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| author | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-01-27 14:52:01 -0800 |
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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9d8deec --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #60669 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/60669) diff --git a/old/60669-8.txt b/old/60669-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index d2460cd..0000000 --- a/old/60669-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2700 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Around the Wicket Gate, by C. H. Spurgeon - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world 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. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Around the Wicket Gate - or, a friendly talk with seekers concerning faith in the - Lord Jesus Christ - -Author: C. H. Spurgeon - -Release Date: November 11, 2019 [EBook #60669] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AROUND THE WICKET GATE *** - - - - -Produced by Carlos Colon, Penn State University and the -Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net -(This book was produced from images made available by the -HathiTrust Digital Library.) - - - - - - - - - - - Transcriber's Notes: - - Italic text is denoted by _underscores_ and bold text by - =equal signs=. - - Small uppercase have been replaced with regular uppercase. - - Blank pages have been eliminated. - - Variations in spelling and hyphenation have been left as in the - original. - - - - - AROUND - THE WICKET GATE; - - - OR, - - - A FRIENDLY TALK WITH SEEKERS - CONCERNING FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. - - - BY - - C. H. SPURGEON. - - - "Enter ye in at the strait gate."--_Matt._ vii. 13. - - - AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY, - 10 EAST 23D STREET, NEW YORK. - - - - -This book is published by special arrangement with the author and his -publisher. - - - COPYRIGHT, 1890, - BY A. C. ARMSTRONG & SONS. - - TRANSFERRED TO THE - AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY. - - - - -PREFACE. - - -Millions of men are in the outlying regions, far off from God and -peace; for these we pray, and to these we give warning. But just now we -have to do with a smaller company, who are not far from the kingdom, -but have come right up to the wicket gate which stands at the head of -the way of life. One would think that they would hasten to enter, for -a free and open invitation is placed over the entrance, the porter -waits to welcome them, and there is but this one way to eternal life. -He that is most loaded seems the most likely to pass in and begin the -heavenward journey; but what ails the other men? - -This is what I want to find out. Poor fellows! they have come a long -way already to get where they are; and the King's highway, which they -seek, is right before them: why do they not take to the Pilgrim Road -at once? Alas! they have a great many reasons; and foolish as those -reasons are, it needs a very wise man to answer them all. I cannot -pretend to do so. Only the Lord himself can remove the folly which is -bound up in their hearts, and lead them to take the great decisive -step. Yet the Lord works by means; and I have prepared this little -book in the earnest hope that he may work by it to the blessed end of -leading seekers to an immediate, simple trust in the Lord Jesus. - -He who does not take the step of faith, and so enter upon the road to -heaven, will perish. It will be an awful thing to die just outside the -gate of life. Almost saved, but altogether lost! A man just outside -Noah's ark would be drowned; a manslayer just outside the wall of the -city of refuge would be slain; and the man who is within a yard of -Christ, and yet has not trusted him, will be lost. Therefore am I in -terrible earnest to get my hesitating friends over the threshold. _Come -in! Come in!_ is my pressing entreaty. May the Holy Spirit render it -effectual with many who shall glance at these pages! May he cause his -own almighty voice to be heard creating faith at once! - -My reader, if God blesses this book to you, do the writer this -favour--either lend your own copy to one who is lingering at the gate, -or buy another and give it away; for his great desire is that this -little volume should be of service to many thousands of souls. - -To God this book is commended; for without his grace nothing will come -of all that is written. - -[Illustration] - - - - -PREFACE TO THE AMERICAN EDITION. - - -The host of American Christians who have had the privilege of listening -to the prince of modern preachers of the gospel in his own London -Tabernacle, and the countless thousands who have read his printed -sermons, have long desired to see and hear him on this side of the -ocean. The state of his health, however, which requires frequent -respites from his incessant and exhausting labors, precludes the hope -of an American tour, with its inevitable demands upon his already -overburdened strength. - -All the more on this account they will welcome a new volume from his -pen, designed for the benefit of a class found in every Christian -community, the object of the deepest concern to the Church of Christ: -a volume written by a master in Israel who has shown such a profound -knowledge both of the human heart with all its needs, and of the wisdom -and power of God in the gospel, and who has been to so many souls the -blessed means of leading them to Christ. - -This new volume, like the author's many previous books and tracts, -his well-organized Colporter Society, etc., testifies to his high -appreciation of the power of the press, and to his desire thus to win -for Christ myriads of those whom his voice cannot reach. - -To all who are hovering around the "Wicket Gate," or who even from time -to time come within sight of it and wish they were safe within it, -this little book is commended, with the hope that even while they are -reading they will knock and it shall be opened to them. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - PAGE - - AWAKENING 9 - - JESUS ONLY 16 - - FAITH IN THE PERSON OF THE LORD JESUS 24 - - FAITH VERY SIMPLE 35 - - FEARING TO BELIEVE 48 - - DIFFICULTY IN THE WAY OF BELIEVING 57 - - A HELPFUL SURVEY OF CHRIST'S WORK 65 - - A REAL HINDRANCE TO FAITH 73 - - ON RAISING QUESTIONS 80 - - WITHOUT FAITH NO SALVATION 88 - - TO THOSE WHO HAVE BELIEVED 93 - -[Illustration] - - - - -[Illustration] - - - - -Around the Wicket Gate. - - - - -AWAKENING. - - -Great numbers of persons have no concern about eternal things. They -care more about their cats and dogs than about their souls. It is a -great mercy to be made to think about ourselves, and how we stand -towards God and the eternal world. This is full often a sign that -salvation is coming to us. By nature we do not like the anxiety which -spiritual concern causes us, and we try, like sluggards, to sleep -again. This is great foolishness; for it is at our peril that we trifle -when death is so near, and judgment is so sure. If the Lord has chosen -us to eternal life, he will not let us return to our slumber. If we are -sensible, we shall pray that our anxiety about our souls may never -come to an end till we are really and truly saved. Let us say from our -hearts:-- - - "He that suffered in my stead, - Shall my Physician be; - I will not be comforted, - Till Jesus comfort me." - -It would be an awful thing to go dreaming down to hell, and there to -lift up our eyes with a great gulf fixed between us and heaven. It -will be equally terrible to be aroused to escape from the wrath to -come, and then to shake off the warning influence, and go back to our -insensibility. I notice that those who overcome their convictions and -continue in their sins are not so easily moved the next time: every -awakening which is thrown away leaves the soul more drowsy than before, -and less likely to be again stirred to holy feeling. Therefore our -heart should be greatly troubled at the thought of getting rid of its -trouble in any other than the right way. One who had the gout was cured -of it by a quack medicine, which drove the disease within, and the -patient died. To be cured of distress of mind by a false hope, would be -a terrible business: the remedy would be worse than the disease. Better -far that our tenderness of conscience should cause us long years of -anguish, than that we should lose it, and perish in the hardness of our -hearts. - -Yet awakening is not a thing to rest in, or to desire to have -lengthened out month after month. If I start up in a fright, and find -my house on fire, I do not sit down at the edge of the bed, and say -to myself, "I hope I am truly awakened! Indeed, I am deeply grateful -that I am not left to sleep on!" No, I want to escape from threatened -death, and so I hasten to the door or to the window, that I may get -out, and may not perish where I am. It would be a questionable boon to -be aroused, and yet not to escape from the danger. Remember, awakening -is not salvation. A man may know that he is lost, and yet he may never -be saved. He may be made thoughtful, and yet he may die in his sins. If -you find out that you are a bankrupt, the consideration of your debts -will not pay them. A man may examine his wounds all the year around, -and they will be none the nearer being healed because he feels their -smart, and notes their number. It is one trick of the devil to tempt -a man to be satisfied with a sense of sin; and another trick of the -same deceiver to insinuate that the sinner may not be content to trust -Christ, unless he can bring a certain measure of despair to add to the -Saviour's finished work. Our awakenings are not to help the Saviour, -but to help us to the Saviour. To imagine that my feeling of sin is -to assist in the removal of the sin is absurd. It is as though I said -that water could not cleanse my face unless I had looked longer in the -glass, and had counted the smuts upon my forehead. A sense of need of -salvation by grace is a very healthful sign; but one needs wisdom to -use it aright, and not to make an idol of it. - -Some seem as if they had fallen in love with their doubts, and fears, -and distresses. You cannot get them away from their terrors--they seem -wedded to them. It is said that the worst trouble with horses when -their stables are on fire, is that you cannot get them to come out of -their stalls. If they would but follow your lead, they might escape the -flames; but they seem to be paralyzed with fear. So the fear of the -fire prevents their escaping the fire. Reader, will your very fear of -the wrath to come prevent your escaping from it? We hope not. - -One who had been long in prison was not willing to come out. The door -was open; but he pleaded even with tears to be allowed to stay where -he had been so long. Fond of prison! Wedded to the iron bolts and the -prison fare! Surely the prisoner must have been a little touched in the -head! Are you willing to remain an awakened one, and nothing more? Are -you not eager to be at once forgiven? If you would tarry in anguish and -dread, surely you, too, must be a little out of your mind! If peace is -to be had, _have it at once_! Why tarry in the darkness of the pit, -wherein your feet sink in the miry clay? There is light to be had; -light marvellous and heavenly; why lie in the gloom and die in anguish? -You do not know how near salvation is to you. If you did, you would -surely stretch out your hand and take it, for there it is; and _it is -to be had for the taking_. - -Do not think that feelings of despair would fit you for mercy. When -the pilgrim, on his way to the Wicket Gate, tumbled into the Slough of -Despond, do you think that, when the foul mire of that slough stuck -to his garments, it was a recommendation to him, to get him easier -admission at the head of the way? It is not so. The pilgrim did not -think so by any means; neither may you. It is not what _you_ feel that -will save you, but what _Jesus_ felt. Even if there were some healing -value in feelings, they would have to be good ones; and the feeling -which makes us doubt the power of Christ to save, and prevents our -finding salvation in him, is by no means a good one, but a cruel wrong -to the love of Jesus. - -Our friend has come to see us, and has travelled through our crowded -London by rail, or tram, or omnibus. On a sudden he turns pale. We ask -him what is the matter, and he answers, "I have lost my pocket-book, -and it contained all the money I have in the world." He goes over -the amount to a penny, and describes the cheques, bills, notes, and -coins. We tell him that it must be a great consolation to him to be so -accurately acquainted with the extent of his loss. He does not seem to -see the worth of our consolation. We assure him that he ought to be -grateful that he has so clear a sense of his loss; for many persons -might have lost their pocket-books and have been quite unable to -compute their losses. Our friend is not, however, cheered in the least. -"No," says he, "to know my loss does not help me to recover it. Tell me -where I can find my property, and you have done me real service; but -merely to know my loss is no comfort whatever." Even so, to believe -that you have sinned, and that your soul is forfeited to the justice -of God, is a very proper thing; but it will not save. Salvation is not -by our knowing our own ruin, but by fully grasping the deliverance -provided in Christ Jesus. A person who refuses to look to the Lord -Jesus, but persists in dwelling upon his sin and ruin, reminds us of a -boy who dropped a shilling down an open grating of a London sewer, and -lingered there for hours, finding comfort in saying, "It rolled in just -there! Just between those two iron bars I saw it go right down." Poor -soul! Long might he remember the details of his loss before he would -in this way get back a single penny into his pocket, wherewith to buy -himself a piece of bread. You see the drift of the parable; profit by -it. - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration] - - - - -JESUS ONLY. - - -We cannot, too often or too plainly tell the seeking soul that his -only hope for salvation lies in the Lord Jesus Christ. It lies in him -completely, only, and alone. To save both from the guilt and the power -of sin, Jesus is all-sufficient. His name is called Jesus, because "he -shall save his people from their sins." "The Son of man hath power on -earth to forgive sins." He is exalted on high "to give repentance and -remission of sins." It pleased God from of old to devise a method of -salvation which should be all contained in his only-begotten Son. The -Lord Jesus, for the working out of this salvation, became man, and -being found in fashion as a man, became obedient to death, even the -death of the cross. If another way of deliverance had been possible, -the cup of bitterness would have passed from him. It stands to reason -that the darling of heaven would not have died to save us if we could -have been rescued at less expense. Infinite grace provided the great -sacrifice; infinite love submitted to death for our sakes. How can -we dream that there can be another way than the way which God has -provided at such cost, and set forth in Holy Scripture so simply and -so pressingly? Surely it is true that "Neither is there salvation in -any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, -whereby we must be saved." - -To suppose that the Lord Jesus has only half saved men, and that there -is needed some work or feeling of their own to finish his work, is -wicked. What is there of ours that could be added to his blood and -righteousness? "All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." Can these -be patched on to the costly fabric of his divine righteousness? Rags -and fine white linen! Our dross and his pure gold! It is an insult to -the Saviour to dream of such a thing. We have sinned enough, without -adding this to all our other offences. - -Even if we had any righteousness in which we could boast; if our fig -leaves were broader than usual, and were not so utterly fading, it -would be wisdom to put them away, and accept that righteousness which -must be far more pleasing to God than anything of our own. The Lord -must see more that is acceptable in his Son than in the best of us. -_The best of us!_ The words seem satirical, though they were not so -intended. What best is there about any of us? "There is none that doeth -good; no, not one." I who write these lines, would most freely confess -that I have not a thread of goodness of my own. I could not make up -so much as a rag, or a piece of a rag. I am utterly destitute. But if -I had the fairest suit of good works which even pride can imagine, -I would tear it up that I might put on nothing but the garments of -salvation, which are freely given by the Lord Jesus, out of the -heavenly wardrobe of his own merits. - -It is most glorifying to our Lord Jesus Christ that we should hope for -every good thing from him alone. This is to treat him as he deserves to -be treated; for as he is God, and beside him there is none else, we are -bound to look unto him and be saved. - -This is to treat him as he loves to be treated, for he bids all those -who labour and are heavy laden to come to him, and he will give them -rest. To imagine that he cannot save to the uttermost is to limit -the Holy One of Israel, and put a slur upon his power; or else to -slander the loving heart of the Friend of sinners, and cast a doubt -upon his love. In either case; we should commit a cruel and wanton sin -against the tenderest points of his honour, which are his ability and -willingness to save all that come unto God by him. - -[Illustration] - -The child, in danger of the fire, just clings to the fireman, and -trusts to him alone. She raises no question about the strength of his -limbs to carry her, or the zeal of his heart to rescue her; but she -clings. The heat is terrible, the smoke is blinding, but she clings; -and her deliverer quickly bears her to safety. In the same childlike -confidence cling to Jesus, who can and will bear you out of danger from -the flames of sin. - -The nature of the Lord Jesus should inspire us with the fullest -confidence. As he is God, he is almighty to save; as he is man, he is -filled with all fulness to bless; as he is God and man in one Majestic -Person, he meets man in his creatureship and God in his holiness. The -ladder is long enough to reach from Jacob prostrate on the earth, to -Jehovah reigning in heaven. To bring another ladder would be to suppose -that he failed to bridge the distance; and this would be grievously -to dishonour him. If even to add to his words is to draw a curse upon -ourselves, what must it be to pretend to add to himself? Remember that -he, himself, is the Way; and to suppose that we must, in some manner, -add to the divine road, is to be arrogant enough to think of adding to -him. Away with such a notion! Loathe it as you would blasphemy; for in -essence it is the worst of blasphemy against the Lord of love. - -To come to Jesus with a price in our hand, would be insufferable pride, -even if we had any price that we could bring. What does he need of us? -What could we bring if he did need it? Would he sell the priceless -blessings of his redemption? That which he wrought out in his heart's -blood, would he barter it with us for our tears, and vows, or for -ceremonial observances, and feelings, and works? He is not reduced to -make a market of himself: he will give freely, as beseems his royal -love; but he that offereth a price to him knows not with whom he is -dealing, nor how grievously he vexes his free Spirit. Empty-handed -sinners may have what they will. All that they can possibly need is in -Jesus, and he gives it for the asking; but we must believe that he is -all in all, and we must not dare to breathe a word about completing -what he has finished, or fitting ourselves for what he gives to us as -undeserving sinners. - -The reason why we may hope for forgiveness of sin, and life eternal, by -faith in the Lord Jesus, is that God has so appointed. He has pledged -himself in the gospel to save all who truly trust in the Lord Jesus, -and he will never run back from his promise. He is so well pleased -with his only-begotten Son, that he takes pleasure in all who lay -hold upon him as their one and only hope. The great God himself has -taken hold on him who has taken hold on his Son. He works salvation for -all who look for that salvation to the once-slain Redeemer. For the -honour of his Son, he will not suffer the man who trusts in him to be -ashamed. "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life;" for the -ever-living God has taken him unto himself, and has given to him to be -a partaker of his life. If Jesus only be your trust, you need not fear -but what you shall effectually be saved, both now and in the day of his -appearing. - -When a man confides, there is a point of union between him and God, -and that union guarantees blessing. Faith saves us because it makes -us cling to Christ Jesus, and he is one with God, and thus brings us -into connection with God. I am told that, years ago, above the Falls of -Niagara, a boat was upset, and two men were being carried down by the -current, when persons on the shore managed to float a rope out to them, -which rope was seized by them both. One of them held fast to it, and -was safely drawn to the bank; but the other, seeing a great log come -floating by, unwisely let go the rope, and clung to the great piece of -timber, for it was the bigger thing of the two, and apparently better -to cling to. Alas! the timber, with the man on it, went right over the -vast abyss, because there was no union between the wood and the shore. -The size of the log was no benefit to him who grasped it; it needed -a connection with the shore to produce safety. So, when a man trusts -to his works, or to his prayers, or almsgivings, or to sacraments, or -to anything of that sort, he will not be saved, because there is no -junction between him and God through Christ Jesus; but faith, though it -may seem to be like a slender cord, is in the hand of the great God on -the shore side; infinite power pulls in the connecting line, and thus -draws the man from destruction. Oh, the blessedness of faith, because -it unites us to God by the Saviour, whom he has appointed, even Jesus -Christ! O reader, is there not common-sense in this matter? Think -it over, and may there soon be a band of union between you and God, -through your faith in Christ Jesus! - - - - -[Illustration] - - - - -FAITH IN THE PERSON OF THE LORD JESUS. - - -There is a wretched tendency among men to leave Christ himself out of -the gospel. They might as well leave flour out of bread. Men hear the -way of salvation explained, and consent to it as being Scriptural, and -in every way such as suits their case; but they forget that a plan -is of no service unless it is carried out; and that in the matter of -salvation their own personal faith in the Lord Jesus is essential. A -road to York will not take me there, I must travel along it for myself. -All the sound doctrine that ever was believed will never save a man -unless he puts his trust in the Lord Jesus for himself. - -Mr. Macdonald asked the inhabitants of the island of St. Kilda how a -man must be saved. An old man replied, "We shall be saved if we repent, -and forsake our sins, and turn to God." "Yes," said a middle-aged -female, "and with a true heart too." "Ay," rejoined a third, "and -with prayer"; and, added a fourth, "It must be the prayer of the -heart." "And we must be diligent too," said a fifth, "in keeping the -commandments." Thus, each having contributed his mite, feeling that a -very decent creed had been made up, they all looked and listened for -the preacher's approbation; but they had aroused his deepest pity: he -had to begin at the beginning, and preach Christ to them. The carnal -mind always maps out for itself a way in which self can work and become -great; but the Lord's way is quite the reverse. The Lord Jesus puts -it very compactly in Mark xvi. 16: "He that believeth and is baptized -shall be saved." Believing and being baptized are no matters of merit -to be gloried in; they are so simple that boasting is excluded, and -free grace bears the palm. This way of salvation is chosen that it -might be seen to be of grace alone. It may be that the reader is -unsaved: what is the reason? Do you think the way of salvation, as -laid down in the text we have quoted, to be dubious? Do you fear that -you would not be saved if you followed it? How can that be, when God -has pledged his own word for its certainty? How can that fail which -God prescribes, and concerning which he gives a promise? Do you think -it very easy? Why, then, do you not attend to it? Its ease leaves -those without excuse who neglect it. If you would have done some great -thing, be not so foolish as to neglect the little thing. To believe -is to trust, or lean upon Christ Jesus; in other words, to give up -self-reliance, and to rely upon the Lord Jesus. To be baptized is to -submit to the ordinance which our Lord fulfilled at Jordan, to which -the converted ones submitted at Pentecost, to which the jailer yielded -obedience on the very night of his conversion. It is the outward -confession which should always go with inward faith. The outward sign -saves not; but it sets forth to us our death, burial, and resurrection -with Jesus, and, like the Lord's Supper, it is not to be neglected. - -The great point is to believe in Jesus, and confess your faith. Do you -believe in Jesus? Then, dear friend, dismiss your fears; you shall be -saved. Are you still an unbeliever? Then remember, there is but one -door, and if you will not enter by it, you must perish in your sins. -The door is there; but unless you enter by it, what is the use of it -to you? It is of necessity that you obey the command of the gospel. -Nothing can save you if you do not hear the voice of Jesus, and do his -bidding indeed and of a truth. Thinking and resolving will not answer -the purpose; you must come to real business; for only as you actually -believe will you truly live unto God. - -I heard of a friend who deeply desired to be the means of the -conversion of a young man, and one said to him, "You may go to him, and -talk to him, but you will get him no further; for he is exceedingly -well acquainted with the plan of salvation." It was eminently so; -and therefore, when our friend began to speak with the young man, he -received for an answer, "I am much obliged to you, but I do not know -that you can tell me much, for I have long known and admired the plan -of salvation by the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ." Alas! he was -resting in _the plan_, but he had not believed in _the Person_. The -plan of salvation is most blessed, but it can avail us nothing unless -we personally believe in the Lord Jesus Christ himself. What is the -comfort of a plan of a house if you do not enter the house itself? -The man in our cut, who is sitting out in the rain, is not deriving -much comfort from the plans which are spread out before him. What is -the good of a plan of clothing if you have not a rag to cover you? -Have you never heard of the Arab chief at Cairo, who was very ill, and -went to the missionary, and the missionary said he could give him a -prescription? He did so; and a week after he found the Arab none the -better. Did you take my prescription?" he asked. "Yes, I ate every -morsel of the paper." He dreamed that he was going to be cured by -devouring the physician's writing, which I may call the plan of the -medicine. He should have had the prescription made up, and then it -might have wrought him good, if he had taken the draught: it could do -him no good to swallow the recipe. So is it with salvation: it is not -the plan of salvation which can save, it is the carrying out of that -plan by the Lord Jesus in his death on our behalf, and our acceptance -of the same. Under the Jewish law, the offerer brought a bullock, and -laid his hands upon it: it was no dream, or theory, or plan. In the -victim for sacrifice he found something substantial, which he could -handle and touch: even so do we lean upon the real and true work of -Jesus, the most substantial thing under heaven. We come to the Lord -Jesus by faith, and say, "God has provided an atonement here, and -I accept it. I believe in the fact accomplished on the cross; I am -confident that sin was put away by Christ, and I rest on him." If -you would be saved, you must get beyond the acceptance of plans and -doctrines to a resting in the divine person and finished work of the -Lord Jesus Christ. Dear reader, will you have Christ now? - -[Illustration] - -Jesus invites all those who labour and are heavy laden to come to him, -and he will give them rest. He does not promise this to their merely -dreaming about him. They must come; and they must come TO HIM, and -not merely to the Church, to baptism, or to the orthodox faith, or -to anything short of his divine person. When the brazen serpent was -lifted up in the wilderness, the people were not to look to Moses, -nor to the Tabernacle, nor to the pillar of cloud, but to the brazen -serpent itself. Looking was not enough unless they looked to the right -object: and the right object was not enough unless they looked. It -was not enough for them to know about the serpent of brass; they must -each one look to it for himself. When a man is ill, he may have a good -knowledge of medicine, and yet he may die if he does not actually take -the healing draught. We must receive Jesus; for "to as many as received -him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God." Lay the emphasis -on two words: _We must receive_ HIM, and _we must_ RECEIVE _him_. We -must open wide the door, and take Christ Jesus in; for "Christ in you" -is "the hope of glory." Christ must be no myth, no dream, no phantom -to us, but a real man, and truly God; and our reception of him must be -no forced and feigned acceptance, but the hearty and happy assent and -consent of the soul that he shall be the all in all of our salvation. -Will we not at once come to him, and make him our sole trust? - -[Illustration] - -The dove is hunted by the hawk, and finds no security from its restless -enemy. It has learned that there is shelter for it in the cleft of the -rock, and it hastens there with gladsome wing. Once wholly sheltered -within its refuge, it fears no bird of prey. But if it did not hide -itself in the rock, it would be seized upon by its adversary. The rock -would be of no use to the dove, if the dove did not enter its cleft. -The whole body must be hidden in the rock. What if ten thousand other -birds found a fortress there, yet that fact would not save the one -dove which is now pursued by the hawk! It must put its whole self into -the shelter, and bury itself within its refuge, or its life will be -forfeited to the destroyer. - -What a picture of faith is this! It is entering into Jesus, hiding in -his wounds. - - "Rock of Ages, cleft for me, - Let me hide myself in thee." - -The dove is out of sight: the rock alone is seen. So does the guilty -soul dart into the riven side of Jesus by faith, and is buried in him -out of sight of avenging justice. But there must be this personal -application to Jesus for shelter; and this it is that so many put -off from day to day, till it is to be feared that they will "die in -their sins." What an awful word is that! It is what our Lord said to -the unbelieving Jews; and he says the same to us at this hour: "If ye -believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins." It makes one's -heart quiver to think that even one who shall read these lines may yet -be of the miserable company who will thus perish. The Lord prevent it -of his great grace! - -I saw, the other day, a remarkable picture, which I shall use as an -illustration of the way of salvation by faith in Jesus. An offender had -committed a crime for which he must die, but it was in the olden time, -when churches were considered to be sanctuaries in which criminals -might hide themselves, and so escape from death. See the transgressor! -He rushes towards the church, the guards pursue him with their drawn -swords, athirst for his blood! They follow him even to the church door. -He rushes up the steps, and just as they are about to overtake him, -and hew him in pieces on the threshold of the church, out comes the -Bishop, and holding up the cross, he cries, "Back, back! Stain not the -precincts of God's house with blood! Stand back!" The fierce soldiers -at once respect the emblem, and retire, while the poor fugitive hides -himself behind the robes of the Bishop. It is even so with Christ. The -guilty sinner flies straight away to Jesus; and though Justice pursues -him, Christ lifts up his wounded hands, and cries to Justice, "Stand -back! I shelter this sinner; in the secret place of my tabernacle do -I hide him; I will not suffer him to perish, for he puts his trust -in me." Sinner, fly to Christ! But you answer, "I am too vile." The -viler you are, the more will you honour him by believing that he is -able to protect even you. "But I am so great a sinner." Then the -more honour shall be given to him if you have faith to confide in -him, great sinner though you are. If you have a little sickness, and -you tell your physician--"Sir, I am quite confident in your skill to -heal," there is no great compliment in your declaration. Anybody can -cure a finger-ache, or a trifling sickness. But if you are sore sick -with a complication of diseases which grievously torment you, and you -say--"Sir, I seek no better physician; I will ask no other advice but -yours; I trust myself joyfully with you;" what an honour have you -conferred on him, that you can trust your life in his hands while it is -in extreme and immediate danger! Do the like with Christ; put your soul -into his care: do it deliberately, and without a doubt. Dare to quit -all other hopes: venture all on Jesus; I say "venture" though there is -nothing really venturesome in it, for he is abundantly able to save. -Cast yourself simply on Jesus; let nothing but faith be in your soul -towards Jesus; believe him, and trust in him, and you shall never be -made ashamed of your confidence. "He that believeth on him shall not be -confounded" (1 Peter ii. 6). - - - - -[Illustration] - - - - -FAITH VERY SIMPLE. - - -To many, faith seems a hard thing. The truth is, _it is only hard -because it is easy_. Naaman thought it hard that he should have to wash -in Jordan; but if it had been some great thing, he would have done it -right cheerfully. People think that salvation must be the result of -some act or feeling, very mysterious, and very difficult; but God's -thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are his ways our ways. In order -that the feeblest and the most ignorant may be saved, he has made the -way of salvation as easy as the A, B, C. There is nothing about it to -puzzle anyone; only, as everybody expects to be puzzled by it, many are -quite bewildered when they find it to be so exceedingly simple. - -The fact is, we do not believe that God means what he is saying; we act -as if it could not be true. - -[Illustration] - -I have heard of a Sunday-school teacher who performed an experiment -which I do not think I shall ever try with children, for it might turn -out to be a very expensive one. Indeed, I feel sure that the result in -my case would be very different from what I now describe. This teacher -had been trying to illustrate what faith was, and, as he could not get -it into the minds of his boys, he took his watch, and he said, "Now, I -will give you this watch, John. Will you have it?" John fell thinking -what the teacher could mean, and did not seize the treasure, but made -no answer. The teacher said to the next boy, "Henry, here is the watch. -Will you have it?" The boy, with a very proper modesty, replied, "No, -thank you, sir." The teacher tried several of the boys with the same -result; till at last a youngster, who was not so wise or so thoughtful -as the others, but rather more believing, said in the most natural way, -"Thank you, sir," and put the watch into his pocket. Then the other -boys woke up to a startling fact: their companion had received a watch -which they had refused. One of the boys quickly asked of the teacher, -"Is he to keep it?" "Of course he is," said the teacher, "I offered it -to him, and he accepted it. I would not give a thing and take a thing: -that would be very foolish. I put the watch before you, and said that -I gave it to you, but none of you would have it." "Oh!" said the boy, -"if I had known you meant it, I would have had it." Of course he would. -He thought it was a piece of acting, and nothing more. All the other -boys were in a dreadful state of mind to think that they had lost the -watch. Each one cried, "Teacher, I did not know you meant it, _but I -thought_--" No one took the gift; but every one _thought_. Each one -had his theory, except the simple-minded boy who believed what he -was told, and got the watch. Now I wish that I could always be such -a simple child as literally to believe what the Lord says, and take -what he puts before me, resting quite content that he is not playing -with me, and that I cannot be wrong in accepting what he sets before -me in the gospel. Happy should we be if we would trust, and raise no -questions of any sort. But, alas! we will get thinking and doubting. -When the Lord uplifts his dear Son before a sinner, that sinner should -take him without hesitation. If you take him, you have him; and none -can take him from you. Out with your hand, man, and take him at once! - -When enquirers accept the Bible as literally true, and see that -Jesus is really given to all who trust him, all the difficulty about -understanding the way of salvation vanishes like the morning's frost at -the rising of the sun. - -Two enquiring ones came to me in my vestry. They had been hearing -the gospel from me for only a short season, but they had been deeply -impressed by it. They expressed their regret that they were about to -remove far away, but they added their gratitude that they had heard me -at all. I was cheered by their kind thanks, but felt anxious that a -more effectual work should be wrought in them, and therefore I asked -them, "Have you in very deed believed in the Lord Jesus Christ? Are -you saved?" One of them replied, "I have been trying hard to believe." -This statement I have often heard, but I will never let it go by me -unchallenged. "No," I said, "that will not do. Did you ever tell your -father that you tried to believe him?" After I had dwelt a while upon -the matter, they admitted that such language would have been an insult -to their father. I then set the gospel very plainly before them in as -simple language as I could, and I begged them to believe Jesus, who is -more worthy of faith than the best of fathers. One of them replied, "I -cannot realize it: I cannot realize that I am saved." Then I went on -to say, "God bears testimony to his Son, that whosoever trusts in his -Son is saved. Will you make him a liar now, or will you believe his -word?" While I thus spoke, one of them started as if astonished, and -she startled us all as she cried, "O sir, I see it all; I am saved! -Oh, do bless Jesus for me; he has shown me the way, and he has saved -me! I see it all." The esteemed sister who had brought these young -friends to me knelt down with them while, with all our hearts, we -blessed and magnified the Lord for a soul brought into light. One of -the two sisters, however, could not see the gospel as the other had -done, though I feel sure she will do so before long. Did it not seem -strange that, both hearing the same words, one should come out into -clear light, and the other should remain in the gloom? The change which -comes over the heart when the understanding grasps the gospel is often -reflected in the face, and shines there like the light of heaven. Such -newly-enlightened souls often exclaim, "Why, sir, it is so plain; how -is it I have not seen it before this? I understand all I have read in -the Bible now, though I could not make it out before. It has all come -in a minute, and now I see what I could never understand before." The -fact is, the truth was always plain, but they were looking for signs -and wonders, and therefore did not see what was nigh them. Old men -often look for their spectacles when they are on their foreheads; and -it is commonly observed that we fail to see that which is straight -before us. Christ Jesus is before our faces, and we have only to look -to him, and live; but we make all manner of bewilderment of it, and so -manufacture a maze out of that which is plain as a pikestaff. - -The little incident about the two sisters reminds me of another. A -much-esteemed friend came to me one Sabbath morning after service, to -shake hands with me, "for," said she, "I was fifty years old on the -same day as yourself. I am like you in that one thing, sir; but I am -the very reverse of you in better things." I remarked, "Then you must -be a very good woman; for in many things I wish I also could be the -reverse of what I am." "No, no," she said, "I did not mean anything -of that sort: I am not right at all." "What!" I cried, "are you not a -believer in the Lord Jesus?" "Well," she said, with much emotion, "I, I -will try to be." I laid hold of her hand, and said, "My dear soul, you -are not going to tell me that you will try to believe my Lord Jesus! I -cannot have such talk from you. It means blank unbelief. What has HE -done that you should talk of him in that way? Would you tell _me_ that -you would try to believe _me_? I know you would not treat me so rudely. -You think me a true man, and so you believe me at once; and surely you -cannot do less with my Lord Jesus." Then with tears she exclaimed, "Oh, -sir, do pray for me!" To this I replied, "I do not feel that I can do -anything of the kind. What can I ask the Lord Jesus to do for one who -will not trust him? I see nothing to pray about. If you will believe -him, you shall be saved; and if you will not believe him, I cannot ask -him to invent a new way to gratify your unbelief." Then she said again, -"I will try to believe"; but I told her solemnly I would have none of -her trying; for the message from the Lord did not mention "trying," -but said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." -I pressed upon her the great truth, that "He that believeth on him -hath everlasting life"; and its terrible reverse-- "He that believeth -not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of -the only-begotten Son of God." I urged her to full faith in the once -crucified but now ascended Lord, and the Holy Spirit there and then -enabled her to trust. She most tenderly said, "Oh, sir, I have been -looking to my feelings, and this has been my mistake! Now I trust my -soul with Jesus, and I am saved." She found immediate peace through -believing. There is no other way. - -[Illustration] - -God has been pleased to make the necessities of life very simple -matters. We must eat; and even a blind man can find the way to his -mouth. We must drink; and even the tiniest babe knows how to do this -without instruction. We have a fountain in the grounds of the Stockwell -Orphanage, and when it is running in the hot weather, the boys go to -it naturally. We have no class for fountain-drill. Many poor boys have -come to the Orphanage, but never one who was so ignorant that he did -not know how to drink. Now faith is, in spiritual things, what eating -and drinking are in temporal things. By the mouth of faith we take the -blessings of grace into our spiritual nature, and they are ours. O you -who would believe, but think you cannot, do you not see that, as one -can drink without strength, and as one can eat without strength, and -gets strength by eating, so we may receive Jesus without effort, and by -accepting him we receive power for all such further effort as we may be -called to put forth? - -Faith is so simple a matter that, whenever I try to explain it, I am -very fearful lest I should becloud its simplicity. When Thomas Scott -had printed his notes upon "The Pilgrim's Progress," he asked one of -his parishioners whether she understood the book. "Oh yes, sir," said -she, "I understand Mr. Bunyan well enough, and I am hoping that one -day, by divine grace, I may understand your explanations." Should I not -feel mortified if my reader should know what faith is, and then get -confused by my explanation? I will, however, make one trial, and pray -the Lord to make it clear. - -[Illustration] - -I am told that on a certain highland road there was a disputed right of -way. The owner wished to preserve his supremacy, and at the same time -he did not wish to inconvenience the public: hence an arrangement which -occasioned the following incident. Seeing a sweet country girl standing -at the gate, a tourist went up to her, and offered her a shilling to -permit him to pass. "No, no," said the child, "I must not take anything -from you; but you are to say, '_Please allow me to pass_,' and then you -may come through and welcome." The permission was to be asked for; but -it could be had for the asking. Just so, eternal life is free; and it -can be had, yea, it shall be at once had, by trusting in the word of -him who cannot lie. Trust Christ, and by that trust you grasp salvation -and eternal life. Do not philosophize. Do not sit down, and bother your -poor brain. Just believe Jesus as you would believe your father. Trust -him as you trust your money with a banker, or your health with a doctor. - -Faith will not long seem a difficulty to you; nor ought it to be so, -for it is simple. - -Faith is trusting, trusting wholly upon the person, work, merit, -and power of the Son of God. Some think this trusting is a romantic -business, but indeed it is the simplest thing that can possibly be. -To some of us, truths which were once hard to believe are now matters -of fact which we should find it hard to doubt. If one of our great -grand-fathers were to rise from the dead, and come into the present -state of things, what a deal of trusting he would have to do! He would -say to-morrow morning, "Where are the flint and steel? I want a light;" -and we should give him a little box with tiny pieces of wood in it, -and tell him to strike one of them on the box. He would have to trust -a good deal before he would believe that fire would thus be produced. -We should next say to him, "Now that you have a light, turn that -tap, and light the gas." He sees nothing. How can light come through -an invisible vapour? And yet it does. "Come with us, grandfather. Sit -in that chair. Look at that box in front of you. You shall have your -likeness directly." "No, child," he would say, "it is ridiculous. The -sun take my portrait? I cannot believe it." "Yes, and you shall ride -fifty miles in an hour without horses." He will not believe it till -we get him into the train. "My dear sir, you shall speak to your son -in New York, and he shall answer you in a few minutes." Should we not -astonish the old gentleman? Would he not want all his faith? Yet these -things are believed by us without effort, because experience has made -us familiar with them. Faith is greatly needed by you who are strangers -to spiritual things; you seem lost while we are talking about them. But -oh, how simple it is to us who have the new life, and have communion -with spiritual realities! We have a Father to whom we speak, and he -hears us, and a blessed Saviour who hears our heart's longings, and -helps us in our struggles against sin. It is all plain to him that -understandeth. May it now be plain to you! - - - - -[Illustration] - - - - -FEARING TO BELIEVE. - - -It is an odd product of our unhealthy nature--_the fear to believe_. -Yet have I met with it often: so often that I wish I may never see it -again. It looks like humility, and tries to pass itself off as the -very soul of modesty, and yet it is an infamously proud thing: in -fact, it is presumption playing the hypocrite. If men were afraid to -_dis_believe, there would be good sense in the fear; but to be afraid -to trust their God is at best an absurdity, and in very deed it is a -deceitful way of refusing to the Lord the honour that is due to his -faithfulness and truth. - -How unprofitable is the diligence which busies itself in finding out -reasons why faith in our case should not be saving! We have God's word -for it, that _whosoever_ believeth in Jesus shall not perish, and -we search for arguments why _we_ should perish if we did believe. If -any one gave me an estate, I certainly should not commence raising -questions as to the title. What can be the use of inventing reasons why -I should not hold my own house, or possess any other piece of property -which is enjoyed by me? If the Lord is satisfied to save me through the -merits of his dear Son, assuredly I may be satisfied to be so saved. If -I take God at his word, the responsibility of fulfilling his promise -does not lie with me, but with God, who made the promise. - -But you fear that you may not be one of those for whom the promise -is intended. Do not be alarmed by that idle suspicion. No soul ever -came to Jesus wrongly. No one can come at all unless the Father draw -him; and Jesus has said, "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast -out." No soul ever lays hold on Christ in a way of robbery; he that -hath him hath him of right divine; for the Lord's giving of himself -_for_ us, and _to_ us, is so free, that every soul that takes him has a -grace-given right to do so. If you lay hold on Jesus by the hem of his -garment, without leave, and behind him, yet virtue will flow from him -to you as surely as if he had called you out by name, and bidden you -trust him. Dismiss all fear when you trust the Saviour. Take him and -welcome. He that believeth in Jesus is one of God's elect. - -Did you suggest that it would be a horrible thing if you were to trust -in Jesus and yet perish? It would be so. But as you must perish if you -do not trust, the risk at the worst is not very great. - - "I can but perish if I go; - I am resolved to try; - For if I stay away, I know - I must for ever die." - -Suppose you stand in the Slough of Despond for ever; what will be the -good of that? Surely it would be better to die struggling along the -King's highway towards the Celestial City, than sinking deeper and -deeper in the mire and filth of dark distrustful thoughts! You have -nothing to lose, for you have lost everything already; therefore make -a dash for it, and dare to believe in the mercy of God to you, even to -you. - -[Illustration] - -But one moans, "What if I come to Christ, and he refuses me?" My answer -is, "Try him." Cast yourself on the Lord Jesus, and see if he refuses -you. You will be the first against whom he has shut the door of hope. -Friend, don't cross that bridge till you come to it! When Jesus casts -you out, it will be time enough to despair; but that time will never -come. "This man receiveth sinners": he has not so much as begun to cast -them out. - -Have you never heard of the man who lost his way one night, and came -to the edge of a precipice, as he thought, and in his own apprehension -fell over the cliff? He clutched at an old tree, and there hung, -clinging to his frail support with all his might. He felt persuaded -that, should he quit his hold, he would be dashed in pieces on some -awful rocks that waited for him down below. There he hung, with the -sweat upon his brow, and anguish in every limb. He passed into a -desperate state of fever and faintness, and at last his hands could -hold up his body no longer. He relaxed his grasp! He dropped from his -support! He fell--about a foot or so, and was received upon a soft -mossy bank, whereon he lay, altogether unhurt, and perfectly safe till -morning. Thus, in the darkness of their ignorance, many think that -sure destruction awaits them, if they confess their sin, quit all hope -in self, and resign themselves into the hands of God. They are afraid -to quit the hope to which they ignorantly cling. It is an idle fear. -Give up your hold upon everything but Christ, and drop. Drop from -all trust in your works, or prayers, or feelings. Drop at once! Drop -now! Soft and safe shall be the bank that receives you. Jesus Christ, -in his love, in the efficacy of his precious blood, in his perfect -righteousness, will give you immediate rest and peace. Cease from -self-confidence. Fall into the arms of Jesus. This is the major part -of faith--giving up every other hold, and simply falling upon Christ. -There is no reason for fear: only ignorance causes your dread of that -which will be your eternal safety. The death of carnal hope is the life -of faith, and the life of faith is life everlasting. Let self die, -that Christ may live in you. - -But the mischief is that, to the one act of faith in Jesus, we cannot -bring men. They will adopt any expedient sooner than have done with -self. They fight shy of believing, and fear faith as if it were a -monster. O foolish tremblers, who has bewitched you? You fear that -which would be the death of all your fear, and the beginning of your -joy. Why will you perish through perversely preferring other ways to -God's own appointed plan of salvation? - -Alas! there are many, many souls that say, "We are bidden to trust -in Jesus, but instead of that we will attend the means of grace -regularly." Attend public worship by all means, but not as a substitute -for faith, or it will become a vain confidence. The command is, -"Believe and live;" attend to that, whatever else you do. "Well, -I shall take to reading good books; perhaps I shall get good that -way." Read the good books by all means, but that is not the gospel: -the gospel is, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be -saved." Suppose a physician has a patient under his care, and he says -to him, "You are to take a bath in the morning; it will be of very -great service to your disease." But the man takes a cup of tea in -the morning instead of the bath, and he says, "That will do as well, -I have no doubt." What does his physician say when he enquires--"Did -you follow my rule?" "No, I did not." "Then you do not expect, of -course, that there will be any good result from my visits, since you -take no notice of my directions." So we, practically, say to Jesus -Christ, when we are under searching of soul, "Lord, thou badest me -trust thee, but I would sooner do something else! Lord, I want to -have horrible convictions; I want to be shaken over hell's mouth; I -want to be alarmed and distressed!" Yes, you want anything but what -Christ prescribes for you, which is that you should _simply trust him_. -Whether you feel or do not feel, cast yourself on him, that _he_ may -save you, and he alone. "But you do not mean to say that you speak -against praying, and reading good books, and so on?" Not one single -word do I speak against any of those things, any more than, if I were -the physician I quoted, I should speak against the man's drinking a -cup of tea. Let him drink his tea; but not if he drinks it instead of -taking the bath which is prescribed for him. So let the man pray: the -more the better. Let the man search the Scriptures; but, remember, -that if these things are put in the place of simple faith in Christ, -the soul will be ruined. Beware lest it be said of any of you by our -Lord, "Ye search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal -life; but ye will not come unto me that ye might have life." - -[Illustration] - -Come by faith to Jesus, for without him you perish for ever. Did you -ever notice how a fir-tree will get a hold among rocks which seem to -afford it no soil? It sends a rootlet into any little crack which -opens; it clutches even the bare rock as with a huge bird's claw; it -holds fast, and binds itself to earth with a hundred anchorages. Our -little drawing is very accurate. We have often seen trees thus firmly -rooted upon detached masses of bare rock. Now, dear heart, let this -be a picture of yourself. Grip the Rock of Ages. With the rootlet of -little-faith hold to him. Let that tiny feeler grow; and, meanwhile, -send out another to take a new grasp of the same Rock. Lay hold on -Jesus, and keep hold on Jesus. Grow up into him. Twist the roots of -your nature, the fibres of your heart, about him. He is as free to you -as the rocks are to the fir-tree: be you as firmly lashed to him as the -pine is to the mountain's side. - - - - -[Illustration] - - - - -DIFFICULTY IN THE WAY OF BELIEVING. - - -It may be that the reader feels a difficulty in believing. Let him -consider. We cannot believe by an immediate act. The state of mind -which we describe as believing is a result, following upon certain -former states of mind. We come to faith by degrees. There may be such -a thing as faith at first sight; but usually we reach faith by stages: -we become interested, we consider, we hear evidence, we are convinced, -and so led to believe. If, then, I wish to believe, but for some reason -or other find that I cannot attain to faith, what shall I do? Shall I -stand like a cow staring at a new gate; or shall I, like an intelligent -being, use the proper means? If I wish to believe anything, what shall -I do? We will answer according to the rules of common-sense. - -If I were told that the Sultan of Zanzibar was a good man, and it -happened to be a matter of interest to me, I do not suppose I should -feel any difficulty in believing it. But if for some reason I had a -doubt about it, and yet wished to believe the news, how should I act? -Should I not hunt up all the information within my reach about his -Majesty, and try, by study of the newspapers and other documents, -to arrive at the truth? Better still, if he happened to be in this -country, and would see me, and I could also converse with members of -his court, and citizens of his country, I should be greatly helped to -arrive at a decision by using these sources of information. Evidence -weighed and knowledge obtained lead up to faith. It is true that -faith in Jesus is the gift of God; but yet he usually bestows it in -accordance with the laws of mind, and hence we are told that "faith -cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." If you want to -believe in Jesus, hear about him, read about him, think about him, know -about him, and so you will find faith springing up in your heart, like -the wheat which comes up through the moisture and the heat operating -upon the seed which has been sown. If I wished to have faith in a -certain physician, I should ask for testimonials of his cures, I should -wish to see the diplomas which certified to his professional knowledge, -and I should also like to hear what he has to say upon certain -complicated cases. In fact, I should take means to know, in order that -I might believe. - -[Illustration] - -Be much in _hearing_ concerning Jesus. Souls by hundreds come to faith -in Jesus under a ministry which sets him forth clearly and constantly. -Few remain unbelieving under a preacher whose great subject is Christ -crucified. Hear no minister of any other sort. There are such. I have -heard of one who found in his pulpit Bible a paper bearing this text, -"_Sir, we would see Jesus_." Go to the place of worship to see Jesus; -and if you cannot even hear the mention of his name, take yourself off -to another place where he is more thought of, and is therefore more -likely to be present. - -Be much in _reading_ about the Lord Jesus. The books of Scripture are -the lilies among which he feedeth. The Bible is the window through -which we may look and see our Lord. Read over the story of his -sufferings and death with devout attention, and before long the Lord -will cause faith secretly to enter your soul. The Cross of Christ not -only rewards faith, but begets faith. Many a believer can say-- - - "When I view thee, wounded, grieving, - Breathless, on the cursed tree, - Soon I feel my heart believing - Thou hast suffered thus for me." - -If hearing and reading suffice not, then deliberately _set your mind -to work to overhaul the matter_, and have it out. Either believe, or -know the reason why you do not believe. See the matter through to the -utmost of your ability, and pray God to help you to make a thorough -investigation, and to come to an honest decision one way or the other. -Consider who Jesus was, and whether the constitution of his person -does not entitle him to confidence. Consider what he did, and whether -this also must not be good ground for trust. Consider him as dying, -rising from the dead, ascending, and ever living to intercede for -transgressors; and see whether this does not entitle him to be relied -on by you. Then cry to him, and see if he does not hear you. When Usher -wished to know whether Rutherford was indeed as holy a man as he was -said to be, he went to his house as a beggar, and gained a lodging, -and heard the man of God pouring out his heart before the Lord in -the night. If you would know Jesus, get as near to him as you can by -studying his character, and appealing to his love. - -At one time I might have needed evidence to make me believe in the -Lord Jesus; but now I know him so well, by proving him, that I should -need a very great deal of evidence to make me doubt him. It is now -more natural to me to trust than to disbelieve: this is the new nature -triumphing; it was not so at the first. The novelty of faith is, in the -beginning, a source of weakness; but act after act of trusting turns -faith into a habit. Experience brings to faith strong confirmation. - -[Illustration] - -I am not perplexed with doubt, because the truth which I believe has -wrought a miracle on me. By its means I have received and still retain -a new life, to which I was once a stranger: and this is confirmation of -the strongest sort. I am like the good man and his wife who had kept -a lighthouse for years. A visitor, who came to see the lighthouse, -looking out from the window over the waste of waters, asked the good -woman, "Are you not afraid at night, when the storm is out, and the big -waves dash right over the lantern? Do you not fear that the lighthouse, -and all that is in it, will be carried away? I am sure I should be -afraid to trust myself in a slender tower in the midst of the great -billows." The woman remarked that the idea never occurred to her now. -She had lived there so long that she felt as safe on the lone rock as -ever she did when she lived on the mainland. As for her husband, when -asked if he did not feel anxious when the wind blew a hurricane, he -answered, "Yes, I feel anxious to keep the lamps well trimmed, and the -light burning, lest any vessel should be wrecked." As to anxiety about -the safety of the lighthouse, or his own personal security in it, he -had outlived all that. Even so it is with the full-grown believer. He -can humbly say, "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he -is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." -From henceforth let no man trouble me with doubts and questionings; I -bear in my soul the proofs of the Spirit's truth and power, and I will -have none of your artful reasonings. The gospel to me is truth: I am -content to perish if it be not true. I risk my soul's eternal fate upon -the truth of the gospel, and I know that there is no risk in it. My -one concern is to keep the lights burning, that I may thereby benefit -others. Only let the Lord give me oil enough to feed my lamp, so that -I may cast a ray across the dark and treacherous sea of life, and I am -well content. - -Now, troubled seeker, if it be so, that your minister, and many others -in whom you confide, have found perfect peace and rest in the gospel, -why should not you? Is the Spirit of the Lord straitened? Do not his -words do good to them that walk uprightly? Will not you also try their -saving virtue? - -Most true is the gospel, for God is its Author. Believe it. Most able -is the Saviour, for he is the Son of God. Trust him. Most powerful is -his precious blood. Look to it for pardon. Most loving is his gracious -heart. Run to it at once. - -Thus would I urge the reader to seek faith; but if he be unwilling, -what more can I do? I have brought the horse to the water, but I cannot -make him drink. This, however, be it remembered--_unbelief is wilful -when evidence is put in a man's way, and he refuses carefully to -examine it_. He that does not desire to know, and accept the truth, has -himself to thank if he dies with a lie in his right hand. It is true -that "he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved": it is equally -true that "he that believeth not shall be damned." - - - - -[Illustration] - - - - -A HELPFUL SURVEY. - - -To help the seeker to a true faith in Jesus, I would remind him of the -work of the Lord Jesus in the room and place and stead of sinners. -"When we were yet without strength, in due time CHRIST DIED FOR THE -UNGODLY" (Rom. v. 6). "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body -on the tree" (1 Pet. ii. 24). "The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity -of us all" (Is. liii. 6). "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, -the Just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God" (1 Pet. iii. -18). - -Upon one declaration of Scripture let the reader fix his eye. "WITH HIS -STRIPES WE ARE HEALED" (Is. liii. 5). God here treats sin as a disease, -and he sets before us the costly remedy which he has provided. - -I ask you very solemnly to accompany me in your meditations, for a few -minutes, while I bring before you the stripes of the Lord Jesus. The -Lord resolved to restore us, and therefore he sent his only-begotten -Son, "very God of very God," that he might descend into this world to -take upon himself our nature, in order to our redemption. He lived -as a man among men; and, in due time, after thirty years or more of -obedience, the time came when he should do us the greatest service of -all, namely, stand in our stead, and bear "the chastisement of our -peace." He went to Gethsemane, and there, at the first taste of our -bitter cup, he sweat great drops of blood. He went to Pilate's hall, -and Herod's judgment-seat, and there drank draughts of pain and scorn -in our room and place. Last of all, they took him to the cross, and -nailed him there to die--to die in our stead. The word "stripes" is -used to set forth his sufferings, both of body and of soul. The whole -of Christ was made a sacrifice for us: his whole manhood suffered. -As to his body, it shared with his mind in a grief that never can -be described. In the beginning of his passion, when he emphatically -suffered instead of us, he was in an agony, and from his bodily frame -a bloody sweat distilled so copiously as to fall to the ground. It -is very rarely that a man sweats blood. There have been one or two -instances of it, and they have been followed by almost immediate -death; but our Saviour lived--lived after an agony which, to anyone -else, would have proved fatal. Ere he could cleanse his face from this -dreadful crimson, they hurried him to the high priest's hall. In the -dead of night they bound him, and led him away. Anon they took him to -Pilate and to Herod. These scourged him, and their soldiers spat in -his face, and buffeted him, and put on his head a crown of thorns. -Scourging is one of the most awful tortures that can be inflicted by -malice. It was formerly the disgrace of the British army that the "cat" -was used upon the soldier: a brutal infliction of torture. But to the -Roman, cruelty was so natural that he made his common punishments worse -than brutal. The Roman scourge is said to have been made of the sinews -of oxen, twisted into knots, and into these knots were inserted slivers -of bone, and huckle-bones of sheep; so that every time the scourge fell -upon the bare back, "the plowers made deep furrows." Our Saviour was -called upon to endure the fierce pain of the Roman scourge, and this -not as the _finis_ of his punishment, but as a preface to crucifixion. -To this his persecutors added buffeting, and plucking of the hair: they -spared him no form of pain. In all his faintness, through bleeding and -fasting, they made him carry his cross until another was forced, by the -forethought of their cruelty, to bear it, lest their victim should die -on the road. They stripped him, and threw him down, and nailed him to -the wood. They pierced his hands and his feet. They lifted up the tree, -with him upon it, and then dashed it down into its place in the ground, -so that all his limbs were dislocated, according to the lament of the -twenty-second psalm, "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are -out of joint." He hung in the burning sun till the fever dissolved his -strength, and he said, "My heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst -of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue -cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death." -There he hung, a spectacle to God and men. The weight of his body was -first sustained by his feet, till the nails tore through the tender -nerves: and then the painful load began to drag upon his hands, and -rend those sensitive parts of his frame. How small a wound in the hand -has brought on lockjaw! How awful must have been the torment caused -by that dragging iron tearing through the delicate parts of the hands -and feet! Now were all manner of bodily pains centred in his tortured -frame. All the while his enemies stood around, pointing at him in -scorn, thrusting out their tongues in mockery, jesting at his prayers, -and gloating over his sufferings. He cried, "I thirst," and then they -gave him vinegar mingled with gall. After a while he said, "It is -finished." He had endured the utmost of appointed grief, and had made -full vindication to divine justice: then, and not till then, he gave up -the ghost. Holy men of old have enlarged most lovingly upon the bodily -sufferings of our Lord, and I have no hesitation in doing the same, -trusting that trembling sinners may see salvation in these painful -"stripes" of the Redeemer. - -To describe the outward sufferings of our Lord is not easy: I -acknowledge that I have failed. But his soul-sufferings, which were the -soul of his sufferings, who can even conceive, much less express, what -they were? At the very first I told you that he sweat great drops of -blood. That was his heart driving out its life-floods to the surface -through the terrible depression of spirit which was upon him. He said, -"My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death." The betrayal by -Judas, and the desertion of the twelve, grieved our Lord; but the -weight of our sin was the real pressure on his heart. Our guilt was -the olive-press which forced from him the moisture of his life. No -language can ever tell his agony in prospect of his passion; how little -then can we conceive the passion itself? When nailed to the cross, -he endured what no martyr ever suffered; for martyrs, when they have -died, have been so sustained of God that they have rejoiced amid their -pain; but our Redeemer was forsaken of his Father, until he cried, "My -God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" That was the bitterest cry of -all, the utmost depth of his unfathomable grief. Yet was it needful -that he should be deserted, because God must turn his back on sin, and -consequently upon him who was made sin for us. The soul of the great -Substitute suffered a horror of misery instead of that horror of hell -into which sinners would have been plunged had he not taken their sin -upon himself, and been made a curse for them. It is written, "Cursed -is every one that hangeth on a tree;" but who knows what that curse -means? - -The remedy for your sins and mine is found in the substitutionary -sufferings of the Lord Jesus, and in these only. These "stripes" of -the Lord Jesus Christ were on our behalf. Do you enquire, "Is there -anything for us to do, to remove the guilt of sin?" I answer: There is -nothing whatever for you to do. By the stripes of Jesus we are healed. -All those stripes he has endured, and left not one of them for us to -bear. - -"But must we not believe on him?" Ay, certainly. If I say of a certain -ointment that it heals, I do not deny that you need a bandage with -which to apply it to the wound. Faith is the linen which binds the -plaster of Christ's reconciliation to the sore of our sin. The linen -does not heal; that is the work of the ointment. So faith does not -heal; that is the work of the atonement of Christ. - -"But we must repent," cries another. Assuredly we must, and shall, for -repentance is the first sign of healing; but the stripes of Jesus heal -us, and not our repentance. These stripes, when applied to the heart, -work repentance in us: we hate sin because it made Jesus suffer. - -When you intelligently trust in Jesus as having suffered for you, then -you discover the fact that God will never punish you for the same -offence for which Jesus died. His justice will not permit him to see -the debt paid, first, by the Surety, and then again by the debtor. -Justice cannot twice demand a recompense: if my bleeding Surety has -borne my guilt, then I cannot bear it. Accepting Christ Jesus as -suffering for me, I have accepted a complete discharge from judicial -liability. I have been condemned in Christ, and there is, therefore, -now no condemnation to me any more. This is the ground-work of the -security of the sinner who believes in Jesus: he lives because Jesus -died in his room, and place, and stead; and he is acceptable before God -because Jesus is accepted. The person for whom Jesus is an accepted -Substitute must go free; none can touch him; he is clear. O my hearer, -wilt thou have Jesus Christ to be thy Substitute? If so, thou art free. -"He that believeth on him is not condemned." Thus "with his stripes we -are healed." - - - - -[Illustration] - - - - -A REAL HINDRANCE. - - -Although it is by no means a difficult thing in itself to believe him -who cannot lie, and to trust in One whom we know to be able to save, -yet something may intervene which may render even this a hard thing to -my reader. That hindrance may be a secret, and yet it may be none the -less real. A door may be closed, not by a great stone which all can -see, but by an invisible bolt which shoots into a holdfast quite out -of sight. A man may have good eyes, and yet may not be able to see an -object, because another substance comes in the way. You could not even -see the sun if a handkerchief, or a mere piece of rag, were tied over -your face. Oh, the bandages which men persist in binding over their own -eyes! - -A sweet sin, harboured in the heart, will prevent a soul from laying -hold upon Christ by faith. The Lord Jesus has come to save us from -sinning; and if we are resolved to go on sinning, Christ and our souls -will never agree. If a man takes poison, and a doctor is called in to -save his life, he may have a sure antidote ready; but if the patient -persists in keeping the poison-bottle at his lips, and will continue -to swallow the deadly drops, how can the doctor save him? Salvation -consists largely in parting the sinner from his sin, and the very -nature of salvation would have to be changed before we could speak of a -man's being saved when he is loving sin, and wilfully living in it. A -man cannot be made white, and yet continue black; he cannot be healed, -and yet remain sick; neither can anyone be saved, and be still a lover -of evil. - -A drunkard will be saved by believing in Christ--that is to say, he -will be saved from being a drunkard; but if he determines still to make -himself intoxicated, he is not saved from it, and he has not truly -believed in Jesus. A liar can by faith be saved from falsehood, but -then he leaves off lying, and is careful to speak the truth. Anyone can -see with half an eye that he cannot be saved from being a liar, and -yet go on in his old style of deceit and untruthfulness. A person who -is at enmity with another will be saved from that feeling of enmity -by believing in the Lord Jesus; but if he vows that he will still -cherish the feeling of hate, it is clear that he is not saved from -it, and equally clear that he has not believed in the Lord Jesus unto -salvation. The great matter is to be delivered from the love of sin: -this is the sure effect of trust in the Saviour; but if this effect is -so far from being desired that it is even refused, all talk of trusting -in the Saviour for salvation is an idle tale. A man goes to the -shipping-office, and asks if he can be taken to America. He is assured -that a ship is just ready, and that he has only to go on board, and he -will soon reach New York. "But," says he, "I want to stop at home in -England, and mind my shop all the time I am crossing the Atlantic." -The agent thinks he is talking to a madman, and tells him to go about -his business, and not waste his time by playing the fool. To pretend -to trust Christ to save you from sin while you are still determined to -continue in it, is making a mock of Christ. I pray my reader not to be -guilty of such profanity. Let him not dream that the holy Jesus will be -the patron of iniquity. - -[Illustration] - -Do you see the tree in my picture? The ivy has grown all over it, and -is strangling it, sucking out its life, and killing it. Can that tree -be saved? The gardener thinks it can be. He is willing to do his best. -But before he begins to use his axe and his knife, he is told that he -must not cut away the ivy. "Ah! then," he says, "it is impossible. It -is the ivy which is killing the tree, and if you want the tree saved, -you cannot save the ivy. If you trust me to preserve the tree, you must -let me get the deadly climber away from it." Is not that common sense? -Certainly it is. You do not trust the tree to the gardener unless you -trust him to cut away that which is deadly to it. If the sinner will -keep his sin, he must die in it; if he is willing to be rescued from -his sin, the Lord Jesus is able to do it, and will do it if he commits -his case to his care. - -What, then, is your darling sin? Is it any gross wrong-doing? Then very -shame should make you cease from it. Is it love of the world, or fear -of men, or longing for evil gains? Surely, none of these things should -reconcile you to living in enmity with God, and beneath his frown. Is -it a human love, which is eating like a canker into the heart? Can any -creature rival the Lord Jesus? Is it not idolatry to allow any earthly -thing to compare for one instant with the Lord God? "Well," saith one, -"for me to give up the particular sin by which I am held captive, would -be to my serious injury in business, would ruin my prospects, and -lessen my usefulness in many ways." If it be so, you have your case met -by the words of the Lord Jesus, who bids you to pluck out your eye, -and cut off your hand or foot, and cast it from you, rather than be -cast into hell. It is better to enter into life with one eye, with the -poorest prospects, than to keep all your hopes, and be out of Christ. -Better be a lame believer than a leaping sinner. Better be in the rear -rank for life in the army of Christ than lead the van and be a chief -officer under the command of Satan. If you win Christ, it will little -matter what you lose. No doubt many have had to suffer that which has -maimed and lamed them for this life; but if they have entered thereby -into eternal life, they have been great gainers. - -It comes to this, my friend, as it did with John Bunyan; a voice now -speaks to you, and says-- - - WILT THOU KEEP THY SIN AND GO TO HELL? - - OR - - LEAVE THY SIN AND GO TO HEAVEN? - -The point should be decided before you quit the spot. In the name -of God, I ask you, Which shall it be--Christ and salvation, or the -favourite sin and damnation? There is no middle course. Waiting or -refusing to decide will practically be a sure decision for the evil -one. He that stands questioning whether he will be honest or not, is -already out of the straight line: he that does not know whether he -wishes to be cleansed from sin gives evidence of a foul heart. - -If you are anxious to give up every evil way, our Lord Jesus will -enable you to do so at once. His grace has already changed the -direction of your desires: in fact, your heart is renewed. Therefore, -rest on him to strengthen you to battle with temptations as they arise, -and to fulfil the Lord's commands from day to day. The Lord Jesus is -great at making the lame man to leap like a hart, and in enabling those -who are sick of the palsy to take up their bed and walk. He will make -you able to conquer the evil habit. He will even cast the devil out of -you. Yes, if you had seven devils, he could drive them out at once; -there is no limit to his power to cleanse and sanctify. Now that you -are willing to be made whole, the great difficulty is removed. He that -has set the will right can arrange all your other powers, and make them -move to his praise. You would not have earnestly desired to quit all -sin if he had not secretly inclined you in that direction. If you now -trust him, it will be clear that he has begun a good work in you, and -we feel assured that he will carry it on. - - - - -[Illustration] - - - - -ON RAISING QUESTIONS. - - -In these days, a simple, childlike faith is very rare; but the usual -thing is to believe nothing, and question everything. Doubts are as -plentiful as blackberries, and all hands and lips are stained with -them. To me it seems very strange that men should hunt up difficulties -as to their own salvation. If I were doomed to die, and I had a hint of -mercy, I am sure I should not set my wits to work to find out reasons -why I should not be pardoned. I could leave my enemies to do that: I -should be on the look-out in a very different direction. If I were -drowning, I should sooner catch at a straw than push a life-belt away -from me. To reason against one's own life is a sort of constructive -suicide of which only a drunken man would be guilty. To argue against -your only hope is like a foolish man sitting on a bough, and chopping -it away so as to let himself down. Who but an idiot would do that? -Yet many appear to be special pleaders for their own ruin. They hunt -the Bible through for threatening texts; and when they have done with -that, they turn to reason, and philosophy, and scepticism, in order to -shut the door in their own faces. Surely this is poor employment for a -sensible man. - -[Illustration] - -Many nowadays who cannot quite get away from religious thought, are -able to stave off the inconvenient pressure of conscience by quibbling -over the great truths of revelation. Great mysteries are in the Book -of God of necessity; for how can the infinite God so speak that all his -thoughts can be grasped by finite man? But it is the height of folly -to get discussing these deep things, and to leave plain, soul-saving -truths in abeyance. It reminds one of the two philosophers who debated -about food, and went away empty from the table, while the common -countryman in the corner asked no question, but used his knife and fork -with great diligence, and went on his way rejoicing. Thousands are now -happy in the Lord through receiving the gospel like little children; -while others, who can always see difficulties, or invent them, are as -far off as ever from any comfortable hope of salvation. I know many -very decent people who seem to have resolved never to come to Christ -till they can understand how the doctrine of election is consistent -with the free invitations of the gospel. I might just as well determine -never to eat a morsel of bread till it has been explained to me how it -is that God keeps me alive, and yet I must eat to live. The fact is, -that we most of us _know_ quite enough already, and the real want with -us is not light in the head, but truth in the heart; not help over -difficulties, but grace to make us hate sin and seek reconciliation. - -[Illustration] - -Here let me add a warning against tampering with the Word of God. -No habit can be more ruinous to the soul. It is cool, contemptuous -impertinence to sit down and correct your Maker, and it tends to make -the heart harder than the nether millstone. We remember one who used -a penknife on his Bible, and it was not long before he had given up -all his former beliefs. The spirit of reverence is healthy, but the -impertinence of criticizing the inspired Word is destructive of all -proper feeling towards God. - -If ever a man does feel his need of a Saviour after treating Scripture -with a proud, critical spirit, he is very apt to find his conscience -standing in the way, and hindering him from comfort by reminding -him of ill-treatment of the sacred Word. It comes hard to him to -draw consolation out of passages of the Bible which he has treated -cavalierly, or even set aside altogether, as unworthy of consideration. -In his distress the sacred texts seem to laugh at his calamity. When -the time of need comes, the wells which he stopped with stones yield no -water for his thirst. Beware, when you despise a Scripture, lest you -cast away the only friend that can help you in the hour of agony. - -[Illustration] - -A certain German duke was accustomed to call upon his servant to read a -chapter of the Bible to him every morning. When anything did not square -with his judgment he would sternly cry, "Hans, strike that out." At -length Hans was a long time before he began to read. He fumbled over -the Book, till his master called out, "Hans, why do you not read?" Then -Hans answered, "Sir, there is hardly anything left. It is all struck -out!" One day his master's objections had run one way, and another -day they had taken another turn, and another set of passages had been -blotted, till nothing was left to instruct or comfort him. Let us not, -by carping criticism, destroy our own mercies. We may yet need those -promises which appear needless; and those portions of Holy Writ which -have been most assailed by sceptics may yet prove essential to our very -life: wherefore let us guard the priceless treasure of the Bible, and -determine never to resign a single line of it. - -What have we to do with recondite questions while our souls are in -peril? The way to escape from sin is plain enough. The wayfaring man, -though a fool, shall not err therein. God has not mocked us with a -salvation which we cannot understand. BELIEVE AND LIVE is a command -which a babe may comprehend and obey. - - Doubt no more, but now believe; - Question not, but just receive. - Artful doubts and reasonings be - Nailed with Jesus to the tree. - -Instead of cavilling at Scripture, the man who is led of the Spirit of -God will close in with the Lord Jesus at once. Seeing that thousands of -decent, common-sense people--people, too, of the best character--are -trusting their all with Jesus, he will do the same, and have done with -further delays. Then has he begun a life worth living, and he may have -done with further fear. He may at once advance to that higher and -better way of living, which grows out of love to Jesus, the Saviour. -Why should not the reader do so at once? Oh that he would! - -[Illustration] - -A Newark, New Jersey, butcher received a letter from his old home in -Germany, notifying that he had, by the death of a relative, fallen -heir to a considerable amount of money. He was cutting up a pig at the -time. After reading the letter, he hastily tore off his dirty apron, -and did not stop to see the pork cut up into sausages, but left the -shop to make preparations for going home to Germany. Do you blame him, -or would you have had him stop in Newark with his block and his cleaver? - -See here the operation of faith. The butcher believed what was told -him, and acted on it at once. Sensible fellow, too! - -God has sent his messages to man, telling him the good news of -salvation. When a man believes the good news to be true, he accepts the -blessing announced to him, and hastens to lay hold upon it. If he truly -believes, he will at once take Christ, with all he has to bestow, turn -from his present evil ways, and set out for the Heavenly City, where -the full blessing is to be enjoyed. He cannot be holy too soon, or too -early quit the ways of sin. If a man could really see what sin is, he -would flee from it as from a deadly serpent, and rejoice to be freed -from it by Christ Jesus. - - - - -[Illustration] - - - - -WITHOUT FAITH NO SALVATION. - - -Some think it hard that there should be nothing for them but ruin if -they will not believe in Jesus Christ; but if you will think for a -minute you will see that it is just and reasonable. I suppose there is -no way for a man to keep his strength up except by eating. If you were -to say, "I will not eat again, I despise such animalism," you might go -to Madeira, or travel in all lands (supposing you lived long enough!), -but you would most certainly find that no climate and no exercise would -avail to keep you alive if you refused food. Would you then complain, -"It is a hard thing that I should die because I do not believe in -eating"? It is not an unjust thing that if you are so foolish as not -to eat, you must die. It is precisely so with believing. "Believe, and -thou art saved." If thou wilt not believe, it is no hard thing that -thou shouldst be lost. It would be strange indeed if it were not to be -the case. - -A man who is thirsty stands before a fountain. "No," he says, "I -will never touch a drop of moisture as long as I live. Cannot I get -my thirst quenched in my own way?" We tell him, no; he must drink -or die. He says, "I will never drink; but it is a hard thing that I -must therefore die. It is a bigoted, cruel thing to tell me so." He -is wrong. His thirst is the inevitable result of neglecting a law of -nature. You, too, must believe or die; why refuse to obey the command? -Drink, man, drink! Take Christ and live. There is the way of salvation, -and to enter you must trust Christ; but there is nothing hard in the -fact that you must perish if you will not trust the Saviour. Here is -a man out at sea; he has a chart, and that chart, if well studied, -will, with the help of the compass, guide him to his journey's end. -The pole-star gleams out amidst the cloud-rifts, and that, too, will -help him. "No," says he, "I will have nothing to do with your stars; I -do not believe in the North Pole. I shall not attend to that little -thing inside the box; one needle is as good as another needle. I have -no faith in your chart, and I will have nothing to do with it. The art -of navigation is only a lot of nonsense, got up by people on purpose -to make money, and I will not be gulled by it." The man never reaches -port, and he says it is a very hard thing--a very hard thing. I do not -think so. Some of you say, "I am not going to read the Scriptures; I am -not going to listen to your talk about Jesus Christ: I do not believe -in such things." Then Jesus says, "He that believeth not shall be -damned." "That's very hard," say you. But it is not so. It is not more -hard than the fact that if you reject the compass and the pole-star you -will not reach your port. There is no help for it; it must be so. - -You say you will have nothing to do with Jesus and his blood, and you -pooh-pooh all religion. You will find it hard to laugh these matters -down when you come to die, when the clammy sweat must be wiped from -your brow, and your heart beats against your ribs as if it wanted to -leap out and fly away from God. O soul! you will find then, that those -Sundays, and those services, and this old Book, are something more and -better than you thought they were, and you will wonder that you were so -simple as to neglect any true help to salvation. Above all, what woe it -will be to have neglected Christ, that Pole-star which alone can guide -the mariner to the haven of rest! - -Where do you live? - -You live, perhaps, on the other side of the river, and you have to -cross a bridge before you can get home. You have been so silly as to -nurse the notion that you do not believe in bridges, nor in boats, nor -in the existence of such a thing as water. You say, "I am not going -over any of your bridges, and I shall not get into any of your boats. I -do not believe that there is a river, or that there is any such stuff -as water." You are going home, and soon you come to the old bridge; but -you will not cross it. Yonder is a boat; but you are determined that -you will not get into it. There is the river, and you resolve that you -will not cross it in the usual way; and yet you think it is very hard -that you cannot get home. Surely something has destroyed your reasoning -powers, for you would not think it so hard if you were in your senses. -If a man will not do the thing that is necessary to a certain end, -how can he expect to gain that end? You have taken poison, and the -physician brings an antidote, and says, "Take it quickly, or you will -die; but if you take it quickly, I will guarantee that the poison -will be neutralized." But you say, "No, doctor, I do not believe in -antidotes. Let everything take its course; let every tub stand on its -own bottom; I will have nothing to do with your remedy. Besides, I do -not believe that there is any remedy for the poison I have taken; and, -what is more, I don't care whether there is or not." - -Well, sir, you will die; and when the coroner's inquest is held on -your body, the verdict will be, 'Served him right!' So will it be with -you if, having heard the gospel of Jesus Christ, you say, "I am too -much of an advanced man to have anything to do with that old-fashioned -notion of substitution. I shall not attend to the preacher's talk about -sacrifice and blood-shedding." Then, when you perish, the verdict given -by your conscience, which will sit upon the King's quest at last, will -run thus, "_Suicide: he destroyed his own soul_." So says the old -Book--"O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself!" Reader, I implore thee, -do not so. - - - - -[Illustration] - - - - -TO THOSE WHO HAVE BELIEVED. - - -Friends, if now you have begun to trust the Lord, trust him out and -out. Let your faith be the most real and practical thing in your -whole life. Don't trust the Lord in mere sentiment about a few great -spiritual things; but trust him for everything, for ever, both for time -and eternity, for body and for soul. See how the Lord hangeth the world -upon nothing but his own word! It has neither prop nor pillar. Yon -great arch of heaven stands without a buttress or a wooden centre. The -Lord can and will bear all the strain that faith can ever put upon him. -The greatest troubles are easy to his power, and the darkest mysteries -are clear to his wisdom. Trust God up to the hilt. Lean, and lean -hard; yes, lean all your weight, and every other weight upon the Mighty -God of Jacob. - -[Illustration] - -The future you can safely leave with the Lord, who ever liveth and -never changeth. The past is now in your Saviour's hand, and you shall -never be condemned for it, whatever it may have been, for the Lord has -cast your iniquities into the midst of the sea. Believe at this moment -in your present privileges. YOU ARE SAVED. If you are a believer in the -Lord Jesus, you have passed from death unto life, and YOU ARE SAVED. -In the old slave days a lady brought her black servant on board an -English ship, and she laughingly said to the Captain, "I suppose if I -and Aunt Chloe were to go to England she would be free?" "Madam," said -the Captain, "she is _now_ free. The moment she came on board a British -vessel she was free." When the negro woman knew this, she did not leave -the ship--not she. It was not _the hope of liberty_ that made her -bold, but _the fact of liberty_. So you are not now merely hoping for -eternal life, but "_He that believeth in him hath everlasting life_." -Accept this as a fact revealed in the sacred Word, and begin to rejoice -accordingly. Do not reason about it, or call it in question; believe -it, and leap for joy. - -I want my reader, upon believing in the Lord Jesus, to believe for -_eternal_ salvation. Do not be content with the notion that you can -receive a new birth which will die out, a heavenly life which will -expire, a pardon which will be recalled. The Lord Jesus gives to his -sheep _eternal_ life, and do not be at rest until you have it. Now, if -it be eternal, how can it die out? Be saved out and out, for eternity. -There is "a living and incorruptible seed, which liveth and abideth -for ever"; do not be put off with a temporary change, a sort of grace -which will only bloom to fade. You are now starting on the railway -of grace--_take a ticket all the way through_. I have no commission -to preach to you salvation for a time: the gospel I am bidden to set -before you is, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." He -shall be saved from sin, from going back to sin, from turning aside to -the broad road. May the Holy Spirit lead you to believe for nothing -less than that. "Do you mean," says one, "that I am to believe if -I once trust Christ I shall be saved whatever sin I may choose to -commit?" I have never said anything of the kind. I have described true -salvation as a thorough change of heart of so radical a kind that it -will alter your tastes and desires; and I say that if you have such a -change wrought in you by the Holy Spirit, it will be permanent; for the -Lord's work is not like the cheap work of the present day, which soon -goes to pieces. Trust the Lord to keep you, however long you may live, -and however much you may be tempted; and "according to your faith, so -be it unto you." Believe in Jesus for _everlasting_ life. - -Oh, that you may also trust the Lord for all the sufferings of this -present time! In the world you will have tribulation; learn by faith to -know that all things work together for good, and then submit yourself -to the Lord's will. Look at the sheep when it is being shorn. If it -lies quite still, the shears will not hurt it; if it struggles, or -even shrinks, it may be pricked. Submit yourselves under the hand of -God, and affliction will lose its sharpness. Self-will and repining -cause us a hundred times more grief than our afflictions themselves. -So believe your Lord as to be certain that his will must be far better -than yours, and therefore you not only submit to it, but even rejoice -in it. - -[Illustration] - -Trust the Lord Jesus in the matter of _sanctification_. Certain friends -appear to think that the Lord Jesus cannot sanctify them wholly, -spirit, soul, and body. Hence they willingly give way to such and such -sins under the notion that there is no help for it, but that they must -pay tribute to the devil as long as they live in that particular form. -Do not basely bow your neck in bondage to any sin, but strike hard -for liberty. Be it anger, or unbelief, or sloth, or any other form of -iniquity, we are able, by divine grace, to drive out the Canaanite, -and, what is more, we must drive him out. No virtue is impossible to -him that believeth in Jesus, and no sin need have victory over him. -Indeed, it is written, "Sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye -are not under the law, but under grace." Believe for high degrees -of joy in the Lord, and likeness to Jesus, and advance to take full -possession of these precious things; for as thou believest, so shall it -be unto thee. "All things are possible to him that believeth"; and he -who is the chief of sinners may yet be not a whit behind the greatest -of saints. - -Often realize the joy of heaven. This is grand faith; and yet it is -no more than we ought to have. Within a very short time the man who -believes in the Lord Jesus shall be with him where he is. This head -will wear a crown; these eyes shall see the King in his beauty; these -ears shall hear his own dear voice; this soul shall be in glory; and -this poor body shall be raised from the dead and joined in incorruption -to the perfected soul! Glory, glory, glory! And so near, so sure. Let -us at once rehearse the music and anticipate the bliss! - -But cries one, "We are not there yet." No: but faith fills us with -delight in the blessed prospect, and meanwhile it sustains us on the -road. Reader, I long that you may be a firm believer in the Lord alone. -I want you to get wholly upon the rock, and not keep a foot on the -sand. In this mortal life _trust God for all things_; and trust him -alone. This is the way to live. I know it by experience. God's bare arm -is quite enough to lean upon. I will give you a bit of the experience -of an old labouring man I once knew. He feared God above many, and was -very deeply taught of the Spirit. My picture will show you what kind -of a man he was--great at hedging and ditching; but greater at simple -trust. Here is how he described faith:--"It was a bitter winter, and I -had no work, and no bread in the house. The children were crying. The -snow was deep, and my way was dark. My old master told me I might have -a bit of wood when I wanted it; so I thought a bit of fire would warm -the poor children, and I went out with my chopper to get some fuel. I -was standing near a deep ditch full of snow, which had drifted into it -many feet deep--in fact, I did not know how deep. While aiming a blow -at a bit of wood my bill-hook slipped out of my hand, and went right -down into the snow, where I could not hope to find it. Standing there -with no food, no fire, and the chopper gone, something seemed to say to -me, 'Will Richardson, can you trust God now?' and my very soul said, -'That I can.'" This is true faith--the faith which trusts the Lord when -the bill-hook is gone: the faith which believes God when all outward -appearances give him the lie; the faith which is happy with God alone -when all friends turn their backs upon you. Dear reader, may you and -I have this precious faith, this real faith, this God-honouring faith! -The Lord's truth deserves it; his love claims it, his faithfulness -constrains it. Happy is he who has it! He is the man whom the Lord -loves, and the world shall be made to know it before all is finished. - -[Illustration: OLD WILL, THE LABOURER.] - -After all, the very best faith is an everyday faith: the faith which -deals with bread and water, coats and stockings, children and cattle, -house-rent and weather. The super-fine confectionery religion which -is only available on Sundays, and in drawing-room meetings and Bible -readings, will never take a soul to heaven till life becomes one long -Conference, and there are seven Sabbaths in a week. Faith is doing her -very best when for many years she plods on, month by month, trusting -the Lord about the sick husband, the failing daughter, the declining -business, the unconverted friend, and such-like things. - -Faith also helps us to use the world as not abusing it. It is good at -hard work, and at daily duty. It is not an angelic thing for skies and -stars, but a human grace, at home in kitchens and workshops. It is -a sort of maid-of-all-work, and is at home at every kind of labour, -and in every rank of life. It is a grace for every day, all the year -round. Holy confidence in God is never out of work. Faith's ware is so -valued at the heavenly court that she always has one fine piece of work -or another on the wheel or in the furnace. Men dream that heroes are -only to be made on special occasions, once or twice in a century; but -in truth the finest heroes are home-spun, and are more often hidden in -obscurity than platformed by public observation. Trust in the living -God is the bullion out of which heroism is coined. Perseverance in -well-doing is one of the fields in which faith grows not flowers, but -the wheat of her harvest. Plodding on in hard work, bringing up a -family on a few shillings a week, bearing constant pain with patience, -and so forth--these are the feats of valour through which God is -glorified by the rank and file of his believing people. - -Reader, you and I will be of one mind in this: we will not pine to be -great, but we will be eager to be good. For this we will rely upon -the Lord our God, whose we are, and whom we serve. We will ask to be -made holy throughout every day of the week. We will pray to our God as -much about our daily business as about our soul's salvation. We will -trust him concerning our farm, and our turnips and our cows as well as -concerning our spiritual privileges and our hope of heaven. The Lord -Jehovah is our household God; Jesus is our brother born for adversity; -and the Holy Spirit is our Comforter in every hour of trial. We have -not an unapproachable God: he hears, he pities, he helps. Let us trust -him without a break, without a doubt, without a hesitation. The life -of faith is life within God's wicket-gate. If we have hitherto stood -trembling outside in the wide world of unbelief, may the Holy Spirit -enable us now to take the great decisive step, and say, once for all, -"Lord, I believe: help thou mine unbelief!" - - - - - _Any book in this Catalogue sent postage prepaid on - receipt of the price._ - - - - - RELIGIOUS AND DEVOTIONAL BOOKS - - PUBLISHED BY THE - - American Tract Society, - 10 East 23d Street, New York. - - - BOSTON, 54 Bromfield St. PHILADELPHIA, 1512 Chestnut St. - ROCHESTER, 93 State St. CHICAGO, 211-213 Wabash Avenue. - CINCINNATI, 176 Elm St. SAN FRANCISCO, 735 Market St. - - - ASSYRIAN ECHOES OF THE WORD. - By Thomas Laurie, D. D. With Illustrations. - -From the Preface: "This volume does not claim to march in the front -ranks of Assyrian scholars. The writer has not excavated mounds -hitherto unknown and interpreted the tablets he found there, as our own -'Wolfe Expedition' has done so well. His has been the humbler aim of -making a larger number acquainted with the work that has been done, and -with some at least of the results obtained. He has sought to gather up -the fragments, that nothing be lost; so that humble believers who have -been startled by the noise of the battle now raging round the Word may -have their hearts reassured by the corroborations of the truth that lie -stored up in every ancient mound, and are brought to light by the pick -of the explorer. - -"Many facts of history in the royal inscriptions, many incidents of -the daily life recorded on the tablets, illustrate and confirm the -Scripture record. - -"One object of these pages has been to give a general idea of the -progress that has been made in this interesting department of -archæology." - - - AMUSEMENTS in the Light of Reason and the Scriptures. - By H. C. Haydn, D. D. 16mo. 162 pp. 75 cts. - - - COMPANION TO THE BIBLE. - By Rev. E. P. Barrows, D. D. 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It is one of the most useful -and complete "Bible Helps" published. - - - [Illustration: _From the "Bible Dictionary"_] - - - DICTIONARY OF THE HOLY BIBLE. - By Rev. W. W. Rand, D. D. 8vo. 720 pp. $2; morocco gilt, $3 50. - -Revised in the light of recent researches in Bible lands and enlarged -from the popular edition, of which over 200,000 copies have been sold. -It is printed from new type in the best manner upon fine paper, with -new wood cuts, 16 of the whole number of 360 being elegant full-page -pictures, and strongly bound. Is an invaluable help to clergymen, -Sabbath-school teachers, and all other Bible students. Its 18 maps are -from the latest authorities, and are printed in colors. - -"All the more important information needed by the Sunday-school teacher -or pastor, in connection with the study of the Bible, will be found in -concise shape in this beautiful and well-nigh perfect volume." - CHRISTIAN AT WORK. - - - BIBLICAL HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY. - By H. S. Osborn, LL. 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H. Spurgeon - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world 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. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Around the Wicket Gate - or, a friendly talk with seekers concerning faith in the - Lord Jesus Christ - -Author: C. H. Spurgeon - -Release Date: November 11, 2019 [EBook #60669] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AROUND THE WICKET GATE *** - - - - -Produced by Carlos Colon, Penn State University and the -Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net -(This book was produced from images made available by the -HathiTrust Digital Library.) - - - - - - -</pre> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="box">Transcriber's Notes:<br /> -<br /> - - -Blank pages have been eliminated.<br /> -<br /> -Variations in spelling and hyphenation have been left as in the -original.<br /> -<br /> -A few typographical errors have been corrected.<br /> -<br /> -The cover page was created by the transcriber and can be considered public domain.</p></div> -<hr class="chap" /> - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h1>AROUND THE WICKET GATE;</h1> - -<p class="center">OR,</p> - -<p class="center p2">A FRIENDLY TALK WITH SEEKERS -CONCERNING FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.</p> - -<p class="center p4">BY<br /> -C. H. SPURGEON.</p> - -<p class="center p4">"Enter ye in at the strait gate."—<i>Matt.</i> vii. 13.</p> - -<p class="center p4">AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY,<br /> -10 EAST 23D STREET, NEW YORK.</p></div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - - -<p class="p6 center">This book is published by special arrangement -with the author and his publisher.</p> - - -<p class="p4 center">COPYRIGHT, 1890,<br /> -BY A. C. ARMSTRONG & SONS.</p> - -<p class="center">TRANSFERRED TO THE<br /> -AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY.</p></div> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="p6"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[3]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="PREFACE">PREFACE.</h2></div> - - -<p>Millions of men are in the outlying regions, far -off from God and peace; for these we pray, and -to these we give warning. But just now we have to do -with a smaller company, who are not far from the -kingdom, but have come right up to the wicket gate -which stands at the head of the way of life. One would -think that they would hasten to enter, for a free and -open invitation is placed over the entrance, the porter -waits to welcome them, and there is but this one way -to eternal life. He that is most loaded seems the most -likely to pass in and begin the heavenward journey; -but what ails the other men?</p> - -<p>This is what I want to find out. Poor fellows! they -have come a long way already to get where they are; -and the King's highway, which they seek, is right -before them: why do they not take to the Pilgrim -Road at once? Alas! they have a great many reasons; -and foolish as those reasons are, it needs a very wise -man to answer them all. I cannot pretend to do so. -Only the Lord himself can remove the folly which is -bound up in their hearts, and lead them to take the -great decisive step. Yet the Lord works by means; -and I have prepared this little book in the earnest<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[4]</a></span> -hope that he may work by it to the blessed end of -leading seekers to an immediate, simple trust in the -Lord Jesus.</p> - -<p>He who does not take the step of faith, and so enter -upon the road to heaven, will perish. It will be an -awful thing to die just outside the gate of life. Almost -saved, but altogether lost! A man just outside Noah's -ark would be drowned; a manslayer just outside the -wall of the city of refuge would be slain; and the man -who is within a yard of Christ, and yet has not trusted -him, will be lost. Therefore am I in terrible earnest to -get my hesitating friends over the threshold. <i>Come in! -Come in!</i> is my pressing entreaty. May the Holy -Spirit render it effectual with many who shall glance -at these pages! May he cause his own almighty voice -to be heard creating faith at once!</p> - -<p>My reader, if God blesses this book to you, do the -writer this favour—either lend your own copy to one -who is lingering at the gate, or buy another and give -it away; for his great desire is that this little volume -should be of service to many thousands of souls.</p> - -<p>To God this book is commended; for without his grace -nothing will come of all that is written.</p> - -<div class="figcenter4em"><img src="images/i004.jpg" width="100" -height="88" alt="" title="" /></div> - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="p6"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[5]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 id="PREFACE_TO">PREFACE TO THE AMERICAN EDITION.</h2></div> - - -<p>The host of American Christians who have -had the privilege of listening to the prince of -modern preachers of the gospel in his own -London Tabernacle, and the countless thousands -who have read his printed sermons, have -long desired to see and hear him on this side -of the ocean. The state of his health, however, -which requires frequent respites from his incessant -and exhausting labors, precludes the -hope of an American tour, with its inevitable -demands upon his already overburdened -strength.</p> - -<p>All the more on this account they will welcome -a new volume from his pen, designed for -the benefit of a class found in every Christian -community, the object of the deepest concern to -the Church of Christ: a volume written by a -master in Israel who has shown such a profound -knowledge both of the human heart with all -its needs, and of the wisdom and power of God -in the gospel, and who has been to so many<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[6]</a></span> -souls the blessed means of leading them to -Christ.</p> - -<p>This new volume, like the author's many -previous books and tracts, his well-organized -Colporter Society, etc., testifies to his high -appreciation of the power of the press, and to -his desire thus to win for Christ myriads of -those whom his voice cannot reach.</p> - -<p>To all who are hovering around the "Wicket -Gate," or who even from time to time come -within sight of it and wish they were safe -within it, this little book is commended, with -the hope that even while they are reading they -will knock and it shall be opened to them.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="p6"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span></p> - - - -<h2>CONTENTS.</h2></div> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="5" summary="indice"> - -<tr> -<td class="tdrb" colspan="2">PAGE</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#Awakening">Awakening.</a></td> -<td class="tdrb">9</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#Jesus_only">Jesus Only.</a></td> -<td class="tdrb">16</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#Faith_in_the_Person_of_the">Faith in the Person of the Lord Jesus.</a></td> -<td class="tdrb">24</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#Faith_very_Simple">Faith very Simple.</a></td> -<td class="tdrb">35</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#Fearing_to_Believe">Fearing to Believe.</a></td> -<td class="tdrb">48</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#Difficulty_in_the_Way_of">Difficulty in the Way of Believing.</a></td> -<td class="tdrb">57</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#A_Helpful_Survey">A Helpful Survey of Christ's Work.</a></td> -<td class="tdrb">65</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#A_Real_Hindrance">A Real Hindrance to Faith.</a></td> -<td class="tdrb">73</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#On_Raising_Questions">On Raising Questions.</a></td> -<td class="tdrb">80</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#Without_Faith_no_Salvation">Without Faith no Salvation.</a></td> -<td class="tdrb">88</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="tdl smcap"><a href="#To_those_who_have_Believed">To those who have Believed.</a></td> -<td class="tdrb">93</td> -</tr> -</table> -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="p2"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter2em"><img src="images/i008.jpg" width="450" -height="743" alt="" title="" /></div></div> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="p2"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter2em"><img src="images/i009a.jpg" width="500" -height="86" alt="" title="" /></div></div> - - -<h2>Around the Wicket Gate.</h2> - - - - -<h2 id="Awakening"><span class="smcap">Awakening.</span></h2> - - <div class="ddropcapbox"><img class="idropcap" - src="images/g.jpg" width="105" height="165" alt="G"/></div> - -<p class="pfirst">reat numbers of persons -have no concern about -eternal things. They care -more about their cats and -dogs than about their souls. -It is a great mercy to be -made to think about ourselves, -and how we stand -towards God and the eternal world. This is -full often a sign that salvation is coming to -us. By nature we do not like the anxiety -which spiritual concern causes us, and we -try, like sluggards, to sleep again. This is -great foolishness; for it is at our peril that we -trifle when death is so near, and judgment is -so sure. If the Lord has chosen us to eternal -life, he will not let us return to our slumber. -If we are sensible, we shall pray that our<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span> -anxiety about our souls may never come to -an end till we are really and truly saved. -Let us say from our hearts:—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"><div class="stanza"> -<div class="line">"He that suffered in my stead,</div> -<div class="line i1">Shall my Physician be;</div> -<div class="line">I will not be comforted,</div> -<div class="line i1">Till Jesus comfort me."</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>It would be an awful thing to go dreaming -down to hell, and there to lift up our eyes -with a great gulf fixed between us and -heaven. It will be equally terrible to be -aroused to escape from the wrath to come, -and then to shake off the warning influence, -and go back to our insensibility. I notice -that those who overcome their convictions -and continue in their sins are not so easily -moved the next time: every awakening -which is thrown away leaves the soul more -drowsy than before, and less likely to be -again stirred to holy feeling. Therefore our -heart should be greatly troubled at the -thought of getting rid of its trouble in any -other than the right way. One who had the -gout was cured of it by a quack medicine, -which drove the disease within, and the -patient died. To be cured of distress of -mind by a false hope, would be a terrible -business: the remedy would be worse than -the disease. Better far that our tenderness<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span> -of conscience should cause us long years of -anguish, than that we should lose it, and -perish in the hardness of our hearts.</p> - -<p>Yet awakening is not a thing to rest in, or -to desire to have lengthened out month after -month. If I start up in a fright, and find -my house on fire, I do not sit down at the -edge of the bed, and say to myself, "I hope -I am truly awakened! Indeed, I am deeply -grateful that I am not left to sleep on!" -No, I want to escape from threatened death, -and so I hasten to the door or to the window, -that I may get out, and may not perish -where I am. It would be a questionable -boon to be aroused, and yet not to escape -from the danger. Remember, awakening is -not salvation. A man may know that he is -lost, and yet he may never be saved. He -may be made thoughtful, and yet he may -die in his sins. If you find out that you are -a bankrupt, the consideration of your debts -will not pay them. A man may examine -his wounds all the year around, and they will -be none the nearer being healed because he -feels their smart, and notes their number. It -is one trick of the devil to tempt a man to be -satisfied with a sense of sin; and another trick -of the same deceiver to insinuate that the -sinner may not be content to trust Christ,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span> -unless he can bring a certain measure of -despair to add to the Saviour's finished work. -Our awakenings are not to help the Saviour, -but to help us to the Saviour. To imagine -that my feeling of sin is to assist in the -removal of the sin is absurd. It is as though -I said that water could not cleanse my face -unless I had looked longer in the glass, and -had counted the smuts upon my forehead. A -sense of need of salvation by grace is a very -healthful sign; but one needs wisdom to use -it aright, and not to make an idol of it.</p> - -<p>Some seem as if they had fallen in love -with their doubts, and fears, and distresses. -You cannot get them away from their terrors—they -seem wedded to them. It is said -that the worst trouble with horses when their -stables are on fire, is that you cannot get -them to come out of their stalls. If they -would but follow your lead, they might -escape the flames; but they seem to be -paralyzed with fear. So the fear of the fire -prevents their escaping the fire. Reader, will -your very fear of the wrath to come prevent -your escaping from it? We hope not.</p> - -<p>One who had been long in prison was not -willing to come out. The door was open; -but he pleaded even with tears to be allowed -to stay where he had been so long. Fond of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span> -prison! Wedded to the iron bolts and the -prison fare! Surely the prisoner must have -been a little touched in the head! Are you -willing to remain an awakened one, and -nothing more? Are you not eager to be at -once forgiven? If you would tarry in -anguish and dread, surely you, too, must be -a little out of your mind! If peace is to be -had, <i>have it at once</i>! Why tarry in the -darkness of the pit, wherein your feet sink in -the miry clay? There is light to be had; -light marvellous and heavenly; why lie in -the gloom and die in anguish? You do not -know how near salvation is to you. If you -did, you would surely stretch out your hand -and take it, for there it is; and <i>it is to be had -for the taking</i>.</p> - -<p>Do not think that feelings of despair -would fit you for mercy. When the pilgrim, -on his way to the Wicket Gate, tumbled -into the Slough of Despond, do you think -that, when the foul mire of that slough stuck -to his garments, it was a recommendation -to him, to get him easier admission at the -head of the way? It is not so. The pilgrim -did not think so by any means; neither may -you. It is not what <i>you</i> feel that will save -you, but what <i>Jesus</i> felt. Even if there were -some healing value in feelings, they would<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span> -have to be good ones; and the feeling which -makes us doubt the power of Christ to save, -and prevents our finding salvation in him, is -by no means a good one, but a cruel wrong -to the love of Jesus.</p> - -<p>Our friend has come to see us, and has -travelled through our crowded London by -rail, or tram, or omnibus. On a sudden he -turns pale. We ask him what is the matter, -and he answers, "I have lost my pocket-book, -and it contained all the money I have in the -world." He goes over the amount to a penny, -and describes the cheques, bills, notes, and -coins. We tell him that it must be a great -consolation to him to be so accurately acquainted -with the extent of his loss. He -does not seem to see the worth of our consolation. -We assure him that he ought to -be grateful that he has so clear a sense of -his loss; for many persons might have lost -their pocket-books and have been quite unable -to compute their losses. Our friend is -not, however, cheered in the least. "No," -says he, "to know my loss does not help -me to recover it. Tell me where I can find -my property, and you have done me real -service; but merely to know my loss is -no comfort whatever." Even so, to believe -that you have sinned, and that your soul is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span> -forfeited to the justice of God, is a very -proper thing; but it will not save. Salvation -is not by our knowing our own ruin, but by -fully grasping the deliverance provided in -Christ Jesus. A person who refuses to look -to the Lord Jesus, but persists in dwelling -upon his sin and ruin, reminds us of a boy -who dropped a shilling down an open grating -of a London sewer, and lingered there for -hours, finding comfort in saying, "It rolled -in just there! Just between those two iron -bars I saw it go right down." Poor soul! -Long might he remember the details of his -loss before he would in this way get back a -single penny into his pocket, wherewith to -buy himself a piece of bread. You see the -drift of the parable; profit by it.</p> - -<div class="figcenter2em"><img src="images/i015.jpg" width="450" -height="303" alt="" title="" /></div> -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="p2"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter2em"><img src="images/i016a.jpg" width="500" -height="115" alt="" title="" /></div></div> - - -<h2 id="Jesus_only"><span class="smcap">Jesus only.</span></h2> - - - <div class="ddropcapbox"><img class="idropcap" - src="images/w.jpg" width="105" height="154" alt="W"/></div> - -<p class="pfirst">e cannot, too often or too -plainly tell the seeking soul -that his only hope for salvation -lies in the Lord Jesus -Christ. It lies in him completely, -only, and alone. To -save both from the guilt and -the power of sin, Jesus is -all-sufficient. His name is called Jesus, -because "he shall save his people from -their sins." "The Son of man hath power -on earth to forgive sins." He is exalted -on high "to give repentance and remission -of sins." It pleased God from of old to -devise a method of salvation which should -be all contained in his only-begotten Son. -The Lord Jesus, for the working out of -this salvation, became man, and being found -in fashion as a man, became obedient to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span> -death, even the death of the cross. If another -way of deliverance had been possible, the -cup of bitterness would have passed from -him. It stands to reason that the darling of -heaven would not have died to save us if we -could have been rescued at less expense. -Infinite grace provided the great sacrifice; -infinite love submitted to death for our sakes. -How can we dream that there can be another -way than the way which God has provided -at such cost, and set forth in Holy Scripture -so simply and so pressingly? Surely it is -true that "Neither is there salvation in any -other: for there is none other name under -heaven given among men, whereby we must be -saved."</p> - -<p>To suppose that the Lord Jesus has only -half saved men, and that there is needed -some work or feeling of their own to finish -his work, is wicked. What is there of ours -that could be added to his blood and -righteousness? "All our righteousnesses are -as filthy rags." Can these be patched on to -the costly fabric of his divine righteousness? -Rags and fine white linen! Our dross and -his pure gold! It is an insult to the Saviour -to dream of such a thing. We have sinned -enough, without adding this to all our other -offences.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span></p> - -<p>Even if we had any righteousness in which -we could boast; if our fig leaves were -broader than usual, and were not so utterly -fading, it would be wisdom to put them away, -and accept that righteousness which must be -far more pleasing to God than anything of -our own. The Lord must see more that is -acceptable in his Son than in the best of us. -<i>The best of us!</i> The words seem satirical, -though they were not so intended. What -best is there about any of us? "There is -none that doeth good; no, not one." I who -write these lines, would most freely confess -that I have not a thread of goodness of my -own. I could not make up so much as a rag, -or a piece of a rag. I am utterly destitute. -But if I had the fairest suit of good works -which even pride can imagine, I would tear -it up that I might put on nothing but the -garments of salvation, which are freely given -by the Lord Jesus, out of the heavenly -wardrobe of his own merits.</p> - -<p>It is most glorifying to our Lord Jesus -Christ that we should hope for every good -thing from him alone. This is to treat him -as he deserves to be treated; for as he is God, -and beside him there is none else, we are -bound to look unto him and be saved.</p> - -<p>This is to treat him as he loves to be treated,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span> -for he bids all those who labour and are heavy -laden to come to him, and he will give them -rest. To imagine that he cannot save to the -uttermost is to limit the Holy One of Israel, -and put a slur upon his power; or else to -slander the loving heart of the Friend of -sinners, and cast a doubt upon his love. In -either case; we should commit a cruel and -wanton sin against the tenderest points of -his honour, which are his ability and willingness -to save all that come unto God by him.</p> - -<div class="figcenter2em"><img src="images/i019.jpg" width="400" -height="479" alt="" title="" /></div> - -<p>The child, in danger of the fire, just clings -to the fireman, and trusts to him alone. She<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span> -raises no question about the strength of his -limbs to carry her, or the zeal of his heart to -rescue her; but she clings. The heat is -terrible, the smoke is blinding, but she clings; -and her deliverer quickly bears her to safety. -In the same childlike confidence cling to -Jesus, who can and will bear you out of -danger from the flames of sin.</p> - -<p>The nature of the Lord Jesus should inspire -us with the fullest confidence. As he is -God, he is almighty to save; as he is man, -he is filled with all fulness to bless; as he is -God and man in one Majestic Person, he -meets man in his creatureship and God in his -holiness. The ladder is long enough to reach -from Jacob prostrate on the earth, to Jehovah -reigning in heaven. To bring another ladder -would be to suppose that he failed to bridge -the distance; and this would be grievously to -dishonour him. If even to add to his words -is to draw a curse upon ourselves, what must -it be to pretend to add to himself? Remember -that he, himself, is the Way; and to suppose -that we must, in some manner, add to the -divine road, is to be arrogant enough to -think of adding to him. Away with such a -notion! Loathe it as you would blasphemy; -for in essence it is the worst of blasphemy -against the Lord of love.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span></p> - -<p>To come to Jesus with a price in our hand, -would be insufferable pride, even if we had -any price that we could bring. What does -he need of us? What could we bring if he -did need it? Would he sell the priceless -blessings of his redemption? That which he -wrought out in his heart's blood, would he -barter it with us for our tears, and vows, or -for ceremonial observances, and feelings, and -works? He is not reduced to make a market -of himself: he will give freely, as beseems his -royal love; but he that offereth a price to -him knows not with whom he is dealing, -nor how grievously he vexes his free Spirit. -Empty-handed sinners may have what they -will. All that they can possibly need is in -Jesus, and he gives it for the asking; but we -must believe that he is all in all, and we must -not dare to breathe a word about completing -what he has finished, or fitting ourselves for -what he gives to us as undeserving sinners.</p> - -<p>The reason why we may hope for forgiveness -of sin, and life eternal, by faith in the -Lord Jesus, is that God has so appointed. -He has pledged himself in the gospel to save -all who truly trust in the Lord Jesus, and -he will never run back from his promise. He -is so well pleased with his only-begotten -Son, that he takes pleasure in all who lay<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span> -hold upon him as their one and only hope. -The great God himself has taken hold on -him who has taken hold on his Son. He -works salvation for all who look for that -salvation to the once-slain Redeemer. For -the honour of his Son, he will not suffer the -man who trusts in him to be ashamed. "He -that believeth on the Son hath everlasting -life;" for the ever-living God has taken him -unto himself, and has given to him to be a -partaker of his life. If Jesus only be your -trust, you need not fear but what you shall -effectually be saved, both now and in the -day of his appearing.</p> - -<p>When a man confides, there is a point of -union between him and God, and that union -guarantees blessing. Faith saves us because -it makes us cling to Christ Jesus, and he is -one with God, and thus brings us into connection -with God. I am told that, years ago, -above the Falls of Niagara, a boat was upset, -and two men were being carried down by the -current, when persons on the shore managed -to float a rope out to them, which rope was -seized by them both. One of them held fast -to it, and was safely drawn to the bank; but -the other, seeing a great log come floating -by, unwisely let go the rope, and clung to -the great piece of timber, for it was the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span> -bigger thing of the two, and apparently -better to cling to. Alas! the timber, with the -man on it, went right over the vast abyss, -because there was no union between the wood -and the shore. The size of the log was no -benefit to him who grasped it; it needed -a connection with the shore to produce -safety. So, when a man trusts to his works, -or to his prayers, or almsgivings, or to -sacraments, or to anything of that sort, he -will not be saved, because there is no junction -between him and God through Christ Jesus; -but faith, though it may seem to be like a -slender cord, is in the hand of the great God -on the shore side; infinite power pulls in the -connecting line, and thus draws the man from -destruction. Oh, the blessedness of faith, -because it unites us to God by the Saviour, -whom he has appointed, even Jesus Christ! -O reader, is there not common-sense in this -matter? Think it over, and may there soon -be a band of union between you and God, -through your faith in Christ Jesus!</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="p2"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span></p> - - -<div class="figcenter2em"><img src="images/i024a.jpg" width="500" -height="95" alt="" title="" /></div></div> - - - - -<h2 id="Faith_in_the_Person_of_the"><span class="smcap">Faith in the Person of the -Lord Jesus.</span></h2> - - - <div class="ddropcapbox"><img class="idropcap" - src="images/t.jpg" width="105" height="157" alt="T"/></div> - -<p class="pfirst">here is a wretched tendency -among men to leave Christ -himself out of the gospel. -They might as well leave -flour out of bread. Men -hear the way of salvation -explained, and consent to it -as being Scriptural, and in every way such -as suits their case; but they forget that a -plan is of no service unless it is carried out; -and that in the matter of salvation their own -personal faith in the Lord Jesus is essential. -A road to York will not take me there, I -must travel along it for myself. All the -sound doctrine that ever was believed will -never save a man unless he puts his trust -in the Lord Jesus for himself.</p> - -<p>Mr. Macdonald asked the inhabitants of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span> -the island of St. Kilda how a man must be -saved. An old man replied, "We shall be -saved if we repent, and forsake our sins, and -turn to God." "Yes," said a middle-aged -female, "and with a true heart too." "Ay," -rejoined a third, "and with prayer"; and, -added a fourth, "It must be the prayer of -the heart." "And we must be diligent too," -said a fifth, "in keeping the commandments." -Thus, each having contributed his -mite, feeling that a very decent creed had -been made up, they all looked and listened -for the preacher's approbation; but they had -aroused his deepest pity: he had to begin at -the beginning, and preach Christ to them. -The carnal mind always maps out for itself -a way in which self can work and become -great; but the Lord's way is quite the reverse. -The Lord Jesus puts it very compactly -in Mark xvi. 16: "He that believeth -and is baptized shall be saved." Believing -and being baptized are no matters of merit -to be gloried in; they are so simple that -boasting is excluded, and free grace bears -the palm. This way of salvation is chosen -that it might be seen to be of grace alone. -It may be that the reader is unsaved: what -is the reason? Do you think the way of -salvation, as laid down in the text we have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span> -quoted, to be dubious? Do you fear that -you would not be saved if you followed it? -How can that be, when God has pledged his -own word for its certainty? How can that -fail which God prescribes, and concerning -which he gives a promise? Do you think it -very easy? Why, then, do you not attend -to it? Its ease leaves those without excuse -who neglect it. If you would have done -some great thing, be not so foolish as to -neglect the little thing. To believe is to -trust, or lean upon Christ Jesus; in other -words, to give up self-reliance, and to rely -upon the Lord Jesus. To be baptized is -to submit to the ordinance which our Lord -fulfilled at Jordan, to which the converted -ones submitted at Pentecost, to which the -jailer yielded obedience on the very night -of his conversion. It is the outward confession -which should always go with inward -faith. The outward sign saves not; but -it sets forth to us our death, burial, and -resurrection with Jesus, and, like the Lord's -Supper, it is not to be neglected.</p> - -<p>The great point is to believe in Jesus, and -confess your faith. Do you believe in Jesus? -Then, dear friend, dismiss your fears; you -shall be saved. Are you still an unbeliever? -Then remember, there is but one door, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span> -if you will not enter by it, you must perish -in your sins. The door is there; but unless -you enter by it, what is the use of it to -you? It is of necessity that you obey the -command of the gospel. Nothing can save -you if you do not hear the voice of Jesus, -and do his bidding indeed and of a truth. -Thinking and resolving will not answer -the purpose; you must come to real business; -for only as you actually believe will you -truly live unto God.</p> - -<p>I heard of a friend who deeply desired to -be the means of the conversion of a young man, -and one said to him, "You may go to him, -and talk to him, but you will get him no -further; for he is exceedingly well acquainted -with the plan of salvation." It was eminently -so; and therefore, when our friend began to -speak with the young man, he received for -an answer, "I am much obliged to you, but -I do not know that you can tell me much, for -I have long known and admired the plan of -salvation by the substitutionary sacrifice of -Christ." Alas! he was resting in <i>the plan</i>, -but he had not believed in <i>the Person</i>. The -plan of salvation is most blessed, but it can -avail us nothing unless we personally believe -in the Lord Jesus Christ himself. What is -the comfort of a plan of a house if you do not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span> -enter the house itself? The man in our cut, -who is sitting out in the rain, is not -deriving much comfort from the plans which -are spread out before him. What is the good -of a plan of clothing if you have not a rag to -cover you? Have you never heard of the -Arab chief at Cairo, who was very ill, and -went to the missionary, and the missionary -said he could give him a prescription? He -did so; and a week after he found the Arab -none the better. Did you take my prescription?" -he asked. "Yes, I ate every -morsel of the paper." He dreamed that he -was going to be cured by devouring the -physician's writing, which I may call the -plan of the medicine. He should have had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span> -the prescription made up, and then it might -have wrought him good, if he had taken the -draught: it could do him no good to swallow -the recipe. So is it with salvation: it is not -the plan of salvation which can save, it is the -carrying out of that plan by the Lord Jesus -in his death on our behalf, and our acceptance -of the same. Under the Jewish law, the -offerer brought a bullock, and laid his hands -upon it: it was no dream, or theory, or plan. -In the victim for sacrifice he found something -substantial, which he could handle and touch: -even so do we lean upon the real and true -work of Jesus, the most substantial thing -under heaven. We come to the Lord Jesus -by faith, and say, "God has provided an -atonement here, and I accept it. I believe -in the fact accomplished on the cross; I am -confident that sin was put away by Christ, -and I rest on him." If you would be saved, -you must get beyond the acceptance of plans -and doctrines to a resting in the divine person -and finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. -Dear reader, will you have Christ now?</p> - -<div class="figcenter2em"><img src="images/i028.jpg" width="400" -height="292" alt="" title="" /></div> - -<p>Jesus invites all those who labour and are -heavy laden to come to him, and he will -give them rest. He does not promise this to -their merely dreaming about him. They -must come; and they must come <span class="smcap">TO HIM</span>, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span> -not merely to the Church, to baptism, or to -the orthodox faith, or to anything short of his -divine person. When the brazen serpent was -lifted up in the wilderness, the people were -not to look to Moses, nor to the Tabernacle, -nor to the pillar of cloud, but to the brazen -serpent itself. Looking was not enough -unless they looked to the right object: and -the right object was not enough unless they -looked. It was not enough for them to know -about the serpent of brass; they must each -one look to it for himself. When a man is ill, -he may have a good knowledge of medicine, -and yet he may die if he does not actually -take the healing draught. We must receive -Jesus; for "to as many as received him, to -them gave he power to become the sons of -God." Lay the emphasis on two words: -<i>We must receive</i> HIM, and <i>we must</i> <span class="smcap">RECEIVE</span> -<i>him</i>. We must open wide the door, and take -Christ Jesus in; for "Christ in you" is "the -hope of glory." Christ must be no myth, no -dream, no phantom to us, but a real man, -and truly God; and our reception of him -must be no forced and feigned acceptance, -but the hearty and happy assent and consent -of the soul that he shall be the all in all of -our salvation. Will we not at once come to -him, and make him our sole trust?</p> - -<p class="p2"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter2em"><img src="images/i031.jpg" width="400" -height="258" alt="" title="" /></div> - -<p>The dove is hunted by the hawk, and finds -no security from its restless enemy. It has -learned that there is shelter for it in the cleft -of the rock, and it hastens there with gladsome -wing. Once wholly sheltered within -its refuge, it fears no bird of prey. But if -it did not hide itself in the rock, it would -be seized upon by its adversary. The rock -would be of no use to the dove, if the dove -did not enter its cleft. The whole body -must be hidden in the rock. What if ten -thousand other birds found a fortress there, -yet that fact would not save the one dove -which is now pursued by the hawk! It must -put its whole self into the shelter, and bury -itself within its refuge, or its life will be -forfeited to the destroyer.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span> -What a picture of faith is this! It is entering -into Jesus, hiding in his wounds.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"><div class="stanza"> -<div class="line">"Rock of Ages, cleft for me,</div> -<div class="line">Let me hide myself in thee."</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>The dove is out of sight: the rock alone is -seen. So does the guilty soul dart into the -riven side of Jesus by faith, and is buried -in him out of sight of avenging justice. But -there must be this personal application to -Jesus for shelter; and this it is that so many -put off from day to day, till it is to be feared -that they will "die in their sins." What an -awful word is that! It is what our Lord -said to the unbelieving Jews; and he says -the same to us at this hour: "If ye believe -not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins." -It makes one's heart quiver to think that even -one who shall read these lines may yet be of -the miserable company who will thus perish. -The Lord prevent it of his great grace!</p> - -<p>I saw, the other day, a remarkable picture, -which I shall use as an illustration of the way -of salvation by faith in Jesus. An offender -had committed a crime for which he must -die, but it was in the olden time, when -churches were considered to be sanctuaries -in which criminals might hide themselves, -and so escape from death. See the transgressor! -He rushes towards the church, the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span> -guards pursue him with their drawn swords, -athirst for his blood! They follow him even -to the church door. He rushes up the steps, -and just as they are about to overtake -him, and hew him in pieces on the threshold -of the church, out comes the Bishop, -and holding up the cross, he cries, "Back, -back! Stain not the precincts of God's -house with blood! Stand back!" The fierce -soldiers at once respect the emblem, and -retire, while the poor fugitive hides himself -behind the robes of the Bishop. It is even -so with Christ. The guilty sinner flies -straight away to Jesus; and though Justice -pursues him, Christ lifts up his wounded -hands, and cries to Justice, "Stand back! I -shelter this sinner; in the secret place of my -tabernacle do I hide him; I will not suffer -him to perish, for he puts his trust in me." -Sinner, fly to Christ! But you answer, "I -am too vile." The viler you are, the more -will you honour him by believing that he is -able to protect even you. "But I am so -great a sinner." Then the more honour -shall be given to him if you have faith to -confide in him, great sinner though you -are. If you have a little sickness, and -you tell your physician—"Sir, I am quite -confident in your skill to heal," there is no<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span> -great compliment in your declaration. Anybody -can cure a finger-ache, or a trifling -sickness. But if you are sore sick with a -complication of diseases which grievously -torment you, and you say—"Sir, I seek no -better physician; I will ask no other advice -but yours; I trust myself joyfully with -you;" what an honour have you conferred -on him, that you can trust your life in his -hands while it is in extreme and immediate -danger! Do the like with Christ; put your -soul into his care: do it deliberately, and -without a doubt. Dare to quit all other -hopes: venture all on Jesus; I say "venture" -though there is nothing really venturesome in -it, for he is abundantly able to save. Cast -yourself simply on Jesus; let nothing but -faith be in your soul towards Jesus; believe -him, and trust in him, and you shall never -be made ashamed of your confidence. "He -that believeth on him shall not be confounded" -(1 Peter ii. 6).</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="p2"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span></p> - - - -<div class="figcenter2em"><img src="images/i035a.jpg" width="500" -height="96" alt="" title="" /></div></div> - - -<h2 id="Faith_very_Simple"><span class="smcap">Faith very Simple.</span></h2> - - - <div class="ddropcapbox"><img class="idropcap" - src="images/t.jpg" width="105" height="157" alt="T"/></div> - -<p class="pfirst">o many, faith seems a hard -thing. The truth is, <i>it is -only hard because it is easy</i>. -Naaman thought it hard that -he should have to wash -in Jordan; but if it had -been some great thing, he -would have done it right cheerfully. People -think that salvation must be the result of -some act or feeling, very mysterious, and -very difficult; but God's thoughts are not our -thoughts, neither are his ways our ways. In -order that the feeblest and the most ignorant -may be saved, he has made the way of -salvation as easy as the A, B, C. There is -nothing about it to puzzle anyone; only, as -everybody expects to be puzzled by it, many -are quite bewildered when they find it to be -so exceedingly simple.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span> -The fact is, we do not believe that God -means what he is saying; we act as if it -could not be true.</p> - -<div class="figcenter2em"><img src="images/i036.jpg" width="400" -height="293" alt="" title="" /></div> - -<p>I have heard of a Sunday-school teacher -who performed an experiment which I do -not think I shall ever try with children, for -it might turn out to be a very expensive -one. Indeed, I feel sure that the result in -my case would be very different from what I -now describe. This teacher had been trying -to illustrate what faith was, and, as he could -not get it into the minds of his boys, he -took his watch, and he said, "Now, I will -give you this watch, John. Will you have -it?" John fell thinking what the teacher -could mean, and did not seize the treasure,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span> -but made no answer. The teacher said to -the next boy, "Henry, here is the watch. -Will you have it?" The boy, with a very -proper modesty, replied, "No, thank you, -sir." The teacher tried several of the boys -with the same result; till at last a youngster, -who was not so wise or so thoughtful as the -others, but rather more believing, said in the -most natural way, "Thank you, sir," and put -the watch into his pocket. Then the other -boys woke up to a startling fact: their companion -had received a watch which they had -refused. One of the boys quickly asked of -the teacher, "Is he to keep it?" "Of -course he is," said the teacher, "I offered it -to him, and he accepted it. I would not -give a thing and take a thing: that would -be very foolish. I put the watch before you, -and said that I gave it to you, but none of -you would have it." "Oh!" said the boy, -"if I had known you meant it, I would have -had it." Of course he would. He thought -it was a piece of acting, and nothing more. -All the other boys were in a dreadful state of -mind to think that they had lost the watch. -Each one cried, "Teacher, I did not know -you meant it, <i>but I thought</i>—" No one took -the gift; but every one <i>thought</i>. Each one -had his theory, except the simple-minded<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span> -boy who believed what he was told, and got -the watch. Now I wish that I could always -be such a simple child as literally to believe -what the Lord says, and take what he puts -before me, resting quite content that he is -not playing with me, and that I cannot be -wrong in accepting what he sets before me -in the gospel. Happy should we be if we -would trust, and raise no questions of any -sort. But, alas! we will get thinking and -doubting. When the Lord uplifts his dear -Son before a sinner, that sinner should take -him without hesitation. If you take him, -you have him; and none can take him from -you. Out with your hand, man, and take -him at once!</p> - -<p>When enquirers accept the Bible as literally -true, and see that Jesus is really given to -all who trust him, all the difficulty about -understanding the way of salvation vanishes -like the morning's frost at the rising of the -sun.</p> - -<p>Two enquiring ones came to me in my -vestry. They had been hearing the gospel -from me for only a short season, but they -had been deeply impressed by it. They -expressed their regret that they were about -to remove far away, but they added their -gratitude that they had heard me at all.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span> -I was cheered by their kind thanks, but felt -anxious that a more effectual work should -be wrought in them, and therefore I asked -them, "Have you in very deed believed in -the Lord Jesus Christ? Are you saved?" -One of them replied, "I have been trying -hard to believe." This statement I have -often heard, but I will never let it go by -me unchallenged. "No," I said, "that will -not do. Did you ever tell your father that -you tried to believe him?" After I had -dwelt a while upon the matter, they admitted -that such language would have been an insult -to their father. I then set the gospel very -plainly before them in as simple language as -I could, and I begged them to believe Jesus, -who is more worthy of faith than the best -of fathers. One of them replied, "I cannot -realize it: I cannot realize that I am saved." -Then I went on to say, "God bears testimony -to his Son, that whosoever trusts in his -Son is saved. Will you make him a liar -now, or will you believe his word?" While -I thus spoke, one of them started as if -astonished, and she startled us all as she -cried, "O sir, I see it all; I am saved! -Oh, do bless Jesus for me; he has shown me -the way, and he has saved me! I see it all." -The esteemed sister who had brought these<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span> -young friends to me knelt down with them -while, with all our hearts, we blessed and -magnified the Lord for a soul brought into -light. One of the two sisters, however, could -not see the gospel as the other had done, -though I feel sure she will do so before long. -Did it not seem strange that, both hearing -the same words, one should come out into -clear light, and the other should remain in -the gloom? The change which comes over -the heart when the understanding grasps -the gospel is often reflected in the face, -and shines there like the light of heaven. -Such newly-enlightened souls often exclaim, -"Why, sir, it is so plain; how is it I have -not seen it before this? I understand all -I have read in the Bible now, though I could -not make it out before. It has all come in a -minute, and now I see what I could never -understand before." The fact is, the truth -was always plain, but they were looking -for signs and wonders, and therefore did not -see what was nigh them. Old men often -look for their spectacles when they are on -their foreheads; and it is commonly observed -that we fail to see that which is straight -before us. Christ Jesus is before our faces, -and we have only to look to him, and live; -but we make all manner of bewilderment of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span> -it, and so manufacture a maze out of that -which is plain as a pikestaff.</p> - -<p>The little incident about the two sisters -reminds me of another. A much-esteemed -friend came to me one Sabbath morning after -service, to shake hands with me, "for," said -she, "I was fifty years old on the same day -as yourself. I am like you in that one thing, -sir; but I am the very reverse of you in -better things." I remarked, "Then you must -be a very good woman; for in many things -I wish I also could be the reverse of what I -am." "No, no," she said, "I did not mean -anything of that sort: I am not right at all." -"What!" I cried, "are you not a believer -in the Lord Jesus?" "Well," she said, with -much emotion, "I, I will try to be." I laid -hold of her hand, and said, "My dear soul, -you are not going to tell me that you will -try to believe my Lord Jesus! I cannot have -such talk from you. It means blank unbelief. -What has HE done that you should talk of -him in that way? Would you tell <i>me</i> that -you would try to believe <i>me</i>? I know you -would not treat me so rudely. You think me -a true man, and so you believe me at once; -and surely you cannot do less with my Lord -Jesus." Then with tears she exclaimed, -"Oh, sir, do pray for me!" To this I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span> -replied, "I do not feel that I can do -anything of the kind. What can I ask the -Lord Jesus to do for one who will not -trust him? I see nothing to pray about. -If you will believe him, you shall be saved; -and if you will not believe him, I cannot -ask him to invent a new way to gratify your -unbelief." Then she said again, "I will try -to believe"; but I told her solemnly I would -have none of her trying; for the message from -the Lord did not mention "trying," but said, -"Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou -shalt be saved." I pressed upon her the great -truth, that "He that believeth on him hath -everlasting life"; and its terrible reverse— -"He that believeth not is condemned already, -because he hath not believed in the name -of the only-begotten Son of God." I urged -her to full faith in the once crucified but -now ascended Lord, and the Holy Spirit there -and then enabled her to trust. She most -tenderly said, "Oh, sir, I have been looking -to my feelings, and this has been my -mistake! Now I trust my soul with Jesus, -and I am saved." She found immediate -peace through believing. There is no other -way.</p> - -<div class="figcenter2em"><img src="images/i043.jpg" width="400" -height="607" alt="" title="" /></div> - -<p>God has been pleased to make the necessities -of life very simple matters. We must<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span> -eat; and even a blind man can find the way -to his mouth. We must drink; and even -the tiniest babe knows how to do this without -instruction. We have a fountain in the -grounds of the Stockwell Orphanage, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span> -when it is running in the hot weather, the -boys go to it naturally. We have no class -for fountain-drill. Many poor boys have -come to the Orphanage, but never one who -was so ignorant that he did not know how to -drink. Now faith is, in spiritual things, what -eating and drinking are in temporal things. -By the mouth of faith we take the blessings -of grace into our spiritual nature, and they -are ours. O you who would believe, but -think you cannot, do you not see that, as one -can drink without strength, and as one can -eat without strength, and gets strength by -eating, so we may receive Jesus without -effort, and by accepting him we receive power -for all such further effort as we may be called -to put forth?</p> - -<p>Faith is so simple a matter that, whenever -I try to explain it, I am very fearful lest I -should becloud its simplicity. When Thomas -Scott had printed his notes upon "The -Pilgrim's Progress," he asked one of his -parishioners whether she understood the book. -"Oh yes, sir," said she, "I understand Mr. -Bunyan well enough, and I am hoping that -one day, by divine grace, I may understand -your explanations." Should I not feel mortified -if my reader should know what faith -is, and then get confused by my explanation?<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span> -I will, however, make one trial, and pray -the Lord to make it clear.</p> - -<div class="figcenter2em"><img src="images/i045.jpg" width="400" -height="278" alt="" title="" /></div> - -<p>I am told that on a certain highland road -there was a disputed right of way. The -owner wished to preserve his supremacy, -and at the same time he did not wish to -inconvenience the public: hence an arrangement -which occasioned the following incident. -Seeing a sweet country girl standing at the -gate, a tourist went up to her, and offered -her a shilling to permit him to pass. "No, -no," said the child, "I must not take anything -from you; but you are to say, '<i>Please -allow me to pass</i>,' and then you may come -through and welcome." The permission -was to be asked for; but it could be had for -the asking. Just so, eternal life is free; and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span> -it can be had, yea, it shall be at once had, -by trusting in the word of him who cannot -lie. Trust Christ, and by that trust you -grasp salvation and eternal life. Do not -philosophize. Do not sit down, and bother -your poor brain. Just believe Jesus as you -would believe your father. Trust him as -you trust your money with a banker, or -your health with a doctor.</p> - -<p>Faith will not long seem a difficulty to -you; nor ought it to be so, for it is simple.</p> - -<p>Faith is trusting, trusting wholly upon -the person, work, merit, and power of the -Son of God. Some think this trusting is a -romantic business, but indeed it is the simplest -thing that can possibly be. To some of us, -truths which were once hard to believe are -now matters of fact which we should find it -hard to doubt. If one of our great grand-fathers -were to rise from the dead, and come -into the present state of things, what a deal -of trusting he would have to do! He would -say to-morrow morning, "Where are the flint -and steel? I want a light;" and we should -give him a little box with tiny pieces of wood -in it, and tell him to strike one of them on -the box. He would have to trust a good deal -before he would believe that fire would thus -be produced. We should next say to him,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span> -"Now that you have a light, turn that tap, -and light the gas." He sees nothing. How -can light come through an invisible vapour? -And yet it does. "Come with us, grandfather. -Sit in that chair. Look at that box -in front of you. You shall have your likeness -directly." "No, child," he would say, "it is -ridiculous. The sun take my portrait? I -cannot believe it." "Yes, and you shall ride -fifty miles in an hour without horses." He -will not believe it till we get him into the train. -"My dear sir, you shall speak to your son in -New York, and he shall answer you in a few -minutes." Should we not astonish the old -gentleman? Would he not want all his faith? -Yet these things are believed by us without -effort, because experience has made us familiar -with them. Faith is greatly needed by -you who are strangers to spiritual things; -you seem lost while we are talking about them. -But oh, how simple it is to us who have the -new life, and have communion with spiritual -realities! We have a Father to whom we -speak, and he hears us, and a blessed Saviour -who hears our heart's longings, and helps us -in our struggles against sin. It is all plain -to him that understandeth. May it now be -plain to you!</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="p2"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span></p> - - - - - -<div class="figcenter2em"><img src="images/i048a.jpg" width="500" -height="92" alt="" title="" /></div></div> - - - -<h2 id="Fearing_to_Believe"><span class="smcap">Fearing to Believe.</span></h2> - - - <div class="ddropcapbox"><img class="idropcap" - src="images/i.jpg" width="105" height="194" alt="I"/></div> - -<p class="pfirst">t is an odd product of our unhealthy -nature—<i>the fear to -believe</i>. Yet have I met -with it often: so often that -I wish I may never see it -again. It looks like humility, -and tries to pass itself off as -the very soul of modesty, -and yet it is an infamously proud thing: in -fact, it is presumption playing the hypocrite. -If men were afraid to <i>dis</i>believe, there would -be good sense in the fear; but to be afraid -to trust their God is at best an absurdity, and -in very deed it is a deceitful way of refusing -to the Lord the honour that is due to his -faithfulness and truth.</p> - -<p>How unprofitable is the diligence which -busies itself in finding out reasons why faith -in our case should not be saving! We have -God's word for it, that <i>whosoever</i> believeth<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span> -in Jesus shall not perish, and we search for -arguments why <i>we</i> should perish if we did -believe. If any one gave me an estate, I -certainly should not commence raising questions -as to the title. What can be the use -of inventing reasons why I should not hold -my own house, or possess any other piece of -property which is enjoyed by me? If the -Lord is satisfied to save me through the -merits of his dear Son, assuredly I may be -satisfied to be so saved. If I take God at -his word, the responsibility of fulfilling his -promise does not lie with me, but with God, -who made the promise.</p> - -<p>But you fear that you may not be one of -those for whom the promise is intended. Do -not be alarmed by that idle suspicion. No -soul ever came to Jesus wrongly. No one -can come at all unless the Father draw him; -and Jesus has said, "Him that cometh to me -I will in no wise cast out." No soul ever -lays hold on Christ in a way of robbery; he -that hath him hath him of right divine; for -the Lord's giving of himself <i>for</i> us, and <i>to</i> us, -is so free, that every soul that takes him has -a grace-given right to do so. If you lay hold -on Jesus by the hem of his garment, without -leave, and behind him, yet virtue will flow -from him to you as surely as if he had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span> -called you out by name, and bidden you -trust him. Dismiss all fear when you trust -the Saviour. Take him and welcome. He -that believeth in Jesus is one of God's elect.</p> - -<p>Did you suggest that it would be a horrible -thing if you were to trust in Jesus and yet -perish? It would be so. But as you must -perish if you do not trust, the risk at the -worst is not very great.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"><div class="stanza"> -<div class="line">"I can but perish if I go;</div> -<div class="line i1">I am resolved to try;</div> -<div class="line">For if I stay away, I know</div> -<div class="line i1">I must for ever die."</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>Suppose you stand in the Slough of Despond -for ever; what will be the good of that?<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span> -Surely it would be better to die struggling -along the King's highway towards the Celestial -City, than sinking deeper and deeper in -the mire and filth of dark distrustful thoughts! -You have nothing to lose, for you have lost -everything already; therefore make a dash -for it, and dare to believe in the mercy of -God to you, even to you.</p> - -<div class="figcenter2em"><img src="images/i050.jpg" width="400" -height="321" alt="" title="" /></div> - -<p>But one moans, "What if I come to Christ, -and he refuses me?" My answer is, "Try -him." Cast yourself on the Lord Jesus, and -see if he refuses you. You will be the first -against whom he has shut the door of hope. -Friend, don't cross that bridge till you come -to it! When Jesus casts you out, it will be -time enough to despair; but that time will -never come. "This man receiveth sinners": -he has not so much as begun to cast them -out.</p> - -<p>Have you never heard of the man who -lost his way one night, and came to the edge -of a precipice, as he thought, and in his own -apprehension fell over the cliff? He clutched -at an old tree, and there hung, clinging to -his frail support with all his might. He felt -persuaded that, should he quit his hold, he -would be dashed in pieces on some awful -rocks that waited for him down below. -There he hung, with the sweat upon his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span> -brow, and anguish in every limb. He passed -into a desperate state of fever and faintness, -and at last his hands could hold up his body -no longer. He relaxed his grasp! He -dropped from his support! He fell—about -a foot or so, and was received upon a soft -mossy bank, whereon he lay, altogether -unhurt, and perfectly safe till morning. -Thus, in the darkness of their ignorance, -many think that sure destruction awaits -them, if they confess their sin, quit all -hope in self, and resign themselves into the -hands of God. They are afraid to quit the -hope to which they ignorantly cling. It is -an idle fear. Give up your hold upon everything -but Christ, and drop. Drop from all -trust in your works, or prayers, or feelings. -Drop at once! Drop now! Soft and safe -shall be the bank that receives you. Jesus -Christ, in his love, in the efficacy of his -precious blood, in his perfect righteousness, -will give you immediate rest and peace. -Cease from self-confidence. Fall into the arms -of Jesus. This is the major part of faith—giving -up every other hold, and simply -falling upon Christ. There is no reason for -fear: only ignorance causes your dread of -that which will be your eternal safety. The -death of carnal hope is the life of faith, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span> -the life of faith is life everlasting. Let self -die, that Christ may live in you.</p> - -<p>But the mischief is that, to the one act of -faith in Jesus, we cannot bring men. They -will adopt any expedient sooner than have -done with self. They fight shy of believing, -and fear faith as if it were a monster. O -foolish tremblers, who has bewitched you? -You fear that which would be the death of -all your fear, and the beginning of your joy. -Why will you perish through perversely -preferring other ways to God's own appointed -plan of salvation?</p> - -<p>Alas! there are many, many souls that say, -"We are bidden to trust in Jesus, but instead -of that we will attend the means of grace -regularly." Attend public worship by all -means, but not as a substitute for faith, or -it will become a vain confidence. The command -is, "Believe and live;" attend to that, -whatever else you do. "Well, I shall take -to reading good books; perhaps I shall get -good that way." Read the good books by -all means, but that is not the gospel: the -gospel is, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, -and thou shalt be saved." Suppose a physician -has a patient under his care, and he says to him, -"You are to take a bath in the morning; it -will be of very great service to your disease."<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span> -But the man takes a cup of tea in the morning -instead of the bath, and he says, "That will -do as well, I have no doubt." What does his -physician say when he enquires—"Did you -follow my rule?" "No, I did not." "Then -you do not expect, of course, that there will -be any good result from my visits, since you -take no notice of my directions." So we, -practically, say to Jesus Christ, when we -are under searching of soul, "Lord, thou -badest me trust thee, but I would sooner -do something else! Lord, I want to have -horrible convictions; I want to be shaken -over hell's mouth; I want to be alarmed and -distressed!" Yes, you want anything but -what Christ prescribes for you, which is that -you should <i>simply trust him</i>. Whether you -feel or do not feel, cast yourself on him, that -<i>he</i> may save you, and he alone. "But you -do not mean to say that you speak against -praying, and reading good books, and so -on?" Not one single word do I speak -against any of those things, any more than, -if I were the physician I quoted, I should -speak against the man's drinking a cup of -tea. Let him drink his tea; but not if he -drinks it instead of taking the bath which is -prescribed for him. So let the man pray: -the more the better. Let the man search<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span> -the Scriptures; but, remember, that if these -things are put in the place of simple faith -in Christ, the soul will be ruined. Beware -lest it be said of any of you by our Lord, -"Ye search the Scriptures, for in them ye -think ye have eternal life; but ye will not -come unto me that ye might have life."</p> - -<div class="figcenter2em"><img src="images/i055.jpg" width="400" -height="472" alt="" title="" /></div> - -<p>Come by faith to Jesus, for without him -you perish for ever. Did you ever notice -how a fir-tree will get a hold among rocks -which seem to afford it no soil? It sends a -rootlet into any little crack which opens; it -clutches even the bare rock as with a huge -bird's claw; it holds fast, and binds itself to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span> -earth with a hundred anchorages. Our little -drawing is very accurate. We have often -seen trees thus firmly rooted upon detached -masses of bare rock. Now, dear heart, let -this be a picture of yourself. Grip the Rock -of Ages. With the rootlet of little-faith hold -to him. Let that tiny feeler grow; and, meanwhile, -send out another to take a new grasp -of the same Rock. Lay hold on Jesus, and -keep hold on Jesus. Grow up into him. -Twist the roots of your nature, the fibres of -your heart, about him. He is as free to you -as the rocks are to the fir-tree: be you as -firmly lashed to him as the pine is to the -mountain's side.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="p2"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span></p> - - -<div class="figcenter2em"><img src="images/i057a.jpg" width="500" -height="89" alt="" title="" /></div></div> - - - - -<h2 id="Difficulty_in_the_Way_of"><span class="smcap">Difficulty in the Way of -Believing.</span></h2> - - - <div class="ddropcapbox"><img class="idropcap" - src="images/i.jpg" width="105" height="184" alt="I"/></div> - -<p class="pfirst">t may be that the reader feels -a difficulty in believing. -Let him consider. We cannot -believe by an immediate -act. The state of mind -which we describe as believing -is a result, following -upon certain former states -of mind. We come to faith by degrees. -There may be such a thing as faith at first -sight; but usually we reach faith by stages: -we become interested, we consider, we hear -evidence, we are convinced, and so led to -believe. If, then, I wish to believe, but for -some reason or other find that I cannot attain -to faith, what shall I do? Shall I stand like -a cow staring at a new gate; or shall I, like -an intelligent being, use the proper means? -If I wish to believe anything, what shall -I do? We will answer according to the -rules of common-sense.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span></p> - -<p>If I were told that the Sultan of Zanzibar -was a good man, and it happened to be a -matter of interest to me, I do not suppose -I should feel any difficulty in believing it. -But if for some reason I had a doubt about -it, and yet wished to believe the news, how -should I act? Should I not hunt up all the -information within my reach about his -Majesty, and try, by study of the newspapers -and other documents, to arrive at the truth? -Better still, if he happened to be in this -country, and would see me, and I could also -converse with members of his court, and -citizens of his country, I should be greatly -helped to arrive at a decision by using these -sources of information. Evidence weighed -and knowledge obtained lead up to faith. -It is true that faith in Jesus is the gift of -God; but yet he usually bestows it in -accordance with the laws of mind, and hence -we are told that "faith cometh by hearing, -and hearing by the word of God." If you -want to believe in Jesus, hear about him, -read about him, think about him, know -about him, and so you will find faith -springing up in your heart, like the wheat -which comes up through the moisture and -the heat operating upon the seed which -has been sown. If I wished to have faith<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span> -in a certain physician, I should ask for -testimonials of his cures, I should wish to -see the diplomas which certified to his professional -knowledge, and I should also like -to hear what he has to say upon certain -complicated cases. In fact, I should take -means to know, in order that I might believe.</p> - -<div class="figcenter2em"><img src="images/i059.jpg" width="425" -height="267" alt="" title="" /></div> - -<p>Be much in <i>hearing</i> concerning Jesus. -Souls by hundreds come to faith in Jesus -under a ministry which sets him forth clearly -and constantly. Few remain unbelieving -under a preacher whose great subject is Christ -crucified. Hear no minister of any other sort. -There are such. I have heard of one who -found in his pulpit Bible a paper bearing this -text, "<i>Sir, we would see Jesus</i>." Go to the -place of worship to see Jesus; and if you -cannot even hear the mention of his name,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span> -take yourself off to another place where he is -more thought of, and is therefore more likely -to be present.</p> - -<p>Be much in <i>reading</i> about the Lord Jesus. -The books of Scripture are the lilies among -which he feedeth. The Bible is the window -through which we may look and see our Lord. -Read over the story of his sufferings and -death with devout attention, and before long -the Lord will cause faith secretly to enter -your soul. The Cross of Christ not only -rewards faith, but begets faith. Many a -believer can say—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"><div class="stanza"> -<div class="line">"When I view thee, wounded, grieving,</div> -<div class="line i1">Breathless, on the cursed tree,</div> -<div class="line">Soon I feel my heart believing</div> -<div class="line i1">Thou hast suffered thus for me."</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>If hearing and reading suffice not, then -deliberately <i>set your mind to work to overhaul -the matter</i>, and have it out. Either -believe, or know the reason why you do not -believe. See the matter through to the -utmost of your ability, and pray God to help -you to make a thorough investigation, and -to come to an honest decision one way or -the other. Consider who Jesus was, and -whether the constitution of his person does -not entitle him to confidence. Consider -what he did, and whether this also must not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span> -be good ground for trust. Consider him as -dying, rising from the dead, ascending, and -ever living to intercede for transgressors; -and see whether this does not entitle him to -be relied on by you. Then cry to him, and -see if he does not hear you. When Usher -wished to know whether Rutherford was -indeed as holy a man as he was said to be, -he went to his house as a beggar, and gained -a lodging, and heard the man of God pouring -out his heart before the Lord in the -night. If you would know Jesus, get as -near to him as you can by studying his -character, and appealing to his love.</p> - -<p>At one time I might have needed evidence -to make me believe in the Lord Jesus; but -now I know him so well, by proving him, -that I should need a very great deal of -evidence to make me doubt him. It is now -more natural to me to trust than to disbelieve: -this is the new nature triumphing; -it was not so at the first. The novelty of -faith is, in the beginning, a source of weakness; -but act after act of trusting turns faith -into a habit. Experience brings to faith -strong confirmation.</p> - -<div class="figcenter2em"><img src="images/i062.jpg" width="400" -height="395" alt="" title="" /></div> - -<p>I am not perplexed with doubt, because -the truth which I believe has wrought a -miracle on me. By its means I have received<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span> -and still retain a new life, to which I was -once a stranger: and this is confirmation -of the strongest sort. I am like the good -man and his wife who had kept a lighthouse -for years. A visitor, who came to see the -lighthouse, looking out from the window -over the waste of waters, asked the good -woman, "Are you not afraid at night, when -the storm is out, and the big waves dash -right over the lantern? Do you not fear -that the lighthouse, and all that is in it, will -be carried away? I am sure I should be afraid<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span> -to trust myself in a slender tower in the -midst of the great billows." The woman -remarked that the idea never occurred to -her now. She had lived there so long that -she felt as safe on the lone rock as ever she -did when she lived on the mainland. As -for her husband, when asked if he did not -feel anxious when the wind blew a hurricane, -he answered, "Yes, I feel anxious to keep -the lamps well trimmed, and the light -burning, lest any vessel should be wrecked." -As to anxiety about the safety of the lighthouse, -or his own personal security in it, he -had outlived all that. Even so it is with the -full-grown believer. He can humbly say, -"I know whom I have believed, and am -persuaded that he is able to keep that which -I have committed unto him against that day." -From henceforth let no man trouble me with -doubts and questionings; I bear in my soul -the proofs of the Spirit's truth and power, -and I will have none of your artful reasonings. -The gospel to me is truth: I am -content to perish if it be not true. I risk -my soul's eternal fate upon the truth of the -gospel, and I know that there is no risk -in it. My one concern is to keep the lights -burning, that I may thereby benefit others. -Only let the Lord give me oil enough to feed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span> -my lamp, so that I may cast a ray across -the dark and treacherous sea of life, and I -am well content.</p> - -<p>Now, troubled seeker, if it be so, that your -minister, and many others in whom you confide, -have found perfect peace and rest in the -gospel, why should not you? Is the Spirit -of the Lord straitened? Do not his words -do good to them that walk uprightly? Will -not you also try their saving virtue?</p> - -<p>Most true is the gospel, for God is its -Author. Believe it. Most able is the Saviour, -for he is the Son of God. Trust him. Most -powerful is his precious blood. Look to -it for pardon. Most loving is his gracious -heart. Run to it at once.</p> - -<p>Thus would I urge the reader to seek -faith; but if he be unwilling, what more can -I do? I have brought the horse to the -water, but I cannot make him drink. This, -however, be it remembered—<i>unbelief is wilful -when evidence is put in a man's way, and he -refuses carefully to examine it</i>. He that does -not desire to know, and accept the truth, has -himself to thank if he dies with a lie in his -right hand. It is true that "he that believeth -and is baptized shall be saved": it is equally -true that "he that believeth not shall be -damned."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="p2"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span></p> - - -<div class="figcenter2em"><img src="images/i065a.jpg" width="500" -height="96" alt="" title="" /></div></div> - - - -<h2 id="A_Helpful_Survey"><span class="smcap">A Helpful Survey.</span></h2> - - - <div class="ddropcapbox"><img class="idropcap" - src="images/t.jpg" width="105" height="157" alt="T"/></div> - -<p class="pfirst">o help the seeker to a true -faith in Jesus, I would remind -him of the work of the -Lord Jesus in the room and -place and stead of sinners. -"When we were yet without -strength, in due time -<span class="smcap">Christ died for the ungodly</span>" -(Rom. v. 6). "Who his own self -bare our sins in his own body on the tree" -(1 Pet. ii. 24). "The Lord hath laid on -him the iniquity of us all" (Is. liii. 6). "For -Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the -Just for the unjust, that he might bring us -to God" (1 Pet. iii. 18).</p> - -<p>Upon one declaration of Scripture let the -reader fix his eye. "<span class="smcap">With his stripes we -are healed</span>" (Is. liii. 5). God here treats -sin as a disease, and he sets before us the -costly remedy which he has provided.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span></p> - -<p>I ask you very solemnly to accompany -me in your meditations, for a few minutes, -while I bring before you the stripes of the -Lord Jesus. The Lord resolved to restore -us, and therefore he sent his only-begotten -Son, "very God of very God," that he -might descend into this world to take upon -himself our nature, in order to our redemption. -He lived as a man among men; -and, in due time, after thirty years or more -of obedience, the time came when he should -do us the greatest service of all, namely, stand -in our stead, and bear "the chastisement -of our peace." He went to Gethsemane, and -there, at the first taste of our bitter cup, he -sweat great drops of blood. He went to -Pilate's hall, and Herod's judgment-seat, and -there drank draughts of pain and scorn in -our room and place. Last of all, they took -him to the cross, and nailed him there to die—to -die in our stead. The word "stripes" -is used to set forth his sufferings, both of -body and of soul. The whole of Christ was -made a sacrifice for us: his whole manhood -suffered. As to his body, it shared with his -mind in a grief that never can be described. -In the beginning of his passion, when he -emphatically suffered instead of us, he was -in an agony, and from his bodily frame a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span> -bloody sweat distilled so copiously as to fall -to the ground. It is very rarely that a man -sweats blood. There have been one or two -instances of it, and they have been followed -by almost immediate death; but our Saviour -lived—lived after an agony which, to anyone -else, would have proved fatal. Ere he -could cleanse his face from this dreadful -crimson, they hurried him to the high -priest's hall. In the dead of night they -bound him, and led him away. Anon they -took him to Pilate and to Herod. These -scourged him, and their soldiers spat in his -face, and buffeted him, and put on his head -a crown of thorns. Scourging is one of the -most awful tortures that can be inflicted by -malice. It was formerly the disgrace of the -British army that the "cat" was used upon -the soldier: a brutal infliction of torture. -But to the Roman, cruelty was so natural that -he made his common punishments worse than -brutal. The Roman scourge is said to have -been made of the sinews of oxen, twisted -into knots, and into these knots were inserted -slivers of bone, and huckle-bones of -sheep; so that every time the scourge fell -upon the bare back, "the plowers made -deep furrows." Our Saviour was called -upon to endure the fierce pain of the Roman<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span> -scourge, and this not as the <i>finis</i> of his -punishment, but as a preface to crucifixion. -To this his persecutors added buffeting, and -plucking of the hair: they spared him no -form of pain. In all his faintness, through -bleeding and fasting, they made him carry -his cross until another was forced, by the -forethought of their cruelty, to bear it, lest -their victim should die on the road. They -stripped him, and threw him down, and -nailed him to the wood. They pierced his -hands and his feet. They lifted up the tree, -with him upon it, and then dashed it down -into its place in the ground, so that all his -limbs were dislocated, according to the -lament of the twenty-second psalm, "I am -poured out like water, and all my bones are -out of joint." He hung in the burning sun -till the fever dissolved his strength, and he -said, "My heart is like wax; it is melted in -the midst of my bowels. My strength is -dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue -cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought -me into the dust of death." There he hung, -a spectacle to God and men. The weight of -his body was first sustained by his feet, till -the nails tore through the tender nerves: -and then the painful load began to drag -upon his hands, and rend those sensitive<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span> -parts of his frame. How small a wound in -the hand has brought on lockjaw! How -awful must have been the torment caused -by that dragging iron tearing through the -delicate parts of the hands and feet! Now -were all manner of bodily pains centred -in his tortured frame. All the while his -enemies stood around, pointing at him in -scorn, thrusting out their tongues in mockery, -jesting at his prayers, and gloating over his -sufferings. He cried, "I thirst," and then -they gave him vinegar mingled with gall. -After a while he said, "It is finished." He -had endured the utmost of appointed grief, -and had made full vindication to divine -justice: then, and not till then, he gave up -the ghost. Holy men of old have enlarged -most lovingly upon the bodily sufferings of -our Lord, and I have no hesitation in doing -the same, trusting that trembling sinners -may see salvation in these painful "stripes" -of the Redeemer.</p> - -<p>To describe the outward sufferings of our -Lord is not easy: I acknowledge that I have -failed. But his soul-sufferings, which were -the soul of his sufferings, who can even -conceive, much less express, what they were? -At the very first I told you that he sweat -great drops of blood. That was his heart<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span> -driving out its life-floods to the surface -through the terrible depression of spirit which -was upon him. He said, "My soul is exceeding -sorrowful, even unto death." The -betrayal by Judas, and the desertion of the -twelve, grieved our Lord; but the weight of -our sin was the real pressure on his heart. -Our guilt was the olive-press which forced -from him the moisture of his life. No language -can ever tell his agony in prospect -of his passion; how little then can we conceive -the passion itself? When nailed to -the cross, he endured what no martyr ever -suffered; for martyrs, when they have died, -have been so sustained of God that they -have rejoiced amid their pain; but our -Redeemer was forsaken of his Father, until -he cried, "My God, my God, why hast thou -forsaken me?" That was the bitterest cry -of all, the utmost depth of his unfathomable -grief. Yet was it needful that he should be -deserted, because God must turn his back on -sin, and consequently upon him who was -made sin for us. The soul of the great -Substitute suffered a horror of misery instead -of that horror of hell into which sinners -would have been plunged had he not taken -their sin upon himself, and been made a -curse for them. It is written, "Cursed is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span> -every one that hangeth on a tree;" but who -knows what that curse means?</p> - -<p>The remedy for your sins and mine is -found in the substitutionary sufferings of -the Lord Jesus, and in these only. These -"stripes" of the Lord Jesus Christ were -on our behalf. Do you enquire, "Is there -anything for us to do, to remove the guilt of -sin?" I answer: There is nothing whatever -for you to do. By the stripes of Jesus -we are healed. All those stripes he has -endured, and left not one of them for us -to bear.</p> - -<p>"But must we not believe on him?" Ay, -certainly. If I say of a certain ointment -that it heals, I do not deny that you need a -bandage with which to apply it to the wound. -Faith is the linen which binds the plaster of -Christ's reconciliation to the sore of our sin. -The linen does not heal; that is the work of -the ointment. So faith does not heal; that -is the work of the atonement of Christ.</p> - -<p>"But we must repent," cries another. -Assuredly we must, and shall, for repentance -is the first sign of healing; but the stripes -of Jesus heal us, and not our repentance. -These stripes, when applied to the heart, -work repentance in us: we hate sin because -it made Jesus suffer.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span></p> - -<p>When you intelligently trust in Jesus as -having suffered for you, then you discover -the fact that God will never punish you for -the same offence for which Jesus died. His -justice will not permit him to see the debt -paid, first, by the Surety, and then again -by the debtor. Justice cannot twice demand -a recompense: if my bleeding Surety has -borne my guilt, then I cannot bear it. -Accepting Christ Jesus as suffering for me, -I have accepted a complete discharge from -judicial liability. I have been condemned -in Christ, and there is, therefore, now no -condemnation to me any more. This is the -ground-work of the security of the sinner -who believes in Jesus: he lives because -Jesus died in his room, and place, and stead; -and he is acceptable before God because -Jesus is accepted. The person for whom -Jesus is an accepted Substitute must go -free; none can touch him; he is clear. O -my hearer, wilt thou have Jesus Christ to be -thy Substitute? If so, thou art free. "He -that believeth on him is not condemned." -Thus "with his stripes we are healed."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="p2"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter2em"><img src="images/i073a.jpg" width="500" -height="112" alt="" title="" /></div></div> - - - -<h2 id="A_Real_Hindrance"><span class="smcap">A Real Hindrance.</span></h2> - - - <div class="ddropcapbox"><img class="idropcap" - src="images/a.jpg" width="105" height="209" alt="A"/></div> - -<p class="pfirst">lthough it is by no means a -difficult thing in itself to believe -him who cannot lie, and to trust -in One whom we know to be -able to save, yet something may -intervene which may render -even this a hard thing to my -reader. That hindrance may be -a secret, and yet it may be none the less real. -A door may be closed, not by a great stone -which all can see, but by an invisible bolt -which shoots into a holdfast quite out of -sight. A man may have good eyes, and yet -may not be able to see an object, because -another substance comes in the way. You -could not even see the sun if a handkerchief, -or a mere piece of rag, were tied over your -face. Oh, the bandages which men persist in -binding over their own eyes!</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span></p> - -<p>A sweet sin, harboured in the heart, will -prevent a soul from laying hold upon Christ -by faith. The Lord Jesus has come to save -us from sinning; and if we are resolved to -go on sinning, Christ and our souls will never -agree. If a man takes poison, and a doctor -is called in to save his life, he may have a -sure antidote ready; but if the patient persists -in keeping the poison-bottle at his lips, -and will continue to swallow the deadly -drops, how can the doctor save him? Salvation -consists largely in parting the sinner -from his sin, and the very nature of salvation -would have to be changed before we could -speak of a man's being saved when he is -loving sin, and wilfully living in it. A man -cannot be made white, and yet continue -black; he cannot be healed, and yet remain -sick; neither can anyone be saved, and be -still a lover of evil.</p> - -<p>A drunkard will be saved by believing in -Christ—that is to say, he will be saved from -being a drunkard; but if he determines still -to make himself intoxicated, he is not saved -from it, and he has not truly believed in -Jesus. A liar can by faith be saved from -falsehood, but then he leaves off lying, and -is careful to speak the truth. Anyone can -see with half an eye that he cannot be saved<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span> -from being a liar, and yet go on in his old -style of deceit and untruthfulness. A person -who is at enmity with another will be saved -from that feeling of enmity by believing in -the Lord Jesus; but if he vows that he will -still cherish the feeling of hate, it is clear -that he is not saved from it, and equally -clear that he has not believed in the Lord -Jesus unto salvation. The great matter is -to be delivered from the love of sin: this is -the sure effect of trust in the Saviour; but if -this effect is so far from being desired that -it is even refused, all talk of trusting in the -Saviour for salvation is an idle tale. A man -goes to the shipping-office, and asks if he can -be taken to America. He is assured that a -ship is just ready, and that he has only to go -on board, and he will soon reach New York. -"But," says he, "I want to stop at home -in England, and mind my shop all the time -I am crossing the Atlantic." The agent thinks -he is talking to a madman, and tells him to -go about his business, and not waste his time -by playing the fool. To pretend to trust -Christ to save you from sin while you are still -determined to continue in it, is making a mock -of Christ. I pray my reader not to be guilty -of such profanity. Let him not dream that -the holy Jesus will be the patron of iniquity.</p> - -<p class="p2"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter2em"><img src="images/i076.jpg" width="400" -height="297" alt="" title="" /></div> - -<p>Do you see the tree in my picture? The -ivy has grown all over it, and is strangling -it, sucking out its life, and killing it. Can -that tree be saved? The gardener thinks it -can be. He is willing to do his best. But -before he begins to use his axe and his knife, -he is told that he must not cut away the ivy. -"Ah! then," he says, "it is impossible. It -is the ivy which is killing the tree, and if -you want the tree saved, you cannot save -the ivy. If you trust me to preserve the -tree, you must let me get the deadly climber -away from it." Is not that common sense? -Certainly it is. You do not trust the tree to -the gardener unless you trust him to cut -away that which is deadly to it. If the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span> -sinner will keep his sin, he must die in it; if -he is willing to be rescued from his sin, the -Lord Jesus is able to do it, and will do it if -he commits his case to his care.</p> - -<p>What, then, is your darling sin? Is it -any gross wrong-doing? Then very shame -should make you cease from it. Is it love of -the world, or fear of men, or longing for evil -gains? Surely, none of these things should -reconcile you to living in enmity with God, -and beneath his frown. Is it a human love, -which is eating like a canker into the heart? -Can any creature rival the Lord Jesus? Is -it not idolatry to allow any earthly thing to -compare for one instant with the Lord God? -"Well," saith one, "for me to give up the -particular sin by which I am held captive, -would be to my serious injury in business, -would ruin my prospects, and lessen my -usefulness in many ways." If it be so, you -have your case met by the words of the Lord -Jesus, who bids you to pluck out your eye, -and cut off your hand or foot, and cast it -from you, rather than be cast into hell. It -is better to enter into life with one eye, with -the poorest prospects, than to keep all your -hopes, and be out of Christ. Better be a -lame believer than a leaping sinner. Better -be in the rear rank for life in the army of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span> -Christ than lead the van and be a chief -officer under the command of Satan. If you -win Christ, it will little matter what you -lose. No doubt many have had to suffer -that which has maimed and lamed them for -this life; but if they have entered thereby -into eternal life, they have been great -gainers.</p> - -<p>It comes to this, my friend, as it did with -John Bunyan; a voice now speaks to you, -and says—</p> - -<p class="p2 center">WILT THOU KEEP THY SIN AND GO TO HELL?</p> - -<p class="center">OR</p> -<p class="center">LEAVE THY SIN AND GO TO HEAVEN?</p> - -<p class="p2">The point should be decided before you -quit the spot. In the name of God, I ask -you, Which shall it be—Christ and salvation, -or the favourite sin and damnation? -There is no middle course. Waiting or -refusing to decide will practically be a sure -decision for the evil one. He that stands -questioning whether he will be honest or not, -is already out of the straight line: he that does -not know whether he wishes to be cleansed -from sin gives evidence of a foul heart.</p> - -<p>If you are anxious to give up every evil -way, our Lord Jesus will enable you to do<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span> -so at once. His grace has already changed -the direction of your desires: in fact, your -heart is renewed. Therefore, rest on him to -strengthen you to battle with temptations as -they arise, and to fulfil the Lord's commands -from day to day. The Lord Jesus is great at -making the lame man to leap like a hart, and -in enabling those who are sick of the palsy -to take up their bed and walk. He will -make you able to conquer the evil habit. He -will even cast the devil out of you. Yes, if -you had seven devils, he could drive them -out at once; there is no limit to his power to -cleanse and sanctify. Now that you are -willing to be made whole, the great difficulty -is removed. He that has set the will right -can arrange all your other powers, and make -them move to his praise. You would not -have earnestly desired to quit all sin if he -had not secretly inclined you in that direction. -If you now trust him, it will be clear -that he has begun a good work in you, and -we feel assured that he will carry it on.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="p2"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span></p> - - -<div class="figcenter2em"><img src="images/i080a.jpg" width="500" -height="105" alt="" title="" /></div></div> - - -<h2 id="On_Raising_Questions"><span class="smcap">On Raising Questions.</span></h2> - - - <div class="ddropcapbox"><img class="idropcap" - src="images/i.jpg" width="105" height="184" alt="I"/></div> - -<p class="pfirst">n these days, a simple, childlike -faith is very rare; but -the usual thing is to believe -nothing, and question everything. -Doubts are as plentiful -as blackberries, and all -hands and lips are stained -with them. To me it seems -very strange that men should hunt up difficulties -as to their own salvation. If I were -doomed to die, and I had a hint of mercy, I -am sure I should not set my wits to work to -find out reasons why I should not be pardoned. -I could leave my enemies to do that: -I should be on the look-out in a very different -direction. If I were drowning, I should -sooner catch at a straw than push a life-belt -away from me. To reason against one's -own life is a sort of constructive suicide of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span> -which only a drunken man would be guilty. -To argue against your only hope is like a -foolish man sitting on a bough, and chopping -it away so as to let himself down. Who but -an idiot would do that? Yet many appear -to be special pleaders for their own ruin. -They hunt the Bible through for threatening -texts; and when they have done with that, -they turn to reason, and philosophy, and -scepticism, in order to shut the door in their -own faces. Surely this is poor employment -for a sensible man.</p> - -<div class="figcenter2em"><img src="images/i081.jpg" width="425" -height="283" alt="" title="" /></div> - -<p>Many nowadays who cannot quite get -away from religious thought, are able to -stave off the inconvenient pressure of conscience -by quibbling over the great truths of -revelation. Great mysteries are in the Book<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span> -of God of necessity; for how can the infinite -God so speak that all his thoughts can be -grasped by finite man? But it is the height -of folly to get discussing these deep things, -and to leave plain, soul-saving truths in -abeyance. It reminds one of the two -philosophers who debated about food, and -went away empty from the table, while the -common countryman in the corner asked -no question, but used his knife and fork -with great diligence, and went on his way -rejoicing. Thousands are now happy in the -Lord through receiving the gospel like little -children; while others, who can always see -difficulties, or invent them, are as far off as -ever from any comfortable hope of salvation. -I know many very decent people who seem<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span> -to have resolved never to come to Christ till -they can understand how the doctrine of -election is consistent with the free invitations -of the gospel. I might just as well determine -never to eat a morsel of bread till it -has been explained to me how it is that God -keeps me alive, and yet I must eat to live. -The fact is, that we most of us <i>know</i> quite -enough already, and the real want with us -is not light in the head, but truth in the -heart; not help over difficulties, but grace to -make us hate sin and seek reconciliation.</p> - -<div class="figcenter2em"><img src="images/i082.jpg" width="425" -height="277" alt="" title="" /></div> - -<p>Here let me add a warning against tampering -with the Word of God. No habit -can be more ruinous to the soul. It is cool, -contemptuous impertinence to sit down and -correct your Maker, and it tends to make -the heart harder than the nether millstone. -We remember one who used a penknife on -his Bible, and it was not long before he had -given up all his former beliefs. The spirit -of reverence is healthy, but the impertinence -of criticizing the inspired Word is destructive -of all proper feeling towards God.</p> - -<p>If ever a man does feel his need of a -Saviour after treating Scripture with a proud, -critical spirit, he is very apt to find his conscience -standing in the way, and hindering -him from comfort by reminding him of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span> -ill-treatment of the sacred Word. It comes -hard to him to draw consolation out of -passages of the Bible which he has treated -cavalierly, or even set aside altogether, as -unworthy of consideration. In his distress -the sacred texts seem to laugh at his calamity. -When the time of need comes, the wells -which he stopped with stones yield no water -for his thirst. Beware, when you despise a -Scripture, lest you cast away the only friend -that can help you in the hour of agony.</p> - -<div class="figcenter2em"><img src="images/i084.jpg" width="425" -height="311" alt="" title="" /></div> - -<p>A certain German duke was accustomed to -call upon his servant to read a chapter of the -Bible to him every morning. When anything -did not square with his judgment he would -sternly cry, "Hans, strike that out." At<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span> -length Hans was a long time before he began -to read. He fumbled over the Book, till his -master called out, "Hans, why do you not -read?" Then Hans answered, "Sir, there is -hardly anything left. It is all struck out!" -One day his master's objections had run one -way, and another day they had taken another -turn, and another set of passages had been -blotted, till nothing was left to instruct or -comfort him. Let us not, by carping criticism, -destroy our own mercies. We may yet need -those promises which appear needless; and -those portions of Holy Writ which have been -most assailed by sceptics may yet prove -essential to our very life: wherefore let us -guard the priceless treasure of the Bible, and -determine never to resign a single line of it.</p> - -<p>What have we to do with recondite -questions while our souls are in peril? The -way to escape from sin is plain enough. The -wayfaring man, though a fool, shall not err -therein. God has not mocked us with a salvation -which we cannot understand. <span class="smcap">Believe -and live</span> is a command which a babe may -comprehend and obey.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"><div class="stanza"> -<div class="line">Doubt no more, but now believe;</div> -<div class="line">Question not, but just receive.</div> -<div class="line">Artful doubts and reasonings be</div> -<div class="line">Nailed with Jesus to the tree.</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span> -Instead of cavilling at Scripture, the man -who is led of the Spirit of God will close in -with the Lord Jesus at once. Seeing that -thousands of decent, common-sense people—people, -too, of the best character—are trusting -their all with Jesus, he will do the same, and -have done with further delays. Then has he -begun a life worth living, and he may have -done with further fear. He may at once -advance to that higher and better way of -living, which grows out of love to Jesus, the -Saviour. Why should not the reader do so -at once? Oh that he would!</p> - -<div class="figcenter2em"><img src="images/i086.jpg" width="425" -height="311" alt="" title="" /></div> - -<p>A Newark, New Jersey, butcher received -a letter from his old home in Germany, -notifying that he had, by the death of a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</a></span> -relative, fallen heir to a considerable amount -of money. He was cutting up a pig at the -time. After reading the letter, he hastily -tore off his dirty apron, and did not stop to -see the pork cut up into sausages, but left -the shop to make preparations for going -home to Germany. Do you blame him, or -would you have had him stop in Newark -with his block and his cleaver?</p> - -<p>See here the operation of faith. The -butcher believed what was told him, and -acted on it at once. Sensible fellow, too!</p> - -<p>God has sent his messages to man, telling -him the good news of salvation. When a -man believes the good news to be true, he -accepts the blessing announced to him, and -hastens to lay hold upon it. If he truly -believes, he will at once take Christ, with -all he has to bestow, turn from his present -evil ways, and set out for the Heavenly City, -where the full blessing is to be enjoyed. He -cannot be holy too soon, or too early quit -the ways of sin. If a man could really see -what sin is, he would flee from it as from a -deadly serpent, and rejoice to be freed from -it by Christ Jesus.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="p2"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[88]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter2em"><img src="images/i088a.jpg" width="500" -height="86" alt="" title="" /></div></div> - - -<h2 id="Without_Faith_no_Salvation"><span class="smcap">Without Faith no Salvation.</span></h2> - - - <div class="ddropcapbox"><img class="idropcap" - src="images/s.jpg" width="105" height="173" alt="S"/></div> - -<p class="pfirst">ome think it hard that there -should be nothing for them -but ruin if they will not -believe in Jesus Christ; but -if you will think for a minute -you will see that it is just -and reasonable. I suppose -there is no way for a man -to keep his strength up except by eating. -If you were to say, "I will not eat again, -I despise such animalism," you might go -to Madeira, or travel in all lands (supposing -you lived long enough!), but you -would most certainly find that no climate -and no exercise would avail to keep you -alive if you refused food. Would you then -complain, "It is a hard thing that I should -die because I do not believe in eating"? -It is not an unjust thing that if you are so<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span> -foolish as not to eat, you must die. It is -precisely so with believing. "Believe, and -thou art saved." If thou wilt not believe, it -is no hard thing that thou shouldst be lost. -It would be strange indeed if it were not to -be the case.</p> - -<p>A man who is thirsty stands before a -fountain. "No," he says, "I will never -touch a drop of moisture as long as I live. -Cannot I get my thirst quenched in my own -way?" We tell him, no; he must drink or -die. He says, "I will never drink; but it is -a hard thing that I must therefore die. It -is a bigoted, cruel thing to tell me so." -He is wrong. His thirst is the inevitable -result of neglecting a law of nature. You, -too, must believe or die; why refuse to obey -the command? Drink, man, drink! Take -Christ and live. There is the way of salvation, -and to enter you must trust Christ; -but there is nothing hard in the fact that you -must perish if you will not trust the Saviour. -Here is a man out at sea; he has a chart, -and that chart, if well studied, will, with the -help of the compass, guide him to his journey's -end. The pole-star gleams out amidst the -cloud-rifts, and that, too, will help him. -"No," says he, "I will have nothing to do -with your stars; I do not believe in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span> -North Pole. I shall not attend to that little -thing inside the box; one needle is as good -as another needle. I have no faith in your -chart, and I will have nothing to do with it. -The art of navigation is only a lot of nonsense, -got up by people on purpose to make -money, and I will not be gulled by it." -The man never reaches port, and he says it -is a very hard thing—a very hard thing. I -do not think so. Some of you say, "I am -not going to read the Scriptures; I am not -going to listen to your talk about Jesus -Christ: I do not believe in such things." -Then Jesus says, "He that believeth not -shall be damned." "That's very hard," say -you. But it is not so. It is not more hard -than the fact that if you reject the compass -and the pole-star you will not reach your -port. There is no help for it; it must be so.</p> - -<p>You say you will have nothing to do with -Jesus and his blood, and you pooh-pooh all -religion. You will find it hard to laugh -these matters down when you come to die, -when the clammy sweat must be wiped from -your brow, and your heart beats against -your ribs as if it wanted to leap out and -fly away from God. O soul! you will find -then, that those Sundays, and those services, -and this old Book, are something more and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span> -better than you thought they were, and you -will wonder that you were so simple as to -neglect any true help to salvation. Above -all, what woe it will be to have neglected -Christ, that Pole-star which alone can guide -the mariner to the haven of rest!</p> - -<p>Where do you live?</p> - -<p>You live, perhaps, on the other side of the -river, and you have to cross a bridge before -you can get home. You have been so silly -as to nurse the notion that you do not believe -in bridges, nor in boats, nor in the existence -of such a thing as water. You say, "I am -not going over any of your bridges, and -I shall not get into any of your boats. I do -not believe that there is a river, or that there -is any such stuff as water." You are going -home, and soon you come to the old bridge; -but you will not cross it. Yonder is a boat; -but you are determined that you will not get -into it. There is the river, and you resolve -that you will not cross it in the usual way; -and yet you think it is very hard that you -cannot get home. Surely something has -destroyed your reasoning powers, for you -would not think it so hard if you were in -your senses. If a man will not do the thing -that is necessary to a certain end, how can -he expect to gain that end? You have taken<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span> -poison, and the physician brings an antidote, -and says, "Take it quickly, or you will die; -but if you take it quickly, I will guarantee -that the poison will be neutralized." But -you say, "No, doctor, I do not believe in -antidotes. Let everything take its course; -let every tub stand on its own bottom; I -will have nothing to do with your remedy. -Besides, I do not believe that there is any -remedy for the poison I have taken; and, -what is more, I don't care whether there is -or not."</p> - -<p>Well, sir, you will die; and when the -coroner's inquest is held on your body, the -verdict will be, 'Served him right!' So -will it be with you if, having heard the -gospel of Jesus Christ, you say, "I am too -much of an advanced man to have anything -to do with that old-fashioned notion -of substitution. I shall not attend to the -preacher's talk about sacrifice and blood-shedding." -Then, when you perish, the -verdict given by your conscience, which will -sit upon the King's quest at last, will run -thus, "<i>Suicide: he destroyed his own soul</i>." -So says the old Book—"O Israel, thou hast -destroyed thyself!" Reader, I implore thee, -do not so.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="p2"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span></p> - - -<div class="figcenter2em"><img src="images/i093a.jpg" width="500" -height="98" alt="" title="" /></div></div> - - - - -<h2 id="To_those_who_have_Believed"><span class="smcap">To those who have Believed.</span></h2> - - - <div class="ddropcapbox"><img class="idropcap" - src="images/f.jpg" width="105" height="194" alt="F"/></div> - -<p class="pfirst">riends, if now you have -begun to trust the Lord, -trust him out and out. -Let your faith be the -most real and practical -thing in your whole life. -Don't trust the Lord in -mere sentiment about a -few great spiritual things; but trust him -for everything, for ever, both for time and -eternity, for body and for soul. See how -the Lord hangeth the world upon nothing -but his own word! It has neither prop nor -pillar. Yon great arch of heaven stands -without a buttress or a wooden centre. The -Lord can and will bear all the strain that -faith can ever put upon him. The greatest -troubles are easy to his power, and the -darkest mysteries are clear to his wisdom.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span> -Trust God up to the hilt. Lean, and lean -hard; yes, lean all your weight, and every -other weight upon the Mighty God of Jacob.</p> - -<div class="figcenter2em"><img src="images/i094.jpg" width="425" -height="281" alt="" title="" /></div> - -<p>The future you can safely leave with the -Lord, who ever liveth and never changeth. -The past is now in your Saviour's hand, and -you shall never be condemned for it, whatever -it may have been, for the Lord has -cast your iniquities into the midst of the -sea. Believe at this moment in your present -privileges. <span class="smcap">You are saved.</span> If you are a -believer in the Lord Jesus, you have passed -from death unto life, and <span class="smcap">YOU ARE SAVED</span>. -In the old slave days a lady brought her -black servant on board an English ship, -and she laughingly said to the Captain, "I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span> -suppose if I and Aunt Chloe were to go to England -she would be free?" "Madam," said -the Captain, "she is <i>now</i> free. The moment -she came on board a British vessel she was -free." When the negro woman knew this, -she did not leave the ship—not she. It was -not <i>the hope of liberty</i> that made her bold, -but <i>the fact of liberty</i>. So you are not now -merely hoping for eternal life, but "<i>He that -believeth in him hath everlasting life</i>." Accept -this as a fact revealed in the sacred Word, -and begin to rejoice accordingly. Do not -reason about it, or call it in question; believe -it, and leap for joy.</p> - -<p>I want my reader, upon believing in the -Lord Jesus, to believe for <i>eternal</i> salvation. -Do not be content with the notion that you -can receive a new birth which will die out, -a heavenly life which will expire, a pardon -which will be recalled. The Lord Jesus -gives to his sheep <i>eternal</i> life, and do not be -at rest until you have it. Now, if it be -eternal, how can it die out? Be saved out -and out, for eternity. There is "a living -and incorruptible seed, which liveth and -abideth for ever"; do not be put off with a -temporary change, a sort of grace which -will only bloom to fade. You are now -starting on the railway of grace—<i>take a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span> -ticket all the way through</i>. I have no -commission to preach to you salvation for a -time: the gospel I am bidden to set before -you is, "He that believeth and is baptized -shall be saved." He shall be saved from sin, -from going back to sin, from turning aside -to the broad road. May the Holy Spirit lead -you to believe for nothing less than that. -"Do you mean," says one, "that I am to -believe if I once trust Christ I shall be saved -whatever sin I may choose to commit?" I -have never said anything of the kind. I -have described true salvation as a thorough -change of heart of so radical a kind that it -will alter your tastes and desires; and I say -that if you have such a change wrought in -you by the Holy Spirit, it will be permanent; -for the Lord's work is not like the cheap -work of the present day, which soon goes to -pieces. Trust the Lord to keep you, however -long you may live, and however much -you may be tempted; and "according to -your faith, so be it unto you." Believe in -Jesus for <i>everlasting</i> life.</p> - -<p>Oh, that you may also trust the Lord for -all the sufferings of this present time! In -the world you will have tribulation; learn by -faith to know that all things work together -for good, and then submit yourself to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span> -Lord's will. Look at the sheep when it is -being shorn. If it lies quite still, the shears -will not hurt it; if it struggles, or even -shrinks, it may be pricked. Submit yourselves -under the hand of God, and affliction -will lose its sharpness. Self-will and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span> -repining cause us a hundred times more -grief than our afflictions themselves. So believe -your Lord as to be certain that his -will must be far better than yours, and -therefore you not only submit to it, but even -rejoice in it.</p> - -<div class="figcenter2em"><img src="images/i097.jpg" width="400" -height="546" alt="" title="" /></div> - -<p>Trust the Lord Jesus in the matter of -<i>sanctification</i>. Certain friends appear to -think that the Lord Jesus cannot sanctify -them wholly, spirit, soul, and body. Hence -they willingly give way to such and such -sins under the notion that there is no help -for it, but that they must pay tribute to the -devil as long as they live in that particular -form. Do not basely bow your neck in -bondage to any sin, but strike hard for -liberty. Be it anger, or unbelief, or sloth, -or any other form of iniquity, we are able, -by divine grace, to drive out the Canaanite, -and, what is more, we must drive him out. -No virtue is impossible to him that believeth -in Jesus, and no sin need have victory over -him. Indeed, it is written, "Sin shall not -have dominion over you: for ye are not -under the law, but under grace." Believe -for high degrees of joy in the Lord, and -likeness to Jesus, and advance to take full -possession of these precious things; for as -thou believest, so shall it be unto thee.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span> -"All things are possible to him that believeth"; -and he who is the chief of sinners -may yet be not a whit behind the greatest -of saints.</p> - -<p>Often realize the joy of heaven. This is -grand faith; and yet it is no more than we -ought to have. Within a very short time -the man who believes in the Lord Jesus shall -be with him where he is. This head will wear -a crown; these eyes shall see the King in his -beauty; these ears shall hear his own dear -voice; this soul shall be in glory; and this -poor body shall be raised from the dead and -joined in incorruption to the perfected soul! -Glory, glory, glory! And so near, so sure. -Let us at once rehearse the music and anticipate -the bliss!</p> - -<p>But cries one, "We are not there yet." No: -but faith fills us with delight in the blessed -prospect, and meanwhile it sustains us on -the road. Reader, I long that you may be -a firm believer in the Lord alone. I want -you to get wholly upon the rock, and not -keep a foot on the sand. In this mortal life -<i>trust God for all things</i>; and trust him alone. -This is the way to live. I know it by -experience. God's bare arm is quite enough -to lean upon. I will give you a bit of the -experience of an old labouring man I once<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span> -knew. He feared God above many, and -was very deeply taught of the Spirit. My -picture will show you what kind of a man -he was—great at hedging and ditching; but -greater at simple trust. Here is how he -described faith:—"It was a bitter winter, -and I had no work, and no bread in the -house. The children were crying. The -snow was deep, and my way was dark. -My old master told me I might have a -bit of wood when I wanted it; so I thought -a bit of fire would warm the poor children, -and I went out with my chopper to get some -fuel. I was standing near a deep ditch full -of snow, which had drifted into it many feet -deep—in fact, I did not know how deep. -While aiming a blow at a bit of wood my -bill-hook slipped out of my hand, and went -right down into the snow, where I could not -hope to find it. Standing there with no food, -no fire, and the chopper gone, something -seemed to say to me, 'Will Richardson, can -you trust God now?' and my very soul said, -'That I can.'" This is true faith—the faith -which trusts the Lord when the bill-hook is -gone: the faith which believes God when all -outward appearances give him the lie; the -faith which is happy with God alone when -all friends turn their backs upon you. Dear<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span> -reader, may you and I have this precious -faith, this real faith, this God-honouring -faith! The Lord's truth deserves it; his -love claims it, his faithfulness constrains it. -Happy is he who has it! He is the man -whom the Lord loves, and the world shall be -made to know it before all is finished.</p> - -<div class="figcenter2em"><img src="images/i101.jpg" width="400" -height="663" alt="" title="" /> -<div class="caption"> -OLD WILL, THE LABOURER. -</div></div> - -<p>After all, the very best faith is an everyday -faith: the faith which deals with bread -and water, coats and stockings, children and -cattle, house-rent and weather. The super-fine -confectionery religion which is only -available on Sundays, and in drawing-room -meetings and Bible readings, will never take -a soul to heaven till life becomes one long -Conference, and there are seven Sabbaths -in a week. Faith is doing her very best -when for many years she plods on, month -by month, trusting the Lord about the sick -husband, the failing daughter, the declining -business, the unconverted friend, and such-like -things.</p> - -<p>Faith also helps us to use the world as not -abusing it. It is good at hard work, and at -daily duty. It is not an angelic thing for -skies and stars, but a human grace, at home -in kitchens and workshops. It is a sort of -maid-of-all-work, and is at home at every -kind of labour, and in every rank of life.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[103]</a></span> -It is a grace for every day, all the year -round. Holy confidence in God is never out -of work. Faith's ware is so valued at the -heavenly court that she always has one fine -piece of work or another on the wheel or in -the furnace. Men dream that heroes are only -to be made on special occasions, once or -twice in a century; but in truth the finest -heroes are home-spun, and are more often -hidden in obscurity than platformed by public -observation. Trust in the living God is the -bullion out of which heroism is coined. Perseverance -in well-doing is one of the fields -in which faith grows not flowers, but the -wheat of her harvest. Plodding on in hard -work, bringing up a family on a few shillings -a week, bearing constant pain with patience, -and so forth—these are the feats of valour -through which God is glorified by the rank -and file of his believing people.</p> - -<p>Reader, you and I will be of one mind in -this: we will not pine to be great, but we -will be eager to be good. For this we will -rely upon the Lord our God, whose we are, -and whom we serve. We will ask to be -made holy throughout every day of the -week. We will pray to our God as much -about our daily business as about our soul's -salvation. We will trust him concerning our<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span> -farm, and our turnips and our cows as well -as concerning our spiritual privileges and -our hope of heaven. The Lord Jehovah is -our household God; Jesus is our brother -born for adversity; and the Holy Spirit is -our Comforter in every hour of trial. We -have not an unapproachable God: he hears, -he pities, he helps. Let us trust him without -a break, without a doubt, without a hesitation. -The life of faith is life within God's wicket-gate. -If we have hitherto stood trembling -outside in the wide world of unbelief, may -the Holy Spirit enable us now to take the -great decisive step, and say, once for all, -"Lord, I believe: help thou mine unbelief!"</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="p6"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_i" id="Page_i">[i]</a></span></p> - - - - -<p class="p6 center"><i>Any book in this Catalogue sent postage prepaid on -receipt of the price.</i></p> - -<h2>RELIGIOUS AND DEVOTIONAL BOOKS</h2></div> - -<p class="center">PUBLISHED BY THE<br /> -American Tract Society,<br /> -10 East 23d Street, New York.</p> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="5" summary="cities"> - -<tr><td class="tdl">BOSTON, 54 Bromfield St.</td><td class="tdli">PHILADELPHIA, 1512 Chestnut St.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">ROCHESTER, 93 State St.</td><td class="tdli">CHICAGO, 211-213 Wabash Avenue.</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdl">CINCINNATI, 176 Elm St.</td><td class="tdli">SAN FRANCISCO, 735 Market St.</td></tr> -</table> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>ASSYRIAN ECHOES OF THE WORD.</b><br /> -By Thomas Laurie, D. D. With Illustrations.</p> - -<p>From the Preface: "This volume does not claim to march in the front -ranks of Assyrian scholars. The writer has not excavated mounds hitherto -unknown and interpreted the tablets he found there, as our own 'Wolfe Expedition' -has done so well. His has been the humbler aim of making a larger -number acquainted with the work that has been done, and with some at least -of the results obtained. He has sought to gather up the fragments, that nothing -be lost; so that humble believers who have been startled by the noise of -the battle now raging round the Word may have their hearts reassured by the -corroborations of the truth that lie stored up in every ancient mound, and are -brought to light by the pick of the explorer.</p> - -<p>"Many facts of history in the royal inscriptions, many incidents of the -daily life recorded on the tablets, illustrate and confirm the Scripture record.</p> - -<p>"One object of these pages has been to give a general idea of the progress -that has been made in this interesting department of archæology."</p> - - -<p class="p2 center"><b>AMUSEMENTS in the Light of Reason and the Scriptures.</b><br /> -By H. C. Haydn, D. D. 16mo. 162 pp. 75 cts.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>COMPANION TO THE BIBLE.</b><br /> -By Rev. E. P. Barrows, D. D. Large 12mo. 639 pp. Cloth, $1 75.</p> - -<p>Designed to assist in the study of God's Word, containing a concise view -of the Evidences of Revealed Religion as to the genuineness, integrity, authenticity, -and inspiration of the books of the Bible. It has also a notice of each -particular book, to prepare the reader to study it intelligently, and fills a place -not occupied by either Bible Dictionary or Commentary.</p> - -<p class="p2"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_ii" id="Page_ii">[ii]</a></span></p> - - -<p class="p2 center"><b>SACRED GEOGRAPHY AND ANTIQUITIES.</b><br /> -By Rev. E. P. Barrows, D. D. Five maps and numerous engravings. -685 pp. Large 12mo. Cloth, $2 25.</p> - -<p>In this faithfully prepared volume the scholar will find the most important -information on all the topics included under the title furnished by the -large and costly works of the best and latest scholars. Palestine and all Bible -lands are minutely described: the domestic institutions and customs of the -Jews, their dress, agriculture, sciences and arts; their forms of government, -justice and military affairs; their temple services, priesthood, sacrifices, and -religious customs.</p> - - -<p class="p2 center"><b>THE SAINT'S EVERLASTING REST.</b><br /> -By Richard Baxter. Large type, fine edition. 12mo. 540 pp. $1 25. -18mo edition, smaller type. 453 pp. 50 cts.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>THE PROGRESS OF DOCTRINE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.</b><br /> -By T. D. Bernard, M. A. 12mo. 250 pp. $1.</p> - -<p>"The style is absolutely perfect. A broad, deep stream of fresh thought, -in language as clear as crystal, flows through the whole devout, instructive, -quickening and inspiring work. This volume makes my New Testament a new -book to me."</p> - -<p class="right">REV. T. L. CUYLER, D. D.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>BIBLE ATLAS.</b><br /> -Containing 18 new and beautiful maps. Paper, 25 cts.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>BIBLE ATLAS AND GAZETTEER.</b><br /> -4to. 32 pp. $1.</p> - -<p>Containing the following maps, printed from steel: General Map of the -Countries named in the Bible; Route of the Israelites through the Desert; Holy -Land in the Time of Samuel; Holy Land in the Time of Christ; Paul's Missionary -Tours; Jerusalem in the Time of Christ.</p> - - -<p class="p2 center"><b>BIBLE TEXT-BOOK.</b><br /> -12mo. 232 pp. Cloth, 90 cts.</p> - -<p>This is a short yet very comprehensive cyclopædia of the contents of the -Holy Scriptures; in fact, "a <i>Topical</i> Concordance." All Bible places, persons -and subjects are arranged alphabetically, and under each word is given the -texts bearing upon the same. This book has been most carefully revised, very -greatly enlarged, and is printed from new plates. It has the "Bible Student's -Manual," with indexes, tables of various kinds, and a complete set of maps. It -is one of the most useful and complete "Bible Helps" published.</p> - -<p class="p2"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_iii" id="Page_iii">[iii]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter2em"><img src="images/i107.jpg" width="400" -height="478" alt="" title="" /> -<div class="caption"> -<i>From the "Bible Dictionary"</i> -</div></div> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>DICTIONARY OF THE HOLY BIBLE.</b><br /> -By Rev. W. W. Rand, D. D. 8vo. 720 pp. $2; morocco gilt, $3 50.</p> - -<p>Revised in the light of recent researches in Bible lands and enlarged from -the popular edition, of which over 200,000 copies have been sold. It is printed -from new type in the best manner upon fine paper, with new wood cuts, 16 of -the whole number of 360 being elegant full-page pictures, and strongly bound. -Is an invaluable help to clergymen, Sabbath-school teachers, and all other -Bible students. Its 18 maps are from the latest authorities, and are printed in -colors.</p> - -<p>"All the more important information needed by the Sunday-school -teacher or pastor, in connection with the study of the Bible, will be found in -concise shape in this beautiful and well-nigh perfect volume."</p> - -<p class="right">CHRISTIAN AT WORK.</p> -<p class="p2"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_iv" id="Page_iv">[iv]</a></span></p> -<p class="p2 center"><b>BIBLICAL HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY.</b><br /> -By H. S. Osborn, LL. D. 12mo. 312 pp. $1 25.</p> - -<p>"It presents not only the consecutive history of the Bible in an attractive -form, but brings much scholarship to bear on the various monumental and -topographical discoveries which help to a better understanding of the sacred -text."</p> - -<p class="right">INTERIOR.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>FAMILY BIBLE, with brief Notes and Instructions.</b></p> - -<p>By Justin Edwards, D. D., and E. P. Barrows, D. D. 4to. Sheep, -dark, $4; Roan, panelled sides, gilt stamp and edge, $6; Persian morocco, -panelled sides, gilt stamp and edge, $7 50; Levant morocco, padded sides, -gilt edge, $10; Seal, padded sides, red under gold edge, $12.</p> - -<p>References and Marginal Reading of the Polyglot Bible, Harmony of the -Gospels, 6 Maps, 6 steel plates, Tables of Weights, Measures, Chronology, etc., -Bible Gazetteer, Family Record.</p> - - -<p class="p2 center"><b>FAMILY BIBLE.</b><br /> -The above Bible in pocket edition, with Notes, Maps, etc. 3 vols. -18mo. 2,676 pp. Cloth, $3; sheep, $5.</p> - -<p>The "New York Methodist" says, "In accuracy and critical trustworthiness -no other annotated English Bible approaches this."</p> - - -<p class="p2 center"><b>FAMILY TESTAMENT AND PSALMS.</b><br /> -Taken from the 4to edition, with Notes, Maps, etc. Royal 8vo. 524 pp. Cloth, $1 75 - gilt, $2 50; sheep, $3.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>FAMILY TESTAMENT.</b><br /> -With Notes, Maps, etc. Pocket edition. 800 pp. Cloth, $1; gilt, -$1 40; sheep, $1 50; morocco, $3 50.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>THE SPIRIT OF LIFE.</b><br /> -By E. H. Bickersteth, D. D. 12mo. 192 pp. $1.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>BLIND BARTIMEUS.</b><br /> -By Moses D. Hoge, D. D. 18mo. 257 pp. 50 cts.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>BLENDING LIGHTS.</b><br /> -By Dr. Fraser. 12mo. 439 pp. $1 25.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>BLOOD OF JESUS.</b><br /> -By Rev. Wm. Reid. 18mo. 128 pp. 25 cts.</p> - -<p class="p2"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_v" id="Page_v">[v]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter2em"><img src="images/i109.jpg" width="400" -height="544" alt="" title="" /> -<div class="caption"> -<i>From the "Pilgrim's Progress," 12mo edition.</i> -</div></div> - -<p class="center"><b>BUNYAN'S PILGRIM'S PROGRESS.</b><br /> -With 129 illustrations. Quarto. 324 pp. $1 50.</p> - -<p>"An exceedingly satisfactory edition. The illustrations are in general of -an excellent style of German art. Many of them are full-page pictures, and all -of them are spirited and telling."</p> -<p class="right">EVANGELIST.</p> - -<p>Another edition, with Chapman's illustrations. 12mo. 651 pp. $1.</p> - -<p>Another edition. 18mo. Illustrated. 495 pp. 50 cts.</p> - -<p class="p2"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vi" id="Page_vi">[vi]</a></span></p> -<p class="p2 center"><b>BRIDAL SOUVENIR.</b><br /> -With Marriage Certificate. New edition. 16mo. 80 pp. 60 cts.</p> - -<p>This dainty little book is composed of choice selections from popular -writers on the relations of husband and wife; suitable to present to those -joined in matrimony as a data and remembrance of the event. It is bound in -dainty cloth, and put in a neat box.</p> - - -<p class="p2 center"><b>BOGATZKY'S GOLDEN TREASURY.</b><br /> -32mo. 510 pp. 60 cts.; gilt edges, 75 cts.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>THE PARABLES OF OUR LORD.</b><br /> -By Rev. F. Bourdillon. 12mo. 320 pp. 90 cts.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>BURDER'S VILLAGE SERMONS.</b><br /> -Fifty-two sermons. 571 pp. $1 25.</p> - -<h3>Books by E. F. Burr, D. D.</h3> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>AD FIDEM.</b><br /> -12mo. $1 50.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>CELESTIAL EMPIRES.</b><br /> -12mo. 19 illustrations. $1 50.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>ECCE CŒLUM.</b><br /> -12mo. $1.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>PATER MUNDI.</b><br /> -2 vols. 12mo. $2.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>SUPREME THINGS.</b><br /> -12mo. $1 50.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>TEMPTED TO UNBELIEF.</b><br /> -12mo. 50 cts.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>UNIVERSAL BELIEFS.</b><br /> -12mo. 75 cts.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>LONG AGO.</b><br /> -12mo. $1.</p> - -<p>"The works of this author are all of them so good that to make a choice -of any one of them as the 'supreme' effort of his life would not be an easy -choice to make. Dr. Burr does his own thinking, and it is not necessary to say -how strikingly original he is in these works."</p> -<p class="right">CHRISTIAN INQUIRER.</p> - -<p class="p4"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">[vii]</a></span></p> -<p class="p4 center"><b>THE GOSPEL OF GLADNESS and Other Sermons.</b><br /> -By David James Burrell, D. D. 12mo. $1 25.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>THE MORNING COMETH.</b><br /> -A new volume of sermons by Rev. David James Burrell, D. D. -12mo. $1 25.</p> - -<p>"He uses vigorous, forceful Anglo-Saxon. He gives men something to -think about in every sermon, and puts it in a clear-cut way."</p> -<p class="right">INTERIOR.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>HINTS AND HELPS ON THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL LESSONS FOR 1894.</b><br /> -By the Brothers Burrell. $1 25.</p> - -<p>"Good and helpful." CHRISTIAN OBSERVER.</p> - -<p>"Comprehensive and satisfactory." METHODIST PROTESTANT.</p> - - -<p class="p2 center"><b>STORY OF THE HYMNS.</b><br /> -By Hezekiah Butterworth. Large 12mo. $1 75.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>STORY OF THE TUNES.</b><br /> -By Hezekiah Butterworth. Large 12mo. $1 75.</p> - -<p>"This is a charming book, and in every home where it goes it will add a -new interest to the hymns that are sung there."</p> -<p class="right">METHODIST RECORDER.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>CENTRAL EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY.</b><br /> -By Cairns, Wace, Row, and Thomson. 12mo. $1.</p> - -<p>"In this volume are brought together the irrefragible modern arguments -for the truth of Christianity, perspicuously put and masterly handled."</p> -<p class="right">METHODIST PROTESTANT.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>ASTRONOMICAL DISCOURSES.</b><br /> -By Thomas Chalmers, D. D. 12mo. 70 cts.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>MODERN DOUBT.</b><br /> -By Theodore Christlieb. 8vo. $3.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>CLARKE'S SCRIPTURE PROMISES.</b><br /> -32mo. 40 cts.; gilt edges, 50 cts.; thin paper, calf, $1.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>CLEWS TO HOLY WRIT.</b><br /> -A Scheme for Studying the whole Bible in its Historical Order. By -Miss M. L. G. Petrie, M. A. 12mo. $1 50.</p> - -<p>"The scholarship shown in its plan and execution is of a high order; its -tone is eminently evangelical, spiritual and devout."</p> -<p class="right">EPISCOPAL RECORDER.</p> - -<p class="p2"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_viii" id="Page_viii">[viii]</a></span></p> -<p class="p2 center"><b>COME TO JESUS.</b><br /> -By Newman Hall. Cloth, 15 cts.; paper, 4 cts.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>CRUDEN'S CONCORDANCE.</b><br /> -Edited by Dr. Eadie. 8vo. 561 pp. $1.</p> - -<p>This book, containing 150,000 distinct references to passages in the Scriptures, -is invaluable to the student of the Word. It gives not only the reference -but also the connection, thus enabling a person with ease to find the passage -sought. It is printed in plain, clear type, on fine paper, making an elegant -octavo volume of 561 pages.</p> - - -<p class="p2 center"><b>POCKET CONCORDANCE.</b><br /> -16mo. 50 cts.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>CRUMBS OF COMFORT.</b><br /> -By Mrs. F. A. Noble. Square 24mo. White cloth, gilt, 40 cts.</p> - -<p>"This is a sweet little book and will bring joy to many a sorrowing -heart. To parents who have been deprived of their children by death it will be -specially comforting and welcome."</p> -<p class="right">CENTRAL BAPTIST.</p> - -<h3>Books by Rev. T. L. Cuyler, D. D.</h3> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>HEART LIFE.</b><br /> -18mo. 50 cts.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>NEWLY ENLISTED.</b><br /> -Square 24mo. Cloth, 50 cts; paper, 25 cts.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>WAYSIDE SPRINGS.</b><br /> -16mo. 50 cts.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"><b>THOUGHT HIVES.</b><br /> -12mo. $1 25.</p> - -<p>"Dr. Cuyler is always earnest, fervid, intensely practical, and so of -necessity interesting and impressive. These brief papers address themselves -to all classes and conditions of men, reaching just those experiences which are -at the same time the most common and the most profound."</p> -<p class="right">WATCHMAN AND REFLECTOR.</p> - -<p class="p4 center"><b>HISTORY OF THE REFORMATION in the Sixteenth Century.</b><br /> -By J. H. Merle D'Aubigne. 5 vols. 12mo. $3 50.</p> - -<p>"It was Dr. Merle's good fortune to be a disciple of the modern school of -history, which is wholly opposed to any mere re-handling, however skilful, of -old materials, and demands a thorough and constant resort to the sources. -Nothing is to be taken at second hand, much less by guess-work, but original -authorities must be consulted throughout. The evidences of this conscientious -diligence are to be seen on every page."</p> -<p class="right">CHRISTIAN INTELLIGENCER.</p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Around the Wicket Gate, by C. H. 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