +comfort to their souls. How few can go to the abode of the drunkard, +and tell him of Christ's power to save! How few there are who are +wise in winning souls to Christ! + +It is the low spiritual state of so many in the Church of Christ +that is the trouble. We are not living up to our privileges. As you +go through the streets of London you will see here and there the +words, "Limited Company." There are many Christians who practically +limit the grace of God. It is like a river flowing by; and we can +have all we need: but if we do not come and get a continual supply, +we cannot give it out to others. + +Mother! father! are you not longing to see your children won to +Christ? What is the trouble? Is it the fault of the minister? I +believe that though ministers were to preach like angels, if there +is a low standard of Christian life in the home, there will be +little accomplished. What we want, more than anything else, is more +grace in our lives, in our business affairs, in our homes, in our +daily walk and conversation. I cannot but believe that the reason of +the standard of Christian life being so low, is that we are living +on stale manna. You know what I mean by that. So many people are +living on their past experience--thinking of the grand times they +had twenty years ago, perhaps when they were converted. It is a sure +sign that we are out of communion with God if we are talking more of +the joy, and peace, and power, we had in the past, than of what we +have to-day. We are told to "grow in grace;" but a great many are +growing the wrong way. + +You remember the Israelites used to gather the manna fresh every +day: they were not allowed to store it up. There is a lesson here +for us Christians. If we would be strong and vigorous, we must go to +God daily and get grace. A man can no more take in a supply of grace +for the future than he can eat enough to-day to last him for the +next six months; or take sufficient air into his lungs at once to +sustain life for a week to come. We must draw upon God's boundless +stores of grace from day to day, as we need it. + +I knew a man who lived on the banks of Lake Erie. He had pipes laid +to his house from the lake; and when he wanted water, all he had to +do was to turn the tap and the water flowed in. If the Government +had presented him with the lake, he would not have known what to do +with it. So we may say that if God were to give us grace enough for +a lifetime, we should not know how to use it. He has given us the +privilege of drawing on Him day by day--not "forty days after +sight." There is plenty of grace in the bank of heaven; we need not +be afraid of its becoming exhausted. + +We are asked to come _boldly_ to the throne of grace--as sons to a +father--that we may find grace. You have noticed that a son is very +much more bold in his father's house than if he were simply a +servant. A good many Christians are like servants. If you go into a +house, you can soon tell the difference between the family and the +servants. A son comes home in the evening; he goes all over the +house--perhaps talks about the letters that have come in, and wants +to know all that has been going on in the family during his absence. +It is very different with a servant, who perhaps does not leave the +kitchen or the servants' hall all day except when duty requires it. + +Suppose some one had paid a million dollars into the bank in your +name, and had given you a check-book so that you could draw out just +as you wanted: would you go to work and try to live on ten dollars a +month? Yet that is exactly what many of us are doing as Christians. +I believe this low standard of Christian life in the Church is doing +more to manufacture infidels than all the skeptical books that were +ever written. + +Hear what the Apostle says: "My God shall supply _all_ your need." +Look at these words carefully. It does not say He will supply all +your _wants_. There are many things we want that God has not +promised to give. It is "your _need_" and "_all_ your need." My +children often want many things they do not get; but I supply all +they need, if it is in my power to give it to them. I do not supply +all their wants by any means. My boy would probably want to have me +give him a horse; when I know that what he really needs, perhaps, is +grace to control his temper. Our children might want many things +that it would be injurious for them to have. And so, though God may +withhold from us many things that we desire, He will supply all our +need. There can come upon us no trouble or trial in this life, but +God has grace enough to carry us right through it, if we will only +go to Him and get it. But we must ask for it day by day. "As thy +days, so shall thy strength be." + +I met a man once in Scotland who taught me a lesson that I shall +never forget. A Christian friend wanted me to go and have a talk +with him. He had been bedridden for many years. This afflicted saint +comforted me and told me some wonderful things. He had fallen and +broken his back when he was about fifteen years of age, and had lain +there on his bed for some forty years. He could not be moved without +a good deal of pain, and probably not a day has passed all those +years without suffering. If any one had told him he was going to lie +there and suffer for forty years, probably he would have said he +could not do it. But day after day the grace of God has been granted +to him; and I declare to you it seemed to me as if I were in the +presence of one of God's most highly-favored children. It seemed +that when I was in that man's chamber, I was about as near heaven as +I could get on this earth. Talk about a man's face shining with the +glory of the upper world! I very seldom see a face that shines as +did his. I can imagine that the very angels when they are passing +over the city on some mission of mercy, come down into that man's +chamber to get refreshed. There he has been lying all these years, +not only without a murmur, but rejoicing all the while. + +I said to him: "My friend, does the devil never tempt you to doubt +God, and to think He is a hard master?" "Well now," he said, "that +is just what he tries to do. Sometimes, as I look out of the window +and see people walking along in health, Satan whispers: 'If God is +so good, why does He keep you here all these weary years? Why, if He +loved you, instead of lying here and being dependent on others, you +might now have been a rich man, and riding in your own carriage.'" +"What do you do when the devil tempts you?" "Oh, I just take him up +to the Cross; and he had such a fright there eighteen hundred years +ago, that he cannot stand it; and he leaves me." I do not think that +bedridden saint has much trouble with doubts; he is so full of +grace. + +And so if we will only come boldly to God, we shall get all the help +and strength we need. There is not a man or woman alive but may be +kept from falling, if they will let God hold them up in His almighty +arms. + +There is a story in the history of Elisha the prophet that I am very +fond of; most of you are familiar with it. Sometimes we meet with +people who hesitate to accept Christ, because they are so afraid +they will not hold out. You remember there was a young prophet who +died and left a widow with two little boys. It has been said that +misfortunes do not come singly, but in battalions. This woman had +not only lost her husband, but a creditor was going to take her boys +and sell them into slavery. That was a common thing in those days. +The widow went and told Elisha all about it. He asked her what she +had in the house. Nothing, she said, but a pot of oil. It was a very +hard case. + +Elisha told her to go home and borrow all the vessels she could. His +command was: "Borrow not a few." I like that. She took him at his +word, and borrowed all the vessels her neighbors would lend to her. +I can imagine I see the woman and her two sons going from house to +house asking the loan of their vessels. No doubt there were a good +many of the neighbors who were stretching their necks, and wondering +what it all meant; just as we sometimes find people coming into the +inquiry-room to see what is going on. If this woman had been like +some modern skeptics, she would have thought it very absurd for the +prophet to bid her do such a thing; she would have asked what good +could come of it. But faith asks no questions: so she went and did +what the man of God told her to do. I can see her going up one side +of the street knocking at every door and asking for empty vessels. +"How many do you want?" "All you can spare." There are the two sons +carrying the great vessels; some of them perhaps nearly as large as +the boys themselves. It was hard work. When they had finished one +side of the street, they went down the other. "Borrow not a few," +she had been told; so she went on asking for as many as she could +get. If there were as much gossip in those days as there is now, all +the people in the street would have been talking about her. Why, +this woman and her boys have been carrying vessels into the house +all day; what can be the matter? + +But now they have all the vessels the neighbors would lend. She +locks the door; and she says to one of the boys, "James, you are the +younger; bring me the empty vessels. John, you are the stronger; +when, I have filled them you take them away." So she began to pour. +Perhaps the first vessel was twice as big as the one she poured +from; but it was soon filled: and she kept on pouring into vessel +after vessel. At last her son says, "Mother, this is the last one;" +and we are told that the oil was not stayed till the last vessel was +full. + +Dear friends, bring your empty vessels; and God will fill them. I +venture to say that the eyes of those boys sparkled as they saw this +beautiful oil, fresh from the hand of the Creator. The woman went +and told the man of God what had happened; he said to her, "Go, sell +the oil, and pay thy debt; and live thou and thy children off the +rest." That is grace for the present, and for the future. "As thy +days so shall thy strength be." You will have grace not only to +cover all your sins, but to carry you right into glory. Let the +grace of God into your heart; and He will bring you safely through. + +Let me close by quoting the words of an old prayer: "God give us +grace to see our need of grace; give us grace to ask for grace; give +us grace to receive grace; give us grace to use the grace we have +received." + + "Grace taught my soul to pray, + And pardoning love to know; + 'Twas grace that kept me to this day, + And will not let me go. + + Grace all the work shall crown, + Through everlasting days; + It lays in heaven the topmost stone, + And well deserves the praise!" + + + +CHAPTER VII. + + +GRACE FOR SERVICE. + + +"FOR the grace of God that bringeth salvation to all men hath +appeared; teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, +we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present +world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of +the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, +that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a +peculiar people, zealous of good works." + +In this wonderful passage we see grace in a threefold aspect: grace +that bringeth salvation; grace for holy living; and grace for +service. I have had three red-letter days in my experience: the +first was, when I was converted; the next was when I got my lips +opened, and I began to confess Christ; the third was, when I began +to work for the salvation of others. + +I think there are a great many who have got to the first stage; some +have got to the second; very few have got to the third. This is the +reason, I believe, why the world is not reached. + +Many say they are anxious to "grow in grace." I do not think they +ever will, until they go out into the harvest field and begin to +work for others. We are not going to have the grace we need to +qualify us for work until we launch out into the deep, and begin to +use the abilities and the opportunities we already possess. Many +fold their arms, and wait for the grace of God to come to them; but +we do not get it in that way. When we "go forward," then it is that +God meets us with His Grace. + +If Moses had stayed in Horeb until he got the grace he needed, he +never would have started for Egypt at all. But when he had set out, +God met him in the way and blessed him day by day as he needed. Many +grow discouraged because there is a little opposition; but if we are +going to work for God we must expect opposition. No real work was +ever done for God without opposition. If you think that you are +going to have the approval of a godless world, and of cold +Christians, as you launch out into the deep with your net, you are +greatly mistaken. A man said to me some time ago, that when he was +converted he commenced to do some work in connection with the +Church; he was greatly discouraged because some of the older +Christians threw cold water on him, so he gave up the whole thing. + +I pity a man who cannot take a little cold water without being any +the worse for it. Why, many of the Christians in old times had to go +through the fire, and did not shrink from it. A little cold water +never hurts any one. + +Others say they have so many cares and troubles, they have as much +as they can carry. Well, a good way to forget your trouble is--to go +and help some one else who is carrying a heavier burden than +yourself. It was when Job began to pray for his friends that he +forgot his own troubles. Paul gloried in his infirmity, and in the +tribulations he had to undergo, so that the power of Christ might +all the more rest upon him. He gloried in the Cross: and you must +bear in mind that the Cross was not so easy to bear in his day as it +is in ours. Every one was speaking against it. "I glory in the Cross +of Christ," he said. When a man gets to that point, do you tell me +that God cannot use him to build up His kingdom? In his second +letter to the Corinthians, Paul speaks of "the thorn in the flesh;" +he prayed the Lord to take it away. The Lord said He was not going +to take it away: but He would give His servant grace to bear it. So +the apostle learned to thank God for the thorn, because he got more +grace. It is when the days are dark that people are brought nearer +to God. I suppose that is what Paul meant. + +If there is any child of God who has a "thorn in the flesh," God has +grace enough to help you to bear it if you will but go to Him for +it. The difficulty is that so many are looking at their troubles and +sorrows, instead of looking toward the glorious reward, and pressing +on their way by God's help. + +In ii Corinthians 9:8, we read: "God is able to make all grace +abound towards you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all +things, may abound to every good work." There are three thoughts +here--God makes _all grace_ to abound, that we may have _all +sufficiency_ in _all things_. I think this is one of the most +wonderful verses in the Bible. + +There is plenty of grace. Many Christians, if they have grace enough +to keep them from outward sin, seem to be perfectly satisfied; they +do not press on to get _fullness of grace_, so as to be ready for +God's work. Many are satisfied to go into the stream of grace ankle +deep, when God wants them to swim in it. + +If we always came to meetings desiring to get strength, then we +should be able to go out to work and speak for Christ. There are a +great many who would be used of God, if they would only come boldly +to His throne of grace, and "find grace to help in time of need." Is +it not a time of need now? God has said, "I will pour water on him +that is thirsty." Do we thirst for a deeper work of grace in our +hearts?--for the anointing of the Spirit? Here is the promise: "I +will pour water on him that is thirsty." Let all who are hungering +and thirsting for blessing come and receive it. + +Another reason why many Christians do not get anything is--because +they do not give out to others. They are satisfied with present +attainments, instead of growing in grace. We are not the fountain; +we are only a channel for the grace of God to flow through. There is +not one of us but God wants to use in building up His kingdom. That +little boy, that grey-haired man, these young men and maidens; all +are needed: and there is a work for all. We want to believe that God +has grace enough to qualify us to go out and work for Him. + +If we have known Jesus Christ for twenty years or more, and if we +have not been able to introduce an anxious soul to Him, there has +been something wrong somewhere. If we were full of grace, we should +be ready for any call that comes to us. Paul said, when he had that +famous interview with Christ on the way to Damascus, "Lord, what +wilt Thou have me to do?" Isaiah said, "Here am I, send me." Oh that +God would fill all His people with grace, so that we may see more +wonderful things than He has ever permitted us to see! No man can +tell what he can do, until he moves forward. If we do that in the +name of God, instead of there being a few scores or hundreds +converted, there will be thousands flocking into the Kingdom of God. +Remember, that we honor God when we ask for great things. It is a +humiliating thing to think that we are satisfied with very small +results. + +It is said that Alexander the Great had a favorite General to whom +he had given permission to draw upon the royal treasury for any +amount. On one occasion this General had made a draft for such an +enormous sum that the Treasurer refused to honor it until he +consulted the Emperor. So he went into his presence and told him +what the General had done. "Did you not honor the draft?" said the +Emperor. "No; I refused till I had seen your Majesty; because the +amount was so great." The Emperor was indignant. His Treasurer said +that he was afraid of offending him if he had paid the amount. "Do +you not know," replied the Emperor, "that he honors me and my +kingdom by making a large draft?" Whether the story be authentic or +not, it is true that we honor God when we ask for great things. + +It is said that on one occasion when Caesar gave a very valuable +present, the receiver replied that it was too costly a gift. The +Emperor answered that it was not too great for Caesar to give. Our +God is a great King; and He delights to use us: so let us delight to +ask Him for great grace, that we may go out and work for him. + +I find that many Christians are in trouble about the future; they +think they will not have grace enough to die by. It is much more +important that we should have grace enough to live by. It seems to +me that death is of very little importance in the meantime. When the +dying hour comes there will be dying grace; but you do not require +dying grace to live by. If I am going to live perhaps for fifteen or +twenty years, what do I want with dying grace? I am far more anxious +about having grace enough for my present work. + +I have sometimes been asked if I had grace enough to enable me to go +to the stake and die as a martyr. No; what do I want with martyr's +grace? I do not like suffering; but if God should call on me to die +a martyr's death, He would give me martyr's grace. If I have to pass +through some great affliction, I know God will give me grace when +the time comes; but I do not want it till it comes. + +There is a story of a martyr in the second century. He was brought +before the king, and told that if he did not recant they would +banish him. Said he, "O king, you cannot banish me from Christ; for +He has said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee!" The apostle +John was banished to the island of Patmos; but it was the best thing +that could have happened: for if John had not been sent there, +probably we should never have had that grand Book of Revelation. +John could not be separated from his Master. + +So it was with this brave martyr, of whom I was speaking. The king +said to him, "Then I will take away your property from you." "You +cannot do that: for my treasure is laid up on high, where you cannot +get at it?" "Then I will kill you." "You can not do that; for I have +been dead these forty years: my life is hid with Christ in God." The +king said, "What are you going to do with such a fanatic as that?" + +Let us remember that if we have not grace enough for service, we +have no one to blame but ourselves. We are not straitened in God: He +has abundance of grace to qualify us to work for Him. + + +MORE TO FOLLOW. + +I heard a story about two members of a Church: one was a wealthy +man, and the other was one of those who cannot take care of their +finances--he was always in debt. The rich brother had compassion on +his poor brother. He wanted to give him some money; but he would not +give it to the man all at once: he knew he would not use it +properly. So he sent the amount to the minister, and asked him to +supply the needs of this poor brother. The minister used to send him +a five-dollar bill, and put on the envelope "More to follow." I can +imagine how welcome the gift would be; but the best of all was the +promise--"More to follow." So it is with God: there is always "more +to follow." It is such a pity that we are not ready to be used by +God when He wants to use us. + +Dear friends, let me put this question to you: Are you full of +grace? You shake your head. Well, it is our privilege to be _full_. +What is the best way to get full of grace? It is to be emptied of +self. How can we be emptied? Suppose you wish to get the air out of +this tumbler; how can you do it? I will tell you: by pouring water +into the tumbler till it is full to overflowing. That is the way the +Lord empties us of self. He fills us with His grace. "I will pour +water on him that is thirsty." Are you hungering to get rid of your +sinful selves? Then let the Spirit of God come in and fill you. God +is able to do it. + +See what He did for John Bunyan--how He made one of the mightiest +instruments for good the world ever saw, out of that swearing +Bedford tinker. If we had a telescope which would enable us to look +into heaven as Stephen did, I can imagine we should see the thief, +who believed in Jesus while on the cross, very near the throne. Ask +him how he got there; and he would tell you it was through the grace +of God. See how the grace of God could save a Mary Magdalene +possessed of seven devils! Ask her what it was that melted her +heart: and she would tell you that it was the grace of God. Look +again at that woman whom Christ met at the well at Sychar. The +Saviour offered her a cup of the living water: she drank, and now +she walks the chrystal pavement of heaven. See how the grace of God +could change Zaccheus, the hated publican of Jericho! Now he is in +yonder world of light; he was brought there by the sovereign grace +of God. + +You will have noticed that many of those who were about the most +unlikely, have, by the power of God's grace, become very eminent in +His service. Look at the twelve apostles of Christ; they were all +unlettered men. This ought to encourage all whose education is +limited to give themselves to God's work. When our earthly work is +ended, then, like our Master, we shall enter into glory. It has been +well remarked: "Grace is glory militant; and glory is grace +triumphant. Grace is glory begun; glory is grace made perfect. Grace +is the first degree of glory: glory is the highest degree of grace." + + "Oh, to grace how great a debtor + Daily I'm constrained to be! + Let Thy grace, Lord, like a fetter, + Bind my wandering heart to thee. + Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it-- + Prone to leave the God I love-- + Here's my heart, oh take and seal it, + Seal it for Thy courts above." + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + + +A CHIME OF GOSPEL BELLS. + + +IN Baltimore, a few years ago, we held a number of meetings for men. +I am very fond of this hymn; and we used to let the choir sing the +chorus over and over again, till all could sing it. + + "Oh, word of words the sweetest, + Oh, word in which there lie + All promise, all fulfillment, + And end of mystery! + Lamenting or rejoicing, + With doubt or terror nigh, + I hear the 'Come!' of Jesus, + And to His cross I fly. + + Come! oh, come to me! + Come! oh, come to me! + Weary heavy-laden, + Come! oh, come to Me! + + O soul! why shouldst thou wander + From such a loving Friend? + Cling closer, closer to Him, + Stay with Him to the end + Alas! I am so helpless, + So very full of sin; + For I am ever wandering, + And coming back again. + + Oh, each time draw me nearer, + That soon the 'Come!' may be + Nought but a gentle whisper + To one close, close to Thee; + Then, over sea and mountain, + Far from, or near, my home, + I'll take Thy hand and follow, + At that sweet whisper, 'Come!'" + +There was a man in one of the meetings who had been brought there +against his will; he had come through some personal influence +brought to bear upon him. When he got to the meeting, they were +singing the chorus of this hymn-- + + "Come! come! come!" + +He said afterwards he thought he never saw so many fools together in +his life before. The idea of a number of men standing there singing, +"Come! come! come!" When he started home he could not get this +little word out of his head; it kept coming back all the time. He +went into a saloon, and ordered some whiskey, thinking to drown it. +But he could not; it still kept coming back. He went into another +saloon, and drank some more whiskey; but the words kept ringing in +his ears: "Come! come! come!" He said to himself, "What a fool I am +for allowing myself to be troubled in this way!" He went to a third +saloon; had another glass, and finally got home. + +He went off to bed, but could not sleep; it seemed as if the very +pillow kept whispering the word, "Come! Come!" He began to be angry +with himself: "What a fool I was for ever going to that meeting at +all!" When he got up he took the little hymn book, found the hymn, +and read it over. "What nonsense!" he said to himself; "the idea of +a rational man being disturbed by that hymn." He set fire to the +hymn book; but he could not burn up the little word "Come!" "Heaven +and earth shall pass away: but My word shall not pass away." + +He declared he would never go to another of the meetings; but the +next night he came again. When he got there, strange to say, they +were singing the same hymn. "There is that miserable old hymn +again," he said; "what a fool I am for coming!" I tell you, when the +Spirit of God lays hold of a man, he does a good many things he did +not intend to do. To make a long story short, that man rose in a +meeting of young converts, and told the story that I have now told +you. Pulling out the little hymn book for he had bought another copy +and opening it at this hymn, he said: "I think this hymn is the +sweetest and the best in the English language. God blessed it to the +saving of my soul." And yet this was the very hymn he had despised. + +I want to take up this little word "Come!" Sometimes people forget +the text of a sermon; but this text will be short enough for any one +to remember. Let me ring out a chime of Gospel bells, every one of +which says, "Come!" The first bell I will ring is, + + +COME AND HEAR! + +"Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and your soul shall live; +and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure +mercies of David." "Incline your ear," God says. You have sometimes +seen a man who is a little deaf, and cannot catch every word, put +his hand up to his ear and lean forward. I have seen a man sometimes +put up both hands to his ears, as if he were determined to catch +every word. I like to see that. This is the figure that the prophet +uses when he says on God's behalf, "Incline your ear." + +Man lost spiritual life and communion with his Maker by listening to +the voice of the tempter, instead of the voice of God. We get life +again by listening to the voice of God. The Word of God gives life. +"The words that I speak unto you," says Christ, "they are spirit, +and they are life." So, what people need is--to incline their ear, +and hear. It is a great thing when the Gospel preacher gets the ear +of a congregation--I mean the inner ear. For a man has not only two +ears in his head; he has also what we may call the outer ear, and +the inner ear--the ear of the soul. You may speak to the outward +ear, and not reach the ear of the soul at all. Many in these days +are like the "foolish people" to whom the prophet Jeremiah spoke: +"Which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not." There +are many in every congregation whose attention I am not able to +secure for five minutes together. Almost any little thing will +divert their minds. We need to give heed to the words of the Lord: +"He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." + +You remember when Peter was sent to Cornelius, he was to speak to +him words whereby he and his house were to be saved. If you are to +be saved, it must be by listening to the Word of God. Here is the +promise: "Hear; and your soul shall live." + +There was an architect in Chicago who was converted. In giving his +testimony, he said he had been in the habit of attending church for +a great many years, but he could not say that he had really heard a +sermon all the time. He said that when the minister gave out the +text and began to preach, he used to settle himself in the corner of +the pew and work out the plans of some building. He could not tell +how many plans he had prepared while the minister was preaching. He +was the architect for one or two companies; and he used to do all +his planning in that way. You see, Satan came in between him and the +preacher, and caught away the good seed of the Word. I have often +preached to people, and have been perfectly amazed to find they +could hardly tell one solitary word of the sermon; even the text had +completely gone from them. + +A colored man once said that a good many of his congregation would +be lost because they were too generous. He saw that the people +looked rather surprised; so he said, "Perhaps you think I have made +a mistake; and that I ought to have said you will be lost because +you are not generous enough. That is not so; I meant just what I +said. You give away too many sermons. You hear them, as it were, for +other people." So there are a good many now hearing me who are +listening for those behind them: they say the message is a very good +one for neighbor So-and-so; and they pass it over their shoulders, +till it gets clear out at the door. You laugh; but you know it is +so. Listen! "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 next note in this peal of bells I wish to ring out is-- + + +COME AND SEE! + +Scripture not only uses the ear, but the eye, in illustrating the +way of salvation. When a man both hears and sees a thing, he +remembers it twice as long as if he only heard it. You remember what +Philip said to Nathanael: "Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto +him, we have found Him of whom Moses in the Law, and the Prophets, +did write--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said +unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip +saith unto him, Come and see." Philip was a wise winner of souls. He +brought his friend to Christ. Nathanael had one interview with the +son of God; he became His disciple and never left Him. If Philip had +gone on discussing the matter with him, and had tried to prove that +some good thing could come out of Nazareth, he might have never been +a disciple at all. + +After all, we do not gain much by discussion. Let objectors or +inquirers only get one personal interview with the Son of God; that +will scatter all their darkness, all their prejudice, and all their +unbelief. The moment that Philip succeeded in getting Nathanael to +Christ, the work was done. + +So we say to you, "Come and see!" I thought, when I was converted, +that my friends had been very unfaithful to me, because they had not +told me about Christ. I thought I would have all my friends +converted inside of twenty-four hours; and I was quite disappointed +when they did not at once see Christ to be the Lily of the Valley, +and the Rose of Sharon, and the Bright and Morning Star. I wondered +why it was. No doubt many of those who hear me now have had that +experience; you thought when you saw Christ in all His beauty that +you could soon make your friends see Him in the same light. + +But we need to learn that God alone can do it. If there is a skeptic +now hearing me, I want to say that one personal interview with the +Son of God will scatter all your infidelity and atheism. One night, +in the inquiry-room, I met the wife of an atheist, who had been +brought to God at one of our meetings. She was converted at the same +time. She had brought two of her daughters to the meeting, desiring +that they too should know Christ. I said to the mother: "How is it +with your skepticism now?" "Oh," said she, "it is all gone." When +Christ gets into the heart, atheism must go out; if a man will only +come and take one trustful, loving look at the Saviour, there will +be no desire to leave Him again. + +A gentleman was walking down the street in Baltimore, a few years +ago. It was near Christmas-time, and many of the shop-windows were +filled with Christmas presents, toys, etc. As this gentleman passed +along, he saw three little girls standing before a shop window, and +he heard two of them trying to describe to the third the things that +were in the window. It aroused his attention, and he wondered what +it could mean. He went back, and found that the middle one was +blind--she had never been able to see--and her two sisters were +endeavoring to tell her how the things looked. The gentleman stood +beside them for some time, and listened; he said it was most +interesting to hear them trying to describe the different articles +to the blind child--they found it a difficult task. As he told me, I +said to myself, "That is just my position in trying to tell other +men about Christ: I may talk about Him; and yet they see no beauty +in Him that they should desire Him. But if they will only come to +Him, He will open their eyes and reveal Himself to them in all His +loveliness and grace." + +Looking at it from the outside, there was not much beauty in the +Tabernacle that Moses erected in the desert. It was covered on the +outside with badgers' skins--and there was not much beauty in them. +If you were to pass into the inside, then you would find out the +beauty of the coverings. So the sinner sees no beauty in Christ till +he comes to Him--then he can see it. + +You have looked at the windows of a grand church erected at the cost +of many thousands of dollars. From the outside they did not seem +very beautiful; but get inside, when the rays of the sun are +striking upon the stained glass, and you begin to understand what +others have told you of their magnificence. So it is when you have +come into personal contact with Christ; you find Him to be the very +Friend you need. Therefore we extend to all the sweet Gospel +invitation "Come and see!" + +Let me now ring out the third bell-- + + +COME AND DRINK! + +"Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters: and he that +hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat: yea, come, buy wine and milk +without money and without price." If you will come and drink at this +fountain, Christ says you shall never thirst again. He has promised +to quench your thirst. "If any man thirst," He says, "let him come +unto Me and drink." + +I thank God for those words: "_If any man_." That does not mean +merely a select few respectable people; it takes in all--every +drunkard, every harlot, every thief, every self-righteous Pharisee. + +"If any man _thirst_." How this world is thirsting for something +that will satisfy! What fills the places of amusement--the dance +houses, the music halls, and the theaters, night after night? Men +and women are thirsting for something they have not got. The moment +a man turns his back upon God, he begins to thirst; and that thirst +will never be quenched until he returns to "the fountain of living +waters." As the prophet Jeremiah tells us, we have forsaken the +fountain of living waters, and hewn out for ourselves cisterns, +broken cisterns, that can hold no water. There is a thirst this +world can never quench: the more we drink of its pleasures, the +thirstier we become. We cry out for more and more; and we are all +the while being dragged down lower and lower. But there is "a +fountain opened to the House of David . . . for sin and for +uncleanness." Let us press up to it, and drink and live. + +I remember after one of the great battles in the War we were coming +down the Tennessee River with a company of wounded men. It was in +the spring of the year, and the water was not clear. You know that +the cry of a wounded man is: "Water! water!" especially in a hot +country. I remember taking a glass of the muddy water to one of +these men. Although he was very thirsty, he only drank a little of +it. He handed the glass back to me, and as he did so, he said, "Oh +for a draught of water from my father's well!" Are there any thirsty +ones here? Come and drink of the fountain opened in Christ; your +longing will be satisfied, and you will never thirst again. It will +be in you "a well of water springing up into everlasting life." +Water rises to its own level; and as this water has come down from +the throne of God, it will carry us back to the presence of God. +Come, O ye thirsty ones, stoop down and drink, and live! You are all +invited: come along! When Moses took his rod and struck the flinty +rock in the wilderness, out of it there came a pure crystal stream +of water, which flowed or through that dry and barren land. All that +the poor thirsty Israelites had to do was to stoop and drink. It was +free to all. So the grace of God is free to all. God invites you to +come and take it: will you come? + +I remember being in a large city where I noticed that the people +resorted to a favorite well in one of the parks. I said to a man one +day, "Does the well never run dry?" The man was drinking of the +water out of the well; and as he stopped drinking, he smacked his +lips, and said: "They have never been able to pump it dry yet. They +tried it a few years ago. They put the fire engines to work, and +tried all they could to pump the well dry; but they found there was +a river flowing right under the city." Thank God, the well of +salvation never gets dry, though the saints of God have been +drinking from it for six thousand years! Abel, Enoch Noah, Abraham. +Moses, Elijah, the Apostles all have drunk from it; and they are now +up yonder, where they are drinking of the stream that flows from the +throne of God. "They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; +neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb +which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead +them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all +tears from their eyes." + +Let me ring another Gospel bell: + + +COME AND DINE! + +My brother, my sister--are you hungry? Then come along and dine. +Some people are afraid of being converted, because they think they +will not hold out. Mr. Rainsford once said, "If the Lord gives us +eternal life, He will surely give us all that is needful to preserve +it." He not only gives life; but He gives us our daily bread to feed +that life. + +After the Saviour had risen from the dead, He had not appeared to +His disciples for some days. Peter said to the others, "I go a +fishing." Seven of them started off in their boats. They toiled all +night but caught nothing. In the grey of the morning, they saw a +Stranger on the shore. He addressed them and said "Children, have ye +any meat?" They told Him they had not. "Cast the net on the right +side of the ship; and ye shall find." I can imagine they said to +each other, "What good is that going to do? We have been fishing +here all night, and have got nothing? The idea that there should be +fish on one side of the boat, and not on the other!" However, they +obeyed the command; and they had such a haul that there was no room +for the fish in the boat. Then one of them said, "It is the Lord." +When he heard that, Peter sprang right into the sea, and swam to the +shore; and the others pulled the boat to land. + +When they reached the shore the Master said, "Come and dine." What a +meal that must have been. There was the Lord of Glory feeding His +disciples. If He could set a table for His people in the wilderness, +and feed three millions of Israelites for forty years, can He not +give us our daily bread? I do not mean only the bread that +perisheth; but the Bread that cometh from above. If He feeds the +birds of the air, surely He will feed His children made in His own +image! If He numbers the very hairs of our head, He will take care +to supply all our temporal wants. + +Not only so: He will give us the Bread of Life for the nourishment +of the soul--the life that the world knows nothing of--if we will +but go to Him. "I am the Bread of Life," He says. As we feed on Him +by faith, we get strength. Let our thoughts rest upon Him; and He +will lift us above ourselves, and above the world, and satisfy our +utmost desires. + +Another Gospel bell is-- + + +COME AND REST! + +Dear friend, do you not need rest? There is a restlessness all over +the world to-day. Men are sighing and struggling after rest. The cry +of the world is, "Where can rest be found?" The rich man that we +read of in the parable pulled down his barns, that he might build +greater; and said to his soul, "Take thine ease." He thought he was +going to find rest in wealth; but he was disappointed. That night +his soul was summoned away. No; there is no rest in wealth or +pleasure. + +Others think they will succeed in drowning their sorrows and +troubles by indulging in drink; but that will only increase them. +"There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked:" they are like the +troubled sea that cannot rest. We sometimes talk of the ocean as +being as calm as a sea of glass; but it is never at rest: and here +we have a faithful picture of the wicked man and woman. + +O weary soul, hear the sweet voice that comes ringing down through +the ages: "Come unto me, all ye that labor, and are heavy-laden; and +I will _give_ you rest." Thank God, He does not _sell_ it! If He +did, some of us are so poor we could not buy; but we can all take a +gift. That little boy there knows how to take a gift; that old man, +living on borrowed time, and almost on the verge of another world, +knows how to take a gift. The gift Jesus wants to bestow is rest: +Rest for time, and rest for eternity. Every weary soul may have this +rest if he will. But you must come to Christ and get it. Nowhere +else can this rest be found. If you go to the world with your cares, +your troubles, and your anxieties, all it can do is to put a few +more on the top of them. The world is a poor place to go to for +sympathy. As some one has said: "If you roll your burdens anywhere +but on Christ, they will roll back on you with more weight than +ever. Cast them on Christ; and He will carry them for you." + +Here is another bell-- + + +COME AND REASON! + +Perhaps there are some infidels reading this. They are fond of +saying to us, "Come and reason." But I want to draw their attention +to the verses that go before this one in the first chapter of +Isaiah. The trouble with a good many skeptics is this--they take a +sentence here and there from Scripture without reference to the +context. Let us see what this passage says: "When ye spread forth +your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many +prayers I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. Wash you, +make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before Mine +eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the +oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow." + +_Then_ we have the gracious invitation, "Come now, and let us reason +together." Do you think God is going to reason with a man whose +hands are dripping with blood, and before he asks forgiveness and +mercy? Will God reason with a man living in rebellion against Him? +Nay. But if we turn from and confess our sin, then He will reason +with us, and pardon us. "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall +be as white as snow: though they be red like crimson, they shall be +as wool." + +But if a man persists in his rebellion against God, there is no +invitation to him to come and reason, and receive pardon. If I have +been justly condemned to death by the law of the State, and am +waiting the execution of my sentence, I am not in a position to +reason with the governor. If he chooses to send me a free pardon, +the first thing I have to do is to accept it; then he may allow me +to come into his presence. But we must bear in mind that God is +above our reason. When man fell, his reason became perverted; and he +was not in a position to reason with God. "If any man willeth to do +His will he shall know of the teaching." We must be willing to +forsake our sins. "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," The moment a man is willing to part with his sins, God +meets him in grace and offers him peace and pardon. + +The next bell I would like to sound out is-- + + +COME TO THE MARRIAGE! + +"Behold, I have prepared my dinner: . . . all things are ready; come +unto the marriage." Who would not feel highly honored if they were +invited to some fine residence, to the wedding of one of the members +of the President's family? I can imagine you would feel rather proud +of having received such an invitation. You would want all your +friends to know it. + +Probably you may never get such an invitation. But I have a far +grander invitation for you here than that. I cannot speak for +others; but if I know my own heart, I would rather be torn to pieces +to-night, limb from limb, and die in the glorious hope of being at +the marriage-supper of the Lamb, than live in this world a thousand +years and miss that appointment at the last. "Blessed is he that is +called to the marriage-supper of the Lamb." It will be a fearful +thing for any of us to see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob taking their +place in the kingdom of God, and be ourselves thrust out. + +This is no myth, my friends; it is a real invitation. Every man and +woman is invited. All things are now ready. The feast has been +prepared at great expense. You may spurn the grace, and the gift of +God; but you must bear in mind that it cost God a good deal before +He could provide this feast. When He gave Christ He gave the richest +jewel that heaven had. And now He sends out the invitation. He +commands His servants to go into the highways, and hedges, and +lanes, and compel them to come in, that His house may be full. Who +will come? You say you are not fit to come? If the President invited +you to the White House, and the invitation said you were to come +just as you were; and if the sentinel at the gate stopped you +because you did not wear a dress suit, what would you do? Would you +not show him the document signed in the name of the President? Then +he would stand aside and let you pass. So, my friend, if you can +prove to me that you are a sinner, I can prove to you that you are +invited to this Gospel feast--to this marriage supper of the Lamb. + +Let me ring out another bell in this Gospel chime-- + + +"COME, INHERIT THE KINGDOM!" + +"Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye +blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the +foundation of the world." A kingdom!--think of that! Think of a poor +man in this world, struggling with poverty and want, invited to +become possessor of a kingdom! It is no fiction; it is described as +"an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not +away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God +through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last +time." We are called to be kings and priests: that is a high +calling. Surely no one who hears me intends to miss that kingdom! +Christ said, "_Seek ye first_ the Kingdom of God." Those who inherit +it shall go no more out. + +Yet another bell-- + + +"COME UP HITHER!" + +In the Revelation we find that the two witnesses were called up to +heaven when their testimony was ended. So if we are faithful in the +service of our King, we shall by and by hear a voice saying, "Come +up hither!" There is going to be a separation one day. The man who +has been persecuting his godly wife will some day find her missing. +That drunkard who beats his children because they have been taught +the way into the Kingdom of God, will miss them some day. They will +be taken up out of the darkness, and away from the persecution, up +into the presence of God. When the voice of God saying, "Come up +hither" is heard, calling His children home, there will be a grand +jubilee. That glorious day will soon dawn. "Lift up your heads, for +the time of your redemption draweth nigh." + +One more bell to complete the chime-- + + +"WHOSOEVER WILL, LET HIM COME!" + +It is the last time that the word "Come" appears in the Bible; and +it occurs there over one thousand nine hundred times. We find it +away back in Genesis, "Come, thou and all thy house, into the ark"; +and it goes right along through Scripture. Prophets, apostles, and +preachers, have been ringing it out all through the ages. Now the +record is about to be closed, and Christ tells John to put in one +more invitation. After the Lord had been in glory for about sixty +years, perhaps He saw some poor man stumbling over one of the +apostles' letters about the doctrine of election. So He came to John +in Patmos, and John was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day. Christ said +to His disciple, "Write these things to the Churches." I can imagine +John's pen moved very easily and very swiftly that day; for the hand +of his Lord was upon him. The Master said to him, "Before you close +up the Book, put in one more invitation; and make it so broad that +the whole world shall know they are included, and not a single one +may feel that he is left out." John began to write "The Spirit and +the Bride say, Come," that is, the Spirit and the Church; "and let +him that heareth say, Come!" If you have heard and received the +message yourself, pass it on to those near you; your religion is not +a very real thing if it does not affect some one else. We have to +get rid of this idea that the world is going to be reached by +ministers alone. All those who have drunk of the cup of salvation +must pass it around. + +"Let him that is athirst, come." But there are some so deaf that +they cannot hear; others are not thirsty enough or they think they +are not. I have seen men in our after-meetings with two streams of +tears running down their cheeks; and yet they said the trouble with +them was that they were not anxious enough. They were anxious to be +anxious. Probably Christ saw that men would say they did not feel +thirsty; so He told the apostle to make the invitation still +broader. So the last invitation let down into a thirsty world is +this: "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." + +Thank God for those words "Whosoever will!" Who will come and take +it? That is the question. You have the power to accept or to reject +the invitation. A man in one meeting once was honest enough to say +"I won't." If I had it in my power I would bring this whole audience +to a decision now, either for or against. I hope many now reading +these words will say, "I will!" If God says we can, all the devils +in hell cannot stop us. All the infidels in the world cannot prevent +us. That little boy, that little girl, can say, "I will!" If it were +necessary, God would send down a legion of angels to help you; but +He has given you the power, and you can accept Christ this very +minute if you are really in earnest. + +Let me say that it is the easiest thing in the world to become a +Christian, and it is also the most difficult. You will say: "That is +a contradiction, a paradox." I will illustrate what I mean. A little +nephew of mine in Chicago, a few years ago, took my Bible and threw +it down on the floor. His mother said, "Charlie, pick up Uncle's +Bible." The little fellow said he would not, "Charlie, do you know +what that word means?" She soon found out that he did, and that he +was not going to pick up the Book. His will had come right up +against his mother's will. I began to be quite interested in the +struggle; I knew if she did not break his will, he would some day +break her heart. She repeated, "Charlie, go and pick up Uncle's +Bible, and put it on the table." The little fellow said he could not +do it. "I will punish you if you do not." He saw a strange look in +her eye, and the matter began to get serious. He did not want to be +punished, and he knew his mother would punish him if he did not lift +the Bible. So he straightened every bone and muscle in him, and he +said _he could not do it_. I really believe the little fellow had +reasoned himself into the belief that he could not do it. + +His mother knew he was only deceiving himself; so she kept him right +to the point. At last he went down, put both his arms around the +Book, and tugged away at it; but he still said he could not do it. +The truth was he did not want to. He got up again without lifting +it. The mother said, "Charlie, I am not going to talk to you any +more. This matter has to be settled; pick up that Book, or I will +punish you." At last she broke his will, and then he found it as +easy as it is for me to turn my hand. He picked up the Bible, and +laid it on the table. So it is with the sinner; if you are really +willing to take the Water of Life, you can do it. + + "I heard the voice of Jesus say, + 'Come unto Me, and rest; + Lay down, thou weary one, lay down, + Thy head upon My breast.' + I came to Jesus as I was-- + Weary, and worn, and sad, + I found in Him a resting-place, + And He has made me glad. + + I heard the voice of Jesus say, + 'Behold, I freely give + The living water--thirsty one, + Stoop down, and drink, and live.' + I came to Jesus, and I drank + Of that life-giving stream; + My thirst was quenched, my soul revived, + And now I live in Him. + + I heard the voice of Jesus say, + 'I am this dark world's Light: + Look unto Me, thy morn shall rise, + And all thy day be bright.' + I looked to Jesus, and I found + In Him my Star, my Sun; + And in that Light of life I'll walk + Till traveling days are done." + +_Dr. H. Bonar_ + + + +GOSPEL DIALOGUES. + + +I.--MR. MOODY AND REV. MARCUS RAINSFORD. + + +WHAT IT IS TO BE A CHILD OF GOD. + + +MR. MOODY--What is it to be a child of God? What is the first step? + +Rev. M. Rainsford--Well, sir, I am a child of God when I become +united to the Son of God. The Son of God prayed that all who +believed upon Him should be one with Him, as He was one with the +Father. Believing on Jesus, I receive Him, and become united to Him; +I become, as it were, a member of his Body. I am an heir of God, a +joint-heir with Christ. + +Mr. M.--What is the best definition of Faith? + +Mr. R.--Trust in the Son of God, as the Saviour He has given to us. +Simple trust, not only in a creed, but in a Person. I trust my soul +to Him. I trust the keeping of my soul to Him. God has promised that +whosoever trusts Him, mercy shall compass him on every side. + +Mr. M.--Does not the Scripture say that the devils believe? + +Mr. R.--They believe the truth, do they not? They believe that Jesus +was manifested to destroy them; and they "tremble." I wish we +believed as truly and as fully that God sent His Son into the world +to save us. + +Mr. M.--What is it to "trust?" + +Mr. R.--I take it to mean four things: + +(1) Believing on Christ: that is, taking Him at His Word. + +(2) Hoping in Christ: that is, expecting help from Him, according to +His Word. + +(3) Relying on Christ: That is, resting on Him for the times, and +ways, and circumstances in which He may be pleased to fulfill His +promises according to His Word. + +(4) Waiting on Christ: that is, _continuing_ to do so, +notwithstanding delay, darkness, barrenness, perplexing experiences, +and the sentence of death in myself. He may keep me waiting awhile +(I have kept Him a long time waiting); but He will not keep me +waiting always. Believing in Him, hoping in Him, relying upon Him, +and waiting for Him--I understand to be trusting in Him. + +Mr. M.--Can all these friends here believe the promises? + +Mr. R.--The promises are true, whether we believe them or not. We do +not make them true by believing them. God could not charge me with +being an unbeliever, or condemn me for unbelief, if the promises +were not true for me. I could in that case turn round and say: +"Great God, why did you expect me to believe a promise that was not +true for me?" And yet the Scriptures set forth unbelief as the +greatest sin I can continue to commit. + +Mr. M.--How are we "cleansed by _the Blood?_" + +Mr. R.--"The blood is the life." The sentence upon sinners for their +sin was, "The soul that sinneth it shall die." That we might not +die, the Son of God died. The blood is _the poured-out life of the +Son of God_, given as the price, the atonement, the substitute, for +the forfeited life of the believer in Jesus Christ. Any poor sinner +who receives Christ as God's gift is cleansed from all sin by His +Blood. + +Mr. M.--Was the blood shed for us all? + +Mr. R.-- + + "There is a fountain filled with blood, + Drawn from Immanuel's veins; + And sinners plunged beneath that flood, + Lose all their guilty stains. + + The dying thief rejoiced to see + That fountain in his day; + And there may we, though vile as he, + Wash all our sins away." + +Mr. M.--Some may think that this is only a hymn, and that it is not +Scripture. Did the Lord ever say anything similar to what the hymn +says? + +Mr. R.--He said: "I have given you the blood upon the altar to make +an atonement for your souls." That was said of the picture of the +blood of Christ. And at the Last Supper our Lord said His blood was +"the blood of the new testament which is shed for you and for many +for the remission of sins." + +Mr. M.--What is "the gift of God?" + +Mr. R.--There are three great gifts that God has given to us-- + +(1) His blessed Son. + +(2) The Holy Ghost, "the promise of the Father," that we might +understand the unspeakable gift bestowed on us when He gave His Son. + +(3) He has given us His Holy Word. + +The Holy Ghost has inspired the writers of it that we may read, and +hear, and know the love that God has to us, "in that while we were +yet sinners Christ died for us." We could not have the Son for our +Saviour, unless God gave Him. We could not understand the gift of +God, unless the Holy Ghost had come to quicken us and teach us; and +this He does through the Word. + +Mr. M.--How much is there in Christ for us who believe? + +Mr. R.--In Him dwelt "all the fullness of the Godhead +bodily"--fullness of life, of righteousness, of sanctification, of +redemption, title to heaven, and meetness for it; all that God wants +from us, and all that we want from God, He gave in the person of +Christ. + +Mr. M.--How long does it take God to justify a sinner? + +Mr. R.--How long? The moment we receive Him we receive authority to +enroll ourselves among the children of God, and are then and there +justified from all things. The sentence of complete justification +does not take long to pronounce. Some persons profess to see a +difficulty in the variety of ways in which a sinner is said to be +justified before God: (1) Justified by God; (2) Justified by Christ; +(3) Justified by His Blood; (4) Justified by grace; (5) Justified by +faith; (6) Justified by works. + +Justification has reference to a court of justice. Suppose a sinner +standing at the bar of God, the bar of conscience, and the bar of +his fellow-men, charged with a thousand crimes. + +(1) There is the Judge: that is God, who alone can condemn or +justify: "It is God that justifieth." That is justification by God. + +(2) There is the Advocate, who appears at court for the sinner; the +counselor, the intercessor: that is Christ. "Justified by Christ." + +(3) There is next to be considered the ground and reason on account +of which the Advocate pleads before the Judge. That is the merit of +His own precious Blood. That is justification by His Blood. + +(4) Next we must remember the law which the Judge is dispensing. The +law of works? Nay, but the law of grace and faith. That is +justification by His grace. + +(5) And now the judge himself pronounces the result. "Be it known +unto you that through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness +of sins; and by Him all that believe are justified from all things." +Now, for the first time, the sinner at the bar knows the fact. This +is justification by faith. + +(6) But now the justified man leaves the criminal's dock. He does +not return to his prison, or to his chains. He walks forth from the +court-house a justified man; and all men, friends or foes, are made +aware that he is free. That is "justification by works." + +Mr. M.--A man says: "I have not found peace." How would you deal +with him? + +Mr. R.--He is really looking for the wrong thing. I do not look for +peace. I look for _Christ;_ and I get peace with Him. Some people +put peace in the place of Christ. Others put their repentance or +prayers in the place of Christ. _Anything_ put in the place of +Christ, or between the sinner and Christ, is in the _wrong place_. +When I get Christ, I possess in Him everything that belongs to Him, +as my Saviour. + +Mr. M.--Some think they cannot be Christians until they are +sanctified. + +Mr. R.--Christ is my Sanctification, as much as my Justification. I +cannot be sanctified but by His blood. There is a wonderful passage +in Exodus. The high priest there represented in picture the Lord +Jesus Christ. There was to be placed on the forefront of the miter +of the high priest, when he stood before God, a plate of pure gold, +and graven upon it as with a signet, the words: "Holiness to the +Lord." My faith sees it on the forefront of the miter on the brow of +my High Priest in heaven. "And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, +that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the +children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it +shall be _always_ upon his forehead, that they may be accepted +before the Lord." That was for Israel of old! _That_ on the brow of +Jesus Christ is for me. Yes--for me, "that I may be accepted before +the Lord." As I believe this truth it purifies my heart, it operates +on my affections and my desires; and I seek to walk with Him, +because He is my Sanctification before God, just as I trust in Him +as my Justification--because He shed His blood for me. + +Mr. M.--What is it to believe on His name? + +Mr. R.--His name is His revealed self. We are informed what it is in +Exodus. Moses was in the mount with God, and He had shown him +wonderful things of kindness and of love. And Moses said, "O God, +show me thy _glory!_" And He said, "I will make all my _goodness_ +pass before thee." So He put Moses in the cleft of the rock, and +proclaimed the name of the Lord: "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful +and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth; +keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and +sin"--there it is, root and branch "and that will by no means clear +the guilty." That is His name; and His glory He will not give unto +another: and to believe in the name of the Lord is just to shelter +under His promises. + +Mr. M.--What is it to "receive the Kingdom of God like a little +child?" + +Mr. R.--Well, I do not believe in a little child being an innocent +thing. I think it means that we are to receive it in all our need +and helplessness. A little child is the most dependent thing on +earth. All its resources are in its parents' love: all it can do is +to cry; and its necessities explain the meaning to the mother's +heart. If we interpret its language, it means: "Mother, wash me; I +cannot wash myself. Mother, clothe me; I am naked, and cannot clothe +myself. Mother, feed me; I cannot feed myself. Mother, carry me; I +cannot walk." It is written, "A mother may forget her sucking child; +yet will not I forget thee." This it is to receive the Kingdom of +God as a little child--to come to Jesus in our helplessness and say: +"Lord Jesus, wash me!" "Clothe me!" "Feed me!" "Carry me!" "Save me, +Lord, or I perish." + +Mr. M.--A good many say they are going to _try_. What would you say +to such? + +Mr. R.--God wants no man to "try." Jesus has already tried. He has +not only tried, but He has succeeded. "It is finished." Believe in +Him who has "made an end of sins, making reconciliation for +iniquity, finishing transgression, and bringing in everlasting +righteousness." + +Mr. M.--If people say they are "going to try," what would you say to +them? + +Mr. R.--I should say, Put _trusting_ in the place of trying; +_believing_ in the place of doubting; and I should urge them to come +to Christ as they are, instead of waiting to be better. There is +nothing now between God the Father and the poor sinner, but the Lord +Jesus Christ; and Christ has put away sin that I may be joined to +the Lord. "And he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit;" "And +where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." + +Mr. M.--About the last thing an anxious inquirer has to contend with +is his feelings. There are hundreds here very anxious to know they +are safe in the Kingdom; but they think they have not the right kind +of feeling. What kind of feeling should they have? + +Mr. R.--I think there are several of those present who can say that +they found a blessing in the after-meetings through one verse of +Scripture. I will quote it as an answer to Mr. Moody's question. +"Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of +His servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? Let him +trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God." Some of you +may be walking in darkness; that is how you feel. What is God's +command? "Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his +God." If I am to trust God in the darkness, I am to trust Him +anywhere. + +Mr. M.--You would advise them, then, to trust in the Lord, whether +they have the right kind of feeling or not? + +Mr. R.--If I were to think of my feelings for a moment, I should be +one of the most miserable men in this hall to-night. My feelings are +those of a sinful corrupt nature. I am just to believe what God +tells me in spite of my feelings. Faith is "the evidence of things +not seen:" I might add, "the evidence of things not felt." + +Mr. M.--Some may say that faith is the gift of God: and that they +must wait till God imparts it to them. + +Mr. R.--"Faith cometh by hearing." The word of God is the medium +through which faith comes to us. God has given us Christ; and He has +given us His Spirit, and His Word: what need is there to wait? God +will give faith to the man who reads His Word and seeks for His +Spirit. + +Mr. M.--What, then, should they wait for? + +Mr. R.--I do not know of anything they have to wait for. God says: +"Come now; Believe now." No, no; there is nothing to wait for. He +has given us all He has to give: and the sooner we take it the +better. + +Mr. M.--Perhaps some of them think they have too many sins to allow +their coming. + +Mr. R.--The Lord Jesus has put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. +"As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our +transgressions from us." Why do we not believe him? He says He has +"made an end of sins." Why do we not believe Him? Is He a liar? + +Mr. M.--Is unbelief a sin? + +Mr. R.--It is the root of all sin. + +Mr. M.--Has a man the power to believe these things, if he will? + +Mr. R.--When God gives a command, it means that we are able by His +grace to do it. + +Mr. M.--What do you mean by "coming" to Christ? + +Mr. R.--Believing in Him. If I were to prepare a great feast in this +hall to-morrow night, and say that any man that comes to it would +have a grand feast and a five-pound note besides, there would not be +any question as to what "coming" meant. God has prepared a great +feast. He has sent His messengers to invite all to come; and there +is nothing to pay. + +Mr. M.--What is the first step. + +Mr. R.--To believe. + +Mr. M.--Believe what? + +Mr. R.--God's invitation; God's promise; God's provision. Let us +believe the faithfulness of Him who calls us. Does God intend to +mock us, and make game of us? If He did so to one man, it would hush +all the harps in heaven. + +Mr. M.--Suppose the people do "come," and that they fall into sin +tomorrow? + +Mr. R.--Let them come back again. God says we are to forgive till +seventy times seven. Do you think the great God will do less than He +commands us to do? + +Mr. M.--If they truly come, will they have the desire to do the +things they used to do before? + +Mr. R.--When a man really receives Christ into his heart, he +experiences "the expulsive power of a new affection." The devil may +tempt him to sin; but sin has lost its attraction. A man finds out +that it does not pay to grieve God's Holy Spirit. + +Mr. M.--What would you advise your converts to do? + +Mr. R.--When you were little babes, if you had had no milk, no +clothing, and no rest, you would not have lived very long. You are +now the result of your fathers' and mothers' care. When a man is +born in the family of God he has life; but he needs food. "Man doth +not live by bread alone." If you do not feed upon God's promises you +will be of no use in God's service: it will be well for you if your +life does not die out altogether before long. Then you need +exercise. If you only take food, and do no work, you will soon +suffer from what I may call spiritual apoplexy. When you get hold of +a promise, go and tell it to others. The best way for me to get help +for myself is by trying to help others. There is one great promise +that young disciples should never forget: "He that watereth shall be +watered also himself." + +Mr. M.--How are they to begin? + +Mr. R.--I believe there are some rich ladies and rich gentlemen on +the platform. When such persons are brought to the Lord, they are +apt to be ashamed to speak about salvation to their old companions. +If our Christian ladies would go amongst other ladies; Christian +gentlemen amongst gentlemen of their own class; and so on we should +see a grand work for Christ. Each of you have some friends or +relations whom you can influence better than anybody else can. Begin +with them; and God will give you such a taste for work that you will +not be content to stay at home: you will go and work outside as +well. + +Mr. M.--A good place to start in would be the kitchen, would it not? +Begin with some little kitchen meetings. Let some of you get fifteen +or twenty mothers together; and ask them to bring their young +children with them. Sing some of these sweet hymns; read a few +verses of Scripture; get your lips opened; and you will find that +streams of salvation will be breaking out all around. I always think +that every convert ought to be good for a dozen others right away. + +Mr. R.--Let me tell a little incident in my own experience. I was +once asked to go and see a great man and tell him about Christ. He +did not expect me; and if I had known that, perhaps I should not +have had the faith to go at all. When I went he was very angry and +very nearly turned me out of the house. He was an old man, and had +one little daughter. A few weeks afterwards he went to the +Continent, and his daughter went with him. One day when he was very +ill he saw his daughter looking at him, while the tears rolled down +her cheeks. "My child," he said, "what are you crying about?" "Oh, +papa, you do not love the Lord Jesus Christ; I am afraid you are +going to hell!" "Why do you say that?" "Do you not remember when Mr. +Rainsford called to see you, you were very rude to him? I never saw +you so angry. And he only wished to speak to you about Jesus." +"Well, my child, you shall read to me about Jesus." If that man has +gone to heaven--I do not say whether he has or not--the only light +he had he got from his little daughter. You set to work; and you +cannot tell what may be the result, by the blessing of God. + + "Sons of God, beloved in Jesus + Oh, the wondrous word of grace! + In His Son the Father sees us, + And as sons He gives us place. + + Blessed power now brightly beaming-- + On our God we soon shall gaze; + And in light celestial gleaming + We shall see our Saviour's face. + + By the power of grace transforming + We shall then His image bear; + Christ His promised word performing, + We shall then His glory share." + +_El Nathan_ + + + +II.--MR. MOODY AND REV. MARCUS RAINSFORD. + + +HOW TO BECOME A CHRISTIAN. + + +MR. MOODY.--Mr. Rainsford, how can one make room in their heart for +Christ? + +Rev. M. Rainsford.--First, do we really want Christ to be in our +hearts? If we do, the best thing will be to ask Him to come and make +room for Himself. He will surely come and do so. "I can do all +things through Christ which strengtheneth me." "Without Me ye can do +nothing." + +Mr. M.--Will Christ crowd out the world if He comes in? + +Mr. R.--He spake a parable to that effect. "When a strong man armed +keepeth his palace [the poor sinner's heart], his goods are in +peace. But when a stronger than he shall come upon him and overcome +him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted [unbelief, +false views of God, worldliness, and love of sin], and divideth his +spoils." The devil keeps the heart, because Christ desires it for +His throne--until Christ drives Him out. + +Mr. M.--What is the meaning of the promise?--"Him that _cometh_ unto +Me I will in no wise cast out." + +Mr. R.--I think we often put the emphasis upon the wrong word. +People are troubled about how they are going to come, when they +should put the emphasis on Him to whom they are coming. "Him that +cometh unto Me I will in no wise cast out:" no matter how he may +come. I remember hearing this incident at an after-meeting. A +gentleman was speaking to an anxious inquirer, telling him to _come_ +to Christ, to _trust_ in Christ; but the man seemed to get no +comfort. He said that was just where he found his difficulty. By and +by, another friend came and spoke to the anxious one. All he said +was: "Come to CHRIST; trust in CHRIST." The man saw it in a minute. +He went and told the other gentleman, "I see the way of salvation +now." "Tell me," said he, "what did that man say to you?" "Well, he +told me to trust in Christ." "That is what I told you." "Nay, you +bade me _trust_ in Christ, and _come_ to Christ; he bade me trust in +_Christ_, and come to _Christ_." That made all the difference. + +Mr. M.--What does Christ mean by the words "_in no wise?_" + +Mr. R.--It means that if the sins of all sinners on earth and all +the devils in hell were upon your soul, He will not refuse you. Not +even in the range of God's omniscience is there a reason why Christ +will refuse any poor sinner who comes to Him for pardon. + +Mr. M.--What is the salvation He comes to proclaim and to bestow? + +Mr. R.--To deliver us from the power of darkness and the bottomless +pit, and set us upon the throne of glory. It is salvation from death +and hell, and curse and ruin. But that is only the half of it. It is +salvation to God, and light, and glory, and honor, and immortality; +and from earth to heaven. + +Mr. M.--If the friends here do not come and get this salvation, what +will be the true reason? + +Mr. R.--Either they are fond of some sin which they do not intend to +give up, or they do _not_ believe they are in a lost condition, and +under the curse of God, and therefore do not feel their need of Him +who "came to seek and to save that which was lost." Or they do not +believe God's promises. I have sometimes asked a man, "Good friend, +are you saved!" "Well, no, I am not saved." "Are you lost?" "Oh, God +forbid! I am not lost." "Where are you, then, if you are neither +saved nor lost?" May God wake us up to the fact that we are all in +one state or the other! + +Mr. M.--What if any of them should fall into sin after they have +come to Christ? + +Mr. R.--God has provided for the sins of His people, committed after +they come to Christ, as surely as for their sins committed before +they came to Him. Christ "ever liveth to make intercession for all +that come unto God by Him." "If we say that we have no sin we +deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our +sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse +us from all unrighteousness." . . . . For, "if any man sin, we have +an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He is +the propitiation for our sins." He will take care of our sinful, +tried and tempted selves, if we trust ourselves to Him. + +Mr. M.--Is it not said that if we sin willfully after we have +received the knowledge of the truth, "there remaineth _no more_ +sacrifice for sins?" + +Mr. R.--Yes. Paul wrote it in his Epistle to the Hebrews. Some of +them were trifling with the blood of Christ, reverting to the types +and shadows of the Levitical Law, and trusting to a fulfilled ritual +for salvation. He is not referring to _ordinary acts of sin_. By +sinning willfully he means, as he explains it, a "_treading under +foot the Son of God_," and a total and final apostatizing from +Christ. Those who reject or neglect Him will find no other sacrifice +for sin remaining. Before Christ came the Jewish ceremonies were +shadows of the good things to come; but Christ was the substance of +them. But now that he has come to put away sin by the sacrifice of +Himself, there is no other sacrifice for sin remaining for those who +reject Him. God will send no other Saviour, and no further +atonement; no second "fountain shall be opened for sin and +uncleanness." There remains, therefore, nothing for the rejector of +salvation by Christ, but "a fearful looking-for of judgment." + +Mr. M.--There are some who say they do not know that they have the +right kind of faith. + +Mr. R.--God does not ask us if we have the right kind of faith. He +tells us the right thing to believe, and the right faith is to +believe the _right thing_, even what God has told us and promised +us. If I told you, Mr. Moody, that I had found a hymn-book last +night you would believe me, would you not? (Mr. Moody: Yes.) Suppose +I said it was the valuable one _you_ lost the other night, you would +believe me also just the same. There is no difference in the _kind_ +of faith; the difference is in the _thing believed_. When the Son of +God tells me that He died for sinners, that is a fact for my faith +to lay hold of: the faith itself is not some thing to be considered. +I do not look at my hand, when I take a gift, and wonder what sort +of a hand it is. I look at the gift. + +Mr. M.--What about those people who say their hearts are so hard, +and they have no love to Christ? + +Mr. R.--Of course they are hard and cold. No man loves Christ till +he believes that Christ loves him. "We love Him, because He first +loved us." It is the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the +Holy Ghost that makes the change. + +Mr. M.--Paul said he was "crucified with Christ." what did he mean? + +Mr. R.--Oh, that is a grand text! Thank God I have been "crucified +with Christ." The Cross of Christ represents the death due to the +sinner who had broken God's laws. When Christ was crucified every +member of His body was crucified: but every believer that was, or +is, or shall be, is a member of Christ's body, of His flesh, and of +His bones. Again, we read: "Whether one member suffer, all the +members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members +rejoice with it: now ye are the body of Christ, and members in +particular." So when Christ was crucified for sin, I was also +crucified in Him; and now I am dead and gone as far as my old self +is concerned. I have already suffered for sin in Him. Yes; I am dead +and buried with Christ. That is the grand truth that Paul laid hold +upon. I am stone dead as a sinner in the sight of God. As it is +written, I am "become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that I +might be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the +dead, that I should bring forth fruit unto God." "I am crucified +with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in +me;" and God Himself commands me so to regard my standing before Him +as His believing child. "In that Christ died, He died, unto sin +once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God. _Likewise reckon ye +also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin_, but _alive unto God_ +through Jesus Christ our Lord." + +Mr. M.--Should not a man repent a good deal before he comes to +Christ? + +Mr. R.--"Repent a good deal!" I do not think any man repents in the +true sense of the word till he loves Christ and hates sin. There are +many false repentances in the Bible. We are told that Pharaoh +repented when the judgment of God came upon him, and he said, "I +have sinned;" but as soon as the judgment passed away, he went back +to his sin. We read that Balaam said: "I have sinned." Yet "he loved +the wages of unrighteousness." When Saul lost his kingdom he +repented; "I have sinned," he said. When Judas Iscariot found that +he had made a great mistake, he said: "I have sinned, in that I have +betrayed innocent blood;" yet he went "to his own place." I would +not give much for these repentances; I would rather have Peter's +repentance: when Christ looked upon His fallen saint it broke His +heart, and he went out and wept bitterly. Or the repentance of the +Prodigal, when his father's arms were around his neck, and his +kisses on his cheek, and he said, "Father, I have sinned against +heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son." + +Mr. M.--What is your title to heaven? + +Mr. R.--The Person, the Life, Death, and Righteousness, of the +God-man, the Son of God, my Substitute, and my Saviour. + +Mr. M.--How do you obtain that? + +Mr. R.--By receiving Him. "As many as received Him, to them gave He +authority to become the sons of God, even to them that believed on +His name." + +Mr. M.--What is your meetness for heaven? + +Mr. R.--The Holy Ghost dwelling in my heart is my fitness for +heaven. I have only to get there; and I have, by this great gift, +all tastes, desires, and faculties, for it: I have the eyes to +contemplate it: I have the ears for heaven's music: and I can speak +the language of the country. The Holy Ghost in me is my fitness and +qualification for the splendid inheritance for which the Son of God +has redeemed me. + +Mr. M.--Would you make a distinction between Christ's work for us +and the Spirit's work in us? + +Mr. R.--Christ's work for me is the payment of my debt; the giving +me a place in my Father's home, the place of sonship in my Father's +family. The Holy Spirit's work in me is to make me fit for His +company. + +Mr. M.--You distinguish, then, between the work of the Father, the +work of the Son, and the work of the Holy Ghost. + +Mr. R.--Thanks be to God, I have them all, and I want them +all--Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. I read that my Heavenly Father took +my sins and laid them on Christ; "The Lord hath laid on Him the +iniquity of us all." No one else had a right to touch them. Then I +want the Son, who "His own self bare my sins in His own body on a +tree." And I want the Holy Ghost. I should know nothing about this +great salvation, and care nothing for it, if the Holy Ghost had not +come and told me the story, and given me grace to believe it. + +Mr. M.--What is meant when we are told that Christ saves "to the +uttermost?" + +Mr. R.--That is another grand truth. Some people are troubled by the +thought that they will not be able to hold out if they come to +Christ. There are so many crooked ways, and pitfalls, and snares in +the world; there is the power of the flesh, and the snare of the +devil. So they fear they will never get home. The idea of the +passage is this. Suppose you are on the top of some splendid +mountain, very high up. You look away to where the sun sets, and you +see many a river, and many a country, and many a barren waste +between. Christ is able to save you through and over them all, out +and out, and beyond to the uttermost. + +Mr. M.--Suppose a man came in here just out of prison: all his life +he has been falling, falling, till he has become discouraged. Can +Christ save him all at once? + +Mr. R.--It is just as easy for Christ to save a man with the weight +of ten thousand sins upon him and all his chains around him, as to +save a man with one sin. If a man has offended in one point, the +Scripture says he is guilty of all. + +Mr. M.--If a man is forgiven, will he go out and do the same thing +to-morrow? + +Mr. R.--Well, I hope not. All I can say is that if we do, we shall +smart for it. I have done many a thing since the Lord revealed +Himself to my soul that I should not have done--I have gone backward +and downward; but I have always found that it does not pay when I do +anything that grieves my Heavenly Father. I think He sometimes +allows us to taste the bitterness of what it is to depart from Him. +And this is one of the many ways by which He keeps us from falling. + +Mr. M.--What do you consider to be the great sin of sins? + +Mr. R.--The Word of God tells us that there is only one sin of which +God alone can convince us. If I cut a man's throat or if I steal, it +does not need God to convince me that that is a sin. But it takes +the power of the Holy Ghost to convince me that not to receive +Christ, not to love Christ, not to believe in Christ, is the sin of +sins, the root of sins. Christ says, "When the Spirit is come, He +will convince the world of sin, _because they believe not on Me_." + +Mr. M.--What do you mean by the Word of God? + +Mr. R.--The Son of God is the Word of God incarnate: the Bible is +the Word of God written. The one is the Word of God in my nature: +the other is the Word of God in my language. + +Mr. M.--If a man receives the word of God into his heart, what +benefit is it to him, right here to-night? + +Mr. R.--The Father and the Son will make their abode with him; and +he will be the temple of the Holy Ghost. Where He goes the whole +Trinity goes; and all the promises are his. "Man doth not live by +bread alone; but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of +God." + +Mr. M.--Who is it that judges a man to be unworthy of eternal life? + +Mr. R.--_Himself!!_ There is a verse in Acts xiii that is worth +remembering: "Seeing ye put it [the Word of God] from you, and judge +_yourselves_ unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the +Gentiles." God does not judge us unworthy. He has given His Son for +our salvation. When a man puts away the Word of God from him and +refuses to receive Christ into his heart, he judges _himself_ +unworthy of salvation. + +Mr. M.--I understand, then, that if a man rejects Christ to-night, +he passes judgment on himself as unworthy of eternal life? + +Mr. R.--He is judging himself unworthy, while God does not so +consider him. God says you are welcome to eternal life. + +Mr. M.--If any one here wants to please God to-night, how can he do +it? + +Mr. R.--God delights in mercy. Come to God and claim His mercy in +Christ; and you will delight His heart. + +Mr. M.--Suppose a man say he is not "elected?" + +Mr. R.--Do you remember the story of the woman of Canaan? Poor soul; +she had come a long journey. She asked the Lord to have mercy on her +afflicted child. He wanted to try her faith, and He said: "I am not +sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." That looked as +if He Himself told her that she was not one of the elect. But she +came and worshipped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!" and He helped her +there and then. No; there is no election separating between the +sinner and Christ. + +Mr. M.--Say that again. + +Mr. R.--There is no election separating between the sinner and +christ. + +Mr. M.--What is there between the sinner and Christ? + +Mr. R.--Mercy!! Mercy!! + +Mr. M.--That brings me near to Christ. + +Mr. R.--So near that we cannot be nearer. But we must claim it. In +John we get God's teaching about election. "This is the Father's +will which hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given Me I should +lose _nothing_; but should raise it up again at the last day." He +will do his work, you may depend upon it. Then in the next verse we +read: "And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that _every one_ +which seeth the Son, and _believeth_ on Him, may have everlasting +life: and I will raise him up at the last day." That is the part I +am to take: and when I have done so I shall know the Father's will +concerning me. + +Mr. M.--What do you mean by the New Birth? + +Mr. R.--I judge it by what I know of the Old Birth. I was born of +human parents into the human family; so I belong to Adam's race by +nature and by generation, and I inherit Adam's sin and curse +accordingly. The new birth is from my union by faith with the second +Adam; but this is by _grace_, not nature: and when I receive the +Lord Jesus Christ I am born of God--not by generation, but by +regeneration. As I am united to the first Adam by nature and +generation, so I am united by faith through grace and regeneration +to the second Adam, and inherit all His fullness accordingly. + +Mr. M.--What is the meaning of being "saved by the Blood?" + +Mr. R.--A gentleman asked me that in the inquiry-room; "What do you +mean by the shed Blood?" It is the poured-out life of the Son of God +forfeited as the atonement for sinners' sins. + +Mr. M.--Is it available now? + +Mr. R.--Yes; as much as ever it was. + +Mr. M.--You mean it is just as powerful to-day as it was eighteen +hundred years ago when He shed it? + +Mr. R.--If the blood of Abel cried out for vengeance against his +slayer, how much more does the blood of Christ cry out for pardon +for all who plead it! "It cleanseth (present tense) from all sin." + +Mr. M.--How do you get faith? + +Mr. R.--By hearing God's Word. "Faith cometh by hearing; and hearing +by the Word of God." + +Mr. M.--How do you get the Holy Ghost? + +Mr. R.--In the same way as you get faith. The Holy Ghost uses the +Word as the chariot by which He enters the believer's soul. The +Gospel is called "the ministration of the Spirit." + +Mr. M.--Is the Word of God addressed to all here? + +Mr. R.--"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to +the Churches" (Rev. iii 22). + +Mr. M.--What is the Gospel? + +Mr. R.--"Good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people." +If our Gospel, proclaiming life, pardon, and peace, is not as +applicable for salvation to the vilest harlot here as to the +greatest saint in London, it is not Christ's Gospel we preach. + +Mr. M.--What reason does the Scripture give tor the Gospel being hid +to some? + +Mr. R.--It is "hid to them that are lost; in whom the God of this +world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the +light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, +should shine into them." May God open all our eyes, and take away +the veil of unbelief with which the devil may be blinding any of us! + +Mr. M.--Are there not many who give an intellectual assent to all +these things; and who yet have no power, and no divine life? + +Mr. R.--An intellectual assent is not faith. I have never found +anyone who really believed God's Word who did not get power in +believing it. People may _assent_ to it; but I do not admit that +that is believing it. I do not think there is any man or woman here +who really believes the Gospel of the grace of God, who has not been +taught it by the Holy Ghost. I could easily cross-examine any one of +those "intellectual believers" who imagines he believes God, but +really does not; and he would break down in a few minutes. + +Mr. M.--For whom, then, did Christ die? + +Mr. R.--For "the ungodly." + +Mr. M.--Why is salvation obtained by faith? + +Mr. R.--That it might be by grace. "For this cause it is of faith, +that it may be according to grace?" + +Mr. M.--How may a man know if he has eternal life? + +Mr. R.--By not treating God as if He were a liar, when He tells us +He has given us eternal life in His Son. + +Mr. M.--What is the means by which the New Birth we were speaking of +is effected? + +Mr. R.--"Of His own will begat He us with the _word of truth_." +"Being _born again_, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, +by the _Word of God_ . . . . and this is the Word, which by the +Gospel is preached unto you." + + "Oh, the wondrous love of Jesus + To redeem us with His blood! + Through His all-atoning merit, + He has brought us near to God: + For the boundless grace that saves us + We His name will magnify; + He is coming in His glory, + We shall see Him by and by! + + Oh, the wondrous love of Jesus + To redeem our souls from death! + We will thank Him, we will praise Him, + While His mercy lends us breath: + We are waiting--only waiting-- + Till He comes our souls to bear + To the Home beyond the shadows, + In His Kingdom over there!" + +_F. J. Crosby_ + + + +III.--MR. MOODY AND MR. RADSTOCK. + + +WHAT IT IS TO BE CONVERTED. + + +MR. MOODY: Christ says, "Except ye be converted, and become as +little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." +What is it to be converted? + +Mr. Radstock: To be "converted" is to turn to God, who is the only +one that can save. We cannot save ourselves even by our religion. +Therefore, in order to salvation we must turn to God, who alone has +the grace, the wisdom, and the power to save. + +Mr. M.--What is it to be born of the Spirit? + +Mr. R.--Man, by nature, cannot enter into the thoughts of God. He +cannot hold communion with God until he has a new nature. The +natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: he has no +capacity until he has the new life which God will give him by the +power of the Holy Ghost. + +Mr. M.--Can he get that to-day if he repents? + +Mr. R.--Yes. Repentance means a change of mind--a turning away from +his own thoughts to hear the voice and the message of God. If we +listen to the voice of God and confess our sins, God is "faithful +and just to forgive us our sins." + +Mr. M.--To whom are we to confess our sins? + +Mr. R.--When the light of God comes in, we see that we are guilty +before him; then we are constrained to go and lay our case before +Him. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us. + +Mr. M.--There is a passage that says the Lord Jesus Christ bear our +sins. In what sense did He bear our sins. + +Mr. R.--The Lord Jesus Christ had really laid to His charge sins +which He had never committed. He was punished as if He had been the +sinner. Therefore on the cross He cried out, "My God, my God, why +hast Thou forsaken me?" God was dealing with Jesus as if He had +really been the guilty one. + +Mr. M.--Do we get any help by believing that? + +Mr. R.--When I believe God's testimony, God's witness about Jesus, I +then can trust myself to God, Giving myself to God, God becomes my +Saviour. + +Mr. M.--Have these friends the power to believe? + +Mr. R.--They are commanded to believe. They can believe it just as +well as they can believe any other fact, if they only listen to +God's voice. But they must get rid of their own thoughts, and listen +to God: Hearing His voice they will believe. "Faith cometh by +hearing: and hearing by the Word of God." + +Mr. M.--All the sinner has to do is to repose in the promises of +God? + +Mr. R.--Simply to trust Himself to God. + +Mr. M.--What would you say to a man who says he has tried a good +many times and failed; and who has become discouraged? + +Mr. R.--That man has probably made a good many resolutions, hoping +that he would gradually make himself a Christian by going through +this or that process, or by doing this or that thing. Of course he +failed, because he tried to make himself a Christian. Instead of +trying to save himself, let him trust in God, who has pledged His +word that every one who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ has at +that moment everlasting life. + +Mr. M.--Should a man not break off from some of his sins before he +comes to God? Suppose he swears or has a bad temper, should he not +get a little control over his temper, or stop swearing, before he +comes to Christ? + +Mr. R.--God knows that a man's nature is wrong: therefore He has +promised to give a man a new nature. We must therefore go to God, +just as a man goes to a physician, because he needs to be cured of +some disease. + +Mr. M.--Can a drunkard or a blasphemer be saved all at once? + +Mr. R.--Paul says: "To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him +that justifieth the ungodly" bad people, lost people, ruined +people--"his faith is counted for righteousness." When he believes +God, God becomes his Saviour. God is the friend of sinners. + +Mr. M.--What is it to believe God? + +Mr. R.--To take Him at His word. + +Mr. M.--Do you not think there are a good many here who believe that +Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world; and yet they are not +saved? + +Mr. R.--No doubt; because they have not believed for themselves. A +man at the time of the Deluge, for instance, might have said, "Yes, +I believe it is a very good ark indeed; and that it will save those +who get into it." But it does not follow that he got into it +himself. The ark only saved those who went into it. So, when a man +trusts in Jesus Christ for himself, Jesus becomes his personal and +eternal Saviour. + +Mr. M.--What if he should fall into sin after he has believed in +Christ? + +Mr. R.--"These things write I unto you that ye sin not," says John; +"and if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father." The Good +Physician will not give up His case because of the disease; He will +deal with it. The Good Shepherd will not turn His poor wandering +sheep away; He will go after it, and bring it back. He has promised +that He will save His people _from_ their sins. + +Mr. M.--Is salvation within the reach of every man here tonight? + +Mr. R.--Jesus said, "God so loved the world that He gave his only +begotten Son, that _whosoever_ believeth in Him should not perish, +but have everlasting life." + +Mr. M.--But some say they do not feel that; they do not realize it. + +Mr. R.--When they take God at His word, and cast themselves upon +Him, whether they feel it or not--when they confess Jesus Christ as +their Lord--the Holy Ghost will come as a power to make them realize +it. For instance, a man at the time of the Deluge might have stood +outside the ark, and said, "I cannot realize how this ark will lift +me up above the waters." But if he were inside when the flood came +he would realize it. The sinner must believe first, and have his +experience afterwards. A man is told that a certain train will take +him to Edinburgh. He has never been there: he does not understand +about this particular train; and he cannot realize that it will take +him there. But he knows that he may trust the friend who told him; +so he gets into the train. Then he realizes that he is in the train; +by and by he will be able to realize that he is in Edinburgh. + +Mr. M.--Would you advise people to come to God as they are, with +their unfeeling, treacherous, hard hearts--with any kind of heart? + +Mr. R.--God has provided this salvation for lost sinners--those who +are thoroughly bad and corrupt. It is for such that God has shown +His salvation, His love, His grace. + +Mr. M.--What would you say to any one who thinks he has no power to +believe? + +Mr. R.--He _has_ the power to believe. Probably he is trying to +believe something about himself; to feel something about himself +instead of giving credit to God--He is not asked to realize this or +that about himself, but to believe the faithful God. + +Mr. M.--Some say they have no power to overcome a besetting sin? + +Mr. R.--Jesus came proclaiming liberty to the captives. As we read +in the beautiful words of the Church of England Prayer-book: "Though +we be tied and bound by the chains of our sin, let the pitifulness +of Thy mercy save us." Jesus Christ takes the prisoners of sin and +breaks off their chains. + +Mr. M.--There is something said about confessing Christ. Would you +advise any one who wants to become a Christian to start right here +by confessing Christ with the mouth? + +Mr. R.--God is already on your side, whoever you are. Christ is +Immanuel--God with us and for us. He is already on your side, +whether you believe it or not. Now it is for you to decide whether +He shall be your Saviour. He says that if you own Him as Lord--who +is now the one rejected by the world--He is responsible to be your +Saviour from that moment. + + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Sovereign Grace, by Dwight Moody + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SOVEREIGN GRACE *** + +***** This file should be named 30657.txt or 30657.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/0/6/5/30657/ + +Produced by Keith G. Richardson + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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