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diff --git a/33014-h/33014-h.htm b/33014-h/33014-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e7acf2d --- /dev/null +++ b/33014-h/33014-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,4263 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" +"http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd"> +<html> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content= +"text/html; charset=us-ascii"> +<title>TO THE WORK! TO THE WORK!</title> + +<style type="text/css"> + body {font-family:'Bookman Old Style', 'Book Antiqua', 'Garamond'; text-align:justify; margin-left:3em; margin-right:3em} + p.pnn {margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0} + p.pn1 {margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0; font-size:83%} + p.ps {margin-top:0; margin-bottom:1em} + p.pn {text-indent:1.5em; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0} + p.pns {text-indent:1.5em; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:1em} + p.pc {text-align:center;font-size:75%; margin-top:1.5em; margin-bottom:0.5em} + p.p2 {padding-left:5em; text-indent:-2em; font-size:92%; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0} + p.p3 {padding-left:6em; text-indent:-2em; font-size:92%; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0} + p.p3s {padding-left:6em; text-indent:-2em; font-size:92%; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:1em} + p.p4 {padding-left:7em; text-indent:-2em; font-size:92%; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0} + p.p4s {padding-left:7em; text-indent:-2em; font-size:92%; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:1em} + p.pt1 {text-align:center;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:1em;font-size:129%;font-weight:normal} + table, td, th {border:1px solid black} + .ls1 {letter-spacing:0.1em} + h1 {text-align:center;margin-top:3.5em;margin-bottom:0.9em;font-size:117%;font-weight:normal} + hr {margin: 0 auto; text-align: center} +</style> +</head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of To The Work! To The Work!, 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: To The Work! To The Work! + Exhortations to Christians + +Author: Dwight Moody + +Release Date: June 28, 2010 [EBook #33014] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TO THE WORK! TO THE WORK! *** + + + + +Produced by Keith G. Richardson + + + + + +</pre> + + +<p class="pnn"><a href="#contents">Contents</a></p> +<hr style="margin-top:5em;margin-bottom:7em"> +<table summary="Title Page" style= +"border-collapse:collapse; width:26em; border-width:3px; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto"> +<tr> +<td> +<table summary="Title Page" style= +"border-collapse:collapse; border-width:2px; width:22em; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto; margin-top:2.0em; margin-bottom:2em"> +<tr> +<td style= +"text-align:center;font-size:233%; letter-spacing:0.07em; line-height:1.1em"> +<p style=" margin-top:0.4em; margin-bottom:0">TO THE WORK</p> +<p style=" margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0.4em">TO THE WORK</p> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td> +<p style= +"text-align:center; font-size:150%; margin-top:0.7em; margin-bottom:1.1em"> +Exhortations to Christians</p> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td> +<p style= +"text-align:center; font-size:71%; margin-top:2.5em; margin-bottom:1.5em"> +BY</p> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:129%;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:1.5em"> +D. L. <span class="ls1">MOODY</span></p> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td> +<div style="text-align:center"><img alt="Graphic" src= +"images/grph.jpg" style= +"width: 6.7em; margin-top:3.0em;margin-bottom:3.7em"></div> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:117%;margin-top:1.2em;margin-bottom:0.2em"> +Fleming H. Revell Company</p> +<p style= +"text-align:center; font-size:108%; letter-spacing:0.03em; margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0.1em"> +Chicago, New York & Toronto</p> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:88%; letter-spacing:0.02em; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:2.0em"> +<i>Publishers of Evangelical Literature</i></p> +</td> +</tr> +</table> +</td> +</tr> +</table> +<hr style="margin-top:10em;margin-bottom:21em"> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:75%;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0.5em"> +Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1884</p> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:75%;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0.5em"> +BY F. H. REVELL,</p> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:75%;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:9.0em"> +In the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.</p> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:100%;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:1.5em"> +<i>ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.</i></p> +<hr style="margin-top:21em;margin-bottom:8em"> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:108%; letter-spacing:0.2em; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:1.5em"> +<a name="contents" id="contents">CONTENTS.</a></p> +<hr style="width:3em;margin-top:1.7em;margin-bottom:1.5em"> +<p class="pc"><a href="#c1">CHAPTER I.</a></p> +<p class="pn1">“TAKE YE AWAY THE STONE”</p> +<p class="pc"><a href="#c2">CHAPTER II.</a></p> +<p class="pn1">LOVE, THE MOTIVE POWER FOR SERVICE</p> +<p class="pc"><a href="#c3">CHAPTER III.</a></p> +<p class="pn1">FAITH AND COURAGE</p> +<p class="pc"><a href="#c4">CHAPTER IV.</a></p> +<p class="pn1">FAITH REWARDED</p> +<p class="pc"><a href="#c5">CHAPTER V.</a></p> +<p class="pn1">ENTHUSIASM</p> +<p class="pc"><a href="#c6">CHAPTER VI.</a></p> +<p class="pn1">THE POWER OF LITTLE THINGS</p> +<p class="pc"><a href="#c7">CHAPTER VII.</a></p> +<p class="pn1">“SHE HATH DONE WHAT SHE COULD”</p> +<p class="pc"><a href="#c8">CHAPTER VIII.</a></p> +<p class="pn1">“WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?”</p> +<p class="pc"><a href="#c9">CHAPTER IX.</a></p> +<p class="pn1">“YE ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD”</p> +<hr style="margin-top:5.5em;margin-bottom:9.5em"> +<p style= +"text-align:center;font-size:167%;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:1.5em"> +<a name="c1" id="c1">“TO THE WORK! TO THE WORK!”</a></p> +<hr style="width:6em;margin-top:1.7em;margin-bottom:1.5em"> +<h1 style= +"text-align:center;margin-top:1.5em;margin-bottom:0.9em;font-size:117%;font-weight:normal"> +CHAPTER I.</h1> +<p class="pt1">TAKE YE AWAY THE STONE.</p> +<hr style="width:6em;margin-top:1.7em;margin-bottom:1.5em"> +<p class="pn">In the gospel by John we read that at the tomb of +Lazarus our Lord said to His disciples, “Take ye away the stone.” +Before the act of raising Lazarus could be performed, the +disciples had their part to do. Christ could have removed the +stone with a word. It would have been very easy for Him to have +commanded it to roll away, and it would have obeyed His voice, as +the dead Lazarus did when He called him back to life. But the +Lord would have His children learn this lesson: that they have +something to do towards raising the spiritually dead. The +disciples had not only to take away the stone, but after Christ +had raised Lazarus they had to “loose and let him go.”</p> +<p class="pn">It is a question if any man on the face of the +earth has ever been converted, without God using some human +instrument, in some way. God could easily convert men without us; +but that is not His way.</p> +<p class="pn">The stone I want to speak about to-day, that must +be rolled away before any great work of God can be brought about, +is the miserable stone of prejudice. Many people have a great +prejudice against revivals; they hate the very word. I am sorry +to say that this feeling is not confined to ungodly or careless +people; there are not a few Christians who seem to cherish a +strong dislike both to the word “Revival” and to the thing +itself.</p> +<p class="pn">What does “Revival” mean? It simply means a +recalling from obscurity—a finding some hidden treasure and +bringing it back to the light. I think every one of us must +acknowledge that we are living in a time of need. I doubt if +there is a family in the world that has not some relative whom +they would like to see brought into the fold of God, and who +needs salvation.</p> +<p class="pn">Men are anxious for a revival in business. I am +told that there is a widespread and general stagnation in +business. People are very anxious that there should be a revival +of trade this winter. There a great revival in politics just now. +In all departments of life you find that men are very anxious for +a revival in the things that concern them most.</p> +<p class="pn">If this is legitimate—and I do not say but it is +perfectly right in its place—should not every child of God be +praying for and desiring a revival of godliness in the world at +the present time. Do we not need a revival of downright honesty, +of truthfulness, of uprightness, and of temperance? Are there not +many who have become alienated from the Church of God and from +the house of the Lord, who are forming an attachment to the +saloon? Are not our sons being drawn away by hundreds and +thousands, so that while you often find the churches empty, the +liquor shops are crowded every Sabbath afternoon and evening. I +am sure the saloon-keepers are glad if they can have a revival in +their business; they do not object to sell more whisky and beer. +Then surely every true Christian ought to desire that men who are +in danger of perishing eternally should be saved and rescued.</p> +<p class="pn">Some people seem to think that “Revivals” are a +modern invention—that they have only been known within the last +few years. But they are nothing new. If there is not Scriptural +authority for revivals, then I cannot understand my Bible.</p> +<p class="pn">For the first 2,000 years of the world’s history +they had no revival that we know of; probably, if they had, there +would have been no Flood. The first real awakening, of which we +read in the Old Testament, was when Moses was sent down to Egypt +to bring his brethren out of the house of bondage. When Moses +went down to Goshen, there must have been a great commotion +there; many things were done out of the usual order. When three +millions of Hebrews were put behind the Blood of the Slain Lamb, +that was nothing but God reviving His work among them.</p> +<p class="pn">Under Joshua there was a great revival; and again +under the Judges. God was constantly reviving the Jewish nation +in those olden times. Samuel brought the people to Mizpah, and +told them to put away their strange gods. Then the Israelites +went out and defeated the Philistines, so that they never came +back in his day. Dr. Bonar says it may be that David and Jonathan +were converted under that revival in the time of Samuel.</p> +<p class="pn">What was it but a great revival in the days of +Elijah? The people had turned away to idolatry, and the prophet +summoned them to Mount Carmel. As the multitude stood there on +the mountain, God answered by fire; the people fell on their +faces and cried, “The Lord, He is the God.” That was the nation +turning back to God. No doubt there were men talking against the +work, and saying it would not last. That is the cry of many +to-day, and has been the cry for 4,000 years. Some old Carmelite +very probably said in the days of Elijah: “This will not be +permanent.” So there are not a few in these days shaking their +wise heads and saying the work will not last.</p> +<p class="pn">When we come to New Testament times, we have the +wonderful revival under John the Baptist. Was there ever a man +who accomplished so much in a few months, except the Master +Himself? The preaching of John was like the breath of spring +after a long and dreary winter. For 400 long years there had been +no prophet, and darkness had settled down on the nation. John’s +advent was like the flashing of a brilliant meteor that heralded +the coming day. It was not in the temple or in any synagogue that +he preached, but on the banks of the Jordan. Men, women, and +children flocked to hear him. Almost any one can get an audience +in a crowded city, but this was away out in the desert. No doubt +there was great excitement. I suppose the towns and villages were +nearly depopulated, as they flocked out to hear the preaching of +John.</p> +<p class="pn">People are so afraid of excitement. When I went +over to England in 1867, I was asked to go and preach at the +Derby race-course. I saw more excitement there in one day than I +have seen at all the religious meetings I ever attended in my +life put together. And yet I heard no one complaining of too much +excitement. I heard of a minister, not long ago, who was present +at a public dance till after five o’clock in the morning. The +next Sabbath he preached against the excitement of revivals—the +late hours, and so on. Very consistent kind of reasoning, was it +not?</p> +<p class="pn">Then look at Pentecost. The apostles preached, and +you know what the result was. I suppose the worldly men of that +day said it would all die away. Although they brought about the +martyrdom of Stephen and of James, other men rose up to take +possession of the field. From the very place where Stephen was +slain, Saul took up the work, and it has been going on ever +since.</p> +<p class="pn">There are many professed Christians who are all the +time finding fault and criticising. They criticise the preaching, +or the singing. The prayers will be either too long or too short, +too loud, or not loud enough. They will find fault with the +reading of the Word of God, or will say it was not the right +portion. They will criticise the preacher. “I do not like his +style,” they say. If you doubt what I say, listen to the people +as they go out of a revival meeting, or any other religious +gathering.</p> +<p class="pn">“What did you think of the preacher?” says one. +“Well, I must confess I was disappointed. I did not like his +manner. He was not graceful in his actions.” Another will say: +“He was not logical; I like logic.” Or another: “He did not +preach enough about repentance.” If a preacher does not go over +every doctrine in every sermon people begin to find fault. They +say: “There was too much repentance, and no Gospel; or, it was +all Gospel, and no repentance.” “He spoke a great deal abort +justification, but he said nothing about sanctification.” So if a +man does not go right through the Bible, from Genesis to +Revelation, in one sermon, they at once proceed to criticise and +find fault.</p> +<p class="pn">“The fact is,” says some one of this class, “the +man did not touch my heart at all.” Some one else will say, “He +was all heart and no head. I like a man to preach to my +intellect.” Or, “He appeals too much to the will; he does not +give enough prominence to the doctrine of election.” Or, again, +“There is no backbone in his preaching; he does not lay +sufficient stress on doctrine.” Or, “He is not eloquent;” and so +on, and so on.</p> +<p class="pn">You may find hundreds of such fault-finders among +professed Christians; but all their criticism will not lead one +solitary soul to Christ. I never preached a sermon yet that I +could not pick to pieces and find fault with. I feel that Jesus +Christ ought to have a far better representative than I am. But I +have lived long enough to discover that there is nothing perfect +in this world. If you are to wait until you can find a perfect +preacher, or perfect meetings, I am afraid you will have to wait +till the millennium arrives. What we want is to be looking right +up to Him. Let us get done with fault-finding. When I hear people +talk in the way I have described, I say to them, “Come and do +better yourself. Step up here and try what you can do.” My +friends, it is so easy to find fault; it takes neither brains nor +heart.</p> +<p class="pn">Some years ago, a pastor of a little Church in a +small town became exceedingly discouraged, and brooded over his +trials to such an extent that he became an inveterate grumbler. +He found fault with his brethren because he imagined they did not +treat him well. A brother minister was invited to assist him a +few days in a special service. At the close of the Sabbath +morning service our unhappy brother invited the minister to his +house to dinner. While they were waiting alone in the parlor, he +began his doleful story by saying: “My brother, you have no idea +of my troubles; and one of the greatest is, my brethren in the +Church treat me very badly.” The other propounded the following +questions:</p> +<p class="pn">“Did they ever spit in your face?”</p> +<p class="pn">“No; they haven’t come to that.”</p> +<p class="pn">“Did they ever smite you?” “No.”</p> +<p class="pn">“Did they ever crown you with thorns?”</p> +<p class="pn">This last question he could not answer, but bowed +his head thoughtfully. His brother replied: “Your Master and mine +was thus treated, and all His disciples fled and left Him in the +hands of the wicked. Yet He opened not His mouth.” The effect of +this conversation was wonderful. Both ministers bowed in prayer +and earnestly sought to possess the mind which was in Christ +Jesus. During the ten days’ meetings the discontented pastor +became wonderfully changed. He labored and prayed with his +friend, and many souls were brought to Christ. Some weeks after, +a deacon of the church wrote and said: “Your late visit and +conversation with our pastor have had a wonderful influence for +good. We never hear him complain now, and he labors more +prayerfully and zealously.” Another charge brought against +revivals is that they are out of the regular order of things. +Well, there is no doubt about that. But that does not prove that +they are wrong. Eldad and Medad were out of the regular +succession. Joshua wanted Moses to rebuke them. Instead of that +he said: “Would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets.” +Elijah and Elisha did not belong to the regular school of +prophets, yet they exercised a mighty influence for good in their +day. John the Baptist was not in the regular line. He got his +theological training out in the desert. Jesus Christ Himself was +out of the recognized order. When Philip told Nathaniel that he +had found the Messiah, he said to him: “Can there any good thing +come out of Nazareth?”</p> +<p class="pn">As we read the history of the past few centuries we +find that God has frequently taken up those who were, so to +speak, out of the regular line. Martin Luther had to break +through the regular order of things in his day before he brought +about the mighty Reformation. There are now some sixty millions +of people who adhere to the Lutheran Church. Wesley and +Whitefield were not exactly in the regular line, but see what a +mighty work they accomplished!</p> +<p class="pn">My friends, when God works many things will be done +“out of the regular order.” It seems to me that will be a good +thing. There are a few who cannot be reached, apparently, through +the regular channels, who will come to meetings like these out of +the usual routine. We have got our churches, it is true, but we +want to make an effort to reach the outlying masses who will not +go to them. Many will come in to these meetings simply because +they are to be held only for a few days. And so, if they are to +come at all, they must come to a decision about it quickly. +Others come out of idle curiosity, or a desire to know what is +going on. And often at the first meeting something that is spoken +or that is sung will touch them. They have come under the sound +of the Gospel; probably they will become real Christians and +useful members of society. You will sometimes hear people say, +“We have our churches; if men will not come to them, let them +keep out.” That was not the spirit of the Master. When our Civil +War broke out we had a very small standing army. Government asked +for volunteers to enlist. Several hundreds of thousands of men +came forward and joined the ranks of the regular army. There was +plenty for every man to do. These volunteers were not so well +trained and drilled as the older solders, but we could use the +irregulars as well as the regulars. Many of the former soon +became efficient soldiers, and these volunteers did great service +in the cause of the nation. If the outlying masses of the people +are to be reached we must have the regulars and the irregulars +both.</p> +<p class="pn">I remember hearing of a Sunday-school in our +country where the teacher had got into ruts. A young man was +placed in charge as Superintendent, and he wanted to re-arrange +the seats. Some of the older members said the seats had been in +their present position for so many years, that they could not be +moved! There is a good deal of that kind of spirit nowadays. It +seems to me that if one method is not successful we ought to give +it up and try some other plan that may be more likely to succeed. +If the people will not come to the “regular means of grace,” let +us adopt some means that will reach them and win them.</p> +<p class="pn">Do not let us be finding fault because things are +not done exactly as they have been done in the past, and as we +think they ought to be done. I am sick and tired of those who are +constantly complaining. Let us pay no heed to them, but let us go +forward with the work that God has given us to do.</p> +<p class="pn">Another very serious charge is brought against +revivals. They say the work will not last. As I have said there +were doubtless many at the day of Pentecost who said that. And +when Stephen was stoned to death, James beheaded, and finally all +the apostles put to death, no doubt they said that Pentecost was +a stupendous failure. But was it a failure? Are not the fruits of +that revival at Pentecost to be seen even in our time?</p> +<p class="pn">In the sight of the world the mission of John the +Baptist may have been thought to be a failure when he was +beheaded by the command of Herod. But it was not a failure in the +sight of heaven. The influence of this wilderness prophet is felt +in the Church of God to-day. The world thought Christ’s life was +a failure as He hung on the Cross and expired. But in the sight +of God it was altogether different. God made the wrath of men to +praise Him.</p> +<p class="pn">I have little sympathy with those pastors who, when +God is reviving the Churches, begin to preach against revivals. +There is not a denomination in Christendom to-day that has not +sprung out of a revival. The Roman Catholics and the +Episcopalians both claim to be apostolic in their origin; if they +are, they sprang out of the revival at Pentecost. The Methodist +body rose out of revivals under John Wesley and George +Whitefield. Did not the Lutheran Church come from the great +awakening that swept through Germany in the days of Luther? Was +not Scotland stirred up through the preaching of John Knox? Where +did the Quakers come from if not from the work of God under +George Fox? Yet people are so afraid if the regular routine of +things is going to be disturbed. Let us pray that God may raise +up many who will be used by Him for the reviving of His Church in +our day. I think the time has come when we need it.</p> +<p class="pn">I remember we went into one place where one of the +ministers found that his Church was opposed to his taking part in +the meetings. He was told that if he identified himself with the +movement he would alienate some of his congregation. He took the +Church record and found that four-fifths of the members of the +Church had been converted in times of revival, among others the +Superintendent of the Sabbath-school, all the officers of the +Church, and nearly every active member. The minister went into +the Church the following Sabbath and preached a sermon on +revivals, reminding them of what had taken place in the history +of the congregation. You will find that many who talk against +revivals have themselves been converted in such a time.</p> +<p class="pn">Not long ago a very able minister preached a sermon +against these awakenings; he did not believe in them. Some of his +people searched the Church records to see how many during the +previous twelve years had been added to the membership on +profession of their faith; they found that not a single soul had +joined the Church all these years on profession of faith. No +wonder the minister of a Church like that preached against +revivals!</p> +<p class="pn">My experience has been that those who are converted +in a time of special religious interest make even stronger +Christians than those who were brought into the Church at +ordinary times. One young convert helps another, and they get a +better start in the Christian life when there are a good many +together.</p> +<p class="pn">People say the converts sill not hold out. Well, +they did not all hold out under the preaching of Jesus Christ. +“Many of His disciples went back and walked no more with Him.” +Paul mourned over the fact that some of those who made profession +were walking as the enemies of the Cross of Christ. The Master +taught in His wonderful parable that there are various kinds of +hearers—those represented by the wayside hearers, the stony +ground hearers, the thorny ground hearers, and the good ground +hearers; they will remain to the end of time. I have a fruit tree +at my home, and every year it has so many blossoms that if they +should all produce apples the tree would break down. Nine-tenths, +perhaps, of the blossoms will fall off, and yet I have a large +number of apples.</p> +<p class="pn">So there are many who make a profession of +Christianity who fall away. It may be that those who seemed to +promise the fairest turn out the worst, and those who did not +promise so well turn out best in the end. God must prepare the +ground and He must give the increase. I have often said that if I +had to convict men of sin I would have given up the work long +ago. That is the work of the Holy Ghost. What we have to do is to +scatter the good seed of the Word, and expect that God will bless +it to the saving of men’s souls.</p> +<p class="pn">Of course we cannot expect much help from those who +are all the time talking against revivals. I believe many young +disciples are chilled through by those who condemn these special +efforts. If the professed converts sometimes do not hold out, it +is not always their own fault.</p> +<p class="pn">I was preaching in a certain city some time ago, +and a minister said to me: “I hope this work will not turn out +like the revival here five years ago. I took one hundred converts +into the Church, and, with the exception of one or two, I do not +know where they are today.” This was discouraging. I mentioned it +to another minister in the same city, and I said I would rather +give up the work, and go back to business, if the work was not +going to last. He said to me: “I took in one hundred converts at +the same time, and I can lay my hand on ninety-eight out of the +hundred. For five years I have watched them, and only two have +fallen away.” Then he asked me if his brother minister had told +me what took place in his Church after they brought in those +young converts. Some of them thought they ought to have a better +Church, and they got divided among themselves; so nearly all the +members left the Church. If anyone will but engage heartily in +this work they will have enough to encourage them.</p> +<p class="pn">It is very easy for men to talk against a work like +this. But we generally find that such people not only do nothing +at all themselves, but they know nothing about that which they +are criticising. Surely it is hardly fair to condemn a work that +we have not been at the trouble to become personally acquainted +with. If, instead of sitting on the platform and simply looking +on or criticising, such persons would get down among the people +and talk to them about their souls, they would soon find out +whether the work was real or not.</p> +<p class="pn">I remember hearing of a man who returned from a +residence in India. He was out at dinner one day with some +friends, and he was asked about Missions; he said he had never +seen a native convert all the time he was in India. A missionary +who was present did not reply directly to the statement, but he +quietly asked the sceptical Englishman if he had seen any tigers +in India. The man rubbed his hands, as if the recollection gave +him a good deal of pleasure, and said: “Tigers! Yes, I should +think so. I have shot a good many of them.” Said the missionary, +“Well, I was in India for a number of years and never saw a +tiger.” The fact was that the one had been looking for converts +and the other for tigers, and they both found what they looked +for.</p> +<p class="pn">If we look for converts we shall find them; there +is no doubt about that. But the truth is that in almost every +case those who talk against revivals know nothing whatever about +it from personal contact and experience. Do you suppose that the +young converts are going round to your house and knock at the +door to tell you they have been converted? If you wish to find +out the truth you must go among them in their homes and talk to +them.</p> +<p class="pn">I hope no one will be afraid of the Inquiry Room. +At one of the places where I worked once I found a good many +people who hated the very word “Inquiry Room.” But I contend that +it is a perfectly reasonable thing. When a boy is at school and +cannot solve some problem in algebra, he asks help of some one +who knows it. Here is the great problem of eternal life that has +to be solved by each of us. Why should we not ask those who are +more experienced than ourselves to help us if they can. If we +have any difficulty we cannot overcome, probably we shall find +some Godly man or woman who had the same difficulty twenty years +ago; they will be glad to help us, and tell us how they were +enabled to surmount it. Do not be afraid therefore to let them +help you.</p> +<p class="pn">I believe there is not a living soul who has a +spiritual difficulty but there is some promise in the Word of God +to meet that difficulty. But if you keep your feelings and your +troubles all locked up, how are you to be helped? I might stand +here and preach to you right on for thirty days and not touch +your particular difficulty. But twenty minutes’ private +conversation may clear away all your doubts and troubles.</p> +<p class="pn">There was a lady who worked in the Inquiry Room +when we were in the south of London nine years ago. I saw her +again a short time ago, and she told me that she had a list of +thirty-five cases of those with whom she conversed, and who she +thought were truly converted. She has written letters to them and +sent them little gifts at Christmas, and she said to me that so +far as she could judge not a single one of the thirty-five had +wandered away. She has placed her life alongside of theirs all +these years, and she has been able to be a blessing to them.</p> +<p class="pn">If we had a thousand such persons, by the help of +God we should see signs and wonders. There is no class of people, +however hopeless or degraded, but can be reached, only we must +lay ourselves out to reach them. Many Christians are asleep; we +want to arouse them, so that they shall take a personal interest +in those who are living in carelessness and sin. Let us lay aside +all our prejudices. If God is working it matters little whether +or not the work is done in the exact way that we would like to +see it done, or in the way we have seen it done in the past.</p> +<p class="pn">Let there be one united cry going up to God, that +He will revive His work in our midst. Let the work of revival +begin with us who are Christians. Let us remove all the +hindrances that come from ourselves. Then, by the help of the +Spirit, we shall be able to reach these non-church goers, and +multitudes will be brought into the kingdom of God.</p> +<h1><a name="c2" id="c2">CHAPTER II.</a></h1> +<p class="pt1">LOVE, THE MOTIVE POWER FOR SERVICE.</p> +<hr style="width:6em;margin-top:1.7em;margin-bottom:1.5em"> +<p class="pn">Let me call your attention to Paul’s first letter +to the Corinthians, thirteenth chapter: In reading this passage +let us use the word “love” instead of “charity”:—“Though I speak +with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am +become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have +the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all +knowledge: and though I have all faith, so that I could remove +mountains, and have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow +all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be +burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing.”</p> +<p class="pn">It is a great thing to be a prophet like Daniel, or +Isaiah, or Elijah, or Elisha; but it is a greater thing, we are +told here, to be full of love than to be filled with the spirit +of prophecy. Mary of Bethany, who was so full of love, held a +higher position than these great prophets did.</p> +<p class="pn">“Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth +not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up; Doth not behave +itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, +thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the +truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all +things, endureth all things. Love never faileth; but whether +there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, +they shall cease: whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish +away. And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the +greatest of these is love.”</p> +<p class="pn">The enemy had got into that little Church at +Corinth established by Paul, and there was strife among the +disciples. One said, “I am of Apollos;” another, “I am of +Cephas;” and another, “I am of Paul.” Paul saw that this +sectarian strife and want of love among God’s dear people would +be disastrous to the Church of God, and so he wrote this letter. +I have often said that if every true believer could move into +this chapter and live in the spirit of it for twelve months, the +Church of God would double its numbers within that time. One of +the great obstacles in the way of God’s work to-day is this want +of love among those who are the disciples of the Lord Jesus +Christ.</p> +<p class="pn">If we love a person we will not be pointing out his +failings all the time. It is said: “Many rules of eloquence have +been set forth, but, strange, to say, the first and most +essential of all has been overlooked, namely, love. To address +men well they must be loved much. Whatever they may be, be they +ever so guilty, or indifferent, or ungrateful, or however deeply +sunk in crime, before all, and above all, they must be loved. +Love is the sap of the Gospel, the secret of lively and effectual +preaching, the magic power of eloquence. The end of preaching is +to reclaim the hearts of men to God, and nothing but love can +find out the mysterious avenues which lead to the heart. If then +you do not feel a fervent love and profound pity for humanity, be +assured that the gift of Christian eloquence has been denied you. +You will not win souls, neither will you acquire that most +excellent of earthly sovereignties—sovereignty over human hearts. +An Arab proverb runs thus—‘The neck is bent by the sword, but +heart is only bent by heart.’ Love is irresistible.”</p> +<p class="pn">Look at these words: “Love suffereth long, and is +kind; love envieth not.” How often it happens that if one +outshines another there is apt to be envy in our hearts toward +that one; we want a great deal of grace to keep it down. “Love +vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.” One of the worst enemies +that Christians have to contend with is this spirit of +rivalry—this feeling, “Who shall be the greatest?”</p> +<p class="pn">Some years ago I read a book that did me a great +deal of good. It was entitled, “The Training of the Twelve.” The +writer said that Christ spent most of His time during the three +years He was engaged publicly about His Father’s business in +training twelve men. The training He gave them was very different +from the training of the schools at the present day. The world +teaches men that they must seek to be great; Christ taught that +His disciples must be little; that in honor they must prefer one +another; that they are not to be puffed up, not to harbor +feelings of envy, but to be full of meekness and gentleness, and +lowliness of heart.</p> +<p class="pn">When an eminent painter was requested to paint +Alexander the Great so as to give a perfect likeness of the +Macedonian conqueror, he felt a difficulty. Alexander, in his +wars, had been struck by a sword, and across his forehead was an +immense scar. The painter said: “If I retain the scar, it will be +an offense to the admirers of the monarch, and if I omit it it +will fail to be a perfect likeness. What shall I do?” He hit upon +a happy expedient; he represented the Emperor leaning on his +elbow, with his forefinger upon his brow, accidentally, as it +seemed, covering the scar upon his forehead. Might not we +represent each other with the finger of charity upon the scar, +instead of representing the scar deeper and blacker than it +really is? Christians may learn even from heathendom a lesson of +charity, of human kindness and of love.</p> +<p class="pn">This spirit of seeking to be the greatest has +nearly ruined the Church of God at different times in its +history. If the Church had not been Divine it would have gone to +pieces long ago. There is hardly any movement of reform to-day +that has not been in danger of being thwarted and destroyed +through this miserable spirit of ambition and self-seeking. May +God enable us to get above this, to cast away our conceit and +pride, and take Christ as our teacher, that He may show us in +what spirit His work ought to be done.</p> +<p class="pn">One of the saddest things in the life of Christ was +the working of this spirit among His disciples even in the last +hours of His intercourse with them, and just before He was led +away to be crucified. We read in the gospel by Luke: “But, +behold, the hand of him that betrayeth Me is with Me on the +table. And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but +woe unto that man by whom He is betrayed! And they began to +inquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do +this thing. And there was also a strife among them which of them +should be accounted the greatest. And He said unto them, “The +kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that +exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall +not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the +younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether +is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? Is not +he that sitteth at meat? But I am among you as He that +serveth.”</p> +<p class="pn">Right there, on that memorable night when He had +instituted the Last Supper, after they had been eating of the +Passover Lamb, and the Saviour was on His way to the Cross,—even +there this spirit arose among them: Who should be the +greatest!</p> +<p class="pn">There is a charming tradition connected with the +site on which the temple of Solomon was erected. It is said to +have been occupied in common by two brothers, one of whom had a +family—the other had none. On this spot was sown a field of +wheat. On the evening succeeding the harvest—the wheat having +been gathered in separate shocks—the elder brother said to his +wife: “My younger brother is unable to bear the burden and heat +of the day, I will arise, take of my shocks, and place with his +without his knowledge.” The younger brother being actuated by the +same benevolent motives, said within himself: “My elder brother +has a family, and I have none. I will arise, take of my shocks, +and place it with his.”</p> +<p class="pn">Judge of their mutual astonishment, when, on the +following day, they found their respective shocks undiminished. +This course of events transpired for several nights, when each +resolved in his own mind to stand guard and solve the mystery. +They did so; when, on the following night, they met each other +half way between their respective shocks with their arms full. +Upon ground hallowed by such associations as this was the temple +of Solomon erected—so spacious and magnificent—the wonder and +admiration of the world! Alas! in these days, how many would +sooner steal their brother’s whole shock than add to it a single +sheaf!</p> +<p class="pn">If we want to be wise in winning souls and to be +vessels meet for the Master’s use we must get rid of the accursed +spirit of self-seeking. That is the meaning of this chapter in +Paul’s letter. He told these Corinthians that a man might be full +of faith and zeal; he might be very benevolent; but if he had not +love he was like sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. I believe +many men might as well go into the pulpit and blow a tin horn +Sabbath after Sabbath as go on preaching without love. A man may +preach the truth; he may be perfectly sound in doctrine; but if +there is no love in his heart going out to those whom he +addresses, and if he is doing it professionally, the Apostle says +he is only a sounding brass.</p> +<p class="pn">It is not always <i>more</i> work that we want so +much as <i>a better motive</i>. Many of us do a good deal of +work, but we must remember that God looks at the motive. The only +tree on this earth that can produce fruit which is pleasing to +God is the tree of love.</p> +<p class="pn">Paul in writing to Titus says: “Speak thou the +things which become sound doctrine: that the aged men be sober, +grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, (or love) in +patience.” What is the worth of a sermon, however sound in +doctrine it may be, if it be not sound in love and in patience? +What are our prayers worth without the spirit of love? People +say: “Why is it that there is no blessing? Our minister’s sermons +and prayers are very good.” Most likely you will find it is +because the whole thing is done professionally. The words glisten +like icicles in the sun, and they are as cold. There is not a +spark of love in them. If that is the case there will be very +little power. You may have your prayer-meetings, your praise +meetings, your faith and hope meetings; you may <i>talk</i> about +all these things; but if there is no love mingled with them, God +says you are as sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal.</p> +<p class="pn">Now a man may be a very good doctor and yet have no +love for his patients. He may be a very clever and successful +lawyer and yet have no love for his clients. A merchant may +prosper greatly in business without caring at all about his +customers. A man may be able to explain the wonderful mysteries +of science or theology without any love. But no man can be a true +worker for God, and a successful winner of souls without love. He +may be a great preacher in the eyes of the world and have crowds +flocking to hear him, but if love to God and to souls is not the +motive power, the effects will all pass away like the morning +cloud and the early dew.</p> +<p class="pn">It is said when the men of Athens went to hear +Demosthenes they were always moved, and felt that they must go +and fight Philip of Macedon. There was another orator of that day +who could carry them away by his eloquence at the time, but when +the oration was over, all the influence had gone; it was nothing +but fine words. So a man may be very eloquent and have a great +flow of language; he may sway the multitudes while they are under +his influence; but if there is no love at the back of what he +says, it will all go for nothing. It was Demosthenes’ love for +his country that stirred him, and then he stirred the people.</p> +<p class="pn">When we get on to the higher plane of love it will +not be hard for us to work for the Lord. We will be glad to do +anything, however small. God hates the great things in which love +is not the motive power; but He delights in the little things +that are prompted by a feeling of love. A cup of cold water given +to a disciple in the spirit of love, is of far more value in +God’s sight than the taking of a kingdom, done out of ambition +and vain glory.</p> +<p class="pn">I am getting sick and tired of hearing the word, +<i>duty</i>, <i>duty</i>. You hear so many talk about it being +their duty to do this and do that. My experience is that such +Christians have very little success. Is there not a much higher +platform than that of mere duty? Can we not engage in the service +of Christ because we love Him? When that is the constraining +power it is so easy to work. It is not hard for a mother to watch +over a sick child. She does not look upon it as any hardship. You +never hear Paul talking about what a hard time he had in his +Master’s service. He was constrained by love to Christ, and by +the love of Christ to him. He counted it a joy to labor, and even +to suffer, for his blessed Master.</p> +<p class="pn">Perhaps you say I ought not to talk against duty; +because a good deal of work would not be done at all if it were +not done from a sense of duty. But I want you to see what a poor, +low motive that is, and how you may reach a higher plane of +service.</p> +<p class="pn">I am thinking of going back to my home soon. I have +in my mind an old, white-haired mother living on the banks of the +Connecticut river, in the same little town where she has been for +the last eighty years. Suppose when I return I take her some +present, and when I give it to her I say: “You have been so very +kind to me in the past that I thought it was my duty to bring you +a present.” What would she think? But how different it would be +when I give it to her because of my strong love to her. How much +more she would value it. So God wants His children to serve Him +for something else than mere duty. He does not want us to feel +that it is a hard thing to do His will.</p> +<p class="pn">Take an army that fights because it is compelled to +do so; they will not gain many victories. But how different when +they are full of love for their country and for their commanders. +Then nothing can stand before them. Do not think you can do any +work for Christ and hope to succeed if you are not impelled by +love.</p> +<p class="pn">Napoleon tried to establish a kingdom by the force +of arms. So did Alexander the Great, and Cæsar, and other great +warriors; but they utterly failed. Jesus founded His kingdom on +love, and it is going to stand. When we get on to this plane of +love, then all selfish and unworthy motives will disappear, and +our work will stand the fire when God shall put it to the +test.</p> +<p class="pn">Another thing I want you to bear in mind. Love +never looks to see what it is going to get in return. In the +Gospel by Matthew we read of the parable of the man who went out +to hire laborers that he might send them to work in his vineyard. +After he had hired and sent out some in the morning, we are told +that he found others standing idle later in the day, and he sent +them also. It so happened that those who went out last got back +first. Those that went out early in the morning supposed they +would get more wages than those that went at the eleventh hour, +and when they found they were only to get the same, they began to +murmur and complain. But what was the good man’s answer: “Friend, +I do thee no wrong; didst not thou <i>agree</i> with me for a +penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way; I will give unto this +last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I +will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? So the +last shall be first, and the first last.” I have generally found +that those workers who are all the time looking to see how much +they are going to get from the Lord are never satisfied. But love +does its work and makes no bargain. Let us make no bargains with +the Lord, but be ready to go out and do whatever He appoints.</p> +<p class="pn">I am sure if we go out cherishing love in our +hearts for those we are going to try and reach, every barrier +will be swept out of the way. Love begets love, just as hatred +begets hatred. Love is the key to the human heart. Some one has +said: “Light is for the mind, and love is for the heart.” When +you can reach men’s hearts then you can turn them toward Christ. +But we must first win them to ourselves.</p> +<p class="pn">You may have heard of the boy whose home was near a +wood. One day he was in the wood, and he thought he heard the +voice of another boy not far off. He shouted, “Hallo, there!” and +the voice shouted back, “Hallo, there!” He did not know that it +was the echo of his own voice, and he shouted again: “You are a +mean boy!” Again the cry came back, “You are a mean boy!” After +some more of the same kind of thing he went into the house and +told his mother that there was a bad boy in the wood. His mother, +who understood how it was, said to him: “Oh, no! You speak kindly +to him, and see if he does not speak kindly to you.” He went to +the wood again and shouted: “Hallo, there!” “Hallo, there!” “You +are a good boy.” Of course the reply came, “You are a good boy.” +“I love you.” “I love you,” said the other voice.</p> +<p class="pn">You smile at that, but this little story explains +the secret of the whole thing. Some of you perhaps think you have +bad and disagreable neighbors; most likely the trouble is with +yourself. If you love your neighbors they will love you. As I +said before, love is the key that will unlock every human heart. +There is no man or woman in all this land so low and so degraded +but you can reach them with love, gentleness and kindness. It may +take years to do it, but it can be done.</p> +<p class="pn">Love must be active. As some one has said: “A man +may hoard up his money; he may bury his talents in a napkin; but +there is one thing he cannot hoard up, and that is love.” You +cannot bury it. It <i>must</i> flow out. It cannot feed upon +itself; it must have an object.</p> +<p class="pn">I remember reading a few years ago of something +that happened when we had the yellow fever in one of the Southern +cities. There was a family there who lived in a strange +neighborhood where they had just moved. The father was stricken +down with the fever. There were so many fatal cases happening +that the authorities of the city did not stop to give them a +decent burial. The dead-cart used to go through the street where +the poor lived, and the bodies were carried away for burial.</p> +<p class="pn">The neighbors of this family were afraid, and no +one would visit the house because of the fever. It was not long +before the mother was stricken down. Before she died she called +her boy to her, and said: “I will soon be gone, but when I am +dead Jesus will come and take care of you.” She had no one on +earth to whom she could commit him. In a little while she, too, +was gone, and they carried her body away to the cemetery. The +little fellow followed her to the grave. He saw where they laid +her, and then he came back to the house.</p> +<p class="pn">But he found it very lonely, and when it grew dark +he got afraid and could not stay in the house. He went out and +sat down on the step and began to weep. Finally he went back to +the cemetery, and finding the lot where his mother was buried, he +laid down and wept himself to sleep.</p> +<p class="pn">Next morning a stranger passing that way found him +on the grave, still weeping. “What are you doing here, my boy?” +“Waiting for the Savior.” The man wanted to know what he meant, +and the boy told the story of what his mother had said to him. It +touched the heart of the stranger, and he said, “Well, my boy, +Jesus has sent me to take care of you.” The boy looked up and +replied: “You have been a long while coming.”</p> +<p class="pn">If we had the love of our Master do you tell me +that these outlying masses would not be reached? There is not a +drunkard who would not be reached. There is not a poor fallen +one, or a blasphemer, or an atheist, but would be influenced for +good. The atheists cannot get over the power of love. It will +upset atheism and every false system quicker than anything else. +Nothing will break the stubborn heart so quickly as the love of +Christ.</p> +<p class="pn">I was in a certain home a few years ago; one of the +household was a boy who, I noticed, was treated like one of the +family, and yet he did not bear their name. One night I asked the +lady of the house to explain to me what it meant. “I have +noticed,” I said, “that you treat him exactly like your own +children, yet he is not your boy.” “Oh no,” she said, “he is not. +It is quite true I treat him as my own child.”</p> +<p class="pn">She went on to tell me his story. His father and +mother were American missionaries in India; they had five +children. The time came when the children had to be sent away +from India, as they could not be educated there. They were to be +sent to America for that purpose. The father and mother had been +very much blessed in India, but they felt as though they could +not give up their children. They thought they would leave their +work in the foreign field and go back to America.</p> +<p class="pn">They were not blessed to the same extent in working +at home as they had been in India. The natives were writing to +them to return, and by and by they decided that the call was so +loud the father must go back. The mother said to him: “I cannot +let you go alone; I must go with you.” “But how can you leave the +children? You have never been separated from them.” She said: “I +can do it for Christ’s sake.” Thank God for such love as +that.</p> +<p class="pn">When it was known they wanted to leave their +children in good homes, this lady with whom I was staying said to +the mother if she left one of them with her she would treat the +child as her own. The mother came and stayed a week in the house +to see that everything was right. The last morning came. When the +carriage drove up to the door the mother said: “I want to leave +my boy without shedding a tear; I cannot bear to have him think +that it costs me tears to do what God has for me to do.” My +friend saw that there was a great struggle going on. Her room was +adjoining this lady’s, who told me she heard the mother crying: +“O God, give me strength for the hour; help me now.” She came +downstairs with a beautiful smile on her face. She took her boy +to her bosom, kissed him, and left him without a tear. She left +all her children, and went back to labor for Christ in India; and +from the shores of India she went up, before very long, to be +with her Master. That is what a weak woman can do when love to +Christ is the motive power. Some time after that dear boy passed +away to be with the mother.</p> +<p class="pn">I was preaching in a certain city a few years ago, +and I found a young man very active in bringing in the boys from +the street into the meetings. If there was a hard case in the +city he was sure to get hold of it. You would find him in the +Inquiry Room with a whole crowd round him. I got to be very +deeply interested in the young man and much attached to him. I +found out that he was another son of that grand and glorious +missionary. I found that all the sons were in training to go as +foreign missionaries, to take the place of the mother and father, +who had gone to their reward. It made such an impression on me +that I could not shake it off. These boys have all gone to tell +out among the heathen the story of Christ and His love.</p> +<p class="pn">I am convinced of this: When these hard-hearted +people who now reject the Savior are thoroughly awake to the fact +that love is prompting our efforts on their behalf, the hardness +will begin to soften, and their stubborn wills will begin to +bend. This key of love will unlock their hearts. We can turn +them, by God’s help, from the darkness of this world to the light +of the Gospel.</p> +<p class="pn">Christ gave his disciples a badge. Some of you wear +a blue ribbon and others wear a red ribbon, but the badge that +Christ gave to his disciples was L<span class="sc">ove</span>. +“By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have +love one toward another.” Love not only for those who are +Christians, but love for the fallen. The Good Samaritan had love +for the poor man who had fallen among thieves. If we are filled +with such love as that, the world will soon find out that we are +the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. It will do more to upset +infidelity and rebellion against God than anything else.</p> +<p class="pn">Speaking about hard cases being reached, reminds me +that while I was in a home in London a young lady in that home +felt that she was not doing as much for Christ as she would like, +and she decided she would take a class of boys. She has now some +fifteen or twenty of these lads, from thirteen to sixteen years +of age—a very difficult age to deal with. This Christian young +lady made up her mind that she would first try and win for +herself the affection of these boys, and then seek to lead them +to the Savior. It is a beautiful sight to see how she has won +their young hearts for herself, and I believe she will win them +all to a pure and Godly life. If we are willing to take up our +work among the young with that spirit, these boys will be saved; +and instead of helping to fill our prisons and poorhouses, they +will become useful members of the Church of God, and a blessing +to society.</p> +<p class="pn">I have a friend who has a large Sabbath-school. He +made up his mind when he began that if a boy did not have a good +training in his own home, he could not get it anywhere else +except in the Sabbath-school; and he resolved that, if possible, +when a boy was refractory he would not turn him adrift.</p> +<p class="pn">He had a boy come to the school whom no teacher +seemed able to manage. One after another would come to the +Superintendent and say: “You must take him out of my class; he is +demoralizing all the others; he uses profane language, and he is +doing more harm than all the good I can do.” At last my friend +made up his mind he would read the boy’s name out and have him +expelled publicly.</p> +<p class="pn">He told a few of the teachers what he was going to +do, but a wealthy young lady said: “I wish you would let me try +the boy; I will do all I can to win him.” My friend said to +himself he was sure she would not have patience with him very +long, but he put the boy in her class as she requested. The +little fellow very soon broke the rules in the class, and she +corrected him. He got so angry that he lost his temper and spat +in her face. She quietly took a handkerchief and wiped her face. +At the close of the lesson she asked him if he would walk home +with her when school was over. No, he said, he didn’t want to +speak to her. He was not coming back to that old school any more. +She asked if he would let her walk along with him. No, he +wouldn’t. Well, she said, she was sorry he was going, but if he +would call at her house on Tuesday morning and ring the front +door bell, there would be a little parcel waiting for him. She +would not be at home herself, but if he asked the servant he +would receive it. He replied: “You can keep your old parcel; I +don’t want it.” However she thought he would be there.</p> +<p class="pn">By Tuesday morning the little fellow had got over +his mad fit. He came to the house and rang the door bell; the +servant handed him the parcel. When he opened it he found it +contained a little vest, a necktie, and, best of all, a note +written by the teacher. She told him how every night and every +morning since he had been in her class she had been praying for +him. Now that he was going to leave her she wanted him to +remember that as long as she lived she would pray for him, and +she hoped he would grow up to be a good man.</p> +<p class="pn">Next morning the little fellow was in the +drawing-room waiting to see her before she came downstairs from +her bedroom. She found him there crying as if his heart would +break. She asked him kindly what was the trouble. “Oh,” he said, +“I have had no peace since I got your letter. You have been so +kind to me and I have been so unkind to you; I wish you would +forgive me.” Said my friend, the Superintendent, “There are about +eighteen hundred children in the school, and there is not a +better boy among the whole of them.”</p> +<p class="pns">Can we not do the same as that young lady did? +Shall we not reconsecrate ourselves now to God and to his +service?</p> +<p class="p3">Had I the tongues of Greeks and Jews,</p> +<p class="p3">And nobler speech than angels use:</p> +<p class="p3">If love be absent, I am found</p> +<p class="p3s">Like tinkling brass, an empty sound.</p> +<p class="p3">Were I inspired to preach and tell</p> +<p class="p3">All that is done in heaven and hell—</p> +<p class="p3">Or could my faith the world remove:</p> +<p class="p3s">Still I am nothing without love.</p> +<p class="p3">Should I distribute all my store</p> +<p class="p3">To feed the hungry, clothe the poor</p> +<p class="p3">Or give my body to the flame,</p> +<p class="p3s">To gain a martyr’s glorious name:</p> +<p class="p3">If love to God and love to men</p> +<p class="p3">Be absent, all my hopes are vain;</p> +<p class="p3">Nor tongues, nor gifts, nor fiery zeal,</p> +<p class="p3">The work of love can e’er fulfill.</p> +<p style= +"text-align:left; text-indent:18em; font-size:92%; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:1.5em"> +<i>Dr. Watts</i></p> +<h1><a name="c3" id="c3">CHAPTER III.</a></h1> +<p class="pt1">FAITH AND COURAGE.</p> +<hr style="width:6em;margin-top:1.7em;margin-bottom:1.5em"> +<p class="pn">The key note of all our work for God should be +F<span class="sc">aith</span>. In all my life I have never seen +men or women disappointed in receiving answers to their prayers, +if those persons were full of faith, and had good grounds for +their faith. Of course we must have a warrant in Scripture for +what we expect. I am sure we have a good warrant in coming +together to pray for a blessing on our friends and on our +neighbors.</p> +<p class="pn">Unbelief is as much an enemy to the Christian as it +is to the unconverted. It will keep back the blessing now as much +as it did in the days of Christ. We read that in one place Christ +could not do many mighty works because of their unbelief. If +Christ could not do this, how can we expect to accomplish +anything if the people of God are unbelieving? I contend that +God’s children are alone able to hinder God’s work. Infidels, +atheists, and sceptics cannot do it. Where there is union, strong +faith, and expectation among Christians, a mighty work is always +done.</p> +<p class="pn">In Hebrews we read that without faith it is +impossible to please God. “For he that cometh to God must believe +that He is, and that He is a Rewarder of them that diligently +seek Him.” That is addressed to us who are Christians as much as +to those who are seeking God for the first time. We are all of us +seeking a blessing on our friends. We want God to revive us, and +also that the outlying masses may be reached. We read in this +passage that God blesses those who “diligently seek Him.” Let us +diligently seek Him to-day; let us have great faith; and let our +expectation be from God.</p> +<p class="pn">I remember when I was a boy, in the spring of the +year, when the snow had melted away on the New England hills +where I lived, I used to take a certain kind of glass and hold it +up to the warm rays of the sun. These would strike on it, and I +would set the woods on fire. Faith is the glass that brings the +fire of God out of heaven. It was faith that drew the fire down +on Carmel and burned up Elijah’s offering. We have the same God +to-day, and the same faith. Some people seem to think that faith +is getting old, and that the Bible is wearing out. But the Lord +will revive his work now; and we shall be able to set the world +on fire if each believer has a strong and simple faith.</p> +<p class="pn">In the eleventh chapter of the Epistle to the +Hebrews the writer brings up one worthy after another, and each +of them was a man or a woman of faith; they made the world better +by living in it. Listen to this description of what was +accomplished by these men and women of faith: “Who through faith +subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, +stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, +escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, +waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the +aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again; and +others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might +obtain a better resurrection: and others had trial of cruel +mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover, of bonds and +imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were +tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in +sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented +(of whom the world was not worthy): they wandered in deserts, and +in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, +having obtained a good report through faith, received not the +promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they +without us should not be made perfect.”</p> +<p class="pn">Surely no child of God can read these words without +being stirred. It is said that “women received their dead raised +to life again.” Many of you have children who have gone far +astray, and have been taken captive by strong drink, or led away +by their lusts and passions; and you have become greatly +discouraged about them. But if you have faith in God they may be +raised up as from the dead, and brought back again. The wanderers +may be reclaimed; the drunkards and the harlots may be reached +and saved. There is no man or woman, however low he or she may +have sunk, but can be reached.</p> +<p class="pn">We ought in these days to have far more faith than +Abel, or Enoch, or Abraham had. They lived away on the other side +of the Cross. We talk about the faith of Elijah, and the +Patriarchs and Prophets; but they lived in the dim light of the +past, while we are in the full blaze of Calvary, and the +Resurrection. When we look back and think of what Christ did, how +He poured out His blood that men might be saved, we ought to go +forth in His strength and conquer the world. Our God is able to +do great and mighty things.</p> +<p class="pn">You remember that the Roman Centurion sent for +Christ to heal his servant; when the Savior drew near, the +Centurion sent to Him to say that He need not take the trouble to +come into his house; all that was needed was that He should speak +the word and his servant would live. Probably he thought that if +Christ had the power to create worlds, to say “Let there be +light,” and there was light, to make the sea and the earth bring +forth abundantly, He could easily say the word and raise up his +sick servant. We are told that when Christ received the Roman +soldier’s message He marvelled at his faith. Dear friends, let us +have faith at this moment that God will do great things in our +midst.</p> +<p class="pn">Caleb and Joshua were men of faith. They were worth +more to Israel than all the camp of unbelievers and the other ten +spies put together. We read that Moses sent out twelve men to spy +out the land. Let me say that faith never sends out any spies. +You may perhaps reply that Moses was commanded by God to send +them out; but we read that it was because of the hardness of +their hearts. If they had believed in God, they would have taken +possession of the land at Kadesh Barnea. I suppose these twelve +men were chosen because they were leading men and influential men +in the twelve tribes.</p> +<p class="pn">After they had been gone some thirty days they came +back with what we might call a minority and a majority report. +All the twelve admitted that the land was a good land, but the +ten said, “We are not able to take it. We saw giants there—the +sons of Anak.” You can see these ten spies in camp the night they +returned; great crowds are gathered around them listening to +their reports. Probably there were very few gathered to hear +Caleb and Joshua. It really seems sometimes that people are much +more ready to believe a lie than to believe the truth. So these +unbelieving men gathered around the ten spies. One of them is +describing the giants in the land, and he says: “Why, I had to +look right up in order to see their faces; they made the earth +tremble at their tread. The mountains and valleys are full of +them. Then we saw great walled cities. We are not able to take +the land.”</p> +<p class="pn">But Caleb and Joshua had quite a different story to +tell. Those mighty giants seemed to be as grasshoppers in their +sight. These men of faith remembered how God had delivered them +out of the hand of Pharaoh and brought them through the Red Sea; +how He had given them bread from heaven to eat, and water to +drink from the rock in the wilderness. If He marched with them +surely they could go right up and take possession of the land. So +they said: “Let us go up at once and possess it; we are well able +to take it.”</p> +<p class="pn">What do we see in the Church of God to-day? About +ten out of every twelve professed Christians are looking at the +giants, at the walls, and at the difficulties in the way. They +say: “We are not able to accomplish this work. We might do it if +there were not so many drinking saloons, and so much drunkenness, +and so many atheists and opposers.” Let us not give head to these +unbelieving professors. If we have faith in God we are well able +to go up and possess the land for Christ. God always delights to +honor faith.</p> +<p class="pn">It may be some sainted weak woman, some bed-ridden +one who is not able to attend the meetings, who will bring down +the blessing. In the day when every man’s work is tested, it may +be seen that some hidden one who honored God by a simple faith +was the one who caused such a blessing to descend upon our cities +as shall shake the land from end to end.</p> +<p class="pn">Again, in these Bible histories we find that faith +is always followed by <span class="sc">courage</span>. Caleb and +Joshua were full of courage, because they were men of faith. +Those who have been greatly used of God in all ages have been men +of courage. If we are full of faith we shall not be full of fear, +distrusting God all the while. That is the trouble with the +Church of Christ to-day—there are so many who are fearful, +because they do not believe that God is going to use them. What +we need is to have the courage that will compel us to move +forward. Perhaps if we do this we may have to go against the +advice of lukewarm Christians. There are some who never seem to +do anything but object, because the work is not always carried on +exactly according to their ideas. They will say: “I do not think +that is the best way to do things.” They are very fruitful in +raising objections to any plans that can be suggested. If any +onward step is taken they are ready to throw cold water on it; +they will suggest all kinds of difficulties. We want to have such +faith and courage as shall enable us to move forward without +waiting for these timid unbelievers.</p> +<p class="pn">In the second book of Chronicles we read that King +Asa had to go right against his father and mother; it took a good +deal of courage to do that. He removed his mother from being +queen, and cut down the idols and burnt them. There are times +when we have to go against those who ought to be our best +friends. Is it not time for us to launch out into the deep? I +have never seen people go out into the lanes and alleys, into the +hedges and highways, and try to bring the people in, but the Lord +gave His blessing. If a man has the courage to go right to his +neighbor and speak to him about his soul, God is sure to smile +upon the effort. The person who is spoken to may wake up cross, +but that is not always a bad sign. He may write a letter next day +and apologize. At any rate it is better to wake him up in this +way than that he should continue to slumber on to death and +ruin.</p> +<p class="pn">You notice when God was about to deliver Israel out +of the hand of the Midianites, how he taught this lesson to +Gideon. Gideon had gathered around him an army of thirty-two +thousand men. He may probably have counted them, and when he knew +that the Midianites had an army of a hundred and thirty-five +thousand he said to himself: “My army is too small; I am afraid I +shall not succeed.” But the Lord’s thoughts were different. He +said to Gideon: “You have too many men.” So He told him that all +those among the thirty-two thousand who were fearful and afraid +might go back to their own homes, to their wives and their +mothers; let them step to the rear. No sooner had Gideon given +this command than twenty-two thousand men wheeled out of line. It +may be Gideon thought the Lord had made a mistake as he saw his +army melt away. If two-thirds of a great audience were to rise +and go out you would think they were all going.</p> +<p class="pn">The Lord said: “Gideon, you have too many men yet. +Take your men down to the brook and try them once more. All those +who take the water up in their hands and drink as they pass by +can stay; those who stoop down to drink can go back.” Again he +gave the word, and nine thousand seven hundred wheeled out of +line and went to the rear, so that Gideon was left with three +hundred men. But this handful of men whose hearts beat true to +the God of heaven, and who were ready to go forward in His name, +were worth more than all the others who were all the time sowing +seeds of discontent and predicting defeat. Nothing will +discourage an army like that. Nothing is more discouraging in a +Church than to have a number of the people all the time expecting +disaster and saying: “We do not think this effort will amount to +anything; it is not according to our ideas.”</p> +<p class="pn">It would be a good thing for the Church of God if +all the fearful and faithless ones were to step to the rear, and +let those who are full of faith and courage take their empty +pitchers and go forward against the enemy. This little band of +three hundred men who were left with Gideon routed the +Midianites; but it was not their own might that gave them the +victory. It was “the sword of the Lord and of Gideon.” If we go +on in the Name of the Lord, and trusting to His might, we shall +succeed.</p> +<p class="pn">Before Moses went up to heaven he did all he could +to encourage Joshua, to strengthen and cheer him. There was no +sign of jealousy in the heart of Moses, although he was not +permitted to go into the land. He went up to the top of Pisgah +and saw that it was a good land; and he tried to encourage Joshua +to go forward and take possession of it. After Moses had gone, we +read that three times in one chapter God said to Joshua: “Be of +good courage.” God cheered his servant; “There shall not any man +be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life.” Soon +after that Joshua took a walk around the walls of Jericho. As he +walked around he saw a man stand before him with a drawn sword in +his hand. Joshua was not afraid, but he said: “Art thou for us or +for our adversaries?” His courage was rewarded, for the man +replied: “As Captain of the host of the Lord am I now come.” He +had been sent to encourage him and to lead him on to victory.</p> +<p class="pn">So you will find all through the Scriptures that +God uses those who have courage, and not those who are looking +for defeat.</p> +<p class="pn">Another thought: I never knew a case where God used +a discouraged man or woman to accomplish any great thing for Him. +Let a minister go into the pulpit in a discouraged frame of mind +and it becomes contagious. It will soon reach the pews, and the +whole church will become discouraged. So with a Sabbath-school +teacher; I never knew a worker of any kind who was full of +discouragement and who met with success in the Lord’s work. It +seems as if God cannot make any use of such a man.</p> +<p class="pn">I remember a man telling me he preached for a +number of years without any result. He used to say to his wife as +they went to church that he knew the people would not believe +anything he said; and there was no blessing. At last he saw his +error; he asked God to help him, and took courage, and then the +blessing came. “According to your faith it shall be unto you.” +This man had expected nothing and he got just what he expected. +Dear friends, let us expect that God is going to use us. Let us +have courage and go forward, looking to God to do great +things.</p> +<p class="pn">Elijah on Mount Carmel was one man; Elijah under +the juniper tree was quite another man. In the one case he was a +giant, and nothing could stand before him. When he lost heart and +got terrified at Jezebel’s message, and wished himself dead, God +could not use him. The Lord had to go to him and say: “What doest +thou here, Elijah?” I wish God would speak to many professing +Christians who have their harps on the willows, and are out of +communion with Him, so that they are of no use in His cause.</p> +<p class="pn">When Peter denied his Master he was a very +different man from what he was on the day of Pentecost. He got +out of communion with his Lord, and the word of a servant nearly +frightened him out of his life. He denied his Master with oaths +and cursing. How terribly a man falls when he loses faith and +courage.</p> +<p class="pn">But he was restored; look at him on the day of +Pentecost. If that maid whose question made him tremble had been +present, and heard him preach the marvellous sermon recorded in +the Acts, I can imagine she would be the most amazed person in +all Jerusalem, “Why,” she says, “I saw him a few days ago, and he +was terribly alarmed at being called a disciple of Christ; now he +stands up boldly for this same Christ; he has no shame now.” God +used him mightily on the day of Pentecost, as he preached to that +vast congregation, some of whom were the very murderers of his +Lord and Master. But he could not use Peter till he had repented +of his cowardice and had been restored to faith and courage. So +when any man who is working for Christ loses heart and gets +discouraged, the Lord has to lay him aside.</p> +<p class="pn">I remember a number of years ago I got cast down +for a good many weeks. One Sunday in particular I had preached +and there did not seem to be any result. On the Monday I was very +much cast down. I was sitting in my study and was looking at +myself, brooding over my want of success. A young man called upon +me, who had a Bible class of 100 adults in the Sabbath-school +which I conducted. As he came in I could see he was away upon the +mountain top, while I was down in the valley. Said he to me, +“What kind of a day did you have yesterday?” “Very poor; I had no +success, and I feel quite cast down. How did you get on?” “Oh, +grandly; I never had a better day.” “What was your subject?” “I +had the life and character of Noah. Did you ever preach on Noah? +Did you ever study up his life?” “Well, no; I do not know as ever +I made it a special study.” I thought I knew pretty well all +there was about him in the Bible; you know all that is told us +about him is contained in a few verses. “If you never studied it +before, you had better do it now. It will do you good. Noah was a +wonderful character.”</p> +<p class="pn">When the young man went out I got my Bible and some +other books, and read all I could find about Noah, I had not been +reading long before the thought came stealing over me: Here was a +man who toiled on for a hundred and twenty years and never had a +single convert outside of his own family. Yet he did not get +discouraged. I closed up my Bible; the cloud had gone; I started +out and went to the noon prayer-meeting. I had not been there +long when a man got up and said he had come from a little town in +Illinois. On the day before he had admitted a hundred young +converts to Church membership. As he was speaking I said to +myself: “I wonder what Noah would have given if he could have +heard that. He never had any such result as that to his +labors.”</p> +<p class="pn">Then in a little while a man who sat right behind +me stood up. His hand was on the seat, and I felt it shake; I +could realise that the man was trembling. He said: “I wish you +would pray for me; I would like to become a Christian.” Thought I +to myself: “wonder what Noah would have given if he had heard +that. He never heard a single soul asking God for mercy, yet he +did not get discouraged.” I have never hung my harp on the +willows since that day. Let us ask God to take away the clouds of +fear and unbelief; let us get out of Doubting Castle; let us move +forward courageously in the name of our God and expect to see +results.</p> +<p class="pn">If you cannot engage in any active work yourselves +you can do a good deal by cheering on others. Some people not +only do nothing, but they are all the time throwing +discouragement on others, in every forward step they take. If you +meet with them they seem to chill you through and through. I +think I would as soon face the east wind in Edinburgh in the +month of March, as come in contact with some of these so-called +Christians. Perhaps they are speaking about some effort that has +been made, and they say: “Well, yes, a good deal of work was +done, but then many were not reached at all.” Such and such a +thing ought to have been done in a different way, and I know not +what. They are all the time looking at the dark side.</p> +<p class="pn">Let us not give heed to these gloomy and +discouraging remarks. In the name of our great Commander let us +march on to battle and to victory. There are some generals whose +name alone is worth more than a whole army of ten thousand men. +In our army in the Civil War there were some whose presence sent +a cheer all along the line. As they passed on cheer upon cheer +went up. The men knew who was going to lead them, and they were +sure of having success. “The boys” liked to fight under such +generals as that. Let us encourage ourselves in the Lord, and +encourage each other; then we shall have good success.</p> +<p class="pn">We read in the book of First Chronicles that Joab +cheered on those who were helping him in warfare. “Be of good +courage, and let us behave ourselves valiantly for our people and +for the cities of our God; and let the Lord do that which is good +in His sight.” Let us go forward in this spirit, and the Lord +will make us to triumph over our foes. If we cannot be in the +battle ourselves let us not seek to discourage others. A Highland +chief of the M’Gregor clan fell wounded at the battle of +Sheriff-Muir. Seeing their leader fall, the clan wavered, and +gave the foe an advantage. The old chieftain, perceiving this, +raised himself on his elbow, while the blood streamed from his +wounds, and cried out, “I am not dead, my children; I am looking +at you to see you do your duty.” This roused them to new energy +and almost superhuman effort. So, when our strength fails and our +hearts sink within us, the Captain of our salvation cries: “Lo, I +am with you alway, even to the end of the world. I will never +leave nor forsake thee. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will +give thee a crown of life.”</p> +<p class="pn">A friend of mine was telling me that a worker came +to him very much cast down. Everything was going wrong, and he +was greatly depressed. My friend turned upon him and said: “Do +you have any doubt about the final result of things? Is Jesus +Christ going to set up His Kingdom, and reign from the rivers to +the ends of the earth? Is He going to succeed or not?” The man +said that of course Christ was going to triumph; he had never +thought of it in that light. If people would sometimes take a +look into the future and remember the promises, they would not be +cast down. Dear friends, Christ is going to reign. Let us go out +and do the work He has given us to do. If it happens to be dark +round about us, let us remember it is light somewhere else. If we +are not succeeding just as we would like, others, it may be, are +succeeding better.</p> +<p class="pn">Think of the opportunities we have, compared with +the early Christians. Look at the mighty obstacles they had to +encounter—how they had often to seal their testimony with their +blood. See what Peter had to fight against on the day of +Pentecost, when the people looked on him with scorn. The +disciples in those days had no committee to put up large +buildings for their use, in which they could preach. They had no +band of ministers sitting near by, to pray for them, and help +them and cheer them on. Yet look at the wonderful results of +Peter’s preaching on the day of Pentecost.</p> +<p class="pn">Look at the dense darkness that surrounded Martin +Luther in Germany. Look at the difficulties that John Knox had to +meet with in Scotland. Yet these men did a mighty and a lasting +work for God in their day and generation; we are reaping the +blessed fruits of their faithful labors even now. Look at the +darkness that brooded over England in the days of Wesley and +Whitefield. See how God blessed their efforts; and yet they had a +great many obstacles to contend with that we do not have in these +days. They went forward with strong and courageous hearts, and +the Lord gave them success.</p> +<p class="pn">I believe if our forefathers who lived in the last +century could come back to this world in the flesh, they would be +amazed to see the wonderful opportunities that we have. We have a +great many advantages they did not possess, and probably did not +dream of. We live in a grand and glorious day. It took John +Wesley months to cross the Atlantic; now we can do it a few days. +Think of the power of the printing press in these days; we can +print and scatter sermons to all the corners of the earth. Look +at the marvellous facilities that we have in the electric +telegraph, Then we can take the railway train and go and preach +at a distance of hundreds of miles in a few hours. Am I not right +in saying that we live in a glorious day? Let us not be +discouraged, but let us use all these wonderful opportunities, +and honor God by expecting great things. If we do we will not be +disappointed. God is ready and willing to work, if we are ready +and willing to let Him, and to be used by Him.</p> +<p class="pn">It may be that some are old and feeble, and are +saying to themselves: “I wish I were young again; I would like to +go out into the thick of the battle.” But any one, young or old, +can go into the homes of the people and invite them to come out +to the meetings. There are large halls everywhere with plenty of +room; there are many who will help sing the Gospel. The Gospel +will also be preached, and there are many people who might be +induced to come, who will not go out to the regular places of +worship.</p> +<p class="pn">If you are not able to go and invite the people, as +I have said, you can give a word of cheer to others, and wish +them Godspeed. Many a time when I have come down from the pulpit, +some old man, trembling on the very verge of another world, +living perhaps on borrowed time, has caught hold of my hand, and +in a quavering voice said, “God bless you!” How the words have +cheered and helped me. Many of you can speak a word of +encouragement to the younger friends, if you are too feeble to +work yourselves.</p> +<p class="pn">Then again, you can pray that God will bless the +words that are spoken and the efforts that are made. It is very +easy to preach when others are all the time praying for you and +sympathizing with you, instead of criticising and finding +fault.</p> +<p class="pn">You have heard the story, I suppose, of the child +who was rescued from the fire that was raging in a house away up +in the fourth story. The child came to the window, and as the +flames were shooting up higher and higher it cried out for help. +A fireman started up the ladder of the fire-escape to rescue the +child from its dangerous position. The wind swept the flames near +him, and it was getting so hot that he wavered, and it looked as +if he would have to return without the child. Thousands looked +on, and their hearts quaked at the thought of the child having to +perish in the fire, as it must do if the fireman did not reach +it. Some one in the crowd cried, “Give him a cheer!” Cheer after +cheer went up, and as the man heard them he gathered fresh +courage. Up he went into the midst of the smoke and the fire, and +brought down the child in safety. If you cannot go and rescue the +perishing yourselves, you can at least pray for those who do, and +cheer them on. If you do, the Lord will bless the effort.</p> +<p class="pns">“They helped every one his neighbor; and every one +said to his brother, ‘Be of good courage.’”</p> +<p class="p3">We are living, we are dwelling</p> +<p class="p4">In a grand and awful time,</p> +<p class="p3">In an age on ages telling—</p> +<p class="p4s">To be living is sublime.</p> +<p class="p3">Oh, let all the soul within you</p> +<p class="p4">For the truth’s sake go abroad!</p> +<p class="p3">Strike! let every nerve and sinew</p> +<p class="p4">Tell on ages—tell for God!</p> +<p style= +"text-align:left; text-indent:17em; font-size:92%; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:1.5em"> +<i>Coxe</i></p> +<h1><a name="c4" id="c4">CHAPTER IV.</a></h1> +<p class="pt1">FAITH REWARDED.</p> +<hr style="width:6em;margin-top:1.7em;margin-bottom:1.5em"> +<p class="pn">“And it came to pass on a certain day, as He was +teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law +sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and +Judea and Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was present to +heal them. And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was +taken with a palsy; and they sought means to bring him in, and to +lay him before Him. And when they could not find by what way they +might bring him in, because of the multitude, they went upon the +house-top, and let him down through the tiling with his couch +into the midst before Jesus. And when He saw their faith, He said +unto him, ‘Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.’”</p> +<p class="pn">All the three evangelists, Matthew, Mark and Luke, +record this miracle. I have noticed that when any two or three of +the Gospel writers record a miracle it is to bring out some +important truth. It seems to me that the truth the Lord would +teach us here is this: The honor He put upon the faith of these +four men who brought the palsied man to him for healing. Whether +the palsied man himself had any faith we are not told; it was +when He saw “<i>their</i> faith” that His power was put forth to +cure the sick of the palsy.</p> +<p class="pn">I want to say to all Christian workers, that if the +Lord sees our faith for those whom we wish to be blessed, He will +honor it. He has never disappointed the faith of any of His +children yet. You cannot find an instance in the Bible, where any +man or woman has exercised true faith in God, where it has not +been honored. Nothing that the Savior found when He was on this +sin-cursed earth pleased Him so much as to see the faith of His +disciples; nothing refreshed His heart so much.</p> +<p class="pn">We read in the Gospel narrative that there was a +great stir in the town of Capernaum at this time. A few weeks +before, the Savior had been cast out of his native town of +Nazareth. He had come down to Capernaum, and the whole country +was greatly moved. His star was just rising, and His fame was +being spread abroad. Peter’s wife’s mother had been healed by a +word. The servant of an officer in the Roman army had been raised +up from a sick bed, and the Savior had performed many other +wonderful miracles. Men had come to Capernaum from every town in +Galilee, and Judæa, and from Jerusalem. They had gathered +together to look into these wonderful events that were occurring. +The voice of John the Baptist had been ringing through the land, +proclaiming to the people that a Prophet would soon make His +appearance, whose shoe latchet he was not worthy to unloose. +While the Baptist was telling out this message the Prophet +Himself made His appearance in the northern part of the country, +and all these wonderful things were transpiring.</p> +<p class="pn">The Pharisees and doctors of the law had come to +Capernaum to look into the reports that were spread abroad. The +house where they were gathered was filled to overflowing, and +these wise men were listening to the Savior’s teaching. Many of +them hardly believed a word that He said. It may be there were +some believing ones among these wise men. Nicodemus and Joseph of +Arimathea may have been there: if so, they were not yet known as +disciples of Jesus.</p> +<p class="pn">The writer of the Gospel says: “The power of the +Lord was present to heal them.” We are not told, however, that +one of them was healed. So it is very often now. The power of the +Lord may be present to heal in these gatherings; yet many will +come and go, wondering what it all means, and without being +healed of their spiritual diseases. What we need is to have the +power of God in our midst.</p> +<p class="pn">A man came into one of our meetings in London. He +got into a part of the hall where he could not hear a word of +what was spoken or sung; he could not even hear the text or the +portion of Scripture that was read. There he had to sit through +the service, so to speak, shut up alone with himself. A little +while after he told some one that as he sat there God had +revealed Himself to him, and spoken peace to his soul. There is +such a thing as the power of God being present to heal, though +men may not hear the voice of their fellowman.</p> +<p class="pn">These four men were real workers. They were worth +more than a houseful of these Pharisees and doctors of the law +who came merely to criticise and look on. I do not know who the +four men were, but I have always had a great admiration for them. +It may be one of them had been blind and the Lord had given him +his sight. The other may have been lame from his birth; when the +Master restored him to strength, he thought he would like to use +it in bringing some one else to be healed. The third man may have +been a cured leper, and he wished to help in getting some other +afflicted one cured. Perhaps this palsied man was his next-door +neighbor. The fourth man, it may be, had been deaf and dumb, and +he thought he would employ his hearing and his speech in helping +some one else. These four young converts said to themselves: “Let +us bring our sick neighbor to Christ.” The palsied man may have +said he had no faith in Christ. But these four friends told him +how they had been cured, and if the Master could heal them surely +He could heal a palsied man.</p> +<p class="pn">Now it seems to me nothing will wake up a man +quicker than to have four persons after him in one day. People +are sometimes afraid that they will entrench on each other’s +ground if more than one worker happens to call at the same house. +For my part, I wish that every family had about forty invitations +to each meeting.</p> +<p class="pn">I lately heard of a man, a non-churchgoer, who did +not believe in the Bible or religious things. Some one who was +distributing tickets asked him if he would go to the meetings. He +got quite angry. No, he would not go; he did not believe in the +thing at all; he would not be seen in such a crowd. A second man +came along, not knowing that any one had been before him, and +asked if he would accept a ticket for the meetings. The man was +still angry, and, as we would sometimes say, he “gave him a piece +of his mind.” He told him to keep his tickets. By-and-by a third +man called and said: “Would you take a ticket for these +meetings?” The man by this time had got thoroughly waked up, but +yet he declined to receive the ticket. He went into a shop to buy +something. The man in the shop put a ticket for the meetings into +the packet; when the customer got home and opened it, lo and +behold there was a ticket! He got so roused up that he went, not +to our meeting, but to a neighboring church. I do not know that +he has come clean out, but I believe he is, at any rate, in a +hopeful condition.</p> +<p class="pn">If one visit does not wake up a man whom you want +to reach, send a second visitor after him; if that has no effect, +send a third, and a fourth, and a fifth, and a sixth, and a +seventh; go on in that way day after day. It is a great thing to +save one man, to get him out of the pit, to have his feet set +fast on a rock, and a new song put in his mouth. Nothing will +rouse an indifferent man quicker than to have a number of friends +after him. If you cannot bring him yourself, get others to help +you.</p> +<p class="pn">These four men found an obstacle in the way. The +door of the house was blocked, and they could not get near the +Master. They may have asked some of these philosophers to stand +aside; but no, they would not do that. They would not disturb +themselves about a sick man. Many people will not go into the +kingdom of God themselves, and they will throw obstacles in the +way of others. After trying probably for some time to get in, +these four men began to devise another plan. If it had been some +of us, most likely we would have got quite discouraged, and +carried the man back to his home.</p> +<p class="pn">These men had faith, and perseverance too. They are +going to get their friend to Christ some way. If they cannot get +him through the door, they will find a way through the roof! +“Zeal without knowledge,” people say. I would a good deal rather +have that than knowledge without zeal. You can see them pulling +and tugging away at the burden. If you have ever tried to carry a +wounded man up a flight of stairs you will know it is not an easy +matter. But these four men were not to be defeated, and at last +he is up there on the roof.</p> +<p class="pn">Now, the question was, “How can we get him down?” +They began to tear up the tiling. I can see those wise men +looking up and saying to one another: “This is a strange +performance; we have never seen anything like this in the temple +or in any synagogue we were ever in. It is altogether out of the +regular order. These men must be carried away with fanaticism. +Why, they have made a hole large enough to let a man through. +Suppose a sudden shower were to come, it would spoil the +house.”</p> +<p class="pn">But these four workers were terribly in earnest. +They let the bier, on which the man was lying, down into the +room. They laid their friend right at the feet of Jesus Christ; a +good place to lay him, was it not? Perhaps some of you have a +sceptical son or an unbelieving husband, or some other member of +your family, that scoffs at the Bible and sneers at Christianity. +Lay them at the feet of Jesus, and He will honor your faith.</p> +<p class="pn">“When He saw <i>their</i> faith.” I suppose these +men were looking down to see what was about to take place Christ +looked at them, and when He saw their faith He said to the +palsied man: “Son, be of good cheer; thy sins are forgiven thee.” +That was more than they expected; they only thought of his body +being made whole. So let us bring our friends to Christ, and we +shall get more than we expect. The Lord met this man’s deepest +need first. It may be his sins had brought on the palsy, so the +Lord forgave the man’s sin first of all.</p> +<p class="pn">The wise men began to reason within themselves: +“Who is this that forgiveth sins?” The Master could read their +thoughts as easily as we can read a book. “Is it easier to say, +‘Thy sins be forgiven thee,’ or ‘Rise up and walk?’ But that ye +may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins, +He said unto the sick of the palsy, ‘I say unto thee, arise; take +up thy bed and go into thine house.’” The man leaped to his feet, +made whole. He rolled up the old bed, swung it across his +shoulders, and went to his house. Depend upon it, these +philosophers who would not make way in order to let him in stood +aside pretty quick to let him go out. No need for him to go out +by way of the roof; he went out by the door.</p> +<p class="pn">Dear friends, let us have faith for those we bring +to Christ. Let us believe for them if they will not believe for +themselves. It may be there are those here who do not believe in +the Bible, or in the Gospel of the Son of God. Let us bring them +to Christ in the arms of our faith. He is unchangeable—“the same +yesterday, today, and for ever.” Let us look for great things. +Let us expect the dead to be raised, the harlots reclaimed, the +drunkards saved, and the devils cast out. I believe men are +possessed of evil spirits now, just as much as when the Son of +God was on earth. We want to bring them right to the Lord Jesus +Christ, that He may heal and save them. Let this cursed unbelief +be swept out of the way, and let us come to God as one man, +looking for and expecting signs and wonders to be done in the +name of Jesus. He can perform miracles to-day, and He will if we +ask Him to fulfill His promises. “He is able to save to the +uttermost.”</p> +<p class="pn">And let me say to any unsaved man that God has the +power to save you from your sins to-day. If you want to be +converted, come right to the Master as did the leper of old. He +said, “Lord, if Thou wilt Thou canst make me clean.” Christ +honored his faith, and said, “I will; be thou clean.” Notice—the +man put “if” in the right place. “If Thou <i>will</i>.” He did +not doubt the power of the Son of God. The father who brought his +son to Christ said, “If Thou <i>canst</i>, have compassion upon +him.” The Lord straightened out his theology then and there; “If +<i>thou</i> canst believe.” Mother, can you believe for your boy? +If you can, the Lord will speak the word, and it shall be +done.</p> +<p class="pn">It will be a good thing for us to get right down at +the feet of the Master, like the poor woman who went to Elisha +and told him of her dead child. He asked his servant to take his +staff and lay it upon the dead child. But the mother would not +leave the prophet. He wanted her to go with the servant, but she +would not be satisfied with the prophet’s staff, or even with his +servant; she wanted the master himself. So Elisha went with her; +it was a good thing he did, for the servant could not raise the +child.</p> +<p class="pns">We want to get beyond the staff and beyond the +servant, right to the heart of the Master Himself. Let us bring +our palsied friends to Him. It is said of Christ that in one +place He could not do many mighty works there because of their +unbelief. Let us ask Him to take away from us this cursed +unbelief, that hinders the blessing from coming down, and +prevents those who are sick of the palsy of sin from being +saved.</p> +<p class="p3">“The faith that works by love,</p> +<p class="p4">And purifies the heart,</p> +<p class="p3">A foretaste of the joys above</p> +<p class="p4">To mortals can impart;</p> +<p class="p2">It bears us through this earthly strife,</p> +<p class="p2">And triumphs in immortal life.”</p> +<h1><a name="c5" id="c5">CHAPTER V.</a></h1> +<p class="pt1">ENTHUSIASM.</p> +<hr style="width:6em;margin-top:1.7em;margin-bottom:1.5em"> +<p class="pn">“Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, +and Christ shall give thee light.” I want to apply these words to +the children of God. If the lost are to be reached by the Gospel +of the Son of God, Christianity must be more aggressive than it +has been in the past. We have been on the defensive long enough; +the time has come for us to enter on a war of aggression. When we +as children of God wake up and go to work in the vineyard, then +those who are living in wickedness all about us will be reached; +but not in any other way. You may go to mass meetings and discuss +the question of “How to reach the masses,” but when you have done +with discussion you have to go back to personal effort. Every man +and woman who loves the Lord Jesus Christ must wake up to the +fact that he or she has a mission in the world, in this work of +reaching the lost.</p> +<p class="pn">A man may talk in his sleep, and it seems to me +that there is a good deal of that kind of thing now in the Lord’s +work. A man may even preach in his sleep. A friend of mine sat up +in his bed one night and preached a sermon right through. He was +sound asleep all the time. Next morning his wife told him all +about it. He preached the same sermon in his church the next +Sabbath morning; I have it in print, and a good sermon it is. So +a man may not only talk but actually preach in his sleep. There +are many preachers in these days who are fast asleep.</p> +<p class="pn">There is one thing, however, that we must remember; +a man cannot <i>work</i> in his sleep. There is no better way to +wake up a Church than to set it to work. One man will wake up +another in waking himself up. Of course the moment we begin a +work of aggression, and declare war with the world, the flesh, +and the devil, some wise head will begin to shake, and there will +be the cry, “Zeal without knowledge!” I think I have heard that +objection ever since I commenced the Christian life. I heard of +some one who was speaking the other day of something that was to +be done, and who said he hoped zeal would be tempered with +moderation. Another friend very wisely replied that he hoped +moderation would be tempered with zeal. If that were always the +case, Christianity would be like a red hot ball rolling over the +face of the earth. There is no power on earth that can stand +before the onward march of God’s people when they are in dead +earnest.</p> +<p class="pn">In all ages God has used those who were in earnest. +Satan always calls idle men into his service. God calls active +and earnest—not indolent men. When we are thoroughly aroused and +ready for His work, then He will take us up and use us. You +remember where Elijah found Elisha; he was ploughing in the +field—he was at work. Gideon was at the threshing floor. Moses +was away in Horeb looking after the sheep. None of these eminent +servants of God were indolent men; what they did, they did with +all their might. We want such men and women nowadays. If we +cannot do God’s work with all the knowledge we would like, let us +at any rate do it with all the zeal that God has given us.</p> +<p class="pn">Mr. Taylor says: “The zeal of the Apostles was seen +in this—they preached publicly and privately; they prayed for all +men; they wept to God for the hardness of men’s hearts; they +became all things to all men, that they might gain some; they +traveled through deeps and deserts; they endured the heat of the +Syrian sun and the violence of Euroclydon, winds and tempests, +seas and prisons, mockings and scourgings, fastings and poverty, +labor and watching; they endured of every man and wronged no man; +they would do any good, and suffer any evil, if they could but +hope to prevail upon a soul; they persuaded men meekly, they +entreated them humbly, they convinced them powerfully; they +watched for their good, but meddled not with their interest; and +this is the Christian zeal—the zeal of meekness, the zeal of +charity, the zeal of patience.”</p> +<p class="pn">A good many people are afraid of the word +E<span class="sc">nthusiasm</span>. Do you know what the word +means? It means “In God.” The person who is “in God”, will surely +be fired with enthusiasm. When a man goes into business filled +with fire and zeal, he will generally carry all before him. In +the army a general who is full of enthusiasm will fire up his +men, and will accomplish a great deal more than one who is not +stirred with the same spirit. People say that if we go on in that +way many mistakes will be made. Probably there will. You never +saw any boy learning a trade who did not make a good many +mistakes. If you do not go to work because you are afraid of +making mistakes, you will probably make one great mistake—the +greatest mistake of your life—that of doing nothing. If we all do +what we can, then a good deal will be accomplished.</p> +<p class="pn">How often do we find Sabbath-school teachers going +into their work without any enthusiasm. I had just as soon have a +lot of wooden teachers as some that I have known. If I were a +carpenter I could manufacture any quantity of them. Take one of +those teachers who has no heart, no fire, and no enthusiasm. He +comes into the school-room perhaps a few minutes after the +appointed time. He sits down, without speaking a word to any of +the scholars, until the time comes for the lessons to begin. When +the Superintendent says it is time to begin the teacher brings +out a Question Book. He has not been at the trouble to look up +the subject himself, so he gets what some one else has written +about it. He takes care not only to get a Question Book, but an +Answer Book.</p> +<p class="pn">Such a teacher will take up the first book and he +says: “John, who was the first man?” (looking at the book)—“Yes, +that is the right question.” John replies, “Adam.” Looking at the +Answer Book the teacher says: “Yes, that is right.” He looks +again at the Question Book and he says: “Charles, who was Lot?” +“Abraham’s nephew.” “Yes, my boy, that is right.” And so he goes +on. You may say that this is an exaggerated description, and of +course I do not mean to say it is literally true; but the picture +is not so much overdrawn as you would suppose. Do you think a +class of little boys full of life and fire is going to be reached +in that way?</p> +<p class="pn">I like to see a teacher come into the class and +shake hands with the scholars all round. “Johnnie, how do you do? +Charlie, I am glad to see you! How’s the baby? How’s your mother? +How are all the folks at home?” That is the kind of a teacher I +like to see. When he begins to open up the lesson all the +scholars are interested in what he is going to say. He will be +able to gain the attention of the whole class, and to train them +for God and for eternity. You cannot find me a person in the +world who has been greatly used of God, who has not been full of +enthusiasm. When we enter on the work in this spirit it will +begin to prosper, and God will give us success.</p> +<p class="pn">As I was leaving New York to go to England in 1867, +a friend said to me: “I hope you will go to Edinburgh and be at +the General Assembly this year. When I was there a year ago I +heard such a speech as I shall never forget. Dr. Duff made a +speech that set me all on fire. I shall never forget the hour I +spent in that meeting.” Shortly after reaching England I went to +Edinburgh and spent a week there, in hopes that I might hear that +one man speak. I went to work to find the report of the speech +that my friend had referred to, and it stirred me wonderfully. +Dr. Duff had been out in India as a missionary. He had spent +twenty-five years there preaching the Gospel and establishing +schools. He came back with a broken-down constitution. He was +permitted to address the General Assembly, in order to make an +appeal for men to go into the mission field. After he had spoken +for a considerable time, he became exhausted and fainted away. +They carried him out of the hall into another room. The doctors +worked over him for some time, and at last he began to recover. +When he realized where he was, he roused himself and said: “I did +not finish my speech; carry me back and let me finish it.” They +told him he could only do it at the peril of his life. Said he: +“I will do it if I die.” So they took him back to the hall. My +friend said it was one of the most solemn scenes he ever +witnessed in his life.</p> +<p class="pn">They brought the white-haired man into the Assembly +Hall, and as he appeared at the door every person sprang to his +feet; the tears flowed freely as they looked upon the grand old +veteran. With a trembling voice, he said: “Fathers and mothers of +Scotland, is it true that you have no more sons to send to India +to work for the Lord Jesus Christ? The call for help is growing +louder and louder, but there are few coming forward to answer it. +You have the money put away in the bank, but where are the +laborers who shall go into the field? When Queen Victoria wants +men to volunteer for her army in India, you freely give your +sons. You do not talk about their losing their health, and about +the trying climate. But when the Lord Jesus is calling for +laborers, Scotland is saying: ‘We have no more sons to +give.’”</p> +<p class="pn">Turning to the President of the Assembly, he said: +“Mr. Moderator, if it is true that Scotland has no more sons to +give to the service of the Lord Jesus Christ in India; although I +have lost my health in that land, if there are none who will go +and tell those heathen of Christ, then I will be off to-morrow, +to let them know that there is one old Scotchman who is ready to +die for them. I will go back to the shores of the Ganges, and +there lay down my life as a witness for the Son of God.”</p> +<p class="pn">Thank God for such a man as that! We want men +to-day who are willing, if need be, to lay down their lives for +the Son of God. Then we shall be able to make an impression upon +the world. When they see that we are in earnest, their hearts +will be touched, and we shall be able to lead them to the Lord +Jesus Christ.</p> +<p class="pn">I did not agree with Garibaldi’s judgement in all +things, but I must confess I did admire his enthusiasm. I never +saw his name in the papers, or in a book, but I read all I could +find about him. There was something about him that fired me up. I +remember reading of the time when he was on the way to Rome in +1867, and when he was cast into prison. I read the letter he sent +to his comrades: “If fifty Garibaldis are thrown into prison, let +Rome be free!” He did not care for his own comfort, so long as +the cause of freedom in Italy was advanced. If we have such a +love for our Master and His cause that we are ready to go out and +do His work whatever it may cost us personally, depend upon it +the Lord will use us in building up His kingdom.</p> +<p class="pn">I have read of a man in the ninth century who came +up against a king. The king had a force of thirty thousand men, +and when he heard that this general had only five hundred men, he +sent him a message that if he would surrender he would treat him +and his followers mercifully. Turning to one of his followers, +the man said: “Take that dagger and drive it to your heart.” The +man at once pressed the weapon to his bosom, and fell dead at the +feet of his commander. Turning to another, he said: “Leap into +yonder chasm.” Into the jaws of death the man went; they saw him +dashed to pieces at the bottom. Then turning to the king’s +messenger, the man said: “Go back to your king, and tell him that +I have five hundred such men. Tell him that we may die but we +never surrender. Tell him that I will have him chained with my +dogs within forty-eight hours.” When the king heard that he had +such men arrayed against him, it struck terror to his heart. His +forces were so demoralized that they were scattered like chaff +before the wind. Within forty-eight hours the king was taken +captive and chained with the dogs of his conqueror. When the +people see that we are in earnest in all that we undertake for +God, they will begin to tremble; men and women will be enquiring +the way to Zion.</p> +<p class="pn">A fearful storm was raging, when the cry was heard, +“Man overboard!” A human form was seen manfully breasting the +furious elements in the direction of the shore; but the raging +waves bore the struggler rapidly outward, and, ere the boats +could be lowered, a fearful space separated the victim from help. +Above the shriek of the storm and roar of the waters rose his +rending cry. It was an agonizing moment. With bated breath and +blanched cheek, every eye was strained to the struggling man. +Manfully did the brave rowers strain every nerve in that race of +mercy; but all their efforts were in vain. One wild shriek of +despair, and the victim went down. A piercing cry, “Save him, +save him!” rang through the hushed crowd; and into their midst +darted an agitated man, throwing his arms wildly in the air, +shouting, “A thousand pounds for the man who saves his life!” but +his starting eye rested only on the spot where the waves rolled +remorselessly over the perished. He whose strong cry broke the +stillness of the crowd was Captain of the ship from whence the +drowned man fell, and was <i>his brother</i>. This is the feeling +we want to have in the various ranks of those bearing commission +under the great Captain of our salvation. “Save him! he is my +brother.”</p> +<p class="pn">The fact is, men do not believe in Christianity +because they think we are not in earnest about it. In this same +Epistle to the Ephesians the Apostle says we are to be “living +epistles of Christ, known and read of all men.” I never knew a +time when Christian people were ready to go forth and put in the +sickle, but there was a great harvest. Wherever you put in the +sickle you will find the fields white. The trouble is there are +so few to reap.</p> +<p class="pn">God wants men and women; that is something far +better than institutions. If a man or a woman be really in +earnest, they will not wait to be put on some committee. If I saw +a man fall into the river, and he was in danger of drowning, I +would not wait until I was placed on some committee before I +tried to save him. Many people say they cannot work because they +have not been formally appointed. They say: “It is not my +parish.” I asked a person one day, during our last visit to +London, if he would go and work in the inquiry room. The reply +was: “I do not belong to this part of London.” Let us look on the +whole world as our parish, as a great harvest field. If God puts +any one within our influence, let us tell them of Christ and +heaven. The world may rise up and say that we are mad. In my +opinion no one is fit for God’s service until he is willing to be +considered mad by the world. They said Paul was mad. I wish we +had many more who were bitten with the same kind of madness. As +some one has said: “If we are mad, we have a good Keeper on the +way and a good Asylum at the end of the road.”</p> +<p class="pn">One great trouble is that people come to special +revival meetings, and for two or three weeks, perhaps, they will +keep up the fire, but by and by it dies out. They are like a +bundle of shavings with kerosene on the top—they blaze away for a +little, but soon there is nothing left. We want to keep it all +the time, morning, noon and night. I heard of a well once that +was said to be very good, except that it had two faults. It +<i>would</i> freeze up in the winter, and it <i>would</i> dry up +in the summer. A most extraordinary well, but I am afraid there +are many wells like it. There are many people who are good at +certain times; as some one has expressed it, they seem to be good +“in spots.” What we want is to be red hot all the time. Do not +wait till some one hunts you up. People talk about striking while +the iron is hot. I believe it was Cromwell who said that he would +rather strike the iron and make it hot. So let us keep at our +post, and we will soon grow warm in the Lord’s work.</p> +<p class="pn">Let me say a few words specially to Sabbath-school +teachers. Let me urge upon you not to be satisfied with merely +pointing the children away to the Lord Jesus Christ. There are so +many teachers who go on sowing the seed, and who think they will +reap the harvest by and by; but they do not look for the harvest +now. I began to work in that way, and it was years before I saw +any conversions. I believe God’s method is that we should sow +with one hand and reap with the other. The two should go on side +by side. The idea that children must grow into manhood and +womanhood before they can be brought to Jesus Christ is a false +one. They can be led to Christ now in the days of their youth, +and they can be kept, so that they may become useful members of +society, and be a blessing to their parents, to the Church of +God, and to the world. If they are allowed to grow up to manhood +and womanhood before they are led to Christ, many of them will be +dragged into the dens of vice; and instead of being a blessing +they will be a curse to society.</p> +<p class="pn">What is the trouble throughout Christendom to-day, +in connection with the Sabbath-school? It is that so many when +they grow up to the age of sixteen or so, drop through the +Sabbath-school net, and that is the last we see of them. There +are many young men now in our prisons who have been Sabbath +scholars. The cause of that is that so few teachers believe the +children can be converted when they are young. They do not labor +to bring them to a knowledge of Christ, but are content to go on +sowing the seed. Let a teacher resolve that, God helping him, he +will not rest until he sees his whole class brought into the +kingdom of God; if he thus resolves he will see signs and wonders +inside of thirty days.</p> +<p class="pn">I well remember how I got waked up on this point. I +had a large Sunday-school with a thousand children. I was very +much pleased with the numbers. If they only kept up or exceeded +that number I was delighted; if the attendance fell below a +thousand I was very much troubled. I was all the time aiming +simply at numbers. There was one class held in a corner of the +large hall. It was made up of young women, and it was more +trouble than any other in the school. There was but one man who +could ever manage it and keep it in order. If he could manage to +keep the class quiet I thought it was about as much as we could +hope for. The idea of any of them being converted never entered +my mind.</p> +<p class="pn">One Sabbath this teacher was missing, and it was +with difficulty that his substitute could keep order in the +class. During the week the teacher came to my place of business. +I noticed that he looked very pale, and I asked what was the +trouble. “I have been bleeding at the lungs,” he said, “and the +doctor tells me I cannot live. I must give up my class and go +back to my widowed mother in New York State.” He fully believed +he was going home to die. As he spoke to me his chin quivered, +and the tears began to flow. I noticed this and said: “You are +not afraid of death, are you?” “Oh, no, I am not afraid to die, +but I will meet God, and not one of my Sabbath-school scholars is +converted. What shall I say?” Ah, how different things looked +when he felt he was going to render an account of his +stewardship.</p> +<p class="pn">I was speechless. It was something new to me to +hear any one speak in that way. I said: “Suppose we go and see +the scholars and tell them about Christ.” “I am very weak,” he +said, “too weak to walk.” I said I would take him in a carriage. +We took a carriage and went round to the residence of every +scholar. He would just be able to stagger across the sidewalk, +sometimes leaning on my arm. Calling the young lady by name, he +would pray with her and plead with her to come to Christ. It was +a new experience for me. I got a new view of things. After he had +used up all his strength I would take him home. Next day he would +start again and visit others in the class. Sometimes he would go +alone, and sometimes I would go with him. At the end of ten days +he came to my place of business, his face beaming with joy, and +said: “The last one has yielded her heart to Christ. I am going +home now; I have done all I can do; my work is done.”</p> +<p class="pns">I asked when he was going, and he said: “To-morrow +night.” I said: “Suppose I ask these young friends to have a +little gathering, to meet you once more before you go.” He said +he would be very glad. I sent out the invitations and they all +came together. I had never spent such a night up to that time. I +had never met such a large number of young converts, led to +Christ by his influence and mine. We prayed for each member of +the class, for the Superintendent, and for the teacher. Every one +of them prayed; what a change had come over them in a short space +of time. We tried to sing—but we did not get on very well—</p> +<p class="p4">“Blest be the tie that binds</p> +<p class="p4s">Our hearts in Christian love.”</p> +<p class="ps">We all bade him good-bye; but I felt as if I must +go and see him once more. Next night, before the train started, I +went to the station, and found that, without any concert of +action, one and another of the class had come to bid him +good-bye. They were all there on the platform. A few gathered +around us—the fireman, engineer, brakesman, and conductor of the +train, with the passengers. It was a beautiful summer night, and +the sun was just going down behind the western prairies as we +sang together—</p> +<p class="p4">“Here we meet to part again,</p> +<p class="p4">But when we meet on Canaan’s shore,</p> +<p class="p4s">There’ll be no parting there.”</p> +<p class="pnn">As the train moved out of the station, he stood on +the outside platform, and, with his finger pointing heavenward, +he said: “I will meet you yonder;” then he disappeared from our +view.</p> +<p class="pn">What a work was accomplished in those ten days! +Some of the members of that class were among the most active +Christians we had in the school for years after. Some of them are +active workers to-day. I met one of them at work away out on the +Pacific Coast, a few years ago. We had a blessed work of grace in +the school that summer; it took me out of my business and sent me +into the Lord’s work. If it had not been for the work of those +ten days, probably I should not have been an evangelist +to-day.</p> +<p class="pn">Let me again urge on Sunday-school teachers to seek +the salvation of your scholars. Make up your mind that within the +next ten days you will do all you can to lead your class to +Christ. Fathers, mothers, let there be no rest till you see all +your family brought into the kingdom of God. Do you say that He +will not bless such consecrated effort? What we want to-day is +the spirit of consecration and concentration. May God pour out +His Spirit upon us, and fill us with a holy enthusiasm.</p> +<h1><a name="c6" id="c6">CHAPTER VI.</a></h1> +<p class="pt1">THE POWER OF LITTLE THINGS.</p> +<hr style="width:6em;margin-top:1.7em;margin-bottom:1.5em"> +<p class="pn">In the twenty-fifth chapter of Exodus we read: “And +the Lord spake unto Moses, saying: ‘Speak unto the children of +Israel, that they bring Me an offering: of every man that giveth +it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering. And this +is the offering which ye shall take of them: gold, and silver, +and brass, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and +goats’ hair, and rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and +shittim wood, oil for the light, spices for anointing oil and for +sweet incense, onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and +in the breastplate. And let them make Me a sanctuary; that I may +dwell among them. According to all that I show thee, after the +pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments +thereof, even so shall ye make it.’”</p> +<p class="pn">I am glad this has been recorded for our +instruction. How it ought to encourage us all to believe that we +may each have a part in building up the walls of the heavenly +Zion. In all ages God has delighted to use the weak things. In +his letter to the Corinthians Paul speaks of five things that God +uses: “God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to +confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the +world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of +the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, +and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are, +that no flesh should glory in His presence.”</p> +<p class="pn">You notice there are five things mentioned that God +uses—foolish things, weak things, base things, despised things, +and things which are not. What for? “That no flesh should glory +in His presence.” When we are weak then we are strong. People +often think they have not strength enough; the fact is we have +too much strength. It is when we feel that we have no strength of +our own, that we are willing God should use us, and work through +us. If we are leaning on God’s strength, we have more than all +the strength of the world.</p> +<p class="pn">This world is not going to be reached by mere human +intellectual power. When we realize that we have no strength, +then all the fulness of God will flow in upon us. Then we shall +have power with God and with man.</p> +<p class="pn">In Revelation we read that John on one occasion +wept much at a sight he beheld in heaven. He saw a sealed book; +and no one was found that could break the seal and open the book. +Abel, that holy man of God, was not worthy to open it. Enoch, who +had been translated to heaven without tasting death; Elijah, who +had gone up in a chariot of fire; even Moses, that great +law-giver; or Isaiah, or any of the prophets—none was found +worthy to open the book. As he saw this John wept much. As he +wept one touched him, and said: “Weep not; behold, the Lion of +the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the +Book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.” When he looked to +see who was the Lion of the tribe of Judah, whom did he see! Lo, +the Lion was a Lamb! God’s Lion is a Lamb! When we are like lambs +God can use us, and we are strong in His service. We can all be +weak can we not? Then let us lean on the mighty power of God.</p> +<p class="pn">Notice that all the men whom Christ called around +Him were weak men in a worldly sense. They were all men without +rank, without title, without position, without wealth or culture. +Nearly all of them were fishermen and unlettered men; yet Christ +chose them to build up His kingdom. When God wanted to bring the +children of Israel out of bondage, He did not send an army; He +sent one solitary man. So in all ages God has used the weak +things of the world to accomplish His purposes.</p> +<p class="pn">I read an incident some time ago that illustrates +the power of a simple tract. A society was some years ago +established to distribute tracts by mail in the higher circles. +One of these tracts, entitled, “Prepare to meet thy God,” was +enclosed in an envelope, and sent by post to a gentleman well +known for his ungodly life and his reckless impiety. He was in +his study when he read this letter among others. “What’s that,” +said he. “‘Prepare to meet thy God.’ Who has had the impudence to +send me this cant?” And, with an imprecation on his unknown +correspondent, he arose to put the paper in the fire.</p> +<p class="pn">“No; I won’t do that.” he said to himself; “On +second thoughts, I know what I will do. I’ll send it to my friend +B—; it will be a good joke to hear what he’ll say about it.” So +saying, he enclosed the tract in a fresh envelope, and, in a +feigned hand, directed it to his boon companion.</p> +<p class="pn">Mr. B— was a man of his own stamp, and received the +tract, as his friend had done, with an oath at the Methodistical +humbug, which his first impulse was to tear in pieces. “I’ll not +tear it either,” said he to himself. “Prepare to meet thy God” at +once arrested his attention, and smote his conscience. The arrow +of conviction entered his heart as he read, and he was converted. +Almost his first thought was for his ungodly associates. “Have I +received such blessed light and truth, and shall I not strive to +communicate it to others?” He again folded the tract, and +enclosed and directed it to one of his companions in sin. +Wonderful to say, the little arrow hit the mark. His friend read. +He also was converted; and both are now walking as the Lord’s +redeemed ones.</p> +<p class="pn">In Matthew we read: “For the kingdom of heaven is +as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own +servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave +five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man +according to his several ability; and straightway took his +journey.”</p> +<p class="pn">Observe, he gave to every man “according to his +several ability.” He gave to each servant just the number of +talents that he could take care of and use. Some people complain +that they have not more talents; but we have each the number of +talents that we can properly employ. If we take good care of what +we have, God will give us more. There were eight talents to be +distributed among three persons; the master gave to one five; to +a second, two; and to another, one. The man went away; and the +servants fully understood that he expected them to improve their +talents and trade with them. God is not unreasonable; He does not +ask us to do what we cannot do; but He gives us according to our +several ability, and He expects us to use the talents we +have.</p> +<p class="pn">We read: “He that had received the five talents +went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. +And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. +But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and +hid his lord’s money.” Notice that the man who had the two +talents got exactly the same commendation as the man who had the +five. The one who got five doubled them, and his lord said to +him: “Well done, good and faithful servant.” The one who had two +also doubled them, and so had four talents; to him also the lord +said: “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the +joy of thy lord.”</p> +<p class="pn">If the man who had the one talent had traded with +it, he would have received exactly the same approval as the +others. But what did he do? He put it into a napkin and buried +it. He thought he would take care of it in that way.</p> +<p class="pn">After the lord of these servants had been gone a +long while he returned to reckon with them. What does he find in +the case of the third servant? He has the one talent; but that is +all.</p> +<p class="pn">I read of a man who had a thousand dollars. He hid +it away, thinking he would in that way take care of it, and that +when he was an old man he would have something to fall back upon. +After keeping the money for twenty years he took it to a bank and +got just one thousand dollars for it. If he had put it at +interest, in the usual way, he might have had three times the +amount. He made the mistake that a great many people are making +to-day throughout Christendom, of not trading with his talents. +My experience has been as I have gone about in the world and +mingled with professing Christians, that those who find most +fault with others are those who themselves have nothing to do. If +a person is busy improving the talents that God has given him he +will have too much to do to find fault and complain about +others.</p> +<p class="pn">God has given us many opportunities of serving Him, +and He expects that we should use them. People think that their +time and property are their own. What saying is more frequent +than this? “I have a right to do what I will with my own.”</p> +<p class="pn">On one occasion a friend was beside the dying bed +of a military man who had held an important command in successful +Indian wars. He asked if he were afraid to die. He at once said: +“I am not.”</p> +<p class="pn">“Why?” He said: “I have never done any harm.”</p> +<p class="pn">The other replied: “If you were going to be tried +by a court-martial as an officer and a gentleman, I suppose you +would expect an honorable acquittal?” The dying old man lifted +himself up, and with an energy which his illness seemed to render +impossible, exclaimed, “That I should!”</p> +<p class="pn">“But you are not going to a court-martial; you are +going to Christ; and when Christ asks you, ‘What have you done +for me?’ what will you say?” His countenance changed, and +earnestly gazing on his friend, with agonized feelings he +answered: “<i>Nothing!</i>—I have never done <i>anything</i> for +Christ!”</p> +<p class="pn">His friend pointed out the awful mistake of +habitually living in the sense of our relations one with another, +and forgetting our relation to Christ and to God; therefore the +error of supposing that doing no harm, or even doing good to +those around, will serve as a substitute for <i>living to God. +What have you done for Christ?</i> is the great question.</p> +<p class="pn">After some days, he called again on the old man, +who said: “Well, sir, what do you think now?” He replied: “Ah! I +am a poor sinner.” He pointed him to the Savior of sinners; and +not long afterward he departed this life as a repentant sinner, +resting in Christ. What an awful end would have come to the false +peace in which he was found! And yet it is the peace of the +multitudes, only to be undeceived at the judgment seat of +Christ.</p> +<p class="pn">If this world is going to be reached, I am +convinced it must be done by men and women of average talent. +After all there are comparatively few people in the world who +have great talents. Here is a man with one talent; there is +another with three; perhaps I may have only half a talent. But if +we all go to work and trade with the gifts we have the Lord will +prosper us; and we may double or treble our talents. What we need +is to be up and about our Master’s work, every man building +against his own house. The more we use the means and +opportunities we have, the more will our ability and our +opportunities be increased.</p> +<p class="pn">An Eastern allegory runs thus: A merchant, going +abroad for a time, gave respectively to two of his friends two +sacks of wheat each, to take care of against his return. Years +passed; he came back, and applied for them again. The first took +him into a storehouse, and showed them his sacks; but they were +mildewed and worthless. The other led him out into the open +country, and pointed to field after field of waving corn, the +produce of the two sacks given him. Said the merchant: “You have +been a faithful friend. Give me two sacks of that wheat; the rest +shall be thine.”</p> +<p class="pn">I heard a person once say that she wanted +assurance. I asked how long she had been a Christian; and she +replied she had been one for a number of years. I said: “What are +you doing for Christ?” “I do not know that I have the opportunity +of doing anything,” she replied. I pity the person who professes +to be a Christian in this day, and who says he can find no +opportunities of doing any work for Christ. I cannot imagine +where his lot must be cast. The idea of any one knowing the Lord +Jesus Christ in this nineteenth century, and saying he has no +opportunities of testifying for Him. Surely no one need look far +to find plenty of opportunities for speaking and working for the +Master, if he only has the desire to do it. “Lift up your eyes, +and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.” +If you cannot do some great thing, you can do some little +thing.</p> +<p class="pn">A man sent me a tract a little while ago, entitled, +“W<span class="sc">hat is that in thine hand</span>?” and I am +very thankful he sent it. These words were spoken by God to Moses +when He called him to go down to Egypt, and bring the children of +Israel out of the house of bondage. You remember how Moses tried +to excuse himself. He said he was not eloquent; he was not this +and that; and he could not go. Like Isaiah he wanted the Lord to +send some one else. At last the Lord said to Moses, “What is that +in thine hand?” He had a rod in his hand. It may be that a few +days before he wanted something to drive the sheep with, and he +may have cut this wand for that purpose. He could probably have +got a hundred better rods any day. Yet with that he was to +deliver the children of Israel. God was to link His almighty +power with that rod; and that was enough.</p> +<p class="pn">I can imagine that as Moses was on his way down to +Egypt he may have met one of the philosophers or free-thinkers of +his day, who might have asked him where he was going. “Down to +Egypt.” “Indeed! are you going down there again to live?” “No, I +am going to bring my people out of the house of bondage.” “What! +you are going to deliver them from the hand of Pharaoh, the +mightiest monarch now living? You think you are going to free +three millions of slaves from the power of the Egyptians?” +“Yes.”</p> +<p class="pn">“How are you going to do it?” “With this rod.”</p> +<p class="pn">What a contemptible thing the rod must have been in +the eyes of that Egyptian freethinker; the idea of delivering +three millions of slaves with a rod! We had three millions of +slaves in this country, and before they could be set free half a +million of men had to lay down their lives. The flower of the +nation marched to its grave before our slaves gained their +deliverance.</p> +<p class="pn">Here was a weak and solitary man going down to +Egypt, to meet a monarch who had the power of life and death. And +all he had with which to deliver the people from bondage was this +rod! Yet see how famous that rod became. When Moses wanted to +bring up the plagues on the people he had only to stretch out his +rod, and they covered the land. He had but to stretch it out, and +the water of the country was turned into blood. Then when the +people came to the Red Sea and they wanted to go across, he had +only to lift up the rod and the waters separated, so that the +people could pass through dry-shod. When they were in the desert +and wanted water to drink, again he lifted this rod and struck +the flinty rock, when the water burst forth, and they drank and +were refreshed. That contemptible rod became mighty indeed. But +it was not the rod; it was the God of Moses, who condescended to +use it.</p> +<p class="pn">Let us learn a lesson from this history. We are +required to use what we have, not what we have not. Whatever +gifts or talents you have, take and lay them at the Master’s +feet. Moses took what he had; and we see how much he +accomplished. If we are ready to say: “Here am I, ready and +willing to be used,” the Lord will use us; He will link His +mighty power with our weakness, and we shall be able to do great +things for Him.</p> +<p class="pn">Look again, and see Joshua as he goes up to the +walls of Jericho. If you had asked what they had with which to +bring down the walls of that city, all you would have seen would +have been a few rams’ horns. They must have looked very mean and +contemptible in the eyes of the men of Jericho. Perhaps the city +contained some men who were giants; as they looked over the walls +and saw the Israelites marching around the city blowing these +horns, they must have appeared very insignificant. But God can +use the base things, the despised things. However contemptible an +instrument a ram’s horn may have appeared in the sight of man, +the people went on blowing them as they were commanded; and at +the appointed time down came the walls, and the city was taken. +The Israelites had no battering rams; no great armor or mighty +weapons of any kind. They simply took what they had, and God used +it to do the work.</p> +<p class="pn">Look at Samson going out to meet a thousand +Philistines. What has he with him? Only the jawbone of an ass! If +God could use that, surely He can use us, can he not? Do you tell +me He cannot use this woman, that little boy? There is not one +whom He cannot use, if we are willing to be used.</p> +<p class="pn">I remember hearing a Scotchman say, when I was in +Great Britain ten years ago, that there was probably not a man in +all Saul’s army but believed that God <i>could</i> use him to go +out and slay the giant of Gath. But there was only one solitary +man who believed that God <i>would</i> use him. David went out to +meet Goliath and we know the result. We all believe that God +<i>can</i> use us; we want to take a step further and believe +that He <i>will</i> use us. If we are willing to be used, He is +willing to use us in His service. How contemptible these smooth +stones that David took out of the brook would have appeared to +Goliath! Even Saul wanted David to take his armor, and put it on. +He was on the point of yielding; but he took his sling and the +five smooth stones and went out. The giant of Gath fell before +him. Let us go forth in the name of the God of hosts, using what +we have, and He will give us the victory.</p> +<p class="pn">When I was in Glasgow a few years ago, a friend was +telling me about an open-air preacher who died there some years +before. This man was preaching one Sabbath morning on Shamgar. He +said: “I can imagine that when he was ploughing in the field a +man came running over the hill all out of breath, and shouted: +‘Shamgar! Shamgar! There are six hundred Philistines coming +toward you.’ Shamgar quietly said: ‘You pass on; I can take care +of them, they are four hundred short.’ So he took an ox goad and +slew the whole of them. He routed them hip and high. And the +Israelites had again fulfilled before their eyes the words: ‘One +shall chase a thousand and two shall put ten thousand to +flight.’” Now-a-days it takes about a thousand to chase one, +because we do not realize that we are weak in ourselves and that +our strength is in God.</p> +<p class="pn">We want to remember that it is true to-day as ever +it was that “One shall chase a thousand.” What we need is Holy +Ghost power that can take up the weakest child here and make him +mighty in God’s hand. There is a mountain to be threshed; there +lies a bar of iron, and a little weak worm. God puts aside the +iron, and takes up the worm to thresh the mountain. That is God’s +way. His thoughts are not our thoughts; His plans are not +ours.</p> +<p class="pn">We say: “If such and such a man were only +converted—that rich man or that wealthy lady—how much good would +be done!” Very true; but it may be that God will pass them by and +take up some poor tramp, and make him the greatest instrument for +good in all the land. John Bunyan, the poor Bedford tinker, was +worth more than all the nobility of his day. God took him in +hand, and he became mighty. He wrote that wonderful book that has +gone marching through the nations, lifting up many a weary heart, +cheering many a discouraged and disheartened one. Let us remember +that if we are willing to be used, God is willing and waiting to +use us.</p> +<p class="pn">I once heard an Englishman speak about Christ +feeding the five thousand with the five barley loaves and the two +small fishes. He said that Christ may have taken one of the +loaves and broken off a piece and given it to one of the +disciples to divide. When the disciple began to pass it round he +only gave a very small piece to the first, because he was afraid +it would not hold out. But after he had given the first piece it +did not seem to grow any the less; so the next time he gave a +larger piece, and still the bread was not exhausted. The more he +gave, the more the bread increased, until all had plenty.</p> +<p class="pn">At the first all could be carried in one basket; +but when the whole multitude had been satisfied the disciples +gathered up twelve baskets full of fragments. They had a good +deal more when they stopped than when they began. Let us bring +our little barley loaves to the Master that He may multiply +them.</p> +<p class="pn">You say you have not got much; well, you can use +what you have. The longer I work in Christ’s vineyard the more +convinced I am that a good many are kept out of the service of +Christ, deprived of the luxury of working for God, because they +are trying to do some great thing. Let us be willing to do little +things. And let us remember that nothing is small in which God +is. Elijah’s servant came to him and told him he saw a cloud not +larger than a man’s hand. That was enough for Elijah. He said to +his servant, “Go, tell Ahab to make haste; there is the sound of +abundance of rain.” Elijah knew that the small cloud would bring +rain. Nothing that we do for God is small.</p> +<p class="pn">I remember holding meetings some years ago at a +certain place, and I met a young lady at the house where I was +staying. She told me she had a Sunday afternoon class in a +mission-school. At one of our afternoon meetings I saw this lady +sitting right in front; she must have been there early to get a +good seat. After the service I met her, and I said: “I saw you at +the meeting to-day; I thought you had a class.” “So I have.”</p> +<p class="pn">“Did you get some one to take it for you?” +“No.”</p> +<p class="pn">“Did you tell the Superintendent you were not to be +there?” “No.”</p> +<p class="pn">“Do you know who had the class?” “No.”</p> +<p class="pn">“Do you know if any one was there to take it?” “I +am afraid there was nobody; for I saw a good many of the teachers +of the school at your meeting.”</p> +<p class="pn">“Is that the way you do the Lord’s work?” “Well, +you know, I have only five little boys. I thought it would not +make any difference.”</p> +<p class="pn">Only five little boys! Why, there might have been a +John Knox, or a Wesley, or a Whitefield, or a Bunyan there. You +cannot tell what these boys might become. One of them might +become another Martin Luther; there might be a second Reformation +slumbering in one of these five little boys. It is a great thing +for any one to take “five little boys” and train them for God and +for eternity. You may set a stream in motion that will flow on +after you are dead and gone.</p> +<p class="pn">Little did the mothers of the Wesleys know what +would be the result, when she trained her boys for God and for +His kingdom. See what mighty results have flowed from that one +source. It is estimated that there are to-day 25,000,000 +adherents of the Methodist faith, and over 5,000,000 +communicants. It is estimated there are 110,000 regular and local +preachers in the United States alone. Two new churches are being +built every day in the year; and the work of the Methodist Church +is spreading over this great Republic. And all this has been done +in about a hundred and fifty years. Let not mothers think that +their work of training children for God is a small one. In the +sight of God it is very great; many may rise up in eternity to +call them blessed.</p> +<p class="pn">I have now in my mind a mother who has had twelve +boys. They have all grown up to be active Christians. A number of +them are preachers of the Gospel; and all of them are true to the +Son of God. There are very few women in our country who have done +more for the nation than that mother. It is a great thing to be +permitted to touch God’s work, and to be a co-worker with +Him.</p> +<p class="pn">There is a bridge over the Niagara River. It is one +of the great highways of the nation; trains pass over it every +few minutes of the day. When they began to make the bridge, the +first thing they did was to take a boy’s kite and send a little +thread across the stream. It seemed a very small thing, but it +was the beginning of a great work. So if we only lead one soul to +Christ, eternity alone may tell what the result will be. You may +be the means of saving some one who may become one of the most +eminent men in the service of God that the world has ever +seen.</p> +<p class="pn">We may not be able to do any great thing; but if +each of us will do <i>something</i>, however small it may be, a +goof deal will be accomplished for God. For a good many years I +have made it a rule not to let any day pass without speaking to +some one about eternal things. I commenced it away back years +ago, and if I live the life allotted to man, there will be 18,250 +persons who will have been spoken to personally by me. That of +course does not take into account those to whom I speak publicly. +How often we as Christians meet with people, when we might turn +the conversation into a channel that will lead them up to +Christ.</p> +<p class="pn">There are many burdened hearts all around us; can +we not help to remove these burdens? Some one has represented +this world as two great mountains—a mountain of sorrow and a +mountain of joy. If we can each day take something from the +mountain of sorrow and add it to the mountain of joy, a good deal +will be accomplished in the course of a year.</p> +<p class="pn">I remember Mr. Spurgeon making this remark a few +days ago: When Moses went to tell the king of Egypt that he would +call up the plague of frogs upon the land, the king may have +said: “Your God is the God of frogs, is He? I am not afraid of +them; bring them on, I do not care for the frogs!” Says Moses: +“But there are a good many of them, O king.” And he found that +out.</p> +<p class="pn">So we may be weak and contemptible individually, +but there a good many Christians scattered all over the land, and +we can accomplish a great deal between us. Supposing each one who +loves the Lord Jesus were to resolve to-day, by God’s help, to +try and lead one soul to Christ this week. Is there a professing +Christian who cannot lead some soul into the kingdom of God? If +you cannot I want to tell you that there is something wrong in +your life; you had better have it straightened out at once. If +you have not an influence for good over some one of your friends +or neighbors, there is something in your life that needs to be +put right. May God show it to you to-day!</p> +<p class="pn">I have little sympathy with the idea that a +Christian man or woman has to live for years before they can have +the privilege of leading anyone out of the darkness of this world +into the kingdom of God. I do not believe, either, that all God’s +work is going to be done by ministers, and other officers in the +Churches. This lost world will never be reached and brought back +to loyalty to God, until the children of God wake up to the fact +that they have a mission in the world. If we are true Christians +we should all be missionaries. Christ came down from heaven on a +mission, and if we have His Spirit in us we will be missionaries +too. If we have no desire to see the world discipled, to see man +brought back to God, there is something very far wrong in our +religion.</p> +<p class="pn">If you cannot work among the elder people you can +go to work among the children. Let Christians speak kindly to +these boys and girls about their souls; they will remember it all +their lives. They may forget the sermon, but if some one speaks +to them personally, they will say: “That man or woman must be +greatly interested in me or they would not have been at the +trouble to speak to me.” They may wake up to the fact that they +have immortal souls, and even if the preaching goes right over +their heads, a little personal effort may be a means of blessing +to them.</p> +<p class="pn">This personal and individual dealing is perfectly +Scriptural. Philip was called away from a great work in Samaria +to go and speak to one man in the desert. Christ’s great sermon +on Regeneration was addressed to one man; and that wonderful +discourse by our Lord on the Water of Life was spoken to one poor +sinful woman. I pity those Christians who are not willing to +speak to one soul; they are not fit for God’s service. We shall +not accomplish much for God in the world, if we are not willing +to speak to the ones and twos.</p> +<p class="pn">Another thing: Do not let Satan make you believe +that the children are too young to be saved. Of course you cannot +put old heads on young shoulders. You cannot make them into +deacons and elders all at once. But they can give their young +hearts to Christ.</p> +<p class="pn">A good many years ago I had a mission school in +Chicago. The children were mostly those of ungodly parents. I +only had them about an hour out of the week, and it seemed as if +any good they got was wiped out during the week. I used to think +that if ever I became a public speaker I would go up and down the +world and beseech parents to consider the importance of training +their children for God and eternity. On one of the first Sabbaths +I went out of Chicago I impressed this on the congregation.</p> +<p class="pn">When I had finished my address an old white-haired +man got up. I was all in a tremble, thinking he was going to +criticise what I had said. Instead of that he said: “I want to +indorse all that this young man has spoken. Sixteen years ago I +was in a heathen country. My wife died and left me with three +motherless children. The first Sabbath after her death my eldest +girl, ten years old, said: ‘Papa, may I take the children into +the bedroom and pray with them as mother used to do on the +Sabbath?’ I said she might.</p> +<p class="pn">When they came out of the room after a time I saw +that my eldest daughter had been weeping. I called her to me, and +said: ‘Nellie, what is the trouble?’ ‘Oh, father,’ she said, +‘after we went into the room I made the prayer that mother taught +me to make.’ Then, naming her little brother, He made the prayer +that mother taught him. Little Susie didn’t use to pray when +mother took us in there because mother thought she was too young. +But when we got through she made a prayer of her own. I could not +but weep when I heard her pray. She put her little hands together +and closed her eyes and said: ‘O God, you have taken away my dear +mamma, and I have no mamma now to pray for me. Won’t you bless me +and make me good just as mamma was, for Jesus Christ’s sake, +Amen.’” “Little Susie gave evidence of having given her young +heart to God before she was four years old. For sixteen years she +has been at work as a missionary among the heathen.”</p> +<p class="pn">Let us remember that God can use these little +children. Dr. Milnor was brought up a Quaker, became a +distinguished lawyer in Philadelphia, and was a member of +Congress for three successive terms. Returning to his home on a +visit during his last Congressional session, his little daughter +rushed upon him exclaiming. “Papa! papa! do you know I can read?” +“No?” he said, “let me hear you!” She opened her little Bible and +read, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart.” It +was an arrow in her father’s heart, It came to him as a solemn +admonition. “Out of the mouth of babes,” God’s Spirit moved +within him. He was driven to his closet, and a friend calling +upon him found he had been weeping over the <i>Dairyman’s +Daughter</i>. Although only forty years of age, he abandoned +politics and law for the ministry of the Gospel. For thirty years +he was the beloved rector of St. George’s Church, in +Philadelphia, the predecessor of the venerated Dr. Tyng.</p> +<p class="pns">Dear mothers and fathers, let us in simple faith +bring our children to Christ. He is the same to-day as when He +took them in His arms and said: “Suffer the little children to +come unto Me and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of +heaven.”</p> +<p class="p3">I may not do much with all my care,</p> +<p class="p4">But I surely may bless a few;</p> +<p class="p3">The loving Jesus will give to me,</p> +<p class="p4">Some work of love to do;</p> +<p class="p3">I may wipe the tears from some weeping eyes,</p> +<p class="p4">I may bring the smile again</p> +<p class="p3">To a face that is weary and worn with care,</p> +<p class="p4">To a heart that is full of pain.</p> +<p class="p3">I may speak His name to the sorrowful,</p> +<p class="p4">As I journey by their side;</p> +<p class="p3">To the sinful and despairing ones</p> +<p class="p4">I may preach of the Crucified.</p> +<p class="p3">I may drop some little gentle word</p> +<p class="p4">In the midst of some scene of strife;</p> +<p class="p3">I may comfort the sick and the dying</p> +<p class="p4">With a thought of eternal life.</p> +<p style= +"text-align:left; text-indent:16em; margin-top:0; font-size:92%; margin-bottom:1.5em"> +<i>Marianne Farningham</i></p> +<h1><a name="c7" id="c7">CHAPTER VII.</a></h1> +<p class="pt1">“SHE HATH DONE WHAT SHE COULD.”</p> +<hr style="width:6em;margin-top:1.7em;margin-bottom:1.5em"> +<p class="pn">In the gospel by Mark we read: “After two days was +the feast of the Passover, and of unleavened bread: and the Chief +Priests and the Scribes sought how they might take Him by craft, +and put Him to death. But they said, not on the feast day, lest +there be an uproar of the people. And being in Bethany in the +house of Simon the leper, as He sat at meat, there came a woman +having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard, very precious; +and she brake the box, and poured it on His head. And there were +some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was +this waste of the ointment made? For it might have been sold for +more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. +And they murmured against her. And Jesus said, ‘Let her alone; +why trouble ye her? She hath wrought a good work for Me. For ye +have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do +them good; but Me ye have not always. She hath done what she +could; she is come aforehand to anoint My body to the burying. +Verily I say unto you, wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached +throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be +spoken of for a memorial of her.’”</p> +<p class="pn">John tells us in his Gospel who this woman was. +“Then Jesus six days before the Passover came to Bethany, where +Lazarus was which had been dead, whom He raised from the dead. +There they made Him a supper, and Martha served; but Lazarus was +one of them that sat at the table with him. Then took Mary a +pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the +feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house +was filled with the odor of the ointment. Then saith one of His +disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray Him: +‘Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and +given to the poor?’ This he said, not that he cared for the poor; +but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was +put therein. Then said Jesus, ‘Let her alone: against the day of +My burying hath she kept this. For the poor always ye have with +you; but Me ye have not always.’”</p> +<p class="pn">This is the last time we have a glimpse of the +family at Bethany. It was Christ’s last week there, and here we +have the last recorded interview between Christ and that lovely +family.</p> +<p class="pn">Speaking of Martha and Mary some one has said: +“They were both dear to Jesus and they both loved Him, but they +were different. The eye of one saw His weariness and would give +to Him; the faith of the other apprehended His fulness and would +draw from Him; Martha’s service was acceptable to the Lord and +was acknowledged by Him, but He would not allow it to disturb +Mary’s communion. Mary knew his mind; she had deeper fellowship +with Him; her heart clung to Himself.”</p> +<p class="pn">I want to call your attention specially to one +clause from this fourteenth chapter of Mark, “She hath done what +she could.” If some one had reported in Jerusalem that something +was going to happen at Bethany on that memorable day, that should +outlive the Roman Empire, and all the monarchs that had ever +existed or would exist, there would have been great excitement in +the city. A good many people would have gone down to Bethany that +day to see the thing that was going to happen, and that was to +live so long. Little did Mary think that she was going to erect a +monument which would outlive empires and kingdoms. She never +thought of herself. Love does not think of itself. What does +Christ say: “Wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached throughout +the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of +for a memorial of her.”</p> +<p class="pn">This one story has already been put into three +hundred and fifty different languages, and it is now in +circulation in every nation under heaven. Day by day this story +is being printed and published. One society in London alone +prints, every working hour of the day, five hundred records of +this act that took place at Bethany. It is being spread abroad in +all the corners of the earth. It will be told out as long as the +Church of God exists. Matthew speaks of it; so does John; and so +does Mark.</p> +<p class="pn">Men seek to erect some monument that will live +after they are dead and gone. This woman never thought to erect a +monument; she simply wanted to lavish her love upon Christ. But +the act has lived and will continue to live while the Church is +on earth. It is as fresh to-day as it was a hundred years ago: it +is fresher than it was five hundred years ago. In fact there +never was a time when it was so well known as to-day. Although +Mary was herself unknown outside of Bethany when she performed +the act, now it is known over all the world. Kings have come and +gone; empires have risen and crumbled. Egypt, with its ancient +glories, has passed away. Greece, with its wise men and its +mighty philosophers and its warriors, has been almost forgotten. +The great Roman empire has passed away. We do not know the names +of those who are buried in the Pyramids, or of those who were +embalmed in Egypt, with so much care and trouble, but the record +of this humble life continues to be an inspiration to others.</p> +<p class="pn">Here is a woman whose memory has outlived Cæsar, +Alexander, Cyrus, and all the great warriors of the ancient +world. We do not know that she was wealthy, or beautiful, or +gifted, or great in the eye of the world. What we do know is that +she loved the Savior. She took this box of precious ointment and +broke it over the body of Christ. Some one has said it was the +only thing He ever received that He did not give away. It was a +small thing in the sight of the world. If there had been daily +papers in those days, and some Jerusalem reporter had been +looking out for items of news that would interest the +inhabitants, I suppose he would not have thought it worth putting +into his paper. Yet it has outlived all that happened in that +century, except, of course, the sayings, and the other events +connected with the life of Christ. Mary had Christ in her heart +as well as in her creed. She loved Him and she showed her love in +acts.</p> +<p class="pn">Thank God, everyone of us can love Christ, and we +can all do something for Him. It may be a small thing; but +whatever it is it shall be lasting; it will outlive all the +monuments on earth. The iron and the granite will rust and +crumble and fade away, but anything done for Christ will never +fade. It will be more lasting than time itself. Christ says: +“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My word shall not pass +away.”</p> +<p class="pn">Look again and see that woman in the temple. Christ +stood there as the people passed by and cast their offerings into +the treasury. The widow had but two mites and she cast it all in. +The Lord saw that her heart was in it, and so He commended her. +If some nobleman had cast in a thousand dollars Christ would +probably not have noticed it, unless his heart had gone with it. +Gold is of little value in heaven. It is so plentiful there that +they use it to pave the streets with; and it is transparent gold, +much better gold than we have in this world. It is when the heart +goes with the offering that it is accepted of Christ. So He said +of this woman: “She hath cast in more than they all.” She had +done all she could.</p> +<p class="pn">I think this is the lesson we are to learn from +these Scripture incidents. The Lord expects us to do what we can. +We can all do something. In one of our Southern cities a few +Christian people gathered together at the beginning of the war to +see what could be done about building a church in a part of the +city where the poor were very much neglected. After they had +discussed the matter they wanted to see how much could be raised +out of the congregation.</p> +<p class="pn">One said he would give so much; others said they +would give so much. They only got about half the amount that was +needed, and it was thought they would have to abandon the +project. Away back in the meeting there sat a washerwoman. She +rose and said her little boy had died a week before. All he had +was a gold dollar. She said: “It is all I have, but I will give +the dollar to the cause.” Her words touched the hearts of many of +those who heard them. Rich men were ashamed at what they had +given. The whole sum was raised within a very short time. I have +spoken in that church, and I know it to be a centre of influence +in one of our great cities. This poor woman did what she could; +perhaps she gave more in proportion than anyone in the city.</p> +<p class="pn">When we were in London eight years ago, we wanted +the city to be canvassed; we called for volunteers to go and +visit the people in their own homes and invite them to come to +the meetings. Among those who came forward was an old woman, +eighty-five years of age. She said she wanted to do a little more +for the Master before she went home. She took a district and went +from house to house, delivering the messages of invitation and +the tracts to the people. I suppose she has now gone to her +reward, but I shall never forget her. She wanted to do what she +could. If every Christian man and woman will do what Mary did, +multitudes will be reached and blessed.</p> +<p class="pn">Years ago, when Illinois was but a young State, +there were only a few settlers here and there throughout a large +portion. One of these was a man who used to spend his Sundays in +hunting and fishing. He was a profane and notoriously wicked man. +His little girl went to the Sabbath-school at the log +school-house. There she was taught the way into the kingdom of +God. When she was converted the teacher tried to tell her how she +might be used of God in doing good to others. She thought she +would begin with her father. Others had tried to reach him and +had failed to do it, but his own child had more influence with +him. It is written, “A little child shall lead them.” She got him +to promise to go to the meeting. He came to the door, but at +first he would not go in. He had gone to the school when he was +young, but one day the boys laughed at him because he had a +little impediment in his speech. He would not go back, and so he +had never learned to read.</p> +<p class="pn">However he was at last induced to go to the +Sabbath-school. There he heard of Christ, and he was converted to +God. His little child helped him and others helped him, and he +soon learned to read. This man has since been called to his +reward, but about two years ago when I saw him last, if I +remember well, that man had established on the Western prairies +between 1,100 and 1,200 Sunday-schools. In addition to all these +school-houses, scattered about over the country, churches have +sprung up. There are now hundreds of flourishing churches that +have grown out of these little mission schools that he planted. +He used to have a Sunday-school horse, a “Robert Raikes” horse he +called him, on which he traveled up and down the country, going +into many outlying districts where nothing was being done for +Christ. He used to gather the parents into the log school-houses +and tell how his little girl led him to Christ. I have heard a +great many orators, but I never heard any who could move an +audience as he could. There was no impediment in his speech when +he began to speak for Christ; he seemed to have all the eloquence +and fire of heaven. That little girl did what she could. She did +a good day’s work when she led her father to the Savior.</p> +<p class="pn">Every one of us may do something. If we are only +willing to do what we can, the Lord will condescend to use us; +and it will be a great thing to be instruments in His hand that +He may do with us what He will.</p> +<p class="pn">I remember reading in the papers that when the +theatre in Vienna was on fire a few years ago, a man in one of +the corridors was hurrying out. Many others of the people were +trying to find their way out so as to escape from the fire. It +was dark, but this man had a single match in his pocket. He +struck it, and by doing so he was able to save twenty lives. He +did what he could.</p> +<p class="pn">You think you cannot do much. If you are the means +of saving one soul, he may be instrumental in saving a hundred +more. I remember when we were in England ten years ago, there was +a woman in the city where we labored who got stirred up. I do not +know but it was this very text that moved her, “She hath done +what she could.” She had been a nominal Christian for a good many +years, but she had not thought that she had any particular +mission in the world. I am afraid that is the condition of many +professedly Christian men and women. Now she began to look about +her to see what she could do. She thought she would try and do +something for her fallen sisters in that town. She went out and +began to talk kindly to those she met on the street. She hired a +house and invited them to come and meet her there.</p> +<p class="pn">When we went back to that city about a year or so +ago, she had rescued over three hundred of these fallen ones, and +had restored them to their parents and homes. She is now +corresponding with many of them. Think of more than three hundred +of these sisters reclaimed from sin and death, through the +efforts of one woman. She did what she could. What a grand +harvest there will be, and how she will rejoice when she hears +the Master say: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”</p> +<p class="pn">I remember hearing of a man in one of the hospitals +who received a bouquet of flowers from the Flower Mission. He +looked at the beautiful bouquet and said: “Well, if I had known +that a bunch of flowers could do a fellow so much good, I would +have sent some myself when I was well.” If people only knew how +they might cheer some lonely heart and lift up some drooping +spirit, or speak some word that shall be lasting in its effects +for all coming time, they would be up and about it. If the Gospel +is ever to be carried into the lanes and alleys, up to the attics +and down into the cellars, we must all of us be about it. As I +have said, if each of us will do what we can, a great multitude +will be gathered into the kingdom of God.</p> +<p class="pn">Rev. Dr. Willets, of Philadelphia, in illustrating +the blessedness of cultivating a liberal spirit, uses this +beautiful figure—</p> +<p class="pn">“See that little fountain yonder—away yonder in the +distant mountain, shining like a thread of silver through the +thick copse, and sparkling like a diamond in its healthful +activity. It is hurrying on with tinkling feet to bear its +tribute to the river. See, it passes a stagnant pool, and the +pool hails it: ‘Whither away, master streamlet?’ ‘I am going to +the river to bear this cup of water God has given me.’ ‘Ah, you +are very foolish for that: you’ll need it before the summer’s +over. It has been a backward spring, and we shall have a hot +summer to pay for it—you will dry up then.’ ‘Well,’ said the +streamlet, ‘if I am to die so soon, I had better work while the +day lasts. If I am likely to lose this treasure from the heat, I +had better do good with it while I have it.’ So on it went, +blessing and rejoicing in its course. The pool smiled +complacently at its own superior foresight, and husbanded all its +resources, letting not a drop steal away.</p> +<p class="pn">Soon the midsummer heat came down, and it fell upon +the little stream. But the trees crowded to its brink, and threw +out their sheltering branches over it in the day of adversity, +for it brought refreshment and life to them, and the sun peeped +through the branches and smiled complacently upon its dimpled +face, and seemed to say, ‘It’s not in my heart to harm you;’ and +the birds sipped the silver tide, and sung its praises; the +flowers breathed their perfume upon its bosom; the husbandman’s +eye always sparkled with joy, as he looked upon the line of +verdant beauty that marked its course through his fields and +meadows; and so on it went, blessing and blessed of all!</p> +<p class="pn">And where was the prudent pool? Alas! in its +glorious inactivity it grew sickly and pestilential. The beasts +of the field put their lips to it, but turned away without +drinking; the breeze stopped and kissed it by <i>mistake</i>, but +shrunk chilled away. It caught the malaria in the contact, and +carried the ague through the region; the inhabitants caught it +and had to move away; and at last, the very frogs cast their +venom upon the pool and deserted it, and heaven, in mercy to man, +smote it with a hotter breath and dried it up!</p> +<p class="pn">But did not the little stream exhaust itself? Oh, +no? God saw to that. It emptied its full cup into the river, and +the river bore it on to the sea, and the sea welcomed it, and the +sun smiled upon the sea, and the sea sent up its incense to greet +the sun, and the clouds caught in their capacious bosoms the +incense from the sea, and the winds, like waiting steeds, caught +the chariots of the clouds and bore them away—away to the very +mountain that gave the little fountain birth, and there they +tipped the brimming cup, and poured the grateful baptism down; +and so God saw to it that the little fountain, though it gave so +fully and so freely, never ran dry. And if God so blessed the +fountain, will He not bless you, my friends, if, as ye have +freely received, ye also freely give? Be assured He will.”</p> +<p class="pn">A young lady belonging to a wealthy family in our +country was sent to a fashionable boarding-school. In the school +Christ had a true witness in one of the teachers. She was +watching for an opportunity of reaching some of the pupils. When +this young lady of wealth and position came, the teacher set her +heart upon winning her to Christ. The first thing she did was to +gain her affections. Let me say right here that we shall not do +much toward reaching the people until we make them love us. This +teacher, having won the heart of her pupil, began to talk to her +about Christ, and she soon won her heart for the Savior. Then +instead of dropping her as so many do, she began to show her the +luxury of working for God. They worked together, and were +successful in winning a good many of the young ladies in the +school to Christ. When the pupil got a taste of work, that +spoiled the world for her. Let me say to any Christian who is +holding on to the world: Get into the Lord’s work, and the world +will soon leave you. You will not leave it, you will have +something better. I pity those Christians who are all the time +asking if they have to give up this thing and that thing. You +won’t be asking that when you get a taste of the Lord’s work; you +will then have something that the world cannot give you.</p> +<p class="pn">When this young lady went back to her home the +parents were anxious that she should go out into worldly society. +They gave a great many parties, but, to their great amazement, +they could not get her interested. She was hungering for +something else. She went to the Sabbath-school in connection with +the church she attended, and asked the Superintendent to give her +a class. He said there were really more teachers than he +needed.</p> +<p class="pn">She tried for weeks to find something to do for +Christ. One day as she was walking down the street, she saw a +little boy coming out of a shoemaker’s shop. The man had a wooden +last in his hand, and he was running as fast as he could after +the boy. When he found he could not overtake him, he hurled the +last at him and hit him in the back. When the shoemaker had +picked up his last and gone back to his shop, the boy stopped +running and began to cry. The scene touched the heart of this +young lady. When she got up to him she stopped and spoke to him +kindly.</p> +<p class="pn">“Do you go to the Sabbath-school?” “No.”</p> +<p class="pn">“Do you go to the day-school?” “No.”</p> +<p class="pn">“What makes you cry?” He thought she was going to +make sport of him, so he said it was none of her business. “But I +am your friend,” she said. He was not in the habit of having a +young lady like that speak to him; at first he was afraid of her, +but at last she won his confidence. Finally, she asked him to +come to the Sabbath-school, and be in her class. No, he said, he +didn’t like study; he would not come. She said she would not ask +him to study; she would tell him beautiful stories and there +would be nice singing. At last he promised that he would come. He +was to meet her on Sabbath morning, at the corner of a certain +street.</p> +<p class="pn">She was not sure that he would keep his promise, +but she was there at the appointed time, and he was there too. +She took him to the school and said to the Superintendent: “Can +you give me a place where I can teach this boy?” He had not +combed his hair, and he was barefooted. They did not have any of +that kind of children in the school, so the Superintendent looked +at him, and said he did not know just where to put him. Finally +he put him away in a corner, as far as he could from the others. +There this young lady commenced her work—work that the angels +would have been glad to do.</p> +<p class="pn">He went home and told his mother he thought he had +been among the angels. When the mother found he was going to a +Protestant school she told him he must not go again. When the +father got to know it, he said he would flog him every time he +went to the school. However, the boy went again the next Sabbath, +and the father flogged him; every time he went he gave the poor +boy a flogging. At last he said to his father: “I wish you would +flog me before I go, and then I won’t be thinking about it all +the time I am at the school.” You laugh at it, but, dear friends, +let us remember that gentleness and love will break down the +opposition in the hardest heart. These little diamonds will +sparkle in the Savior’s crown, if we will but search them out and +polish them. We cannot make diamonds, but we can polish them if +we will.</p> +<p class="pn">Finding that the flogging did not stop the boy from +going to the school, the father said: “If you will give up the +Sabbath-school, I will give you every Saturday afternoon to play, +or you can have all you make by peddling.” The boy went to his +teacher and said: “I have been thinking that if you could meet me +on the Saturday afternoon we would have longer time together than +on the Sabbath.” I wonder if there is a wealthy young lady +reading this book who would give up her Saturday afternoons to +teach a poor little boy the way into the kingdom of God. She said +she would gladly do it; if any callers came she was always +engaged on Saturdays. It was not long before the light broke into +the darkened mind of the boy, and a change came into his life. +She got him some good clothes and took an interest in him; she +was a guardian angel to him. One day he was down at the railway +station peddling. He was standing on the platform of the +carriage, when the engine gave a sudden start; the little fellow +was leaning on the edge, and his foot slipped so that he fell +down and the train passed over his legs. When the doctor came, +the first thing he said was: “Doctor, will I live to get home?” +“No, my boy, you are dying.” “Will you tell my father and mother +that I died a Christian?” Did not the teacher get well paid for +her work? She will be no stranger when she goes to the better +land. That little boy will be waiting to give her a welcome.</p> +<p class="pn">It is a great thing to lead one soul from the +darkness of sin into the glorious light of the Gospel. I believe +if an angel were to wing his way from earth up to heaven, and +were to say that there was one poor, ragged boy, without father +or mother, with no one to care for him and teach him the way of +life; and if God were to ask who among them was willing to come +down to this earth and live here for fifty years and lead that +one to Jesus Christ, every angel in heaven would volunteer to go. +Even Gabriel, who stands in the presence of the Almighty, would +say: “Let me leave my high and lofty position, and let me have +the luxury of leading one soul to Jesus Christ.” There is no +greater honor than to be the instrument in God’s hand of leading +one person out of the kingdom of Satan into the glorious light of +heaven.</p> +<p class="pn">I have this motto in my Bible, and I commend it to +you: “Do all the good you can; to all the people you can; in all +the ways you can; and as long as ever you can.” If each of us +will at once set about some work for God, and will keep at it 365 +days in the year, then a good deal will be accomplished. Let us +so live that it may be truthfully said of us: We have done what +we could.</p> +<h1><a name="c8" id="c8">CHAPTER VIII.</a></h1> +<p class="pt1">“WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?”</p> +<hr style="width:6em;margin-top:1.7em;margin-bottom:1.5em"> +<p class="pn">You have no doubt frequently read the story of the +good Samaritan. In this parable Christ brings before us four men. +He draws the picture so vividly that the world will never forget +it. Too often when we read the Scripture narratives they do not +come home to our hearts, and it is not long before we forget the +lesson that the Master would have us to learn and to +remember.</p> +<p class="pn">We find that when Christ was on the earth there was +a class of people who gathered round Him and were continually +finding fault with everything He said and did. We read that on +this occasion a lawyer came asking Him what he could do to +inherit eternal life. Our Lord told him to keep the +commandments—to love the Lord with all his heart, and his +neighbor as himself. The lawyer then wanted to know who was his +neighbor. In this narrative Christ told him who his neighbor was, +and what it was to love him.</p> +<p class="pn">It seems to me that we have been a long while in +finding out who is our neighbor. I think in the parable of the +good Samaritan Christ has taught us very clearly that any man or +woman who is in need of our love and our help—whether temporal or +spiritual—is our neighbor. If we can render them any service we +are to do it in the name of our Master.</p> +<p class="pn">Here we have brought before us two men, each of +whom passed by one who was in great need—one who had fallen among +the thieves, who had been stripped, wounded, and left there to +die. The first that came down that road from Jerusalem to Jericho +was a priest. As he went along the highway he heard a cry of +distress, and he looked to see who was the unfortunate man. He +could see that the poor sufferer was a Jew; it may be that he had +seen him in the temple on the Sabbath day. But then he was not in +his own parish now. His work was in the temple, and it was over +for the present. He was a professional man, and he had gone +through all that was required of him.</p> +<p class="pn">He was in a great hurry to get down to Jericho. It +may be they were going to open a new synagogue there, and he was +to dedicate it. A very important business, and of course he could +not stop to help this poor, wounded, fallen man. So he passed on. +It may be, as he went along, he reasoned with himself somewhat in +this way: “I wonder why God ever permitted sin to enter the world +at all. It is very strange that man should be in this fallen +state.” Or his thoughts may have taken another turn, and he said +to himself that when he got down to Jericho he would form a +committee to look after these unfortunate brethren. He would give +something toward the expenses. Or he would try and get a +policeman to go and look after those thieves who had stripped +him.</p> +<p class="pn">He did not think that all the while this poor +wounded man was dying. Most likely he was now crying for water, +and it might be that there was a brook running by, within a few +rods of the spot where he lay. Yet this priest never stopped to +give him a drink. All his religion was in his head: it had never +reached his heart. The one thought in his mind was duty, duty; +and when he had got through that which he considered his duty, he +fancied his work was done. God wants heart service; if we do not +give Him that, we can render to Him no service at all.</p> +<p class="pn">We read that a Levite next came along the highway +where this wounded man was lying in his helplessness. As he +passed along he also heard the man’s cry of distress. He turned +aside for a moment to look at the poor fellow, and he could see +that he was a son of Abraham—a brother Jew. But he also must +hasten on to Jericho. Possibly he had to help in the ceremony of +opening the new synagogue. Perhaps there was going to be a +convention down there, on “How to reach the masses,” and he was +going to help discuss the point. I have noticed that many men +now-a-days will go to a conference and talk for hours on that +subject, but they will not themselves lift a hand to reach the +masses.</p> +<p class="pn">The Levite’s thoughts probably took another turn, +and he said to himself: “I will see if I can’t get a bill through +the Legislature to prevent those thieves from robbing and +wounding people.” There are some now who think they can legislate +men back to God—that they can prevent sin by legislation. Like +the priest, this Levite never stopped to give the poor fellow a +drop of water to quench his thirst; he never attempted to bind up +his wounds or to help him in any way. He passed along the +highway, doubtless, saying to himself, “I pity that poor fellow.” +There is a good deal of that kind of pity now-a-days; but it +comes only from the lips, not from the heart.</p> +<p class="pn">The next one to come along that road was a +Samaritan. Now it was notorious that in those days a Jew would +not speak to a Samaritan; the very presence of the latter was +pollution to an orthodox Jew. No Jew ever entered the habitation +of the hated Samaritan; he would not eat at his table or drink +from his well. Neither would he allow a Samaritan to come under +his roof. No religious Jew would even buy from a Samaritan, or +sell to him. You know a Jew must have a very poor opinion of a +man if he will not do business with him, when there is a prospect +of making something out of him.</p> +<p class="pn">Not only was this the case, but the Jews considered +that the Samaritans had no souls; that when they died they would +be annihilated. Their graves would be so deep that not even the +sound of Gabriel’s trump would wake them on the resurrection +morning. He was the only man under heaven who could not become a +proselyte to the Jewish faith, and become a member of the Jewish +family. Repentance was denied him in this life and the life to +come. He might profess the Jewish religion; they would have +nothing to do with him. That was the way in which they looked +upon these men; yet Christ used the despised Samaritan to teach +these bitter Jews the lesson of love to their neighbor.</p> +<p class="pn">The Samaritan came that way. It says in the +narrative that the priest came down that way “by chance;” but we +are not told that the Samaritan came by chance. He represents our +Lord and Master. We are told that he came to where the poor +wounded man was; he got off the beast on which he was riding and +stooped right down there by the side of the sick man. He looked +at him and saw that he was a Jew. If he had been like the Jews +themselves, he would most likely have said, “Serve you right. I +only wish the thieves had killed you outright. I would not lift a +finger to help you, you poor wretched Samaritan.” But no! not a +word of condemnation or blame did he utter.</p> +<p class="pn">Let us learn a lesson from this. Do you think these +drunkards need any one to condemn them? There is no one in the +wide world who can condemn them as they condemn themselves. What +they need is sympathy—tenderness, gentleness and kindness. This +Samaritan did not pull a manuscript out of his pocket, and begin +to read a long sermon to the wounded man. Some people seem to +think that all the world needs is a lot of sermons. Why, the +people of this land have been almost preached to death. What we +want is to preach more sermons with our hands and feet—to carry +the Gospel to the people by acts of kindness.</p> +<p class="pn">Neither did he read this poor Jew a long lecture, +endeavoring to prove that science was better than religion. He +did not give him a long address on geology; what could that do +for him? What the poor man needed was sympathy and help. So the +first thing the good Samaritan did was to pour oil into his +wounds. How many wounded men there are in our midst who have need +of the oil of pity and sympathy. A good many Christians seem +always to carry about with them a bottle of vinegar, which they +bring out on all occasions.</p> +<p class="pn">The Samaritan might have said to the man: “Why did +you not stay at Jerusalem? What business had you to come down +this road, any way, giving all this trouble?” So people will +sometimes say to a young man who has come to the city and got +into trouble: “Why did you ever leave your home and come to this +wicked city?” They begin to scold and upbraid. You are never +going to reach men and do them good in that way; or by putting +yourself on a high platform; you have to come down to them and +enter into their sorrows and troubles. See how this Samaritan +“came to where he was,” and instead of lecturing him, poured the +healing oil into his wounds.</p> +<p class="pn">You observe there are twelve things mentioned in +the narrative that the Samaritan did. We can dismiss in a word +all that the priest and the Levite did—they did +<i>nothing</i>.</p> +<p class="pn">(1.) He “came to where he was.”</p> +<p class="pn">(2.) He “saw him;” he did not, like the priest, +pass by on the other side.</p> +<p class="pn">(3.) He “had compassion on him.” If we would be +successful winners of souls we, too, must be moved with +compassion for the lost and the perishing. We must sympathize +with men in their sorrows and troubles, if we would hope to gain +their affections and to do them good.</p> +<p class="pn">(4.) He “went to him.” The Levite went +<i>toward</i> him, but we are told that he, as well as the +priest, “passed by on the other side.”</p> +<p class="pn">(5.) He “bound up his wounds.” Perhaps he had to +tear up his own garments in order to bind them up.</p> +<p class="pn">(6.) He poured in oil and gave some wine to the +fainting man.</p> +<p class="pn">(7.) He “set him on his own beast.” Do you not +think that this poor Jew must have looked with gratitude and +tenderness on the Samaritan, as he was placed on the beast, while +his deliverer walked by his side? All the prejudice in his heart +must have disappeared long before they got to the end of their +journey.</p> +<p class="pn">(8.) He “brought him to an inn.”</p> +<p class="pn">(9.) He “took care of him.” I was greatly touched +at hearing of a Christian worker in one of the districts in +London where we were, who met with a drinking man at the meeting. +He saw that the man was in drink, so he took him home and stayed +all night with him; then, when he got sober the next morning, he +talked with him. Many are willing enough to talk with drunkards +when they are sober, but how few there are who will go and hunt +them up when they are in their fallen condition, and stay with +them till they can be reasoned with about their salvation.</p> +<p class="pn">(10.) When he departed on the morrow, the good +Samaritan asked the host to care for him.</p> +<p class="pn">(11.) He gave him some money to pay the bill.</p> +<p class="pn">(12.) He said: “Whatever thou spendest more, when I +come again I will repay thee.”</p> +<p class="pn">There is nothing I think in all the teachings of +Christ that brings out the whole Gospel better than this parable. +It is a perfect picture of Christ coming down to this world to +seek and save the lost.</p> +<p class="pn">(1.) He came to this world of sin and sorrow where +we were, laying by His glory for the time, that He might assume +our human nature, and put Himself on a level with those He came +to save.</p> +<p class="pn">(2.) He mingled with the poor and needy so that He +might see their condition.</p> +<p class="pn">(3.) He was “moved with compassion” for the +multitudes; how often this is recorded in the Gospels. We are +told, on more than one occasion, that He wept as He thought of +all the woe and distress that sin had brought upon the human +family.</p> +<p class="pn">(4.) Wherever Jesus Christ heard of a case of +sorrow or need He went at once. No cry of distress ever reached +His ears in vain.</p> +<p class="pn">(5.) On one occasion He read from the prophets +concerning Himself, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me . . . . +because the Lord hath . . . . sent me to bind up the +broken-hearted.” He Himself was wounded, that the wounds which +sin had made in us might be bound up and healed.</p> +<p class="pn">(6.) He not only comforted the sorrowing, but gave +the promise of the Holy Spirit, Who was to bring comfort and +strength to His redeemed people.</p> +<p class="pn">(7.) As the good Samaritan set the wounded man on +his own beast, so the Savior gives us the unfailing promise of +His word on which we may rest during our pilgrim journey. He +Himself has promised to be with us in spirit by the way.</p> +<p class="pn">(8.) He brings us to the place of rest—rest in His +love, in His willingness to save, in His power to keep. At the +last He will bring us to the home of everlasting rest.</p> +<p class="pn">(9.) When He was on the earth He took a personal +interest in all that concerned His disciples, and</p> +<p class="pn">(10.) When He had gone up on high He sent another +Comforter who should abide with the Church.</p> +<p class="pn">(11.) He has furnished the Church with all that is +needful for her support and growth in grace.</p> +<p class="pn">(12.) He will come again and reward His servants +for all their faithful service.</p> +<p class="pn">Do you want to know how you can reach the masses? +Go to their homes and enter into sympathy with them; tell them +you have come to do them good, and let them see that you have a +heart to feel for them. When they find out that you really love +them, all those things that are in their hearts against God and +against Christianity will be swept out of the way. Atheists may +tell them that you only want to get their money, and that you do +not really care for their happiness. We have to contradict that +lie by our lives, and send it back to the pit where it came +from.</p> +<p class="pn">We are not going to do it unless we go personally +to them and prove that we really love them. There are hundreds +and thousands of families that could easily be reached if we had +thousands of Christians going to them and entering into sympathy +with their sorrows. That is what they want. This poor world is +groaning and sighing for sympathy—human sympathy. I am quite sure +it was that in Christ’s life which touched the hearts of the +common people. He made Himself one with them. He who was rich for +our sakes became poor. He was born in the manger so that He might +put himself on a level with the lowest of the low.</p> +<p class="pn">I think that in this matter He teaches His +disciples a lesson. He wants us to convince the world that He is +their friend. They do not believe it. If once the world were to +grasp this thought, that Jesus Christ is the Friend of the +sinner, they would soon flock to Him. I am sure that ninety-nine +in every hundred of those out of Christ think that, instead of +loving them, God hates them. How are they to find out their +mistake? They do not attend our churches; and if they did there +are many places where they would not hear it. Do you think that +if those poor harlots walking the streets of our cities really +believed that Jesus Christ loved them and wanted to be their +friend—that if He were here in person He would not condemn them, +but would take sides with them, and try to lift them up—they +would go on in their sins? Do you think the poor drunkard who +reels along the street really believes that Christ is his friend +and loves him? The Scripture plainly teaches that though Christ +hates sin He loves the sinner. This story of the good Samaritan +is given to teach us this lesson. Let us publish abroad the good +news that Christ loves sinners, and came into the world that He +might save them.</p> +<p class="pn">There was a man who lived in one of our large +cities. He died quite suddenly, and it was not long before his +wife followed him to the grave. They left two boys, and there was +a wealthy citizen who took the more promising of the boys and +adopted him. The other boy was placed in the orphan asylum. He +had never been away from his father and mother during their +lives, and he had not been separated from his brother before. +Every night he would go to sleep crying for his brother. One +night they could not find him. Next morning he was found under +the steps of the house of the wealthy banker who had adopted his +little brother. When they asked him why he had left a good +comfortable bed at the orphan home and stayed out there all night +in the cold, he said he wanted to get near Charlie. He knew that +if he rang the bell and they found him at the door they would +send him hack, and it was a comfort to him to be near Charlie, +even if he had to pass the night out there. His young heart was +craving for sympathy, and he knew that Charlie loved him as no +one else in the world did. If we can only convince these poor +lost ones that some one loves them, then their hearts will be +moved.</p> +<p class="pn">During the war a little boy, Frankie Bragg, was +placed in one of the hospitals. He said it was so hard to be +there away from all those who loved him. The nurse who was +attending him, bent down and kissed him, and said she loved him. +“Do you love me?” he said; “kiss me again; that was like my +sister’s kiss?” The nurse kissed him again, and he said with a +smile: “It is not hard for me to die now, when I know that some +one loves me.” If we had more of this sympathy for the lost and +the sorrowing, the world would soon feel our influence.</p> +<p class="pn">Shall we not learn a lesson from the good +Samaritan? Let us hear the voice of the Master saying: “Go thou +and do likewise.” We can all do something. If we cannot reach the +older people, let us try and win the young. It is a blessed +privilege to be used of God to bring one little lamb into the +kingdom. If we are only the means of saving one child our life +will not be a failure; we shall hear the Master’s “Well done, +good and faithful servant.”</p> +<p class="pn">A lady started a hospital for sick crippled +children in Edinburgh two years ago. I was asking her if she had +been blessed in the work. I shall not forget how her face lit up. +She was in one of our recent meetings in London, and her face was +beaming. She was telling of some very interesting cases of +conversion among the children. What a privilege it is to lead +these afflicted ones into the kingdom of God.</p> +<p class="pn">A little boy was brought to Edinburgh from Fife. +There was no room in the children’s hospital, and he was taken to +the general hospital. He was only six years old; his father was +dead; his mother was sick, so that she could not take care of +him, and he had to be brought to the hospital in Edinburgh. My +friend, Rev. George Wilson, went in one day and sat at the +bedside of the little sufferer. He was telling him that the +doctor was coming on Thursday to take off his little leg. You +parents can imagine, if one of your children, six years old, away +from home, and in a hospital, were told that the doctor was +coming on a certain day to take his leg off, how he would suffer +at the thought. The little fellow, of course, was in great +trouble about it. The minister wanted to know about his mother; +she was sick and his father was dead. The minister wished to +comfort him, and he said: “The nurse is such a good woman; she +will help you.” “Yes,” said the boy, “and perhaps Jesus will be +with me.” Do you have any doubt of it? Next Friday the man of God +went to the hospital, but he found the cot was empty. The poor +boy was gone; the Savior had come and taken him to His bosom.</p> +<p class="pn">In our great cities are there not hundreds and +thousands who are in some need of human sympathy? That will speak +to their hearts a good deal louder than eloquent sermons. Many +will not be moved by eloquent sermons, who would yield to +tenderness and gentleness and sympathy.</p> +<p class="pn">Said the great Dr. Chalmers: “The little that I +have seen in the world, and know of the history of mankind, +teaches me to look upon their errors in sorrow, not in anger. +When I take the one poor heart that has sinned and suffered, and +represent to myself the struggles and temptations it has passed +through; the brief pulsation of joy; the tears of regret; the +feebleness of purpose; the scorn of the world that has little +charity; the desolation of the soul’s sanctuary and threatening +voices within; health gone—happiness gone—I would fain leave the +erring soul of my fellowman with Him from whose hands it +came.”</p> +<p class="pn">Some of you may say: “How am I to get into sympathy +with those who are in sorrow?” That is a very important question. +Many people go to work for God, but they seem to do it in such a +professional way. I will tell you how you can be brought into +sympathy. I have found this rule to be of great help to me. Put +yourself in the place of the sorrowing and afflicted ones, with +whom you want to sympathize. If you do that you will soon gain +their affections and be able to help them.</p> +<p class="pn">God taught me a lesson a few years ago that I shall +never forget. I was Superintendent of a Sunday-school in Chicago +with over 1,500 scholars. In the months of July and August many +deaths took place among the children, and as most of the +ministers were out of the city I had to attend a great many +funerals. Sometimes I had to be at four or five in one day. I was +so accustomed to it that I got to do it almost mechanically. I +could see the mother take her last look at the child, and see the +coffin lid closed without being moved by it.</p> +<p class="pn">One day when I came home my wife told me that one +of the Sunday-school children had been drowned, and the mother +wanted to see me. I took my little daughter with me and we went +to the house. I found the father in one corner of the room drunk. +The mother told me that she took in washing in order to get a +living for herself and her children, as her husband drank up all +his wages. Little Adelaide used to go to the river and gather the +floating wood for the fire. That day she had gone as usual; she +saw a piece of wood out a little way from the bank; in stretching +out to reach it she slipped, and fell into the water and was +drowned. The mother told me her sad story; how she had no money +to buy the shroud and the coffin, and she wanted me to help her. +I took out my note-book and put down her name and address, and +took the measure of the coffin, in order to send it to the +undertakers.</p> +<p class="pn">The poor mother was much distressed, but it did not +seem to move me. I told her I would be at the funeral, and then I +left. As my little girl walked by my side she said to me: “Papa, +suppose we were very poor, and mamma had to wash for a living, +and I had to go to the river to get sticks to make a fire; if I +were to fall into the water and get drowned would you feel bad?” +“Feel bad! Why, my child, I do not know what I should do. You are +my only daughter, and if you were taken from me I think it would +break my heart.” And I took her to my bosom and kissed her. “Then +did you feel bad for that mother?” How that question cut me to +the heart.</p> +<p class="pn">I went back to the house, and took out my Bible and +read to the mother the fourteenth chapter of John. Then I prayed +with her and endeavored to comfort her. When the day for the +funeral arrived I attended it. I had not been to the cemetery for +a good many years; I had thought my time was too precious, as it +was some miles away. I found the father was still drunk. I had +got a lot in the strangers’ field for little Adelaide. As we were +laying the coffin in the grave another funeral procession came +up, and the corpse was going to be laid near by. Adelaide’s +mother said, as we were covering up the coffin: “Mr. Moody, it is +very hard to lay her away among strangers. I have been moving +about a good deal, and have lived among strangers, and I have +never had a burying-lot. It is very hard to place my firstborn +among strangers.” I said to myself that it would be pretty hard +to have to bury my child in the strangers’ field. I had got into +full sympathy with the poor mother by this time.</p> +<p class="pn">Next Sabbath I told the children in the +Sunday-school what had taken place. I suggested that we should +buy a Sunday-school lot, and when any of the children attending +the school died, they would not be laid in the strangers’ field, +but would be put in our own lot. Before we could get the title +made out, a mother came and wanted to know if her little girl who +had just died could be buried in the lot. I told her I would give +permission. I went to the funeral, and as we were lowering the +little coffin I asked what was the name. She said it was Emma. +That was the name of my own little girl, and I could not help but +weep as I thought of how I would feel if it were my own Emma. Do +you tell me I could not sympathize with that bereaved mother? +Very soon afterward, another mother came and wished to have her +dead child buried in our lot. She told me his name was Willie. At +that time that was the name of my only boy, and I thought how it +would be with me if it were my Willie who was dead. So the first +children buried there bore the names of my two children. I tried +to put myself in the places of these sorrowing mothers, and then +it was easy for me to sympathize with them in their grief, and +point them to Him who “shall wipe away all tears from their +eyes.”</p> +<p class="pn">About the first thing I did when I returned to +Chicago nine years ago, was to drive up to and see our children’s +lot. I thought it would last a good many years, but it was about +full, for many of my old Sabbath-school scholars had gone while I +had been away, and their bodies were resting in this lot till the +great day. I understood, however, that the children of the +Sabbath-school were about to purchase another and a larger lot +which would suffice for many years under ordinary circumstances. +Many little ones are laid there, waiting for the resurrection, +and I would like to be buried beside them, it would be so sweet +to be in their company when we rise and meet our Lord.</p> +<p class="pn">Dear friends, if you would get into full sympathy +with others put yourself in their places. May God fill our hearts +with the spirit of the good Samaritan, so that we may be filled +with tenderness and love and compassion.</p> +<p class="pn">I want to give you a motto that has been a great +help to me. It was a Quaker’s motto:</p> +<p class="pn">“I expect to pass through this world but once. If, +therefore, if there be any kindness I can show or any good thing +I can do to any fellow human being let me do it now; let me not +defer nor neglect it, for I will not pass this way again.”</p> +<h1><a name="c9" id="c9">CHAPTER IX.</a></h1> +<p class="pt1">“YE ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.”</p> +<hr style="width:6em;margin-top:1.7em;margin-bottom:1.5em"> +<p class="pn">“They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of +the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the +stars for ever and ever.”</p> +<p class="pn">That is the testimony of an old man, and one who +had the richest and deepest experience of any man living on the +face of the earth at the time. He was taken down to Babylon when +a young man; some Bible students think he was not more than +twenty years of age. If any one had said, when this young Hebrew +was carried away into captivity, that he would outrank all the +mighty men of that day—that all the generals who had been +victorious in almost every nation at that time were going to be +eclipsed by this young slave—probably no one would have believed +it. Yet for five hundred years no man whose life is recorded in +history shone as did this man. He outshone Nebuchadnezzar, +Belshazzar, Cyrus, Darius, and all the princes and mighty +monarchs of his day.</p> +<p class="pn">We are not told when he was converted to a +knowledge of the true God, but I think we have good reason to +believe that he had been brought under the influence of Jeremiah +the prophet. Evidently some earnest, Godly man, and no worldly +professor, had made a deep impression upon him. Some had at any +rate taught him how he was to serve God.</p> +<p class="pn">We hear people nowadays talking about the hardness +of the field where they labor; they say their position is a very +peculiar one. Think of the field in which Daniel had to work. He +was not only a slave, but he was held captive by a nation that +detested the Hebrews. The language was unknown to him. There he +was among idolaters; yet he commenced at once to shine. He took +his stand for God from the very first, and so he went on through +his whole life. He gave the dew of his youth to God, and he +continued faithful right on till his pilgrimage was ended.</p> +<p class="pn">Notice that all those who have made a deep +impression on the world, and have shone most brightly, have been +men who lived in a dark day. Look at Joseph; he was sold as a +slave into Egypt by the Ishmaelites; yet he took his God with him +into captivity, as Daniel afterward did. And he remained true to +the last; he did not give up his faith because he had been taken +away from home and placed among idolaters. He stood firm, and God +stood by him.</p> +<p class="pn">Look at Moses, who turned his back upon the gilded +palaces of Egypt, and identified himself with his despised and +down-trodden nation. If a man ever had a hard field it was Moses; +yet he shone brightly, and never proved unfaithful to his +God.</p> +<p class="pn">Elijah lived in a far darker day than we do. The +whole nation was going over to idolatry. Ahab, and his queen, and +all the royal court were throwing their influence against the +worship of the true God. Yet Elijah stood firm, and shone +brightly in that dark and evil day. How his name stands out on +the page of history!</p> +<p class="pn">Look at John the Baptist. I used to think I would +like to live in the days of the prophets; but I have given up +that idea. You may be sure that when a prophet appears on the +scene, everything is dark, and the professing Church of God has +gone over to the service of the god of this world. So it was when +John the Baptist made his appearance. See how his name shines out +to-day! Eighteen centuries have rolled away, and yet the fame of +that wilderness preacher shines brighter than ever. He was looked +down upon in his day and generation, but he has outlived all his +enemies; his name will be reverenced and his work remembered as +long as the Church is on the earth.</p> +<p class="pn">Talk about your field being a hard one! See how +Paul shone for God as he went out, the first missionary to the +heathen, telling them of the God whom he served, and Who had sent +His Son to die a cruel death in order to save the world. Men +reviled him and his teachings; they laughed him to scorn when he +spoke of the Crucified One. But he went on preaching the Gospel +of the Son of God. He was regarded as a poor tent-maker by the +great and mighty ones of his day; but no one can now tell the +name of any of his persecutors, or of those who lived at that +time, unless their names happen to be associated with his, and +they were brought into contact with him.</p> +<p class="pn">Now the fact is, all men like to shine. We may as +well acknowledge it at once. You go into business circles and see +how men struggle to get into the front rank. Every one wants to +outshine his neighbor and to stand at the head of his profession. +Go into the political world and see how there is a struggle going +on as to who shall be the greatest. If you go into a school you +find that there is a rivalry among the boys and girls. They all +want to stand at the top of the class. When a boy does reach this +position and outranks all the rest the mother is very proud of +it. She will manage to tell all the neighbors how Johnnie has got +on, and what a number of prizes he has gained.</p> +<p class="pn">You go into the army and you find the same +thing—one trying to outstrip the other; every one is very anxious +to shine and rise above his comrades. Go among the young men in +their games and see how anxious the one is to outdo the other. So +we have all that desire in us; we like to shine above our +fellows.</p> +<p class="pn">And yet there are very few who can really shine in +the world. Once in a while one man will outstrip all his +competitors. Every four years what a struggle goes on throughout +our country as to who shall be the President of the United +States, the battle raging for six months or a year. Yet only one +man can get the prize. There a good many struggling to get the +place, but many are disappointed, because only one can attain the +coveted prize. But in the kingdom of God the very least and the +very weakest may shine if they will. Not only can <i>one</i> +obtain the prize, but <i>all</i> may have it if they will.</p> +<p class="pn">It does not say in this passage that the Statesmen +are going to shine as the brightness of the firmament. The +Statesmen of Babylon are gone; their very names are +forgotten.</p> +<p class="pn">It does not say that the nobility are going to +shine. Earth’s nobility are soon forgotten. John Bunyan, the +Bedford tinker, has outlived the whole crowd of those who were +the nobility in his day. They lived for self, and their memory is +blotted out. He lived for God and for souls, and his name is as +fragrant as ever it was.</p> +<p class="pn">We are not told that the merchants are going to +shine. Who can tell the name of any of the millionaires of +Daniel’s day? They were all buried in oblivion a few years after +their death. Who were the mighty conquerors of that day? But few +can tell. It is true that we hear of Nebuchadnezzar, but probably +we should not have known very much about him but for his +relations to the prophet Daniel.</p> +<p class="pn">How different with this faithful prophet of the +Lord. Twenty-five centuries have passed away, and his name shines +on, and on, and on, brighter and brighter. And it is going to +shine while the Church of God exists. “They that be wise shall +shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many +to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.”</p> +<p class="pn">How quickly the glory of this world fades away! +Seventy-five years ago the great Napoleon almost made the earth +to tremble. How he blazed and shone as an earthly warrior for a +little while! A few years passed, and a little island held that +once proud and mighty conqueror; he died as a poor broken-hearted +prisoner. Where is he to-day? Almost forgotten. Who in all the +world will say that Napoleon lives in their heart’s +affections?</p> +<p class="pn">But look at this despised and hated Hebrew prophet. +They wanted to put him into the lions’ den because he was too +sanctimonious and too religious. Yet see how green his memory is +to-day! How his name is loved and honored for his faithfulness to +his God.</p> +<p class="pn">Seventeen years ago I was in Paris at the time of +the Great Exhibition. Napoleon the Third was then in his glory. +Cheer after cheer would rise up as he drove along the streets of +the city. A few short years and he fell from his lofty estate. He +died an exile from his country and his throne, and where is his +name today? Very few think about him at all, and if his name is +mentioned it is not with love and esteem. How empty and +short-lived are the glory and the pride of this world! if we are +wise we will live for God and eternity; we will get outside of +ourselves, and will care nothing for the honor and glory of this +world.</p> +<p class="pn">In Proverbs we read: “He that winneth souls is +wise.” If any man, woman, or child by a Godly life and example +can win one soul to God, their life will not have been a failure. +They will have outshone all the mighty men of their day, because +they will have set a stream in motion that will flow on and on +for ever and ever. That little boy may shine in God’s kingdom if +he will.</p> +<p class="pn">God has left us down here to shine. We are not here +to buy and sell and get gain, to accumulate wealth, to acquire +worldly position. This earth, if we are Christians, is not our +home; it is up yonder. God has sent us into the world to shine +for Him—to light up this dark world. Christ came to be the Light +of the world, but men put out that light. They took it to Calvary +and blew it out. Before Christ went up on high He said to His +disciples: “Ye are the light of the world. Ye are my witnesses. +Go forth and carry the Gospel to the perishing nations of the +earth.”</p> +<p class="pn">So God has called us to shine, just as much as +Daniel was sent into Babylon to shine. Let no man of woman say +that they cannot shine because they have not so much influence as +some others may have. What God wants you to do is to use the +influence you have. Daniel probably did not have much influence +down in Babylon at first, but God soon gave him more, because he +was faithful and used what he had.</p> +<p class="pn">Remember a small light will do a good deal when it +is in a very dark place. You put one little tallow candle in the +middle of a large hall, and it will give a good deal of +light.</p> +<p class="pn">Away out in the prairie regions, when meetings are +held at night in the log school-houses, the announcement of the +meeting is given out in this way: “A meeting will be held by +early candle-light.” The first man who comes brings a tallow-dip +with him. It is perhaps all he has; but he brings it and sets it +on the desk. It does not light the building much; but it is +better than none at all. The next man brings his candle; and the +next family bring their candles. By the time the house is full, +there is plenty of light. So if we all shine a little, there will +be a good deal of light. That is what God wants us to do. If we +cannot all be lighthouses, any one of us can at any rate be a +tallow candle.</p> +<p class="pn">A little light will sometimes do a great deal. The +city of Chicago was set on fire by a cow kicking over a lamp, and +a hundred thousand people were burnt out of house and home. Do +not let Satan get the advantage of you, and make you think that +because you cannot do any great thing you cannot do anything at +all.</p> +<p class="pn">Then we must remember that we are to <i>let</i> our +light shine. It does not say, “<i>Make</i> your light shine.” You +do not have to <i>make</i> light to shine; all you have to do is +to <i>let</i> it shine.</p> +<p class="pn">I remember hearing of a man at sea who was very +sea-sick. If there is a time when a man feels that he cannot do +any work for the Lord it is then—in my opinion. While this man +was sick he heard that a man had fallen overboard. He was +wondering if he could do anything to help to save the man. He +laid hold of a light and held it up to the port-hole. The +drowning man was saved. When this man got over his attack of +sickness he got up on deck one day, and was talking with the man +who was rescued. The saved man gave this testimony. He said he +had gone down the second time, and was just going down again for +the last time, when he put out his hand. Just then, he said, some +one held a light at the port-hole, and the light fell on his +hand. A man caught him by the hand and pulled him into the +lifeboat.</p> +<p class="pn">It seemed a small thing to do to hold up the light; +yet it saved the man’s life. If you cannot do some great thing +you can hold the light for some poor, perishing drunkard, who may +be won to Christ and delivered from destruction. Let us take the +torch of salvation and go into these dark homes, and hold up +Christ to the people as the Savior of the world. If these +perishing masses are to be reached we must lay our lives right +alongside theirs, and pray with them and labor for them. I would +not give much for a man’s Christianity, if he is saved himself +and is not willing to try and save others. It seems to me the +basest ingratitude if we do not reach out the hand to others who +are down in the same pit from which we were delivered. Who is +able to reach and help these drinking men like those who have +themselves been slaves to the intoxicating cup? Will you not go +out this very day and seek to rescue these men? If we were all to +do what we can we should soon empty the drinking saloons.</p> +<p class="pn">I remember reading of a blind man who was found +sitting at the corner of a street in a great city with a lantern +beside him. Some one went up to him and asked what he had the +lantern there for, seeing that he was blind, and the light was +the same to him as the darkness. The blind man replied: “I have +it so that no one may stumble over me.”</p> +<p class="pn">Dear friends, let us think of that. Where one man +reads the Bible, a hundred read you and me. That is what Paul +meant when he said we were to be living epistles of Christ, known +and read of all men. I would not give much for all that can be +done by sermons, if we do not preach Christ by our lives. If we +do not commend the Gospel to people by our holy walk and +conversation, we shall not win them to Christ. Some little act of +kindness will perhaps do more to influence them than any number +of long sermons.</p> +<p class="pn">A vessel was caught in a storm on Lake Erie, and +they were trying to make for the harbor of Cleveland. At the +entrance of that port they had what are called the upper lights +and the lower lights. Away back on the bluffs were the upper +lights burning brightly enough; but when they came near the +harbor they could not see the lights showing the entrance to it. +The pilot said he thought they had better get back on the lake +again. The Captain said he was sure they would go down if they +went back, and he urged the pilot to do what he could to gain the +harbor. The pilot said there was very little hope of making for +the harbor, as he had nothing to guide him as to how he should +steer the ship. They tried all they could to get her into the +harbor. She rode on the top of the waves, and then into the +trough of the sea, and at last they found themselves stranded on +the beach, where the vessel was dashed to pieces. Some one had +neglected the lower lights and they had gone out.</p> +<p class="pn">Let us take warning. God keeps the upper lights +burning as brightly as ever, but He has left us down here to keep +the lower lights burning. We are to represent Him here, as Christ +represents us up yonder. I sometimes think if we had as poor a +representative in the courts above as God has down here on earth, +we would have a pretty poor chance of heaven. Let us have our +loins girt and our lights brightly burning, so that others may +see the way and not walk in darkness.</p> +<p class="pn">In the book of Revelation we read: “Blessed are the +dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the +Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do +follow them.”</p> +<p class="pn">There are many mentioned in the Scriptures of whom +we read that they lived so many years and then they died. The +cradle and the grave are brought close together: they lived and +they died, and that is all we know about them. So in these days +you could write on the tombstone of a great many professing +Christians that they were born on such a day and they died on +such a day; there is nothing whatever between.</p> +<p class="pn">But there is one thing you cannot bury with a good +man; his influence still lives. They have not buried Daniel yet; +his influence is as great to-day as ever it was. Do you tell me +that Joseph is dead? His influence still lives and will continue +to live on and on. You may bury the frail tenement of clay that a +good man lives in, but you cannot get rid of his influence and +example. Paul was never more powerful than he is to-day.</p> +<p class="pn">Do you tell me that John Howard, who went into so +many of the dark prisons in Europe, is dead? Is Henry Martyn, or +Wilberforce, or John Bunyan dead? Go into the Southern States and +there you will find from three to four millions of men and women +who once were slaves. You mention to any of them the name of +Wilberforce, and see how quickly the eye will light up. He lived +for something else besides himself, and his memory will never die +out of the hearts of those for whom he lived and labored.</p> +<p class="pn">Is Wesley or Whitefield dead? The names of those +great evangelists were never more honored than they are now. Is +John Knox dead? You can go to any part of Scotland to-day and you +will feel the power of his influence.</p> +<p class="pn">I will not tell you who are dead. The enemies of +these servants of God—those who persecuted them and told lies +about them. But the men themselves have outlived all the lies +that were uttered concerning them. Not only that; they will shine +in another world. How true are the words of the old Book: “They +that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and +they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and +ever.”</p> +<p class="pn">Let us go on turning as many as we can to +righteousness. Let us be dead to the world, to its lies, its +pleasures, and its ambitions. Let us live for God, continually +going forth to win souls for Him.</p> +<p class="pns">Let me quote a few words by Dr. Chalmers. +“Thousands of men breathe, move and live, pass off the stage of +life, and are heard of no more—Why? They do not partake of good +in the world, and none were blessed by them; none could point to +them as the means of their redemption; not a line they wrote, not +a word they spoke could be recalled; and so they perished; their +light went out in darkness, and they were not remembered more +than insects of yesterday. Will you thus live and die, O man +immortal? Live for something. Do good, and leave behind you a +monument of virtue that the storm of time can never destroy. +Write your name in kindness, love and mercy, on the hearts of the +thousands you come in contact with year by year; you will never +be forgotten. No, your name, your deeds will be as legible on the +hearts you leave behind as the stars on the brow of evening. Good +deeds will shine as the stars of heaven.”</p> + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's To The Work! To The Work!, by Dwight Moody + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TO THE WORK! 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