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SOUL SAVING 
 
 REVIVAL SERMONS 
 
 BY 
 
 JOHN L. BRANDT, LL. D 
 
 Author of "Turning Points in Life," 
 "Marriage and Home/' "America or 
 Rome/' "The Lord's Supper/' etc. 
 
 The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost. 
 —Luke 19:10. 
 
 Tme Christian Publishing Co. 
 St. Louis, Mo. 
 
 (A 
 
LIBRARY of CONSRESSj 
 
 Two Copies Rsceivec 
 
 DEC 26 i 90? 
 
 I G&pyrifffii entry 
 <CLASSA XXc, NO. | 
 
 COPY 6. 
 
 BV37?/ 
 
 Copyright, 1907, 
 
 By 
 
 John L. Brandt, 
 
 St. Louis, Mo. 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
 Soul Saving 1 7 
 
 Doing Our Best _ 23 
 
 God in the World 41 
 
 No Other Name 59 
 
 The Face of Jesus ___ 77 
 
 Christ Before Pilate- 93 
 
 Have We Been Deceived?—— 115 
 
 Christ Seeking the Lost 139 
 
 God Calling to Man 157 
 
 Christ at the Door 171 
 
 Sin Will Find You Out 187 
 
 Daniel Before Belshazzar 201 
 
 The Choice of Moses 219 
 
 Not Ashamed of the Gospel 237 
 
 A Precious Invitation 251 
 
 The Resurrection of Christ 267 
 
 In the Days of Thy Youth 291 
 
 The Rejected and Accepted Savior 307 
 
 Ringing the Bells of Heaven 321 
 
PREFACE 
 
 This volume of sermons is issued in compliance with 
 a request made by many of my ministerial brethren 
 and co-laborers in the Master's vineyard. 
 
 Some revival sermons are confined to First Prin- 
 ciples; some are designed to advocate and defend de- 
 nominational tenets, and some are designed to work 
 upon the feelings of the audience, and therefore, con- 
 sist largely of records and stories of pathetic conver- 
 sions, pitiful accidents, and heart-rending death-bed 
 scenes. Such sermons may have their place in the 
 preacher's library, and be of service to him in his 
 ministry, but this volume of sermons is designed to 
 occupy a different field and to serve a different pur- 
 pose. Its purpose is two- fold: to encourage and 
 inspire Christians to engage with all their hearts in 
 the Divine mission of soul-saving, and to persuade 
 the unsaved to accept Christ as the Son of God and 
 the Savior of man. With this in view, it addresses 
 itself to the head and the heart, and to the will and 
 the conscience of man. With this in view, it aims to 
 deliver the Gospel message in tenderness, simplicity 
 and love. 
 
 These sermons, delivered from the pulpit, have been 
 instrumental in making thousands of converts to the 
 
Lord, and in publishing them it is my heart's desire 
 and prayer that they will arouse and help the Chris- 
 tians who read them to do all in their power to serve 
 as Jesus served, to love as Jesus loved, and to save 
 as Jesus saved. If the message comes to the lost man 
 it will have but one object in view, and that is the 
 salvation of his precious soul. In their preparation, 
 I am indebted for valuable suggestions: to the evan- 
 gelists and preachers whom I have heard, with whom 
 I have labored, and after whom I have read, but 
 above all, to the word of God and to my dear Lord 
 and Redeemer, who has blessed me more abundantly 
 than I have asked, deserved, or hoped. 
 
SOUL SAVING 
 
 He Winneth Souls That is Wise. — Prov. 1 1 :30. 
 
 Every church has its problems, such as perfecting 
 its organization, reaching the masses, discharging its 
 financial obligations, and supporting its missions, but 
 its supreme purpose should be the saving of souls. All 
 else should be subordinate to this important work. It 
 is sometimes called the conversion of sinners and the 
 edification of saints; and sometimes, the work of the 
 Lord, but it is soul saving. For this purpose Jesus 
 came from heaven. He came to seek and to save the 
 lost ; this led Him to suffer and to die ; with this pur- 
 pose in view he founded the church; for this purpose 
 the Holy Spirit was sent from heaven; this was the 
 divinely appointed mission of the apostles; to save 
 souls was the inspiration of the life and labors of the 
 Apostle Paul; this inspired Savonarola to thunder 
 against the sins of Florence; this inspired Munson to 
 risk his life amongst the cannibals ; this kept Carey in 
 India; this upheld Morrison in China; this sustained 
 Moffett in Africa; this inspired Payton in his work 
 amongst the New Hebrides; this has been the dom- 
 inant purpose and lofty inspiration of martyrs, mis- 
 sionaries, preachers and evangelists during the history 
 
8 SOUL SAVING 
 
 of the church. Every Christian is saved to save some- 
 one else. If he has not been engaged in this business 
 he has missed his calling. 
 
 The supreme need of the Church today is soul 
 saving. Some think the greatest need is a pipe-organ ; 
 a better choir; a better building or a better preacher, 
 but the greatest need is a passion to save souls. Only 
 one-fourth of our population are professed Christians. 
 Think of the men and women every day going down 
 to ruin ! Think of the millions in the gall of bitterness 
 and the bonds of iniquity ! Think of the terrible evils 
 of intemperance ! Think of the dishonesty in business ! 
 Think of the deceit in society! Think of the wicked- 
 ness in high places ! Think of the dogmas and tradi- 
 tions of men that have been substituted for the word 
 of God ! Think of the indifference and negligence on 
 the part of the professed followers of Christ! Think 
 of the majority of the inhabitants of the world on the 
 broad road to destruction who must be turned back to 
 God ; back from the powers of darkness to the light of 
 heaven; back from the error of their ways to Christ's 
 way. 
 
 James tells us he that converts a sinner from the 
 error of his way, saves a soul from death, and covers 
 a multitude of sins. John records how Andrew found 
 his brother Peter and brought him to Jesus. Our 
 Master told the healed demoniac to go back to his 
 home and tell his friends what great things the Lord 
 had done for him. The whole purport of the New 
 Testament Scripture is to convert the world to Christ 
 
SOUL SAVING 9 
 
 by saving the souls of the individuals through the ap- 
 pointed means of grace. This is the most important 
 work of the church. Some Christians act as if the 
 most important work was self culture or pecuniary 
 gain or worldly pleasure or the praises of men. Not 
 so; soul saving should take first rank. It is of more 
 importance than the propagation of dogmas, theologi- 
 cal discussions and sectarian tenets. It is more im- 
 portant than the accumulation of wealth, the obtaining 
 of an education, and the broadening of influence and 
 power. 
 
 Soul winners are needed not only in the pulpit, but 
 in the home, store, shop, factory, office, bank and upon 
 the farm and in the street. The church of God that 
 loves most and does the greatest amount of good is 
 the soul winning church. The church that has the best 
 prospects for future usefulness is the soul-winning 
 church. Hundreds of churches have been blotted out 
 of existence because they forgot their heavenly mis- 
 sion. Many are falling behind in the race for glory 
 because they are no longer engaged in soul saving. 
 The churches at Thyatyra, Corinth, and Laodecia were 
 long ago blotted out because they ceased to save 
 souls. As long as the church is engaged in this busi- 
 ness it will continue to live for the glory of God. I 
 read of a sentinel who slept at his post of duty when 
 he should have been on the watch, and for his negli- 
 gence was tried and condemned to be shot, and I 
 thought, what would be the result if God should treat 
 his negligent watchmen in such a manner? Many of 
 
10 SOUL SAVING 
 
 God's sentinels have fallen asleep at their posts of duty 
 while the enemy has been making headway and de- 
 stroying precious souls. How many wives have been 
 negligent in winning their husbands to Christ? I was 
 present not long since when an unsaved man went 
 down to death with the question on his lips, "Wife, 
 why did you not say or do more to save my poor 
 soul?" Many parents are asleep while their children 
 are living in sin. I heard of a man in California who 
 went in company with his little boy to pick some wild 
 flowers, and the father, becoming weary, fell asleep 
 and while he slept the little fellow in search of flowers 
 fell over a high precipice to death below. Oh, that 
 parents would awake to the necessity of saving their 
 children ! 
 
 Poor famished Hager drank of the water and was 
 saved, and she took of the same water and gave it to 
 Ishmael that he, too, might live. Would to God 
 that parents would take of the water of eternal life 
 that has slaked their thirst for pardon and give to their 
 children whose souls are famishing for the waters 
 that bubble up from the fountain of slavation! 
 
 It is a great thing to win a man from a bad habit 
 to a good one; to win an enemy and make him a 
 friend ; to win the ear of the ignorant and instruct it ; 
 to win a wayward child and make him obedient; but 
 inf'nitely greater is the winning of a soul to Christ. 
 The soul is to be won not to a creed or tradition ; not 
 to an opinion or religious experience, but to our 
 blessed Savior. It must be won to have faith in him, 
 
SOUL SAVING 11 
 
 to love him, to confess him, to repent toward him, 
 to obey him ; to be a partaker of his nature, to worship 
 him, to profess him before men, to live the life that he 
 lived and to confide and hope in his promises. 
 
 The requirements and qualifications of soul winning 
 are within the reach of all. 
 
 Wisdom- is needed. Wisdom wins many things ; 
 influence, position, power, wealth, friends, knowledge, 
 culture; but the greatest achievement of wisdom is 
 the winning of souls. Wisdom is needed to detect the 
 needs of men, and the adaptation of the gospel to their 
 various walks in life. Wisdom is needed that the soul 
 winner may be tactful as well as sincere in approach- 
 ing, teaching and persuading men. Words fittingly 
 spoken are like apples of gold in pictures of silver. 
 Paul was all things to all men that he might save 
 some. He talked to the Jews as a Jew. In Athens 
 he quoted the Grecian poets. To the Romans he made 
 known his citizenship. He was wise in the sacred art 
 of soul winning. Yes, great wisdom is needed be- 
 cause Satan and his allies are opposed to soul saving. 
 Wisdom is needed to contend with spiritual wicked- 
 ness in high places. Wisdom is needed to win from 
 the sinful attractions of the world. Wisdom is needed 
 to preach the gospel in all of its power and adaptation 
 to men. Seek this wisdom by the study of God's 
 word. Seek it from God from whom it cometh down. 
 Seek it in prayer. It is sweet and gentle — easy to be 
 entreated. Covet it that you may be equipped for 
 the work of soul winning. 
 
12 SOUL SAVING 
 
 Another qualification of soul winning is the as- 
 surance of personal salvation. The Master's servant 
 must get his heart right with God. Nothing convicts 
 like conviction. Faith produces faith. To pull a 
 drowning man out of the water, one must have a 
 sure footing. Jesus said to Peter, "When thou art 
 converted, strengthen thy brethren." The one who 
 would bring others to Christ must turn away from 
 sin and selfishness and yield the whole heart to Christ. 
 No man can be an eminent success in soul-winning 
 unless he is a thoroughly converted person. He must 
 have a close walk with God. He must possess a faith 
 that enables him to meet God in Nature, in History 
 and in Grace. He must live in the consciousness that 
 God is in him. When he thus feels the touch of God 
 he will soon cast the plague out of his own heart, be- 
 come revived in soul, bemoan the indifference and sin 
 among the members, and will set himself to work to 
 make the flock see and feel as he sees and feels. 
 Without this fire in the heart there will be no kindling 
 of the fire in the pulpit and in the pew. 
 
 The soul winner must set a godly example. Some 
 professed Christians drive people away from Christ 
 instead of drawing them to him. Sometimes this is 
 done by such a total indifference to Christ that no 
 one suspects the man or woman to be a member of 
 Christ's body. Sometimes it is done by ungodly con- 
 versation and sometimes by disreputable business 
 methods; sometimes by covetousness and avaricious- 
 ness; sometimes by social pride and strife. Again 
 
SOUL SAVING 13 
 
 and again it has been said, "Is such a person a Chris- 
 tian? I wonder if the church knows what kind of a 
 man he is in business, or the kind of a woman she 
 is in society ?" To save souls a Christian must be 
 right in heart and life. The house of God must 
 cleanse itself. The influence of the Christian known 
 to be pure in life, honest in business, and to have a 
 daily walk with God is beyond measure. His face is 
 like the face of an angel; his handshake is inspiring; 
 his life is uplifting. In business he makes other people 
 honest. In the home he makes the other inmates 
 happy. In society he makes the members pure. Have 
 you not heard of the little child who started to school 
 with a dirty face but was taught the first day to wash 
 the face and hands, and on returning to the home so 
 impressed the mother, father and other children that 
 they also washed their faces and hands, and it was 
 such a happy change for the better that the neighbors 
 who saw them began to follow their example until 
 the whole community was cleansed. 
 
 This story illustrates the great truth that if we 
 would have the world washed of its pollution we must 
 first cleanse the house of God. The greatest power 
 on earth for God is a consistent Christian life. You 
 have seen beautifully illustrated Bibles, but the best 
 illustration of the Bible is its precepts, lived in the lives 
 of men and women. Forgiveness is beautiful to read 
 about, but it is more beautiful in practice. The life of 
 the Christian should be in such harmony with God that 
 he could cry out with David, "Oh Lord ! give ear unto 
 
14 SOUL SAVING 
 
 my prayer that goeth forth out of unfeigned 
 lips." 
 
 A master passion to save souls is needed. If we 
 possess no love of souls we shall be powerless to save 
 them. We may have a knowledge of men and know 
 how to approach them, but if we lack in love our 
 efforts will be mechanical. If we love men fervently 
 we can do almost anything with them. A divine com- 
 passion in our hearts will be manifest in our lives. We 
 will then be patient with infirmities, and possess a 
 sympathy that all will appreciate. We learn this love 
 of souls from Christ. Jesus came to seek and to save 
 that which is lost. When He saw the multitude he 
 had compassion on them; when he met the leper, a 
 type of sin, he had compassion on him; when the 
 widow's son lay on the bier he had compassion on 
 the poor mother whose crushed heart was a type of 
 all sorrow; when he saw the fallen woman he had 
 compassion on her and forgave her and told her to 
 go and sin no more. If we would dwell in thought 
 long enough upon the peril of any man out of Christ 
 and the worth of his soul in the sight of God we 
 would possess an intense desire for that man's salva- 
 tion. This kind of love will never fail. It will give, 
 suffer, endure, and plead until victory comes. Elo- 
 quent tongues, shrewd schemes, plausible methods, and 
 elaborate plans may fail, but the dynamics of love will 
 win souls. It was this master passion that constrained 
 Christ to go from province to province, and from city 
 to city, and finally to give himself a ransom for all. 
 
SOUL SAVING IS 
 
 The early disciples caught this divine passion. The 
 Samaritan woman carried the glad tidings to the peo- 
 ple of Samaria. The great passion of Paul's life was 
 to win souls. He says, "My heart's desire and prayer to 
 God for Israel is that they might be saved." We should 
 hear the cry of the lost saying, "No man careth for my 
 soul;" the cry of the fallen saying, "God, be merci- 
 ful to me a sinner;" the cry of Ishmael for the water 
 of life; the Macedonian cry, "Come over and help 
 us;" the jailer's cry, "What shall I do to be saved?" 
 We need a conviction upon this subject such as Baxter 
 had, who said, "I wonder that I do not preach with 
 tears and descend from my pulpit, almost taking the 
 unsaved in my arms, and bearing them to Christ. I 
 wonder that I can sleep when I go to my home and 
 think of the unsaved into whose faces I have looked." 
 We need an engrossment upon this subject, such as 
 Brainard had, who said, "I care not where or how 
 I live or what hardships I endure, so I could but gain 
 souls to Christ." We need a singleness of purpose 
 upon this subject such as Brown of Haddington had, 
 who exhorted his fellow laborers to make the aim of 
 every sermon to win souls to Christ. Our labors 
 should not be so much to produce able discourses and 
 wax eloquent over reformatory measures as to save 
 souls. This was the burden of Paul's preaching; this 
 the aim of the ministry of the great Spurgeon and the 
 saintly Moody, and this will be the chief est concern as 
 we near the close of our ministry. 
 
 A conviction as to the value of the soul will inspire 
 
16 SOUL SAVING 
 
 to soul saving. "What shall it profit a man if he gain 
 the whole world and lose his own soul? What will a 
 man give in exchange for his soul?" Who can esti- 
 mate the worth of the soul — created in the image of 
 God, with boundless capacities, with unbounded influ- 
 ence, capable of eternal progress and enduring life. 
 A soul that cost the blood of Christ for its redemption. 
 Think of this priceless gem exposed to the wrath to 
 come ! Think of it being without Christ in this world ; 
 without pardon and peace ; without hope of heaven ! 
 Think of it under condemnation for not believing in 
 the only begotton Son of God! Think of it being 
 punished with an everlasting destruction from the 
 presence of the Lord and the glory of his power ! 
 
 With such thoughts surely the soul winner will have 
 a tender solicitude to win men to Christ, and to have 
 them enjoy the blessings of salvation and to walk in 
 the pathway that shineth brighter and brigther unto 
 the perfect day. 
 
 The soul winner must have a working knowledge of 
 the word of God. It is the sword of the Spirit. It is 
 the instrument God uses to reveal Christ, convict of 
 sin, and regenerate men. The law of the Lord is 
 perfect, converting the soul. We are born by it ; we 
 are cleansed by it. It should dwell richly in us. Others 
 may relegate it to the parlor table as an ornament or 
 the mantel shelf as a dust collector, but the man who 
 would win souls to Christ must use it to supply the 
 knowledge of the hidden things of the soul, to learn 
 about the Gospel of Christ, and the ways of eternal 
 
SOUL SAVING 17 
 
 life. Right acquaintance with it is necessary. Igno- 
 rance is dangerous. There are not a few ministers 
 who are so ignorant of the Scriptures as to be like 
 the disciples of John at Ephesus, who had not so much 
 as heard whether there be a Holy Ghost. Many souls 
 have been lost through failure to be instructed in the 
 correct plan of salvation. I have often been amazed 
 at the power of a quotation from the Scriptures to 
 silence a skeptic, to reclaim a wanderer, to encourage 
 a timid inquirer, to convict a sinner, to comfort a 
 sorrowing heart, and to send a ray of light to an 
 anxious soul. If the minister would win souls to 
 Christ, he must know how to use the Bible and teach 
 others how to use it. 
 
 Prayer is needed to turn people to righteousness 
 and to save souls. The word of God teaches the 
 efficacy of prayer. The effectual, fervent prayer of a 
 righteous man availeth much. Whatsoever ye ask be- 
 lievingly ye shall receive. Whatsover ye ask in my 
 name ye will receive. God promises to hear before we 
 call on him. You may not understand all about 
 prayer, but there is power in it. You may not under- 
 stand all about telegraphy, but you know it carries 
 your message across the continent and around the 
 world. A mother's prayer can travel faster than her 
 wandering boy. It pleases God to hear the petitions 
 of his children and he has promised to answer the cry 
 of his darlings. The answer to prayer travels faster 
 than electricity and it is more powerful than all the 
 hosts of darkness. Believing prayer will bring success 
 
18 SOUL SAVING 
 
 to the efforts of the soul saver. It will give free course 
 to the word and glorify God. Many of the greatest 
 and most successful meetings ever held began in the 
 heart of some burdened soul that poured forth petition 
 after petition to God in private. God must be touched 
 in prayer before we can touch our fellow men. We 
 can ofttimes do more on our knees than on our feet. 
 The spirit of the revival is the spirit of prayer. If the 
 heart is poured out to God in prayer-* something will 
 be done. Preachers are often weak in the pulpit be- 
 cause they are weak in prayer. Edward Payson said, 
 " Prayer is the first thing, the second thing, and the 
 third thing in revivals." The great Finney took a 
 man with him to remain in the room and pray while 
 he preached. The revival in New York City in 1857 
 was begun by a man oppressed in spirit over the moral 
 desolation of the city and who began to pray for 
 relief. Prayer was a mighty power in the great Welsh 
 revival. If the minister does not wrestle with God in 
 prayer, the laity will be lacking in prayer and one of 
 the most efficient helps in the revival will be lacking. 
 Pray for souls and you will have them. 
 
 Would you turn souls from Satan to Christ ? Famil- 
 iarize yourself with the precious invitations of Jesus. 
 Hear them: "Him that cometh unto me I will in no 
 wise cast out." "Come unto me all ye that labor and 
 are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my 
 yoke upon you and learn of me, for my yoke is easy 
 and my burden is light." "If any man thirst let him 
 come unto me and drink." "And the Spirit and the 
 
SOUL SAVING 19 
 
 Bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. 
 And let him that is athirst come ; and whosoever will, 
 let him take the water of life freely." There is not 
 a soul on earth that may not be brought to God if 
 approached in the right way. Gibraltar is a great fort, 
 and it was claimed that it could never be taken. It 
 was defended by artillery and fleets that poured forth 
 their volleys of death, but England took it, and so the 
 hardest hearted sinner may be captured by the be- 
 seiging cannon of the consecrated soul winners. It is 
 an easy thing to speak the kind word, to give a wel- 
 come invitation, and if necessary to go into the high- 
 ways and byways and persuade the people to come to 
 the Lord. When men go fishing they do not expect 
 the fish to come up on land to be caught, but they 
 go to the rivers, lakes and oceans and cast out the net 
 for the fish. The best fish sometimes require the 
 greatest care and skill and are found in the most dif- 
 ficult places. To find them you have to travel up the 
 creeks, over the hills and mountains, and so, soul- 
 winners, you must go into the highways and byways, 
 amongst the hedges and thorns, the woods and valleys 
 to find the sinners and bring them to Jesus. Cast down 
 your net ; it will not return empty. Proclaim the word ; 
 it will not come back void. Co-operate heartily with 
 others engaged in the same work for "they that sow 
 and they that reap shall rejoice together." 
 
 Every Christian should be a soul winner. This is 
 his duty. No matter how profound in learning, no 
 matter how broad in culture, no matter how experi- 
 
20 SOUL SAVING 
 
 enced in travel, no matter how eloquent in speech, his 
 greatest power should be to win souls, and to inspire 
 others to do the same. Parents should be soul win- 
 ners. Every parent that has a deep and abiding love 
 for his child should seek above all else to win him to 
 Christ. Teachers and guardians should look upon soul 
 salvation as of the first importance. Children should 
 be soul winners. "A little child shall lead them." 
 Many a parent has been brought to Christ through the 
 effort and example of his child. Every Christian 
 should feel the responsibility of being a soul winner. 
 Politicians make a personal canvass for votes for the 
 benefit of their party. Wholesale establishments send 
 their representatives into all sections of the country to 
 make a personal solicitation for customers. One Chris- 
 tian fired with the necessity of soul winning will 
 enthuse a whole church with his inspiration. God has 
 given to every man his work. If a man is scripturally 
 converted he looks for his neighbor to bring him to 
 Christ. The number of soul winners in a church de- 
 pends on the size of its membership. A church with 
 five hundred members should have five hundred soul 
 winners. Every member should consider it his duty 
 to search the highways and the byways till he finds 
 the "lost coin." Christ speaks to us as Joseph spake to 
 his brethren, "Ye cannot see my face except your 
 brother be with you." 
 
 The Soul Winner's reward and blessing for the won. 
 He is blessed by having his sins forgiven and has 
 the hope of everlasting life. He has the favor of 
 
SOUL SAVING 21 
 
 God and the comforting power of the Spirit of God. 
 After the Ethiopian treasurer accepted Christ he went 
 on his way rejoicing. The Phillippian jailer was ex- 
 ceedingly glad that he and his household believed in 
 God. The saved soul has reason to rejoice that he 
 has found the path of peace and is in the way that 
 leads to eternal glory. It is a blessing to the church. 
 He that winneth souls awakeneth souls already won. 
 The zeal of one soul winner will excite soul winning in 
 others. It will settle church difficulties and promote 
 the peace and prosperity of Zion. Amongst the souls 
 that are won there may be a prince in Israel ; a Crom- 
 well to dissolve a parliament; a Beethoven to write 
 sweet music; a John Howard to introduce prison re- 
 form ; an Oberlin to educate the poor ; a Cooper to 
 .endow an institution ; a David to write poetry, or a 
 Solomon to build a temple. It is a blessing for the 
 soul winner. It keeps his soul in good health, in- 
 creases his faith, inflames his love and promotes his 
 holiness. The church becomes more precious to him, 
 Christ more real, and the hope of the resurrection 
 more earnestly to be desired. He finds great joy jn 
 the hope of meeting those whom he won to Christ 
 in that better country, for what is our joy and our 
 hope but for them to be in the presence of Christ at 
 his coming? Fellowship here and hereafter, Sons of 
 God on earth and saints made perfect in heaven. 
 "They that are wise shall shine as the firmament, and 
 they that turn many to righteousness as the stars 
 forever and ever." What an exalted position! The 
 
22 SOUL SAVING 
 
 soul winner shining as stars in their different magni- 
 tudes; shining in clusters and constellations; shining 
 in the light of heaven ; shining in the diversity of glory, 
 and shining forever and ever. In his presence is the 
 fullness of joy and at his right hand there are pleas- 
 ures forever more. Now is the opportunity. Souls 
 are waiting to be saved. Souls are perishing; to the 
 rescue ! Souls are lost ; to the rescue ! Souls are cry- 
 ing for help ; to the rescue ! Souls without Christ ; to 
 the rescue ! The harvest is ripe ; put ye in the sickle 
 that ye may bring the precious sheaves to the Lord. 
 
DOING OUR BEST 
 
 She Hath Done What She Could.— Mark 14 :8. 
 
 Jesus spoke these words in defense of Mary who 
 had anointed him with the oil of Nard. He had spent 
 the day in Jerusalem in the heat of political discussion 
 but would not trust himself in the great metropolis 
 at night. He withdrew from the city to Bethany 
 where he could spend the evening in peaceful conver- 
 sation and the night in undisturbed repose. 
 
 The incident to which the text refers took place in 
 the house of Simon, whom Jesus had probably healed 
 of the leprosy. There were also present Lazarus, 
 whom Jesus had raised from the dead ; Martha, the 
 busy, bustling housekeeper, and Mary, who loved to sit 
 at the feet of Jesus and hear his words, and those 
 whom Jesus had called to be apostles. Jesus was re- 
 clining at the table and Mary came in quietly, opened 
 the flask, and poured the ointment on his head and the 
 odor filled all the house in which the little company 
 had gathered. Judas criticized her, saying, "Why was 
 this waste of ointment? It might have been sold for 
 three hundred denarii and given to the poor." But 
 Jesus said, "Let her alone. Why trouble ye her ? She 
 has wrought a good work upon me. The poor ye have 
 with you always and whensover ye will ye may do 
 
24 SOUL SAVING 
 
 them good. She hath done what she could. She has 
 come a forehand to anoint my body unto the burial." 
 
 This was an ingenious act of Mary's: It was in 
 obedience to no command; it was following no cus- 
 tom ; it was imitating no example ; it was her own 
 device. She loved Jesus and discovered a new way of 
 honoring him. Happy the Christian who anticipates 
 the wishes of Christ and institutes new and effective 
 ways of serving him and who on seeing a work to be 
 done, does it without being told. 
 
 This was a timely act of Mary's : She came afore- 
 hand to anoint his body. She did not wait until after 
 his death. It is customary to strew flowers upon the 
 coffin of the dead. How much better to give, expres- 
 sion to our love and to manifest it by words and deeds 
 of kindness before the cold hand of death removes the 
 objects of affection to where it is impossible for them 
 to appreciate gratitude and love ! 
 
 It was a generous act: The oil was of great value. 
 It was worth about sixty dollars in our money, which, 
 at that time, had a purchasing power of about six 
 hundred dollars and, therefore, it must have been very 
 precious in the eyes of Mary. Had it come from some 
 king or official we would not have thought so much 
 about it, and perhaps there would have been no criti- 
 cism ; but it came from Mary and was all that she had. 
 She gave her best. She had the means and will to 
 gratify the instincts of her love. Happy the Christian 
 who gives so generously to the extension of the King- 
 dom of Christ as to merit the reward of Mary ! 
 
DOING OUR BEST 25 
 
 It was a public act: She was not ashamed to con- 
 fess Christ publicly. The act was not done in a cor- 
 ner, but before her friends and the apostles of Jesus. 
 She cared not who saw her. She loved the Lord and 
 was outspoken in her expression of that love. Happy 
 the Christian who is not ashamed to confess Jesus 
 before men ! Such He will confess before his Father 
 in heaven. 
 
 It was an act of love : There must have been many 
 mingled feelings that prompted this beautiful offering. 
 Gratitude for the raising of Lazarus ; adoration of the 
 character of Jesus ; recognition of him as the Way, 
 the Truth, and the Life; the worship of him as the 
 Lord of Life and Death. But the foremost motive 
 must have been an expression of her love and desire 
 to honor One about to die. She divined his teachings 
 more deeply than his apostles. It was a pure, unself- 
 ish, unadulterated love. It was a devout soul respond- 
 ing to its Savior. Martyrs and missionaries have felt 
 this power. Every Christian who thus loves Jesus 
 and has a passion to serve him can find no gift that 
 will fully express his deep sense of worship and love. 
 
 This act of devotion was done regardless of criti- 
 cism : She did it without fear or favor. She cared 
 not who saw her and she cared less for what they said 
 about her. There are many Christians who refuse to 
 engage in work of the Lord and to give any expression 
 of their devotion to him for fear of criticism and ridi- 
 cule. The official, carping Judas viewed everything 
 in a financial light. Many people of today are like 
 
26 SOUL SAVING 
 
 him — always ready to criticize and say, "Why this 
 waste; a useless expenditure of money — no good will 
 come of it." Let all those who stand idly by through 
 fear of criticism emulate the example of Mary — noble, 
 fearless Mary! Who dares call her unselfishness ex- 
 travagance? Who dares to speak of her devotion as 
 waste? Jesus places the act above alms-giving to the 
 poor. Was it waste for Winkelried to pour the oil 
 of Nard of his precious life upon the Austrian spears 
 to make way for liberty for Switzerland? Was it 
 waste for the patriotic Warren to break the alabaster 
 casket of his precious life at Bunker Hill for his be- 
 loved country? Was it waste for Livingstone to pour 
 out his precious life upon the hard and woolly head 
 of Ham? Was it waste for the beloved Wharton to 
 give his life that the light of heaven might shine in the 
 dark places of darkest India? Was it waste, Oh 
 Gracious Father, when thou didst send the Pearl of 
 Great Price to shed his blood that precious souls might 
 live? Had Mary withheld this expression of her love 
 and worship she might well have been criticized. To 
 withhold the best in the service of our Master is waste. 
 The statesman who gives not his best counsel to his 
 country is unworthy of her. The general who does 
 not lay his best plans and break the alabaster box 
 of ointment upon the altar of his country is a traitor. 
 The teacher who does not bring forth all the treasures 
 of his wisdom and experience to anoint the brains and 
 hearts of his disciples is unworthy of the name. The 
 mechanic who does not lay all his skill upon the altar 
 
DOING OUR BEST 27 
 
 of his work is unworthy employment. The minister 
 who is not ready to preach as much as lieth in him is 
 unworthy his calling. Whoever serves should serve 
 to the highest capacity; whoever gives should give to 
 the largest liberality. One that will not deny himself 
 and take up the cross falls far behind the Master's 
 example. When the call of duty comes there should 
 be a ready and willing response regardless of what 
 people may say. Over a vestibule of a building stand- 
 ing in one of the Southern states is inscribed, "What 
 Will People Say?" and over the entrance to the audi- 
 torium the words "Let Them Say." The world's 
 greatest heroes have been sharply criticized. Do your 
 duty. Heed the Lord's command; engage with all 
 your heart in the work of saving souls ; break your 
 alabaster box of ointment in honor of Jesus, and if 
 people criticize remember the example of Mary; re- 
 member the commendation of Jesus ; remember that 
 the Lord said, "Blessed are ye when men shall say 
 all manner of evil against you." 
 
 Some disciples ask to be excused from active service 
 in the Master's vineyard because they can do so little. 
 Their plea is, "My station restricts me;" "My weak- 
 ness disables me;" "My obscurity embarrasses me;" 
 "My timidity unnerves me, and my talents are so lim- 
 ited." "If I could convert the Scribes and Pharisees ; 
 if I could turn a city to the Lord; if I could plant a 
 church, endow a college, support an orphanage, then it 
 would be worth while and I would engage in the 
 service with a commendable zeal and enthusiasm." 
 
28 SOUL SAVING 
 
 But we learn from this Scripture that there is no 
 station in life, however obscure ; no condition, however 
 humble; but something may be done for the Lord. 
 Mary was not to be judged by any showy enterprise, 
 by public charities or literary fame; by any perform- 
 ance that might be marked out for its pre-eminence ; 
 but on the ground that she had done what she could. 
 It was not a great act in comparison with the achieve- 
 ment of a Barak or an Esther; a Joan of Arc or an 
 Elizabeth Browning; a Frances Willard or a Mary 
 Livermore; but it was the best she could do. One 
 penny's worth, if it is the limit of self-denial, is as 
 good as ten thousand pounds. Jesus so recognized 
 it in what he said of the two mites the widow cast into 
 the treasury, which was more than they which gave 
 of all their abundance, because she gave all that she 
 had; and yet of another woman, poorer and frailer 
 still, who gave only tears and caresses for his feet. 
 Jesus recognized the disposition and ability of the 
 giver. He made no distinction as to weights and meas- 
 ures, tables of value, public achievement and standards 
 of honor as acknowledged by men. Christ is the judge. 
 His declaration is, "Not everyone that saith unto me, 
 'Lord, Lord,' but he that doeth the will of my Father 
 in heaven." 
 
 Mary could not write like the beloved apostle, John , 
 she could not tear down the strongholds of Satan, like 
 the Apostle Peter; she could not plant churches, like 
 Paul ; but in her humble station, she did her best, and 
 that is what timid women, reserved servants, shut-in 
 
DOING OUR BEST 29 
 
 invalids, poverty-stricken and humble men and women 
 may do the world over. Mary did her best. Every 
 one can do this. If this be done, then despondency 
 ought to be dismissed and the humble disciple count 
 himself committed to Christ as one who has done his 
 best. God is present in small opportunities and activi- 
 ties as well as where power is great, talents many, and 
 opportunities unlimited. 
 
 This sentence contains enough to encourage, inspire, 
 and command the greatest talent. Great talent means 
 a great responsibility. To be a "Chosen One" of 
 Israel is to be held accountable for extensive service. 
 Did Elizabeth Fry and Hannah Moore, and Alice and 
 Phoebe Cary in their service reach beyond the average 
 woman? If so, they did only their duty. They did 
 what they could. The command for the king upon 
 his throne is to do his best; the president in the 
 White House, the statesman in the Hall of Congress, 
 the teacher at his desk, the minister in his pulpit, and 
 the commanding genius in the work of reform, must 
 give to the Lord the alabaster box of their talents, 
 be their numbers five, ten, twenty, or a hundred. 
 
 Some ask to be excused from active service on 
 the ground of injury to their social standing. Some 
 belong to clannish circles and do not believe in conde- 
 scending to men of low estate or to a service they 
 consider beneath their dignity. They claim to belong 
 to a certain class, and are not required to go beyond 
 that circle. They will not break down the social lines. 
 They think to retain their own respectability by being 
 
30 SOUL SAVING 
 
 respecters of persons. This was the curse of Judaism ; 
 this the curse of ancient Greece and Rome; this the 
 curse of many churches that might otherwise be en- 
 gaged in the saving of souls. Mary gave no consider- 
 ation to how her act would affect her social position, 
 but followed the example of Christ, whose glory blazed 
 through every social barrier and who made in him one 
 new man, insomuch that he recognized neither rich 
 nor poor, high nor low. He is no respecter of persons. 
 "He that doeth the will of my Father, is my brother ;" 
 the sinner, is my friend; the publican, is my patient; 
 the lost one found, is of my sheepfold; and he that 
 was dead, is my son. We should imitate the example 
 of Mary as she imitated the example of Jesus. Noth- 
 ing will take the place of this sociability. We must 
 manifest a deeper interest in the less favored in the 
 Kingdom of heaven. We must seek the honor and 
 happiness of all. We must plan and invent methods to 
 make the discouraged man and woman and child rec- 
 ognize that Christ is working amongst them. We 
 must make all artificial and man-made classifications 
 disappear. We must make the Lord the center of a 
 heavenly circle, whose circumference surrounds all 
 those who do his will and whose motto is, "The 
 Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man." 
 
 Some ask to be excused from service because others 
 do so little, or nothing at all. Mary did not withhold 
 her service because others present were not giving ex- 
 pression to their love and devotion for the Master. 
 So frequently we hear it said, "So and So is talented, 
 
DOING OUR BEST 31 
 
 influential and wealthy; why doesn't he take hold and 
 do something for Jesus? I have done my share. Let 
 others now carry the burden of the day." But we 
 are not to measure ourselves by the standard of others ; 
 the apostle wisely said, "those who measure themselves 
 by themselves and compare themselves amongst them- 
 selves are not wise." 
 
 We are taught in this Scripture that there is some- 
 thing to be done for Jesus. We pause on that one 
 word, "Jesus!" — the central object of all love. The 
 Father loved him and was well pleased with his work. 
 The angels left their throne to usher him into this 
 world and sang upon the occasion of his birth, wajched 
 over him during his earthly pilgrimage and received 
 him back to glory. Jesus, the Son of God, the Savior 
 of men; something to be done for Him. He is our 
 teacher; we are his scholars. He is our captain; we 
 are his soldiers. He is our shepherd ; we are his 
 sheep. He is our Master; we are his servants. He 
 is our king; we are his subjects. Surely, we ought to 
 do something for him. We have been born anew by 
 his gospel; washed by his blood; inspired by his ex- 
 ample; animated by his hope and comforted by his 
 Spirit. Surely, we can do something for Jesus. Our 
 cry should be that of the apostle Paul, "Lord, what will 
 thou have me to do?" As Christ was in the world as 
 one that served, so should we serve. 
 
 What does Christ most desire of us : Is it the 
 product of our skill and labor? Does he not possess 
 these in abundance? 
 
32 SOUL SAVING 
 
 "My Father is rich in houses and lands, 
 He holdeth the wealth of the world in his hands ; 
 He has rubies and diamnods, silver and gold — 
 His coffers are full, he has riches untold." 
 
 He desires, first of all, our hearts. "My son, give 
 me thy heart." I believe in head religion, and I also 
 believe in heart religion, and in this thoughtful age 
 religion is becoming too much a matter of thought ;*in 
 this busy age too much a matter of business. Let the 
 religion of Christ sanctify the heart ; let its affections 
 be consecrated to its Lord and Master. 
 
 Love is active. Men prove their love not so much 
 by words as by their actions. Work is the way to 
 strength. Inactivity is the way to infirmity. The run- 
 ning water clears itself; the still water becomes stag- 
 nant. The active soul serves its Master; the idle soul 
 is the devil's workshop. In the world of sickness, 
 where so many are upon beds of languishing, some- 
 thing can be done for Jesus. In the world of sorrow, 
 where hearts are breaking over the disappointments of 
 life and the loss of loved ones, something can be 
 done for Jesus. In the great world of sin, where so 
 many are captives of Satan, careless about their soul's 
 salvation and never mentioning the name of God save 
 in the language of profanity, something can be done 
 for Jesus. 
 
 How can you better honor the bridegroom than by 
 honoring the bride? "Forsake not the assembling of 
 yourselves together as the manner of some is." Your 
 
DOING OUR BEST M 
 
 principle should be "A day in thy courts is better than 
 a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house 
 of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness." 
 Attend and engage in the services in the house of God. 
 This do for your own good. You are not so strong in 
 the faith but what you may become stronger. Your 
 souls must be edified, your hearts comforted, and your 
 lives made more spiritual. Your attendance will influ- 
 ence others to attend. Unless you are present how 
 can you expect your friends and the ungodly to be 
 there? If you love the Lord you must be found 
 amongst the faithful and nothing but sickness or in- 
 surmountable hindrances should keep you from the 
 sanctuary of God. If you are tempted to spend the 
 hour of service in idleness, or visiting, or recreation 
 say to the tempter, "Get thee behind me, Satan!" 
 When you become careless as regards the worship in 
 the house of God you have started on the road to ruin. 
 As long as you are faithful to the church worship 
 you are almost sure to be safe from the enemy, and 
 to refute the claims of the skeptic. There is a sermon 
 for every Christian in the words of Voltaire, "I have 
 no expectation that I will be able to destroy Christian- 
 ity as long as vast multitudes of people attend the 
 churches one day in every week." 
 
 Do what you can in prayer. Abraham's cry was, 
 "Oh that Ishmael might live before thee!" Jacob 
 wrestled with the angel of the Lord till he received a 
 blessing. The prophet of old prayed for the peace 
 and prosperity of Zion. Hezekiah prayed for the 
 
34 SOUL SAVING 
 
 Lord to lengthen out his days, and his life was pro- 
 longed for fifteen years. Prayer was the key in the 
 hands of Elijah that unlocked the clouds and brought 
 down rain from heaven. Solomon prayed for wisdom 
 from heaven to govern his great people and his prayer 
 was answered. When Peter was in prison the little 
 company gathered in the home of Mary and prayed for 
 his deliverance ; and God heard, smote the shackles, 
 opened the prison doors and gave the apostle his liberty. 
 John Knox was a man of prayer. Mary, Queen of 
 Scots, said she feared his prayers more than all the 
 allied armies of Europe. We are assured that the 
 prayers of the righteous avail much. If you pray ac- 
 cording to the conditions defined in God's Word it 
 will be a prayer that will command the blessing of 
 heaven upon you and your purposes in life. Pray that 
 the kingdom of heaven may come upon earth in the 
 hearts and homes of men. 
 
 Do what you can in witnessing for Christ. The 
 prophets of old considered themselves as witnesses for 
 the Lord. The early disciples said, "We are his wit- 
 nesses." A word spoken in due season — how good 
 it is. Israel had her great witnesses. Moses witnessed 
 for the Lord when he commanded Pharoah to let the 
 children of Israel depart. Samuel witnessed for the 
 Lord when he said, "To obey is better than to sacri- 
 fice." Elijah, when he stood before Ahab and said, 
 "Thou art the man who is troubling Israel !" Nathan, 
 when he stood before David and said, "Thou art the 
 man I" John the Baptist, when he said to Herod, "It 
 
DOING OUR BEST 35 
 
 is not lawful for thee to have thy brother Philip's 
 wife." Paul, when he stood before Felix and reasoned 
 of temperance, righteousness and judgment to come. 
 Ambrose, when he drove Theodosius back from the 
 gates of Milan. John Huss, when he called the burning 
 blush of shame to the cheeks of Emperor Sigismund. 
 Luther, when he faced kings and cardinals and said, 
 "I cannot retract; God help me!" So did Ridley and 
 Latimer when the blazing fagots shot upward around 
 their bodies and their souls mounted up to heaven. No 
 age has been without her great witnesses for Christ, 
 and none has ever had a greater need for witnesses 
 than the present. Evils are around us on every side. 
 Moralists are treasuring up wrath against the day of 
 wrath ; the indifferent are becoming more indifferent ; 
 the negligent more negligent ; the dry bones still dryer. 
 Infidelity is not so blatant, but it is more incipient, 
 and therefore, more dangerous. The great work of the 
 church of today is to enlist every member in the 
 heavenly appointed work of soul-saving. Christ called 
 Andrew. Andrew brought his brother Peter to Jesus. 
 Christ called Philip and Philip invited Nathaniel. 
 Christ told the man at the tombs to go and tell his 
 friends what great things God had done for him. 
 Christ sent Peter to preach to Cornelius and Cornelius 
 invited his kinsmen. Thousands of Christians must 
 praise God that some kind friend spoke to them about 
 their soul's salvation. If sinners are active in enticing 
 others to sin, Christians should be more active in 
 saving souls. There is a work to be done everywhere 
 
36 SOUL SAVING 
 
 and anywhere that opportunity presents itself. Christ 
 said, "Tend my sheep; feed my lambs." So long as 
 sin reigns the salvation of Christ must be preached. 
 
 If you have not the power to preach that salvation 
 you have the ability to invite the unsaved to the house 
 of God where they can hear of the unsearchable riches 
 of Christ. Say to them, as Moses said to Hobab, 
 ''Come thou with us and we will do thee good." Christ 
 calls you to go labor in his vineyard; to go disciple 
 all nations; to go preach the gospel to every creature. 
 He calls you to arm yourself with the sword of the 
 Spirit, and to let your light so shine before men that 
 others may see your good works and glorify your 
 Father which is in heaven. Every excuse has been 
 answered that would keep you from engaging in the 
 work of the Lord, and if there is one more thing that 
 I would drive home in this discourse — if there is one 
 more thought that I would sink into your conscience, 
 like a nail into a sure place, it is this ; every individual 
 Christian has a work to do, and if he does not do it, 
 it will not be done ; an influence to exert and if he does 
 not exert it, it will be withheld; a kind word to speak 
 and if he does not speak it, it will never be spoken. 
 It is the heartfelt conviction of my soul that the hope 
 of the church in the future will depend more upon the 
 activities of the congregation than upon the ministra- 
 tions of the clergy. The call is for all Christians — old 
 and young, to join in head and heart, and in body and 
 soul, in the work of saving men from sin. 
 
 What are you doing? I would emphasize the word, 
 
DOING OUR BEST 37 
 
 "What." I would bring this question close to your 
 hearts. What have you done in the Sunday-school, 
 in the church, in the missionary circle for Christ? 
 What have you done in the home, in your society, in 
 your business for Christ ? What have you done in the 
 work of philanthropy for Christ? What have you 
 done to rescue the perishing, to comfort the sorrowing, 
 to strengthen the faith of the weak, to call back the 
 wanderer, to find the lost sheep and to glorify your 
 Father in heaven? Have you done what you could? 
 If not, ask Christ's forgiveness and remember what 
 he did for you and put forth every effort to redeem the 
 past and to do more for the Master. 
 
 What are you doing? I emphasize "you," for this is 
 a personal matter. What are you rich, what are you 
 poor, what are you of high standing, what are you of 
 low estate, doing for Jesus? It is a personal question 
 to every heart. Is your heart's desire and prayer to 
 God for the salvation of the lost ? Have you done any- 
 thing in the past, and are you doing anything now, to 
 advance the glory of God? 
 
 This text contains the measures of your responsibil- 
 ity. God will ask for nothing beyond your power. If 
 you think this is an easy rule ask yourself this impor- 
 tant question, "Have I done what I could?" Am I 
 doing more than I did in the past ? Is my ideal higher ? 
 Is my standard of duty advancing? Is my life better? 
 Am I ready to stand before the judgment bar of Christ 
 and answer this question ? Oh, what a searching ques- 
 tion ! Test yourself with it, soberly, earnestly, prayer- 
 
38 SOUL SAVING 
 
 fully. Let the busy man of affairs ; let the successful 
 ones in life; let the disappointed and sad ones; let 
 the older and long-trusted ones; let those who have 
 been unfortunate and those who have been ruined by 
 the crimes of others ask this question, "Have I done 
 what I could?" Have you wives and mothers, whose 
 sacred office has been the formation of character; you 
 lonely women, who have been kept in retirement and 
 seclusion; you young women, with so few cares for 
 yourselves and with time for large service, done what 
 you could? Have you bereaved parents, you desolate 
 widows, you burdened, solitary souls, done what you 
 could? Have you young men whose glory is in your 
 strength done what you could ? 
 
 To all who have been sitting at the feet of Jesus 
 and drinking in his spirit, have you broken the ala- 
 baster box of the best of your life on his head, for the 
 salvation of souls and the glory of your God? Have 
 you been taxing your resources and ransacking your 
 coffers, as did Mary, that you might bring the highest 
 and best offering to the Master? If you have not 
 been able to do great things, have you been doing the 
 little acts of kindness, and performing the little deeds 
 of devotion for your Master? God promises to help 
 us to do more as soon as we are willing to do some- 
 thing. He forgives us, as soon as we are ready to 
 forgive our debtors. Luther did not commence his 
 work with any purpose of effecting so great a Reforma- 
 tion ; he did what he could and was finally constrained 
 to take a stand against the whole church. It is an im- 
 
DOING OUR BEST 39 
 
 pelling thought that if we do what we can, we are 
 immediately prepared to do more. We take one step 
 at a time. Little by little life opens before us; little 
 by little our faith increases ; little by little we rise to em- 
 inences of thought and life, and to broader conceptions 
 of God's goodness, scarcely knowing how we came to 
 see so much, do so much, enjoy so much by following 
 out the thought of doing what we can. You know his 
 promise — he that gives a cup of cold water to the least 
 of his disciples will not be without his reward? Have 
 you forgotten his words, inasmuch as ye did it unto 
 one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it 
 unto me? Behold, what he said of Mary: "Where- 
 soever this gsopel shall be preached throughout the 
 whole world this shall be spoken of as a memorial of 
 her." Crowned kings and queens have bowed before 
 this monument. Martyrs and missionaries have been 
 encouraged by it. Prisoners have listened to the beau- 
 tiful story. Its encouragement has comforted the poor ; 
 it has sustained the modest and retiring in their obscure 
 labors of love; it has been heralded around the 
 world, and today we place a garland of flowers upon 
 this monument to commemorate the memory of Mary 
 and to fulfill the prophecy spoken nineteen hun- 
 dred years ago. Today, we honor the Master by new 
 resolutions to serve him with all the power of 
 our souls and with all the affection of our hearts, 
 knowing that he will not forget our works of 
 faith; knowing that if we do our best in thought, in 
 word, in prayer, in deed, souls will be saved, Christ 
 
40 SOUL SAVING 
 
 glorified, and the church go on from conquering unto 
 conquest ! 
 
GOD IN THE WORLD 
 
 "In the beginning, God." — Gen. 1:1. 
 "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto him- 
 self:'— 11. Cor. 5:19. 
 
 The sentence, "In the beginning, God," stands like 
 an archway at the beginning of the universe. In the 
 beginning of heaven, God; in the beginning of the 
 earth, God; in the beginning of time, God; in the be- 
 ginning of man, God; in the beginning of the Bible, 
 God; in the beginning of -salvation, God; standing in 
 the center of a railroad track and looking down be- 
 tween the two rails, they seem to approach each other 
 in the distance, until finally they meet; so, looking 
 back through the history of the different races of men 
 there is a common point, where all converge, and that 
 point is "God." Looking back at the universe to the 
 time when the chaotic mists hung across the morning 
 of creation, we see streaking their silvery summits that 
 infinite word, "God." Looking above us at the stars 
 of the heavens, and contemplating their number and 
 magnitude, and the power that created and sustains 
 them, we think of "God." Looking forward into the 
 infinite future, toward which all are traveling, we meet 
 with "God." The idea of God is the center of the 
 spiritual universe. It is the focal point of human 
 
42 SOUL SAVING 
 
 thought. It is the answer to the soul's thirst. It is the 
 universal prayer. It is the greatest idea in the world. 
 It is the idea that overwhelms us; that humbles us: 
 that exalts us, that saves us ; that inspires us, and that 
 makes us believe in our immortality. It is the key- 
 note to religious progress. "As a man thinks about 
 God, so he is." 
 
 Sooner or later every man will rise or fall according 
 to his conception of God. The idea of God has been 
 made to serve tyrants as well as saints. It has been 
 an inspiration to every noble service and an incentive 
 to every form of selfishness. It has been the plea 
 of the martyr and the excuse of the criminal. It has 
 marched the good and great in their acts of kindness 
 and philanthropy, and it has been the debasing power 
 for the vicious and impure. It has been the greatest 
 blessing to the world, and the greatest curse to the 
 world. The nation whose God is the Lord is exalted 
 in righteousness and leads in the van of history. The 
 nation whose God is Bael is. a reproach to civilization 
 and a curse upon the earth. We should rejoice that 
 we live in a land whose God is the God of the Bible 
 and the God of Nature; the ultimate force and the 
 ultimate fact of the universe; the center of all order 
 and the heart of all just government. 
 
 Unfortunatly, our God has been depicted in a light 
 that is neither attractive nor designed to constrain us 
 to love him. In Art he is too frequently represented 
 as being seated in a rigid and formal manner upon a 
 straight-backed chair, with eyes gazing into space, with 
 
GOD IN THE WORLD 43 
 
 a crown upon his head, with a royal robe wrapped 
 about him, with a scepter of gold in his hand, with 
 his feet resting upon a globe as if to make him the 
 terrible ruler of the earth. In Science, he has too 
 frequently been represented not as a person — not as a 
 Father, with a heart to love, not with ears to hear the 
 cries of his children, not with lips to pardon our sins, 
 not with eyes to look tenderly upon our misgivings, but 
 as something that is unreal and intangible, and with 
 no personality. In Philosophy he is too frequently rep- 
 resented as having created the world, and then leaving 
 it to its own devices ; leaving it to go whirling through 
 space in obedience to the laws of Nature ; leaving men 
 to wreak their mad and murderous impulses out upon 
 themselves and their helpless wives and children ; leav- 
 ing the race without hope, without prayer, without per- 
 mission to approach the throne of grace. 
 
 In Pantheism, God is made identical with the uni- 
 verse — therefore, is a flower, or a stone, or a tree, or 
 light, or heat, or earth, or heavens, or the aggregate 
 of all these; a God without thought and emotion; a 
 God without tenderness and love ; a God without in- 
 terest in the affairs of men. In History, he has fre- 
 quently been represented as a conquering King, ruling 
 the people by his iron will ; as a Judge, executing the 
 laws ; as a Master subjugating his slaves ; as a great 
 pattern of man, full of meanness and cruelty, directing 
 the affairs of men, and therefore, the God of History 
 has been made by some people into a God of rivers 
 and harbors ; a God of storms and floods ; a God of 
 
44 SOUL SAVING 
 
 health and sickness; a God of war and peace; a God 
 of agriculture and wealth; a God whose wrath must 
 be appeased and whose favor must be won by the offer- 
 ing of sacrifices. But we rejoice that in Christ we have 
 a new conception of God. Jesus taught us to say, "Our 
 Father." It was the enunciation of the great truth of 
 the universal Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood 
 of man. Neither Art, nor Science, nor Philosophy, 
 nor Pantheism, nor History, nor Nature had taught 
 such a comprehensive view of our God. It is a new 
 idea of God that came through the Revelation of the 
 Lord Jesus Christ; an idea of God that brings to- 
 gether in one brotherhood and family all that dwell 
 upon the face of the earth; an idea that levels all 
 castes and ranks of men ; an idea that brings peace and 
 good-will to men ; an idea that binds all races and colors 
 together in one common bond of sympthy; an idea 
 that saint and sinner, bond and free, Greek and Barba- 
 rian, may accept with all heart and soul : We love to 
 entertain this idea of God. We may apprehend this 
 idea of "Our Father," though not be able to compre- 
 hend the fullness of its meaning. 
 
 There is no need of arguments to prove the existence 
 of our Father. The Bible assumes that God exists, 
 and that every man's conscience is a witness to that 
 fact; with this idea in view, we love to think of God 
 as being in the world and the world belonging to him, 
 and that in him we live, and move and have our being. 
 Idols have been in the world and claimed it, but we 
 rejoice that they are being overthrown and the idol 
 
GOD IN THE WORLD 45 
 
 worshippers are turning from the gods of wood, stone, 
 brass, silver and gold, to the God of the heart and 
 home, of Nature and Revelation. Satan has been in 
 the world and claimed it and ruled it as the Prince of 
 the powers of darkness. He laid claim to it when he 
 led Jesus up into the Mount and showed him all the 
 kingdoms of the world, and offered them to him if he 
 would bow down and worship him; but we rejoice that 
 the power of Satan has been broken, and men have 
 turned from Satan unto God. Great conquerors have 
 been in the world and endeavored to govern it ; Cyrus 
 and his legions tried it; Xerxes and his millions tried 
 it; Alexander and his Invincibles tried it; Caesar and 
 his Roman Eagles tried it ; Charlemagne and his army 
 tried it; Napoleon and his regulars tried it; but they 
 failed — they all failed and their armies were dispersed. 
 Men of wealth have tried to buy it ; monopolists have 
 attempted to monopolize it ; kings have endeavored to 
 rule it ; but every effort to control the earth has been 
 such a failure that the inscription could be written over 
 the hearts of the usurpers that is written over the door 
 of the Royal Exchange of London — "The earth is the 
 Lord's and the fullness thereof." 
 
 God is in the world as its Creator. The Scriptures 
 tell us that "in the beginning God created the heavens 
 and the earth." "Thou hast made the heaven of heav- 
 ens, with all their hosts, the earth with all things 
 thereon, the seas and all that is therein, and thou pre- 
 servest them all." "He stretcheth out the north over 
 the empty place and hangeth the earth upon nothing." 
 
46 SOUL SAVING 
 
 "He hath made everything beautiful in its time." "The 
 Spirit of the Lord hath made me; the breath of the 
 Almighty hath given me life." "It is he that made 
 us, and not we ourselves." "We are his people, the 
 sheep of his pasture." "He giveth to all life and breath 
 and all things, and hath made of one blood all nations 
 to dwell upon the face of the earth and hath the times 
 afore appointed and the bounds of their habitations." 
 There is design in Nature and design presupposes a 
 designer. A ship presupposes a ship-builder; a watch 
 a watch-maker; a world a world-designer and world- 
 maker. A world-designer is a thinker and that Thinker 
 is God — the Creator of the universe. Man has made 
 wonderful things ; great are the beauties of art and 
 wonders of science ! Have you never studied the great 
 bronze and marble statues conceived by the wisdom 
 of man and wrought by the delicate instruments of his 
 hand? Have you never studied the great paintings 
 of man, with all their beauty, harmony, proportion and 
 exquisite finish that have portrayed the great events 
 of the world and won the admiration of men — statues 
 and paintings that have been produced by great masters 
 through years of toil, that have adorned great cathe- 
 drals and galleries for centuries ; that have been looked 
 upon by authors, poets, artists, conquerors, and tourists 
 from all the nations of the earth, and yet, notwithstand- 
 ing all their beauty and finish, there is not one of them 
 that can equal the delicacy of the little flower or sur- 
 pass the beauty of the gorgeous sunset, or the grandeur 
 of the star-gemmed heavens. Not even the greatest 
 
GOD IN THE WORLD 47 
 
 of God's children, though he be taxed to the utmost — 
 though his life depended upon it, could make a blade 
 of grass. God is in the harmony, law, order, intelli- 
 gence, design, relation of cause to effect, adaptation of 
 means to an end and purpose of all Nature. 
 
 God is in the world as its Preserver. His province 
 ruleth over all. "The Lord God is a sun and shield and 
 buckler to them that walk uprightly." "Except the 
 Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it; 
 except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh 
 in vain." "When a man's ways please the Lord, he 
 maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him." 
 "There are many devices in a man's heart; neverthe- 
 less, the counsel of the Lord shall stand." If our 
 heavenly Father cares for the sparrows, and hears the 
 cry of the ravens, shall he not much more care for 
 those who are made in his likeness, and hear the cry 
 of his darlings ? 
 
 God is in the world in promise. The best men in 
 the world have never been satisfied with it. The song 
 of the poet, the prophecy of the seer, the philosophy 
 of the pagan, and the spiritual insight of the Christian 
 have all spoken of a time, 
 
 "When wars and tumults all shall cease, 
 And be banished grief and pain ; 
 
 When righteousness and joy and peace, 
 Undisturbed shall ever reign." 
 
 Possibilities are being developed in the earth which 
 
48 SOUL SAVING 
 
 indicate that even a blooming paradise may be planted 
 in reigions where climate and vegetation seem un- 
 favorable. The remarkable development of the intel- 
 lect of man is beginning to indicate some of the 
 gigantic strides of man's progress in mental science. 
 The humanitarian ideas of men are beginning to proph- 
 esy that the time will come when the lion shall lie down 
 with the lamb, and when we add to this anticipation, 
 the voice of God speaking through Revelation we are 
 indeed encouraged, for herein we are told "That there 
 shall be a time when all the ends of the earth shall turn 
 unto the Lord ; that all the men of the earth shall wor- 
 ship before him; that righteousness shall look down 
 from heaven ; that they that sow in tears shall reap 
 in joy; that there shall be a restitution of all things; 
 that the day shall come when men will beat their 
 swords into plowshares ; that nation shall not rise up 
 against nation, nor shall they learn war any more ; 
 that the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth 
 as the waters cover the sea; that he shall put all ene- 
 mies under his feet, that every knee shall bow and 
 every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Christ to the 
 glory of God." 
 
 God is in the world in the history of man. He is 
 in the world of nature, ruling by great forces, and in 
 the nations of the earth, ruling by great principles. 
 He walks in the nations and gives them light, visits 
 them with judgment, and opens the gates that the 
 righteous nations that possess the truth, may enter 
 therein. He established Israel and kept her in the 
 
GOD IN THE WORLD 49 
 
 midst of warlike nations. His plan is neither isolation 
 nor antagonism, but the Brotherhood of man and the 
 Fatherhood of God. His plan is to make the nations 
 complements to one another. No one national type 
 contains all perfections. Every nation has its limita- 
 toins and deficiencies. The Sciences teach as that 
 we are indebted all around : For example, we learn 
 in Botany that the Jasamine came from the East 
 Indies, the Lily and Tulip from the Levant, the Tube 
 rose from Java, the Pink from China, the Dahlia from 
 Mexico, the Heliotrope and the Fuchia from Chili, 
 and the Shrubs from Japan. Every nation has a con- 
 tribution to make to civilization. The Hebrew pre- 
 served the real worship of the true and only God ; 
 the Grecian gave to the world culture, and the Roman 
 law and authority. The nations of the earth are in- 
 tended to enrich one another in art, industry, litera- 
 ture, language, government, and religion, and every 
 nation should make the most of itself for the good of 
 others. Every nation must develop its special talents 
 and do what it can for the good of humanity. Our 
 motto must not be "America for America," but 
 "America for the world and for God." 
 
 God has truly been in the history of our nation. The 
 historian who makes a record of the discovery, settle- 
 ment and growth of our country, and leaves God out 
 of it, does not write a correct history. Columbus had 
 a strong faith in God and in the prophesies of the 
 Bible, as well as in the rotundity of the earth, that 
 led him to seek a new world. He looked with a pro- 
 
50 SOUL SAVING 
 
 phetic vision toward the golden sunsets of the West. 
 The new world was a necessity. The ever-increasing 
 population of the old world demanded it ; the ambition 
 of man required it; the growth of commerce called 
 for it; the progress of political and religious liberty 
 insisted upon it ; it was the logical demand of the 
 times. The heart of man was yearning for a wider 
 field of usefulness. The development of Christian 
 ideals was calling for opportunity. Columbus was 
 the instrument in God's hand to do the work. 
 
 "Well may he utter prayers of gratitude to God 
 For guiding him to that green island's sod." 
 
 As God was in the Discovery so he was in the Set- 
 tlement of this country. Never was the hand of Prov- 
 idence more distinctly shown than in the sifting of the 
 nations of Europe for the best blood for the new 
 world. Never did a nation have a better beginning. 
 The settlers of old Rome were robbers ; the settlers 
 of Greece were wandering tribes ; Israel came from 
 Egyptian brick-yards; the early settlers of Germany 
 and Briton wore the skins of beasts and spread fire 
 and desolation on every side ; but the early settlers of 
 our country were a civilized people. They had in 
 their brains and hearts the highest ideals of the high- 
 est civilizations of Europe. They were the best people 
 on earth fitted to found a new world. There were no 
 such people as followed Pizaro into Peru and Cortez 
 into Mexico. They were men of faith, determination 
 
GOD IN THE WORLD 51 
 
 and prayer. They were courageous, conscientious and 
 devout. They brought with them the great ideas of 
 material prosperity, better government, broader cul- 
 ture, and greater religious freedom. Their movements 
 and enterprise were made with an appeal to God for 
 his blessing. When forced to defend their rights, they 
 did so in the name of the Lord of Hosts. When 
 they assembled in Congress they came together as a 
 deliberate body of Christian men. Unless we read their 
 history with the eye of faith we cannot account for 
 their success in face of the opposition of Priest-craft 
 and King-craft. The early history of our nation shows 
 that God was with the people and that he did not 
 intend this country for the frenzied religious zeal and 
 inquisition of Spain, the fashion and infidelity of 
 France, the aristocracy of England, but for liberty, 
 education and Christianity. Thus it is written in God's 
 Book of Destiny that over the homes of America 
 should float neither the Lion and Tower of Spain, nor 
 the Golden Lilies of France, nor the Union Jack of 
 England, but the Stars and Stripes of America ! 
 
 "God was in Christ reconciling the world to him- 
 self/' Christ is the express image of the Father. 
 Jesus said unto Philip: "He that hath seen me hath 
 seen the Father." God was in Christ, not to condemn, 
 but to save the world ; to draw the world unto him- 
 self; to heal the woes of man; to cleanse man from 
 sin and to establish in his heart the great principle 
 of brotherly love and worship of God. It is a won- 
 derful thought that God was in Christ reconciling the 
 
52 SOUL SAVING 
 
 world to himself. He was in him as the light is in 
 the sunbeam. It demonstrates the infinite kindness of 
 our heavenly Father. He looked upon man and rec- 
 ognized his needs. He looked upon his sorrows and 
 sent him a Comforter. He looked upon his ignorance 
 and sent him a Teacher. He looked upon his sins and 
 sent him a Savior, and that Teacher, and Comforter, 
 and Savior was his own Son. Would you like to 
 know how God feels toward you and toward his chil- 
 dren ? Study how Jesus felt toward those who sur- 
 rounded him while he walked the hills and valleys of 
 the Holy Land. Referring to the little children, he 
 said: ''Suffer the little children to come unto me, and 
 forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of 
 heaven." That one sentence shows the heart of God 
 toward little children. When he saw the suffering 
 sisters at the grave of their brother he wept with 
 them, and called the brother back from the dead, thus 
 showing how he sympathizes with the sorrowing for 
 all time to come. When he looked upon the sins of 
 Jerusalem, he wept over the wicked city, showing his 
 touch of humanity toward the erring ones. When he 
 saw the blind beggar by the wayside he turned to him, 
 and said: "What shall I do unto thee?" When the 
 beggar asked for his sight, Jesus said, "Be it done 
 unto thee according to thy faith." When he saw the 
 man writhing under the power of demons he had pity 
 upon him and cast out the demons and sent the healed 
 one back to his home to tell what great things God 
 had done for him. Are the gates of death opening 
 
GOD IN THE WORLD 53 
 
 to you ? He has promised to be with you and to guide 
 you even unto death, thus showing that our Father 
 has a feeling of sympathy toward his children in sick- 
 ness, in sorrow, in sin, in anguish of soul, and in sight 
 of Death. 
 
 God is in the Church of Christ. It was prophesied 
 that he would be in the midst of her and help her, and 
 that right early. If the church had not been of God's 
 planting and an object of his special care it long since 
 would have come to naught, but it was of God and 
 therefore could not be overthrown. God has given 
 her victory over Judaism, Paganism, Barbarianism 
 and Infidelity. The blood of the martyrs has been the 
 seed of the church. The greater the opposition, the 
 greater the growth. Had not God been in the church, 
 she could have never withstood' the weapons that have 
 been leveled against her. A living church requires a 
 living Savior. 
 
 God is in the hearts of his people. He dwelleth in 
 the high and holy place, and in the humble and contrite 
 heart. "The word was made flesh and dwelt amongst 
 us, and of its fullness have we all received and grace 
 for grace." "He that believeth hath the witness in 
 himself." "The kingdom of heaven is within you." 
 "Ye are the temple of the Holy Ghost." "Behold, I 
 stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my 
 voice and open the door I will come in unto him and 
 sup with him and he with me." "If any man have 
 not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his." "Let this 
 mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus." "Repent, 
 
54 SOUL SAVING 
 
 and be baptized in the name of Jesus unto remission 
 of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy 
 Spirit." "Christ within, the hope of glory." 
 
 With these ideas of God we have a sure foundation 
 for moral distinctions. A world without God would 
 be an immoral world. Man without God would be a 
 debased criminal. With these ideas of God we have 
 the assurance of immortality. God is; therefore, we 
 are. God exists; therefore we can hope for eternal 
 existence. Christ, the same yesterday, today, and for- 
 ever. Our immortality is derived from him. With 
 these ideas of God there is a great goal toward which 
 we are moving. Without God the universe would be 
 without purpose. Without God there would be no 
 plan in creation, but with the right conception of God, 
 the plan for which all things were created, is redemp- 
 tion, and it is with that end in view that God is in the 
 world in Christ, reconciling men unto himself. With 
 these ideas of God men are constrained to draw near 
 unto him in all confidence and love. He is no longer 
 the "Unknown" God. He has spoken to us in Christ. 
 He has manifested himself in a human life. He has 
 unveiled his love for man through his dear Son. As 
 a result, men have a better understanding of him. He 
 is not less powerful, but more lovable, because men 
 know him better, and the more they know him the 
 more they love him. With these ideas of God our 
 faith is strengthened; we are comforted in our sor- 
 rows, and reconciled to our lot, — be it one of disap- 
 pointment or joy. With this idea of God there is 
 
GOD IN THE WORLD 55 
 
 hope for all : Have you forsaken the path of rectitude 
 and honor and lost your self-respect? Have you felt 
 the hardness and cruelty of men, and at times felt like 
 an outcast upon the earth ? Have you felt the pangs of 
 poverty and the bondage and inconvenience of desti- 
 tution ? Have you ever felt that you are in the bonds 
 of iniquity and gall of bitterness, and unworthy of 
 recognition on the part of your Creator? Remember 
 that God is your Father and Christ is your Savior. 
 Have you been called to enter the shadow of affliction 
 — have the loved ones, whose hearts were entwined 
 about yours, been taken to the Green Lawns, the 
 Forest Homes, and the Mt. Hopes? Have you felt 
 age whitening your locks and enfeebling your limbs 
 and the earth slipping from you ? Has the companion 
 who walked by your side, upon whom you lavished the 
 treasures of your love, and who pillowed your head 
 and stroked your temple, been placed beneath the 
 white stones of the cemetery? Remember in "your 
 loneliness and yearning for companionship, that God 
 is your Father and Christ is your Savior. Are heaven's 
 gates swinging open for you and the summons calling 
 for you? Remember that God is your Father and 
 Christ is your Savior, and hear him say: "In my 
 Father's house are many mansions." "I am the Res- 
 urrection and the Life." Thank God that you pos- 
 sess the true knowledge of him, and that you believe 
 on him ; that He is in the creation, in the preservation, 
 in the history, and in the salvation of man. 
 
 The man must be blind who cannot recognize God's 
 
56 SOUL SAVING 
 
 presence in the world. When we consider the history 
 of the nations, and how, out of their crumbling ruins, 
 God has built a better civilization, how he has 
 overthrown tyrants that better men might rule, 
 and how he has made the wrath of man to praise 
 him, we recognize that God is in the world. When we 
 consider the rapid developments and great achieve- 
 ments of the human race in times of peace, 
 the commercial blessings and benevolent institutions of 
 the nations that acknowledge the Lord as God, and 
 the founders of our Republic, and their victories of 
 faith, we recognize that God is in the world. When 
 we consider the origin and growth of our Sunday- 
 schools — that mighty army marching under the ban- 
 ner of their King, and singing joyous songs that make 
 the very welkin ring, the organization and growth 
 of the Young People's Societies, embracing the whole 
 world in their mighty compass and developing the 
 principles of the kingdom of heaven, our mission- 
 ary societies and the great difficulty under which they 
 were organized, the stupendous obstacles they encoun- 
 tered in their growth, and the remarkable victories 
 in winning souls to Christ in the midst of heathen 
 darkness, and how feeble our churches were in their 
 origin, oppressed in their beginning, rapid in their 
 growth and wonderful in their transforming power 
 over society, we recognize that God is in the world. 
 When we consider the pit from which God lifted us, 
 the sins from which he has cleansed us, and the com- 
 fort that he has given to us, and what Christianity 
 
GOD IN THE WORLD 57 
 
 has done in renewing men, in inspiring them to great 
 undertakings, in making them the light of the world, 
 the leaven that leavens the lump of humanity, we 
 recognize that God is in the world. When we stand 
 beside those we love with hearts so dear, and bid them 
 a last adieu, and see their unfaltering faith in the 
 presence of death and their strong hope of heaven, 
 we recognize that God is in the world. When we 
 reach the limit of our earthly life and stand between 
 the past and the eternal future, and find in Christ 
 Jesus an anchor of faith, both sure and steadfast, and 
 recall how He has kept us, sustained us, cheered us, 
 comforted us, and now points us to heaven with a 
 faith and hope and love that cannot be shaken, and 
 bids our hearts rejoice that we have kept the faith 
 and finished the course, and are now ready and willing 
 to obey the summons to come up higher and receive 
 through him the reward that awaits the righteous, we 
 recognize that God is in the world. 
 
 Only the fool can say there is no God, and he can- 
 not say it from any show of reason, but from the cor- 
 ruption of his own depraved heart; therefore, let us 
 sum up the whole matter and hear the conclusion of 
 the whole discussion: Our God is great, holy, wise, 
 good, powerful and merciful. He is in the world 
 in its creation, preservation, history and redemption; 
 therefore, humble yourselves before him, worship him, 
 and prepare to meet him. Let old and young, rich 
 and poor, learned and ignorant, prepare to meet him. 
 Everyone must soon meet him and answer for the 
 
58 SOUL SAVING 
 
 deeds done in his body, for the use of his time and 
 talents, and for the improvement of his privileges and 
 opportunities. Oh, man ! Are you prepared to meet 
 your God? If not, I entreat you, by his love and 
 mercy, prepare to meet him. I entreat you, by the 
 atoning blood of Jesus Christ, prepare to meet him. I 
 entreat you, in the interest of your own salvation, 
 prepare to meet him now. Make ready while you have 
 the opportunity; accept the invitation while it is being 
 given; obey his will and consecrate yourself, body 
 soul, and spirit, to his service today ; make your peace 
 with God ere another sun sinks beneath the horizon 
 and judgment dawns upon you and finds you unpre- 
 pared ! 
 
NO OTHER NAME 
 
 "And in none other is there salvation. For neither is 
 there any other name in heaven that is given among 
 men wherein we must be saved." — Acts 4:12. 
 
 Thus does Peter conclude his splendid tribute to 
 Christ in speaking to the people as they marveled con- 
 cerning the lame man which he had healed at the 
 gates of the temple. It must have given the Sanhedrim 
 much food for thought when they found that they 
 could not put down this new religion by commanding 
 the apostles not to preach in His name. This great 
 truth was proclaimed by an eye witness : Peter knew 
 Jesus and had witnessed the manifestations of his 
 power. He knew whereof he spoke ; it was knowledge 
 from the first source ; he was a companion of Jesus ; he 
 had been with him in his travels as a personal friend; 
 he had listened to his teachings as a disciple ; he had 
 communion with him by prayer, praise, and conversa- 
 tion ; others took knowledge that he had been with 
 jesus. He had not followed cunningly devised fables. 
 He spoke as he was moved by the Holy Spirit. What 
 he said must be received with all confidence and claim 
 our utmost attention. 
 
 It is reasonable to ask, "What kind of salvation?" 
 Salvation was a familiar word to the people of Israel. 
 
60 * SOUL SAVING 
 
 It generally meant the deliverance of Israel from ene- 
 mies and generally referred to a national salvation ; but 
 the term used in the text refers to the saving of men 
 from moral ruin, — from sin, from the fears of death, 
 from the machinations of Satan, and from the terrors 
 of judgment. It includes the readjustment of man's 
 relations to God and the restoration of man to his 
 rightful position in the Divine economy, so that his 
 will shall be in harmony with the will of God and his 
 conscience awakened to every call to duty, and his 
 heart receive and love Jesus as the Savior of men. The 
 thought of being saved suggests a most perilous situa- 
 tion. When the word is used in our language we think 
 of the fireman making a desperate attempt to rescue 
 some human being from the devouring flames; or of 
 the mariner baffling with the waves to rescue some 
 poor soul from drowning ; or of the doctor at the bed- 
 side of the waning patient making a brave fight to save 
 the life of the sufferer, and with great joy do we hear 
 the glad tiding when the crisis is past. Sin is a ter- 
 rible thing and the salvation that Christ has brought 
 means deliverance from sin. 
 
 The text declares that salvation is "in the name" of 
 the Lord, Jesus Christ, and in none other name. A 
 name stands for a person or thing. It is a revelation 
 of what a person or thing is. Names, are mysteries, 
 labeled; a thing not labeled is a mystery. If it has not 
 been named we look at it, smell it, taste it, wonder 
 what it is. When it is named the curiosity is annihi- 
 lated. A thing does not incite as much wonder after 
 
NO OTHER NAME 61 
 
 it is named as before. There is much in a name. The 
 destinies of nations have been decided by the signifi- 
 cance of a name. Armies have been inspired by a 
 name. If the name stands for a person, it includes 
 whatever rights, privileges, traits of character and 
 achievements belong to that person. When we hear 
 the name "Moses" we think of the law -giver of Israel ; 
 of "David," we think of the king and psalmist of 
 Israel ; of "Paul," we think of the great apostle to the 
 Gentiles; of "Solon," we think of the wise man of 
 Greece; of "Julius Caesar," we think of the Roman 
 general ; of "Luther," we think of the great reformer ; 
 of "Wesley," we think of the founder of Methodism ; 
 of "Washington," the Father of our country; of 
 "Gladstone," the great statesman of England; and 
 when we hear the name of Jesus Christ we think of 
 salvation, and salvation only in His Name. We have 
 no access to God by reason of our own names, but 
 through the name of his well-beloved son he admits 
 us to our Savior and to his throne of grace. The 
 name "Jesus" is fraught with deep significance and 
 pregnant with meaning, therefore let us inquire what 
 are some of the characteristics of this wonderful ap- 
 pellation. 
 
 It is a transcendant name. "God hath highly ex- 
 alted him and given him a name that is above every 
 name." All intelligent creatures have names by which 
 they are distinguished. Angels have their names — 
 Michael, Gabriel, Uriel. The name of one may rhine 
 with great grandeur and glory than others. High in 
 
62 SOUL SAVING 
 
 the military horizon stands the name of "Wellington." 
 The name "Newton" is exalted amongst the roll of the 
 heroes of astronomy. The name, "Garibaldi" glistens 
 upon the pages of Italy. The name, "Victoria" stands 
 for much in Great Britain. The name of "Emperor 
 William" is an inspiration to every German. But the 
 name, "Jesus," stands above every name. It towers 
 above the names of men, spirits and angels. No name 
 on the earth will lift and thrill, arouse dormant ener- 
 gies, agitate, comfort and bless like the name "Jesus." 
 It is the independently perfect name; the one tran- 
 scendant name ; no name like it in all the universe. It 
 is the name that stands over every hierarchy in crea- 
 tion. It is the most popular name in heaven and the 
 most popular name on earth. At the utterance of that 
 name many a soul, has been delivered from the bond- 
 age of sin. At the utterance of that name men in 
 defiant infidelity have been humbled and led to be- 
 lieve and rejoice, and to cry out for mercy and help 
 to undo the mischief of their lives. 
 
 The name, "Jesus," stands transcendant in art, in 
 literature, and in the governments of the world. If 
 you write a letter or sign a document you must honor 
 Christ by dating it, "in the year of our Lord." It mat- 
 ters not what you call him : whether it be Son of God, 
 Savior, Redeemer, Creator, King, Morning Star, Sun 
 of Righteousness, or My Lord and My God, it is a 
 transcendant name that stands above all other names 
 in the hearts of his people. 
 
 It is a Precious Name. He is the chosen of God, 
 
NO OTHER NAME 63 
 
 elect and precious. The angels announced that he 
 should be called Jesus, because he should save the 
 people from their sins- God gave him this name. 
 So simple and easy that it becomes the tongue of a 
 child and fits the voice of the aged, and is readily- 
 adapted to every tongue and dialect. 
 
 "Jesus, I love thy charming name, 
 
 "Tis music to my ear, 
 Fain would I sound it out so loud 
 
 That heaven and earth would hear." 
 
 The Scriptures declare that unto all who believe, he 
 is precious. His name is precious to us because it 
 saves us from sin. He is precious in his character — 
 he is human to sympathize and divine to help. He is 
 precious as a teacher, his words have brought light 
 to our darkened souls and hope to our despondent 
 hearts. His blood is precious because it cleanses us 
 from sin. He is precious in his promises, — they have 
 sustained us in the conflicts of life. "I am with you, 
 be not dismayed. I will guide you, even unto the 
 end." 
 
 It is a comforting name. He is called the God of 
 all consolation. Simeon spoke of him as the consola- 
 tion of Israel. Paul declares there is consolation in 
 him through grace and that our consolation abounds 
 in him. Before leaving the world Christ promised to 
 send us the Comforter, and when the Comforter came 
 he gave us seasons of refreshments from the presence 
 
64 SOUL SAVING 
 
 of the Lord. Mention the name of Jesus to the dark- 
 ened soul and it will bring light. Mention that name 
 to the mother weeping over her dying babe and she 
 will find comfort. Mention it to the lonely widow 
 following the bier of her only son ,and her heart will 
 be comforted. Mention it to the sisters as they stand 
 at the grave of their brother and they will be com- 
 forted. Mention it to the bereaved companion and his 
 heart will be comforted in the hope of the resurrec- 
 tion. Mention it to the lonely one traveling down the 
 vale of life, and it will open the very gates of heaven. 
 None other name amongst men so full of comfort to 
 the bereaved soul. Jesus stands by the bedside of 
 the languishing; by the cradle that contains the suf- 
 fering patient; by the devouring grave, and says, 
 "Look to me; I am the God of all comfort." The 
 world may offer its human sympathy, its money, its 
 pleasures and its honors, but the name, "Jesus," brings 
 comfort when all else has failed. 
 
 It is a Conquering name. We are told that "at the 
 name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of things in 
 heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, 
 and that every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ 
 is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." The same 
 book assures us that all enemies shall be put under his 
 feet; that just spirits shall praise him; that the uni- 
 verse shall ascribe glory and honor and power unto the 
 Lamb forever and ever. John beheld him upon a 
 white horse, with a bow in his hand and a crown upon 
 his head, going forth from conquering unto conquest. 
 
NO OTHER NAME 65 
 
 "Who is this that cometh from Edom, coming with 
 dyed garments from Bozrah? He that is mighty to 
 save." There is mighty power in this name. It has 
 mastered many a soul and conquered many a nation. 
 It has the ascendancy in heaven and is rapidly gaining 
 the ascendancy on earth. It conquered the hearts of 
 prophets, apostles, and martyrs. It conquered Juda- 
 ism, Paganism and Barbarianism. It has conquered 
 millions who have been constrained to say, "I have set 
 my affections upon him and have submitted my will 
 to him, and my thoughts doth meditate on him day 
 and night." The longer the world lasts the more con- 
 quering power is manifested in that name. The might- 
 iest names of the earth have either perished or are 
 perishing. Where is Phillip the Second, of Spain? 
 Richard Third, of England? Louis XIV., of France? 
 Peter the Great, of Russia? — conquering names that 
 made the world tremble? We speak of them as being 
 dead with none to do them honor, but the name of 
 Jesus Christ, the conqueror of Conquerors, still lives. 
 It lives in our songs of salvation ; it lives in our mag- 
 nificent architecture; it lives in the histories of the 
 world; it lives in the Church of Christ; it lives in the 
 hearts of millions upon millions of his disciples; it 
 lives as the mediator between God and man, as the 
 hope of glory; it lives as the password into heaven. 
 No wonder that Paul declared that we are more than 
 conquerors through him that loved us, and that John 
 declared that we overcome this world and gain the 
 victory through our faith in him. 
 
66 SOUL SAVING 
 
 "There is salvation in this name." "Believe on the 
 Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." "Christ 
 is able to save to the uttermost all who come unto God 
 by him." Christ's commission is, "Go into all the 
 world and preach the Gospel to every creature, and he 
 that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." It is 
 called a great salvation. It is greater than commer- 
 cial transactions ; greater than healing or teaching. It 
 is great because of its author, its effects and blessings. 
 It expresses the soul's supreme desire, that of being 
 saved. 
 
 This salvation is exclusive in the name of Jesus. 
 Substitution is impossible. Efforts have been made to 
 substitute other names and agencies, and in this so- 
 called substitution we apprehend one of the chief dan- 
 gers of our present time. These builders of the hu- 
 man temple would set at naught the chief corner- 
 stone of our salvation. They would substitute moral 
 principles and examples, science and philosophy, ra- 
 tionalistic criticism and socialistic theories, sophistical 
 arguments and pretending philanthropy, but all such 
 influences and systems, no matter how plausible, are 
 limited by the horizon of time and have no effects 
 upon the hereafter. They exalt the material above the 
 spiritual and embellish only the outward life and leave 
 the soul untouched and unsaved. They are a delusion 
 and a snare to their followers. Soul salvation is found 
 in only one name. The minister may exalt himself, the 
 priest may hide his Savior, the ritual may shut out 
 the truth, and sectarianism dishonor God; but there 
 
NO OTHER NAME 67 
 
 is salvation in only one name. Christ is the Way, the 
 Life and the Truth; no man cometh unto the Father 
 save by him. He is the one only foundation. He is 
 the only hope of glory. He is the door into the sheep- 
 fold, and if a man climb up any other way he is a 
 thief and a robber. Other names may stand for a 
 boasted progress, but the final question will not be 
 whether we have made improvement, but have we 
 been saved: Not whether we have grown in intel- 
 lectual power and social position, but have our sins 
 been washed away by the blood of the Lamb. When 
 we affirm that Christ alone can save we do not deny 
 that other agencies may improve mankind, but they do 
 not save. They may not be open opponents of Christ, 
 but they leave the heart uncleansed. 
 
 The statesman may assume that human government 
 is the balm of Gilead for the world's woes, yet all his- 
 tory demonstrates that this theory will not bring relief. 
 It may restrain and protect, but it will not reform. 
 Laws may dictate and control, but they will not 
 cleanse and save. If punishment was reformatory 
 then the criminals of our penitentiaries would be virtu- 
 ous citizens. One form of government may be bet- 
 ter than another, but all forms have been inadequate 
 to suppress vice and save from sin. What did the 
 dynasties of Egypt accomplish? Were the monarchies 
 of Babylonia and Persia sufficient? How about the 
 autocracies of Russia and Turkey? Have the better 
 governments like England and America delivered soci- 
 ety from its vices ? Is France holier as a republic than 
 
68 SOUL SAVING 
 
 she was as an empire? Examine the history of all 
 governments and tell me is salvation from sin within 
 the reach of civil law? Laws may regulate, but they 
 cannot purify the heart from which action springs. 
 Our splendid government, the best on earth, would 
 soon fall to pieces were it not backed by the sentiment 
 of Christian people. Salvation is of God and not of 
 the civil government. 
 
 The Educator may claim a universal system of edu- 
 cation as the remedy for vice. He may set self-culture 
 as the chief glory of man. But what about the Golden 
 Age of Greece? What about the intellectual culture 
 of India? Has not his idea been tested and proved 
 inadequate? Has not vice in its most hideous forms 
 existed in the midst of communities where the highest 
 honor was paid to intellectual culture? Knowledge 
 may admit us to the secrets of nature, enable us to 
 make the rocks, the plants, the stars our companions, 
 and open up to us the richest treasures of the mightiest 
 intellects of the world, but this knowledge will not 
 regenerate the heart and change man's moral nature. 
 Did wisdom save Solomon from vice? Did culture 
 save Byron from immorality? Did philosophy save 
 Bacon from bribery? Did poetry save Poe from in- 
 temperance? Were the Athenians free from vice? 
 What though culture attained such a height in Athens 
 that the scholars of the world flocked thither to pluck 
 the choice flowers that blossomed in her gardens of 
 wisdom? What though art attained such a height 
 that the birds of Attica pecked at the grapes which 
 
NO OTHER NAME 69 
 
 Appelles painted on the canvas? What though the 
 philosophers plumed their wings to soar aloft with 
 the boldest intellectual spirits of the world? Yet the 
 Athenians were corrupt at heart and sighed for a 
 Savior to save them from their sins. 
 
 The Benefactor may lay claim to philanthropy as 
 the efficient remedy for vice. I grant that well di- 
 rected charity may help to improve the general condi- 
 tion of man, but it will not save from sin. All hail to 
 asylums and hospitals and benevolent institutions! 
 But are not most of these institutions the result of sin ? 
 If the pride of France and Russia are in the foundling 
 hospitals then greater the shame, for the little chil- 
 dren therein were born out of the sanctity of mar- 
 riage. 
 
 Go tell the poor in the slums of our cities, or the 
 wage-earner in the factory, or the mechanic in the 
 shop, or the clerk in the store, or the tiller of the soil 
 on the farm, that to be saved he must be educated 
 and understand philosophy and science ; he must study 
 the laws of the nation and obey them; he must apply 
 to benevolent institutions and receive the benefactions 
 and aid of philanthropists ; and he will mock and laugh, 
 hiss and despair and turn away, helpless and hopeless. 
 But go tell him of Jesus the Christ, the only Savior 
 of man, and you will bring to him a new hope that 
 will reform his life, purify his thoughts, from whence 
 cometh all the issues of life. 
 
 Jesus did not come as a statesman, and yet he 
 taught, "Render unto Caesar the things that are 
 
70 SOUL SAVING 
 
 Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's." 
 He did not come as a schoolmaster, and yet in him was 
 hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 
 He did not come as philanthropist, and yet he went 
 about doing good. He looked upon Rome and saw 
 that law had failed; he looked upon Athens and saw 
 that culture had failed; He looked upon China and 
 saw that filial obedience and benevolence had failed 
 and He at once set about to do what as yet had never 
 been done, viz: to reform the heart. "Ye must be 
 born again." "Blessed are the pure in heart for they 
 shall see God." What he did was more lasting than 
 the founding of schools, giving of laws and building 
 of benevolent institutions. He struck at the root of 
 the troubles of man. The curse of man is sin, and 
 he came to save from sin — its power, its influence, its 
 guilt and its punishment. Sin is no small thing, or 
 Christ would not have come from heaven and suf- 
 fered loneliness, disgrace, shame, and died upon the 
 cross to save us from sin unless there was need of it. 
 It is a loathesome and terrible thing, or God would 
 not have given his Son to be our Savior. It is so 
 terrible in its effects that it is ruinous to the soul; so 
 terrible in its punishment that Jesus said of those who 
 would not accept of his salvation, "That they should 
 depart as a curse into everlasting fire prepared for the 
 devil and his augels." Now, Christ came to save men 
 and his name is Jesus, which signifies that he shall 
 save the people from their sins. He blots out the in- 
 iquities of man and remembers them no more. No mat- 
 
NO OTHER NAME 71 
 
 ter how great the sinner, Christ is able to save. He 
 saved Manasseh, who was guilty of blood ; David, who 
 was guilty of adultery ; Alary Magdaline, out of whom 
 he cast seven devils ; Paul, who persecuted the church. 
 There are no greater sinners in the world than some 
 of those named in the Bible who were saved by the 
 name of Christ Jesus. Oh, what encouragement! 
 There is salvation "in his name." He is willing and 
 able to save the worst sinner, the hardest sinner, the 
 oldest sinner, the most inexcusable sinner. 
 
 His call is, "Come unto me." His demand is, "Sin 
 no more." His command is, "Go preach the Gos- 
 pel." He turns men from sin to righteousness and 
 from Satan to God. He transforms the human soul 
 into his own likeness. He gives what man cannot give, 
 the pardon of sins. He is the only foundation upon 
 which to build for eternity. His name and his name 
 alone will reconcile to God. His name alone, and 
 not culture, not systems of philosophy, not houses of 
 mercy, not the laws of statesmen, will regenerate men. 
 His name, and not that of the priest, will bring man 
 into fellowship with God. You might as well dismiss 
 all other hopes and philosophies and names and accept 
 "the only name that is given under heaven by which 
 men can be saved." "He that receiveth me receiveth 
 him that sent me." "Whosoever shall confess me be- 
 fore men, him shall I confess before my Father which 
 is in heaven." "He that believeth hath the witness in 
 himself." 
 
 It is a glorifying name. We are told that every 
 
72 SOUL SAVING 
 
 tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the 
 glory of the Father. The acknowledgment of the glory 
 of Jesus Christ is the acknowledgment of the Father's 
 glory. They who receive Christ receive him that sent 
 him. Honor paid him is honor paid to the Father. 
 This is not only a glorifying name, but a name that 
 admits to glory. It is the pass-word into heaven. 
 Those who come from the East and the West and sit 
 down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, come in the 
 name of Christ. The bronzed nations of the South 
 and the pallid nations of the North shall come in his 
 name, and in his name shall receive their reward. 
 Those who give a cup of cold water or minister to a 
 wounded soldier, or rescue a street waif from de- 
 struction, or teach a little child about Jesus, in the 
 name of Jesus, will receive their reward. Christ, the 
 conqueror, will say: "Thou hast been faithful over a 
 few things, I will make thee ruler over many things." 
 To see Christ in his glory is the desire of all Chris- 
 tians. He prayed that his disciples might be where 
 he was, that they might see him in his glory. Oh, 
 blessed Jesus, glory be to thy name forevermore! 
 
 Christian, tell me, have you not found in this name 
 a hive full of honey, a garden full of flowers, a sun 
 that always shines, a fountain that never ceases, a 
 friend that never forsakes, and a Savior that is able 
 to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by 
 him. Then should you not rejoice in the name of this 
 Jesus? Rejoice that you have believed in this name, 
 that you have confessed this name, that you have 
 
NO OTHER NAME 73 
 
 been baptized in this name, that you have put on this 
 name, that you wear this name, that you have been 
 justified by this name, that when you suffer, you 
 suffer in this name, and whatsoever you do, whether 
 in word or deed, you do all in the name of Christ. 
 Rejoice that he has given to you the privilege of 
 praying in his name, for he has said, "That what- 
 soever ye shall ask in my name that the Father will 
 give you." Rejoice that he names your name and has 
 written it down in the Lamb's Book of Life, and that 
 he calleth his own sheep by name. Rejoice, that you 
 are a Christian and at last will triumph over death and 
 enter heaven. Rejoice, that you are permitted to work 
 in the name of Christ for the salvation of souls. Well 
 may that name be inscribed upon the tablets of your 
 heart, imprinted upon the pages of your memory ; sound 
 it out often, sound it out well, sound it out in the high- 
 ways and byways, in the valleys and on the hill-tops, 
 till every flower shall bloom with it, every field shall 
 be aglow with it, every river shall flow with it, every 
 home shall be gladdened with it, and every heart shall 
 respond to its appeal of welcome. 
 
 To the unsaved, today his name is preached to you ; 
 today in his name is salvation sent to you. Oh, will 
 you not believe on his name, confess- his name, and 
 obey the commandments that have been given to you 
 in his name? Will you not name the name of Christ 
 that you may be saved and that you may gain the 
 final victory; that you may enjoy the pardon of your 
 sins and possess the hope of eternal salvation, for he 
 
74 SOUL SAVING 
 
 is the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him. 
 Hear his closing, ringing words: "Blessed are they 
 that wash their robes, that they may have the right 
 to come to the tree of life, and may enter in by the 
 gates into the city." Have you not heard of the power 
 that is in that name, as was once witnessed in a 
 telling scene on the London bridge ? A poor, old blind 
 man, reading from the raised letters of his Bible, 
 during the swinging of the bridge, to let a boat pass 
 by on the Thames River below, came to the words 
 of our text, "For there is salvation in no other name." 
 A large crowd had gathered around him and was 
 listening reverently. A blatant infidel stood on the 
 outer edge of the crowd and heard that sentence. The 
 blind man seemed to have lost the place, and again he 
 read, "There is salvation in no other name." "No other 
 name." The open bridge swung together and the 
 crowd passed on, the infidel going to his home with 
 that one sentence ringing in his ears. "There is sal- 
 vation in no other name." He retired to his room, 
 and the sentence clung to him still. In his dreams he 
 saw the blind man and heard that sentnece. It was 
 first in his waking thoughts. He pondered over it 
 during the morning, sought out the blind man to learn 
 from what book of the Bible he had read it, and in 
 his meditation upon that name and his search of the 
 Scriptures he found salvation in Jesus. And today, 
 to every soul that has not received this salvation we 
 proclaim that name to you as the transcendant name, 
 the comforting name, the conquering name, the pre- 
 
NO OTHER NAME 75 
 
 cious name, the saving name, the glorifying name. 
 Will you not name this name in your heart and life till 
 salvation shall ring throughout your soul ? 
 
 No other name, no other name, 
 
 Ringing down aisles of time ; 
 No other name, no other name 
 
 With such a melodious chime. 
 Clearer in note, purer in tone 
 
 Because it is ringing for all 
 Oh, sweet is the music, listen again ! 
 
 Can you hear it — the gospel call? 
 
 No other name, no other name, 
 
 All through the record of years; 
 No other name, no other name, 
 
 Let it ring like a bell in your ears. 
 Ringing for sorrow or ringing for joy 
 
 Your choice the tone of the bell. 
 Oh, make it a song of joy to your soul 
 
 And rest in the peace, "All is well." 
 
 No other name, no other name, 
 
 You hear it wherever you go; 
 No other name, no other name — 
 
 His love hath made it so. 
 That you might know life thro' eternity 
 
 He died on the cross, suffered shame ; 
 Oh, how can you tarry, he's calling for you, 
 
 There's no other name, no other name! 
 
 Nina V. Brandt. 
 
THE FACE OF JESUS 
 
 "They shall see His face." — Rev. 22 :4. 
 
 The human face is like a stage with many actors: 
 Love appears and tells its story ; then hate expresses its 
 feelings of animosity. Joy glows for a moment; then 
 grief follows with tears. Coufidence walks in san- 
 guine expectation, then despair dejects the counte- 
 nance. Courage with its buoyancy, is followed by 
 cringing cowardice. Pride struts in triumph, then 
 humility abases. Sometimes all the passionate actors 
 crowd their light into the countenance, and this is 
 called inspiration. When the actors pass from the 
 stage and the emotions make no further records and 
 the last curtain falls upon the scenes of activities, the 
 soul then quits the abode of the flesh, and it is said, 
 "he is dead." 
 
 It is an inspiration to see the face of a great man. 
 Let it be announced that a King or President is to ap- 
 pear, and excursions from afar bring thousands of 
 people to the scene of his appearance that they may 
 behold his face. Someone said it was worth crossing 
 the ocean to see the face of Gladstone. When think- 
 ing of the departed ones we long to see their faces. 
 We care but little about the texture of their glorified 
 bodies, but we are anxious to see their dear, familiar, 
 
78 SOUL SAVING 
 
 loving faces. The thought cheers and sustains us as 
 we travel along the straight and narrow way that 
 leads to eternal life, but there is a thought that is 
 more cheerful ; a desire more intense ; a hope more ele- 
 vating; an expectation more delightful — the seeing of 
 our Savior. We are assured in the text that we shall 
 see his face. 
 
 There were no paintings of Jesus prior to the 
 eighth century. During the early centuries he was 
 represented by symbols. Moses striking the rock was 
 a representation of Christ, who said, "If any man 
 thirst let him come unto me and drink-" In the sac- 
 rifice of Abraham was seen the gift of the dearly be- 
 loved Son of God. The picture of the fish was to 
 draw attention to him who called men to become fish- 
 ers of men. The vine was the symbol of him who 
 said, "I am the vine." The cross was supposed to 
 fasten the thoughts upon its willing victim. The shep- 
 herd was an emblem of the Good Shepherd. But be- 
 ginning about the eighth century, artists began to paint 
 the pictures of Christ, and from that day, to this, it 
 has been the ambition of the great artists to paint the 
 face of Jesus or some scene in his life. To paint the 
 infant Jesus ; to paint the youthful Jesus ; to paint the 
 ministering Jesus; to paint the Lord as the Teacher 
 of the multitude ; to paint the miracle-working Savior ; 
 to paint the crucified Jesus ; to paint the risen and as- 
 cending Lord, and the various scenes and events in his 
 life, has been the ambtiion of the artists of the world. 
 We are much indebted for what artists have done for 
 
THE FACE OF JESUS 79 
 
 the world in the production of Christ in art. Many of 
 them present vivid conceptions of the events in his 
 life. It was said that a little girl, looking upon "Christ 
 Before Pilate" wanted to be lifted up that she might 
 untie his hands. Many a poor soul has been cheered 
 by looking upon the great painting of "Christ the Con- 
 soler," by Ary Schaffer. Hoffman, Tissot, Reubens 
 and other artists have painted many scenes in the 
 life of our Savior ; masterpieces that cannot be studied 
 without having the emotions stirred to the very depths ; 
 masterpieces that have strongly impressed the grandeur 
 of Christ's character upon the world ; masterpieces that 
 have turned the thoughts of men to Jesus; master- 
 pieces that have placed Christ as the greatest historic 
 personage of the world pre-eminent in art. Valuable 
 as are these masterpieces they have fallen far short 
 of presenting the real face of Jesus to us. Every 
 artist in painting the portrait of Christ depicts him 
 as a great benevolent character of the nation to which 
 the artist belongs. Thus the German paints him as 
 as a German; the Frenchman as a Frenchman; the 
 Italian as an Italian, and the American as an Ameri- 
 can. It teaches us the valuable lesson that Christ is 
 the desire of all nations and the Savior of all men, 
 especially unto them that believe. There were no 
 paintings of the face of Jesus Christ and no descrip- 
 tion of his appearance left to the world — not a line 
 to tell how the lowly Galilean looked when he walked 
 amongst men. Was it because the disciples had for- 
 gotten how he appeared, or was it because they shrank 
 
80 SOUL SAVING 
 
 from any material representation of Jesus, or was it 
 because they never thought of him after seeing him 
 glorified as the patient sufferer wandering upon the 
 earth, or was the picture and description withheld for 
 fear men would worship the seen, instead of the un- 
 seen, or was it because they had his presence with 
 them, which no artist could paint, no pen describe, and 
 which, is far better than to have his picture upon can- 
 vas and his description in the pocket. Jesus Christ 
 in the heart and not upon perishing material is the 
 supreme consideration, and yet, the Scriptures tell us 
 some of the experiences of the face of Jesus. 
 
 Luke records, "And it came to pass, when the time 
 should come when he should be raised up, he stead- 
 fastly set his face to go to Jerusalem." Notwith- 
 standing the bloody history of Jerusalem! notwith- 
 standing the sins of the capital city of the Jews ; not- 
 withstanding Jesus knew they were plotting to kill 
 him, and that he would soon be tried, condemned, 
 mocked, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. Notwith- 
 standing he would be compelled to trod the winepress 
 alone and bear the cross and be crucified as a felon 
 between two thieves, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 
 Evangelist Chapman, to whom we are indebted for 
 several suggestions on this subject, says : "As a 
 picture, there is nothing more beautiful in art; as 
 a sentiment, nothing more pathetic ; as a revelation, 
 nothing more touching." He set his face toward Je- 
 rusalem as a conqueror of sin, death and Hades. 
 
 Still another picture : When he entered the Garden 
 
THE FACE OF JESUS 81 
 
 of Gethsemane, he fell on his face and prayed, saying, 
 "Oh, my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass 
 from me ; nevertheless, not as T will, but as Thou 
 wilt." Why this agonizing cry? Was it because he 
 knew he would have to suffer alone ; or was the curse 
 of man's sin so heavy ; or was it that he was to be 
 betrayed by one of his disciples, and denied by anoth- 
 er ; or was it because it seemed as if the Father would 
 withdraw his face. We do not know the depths of 
 the soul anguish that produced this cry, but we are as- 
 sured that "he was bruised for our iniquities, that 
 the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by 
 his stripes we are healed." 
 
 There is another picture of the face of Jesus in con- 
 nection with his trial. We are told how they buffeted 
 him and smote him with the palms of their hands, and 
 cried out, "Prophesy now, thou Christ, who is he that 
 smote thee?" And then they did spit in his face, 
 declaring he was worthy of death. Notwithstanding 
 his innocence and the injustice of his trial and the 
 blasphemy of priests and soldiers, Jesus maintained a 
 majestic silence. Think of him, with the thunder- 
 bolts of heaven in his hand ! Think of him, as the 
 Ancient of Days ! Think of him by whom the worlds 
 were made ! Think of him upholding all things by 
 his power, and yet in the presence of a howling mob 
 who smote him and spit in his face, remaining silent. 
 
 Another picture of his face : When he was hang- 
 ing upon the cross they watched him there. The sun 
 refused to shine upon his face, but the priests and 
 
82 SOUL SAVING 
 
 soldiers and mob that followed looked upon his face, — 
 now, ligthened up by serene peace as he prayed for 
 his persecutors, forgave the penitent thief, provided a 
 home for his mother, and now displaying intense pain 
 as he cried for a draught to quench his thirst; now 
 displaying his depths of sorrow as he cried out, "My 
 God! My God! and hast Thou forsaken me?" No 
 wonder the centurion in looking upon his face, smote 
 his breast and said, "Truly this man is righteous ; truly 
 he is the Son of God." 
 
 Another picture of his face will be seen in the here- 
 after. We have hints of it in the present, for God 
 who commanded the light to shine out of darkness 
 has shone in our hearts and will give the light of the 
 knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus 
 Christ. John declares, "They shall see his face." 
 John, the beloved disciple, wrote this Scripture upon 
 the lonely isle of Patmos, — an island in the East Medi- 
 terranean surrounded by the seas, — an island bleak 
 and barren as death. In John's loneliness he recalled 
 his intimate fellowship and travels with Jesus for a 
 period of three years. Above all other things he 
 loved to be in the presence of Jesus and hear him 
 speak and to look into his face; into that face, now 
 expressive of infinite tenderness as he had compas- 
 sion upon the multitude ; now expressive of marvelous 
 affection as he blessed the little children; now ex 
 pressive of wonderful power as he commanded the 
 winds and waves to obey him; now expressive of 
 truth as he taught his disciples, and now expressive 
 
THE FACE OF JESUS 83 
 
 of his divinity as he healed the sick and raised the 
 dead. The beloved disciple had seen the face of 
 Jesus when he walked upon the waves, when he sub- 
 dued the storm, when he healed those possessed of 
 divers diseases, when he taught the crowds that 
 thronged about him, when he was transfigured on 
 the Mount, when he instituted the Lord's Supper, 
 when he bore the cross, when he was crucified, when 
 he gave the Great Commission, and ascended to glory, 
 and now, on the Isle of Patmos, as a lonely exile, John 
 recalled the face of Jesus that he had seen so oft 
 and longed to see it again in its wisdom and love, 
 majesty and power. From the picture of Christ's 
 face that lingered in John's memory and was engraved 
 upon his heart, he turned to the future, to look for- 
 ward and upward to heaven. He yearned to see his 
 face again and gave expression to his hope as if to 
 say the highest joy of heaven will be to see the face 
 of Jesus, reiterating the words of the Psalmist, "As 
 for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness. I shall 
 be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness." The 
 fullest revelation is not in the present, but in the 
 future. We long to see the faces of our friends. We 
 appreciate the warm hand-shake, but if the face was 
 hidden from our sight, our joy would be greatly les- 
 sened. 
 
 There are many faces in heaven we shall be de- 
 lighted to see — illustrious inhabitants, just spirits made 
 perfect and glorified. I have often thought I would 
 like to see the face of Moses, the great law-giver of 
 
84 SOUL SAVING 
 
 Israel; of David, the sweet singer of Israel; of Elijah, 
 who ascended in the triumphant chariot; of John, the 
 beloved disciple ; of Paul, the great apostle ; of great 
 men like Huss, Knox, Luther, Campbell, and others. 
 And then there are nearer ones. Those who labored 
 side by side in the Master's vineyard who had been 
 called up higher to join the ransomed amongst the glo- 
 rified saints of God, and still nearer ones, those be- 
 loved that have gone out from my own home — how 
 blessed will be the sight of them! I should like to 
 see the face of father and mother, brothers and sis- 
 ters, of my own children, and the beloved companion 
 of my youth. I saw these faces for many years ; saw 
 them fade away in the pallor of death, and it will be 
 a great joy and a crown of glory to see them again ; 
 but the greatest joy and greatest glory will be to see 
 the face of Jesus. It seems to me, it will be the first 
 face that we shall behold in rising from the dead. 
 May we not hope to see it in the mystic moments of 
 our awakening? What was the first sight that met 
 the eye of Peter when he awoke from his prison cell? 
 Was it not the angel of the Lord? What the first 
 sight that met the waking eye of Lazarus when his 
 departed soul, dazzling with wonder, reinhabited his 
 body and come forth from the grave? Was it not 
 the face of Jesus? What was the first sight that 
 Jairus' daughter saw when she sat up in the presence of 
 Jesus? Was it not the soul's Awakener? It would 
 have been a great joy to see our Lord when here on 
 earth ; to have seen him as the apostles saw him ; 
 
THE FACE OF JESUS 85 
 
 to have seen him as he walked to and fro, in the land 
 of Bible song and story; to have seen him as a child 
 growing in wisdom and in stature and in favor with 
 God and man; to have seen him in the midst of his 
 ministry as he toiled and taught for thankless men; 
 as he sat careworn at the well of Jacob; as he com- 
 forted the sorrowing; as he forgave the penitent sin- 
 ner ; as he bowed in Gethsemane ; as he hung upon the 
 cross ; as he arose from the dead ; but greater will be 
 our joy when we see him in the land immortal. It 
 will not be a mere hearing, of him, though hearing is a 
 great blessing for faith cometh by hearing, but seeing 
 is far better. A beautiful description of some fair 
 landscape is interesting, but the best description fails 
 before the beholding of the landscape itself. Even 
 so the gospel story of Jesus will seem insignificant in 
 comparison to seeing him face to face. We are as- 
 sured that we shall know him. We will need no in- 
 troduction to him. He will be no stranger to us. We 
 shall understand him and read his heart as never be- 
 fore. Here sin obscures our vision, sorrow hinders 
 our understanding, worldly pursuits dim our true 
 knowledge of him, but yonder these things shall not 
 keep us from seeing him, knowing him; it will be an 
 abiding vision, a lasting sight — not a fleeting vision, 
 but one that endures that all may enjoy, for we are 
 told that our joy shall remain. "We shall see him." 
 It is only natural that we should desire to see the coun- 
 tenance of one whose works we have read, and whose 
 friends we have often met, and who is often in our 
 
86 SOUL SAVING 
 
 thoughts and affections. It is but natural that there 
 should be a longing to see any one of whom we have 
 read much, and of whom we have thought more. Is 
 it, then, surprising that when the heaven of the saint 
 is described it should be represented as a sight of a 
 personal Christ? Yes, we shall see the Christ of the 
 scriptures, the Christ of whom Moses and the prophets 
 spake. We shall see also the Christ of our own 
 thoughts. There is not a believer but has his ideal 
 Savior. We shall see him — a living, personal Savior. 
 We shall see him as a persoanl Savior and in thus 
 seeing him we shall not see our sins. That we shall 
 actually forget them is impossible, but that the re- 
 membrance of them will not be grievous to us, and 
 the burden will not be intolerable for we shall be 
 cleansed from them and they shall be remembered 
 against us no more. We shall be brands that were 
 plucked from the burning, cleansed by the blood of 
 Christ, and know that the effect of our seeing him face 
 to face is an evident token of our salvation and of our 
 belonging to him. "We shall see him as he is." Jesus 
 has been beheld as we shall never behold. We shall 
 never see him as the Magi saw him — the infant; we 
 shall never see him as the disciples saw him — so tired 
 out that he was sound asleep on the open deck of a 
 fisherman's boat; we shall never see him, the cursed 
 Substitute, groaning under the horrible load of his 
 people's sins — but as he is now, highly exalted. Take 
 the most blessed season earth has ever known, and it 
 is only seeing Christ through a glass darkly. And 
 
THE FACE OF JESUS 87 
 
 these feebler manifestations are never as clear as they 
 might be. I question whether there has ever been a 
 saint but has had in some measure a veil over his soul. 
 The veil may vary in thickness. Sometimes it is dense 
 and dark as a London fog, and at other times it 
 seems no more hindrance than the thinnest gauze. All 
 the clouds that dim our earthly horizon shall be swept 
 away, and we shall see him in glory and be enabled the 
 more clearly to understand the workings of his prov- 
 idence, the plan of his redemption, and his eternal pur- 
 pose for men. 
 
 How shall he appear? What expression shall 
 his face wear? It seems to me it shall wear the 
 look of welcome. Could we enter heaven with our 
 present feelings — oppressed with our shortcomings, 
 fearful of being rejected, the accusations of Satan 
 hovering over us, instantly these things would vanish 
 as we would see him face to face. The face of wel- 
 come would bespeak the words, "Come, ye blessed of 
 my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you 
 from the foundation of the world." 
 
 It will wear the look of love; not merely of clem- 
 ency, but of the love that shall remind us of the 
 yearning love of a mother, of the expression of sym- 
 pathy of a brother in the hour of adversity, the love 
 depicted on the face of a blessed companion in the 
 days of weakness, of the love upon the face of the 
 innocent child, of the love upon the face of the saint 
 of venerable age, of the love, deep and pure and so 
 high that all estimate shall be unworthy. As all the 
 
88 SOUL SAVING 
 
 rays of the sun center in the sun so shall all expres- 
 sions of love meet in the glorified face of Christ, thus 
 enabling us to cry out with David, "Thy love is won- 
 derful!" 
 
 It will wear the look of triumph — full and complete 
 satisfaction. Not the triumphant look of the earthly 
 victor that has traveled through a sea of blood to win 
 the name of conqueror, but the triumphant look that 
 will exhibit his power over sin, death and Hades. It 
 will be the triumph of justice, the triumph of love, 
 the triumph of salvation, the triumph of glory. Notice 
 the one joy of this sight — we shall be like him. Take 
 it first in body. He shall transform our vile bodies 
 like unto his glorified body, thus like the body of Jesus 
 we are led to believe our glorified body will be. It 
 shall pass through a great change — no longer carnal, 
 but spiritual; not corrupt, but incorrupt; not earthly, 
 but heavenly ; not weak, but powerful ; not a hinderer, 
 but a helper of the soul, formed and moulded for the 
 habitation of the perfected spirit, to execute the will 
 of God for the glory of God, and as with the cor- 
 poreal so with the spiritual nature of man. We shafl 
 be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Every- 
 thing assimilates to what it is conversant. If a man 
 dwells on sin he will grow to the type of that sin. If 
 a man fixes his eye upon Jesus he will grow like Jesus. 
 We are like him here on earth in a minor degree. The 
 more we commune with him the more are we like him. 
 Now, if seeing him through a glass darkly makes us 
 like him, will not seeing him face to face in all his 
 
THE FACE OF JESUS 89 
 
 glory make us altogether like him, when the poor, 
 green bud shall be brought into the sunshine of his 
 countenance in glory, in a moment, in the twinkling of 
 an eye, will the leaves that hide its beauty separate and 
 admit the flowers of loveliness expand in the light of 
 heaven and make us like him. 
 
 It will constrain us to worship him. Being made 
 like him, partakers of the completeness of his nature, 
 with facilities perfected, with mysteries made clear, 
 with the assurance of his abiding presence, with the 
 joyful consummation of our faith and hope, shall we 
 not do as did John on the Isle of Patmos, bow down 
 in humble worship and adoration of the Lamb who is 
 worthy to receive honor, power, and glory and do- 
 minion forever and ever. 
 
 This hope should be an inspiration to us — an in- 
 spiration to toil for those whom we love ; an inspira- 
 tion to work with renewed zeal for the redemption of 
 man; an inspiration that will sustain us in the hour of 
 temptation ; an inspiration that will encourage us in our 
 growth in grace and knowledge of the Lord, Jesus 
 Christ. 
 
 If great and glorious will be the effect to the dis- 
 ciple of the Lord in seeing the face of Jesus, what 
 will be the terrible effect and consequences to those 
 who love him not? The wicked shall see him, for we 
 are told that even the eyes of them that pierced him 
 shall see him, but they shall feel no joy at his pres- 
 ence. They would rather not see his face. They 
 shall not be able to stand in the congregation of the 
 
90 SOUL SAVING 
 
 righteous. They cannot look upon his face, for it shall 
 be turned against them that do wickedly and their 
 poor, lost souls shall cry out to the mountains and 
 rocks, "Fall upon us, and hide us from his face." 
 "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat 
 upon it, from whose face the heaven and the earth 
 fled away, and there was found no place for them." 
 That face, that once offered pardon full and free; 
 that face, while on earth, that spoke the invitation to 
 come and find rest for the weary soul; is now turned 
 against them that do evil. Against them that slighted 
 the invitation and trampled under foot the blood of 
 the covenant. It will be a face, to the wicked, that will 
 overpower them until they shall stand condemned in 
 his presence. The one without the wedding garments 
 shall stand speechless. Sad, sad, will be the resurrec- 
 tion of the wicked in coming forth to see the face of 
 Jesus, that they smote by their sins and disobedience 
 on earth, and that now in glory is turned only to the 
 righteous, for the eyes of the Lord are over the right- 
 eous and his ears are open to their prayers, but his 
 face is against the wicked. Ah, let him that hath 
 ears to hear take heed how he hears. Would you see 
 Jesus face to face in heaven? You must see him by 
 faith while on earth. Would you stand in his pres- 
 ence in heaven? You must sit at his feet on earth. 
 Would you be a glorified saint over there ? You must 
 be a humble disciple here. Would you see the look of 
 welcome, of love, of triumph cast upon you and for 
 you? You must look unto Jesus and be saved during 
 
THE FACE OF JESUS 91 
 
 your earthly pilgrimage. I remember once of going 
 a long distance to attend an important meeting led by 
 a great evangelist, but on arriving I found that I was 
 too late. The great auditorium was filled with an 
 eager throng and the doors were shut. As I walked 
 about and heard the singing, I thought suppose it 
 should be so at last, when I go to the gates of heaven. 
 Suppose I would be too late, and find the everlasting 
 doors to eternal glory were closed forever. Is it any 
 wonder that the five foolish virgins knocked loud and 
 long and cried in the depths of their bitterness, 'Lord, 
 Lord, open unto us." Sad, sad the response, "Depart 
 from me ; I know ye not !" Oh, ye immortal souls look 
 in faith while it is day. Ye mortals hastening to the 
 tomb look while ye may! Look, hearken, obey and 
 live with Jesus while on earth that you may pass 
 safely over the river of death and on the resurrection 
 morning awake to be with him for evermore ! 
 
CHRIST BEFORE PILATE 
 
 ''Pilate saith unto them, 'What shall I do with Jesus, 
 which is called Christ?'" — Matt. 27:22. 
 
 This is the question that Governor Pilate asked the 
 High Priests about King Jesus. Have you studied the 
 celebrated painting, "Christ Before Pilate," by Mun- 
 kaczy? If not, perhaps you have seen a copy of the 
 original. The artist has given a vivid conception of 
 the scene. It occurs in the open court before the pal- 
 ace. At one end, sitting on a raised bench, dressed in 
 the customary white Roman toga, is the Governor, his 
 smoothly shaven face, closely cut hair, and stout form 
 all characteristic of the Roman commander. He looks 
 out from under his heavy brow, casting furtive glances 
 as if to notice every movement that will enable him to 
 render a decision that will make him most popular. 
 At his right, with his back against the wall, is a Scribe 
 with countenance expressive of contempt. In front 
 are some Pharisees, to urge the death of Jesus, look- 
 ing as if to say, "I thank God that I am not as this 
 man is." Caiaphas is there, with his priestly robes, 
 ready to accuse Christ. Standing around is a brutal 
 mob, ready to cry out, "Away with him, and crucify 
 him !" A stalwart Roman soldier stands with his back 
 to the spectator, barricading the people with a spear 
 
94 SOUL SAVING 
 
 which he holds horizontally. Another fellow is ges- 
 ticulating wildly and crying out, as if he was express- 
 ing the sentiment of the multitude, to condemn and 
 crucify Christ. To the right, standing against a pillar, 
 is the face of a gentle woman, with an infant in her 
 arms, as if to represent the daughters of Jerusalem 
 who followed Jesus to Calvary, or to represent the 
 gentleness of woman in the coming Kingdom of 
 heaven; but all the figures seem to pale before the 
 eyes for the look at Christ, who stands in the fore- 
 ground, with a seamless white robe, with wrists firmly 
 bound, with the composure of one who is able at any 
 time to summons to his aid twelve legions of angels, 
 with submissive yet manly courage, with countenance 
 full of serenity, peace and love, as if to say, "Father, 
 forgive them: they know not what they do;" with 
 a majestic silence and kingly serenity that reveals the 
 might and power of the Savior of men, who is able to 
 decide the fate of nations, change the course of history, 
 to lift himself above the scorn and bitterness of his 
 enemies. 
 
 Pilate, on the judgment seat, with inward hatred of 
 the priests who have accused Christ, but yet with a 
 desire not to offend them, is greatly perplexed and 
 disturbed over the kind of verdict to render and sen- 
 tence to pronounce upon the head of the celebrated 
 prisoner. After repeated efforts to release him, he 
 asks the most important question that has ever been 
 asked by man: "What shall I do with Jesus which 
 is called Christ." It was the pre-eminent question for 
 
CHRIST BEFORE PILATE 95 
 
 both Pilate and the Jews, and it has been the pre-emi- 
 nent question during the centuries that have passed 
 away since the famous trial, and it is pre-eminently 
 the question of the present age. All the great ques- 
 tions of our times — social, political, and theological, 
 lead to this question and find their solution in the an- 
 swer to the inquiry, "What shall I do with Jesus?" 
 There have been great questions of tariff, of navy, of 
 treasury, of protection, of finance, but these questions 
 are but tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum in comparison 
 with the Governor's question. There are great ques- 
 tions for every nation and every individual, but the 
 Governor's question is the greatest question for na- 
 tions and individuals to decide. It is the question that 
 is commanding more thought, moving more pens, ex- 
 citing more interest than all the other great questions 
 in the world. This Christ stands as the pre-eminent 
 figure in History, in Art, in Literature, in Religion. 
 It is the pre-eminent question because it involves the 
 pardon of sins, and the preparation for eternal life. 
 It is an imperative question. Something must be done 
 with Christ. There is no neutral ground. Pilate en- 
 deavored to occupy a neutral position. He tried to 
 take no part one way or the other. He tried to assume 
 a position neither against the accused nor the accusers. 
 He tried at the same time to satisfy his conscience and 
 his honor. He tried to satisfy both the priests and 
 the Christ, but did he occupy neutral ground? Jesus 
 was at the bar of Governor Pilate ; later, on Pilate 
 stood at the bar of King Jesus. 
 
96 SOUL SAVING 
 
 Some try to occupy Pilate's ground, but once for all 
 let it be known there is jio neu tral ff rrmr> d It is im- 
 perative that the body be fed or it will die, and it is 
 just as imperative that the soul feed upon Christ, or 
 it will meet with eternal death. The taxes must be 
 paid or the property be sold to pay them. The price 
 of redemption must be paid in the Gospel of Jesus 
 as the Savior, or it will cost the loss of the soul. 
 Today with Christ ; eternity with Christ. Today with- 
 out Christ; eternity without Christ. 
 
 It is a personal question. It was personal to the Jews. 
 It was personal to Pilate. I repeat the question, "What 
 shall I do with Jesus?" You repeat the question. 
 Place the emphasis upon "I." It is your question as 
 well as mine. It is your question as well as Pilate's. 
 Jesus Christ is here. He knocks at the door and 
 asks to be admitted. He claims to be the Savior of 
 man, and asks us to accept him. He claims to be our 
 king, and asks the right to rule over us, and each one 
 of us must answer the question, "What shall I do with 
 him?" It is no dry, withered question that concerns 
 some one in a distant land, and in past history, but it 
 is a present, impressive, imperative question that throbs 
 with quickening pulse and warm heart to every man 
 and woman that hears the name of Jesus. It is per- 
 sonal to saint and sinner, rich and poor, learned and 
 ignorant. Christian and heathen. None can escape 
 the responsibility of answering it. Choose ye this 
 day whom ye will serve. Work out your own salva- 
 tion in fear and trembling. What shall I do with 
 
CHRIST BEFORE PILATE 97 
 
 Jesus? Let it come close to your heart. Let the 
 question ring in your soul. Answer it you must. 
 Answer it without evading the issue. 
 
 It is a troublesome question. It gave so much trou- 
 ble to the High Priests that they assembled in their 
 highest tribunal to discuss it and to receive suggestions 
 as to how to dispose of Jesus. It troubled the Roman 
 Governor. He tried hard to dodge the issue, and to 
 evade answering the question. Said Pilate : "Take ye 
 him, and judge him according to your law." But 
 Pilate must give them a hearing and give the accused 
 a hearing, and pass judgment. Hear him say, "I find 
 in him no fault at all." The sentence displeased them, 
 and they were the more fierce, saying, "He stirreth up 
 the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning 
 from Galilee to this place." When Pilate learned he 
 was a Galileean he sent him to Herod, the ruler of 
 Galilee, who was then in Jerusalem. Herod was un- 
 able to decide the troublesome question, so he returned 
 him to Pilate. Pilate is the more troubled, and seeks 
 another excuse. "Ye have a custom that I release unto 
 you one at the Passover. Whom will ye that I release : 
 Barabbas, the robber or Jesus who is called Christ?" 
 His heart was the more troubled on receiving a letter 
 from his wife, saying, "Have thou nothing to do with 
 that just man, for I have suffered many things this 
 day in a dream because of him." And the multitude, 
 being persuaded by the chief priests and leaders, asked 
 for the release of Barabbas. Pilate, more deeply 
 troubled, unwilling to decide the question, submits it 
 
98 SOUL SAVING 
 
 to their dcision, by saying, "What shall I do then with 
 Jesus, which is called Christ?" They at once demand- 
 ed his crucifixion, and in Pilate's perplexity he saith 
 unto them, "Shall I crucify your king?" They reply, 
 "We have no king but Caesar, and if you let this man 
 go you are no friend of Caesar's." The Governor 
 seeing he could prevail nothing washed his hands in 
 the presence of the multitude, declaring he was inno- 
 cent of the blood of the just man, thinking by such 
 an act he would be neither guilty of shedding the blood 
 of Jesus nor having part in it, as if the outward wash- 
 ing of the hands could clear the inner guilt of co- 
 operating in such a dark deed of injustice and dis- 
 honor. Lady Macbeth could not wash the murder's 
 spots from her conscience; neither was Pilate able to 
 clear himself by the washing of his hands. This ques- 
 tion has troubled millions of men. Every conceiva- 
 ble excuse has been presented to evade answering the 
 question. In rejecting Jesus, they have tried, as Pilate, 
 to wash off their guilt, but the guilt of the awful sin 
 of rejection can never be wiped out. It is an inward 
 stain that requires regeneration to cleanse it. It is 
 the more troublesome when decision is wilfully made 
 against the dictates of conscience and the highest judg- 
 ment. Severe must have been Pilate's condemnation 
 because he went against his better feelings, willing the 
 death of him whom he knew to be innocent. It is a 
 more troublesome question for us today, than it was 
 for Pilate. We have to answer in full view of what 
 Jesus was and did. We have to answer in the light 
 
CHRIST BEFORE PILATE 99 
 
 of the centuries that have been beaming down from 
 the divine face. We have to answer in the light of 
 the accumulated history and experience that testify 
 in favor of Christ. This troublesome question may 
 stir up a frenzied mob of passions, impulses and sins 
 that clamor to give him up for some other idol, and 
 yet the question remains, "What shall I do then with 
 Jesus?" The more guilty the conscience the more 
 troublesome the question, and the more reason we have 
 to be brave in its decision. The deeper Pilate went 
 into the question the more it troubled him. The bit- 
 terness of the accusers, the character of Jesus, the 
 message from his wife, the decision of Herod, the 
 clamoring of the multitude, the fatality that hinged 
 upon the case, all bore heavy upon Pilate, deepened 
 his perplexity, and troubled his soul; and, my friend, 
 the more you think about it, the more important, im- 
 perative, personal and troublesome will this question 
 become until you decide it for the salvation of your 
 soul. 
 
 Look for a moment at Jesus, which is called the 
 Christ, who claims such important consideration. Ex- 
 amine his credentials. The prophets bore him testi- 
 mony. God gave them power to behold in the dis- 
 tance the coming of Jesus, the Christ, to be the Savior 
 of the world, to bind up the broken-hearted and to 
 proclaim liberty to the captives. Angels bore testi- 
 mony to Christ. They announced he should be great 
 and should be called the Son of the Highest; 
 that he should be born in the City of David, 
 
100 SOUL SAVING 
 
 and be called the Savior, and Christ the Lord. God 
 bore him testimony when he spoke from the heavens 
 at the baptism of Jesus, "This is my beloved Son, in 
 whom I am well pleased. John the Baptist bore him 
 testimony, "Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh 
 away the sins of the world." Peter gave his testimony 
 in the great confession, "Thou art the Christ, the 
 Son of the living God." Paul gave his testimony when 
 he declared that he was willing to count all things but 
 dross for the sake of winning Christ. Pilate declared 
 he found no fault in him. His wife declared him to be 
 a just man. The centurion who crucified him declared 
 him to be a righteous man. The centuries stand as a 
 cloud of witnesses bearing testimony to his power to 
 forgive sins and to save souls. He claims to be the 
 one whom God exalted to be a Prince and Savior of 
 men. He claims to be the Son of God and the Light 
 of the world. He claims to be the one of whom the 
 prophets spake, that would be wounded for our trans- 
 gressions, bruised for our iniquities, and upon whom 
 the chastisement of our peace would be laid. He claims 
 to be the one Mediator between God and man, and the 
 Judge of the quick and the dead. Possessing such 
 important credentials and making such important 
 claims adds weight to the question and behooves us 
 to give immediate and serious consideration to its an- 
 swer. "What shall I do then with Jesus" is the ques- 
 tion we drive home today. From the motley crowd 
 of friends and foes, Jews and Gentiles, that gathered 
 around the figure in the time of Pilate come the chief 
 
CHRIST BEFORE PILATE 101 
 
 answers that come from the human heart of today: 
 The answer of Rejection came from the fickle multi- 
 tude in the cry, "Let him be crucified!" It was the 
 cry of prejudice and guilt. The cry is echoed today, 
 though in less offensive language: It is the cry of 
 the Truth Seekers, the Infidels, the Agnostics, and the 
 Philosophic Inquirers. It is a cry that is sometimes 
 revealed in poetry and learning, in art and literature- 
 It is the cry of the guilty conscience, the impenitent 
 heart, and the uncontrolled passion ; no matter in .what 
 form it appears, it is the rejection, "Away with him!" 
 The answer of Indifference: In the days of Pilate 
 there were many indifferent to the claims of Jesus. 
 It is echoed today in the vast number who are doing 
 nothing with Jesus : who declare they will not be 
 pressed into a corner; that they find no fault in him, 
 that they have a high regard for the church, but they 
 remain indifferent. They assume a vain, shallow, in- 
 different attitude because they are too weak to believe 
 the truth, and too cowardly to deny it. Indifference 
 is an awful cheat and ruinous to the soul:, but can 
 there be an indifferent attitude? Is not such an at- 
 titude a rejection of Jesus? "He that is not with me 
 is against me, and he that gathereth not with me scat- 
 tereth abroad." 
 
 The answer of Heroism: In the days of Pilate 
 there were those who considered him only a man, and 
 not divine. It is echoed today by a considerable class 
 of people who accept him as an exalted pattern of hu- 
 manity, but not as the Son of God. They deny the 
 
102 SOUL SAVING 
 
 supernatural, but in so doing they must deny Jesus 
 Christ himself — the greatest miracle of history; the 
 One of whom it was said, "I am before Abraham." 
 He is before all things. The same yesterday, today, 
 and forever. In whom are hid all the treasures of 
 wisdom and knowledge. To whom all atuhority is 
 given in heaven and earth. Who is able to save to 
 the uttermost all who come unto God by him. 
 
 The answer of Acceptance: There were several in 
 the company who had accepted Jesus as the Son of 
 God and the Savior of men, and who were true and 
 faihtful when others had forsaken him. It is echoed 
 today by millions of followers of Jesus : by those 
 who are loving him, obeying him, and serving him. 
 This class has been redeemed by his blood, is laying 
 up treasures in heaven, is practicing his religion, and 
 recommending and preaching it to the world. "What 
 shall I do with Jesus?" 
 
 A careful consideration of this question should con- 
 vince every reasonable man of the importance of ac- 
 cepting Christ as his Savior. Would you have peace 
 of conscience? Look to Jesus. "Theferore, being jus- 
 tified by faith, we have peace with God through our 
 Lord Jesus Christ." Peace of conscience cannot be 
 obtained by good works, by prayers and penances, or 
 by any other means. It is only through the Lord Jesus 
 Christ that this rest for the soul can be obtained- 
 
 The whippings of a guilty conscience have been 
 ghosts to more than one poor soul. It woke Brutus 
 from his slumbers. It made Macbeth cry out in the 
 
CHRIST BEFORE PILATE 103 
 
 night. It led Charles the Ninth, who was responsible 
 for St. Bartholomew's Massacre to say, in the dying 
 hour: "Oh, if I had only spared the innocent, and 
 the imbecile and the crippled !" It led Rasseur to 
 declare in his old age that the sins he committed in 
 his youth still gave him sleepless nights. It led Charles 
 the Second, of Spain, to start at the bitter memories 
 of his past wickedness. It led Cardinal Beaufort, who 
 slew the Duke of Gloucester, to cry out at midnight, 
 "Away! Away! Why do you look at me?" It made 
 Richard the Third clutch his sword at the witching 
 hour of night, as if to fight apparitions, and cry out 
 against his coward conscience. It made Cain cry out 
 that his punishment was more than he could bear. It 
 made Ahab cry out to the Prophet, "Hast thou found 
 me. Oh mine enemy?" It made David tremble before 
 the accusation of Nathan. It made Felix tremble be- 
 fore the great Apostle's speech on righteousness, tem- 
 perance and judgment to come. It made Belshazzar's 
 knees smite each other and his teeth to chatter when 
 he saw the hand writing on the wall. Would you be 
 saved from a conscience recalling unimproved oppor- 
 tunities, un forgiven sins, and misspent time? Then 
 accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God and your 
 Savior. 
 
 Would you have God accept you and adopt you 
 as his own Son? Then you must accept Jesus as 
 your Savior. Neither good works, nor loud praying, 
 nor public alms-giving will secure the favor of God. 
 "He that believeth not on the Son of God is under 
 
104 SOUL SAVING 
 
 condemnation already, but unto them that are in 
 Christ Jesus there is no condemnation, they have 
 passed from death unto life." Christ declared, "He 
 that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me, and he 
 that rejecteth me rejecteth him that sent me. 
 
 Would you have the assurance of eternal life? This 
 cannot be purchased by wealth or obtained by good 
 deeds, but only through Christ can eternal life be ob- 
 tained. Peter said, "To whom shall we go, Lord, but 
 unto thee? Thou hast the words of everlasting life" 
 John declares that God has given to us eternal life, 
 and this life is in his Son- "He that hath the Son 
 hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath 
 not life." "Christ has brought life and immortality 
 to light through the Gospel." "I am the Resurrection 
 and the Life, and he that believeth on me shall never 
 die." 
 
 Would you have pardon of sins? Accept Christ. 
 To have forgiveness of sins is the source of the deep- 
 est joy. Only through Christ will God forgive sins. 
 "He is our redemption, even the forigveness of our 
 sins." His blood cleanseth from all sins. He came to 
 seek and to save the lost. No matter how heavy your 
 sins may press upon you, in Christ Jesus there is 
 abundance of pardon. "Let the wicked forsake his 
 way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let 
 him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy 
 upon him: and to our God, for he will abundantly 
 pardon." Would you escape the wrath of God and 
 the doom to come? Accept Christ. In flaming fire 
 
CHRIST BEFORE PILATE 105 
 
 God shall take vengeance on them that obey not the 
 Gospel of Christ. They shall be punished with an 
 everlasting destruction from his presence. Are there 
 no Revenges in History? 
 
 History tells us that Pontius Pilate committed sui- 
 cide. Tradition tells us that his body was thrown into 
 the Tiber, but the storms broke over the river until 
 his body was taken out and thrown into the Rhone, 
 but the storms swept over its banks until the body was 
 taken out and placed in a deep pool at the base of 
 Pilatas Bohn, Switzerland. But similar atmospheric,, 
 disturbances played about the mountain and over the 
 deep basin, as if to testify of the execration with which 
 the world looked upon Pilate. Tradition also says 
 that every year the spirit of Pilate comes to bathe his 
 hands in this pool of water in an effort to cleanse them 
 from the guilt of his conscience for condemning 
 Christ. In the book, called "Letters from Hell," Pilate 
 is represented as going about seeking water to cleanse 
 his hands from the guilt of Christ's blood, and forever- 
 more crying out in his guilt and shame for condemning 
 and not releasing Christ. Pilate tried to be indifferent 
 and ne utral. He tried compromise and scourging, but 
 at last consented to cruel assassination: but after- 
 wards his conscience smote him. The stain of his 
 guilt sank deeper into his body and soul until all the 
 lavers of Rome could not wash out the blood spots, 
 and now he is execrated by the voice of earth and hell 
 for his decision against Christ. The Jews cried out, 
 "His blood be upon us and upon our children." Pilate 
 
106 SOUL SAVING 
 
 gave way to them delivering Christ over to be crucified, 
 and the revenges of history declare that his blood was 
 not only upon those concerned in the deep tragedy, but 
 upon their children for ages to come. The Lord heard 
 and answered the awful cry even in the place where 
 they made it. Thirty-eight years after that terrible 
 cry, Herod demanded of the Jews a sum of money to 
 build a water course, and upon their refusing he sent 
 soldiers secretly who slew great multitudes in the 
 very place where they cried, "Let his blood be upon 
 us!" It is interesting, though horrible, to follow out 
 the life and death of those who participated in that 
 awful condemnation: Judas died in the horrors of a 
 loathesome suicide. Caiaphas was deposed from his 
 presidential chair the next year. Herod died in infamy 
 and exile. Pilate, as we have already learned, died in 
 banishment and suicide. The house of Annas was de- 
 stroyed the next generation by an infuriated mob and 
 his son was dragged through the streets, scourged, 
 beaten, and martyred. Some of those who shared in 
 the scenes of that day, thousands of their children, 
 and hundreds of thousands of the inhabitants of Jeru- 
 salem were slain by fire and sword, famine and pesti- 
 lence, and others led into captivity. They cried out 
 for King Caesar to rule over them. Did not Caesar 
 after Caesar outrage, pillage, oppress, and rule over 
 them with an iron hand ? They had forced the Romans 
 to crucify their Christ, and they had regarded that 
 method of punishment with a special horror, and with- 
 in forty years after the death of Christ, they and their 
 
CHRIST BEFORE PILATE 107 
 
 children were crucified in myriads by the Romans, till 
 it was declared that room was wanting and wood 
 failed, and the soldiers had to invent new forms of 
 cruelty and fresh methods of inflicting upon the Jews 
 insulting forms of death. They paid thirty pieces of 
 silver for the Savior's blood, and now they were them- 
 selves being sold in thousands for smaller sums. They 
 cried out for Barabbas, the robber, in preference to 
 their Messiah, and now the robbers and murderers 
 attack and destroy the nation without pity. They cry 
 out for the blood of Christ, and now they are staining 
 the last pages of their history with their own life- 
 blood. In murdering the Christ, they were sharpening 
 the ax for their own murder, and in destroying the 
 green fruit-bearing tree, they were laying the ax at 
 the barren and fruitless tree of the Jewish Nation. 
 In branding Christ, they were putting the mark of 
 Cain upon the forehead of their own race. In crying 
 out, "Away with him, and crucify him!" they were 
 sounding the cry to crucify and destroy themselves- 
 Was it but an incident in history, or was it the just 
 judgment of an Almighty God ! Truly, his blood was 
 upon them! Oh, people, why not cry out for the 
 efficacious blood of Jesus to be upon your hearts to 
 cleanse them from all sin, and your prayer will be 
 heard. Would you escape the awful doom of the un- 
 righteous, and be saved from the wrath to come? 
 Accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. 
 
 "What shall I do with Jesus, which is called the 
 Christ ?" Can we not put this question in such a man- 
 
108 SOUL SAVING 
 
 ner as to call forth from your hearts a favorable re- 
 sponse ? What are you doing with him as a Teacher ? 
 Have you not studied his words? Have you read the 
 Sermon on the Mount? Are you not constrained to 
 say, as did the people who heard him, "Never man 
 spake like this man/' He spake as one having au- 
 thority. Do not all the great teachers of the world 
 pale before him, as the moon before the rising of the 
 sun? Have not millions testified that his teachings 
 brought light to their darkened souls, and given an 
 answer to their perplexing questions and a solution to 
 their difficult problems? 
 
 What are you doing with Jesus as a Savior? He 
 came from heaven to earth to save men from sin, with 
 its guilt and power. God appointed him for this special 
 mission. He proved his ability to save by his teach- 
 ings, his life, his miracles, his death, and resurrection, 
 and by what he has done in the world in the salvation 
 of his people during the past two thousand years. 
 Surely then, he is able to save you from your sins, 
 and into the favor of God. What are you doing with 
 Jesus as the foundation of your eternal hope? He is 
 declared to be the foundation of the prophets and the 
 apostles. He is the foundation of our acceptance with 
 God, — "no man cometh unto the Father save by me," 
 says Christ. The foundation of our hope: "We are 
 begotten again unto a lively hope by the resurrection 
 of Jesus Christ from the dead." Millions have risked 
 all upon this foundation, and have found it strong, 
 abiding and precious. Surely, then, you will build 
 
CHRIST BEFORE PILATE 109 
 
 your house upon this foundation, that it may stand 
 against the storms of sin, Satan, death and judgment ! 
 What are you doing with Jesus which is called the 
 Christ? What are you doing with him as Prophet, 
 Priest and King; as Savior, Shepherd and Friend? 
 What are you doing with his blameless character and 
 with his spotless life? What are you doing with him 
 in your homes, in your society, in your business ? The 
 question should come personally to the heart of every- 
 one. It is not what others are doing with Jesus, but 
 what are you doing with him? What are you doing 
 for him who gave his life for you? 
 
 Is there a heart here that was once cleansed by 
 his blood; but since that happy day fell from grace, 
 and has apostatized from the faith? I appeal to you, 
 what have you been doing unto Jesus? Oh, will you 
 not return unto him — your first love? Will you not 
 come back from your fallen state that you may again 
 have peace of conscience, pardon of sins, and hope of 
 heaven ? 
 
 Is there a burdened and weary soul here: a soul 
 bowed down by the heavy cares of life — a soul that is 
 overworked, a soul that is burdened with the sins and 
 shame of loved ones, or burdened with the sins of 
 inner guilt. I appeal to you, accept Christ with all 
 your heart, and dedicate your whole life unto him. 
 
 Is there a business man here who has been fighting 
 the battles of business, and found no time for his 
 soul salvation? I appeal to you, "seek first the king- 
 dom of God and his righteousness, and all these things 
 
110 SOUL SAVING 
 
 shall be added unto you." Remember the sentence 
 on which the finger of Charlemagne was placed when 
 his body sat, cold and dead, on the marble chair on 
 which kings had been crowned :" "What shall it profit 
 a man if he gain the whole world, and lose his own 
 soul?" 
 
 Is there one here who is cast down and discouraged ? 
 One who is lowly and without hope ? One who feels 
 that there is no forgiveness? I appeal unto you, 
 listen to the words of Jesus, "He that cometh unto 
 me I will in no wise cast out." "Whoever will con- 
 fess me before men, him will I confess before my Fa- 
 ther and the holy angels." Is there one here near to 
 the kingdom? Remember Pontius Pilate: he was in 
 the presence of Jesus. He was near to the kingdom. 
 He came near standing with Joseph of Arimathea 
 and with Nicodemus, but alas! he rejected Christ. 
 If you are near the kingdom, will you not decide in 
 favor of your soul's salvation? Will you not accept 
 Jesus as the Christ, the Savior of men? "Enter the 
 kingdom while ye may." "Seek the Lord while he 
 may be found: Call ye upon him while he is near." 
 I appeal to every man, woman and child who hears me, 
 what are you doing with Jesus? You are now de- 
 ciding the question. You will decide it before you 
 pass from my hearing. He comes in all his wondrous 
 beauty and mighty power to save. He comes in all 
 his love and compassion to have pardon and pity. He 
 comes with all his promises and hope to inspire and 
 love you. If you will listen to his voice, you will ac- 
 
CHRIST BEFORE PILATE 111 
 
 cept him as your Savior. If you will listen to the 
 voice of the Spirit of God you will accept him as 
 your Savior. If you will listen to the voice of your 
 conscience, you will accept him as your Savior. If 
 you will listen to the voice of your loved ones, you 
 will accept him as your Savior- If you will listen 
 to the voice of history, you will accept him as your 
 Savior. If you will listen to the voice of heaven, 
 you will accept him as your Savior. If you will 
 listen to the voices of peace and happiness, you will 
 accept him as your Savior. But, Oh, should you 
 reject him! Should you decide against him the 
 bells of woe shall forever ring over your doom! In 
 that awful day for which all days were made, will 
 it be said of you, here is a man whom I called, 
 and he refused. Here is a woman whom I impor- 
 tuned, but she turned away. Here is a child I 
 invited, and he came not. Here is a young man 
 with whom I pleaded, but he turned against me. Here 
 is a young woman at whose door I knocked, but she 
 would not open unto me. Hear, ye people ! Halt in 
 your onward road to ruin and listen. Of those who 
 reject him what shall be done with them on that great 
 day ? Will they not be shut out of heaven ? Will they 
 not be cast into outer darkness? Will they not be 
 banished from the presence of God? Will they not 
 have their lot with the fearful and the abominable? 
 Will not their sad and bitter wail be for mercy when 
 the door of mercy is closed? The invitation is now 
 given. Are you going to listen to the voice of cow- 
 
112 SOUL SAVING 
 
 ardice and reject him? Are you going to listen to the 
 voice of greed, and turn against him? Are you going 
 to listen to the voice of beastly passion, and cry out, 
 "Away with him!" Are you going to listen to the 
 voice of Satan, and cry out, "Crucify him I" Are you 
 going to listen to the voice of hell, and take your 
 stand against him? I pray not, lest the day of grace 
 be closed against you. lest your opportunities for salva- 
 tion be gone forever; lest Jesus of Nazareth passes 
 by, never to return; lest sin hardens your heart and 
 death sweeps you into Judgment, where you shall cry 
 out, on that great Day when the moon is turned into 
 blood and the sun is darkened, to hills and mountains 
 to fall upon you and cover you from view, because 
 of the unpardoned sins of your life. 
 
 What shall I do with Jesus? Accept him with all 
 your heart as the Son of God and the Savior of your 
 soul. May the prayers of your sainted mother, con- 
 strain you to accept him. May the earnest desires 
 of your Christian friends, constrain you to accept him. 
 May the blood that Jesus shed on Calvary to save your 
 soul, constrain you to accept him. May that Spirit of 
 God that has long been striving for your salvation, 
 constrain you to accept him. May the goodness, for- 
 bearance, and long-suffering of God, constrain you 
 to accept him. May the fears of hell, constrain you 
 to accept him. May the ministering spirits that watch 
 for souls, constrain you to accept him. May the angels 
 of God that are waiting to bear the joyful news to 
 the loved ones in the mansions of heaven, constrain 
 
CHRIST BEFORE PILATE 113 
 
 you to accept him- May the sting of conscience, as the 
 result of your own sins, and the peace and pardon that 
 come through the acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ, 
 constrain you to accept him. Oh, you sinning, de- 
 spondent, short-lived souls! will you not accept Jesus 
 today as your Lord and Savior? 
 
HAVE WE BEEN DECEIVED? 
 
 "Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also de- 
 ceived?"— -John 7:47. 
 
 The Pharisees hated Jesus to such an extent that 
 they wished to put him to death. Hatred can go no 
 further than to desire murder. It is the last cowardly 
 argument of bigotry, weakness and envy. So they sent 
 officers to lay hands on Jesus, and when they came to 
 him, he did not act like a criminal — he did not flee 
 from them and seek a hiding place; he did not use 
 weapons in self-defense; he did not deny anything 
 pertaining to his doctrine, life or works, but calmly 
 continued to teach the people, heal the sick, and com- 
 fort the sorrowing, insomuch that the officers were 
 captivated by him and came under the influence of his 
 teaching; they shared, to some extent at least, the 
 faith of the disciples of Jesus, and lacked the courage 
 to execute the command of their masters. So they re- 
 turned, under the spell of the dominant enthusiasm 
 of the crowd that surrounded Jesus and with the 
 shouts that hailed him as the great prophet still ring- 
 ing in their ears, to make report to the Chief Priests 
 and Pharisees. When the Council saw them return- 
 ing empty-handed they were baffled and chagrined, and 
 at once demanded, "Why did ye not bring him?" 
 
116 SOUL SAVING 
 
 "Why did ye not execute our command?" "Why have 
 ye been foiled in your effort to carry out the com- 
 mand of the committee?" "Where is the man you 
 were sent to arrest?" The officers in reply used no 
 evasions to excuse themselves. They offered no plea 
 that they could not find Jesus, or that they feared 
 the multitude, but without equivocation or fear of pun- 
 ishment from their superiors, they declared at once 
 their reason for not arresting Jesus: "Never man 
 spake like this man." They had been so overwhelmed 
 with the speaker, in the secrets he had to disclose, in 
 the vast treasure of his knowledge, in his unlimited 
 power to meet the thirst of men, in his ability to make 
 those yield to his influence who were sent to take him 
 that they could not resist the benediction of his sacred 
 teachings and supernatural glamor that fell upon them, 
 and so they declared as something new and wonderful, 
 that no man ever spake like this great prophet. In- 
 dignantly do the Pharisees answer: "Have ye also 
 been deceived?" They had already stigmatized Jesus 
 as one who deceived the people. They felt the evil of 
 deception growing very fast when those sent to execute 
 the law returned without Jesus, and with such a tribute 
 to his power as a teacher. They felt that folly, wicked- 
 ness, deception and treachery were at work near the 
 center of authority, and so in their amazement and 
 anger they ask, "Have any of the rulers believed on 
 him, or of the Pharisees ?" As if to say, if the rulers 
 and Pharisees believe on him there might be some 
 color and excuse for the action of the officers. Some 
 
HAVE WE BEEN DECEIVED? 117 
 
 of the Pharisees had already shown some sympathy 
 with Jesus, some of the higher classes in Galilee had 
 admitted his claims, and some of the priests would 
 have believed on him if they had not feared the Phari- 
 sees, but He had not as yet been accepted by those in 
 power and authority. The words and actions of the 
 Pharisees indicate great surprise on their part. They 
 had sent picked officers commissioned with the highest 
 authority, to bring Jesus. These officers had a per- 
 sonal experience with Christ. Their failure to take 
 him was not the result of hear-say or second-hand re- 
 port, for they heard him with their own ears, saw him 
 with their own eyes, and experienced the effect of his 
 wonderful teaching upon their own hearts, and shared 
 in the enthusiasm of the multitude- No wonder the 
 rulers were greatly disappointed. They expected a 
 feast more enjoyable than that of the Tabernacles, 
 from which they had remained away in order to secure 
 the victim of their hatred. Their questions and actions 
 not only indicate surprise and disappointment, but a 
 great insult to their authority. They had been dis- 
 obeyed, their commandments set at naught by their 
 inferiors and menials, hence the question, "Have ye 
 also been deceived?" 
 
 This question is suggestive of a wide and fertile field 
 of inquiry. Were the officers deceived in him? Was 
 the multitude that surrounded Jesus deceived in him? 
 Were his early disciples deceived in him? Has His- 
 tory been deceived in him ? Have we been deceived in 
 him? Has the world been deceived in him as a 
 
118 SOUL SAVING 
 
 teacher? The officers' report, "Never man spake like 
 this man," was a remarkable tribute to the power of 
 Christ as a Teacher. Their words imply that Jesus is 
 pre-eminent amongst the teachers of men; that his 
 words are incomparable. There had been great Teach- 
 ers amongst the Jews and Gentiles: great orators, 
 mighty prophets, eloquent teachers, sage philosophers, 
 but never man spake like this man. Plato, Socrates 
 and Aristotle were great teachers amongst the Greeks, 
 but they never spake like Jesus. Moses, David and 
 Solomon were great teachers amongst the Jews, but 
 they never spake like Jesus. Newton, Bacon and 
 Locke were great teachers amongst the Christians, but 
 they never spake like Jesus. Buddha and Confucius 
 were great teachers amongst the heathens, but they 
 never spake like Jesus. There were great teachers 
 amongst the Scribes and Pharisees, but none like Jesus. 
 The Scribes occupied themselves with the temple and 
 the synagogue, with phylacteries and customs, with 
 literalism and vain repetitions, but the teachings of 
 Jesus concern the life and soul of man and as such 
 are as far above the teachings of the Scribes and Phar- 
 isees as daylight is grander than darkness, as the pure 
 air of the Rocky Mountains is better than the foul air 
 of the charnel house. The teachings of other teach- 
 ers were narrow and dogmatic, their manners cold and 
 indifferent, their sayings second-handed and servile to 
 traditions, but the character of Jesus as a teacher and 
 his sayings stand pre-eminent. The whole comparison 
 proves the fact that the Prophet of Galilee eclipsed all 
 
HAVE WE BEEN DECEIVED? 119 
 
 his illustrious predecessors in wisdom and eloquence 
 as a teacher, and history demonstrates that he has 
 held the same honor from the day he delivered the 
 Sermon on the Mount till the present time. 
 
 Never man spake such revelations of truth. Jesus 
 uttered the sublimest truths about the character and 
 attributes of God, about the nature, state and sin of 
 man, about the relationship between man and God, 
 about redemption in Christ and the life immortal. 
 Never man spake such words for the government of 
 life. Nowhere else can we find such perfect precepts 
 about governing conduct, enforcing morality, and com- 
 manding obedience to God. His precepts were not all 
 new- Many of them had been scattered as pearls 
 detached from the parent shell, or as rough diamonds 
 under ground. Some had appeared in one age and 
 some in another. Some had been uttered by one 
 philosopher and some by another, but it was left to 
 Jesus to give to the world a complete morality, to give 
 to mankind unquestionable rules of life and manners, 
 to give to his disciples such a code of ethics as to be 
 received with divine authority as an unerring rule for 
 all time to come. The world had been acting 
 contrary to his teachings, and what he said con- 
 flicted with the sentiments, maxims and practices 
 of life. Think of one who had been reared as 
 a gentle mechanic, sitting on the hill-top with a 
 crowd of peasants, fishermen and mechanics sur- 
 rounding him, preaching to them sublime truths of 
 the inner and higher life of the soul, to be received 
 
120 SOUL SAVING 
 
 by universal consent as the greatest and noblest ut- 
 terances of earth. 
 
 Have you ever walked the streets, amidst the din 
 and noise of traffic, and heard coming down from the 
 chimes of some church or cathedral, notes, sweet, fine 
 and beautiful, in sharp contrast with the scenes of 
 vulgar life beneath? In some such manner the words 
 of Jesus fell upon the multitude, and have been re- 
 ceived by mankind in general. 
 
 Never man spake with such authority as Jesus. It 
 was declared that he spake as one having authority, 
 and not as the Scribes and Pharisees. He possessed 
 infinite knowledge. He knew all things. Nothing 
 could be hidden from him. All the treasures of knowl- 
 edge and wisdom were hidden in him. The universe 
 seemed as transparent light before him. He is called 
 the only wise God. He is made unto us, wisdom. He 
 knew the Father thoroughly. He had the full measure 
 of knowledge. He saw Satan fall from heaven as 
 lightning. He knows of the joy in the presence of the 
 angels of God. He knows man's need of salvation- 
 He knows the heart's thirst for God. He was never 
 puzzled; and never doubted. He never raised ques- 
 tions he could not answer. He had the correct answer 
 for every question. His words were the truth — he 
 was truth — the truth was in him — in his mind and 
 heart and life. Other teachers quote from history and 
 works of reference, but Jesus said: "I say unto you," 
 "I am the Truth." He had no need to search for it. 
 He was the certificate of its authority. He had no 
 
HAVE WE BEEN DECEIVED? 121 
 
 need to resort to argument to prove his statement. No 
 need to resort to theories, definitions, explanations, 
 suppositions, demonstrations. His affirmation was the 
 highest wisdom upon the subject. The truthfulness of 
 his statements cannot be denied. If Jesus said it, that 
 is sufficient — it is the affirmation of its authority. 
 
 Never man spake words that had such an effect upon 
 his hearers. This is the true test that brings out the 
 power of the teacher. The soldiers returned without 
 him. His influence over them was patent to all. No 
 fear of punishment could persuade them to take him. 
 They could assign no other reason than the effect 
 of his speech and doctrine upon them. It is said as a 
 proof of the eloquence of Marcus Antonius, a great 
 orator, that when Marius sent soldiers to kill him 
 he pleaded with such eloquence for his life that they 
 could not touch him, and left him in tears. Jesus did 
 not plead for his life. He appealed to the conscience 
 and heart of men. He pleaded for the life of a sinful 
 world, insomuch that the soldiers returned amazed 
 and spellbound with his magic eloquence. Individuals 
 who heard him in private audience were moved by him. 
 Ninteen private interviews of Jesus are recorded in 
 the New Testament Scriptures. In these interviews 
 his words moved his auditors to action. Sometimes 
 he spoke to great multitudes who not only heard him 
 gladly, but forsook their homes and employments to 
 crowd around him and hear his teachings. It was 
 never said of Socrates or Plato that the common peo- 
 ple heard them gladly, but they understood Jesus, and 
 
122 SOUL SAVING 
 
 saw an ever-deepening meaning in what he said. His 
 words were like clear wells of water in which no one 
 can see the bottom; like sea-shells that sound the im- 
 measurable depths of the ocean. His words move the 
 human conscience. Others stimulate the conscience 
 when they preach in harmony with the teachings of 
 Christ, but it is left to Christ to touch and move the 
 conscience of man. Whatever contradicts his doctrine 
 and seeks to overthrow his kingdom only paralyzes the 
 conscience and fires it with righteous indignation. The 
 literature of today that is receiving the largest circula- 
 tion is that which is in closest harmony with the teach- 
 ings of Christ, and will reflect his desires for the up- 
 lifting of the human race. 
 
 His sayings have oft-times been introduced to rev- 
 olutionize the thought and doctrines of mankind. The 
 greatest reforms of human society are traced to the 
 utterance of the words of the Nazarene- We declare, 
 without any fear of contradiction, that never man 
 spake like Christ to the reason, to the conscience, to 
 the will, to the heart ; that never man spake with such 
 high authority, ease, naturalness and conviction; that 
 never man spake with such powerful effect to Nature, 
 to disease, to demons, to the guilty, to the penitent, to 
 the weary, to the heavy laden, to the sorrowful, to 
 death ; that never man spake words so full of meaning 
 and preciousness, not only to his own generation, but 
 for all generations to come; words to flow on for 
 time and for eternity; words to be treasured 
 with increasing reverence and attachment by each 
 
HAVE WE BEEN DECEIVED? 123 
 
 succeeding generation ; words to reform life and com- 
 mand obedience in the hearts of men for all time to 
 come; words that have been verified by the lapse of 
 time and by the prophetic utterance that "heaven and 
 earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass 
 away" that stamp his teachings with divine authority. 
 Have we been deceived in him as a Savior? God 
 appointed him to be a Prince and Savior of men. It 
 is declared the Father sent the Son to the earth to 
 be a Savior of men. It was prophesied he would be 
 mighty to save. His name was called Jesus, because 
 he should save the people from their sins. The disci- 
 ples who gathered around him accepted him as their 
 Savior. The apostles preached him as the only wise 
 God and Savior of men. The author to the Hebrews 
 declared that he was able to save to the uttermost. 
 Paul said, "It is a faithful saying, Christ came to 
 save sinners of whom I am the chief." The world 
 needed a Savior. The prophets declared a Savior 
 would come. Socrates, the great Pagan philosopher, 
 declared that "we must of necessity wait till someone 
 who careth for us shall come and instruct us how we 
 ought to behave toward God and toward man. We 
 cannot know what worship we should pay to him, 
 but it is necessary that a Law-giver be sent from 
 heaven to instruct us. This Law-giver must be more 
 than man, that he may teach us the things man cannot 
 know by his own nature." The sins and sorrows of 
 man called long and loud for a Savior. God answered 
 the call of man as expressed in his need, sins, proph- 
 
124 SOUL SAVING 
 
 ecies, and in the fullness of time sent his own Son 
 to be a Savior. Jesus came declaring himself to be 
 the Son of God and Savior. It was recorded that he 
 went about seeking to save men. He demonstrated 
 his power to save by his teachings, life, character, mir- 
 acles, resurrection, those he saved at the time and the 
 millions he has saved since his appearance upon the 
 earth. Have these all been deceived in him ? We have 
 accepted him as our Savior- Have we been deceived 
 in him? If you are an unbeliever and think that we 
 are deceived in Jesus, I ask you to receive him as 
 your Savior, let him enter the temple of your soul and 
 dwell therein; open the door of your heart and let 
 him have possession and he will drive out the foul- 
 ness of sin and the beasts of selfishness. He will do 
 for you what false doctrines and philosophies of men 
 can never do. He will drive wickedness out of your 
 temples, cleanse you from all sin, and save your souls 
 by His grace. 
 
 Have we been deceived in him as a Comforter? 
 Christ is all and all to the Christian in the time of 
 trouble and sorrow. None have escaped trouble. Man 
 is born to trouble as sure as the sparks fly upward- 
 Man is of few days and full of trouble. All are doomed 
 to drink out of the bitter lake of trouble. John be- 
 held the Redeemed in Paradise, and said : "These are 
 they that have come up out of great tribulation." Our 
 voyage is across a stormy sea, with ever and anon 
 lowering clouds, roaring thunders, dangerous light- 
 ning shafts and terrible storms. Our ships never rest 
 
HAVE WE BEEN DECEIVED? 125 
 
 at anchor till they have passed the gale. Life is not 
 spent in the tent with arms stacked, but in weary- 
 marches and bayonet charges. There are troubles 
 from sickness, troubles from false friends, troubles 
 from enemies, troubles from sins, troubles from cruel 
 separations, troubles from the grim monster, Death. 
 We are compelled to meet with the coffin, the hearse, 
 and the grave. It is only a question of time till trou- 
 ble will wrinkle the brow, frost the hair, and in the 
 midst of trouble the question arises, is there no angel 
 of mercy to bind the wounds, no balm of Gilead 
 to heal the sickness, no herb that will serve as an 
 antidote to the poison bites of sorrow? Yes, blessed 
 be God, Christ is our Comforter. He has the hand- 
 kerchief to wipe the tears from our eyes- He has 
 the tenderness to pull the thorn out of human agony. 
 He has the power to carry the cross. He has a yoke 
 that is easy and a burden that is light. When upon 
 the bed of languishing, with fever burning the body, 
 the patient yearns for health, for rest, for ease, he 
 will find sweet comfort in Christ. When suffering 
 under the sense of sin and conscience is crying out for 
 pardon, there is comfort in Christ. When suffering 
 under the shame of the sins, misdoings and crimes 
 of others, there is comfort in Christ. When suffer- 
 ing from bitter disappointments in life, disappointed 
 ambitions and hopes, disappointments in homes and 
 friendships, there is comfort in Christ. When suf- 
 fering under the rebukes and ostracism of Society, 
 when loneliness broods like a pall over the heart, there 
 
126 SOUL SAVING 
 
 is comfort in Christ. When the good things of the 
 earth fail to satisfy, there is comfort in Christ. When 
 the King of Terrors gives the stern behest to those 
 who are near and dear to our heart, there is comfort 
 in Christ, and when the rider upon the pale horse 
 comes with a summons to give up this life and cross 
 the Jordan of death, there is comfort in Christ. Yes, 
 in him there is abundance of comfort for every woe, 
 disappointment, sorrow, sin, and trouble. Have you 
 tried this Comforter? If so, tell me, have you been 
 deceived in him? 
 
 Has the world been deceived in his civilizing power ? 
 The best test of religion is its fruits. Jesus taught by 
 their fruits ye shall know them. What have been 
 the practical results of Christianity? Has it not been 
 a success in civilizing barbarian people? Has it not 
 been the foundation of all just government, the basis 
 of all noble legislation, the inspired impulse of general 
 education, the mainspring of charity, the power back 
 of every moral reformation, the fountain from which 
 flows the redemptive measures for criminals, the mo- 
 tive that has led to the rescue of the down-trodden 
 and outcast? Has Christianity not been the power 
 that has destroyed caste, oppression, tyranny, and 
 slavery? Has it not been the war-cry of every noble 
 revolution ? Has it not been the basis of international 
 union and relationship? Has it not been the safeguard 
 of commercial interests? Has it not been the great 
 constraining power to enlist the sympathies of the rich 
 for the poor, the learned for the ignorant, and the 
 
HAVE WE BEEN DECEIVED? 127 
 
 fortunate for the unfortunate? Has it done nothing 
 for children. Yea, it has revolutionized the whole 
 sentiment of man upon the subject of childhood. Jesus 
 Christ has championed the cause and rights of chil- 
 dren, sweetened their every relationship, made sacred 
 their endearing ties to home and friends and relatives, 
 rescued them from being serfs and slaves, and instead 
 of being considered as intruders in the home they are 
 welcomed as angels of life and mercy. Has he done 
 nothing for the poor man? Yes, he has taught the 
 Brotherhood of Man and the Fatherhood of God. He 
 has affirmed the great principle that God is no re- 
 specter of persons ; that God looks not upon the ex- 
 terior, but upon the interior; that the poor man, in 
 the sight of God, has a soul to save as well as the 
 rich man. Has not Christianity been the only re- 
 ligion to champion that liberty that has opened the 
 gates to fortune and fame, to education and power, 
 to happiness and peace for the poor man? Has not 
 it brought a cargo of blessing from heaven to earth 
 for the poor as well as the rich? Has Christianity 
 done nothing for women- You know the past history 
 of woman. She has been the slave to the passion and 
 tyranny of man. The savages have made her a beast 
 of burden, rather than a companion. The Jews exiled 
 her from the synagogue as being animal in her nature. 
 The Pagans forbade her to own property and doomed 
 her to incessant toil. The heathens considered her 
 without a taste for rational enjoyment, unworthy the 
 knowledge of their highest religion, and doomed her 
 
128 SOUL SAVING 
 
 to awful subjection and drudgery for life. Has she 
 not, amongst all peoples in the past, been cheated out 
 of her rights, deprived of her education, despoiled 
 of her virtue ? Has she not been cut out of history as 
 being unworthy a part in it? As a sex you know she 
 has been universally neglected, but from the time the 
 angel Gabriel visited the humble cottage of Mary over 
 in the little city of Nazareth, there has been at work 
 the emancipation of woman from tutelage, subjection 
 and slavery. It is the glory of Christianity to elevate 
 her from the degradation of Paganism, and to make 
 her a rational, lovable, amiable, and serviceable com- 
 panion of man. She stands today as one of the tri- 
 umphant glories of Christianity. Children are taught 
 to honor and obey the mother as well as to honor and 
 obey the father. The Pagans were taught such a 
 great lesson by the Christian women that their cultured 
 author, Libanius, declared, "What women these Chris- 
 tians are P' The heathens have been taught that even 
 their wives and daughters have bodies to be fed, minds 
 to be educated, and souls to be saved. Turn to the 
 teachings of Jesus and you will find in the New Testa- 
 ment Scriptures more women named, honored, ap- 
 plauded than is to be found in all the works of the 
 Romans during the great Augustan age. Study the 
 records of the women and the teachings and princi- 
 ples pertaining to them in the New Testament Scrip- 
 tures and you become convinced that Jesus Christ is 
 the Emancipator of woman; that in his religion there 
 is neither bond nor free, male nor female, for all are 
 
HAVE WE BEEN DECEIVED? 129 
 
 one in him ; that she is entitled to all moral, social, and 
 religious privileges and enjoyments of Christianity on 
 a parity with man. If such be the civilizing power 
 of Christ and his religion, has the world been deceived 
 in him? We believe in his civilizing power. Can it 
 be that we are deceived in him? 
 
 Christ came as the destroyer of Death. Is it a de- 
 lusion and a deception ? It is appointed unto men once 
 to die. Kings have searched for the elixir of life, and 
 have found it not. Men of wealth have tried to bribe 
 death, but all in vain. Men have sought for the pro- 
 longation of life at the seashore and in the mountains, 
 but futile have been the efforts- From the time that 
 Cain slew his brother Abel death has been the subtle 
 foe of mankind. He has come down the ages, rob- 
 bing the cradle of its innocence, cutting down youth 
 in its beauty, manhood in its strength, and old age in 
 its weakness. We confront it at home and abroad. 
 He slays men in what they eat. He poisons men in 
 what they drink. He waylays men in the streets. 
 He carries men away from their business. He rides 
 the storm at the sea, he steals his victim from the 
 couch, he walks forth at noonday, forgets not his 
 work at morning, and postpones it not till after the 
 gorgeous sunset. Where is the man who has the 
 power to escape death? There is no exemption in 
 this war. He spares not age nor sex. He has al- 
 ready knocked with his fevers and pains and aches 
 and consumptions at your bodies. The mechanic 
 either has or will soon make your coffin, and the 
 
130 SOUL SAVING 
 
 hearse will soon be summoned to bear away your 
 mortal remains. 
 
 From the fear of death, is there no relief? From 
 the sting of it is there no Savior? From the power 
 of it is there no conqueror? Yes, Jesus Christ is 
 the Conqueror of death : the only Conqueror of death. 
 He declared the battle, made the charge, and won the 
 victory. He cut loose the cable that the barque might 
 sail freely to the very havens of rest. He prepared 
 the fiery chariot in which the spirit might ascend to 
 God. He marched upon the foe and wrested his power 
 from him. By dying he took away the sting of death ; 
 he wrote out the invitation, "My friend, come up 
 higher." He displayed his power in abolishing death, 
 and bringing life and immortality to light through the 
 Gospel. Millions have had fulfilled unto them the 
 blessed promise of our Lord, "I will be with you al- 
 ways- I will guide you unto death, and receive you 
 unto glory." Have they been deceived? We believe 
 that Jesus Christ has power over death. Is it a 
 delusion and a snare, or a fact? 
 
 It is germaine to our subject to inquire if these 
 who have believed in Jesus have been deceived in him ? 
 Was God deceived in him? The Father sent him into 
 the world as his only begotten Son, declaring that he 
 sent him last of all, saying, "They surely will rever- 
 ence him." At the baptism of Jesus he acknowledged 
 him as his Son in that beautiful declaration that came 
 out from the clouds, "This is my beloved Son, in 
 whom I am well pleased." At the transfiguration, he 
 
HAVE WE BEEN DECEIVED? 131 
 
 said, "This is my beloved Son; hear ye him." Again 
 he said, "I have glorified thee, and will glorify thee 
 again." 
 
 Were the angels deceived in him? An angel an- 
 nounced his coming to Mary. An angel announced 
 his birth to the shepherds at Bethlehem. Angels ush- 
 ered him into this world, and sang that beautiful song, 
 "Glory to God in the Highest; peace on earth, good- 
 will to men." It is said that Christ in the flesh was 
 seen by the angels ; that these heavenly visitors de- 
 sired to look into the things in the Gospel. An angel 
 comforted Jesus after his temptation in the wilder- 
 ness. Another comforted him after his agony in the 
 garden. Angels were sent to his ascension, to ac- 
 company him back to his home in glory and we are 
 assured that all the hosts of heaven bow down to 
 worship him. Is it possible that they are deceived 
 in him? 
 
 Were the apostles deceived in him? They had the 
 exalted privilege of looking into his face, of hearing 
 his words, of knowing his life ,of witnessing his mira- 
 cles, of sojourning with him during his earthly pilgrim- 
 age. Thomas declared him to be his Lord and God. 
 Peter declared him to be the Christ, the Son of the 
 living God. Paul declared him to be God and Savior 
 of men. John declared him to be the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, the Son of the Father in truth and love. James 
 declared him to be Jesus Christ the Lord of glory- 
 They com formed their lives to his teachings. They 
 preached his kingdom. They advocated his princi- 
 
132 SOUL SAVING 
 
 pies. They sealed their testimony and faith with their 
 blood. Can it be possible they were deceived in him? 
 Had Jesus been a deceiver would they not have de- 
 tected it? 
 
 Have the great men of history been deceived in 
 him? Our Lord and Master can be weighed and 
 measured by the estimate of the character and ability 
 of those who have accepted him as the Son of God 
 and the Savior of men. Statesmen, philanthropists, 
 reformers, merchants, authors, historians, scientists, 
 men of might and power, men of learning and title 
 have, in open declaration, confessed him, and with 
 notes loud and clear and strong sounded out his au- 
 thority over their souls. Bismarck, the great German 
 statesman who made Germany great, declared that he 
 hoped for forigveness in the blood of Christ, and rec- 
 ognized the will of God in the Christian Gospels. 
 Gladstone, perhaps the greatest statesman of England, 
 declared that Christianity has not only contributed to 
 the betterment of man its brightest and most precious 
 jewels, but has been what our Savior pronounced it, 
 the soul of all the residue. Garibaldi, the great states- 
 man of Italy, in addressing his army, said: "I am a 
 Christian, and I speak to Christians. I love and ven- 
 erate the religion of Christ, because Christ came into 
 the world to deliver humanity from slavery." Benja- 
 min Franklin, the great statesman and philosopher of 
 America, said : "As to Jesus of Nazareth, my opinion 
 of whom you particularly desire, I think the system 
 of morals, and His religion, as He left them to us, is 
 
HAVE WE BEEN DECEIVED? 133 
 
 the best the world ever saw, or is likely to see." Do 
 you ask for champions of faith from the literary 
 world? If you would draw an encyclopedia around 
 the Christian authors, without you would find a 
 howling waste. Noah Webster, the great lexicograph- 
 er, said: "The United States commenced their exist- 
 ence with the best gift of God to man — the Christian 
 religion." Walter Scott says: "I would, if called 
 upon, die a martyr for the Christian religion, so com- 
 pletely is its divine origin proved by its beneficial 
 effects on the state of society." Sir Isaac Newton de- 
 clared, "I count the Scriptures of God to be the most 
 sublime philosophy." Do you ask for champions from 
 the scientific world ? Sir Humphrey Davy, the famous 
 chemist, has left the statement "Of all the religions 
 which have operated in the human mind, Christianity 
 alone has the consistent character of perfect truth. Its 
 current effects have been constantly connected with 
 the moral and intellectual improvement, with present 
 and future happiness." Morse, the famous electrician, 
 who received honors from all the civilized world for 
 his great invention, stated at a communion table with 
 Christ, "Oh, this is something better than standing 
 before princes." A few days before his decease, when 
 a friend spoke to him of the great goodness of God 
 to him in his remarkable life, he replid, "Yes, so 
 good! so good! and the best part of all is yet to 
 come" It would take volumes to record the testimony 
 of Jesus from the lips and pens of the world's great 
 men. The variety, and scope of their utterances give 
 
134 SOUL SAVING 
 
 them increasing force. They come from land and 
 sea, from city and country, from philosophers and 
 sages ; from men of schools and men of business ; from 
 reformers in the political world, and from scientists 
 in the physical world; men accustomed to examine 
 testimony, weigh evidence, and pass judgment. Can 
 it be that such men, who champion Christianity and 
 hail Jesus as their king and ruler, their Lord and 
 Savior, are deceived in him? 
 
 Were the sinners who were saved by him deceived 
 in him? Were those whom he raised from the dead 
 deceived in him? Have those who have trusted him 
 during the ages that are passed and gone, as their 
 friend, their Father, their Teacher, their Savior and 
 Comforter been deceived in him? 
 
 May it not be that the skeptics and unbelievers have 
 been deceived in themselves, and in their own systems 
 of folly and philosophy ? The Pharisees were deceived 
 in themselves. They trusted in their own righteous- 
 ness, which was a weak staff. They thought them- 
 selves to be something when they were nothing. They 
 upheld the traditions and commandments of men, 
 which led them into deeper dissipation. They were 
 deceived in their formality and self righteousness. 
 They were deceived in their rejection of Christ. 
 
 Is not the infidel deceived in his infidelity? Infidel- 
 ity is not a person nor a thing. It is a moral imbecility, 
 a spiritual jaundice, a negative idea, the blackness of 
 darkness, a repudiation of evidence. Is not the infidel 
 deceived in his mission? The mission of infidelity is 
 
HAVE WE BEEN DECEIVED? 135 
 
 not to build up, but to pull down governments, morals, 
 laws, churches ; to pull down the characters of men 
 and women ; to pull down the protection of home, 
 property and life. It is a mission of war upon the 
 Bible and Christianity. It is a mission to discourage 
 all efforts to ameliorate man's condition. Have they 
 not been deceived in the results of infidelity? Infidel- 
 ity has done nothing to make a heaven of this world! 
 It organizes no missionary societies, supports no mis- 
 sionaries, and neither builds nor supports churches. It 
 neither founds nor maintains Young Men's Christian 
 Associations, Sunday-schools and reformatory institu- 
 tions. It neither builds nor supports associations of 
 charity and philanthropy. It has done nothing to en- 
 lighten, civilize and elevate the human race since the 
 world was made. It has done nothing to establish 
 peace and hope upon the earth- It publishes no sys- 
 tem of morals, no codes of law, no methods of educa- 
 tion, and establishes and sustains no institutions of 
 learning. It does nothing to correct the frailties of 
 humanity, nor to enlarge public and private virtue. It 
 does nothing to make a man a better father, a better 
 hnsband,, a better citizen. It removes from man every 
 idea of moral restraint, and respect to God, and gives 
 him free rein to sin and passion. It hangs a dark pall 
 before and after man's life upon the earth. It prom- 
 ises him nothing in this life and eternal sleep beyond 
 the grave. Surely, any man accepting infidelity will 
 be deceived in it; deceived in its theory, its meaning, 
 its result, its association, and destructive power; de- 
 
136 SOUL SAVING 
 
 ceived in its utter inability to comfort in the hours of 
 death. It is recorded that during the dying hours of 
 Hume's mother, who had been divested of her religion 
 by the persuasion of her son, that in her desperate and 
 hopeless struggle with death she sent for her son, and 
 when he arrived she asked him to give her comfort 
 in the hour of death, for she had found no peace in 
 unbelief, and no hope in death, and no light in the 
 future. I knew a blatant infidel in Ohio, who in the 
 last hours of his life, begged his friends to burn his 
 books upon infidelity and turn away from his errors, 
 to forsake his position, and to look to Christ for 
 forgiveness; but on the other hand, can you name a 
 single soul that has departed this life in faith in 
 Christ, affirm that he had ever been deceived in him 
 as the king and Savior of his soul; ever deceived in 
 his teachings and principles; ever deceived in him as 
 a Comforter and Supporter; ever deceived in him in 
 the time of trouble and sorrow, and was now being 
 deceived in him in the face of death ? I appeal to you 
 Christians, have you been deceived in Jesus? Is he 
 not all that he claimed to be? Has his word ever 
 failed you ? Has his promise ever been denied to you ? 
 Has his arm ever lost its protecting power? Has his 
 hope ever ceased to brighten your future? Has his 
 light ever failed to cast a gleam across the darkness 
 of your way? Has his salvation ever proven futile? 
 Has he ever forsaken you in the season of sickness, 
 in the hour of temptation, in the fiery trials of faith, 
 in the departure of your loved ones or in the face of 
 
HAVE WE BEEN DECEIVED? 137 
 
 death and judgment? If not, then love him more, 
 serve him better, live his life, preach his salvation, win 
 souls to him. 
 
 To you who have never believed on him, I assure 
 you this day that he is not a deceiver nor an imposter, 
 but the Son of God and the Savior of men. You may 
 have been deceived in yourselves, in your plans and 
 purposes, aims and objects of hope ; you may have been 
 deceived in your friends and relatives, but if you will 
 follow Jesus you will not follow a cunningly devised 
 fable; you will not follow a friend who will forsake 
 you, and disappoint you, but you will follow one 
 who will lead you safely along the journey of life, 
 through the shadows that may come to darken it, down 
 to the River of Death, and thence across the Jordan to 
 that better country where you will become a just spirit 
 made perfect and dwell in his presence, with the re- 
 demed in Christ, and the angels of the Lord forever- 
 more. 
 
CHRIST SEEKING THE LOST 
 
 "For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that 
 which was lost." — Luke 19:10. 
 
 Man's condition requires a Savior. He has lost the 
 image of God. He is ruined by sin. He is exposed to 
 the wrath of God. He has defiled the powers of his 
 soul. His sins have estranged his heart from God. 
 He is lost by nature: By one man sin entered the 
 world- "All have sinned, and come short of the glory 
 of God." "None are righteous: no, not one." He is 
 lost by practice : As soon as the child knows right 
 from wrong he begins to choose evil and abhor the 
 good. His early passions break out like weeds after 
 a shower of rain. 
 
 He is sometimes lost to the church. He may have 
 religious training in his early life and due regard for 
 the worship of God and for the house of prayer, and 
 then, after having tasted these heavenly gifts, turn 
 away like the dog to the vomit, or the sow to the 
 wallowing in the mire. 
 
 He is sometimes lost to society. Have you not seen 
 a man dead, while he was still alive? The drunkard, 
 like the leper in the camp of Israel, must be put away 
 lest the evil spread. I once heard a father say, "My 
 son, you shall not want bread while I live, but I must 
 
140 SOUL SAVING 
 
 forbid you my house, for your brothers and sisters 
 cannot endure your society. I fear your presence 
 would destroy their souls, and therefore, must not al- 
 low you to associate with them." And thus a man 
 may be lost to society and to his own family. 
 
 He is sometimes lost to himself. Like a ship at sea 
 that has struck a derelict or sprung a leak, and in spite 
 of all efforts on the part of those on board she drifts 
 helplessly about, and as the vessel is about to sink, the 
 moaning cry rends the air, "Lost at sea." Thus, man's 
 heart may be rent asunder by sin and he be lost to his 
 own self respect. Some men are lost by reason of 
 their own passion, — as Balaam, by his love for gold; 
 Saul, by his jealousy and madness; Haman, by his 
 envy and self-will; Ahab, by his covetousness ; Sol- 
 omon, by his idolatry ; Achan, by his theft ; Belshazzar, 
 by his lust; Annanias and Sapphira, by their lying. 
 A lost soul! It is awful to contemplate. A soul is 
 God's highest gift, and in the talent, imagination, feel- 
 ing and power of the soul is lodged the possibility of 
 the highest heaven or the deepest hell, and the poor 
 soul that is lost to self, to society, to the church, and to 
 God. Christ came to seek and to save. The lost soul 
 is described in the Bible as being blind, starved, naked, 
 fallen, leprous, alien, foreign, a prisoner, a captive, 
 a debtor, as dead. In this awful condition, the lost 
 soul is unable to save itself, and therefore, needs a 
 divine Savior- In this fallen state, it is on the edge 
 of a precipice, in great danger, and therefore, needs 
 to be rescued, and Christ came to seek and to save it. 
 
CHRIST SEEKING THE LOST 141 
 
 This was his mission. He came from heaven, the 
 royal palace of Jehovah, the throne of the Father, the 
 worship of angels, the celestial city. He emptied him- 
 self of his glory, and was found in the fashion of man. 
 Though being equal with God, he counted it not rob- 
 bery to humble himself, and to come down to fallen hu- 
 manilty. "In the beginning was the Word, and the 
 Word was with God, and the Word was God, and the 
 Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us." He be- 
 came poor, that we through his poverty might become 
 rich. He left the glory that he had with the Father be- 
 fore the world was. He left his throne. He left the 
 angelic hosts and came voluntarily to the world. He 
 came to this fallen, benighted world. He came to a 
 word in revolt and conflict. He came to a world of 
 sin and iniquity. He came to a world of suffering 
 and death. Amazing condescension! in thus abasing 
 himself, and coming to his footstool as a dwelling 
 place. Coming not on a transient visit, but to be a 
 citizen. Coming not with regal pomp, not in kingly 
 grandeur; coming not to ride in chariots of gold, not 
 to dwell in palaces, but to live in humility. Born in 
 Bethlehem, of a humble Galileean woman. There 
 being no room for him in the inn, his first residence 
 was in a stable. Thus he took upon himself the form 
 of a servant, came to minister and not to be ministered 
 unto, came to be a servant of servants; came to seek 
 and to save the lost- This was the grandest mission 
 ever recorded, and this the grandest missionary that 
 ever came to the world. Men have gone forth on 
 
142 SOUL SAVING 
 
 different missions. Alexander went forth to conquer 
 the world; Caesar went forth to subdue his enemies; 
 Plato and Socrates went forth in search of knowl- 
 edge ; Columbus went forth to discover the new world ; 
 Dr. Kane went forth to discover the North Pole ; Stan- 
 ley went forth to explore Africa. Warriors have gone 
 forth to rout armies and their march has been tracked 
 with blood, misery and death. Travelers have gone 
 forth to explore distant regions, to see the wonders 
 of nature and view the monuments of art. Philan- 
 thropists have gone forth on errands of mercy, but 
 our blessed Messiah went forth from heaven and 
 came into the world to submit to shame, to endure 
 scourgings and to suffer death, for a race of guilty 
 men, that he migth be able to save them from their 
 lost condition. 
 
 The question may arise, is he able to save men from 
 their sins? It would require a volume to make a 
 record of the proofs of Christ's ability to save. God 
 appointed him to do this work. God makes no mis- 
 takes. What he utters through his servants as a 
 prophesy will surely come to pass. His words ac- 
 complished their purposes. His predictions become 
 history. Kings who take counsel against the Lord 
 only bring forth from him that sitteth in the heavens, 
 laughter and derision. God's purposes can never be 
 frustrated by men. He sometimes uses the wicked 
 to do his bidding, and makes the wrath of man to 
 praise him. God appointed Abraham to be the father 
 of a race of people. God appointed Moses to be the 
 
CHRIST SEEKING THE LOST 143 
 
 Law-giver of Israel- God appointed David to bind 
 the tribes together in one kingdom. God appointed 
 Elijah to stand before Ahab and recount his sins. God 
 appointed Ezra to rebuild Jerusalem. God appointed 
 John the Baptist, to be the forerunner of Christ. God 
 appointed his only begotten Son, his dearly beloved, to 
 save men from their sins. He hath highly exalted 
 him, and made him a Prince and Savior of men- He 
 exalted him in grace, for as the law came by Moses 
 so grace and truth came by Christ. He exalted him 
 in name, giving him a name that is above every name. 
 He exalted him in wisdom, for all the treasures of 
 wisdom and knowledge are hidden in him. He exalted 
 him in power, giving him all authority in heaven and on 
 earth. He made him the express Image of the Father, 
 and the brightness of his glory. For him kings reign, 
 and princes decree justice. Surely, if Gpd has chosen 
 his Son to seek and to save the lost, he must be able to 
 do so. 
 
 The fulfillment of prophecies prove his ability to 
 save. Soon after the fall of man God promised the seed 
 of woman should bruise the serpent's head. He prom- 
 ised Abraham that of his seed all the nations of the 
 earth should be blessed. He promised Moses that he 
 would raise up one from amongst his brethren, like unto 
 himself who would rule over the house of Israel for- 
 ever. He promised David that he would raise up one to 
 sit upon his throne, and that it would be established for- 
 ever. He promised to Isaiah a Prince of Peace, who 
 would bear the government upon his shoulders, and of 
 
144 SOUL SAVING 
 
 his reign there would be no end. It was prophesied that 
 he would be led as a lamb to the slaughter; that he 
 would make his grave with the malefactors and the 
 rich; that not a bone of his body would be broken; 
 that lots would be cast for his vesture ; that his spirit 
 would not be left in Hades; that his body would not 
 see corruption; that he would introduce the last will 
 and testament of God; that his kingdom would be an 
 everlasting kingdom. Have not these prophecies been 
 fulfilled in him? Therefore, he must be able to save 
 the lost. 
 
 His character demonstrated his power to save the 
 lost. He is the Son of God, and he is the Son of 
 man. Emanuel : "God with us." He knows the mind 
 of God and he knows the heart of man. His life 
 is spotless. He is termed, the Lamb, without spot or 
 blemish. No guile was found in his mouth. None 
 could convict him of sin. He is perfect as the Father 
 in heaven is perfect : free from the selfishness of men, 
 free from Jewish prejudices, free from the sins that 
 ruin the souls of men. There is perfect harmony in 
 his character. Zeal is especially manifest in the char- 
 acter of Peter, love in John, work in James, faith in 
 Paul, but all traits of character are perfect in Christ. 
 We see in him, all that is innocent in the cradle, 
 charming in youth, lovely in womanhood, beautiful in 
 the poet, sublime in the orator, and noble in manhood. 
 He is the perfect man. He is the God man. He is 
 the human God. Thus do his life and character dem- 
 onstrate his ability to save the lost. 
 
CHRIST SEEKING THE LOST 145 
 
 His claims prove it. He claimed that he came from 
 God, and that he would return to God; that he was 
 before Abraham ; that he is the Great I Am ; that he 
 is the Son of God; that he has the power to forgive 
 sins ; that he is able to give rest to the soul ; that Moses 
 and the prophets spoke of him ; that the Scriptures are 
 fulfilled in him ; that last of all, God sent his own Son 
 to the world; that he would rise from the dead the 
 third day; that destruction would come to Jerusalem; 
 that the cities of Judea would be made desolate; that 
 he would sit upon the throne of Judgment; that his 
 knowledge would increase in the earth. He knew 
 what these claims meant. He made them without the 
 least arrogance. His claims are false and he is an 
 imposter, or his claims are true and he is able to save 
 the lost. 
 
 His teachings demonstrate his power to save the 
 lost. It was said of him that never man spake like 
 this man ; that he taught not as the Scribes and Phari- 
 sees. He never doubted. He was never puzzled. The 
 Truth was in himself. He had no need to consult 
 books of reference. He had no need of argument to 
 prove his teachings. He spoke with perfect freedom 
 and authority upon every subject he discussed. He 
 knew what was in man and frequently read his 
 thoughts in public. He knew the name of Nathaniel 
 before he had met him. He knew the life of the 
 Samaritan woman, much to her amazement. He called 
 Zaccheus by name, before he was introduced to him. 
 He knew the cunning and crafty heart of Herod. He 
 
146 SOUL SAVING 
 
 knew that Lazarus was dead before the messenger 
 arrived. He knew as much about the future as about 
 the present world. The past, present and future were 
 as an open book to him. He adapted his teachings to 
 his audience. He gave to the world a new idea of the 
 kingdom of heaven- He introduced and affirmed the 
 great ideas of the Fatherhood of God and the Brother- 
 hood of man. All other teachers pale before him. His 
 words convince the intellect, move the heart, and 
 touch the conescience. His teachings, therefore, prove 
 his power to save the lost. 
 
 His miracles prove it. During his three years of 
 public ministry he did enough to demonstrate for all 
 time to come that he had power to save sinners. * He 
 fulfilled the law, he suffered the penalty, he shed his 
 blood, he conquered the greatest foe of man, he calmed 
 the seas, he cast out demons, he cleansed the lepers, he 
 healed the sick, he fed the multitudes, he forgave sins, 
 he raised the dead. He had power over Nature, he 
 had power over demons, he had power over disease, 
 he had power over the dead, he had power over life 
 present and life to come. Especially do we emphasize 
 the great miracle of his resurrection. He pointed to 
 this event as the final test and confirmation of his claim 
 to be the Son of God and Savior of man. On the third 
 day the sepulchre was empty. Within the next forty 
 days he appeared at divers times on divers occasions 
 to divers people. At one time more than five hundred 
 saw him. 
 
 There are clouds of living witnesses to testify of his 
 
CHRIST SEEKING THE LOST 147 
 
 ability to save the lost. Paul said it was a faithful 
 saying that Christ came to save sinners; this saying 
 is faithful and true today. It is not a fable, not an 
 imposition, but a living fact: not only attested but 
 proven by the sacred writings of the past; not only 
 attested by the testimony of millions of Christians 
 during the ages past and gone, but it is attested by 
 millions of living professors who have been saved by 
 him. How do we know the sun shines? We see it 
 and bask in it. How do we know the apple falls to 
 the earth ? We see it and know it. How do we know 
 that Christ has power to save? We have seen it, felt 
 it, experienced it. You shall know the truth, and the 
 truth will set you free- If any man will do the will 
 of God he shall know his doctrine. Think of the 
 thousands of Sunday-school pupils; think of the 
 thousands of young men and women in our young peo- 
 ple's societies ; and think of the thousands of Christian 
 men and women in the church of God who have been 
 saved by him, and are now working to win others to 
 Christ. Thank God our Savior is as willing to save 
 as he is able to save. His love is as great as his 
 power. His mercy is commensurate with his omnipo- 
 tence. His invitations include all who labor, all who 
 are heavy laden, all who are thirsty and all who are 
 lost. All who are sinful are invited to come to him 
 and have rest, peace, and pardon. We are also as- 
 sured he is able to save to the uttermost — that is, to 
 all intents and purposes. Able to save from sin and 
 into the favor of God. Able to make us heirs of God 
 
148 SOUL SAVING 
 
 and joint heirs with himself. Able to save from the 
 curse of the Law. Was he not made accursed for us ? 
 
 Free from the Law, Oh happy condition ! 
 Christ is able and there is remission ; 
 Cursed by the Law and bruised by the fall, 
 Christ has redeemed us once for all. 
 
 He came to save from the machinations of Satan. 
 We are assured that he was manifest to destroy the 
 works of Satan, and to deliver us from the powers 
 of darkness. He is the only one able to bind Satan, 
 cast him down, and wrest the scepter from his grasp. 
 
 He is able to save from sin. Every man in this 
 fallen world knows that sin is a terrible reality; that 
 it has power over the hearts of men and women. That 
 it is something that is concrete, definite, substantial 
 and incarnate in the human nature, and every man 
 knows his need of being saved and knows his inability 
 to save himself. Look at your hearts: sin is there. 
 It is a disease of your nature, and death is its conse- 
 quence- It is treason against God, and hell is its 
 punishment. It is a crime against high heaven and 
 remorse is its penalty. Now, Christ came to save you 
 from sin. He gave his life a ransom for many. He 
 came to save you from the dominion and polluting 
 power of sin. 
 
 He is able to save from the wages of sin. The wages 
 of sin is death, eternal death, but the gift of God in 
 Christ is eternal life. The sting of death is sin, but 
 
CHRIST SEEKING THE LOST 149 
 
 in Christ there is redemption, even remission of sins. 
 By dying, Jesus took away the sting of death- By 
 dyi n g> he brought life and immortality to light through 
 his Gospel. By dying he hung the lamp of the Res- 
 urrection and life in the lonely halls of the tomb. 
 
 He is able to save from the lowest depths of sin. 
 Did he not save Mary, out of whom he cast seven 
 devils? Did he not save the man at the tombs, pos- 
 sessed with evil spirits ? Did he not save Saul, the per- 
 secutor and murderer? Did he not save Nicodemus, 
 the moralist ? Did he not save poor, blind Bartemeus, 
 the beggar? Did he not save Zaccheus, the publican? 
 There is no one too far away for him to see; no one 
 too low for him to reach; no ear deaf to his call; 
 no heart so hard that he cannot break it; no crime 
 so black that he cannot wash away its guilt; no sin 
 so terrible that he cannot forgive. Blessed be his 
 name, he is able to save always. He is just as able to 
 save today as when he was walking the hills and plains 
 of Galilee. Able to save in adversity, temptation, per- 
 secution, affliction; able to save in joy and prosperity; 
 able to save in suffering and death; able to give the 
 mansions of light, the crowns of love and the kingdom 
 of glory. 
 
 As to his method of salvation, it differs from man's 
 treatment of sin. Human plans have been tried and 
 failed. The government has chastised offenders, ex- 
 ecuted severe penalties, introduced flogging, the rack, 
 the prison, and the scaffold, and to every mode of 
 government treatment there is written over it one word, 
 
150 SOUL SAVING 
 
 "failure." Society has tried exclusion. It has ban- 
 ished the offenders. It has excluded them from the 
 privileges of the commonwealth, but over this method 
 of treatment is written the word, "failure." Lenient 
 judges have tried forgiveness of the offender and 
 trusted to his honor for future gratitude and better 
 life: beautiful sentiment, but over it is written the 
 word, "failure." The propositions of Philosophy and 
 Theosophy are as great failures as rigorous punish- 
 ment, indiscriminate forgiveness, and inexorable se- 
 verity of the law, but Jesus Christ saves by loving sym- 
 pathy of man, by the beautiful holiness of his life, by 
 an exhibition of the Father's love, by the cleansing 
 power of his blood, and the redeeming power of the 
 life of God manifest in the life of Christ within us. 
 Through him we have life and light that is the life 
 of man. 
 
 Oh, that men could realize they are lost. It is an 
 awful thing to be lost. Look at the sheep lost from 
 the fold, straying in the dark recesses of the moun- x 
 tains and exposed to the wild beasts of prey. The 
 man without Christ, is like the lost sheep, wandering 
 from the fold of heaven. He is like the mariner whose 
 vessel is wrecked upon the rocks and cannot long sur- 
 vive. The man without Christ is like the sick man 
 with the leprosy of disease spreading its foulness 
 throughout the system; there seems to be no remedy; 
 disease is deepening and death is hastening. Such 
 is the state of man without Christ: Sin is disease of 
 the soul; it is fast sweeping him on to destruction. 
 
CHRIST SEEKING THE LOST 151 
 
 Look at the malefactor. He has been convicted of 
 crime and is condemned to death ; in the eye of the law 
 he is a dead man, and such is the condition of 4 the- 
 man without Christ: He is under condemnation; the 
 curse of eternal death is hanging over him. 
 
 Now, Christ came to seek and to save the lost. As 
 the kind shepherd follows the straying sheep, so Jesus 
 Christ follows the straying sinner, seeking to save him. 
 As the life-boat is launched to those lost at sea, so 
 Jesus Christ, our great mariner, launches the life-boat 
 of salvation to those wrecked upon the sea of life. 
 As the physician gives medicine to the sick to heal him 
 of his disease, so Christ, the Great Physician of our 
 souls, gives to us the balm of eternal life to cleanse 
 us from the leprosy of sin. As the governor sends 
 pardon to the condemned criminal that he may have 
 liberty, so Jesus Christ, our King, gives pardon to 
 those under condemnation who will turn from sin and 
 accept him as their Savior. If you could only be 
 awakened to the terrible condition of being lost ! Lost 
 money may be regained by industry. Lost health may 
 be regained by temperance ; lost friendship may be re- 
 gained by kindness, but when the soul is lost all is 
 lost. I knew a little boy, who, in playing with powder, 
 blew out his eyes, and when the fact was announced 
 to his mother she wept bitterly, bewailing the fact 
 that her boy would never again look upon her and her 
 loved ones, and the beauties of the world; but what 
 is loss of sight to the loss of the soul? If thy right 
 eye offend thee, it is better to pluck it out, cast it 
 
152 SOUL SAVING 
 
 from thee, and enter heaven maimed and halt, than 
 to be cast with the body whole, into hell fire. It is 
 better to lose all worldly goods than to lose the soul. 
 Better to have the body torn, limb from limb, than 
 to lose the soul. It is not only a great loss to the poor 
 sinner himself, but it is a loss to the Father. Every- 
 body seems to have pity for the sinner, and to be ab- 
 sorbed in his spiritual disaster, but how about the 
 Father's feelings? Who suffers the more, the mother 
 tossing and rolling upon her "bed at night over her 
 lost daughter, or the girl in the paths of sin? Who 
 suffers more, those who go down at sea, or the sur- 
 vivors bewailing their loss? Who suffers more, the 
 wandering sheep, or the searching shepherd? Who 
 suffers more, the rolling coin, or the woman with the 
 broom? Who suffers more, the reprobate son or the 
 wronged and dishonored father? Who suffers more, 
 the guilty sinner, or the pleading Savior ? 
 
 To you who are lost in sin, in passion, in worldli- 
 ness, in intemperance, in indifference, Christ is seek- 
 ing you. He came to save you. He is anxious to 
 save you. He is willing to save you. He is able to 
 save you. He has long been seeking to save you. He 
 is calling earnestly, tenderly. He goes everywhere 
 in this search. He is seeking you patiently, not willing 
 that you should perish- He is seeking affectionately, — 
 in pitying love, weeping love, praying love, dying love. 
 Behold, how he illustrates it. The coin is lost. The 
 woman lights the candle, sweeps the house, seeks dil- 
 igently till she finds it. Hear the brushing of the 
 
CHRIST SEEKING THE LOST 153 
 
 broom, the moving of the furniture, the turning of the 
 carpets, till she finds it. The sheep is lost. See the 
 Shepherd, with his assistants, and faithful shepherd 
 dogs, searching over the hills, through the valleys, up 
 the mountains, down the ravines, in the jungles, till 
 he finds the lost sheep. Is not this persevering and 
 seeking love on the part of the Infinite Savior? Are 
 you poor? Christ, who had no where to lay his head, 
 saved the poor, blind beggar, and he is able to save 
 you. Are you in sorrow? He comes with a blessing 
 for those that mourn that they may be comforted. Are 
 you in the beautiful and tender period of youth? Jesus 
 comes seeking to save you and asks you to remember 
 him in the days of your youth. Are you a young man ? 
 Jesus comes to your heart and seeks to save you and 
 make your greatest glory in your physical, intellectual 
 and spiritual strength. Are you a young lady ? Jesus 
 Christ is seeking to save you, and invites you to sit 
 at his feet, like Mary of Bethany, and to choose that 
 good part which shall never be taken from you. Are 
 you a poor, wretched, lost soul? Lost to virtue, and 
 to peace of heart? Jesus, who saved Mary of Mag- 
 dala, is seeking to save you and is able to say unto you, 
 "Thy sins which are many, are forgiven thee : go and 
 sin no more." Are you comfortable in your compe- 
 tency? Jesus who saved Zaccheus, is crying out to 
 you : "Come down ! Come down ! Come down ! for 
 this day salvation is come into your house/' 
 
 There can be no question but what Christ came to 
 seek and to save the lost. It is left to you. Will 
 
154 SOUL SAVING 
 
 you accept him as your Savior ? Will you accept him 
 in faith, in repentence, in love, and obedience? If so, 
 it will give joy to the Father's heart. His song will 
 be, "This, my son, was lost and is found." It will be 
 the gladdest news that mother ever heard: that this, 
 her boy, or girl, that was wandering, has come back 
 to the fold of safety, and her heart that has been break- 
 ing is now glad for the home-coming. Think of the 
 wife whose husband had been lost to salvation, but was 
 found, and now sits in manly love beside her. Oh, 
 her heart is so full that she cannot speak because of 
 her joy. Oh, lost men and women, if you will accept 
 Jesus think of the glad tidings that the angels will bear 
 to heaven over your repentence ; think of the joy in 
 their presence over one sinner that repenteth more 
 than over ninety and nine just persons that need no 
 repentance. Think of the joy it will bring to your 
 own souls. The joy of pardon: nothing can surpass 
 it. The joy of peace: what can equal it? The joy of 
 eternal life: what can touch it in this world? The 
 joy of the Christian is the highest and the deepest joy, 
 and no man can divest him of it. No matter what 
 your success in life — you may accumulate fortunes, 
 achieve honors, invent devices, write your name upon 
 the pages of history, fill the world with your praise, 
 but if you lose your soul, all will be lost. It will be 
 an eternal loss. It will be a loss that can never be 
 regained. Then turn ye, turn ye; why will ye die? 
 Turn to Christ who is come to seek and to save the 
 lost. 
 
CHRIST SEEKING THE LOST 155 
 
 Major Whittle tells a story of a "Quaker named 
 Hartman, who had a son enlisted in the army, and after 
 a terrible battle, the father started to the scene of the 
 conflict to learn something concerning his boy. The 
 officer of the day told him that he had not answered 
 to his name and that there was every reason to believe 
 that he was dead. This did not satisfy the old Quaker, 
 and so he started across the battlefield, looking for the 
 one who was dearer to him than life. He stooped 
 down to turn over the face of this one and then the 
 face of another. The night came on, and then with 
 a lantern he continued his search, all to no purpose. 
 Suddenly the wind, which was blowing a gale, ex- 
 tinguished his lantern, and he stood there in the dark- 
 ness, hardly knowing what to do until his fatherly in- 
 genuity, strength and affection prompted him to call 
 out his son's name, and so he stood and shouted, 
 'John Hartman, thy father calleth thee.' 
 
 All about him he could hear the groans of the dying, 
 and some one saying, 'Oh, if that were only my 
 father!' He continued his cry with more pathos and 
 power, until at last in the distance he heard his boy's 
 voice crying tremblingly, 'Here, Father.' The old 
 man made his way across the field shouting out, 
 'Thank God !' 'Thank God !' Taking him in his arms 
 he bore him to headquarters, nursed him back to health 
 and strength and he lives today." 
 
 Oh, loved one, have you been slain by sin? Jesus 
 is seeking to save you. See him coming over the bat- 
 tlefield in search of his lost and wandering children. 
 
156 SOUL SAVING 
 
 Hear him calling for thee; arise quickly and answer 
 his call ere he passes by and you hear his voice no 
 more- 
 
GOD CALLING TO MAN 
 
 "Adam, where art thou?" — Genesis 3:9. 
 
 The sacred narrative opens with a picture of the 
 Good Shepherd seeking the lost sheep, the Father 
 searching for the lost child. Hear him call to our 
 first parent, "Adam, where art thou?" The speaker 
 is Jehovah, the Creator, Preserver and Redeemer of 
 man. The person addressed is Adam, our common 
 ancestor ; Adam, the first man ; Adam, the representa- 
 tive of the human race; Adam, made in the image of 
 his Creator, that image consisting in his immortality, 
 in his intellectual powers, his affection, his liberty 
 of life, his moral and spiritual qualities. It is a def- 
 inite, decisive, authoritative call. The summons is 
 personal. It is common to apply the instruction or 
 reproof of a sermon to one's neighbor; to wish that 
 a friend or acquaintance had heard it, but in this call 
 of God to man we find a direct and personal appeal 
 to the individual, as much so as if it read "Thou art 
 the man !" It should be applied to yourself as much 
 as to Adam. Adam is your representative. It is a 
 substitute name for your own. It is the call of the 
 ages. It is universal in its application. It first rang 
 out in the Garden of Eden more than six thousand 
 years ago, but it has come down through the ages, 
 
158 SOUL SAVING 
 
 now addressed through Moses and the Prophets, now 
 delivered by Christ and the Apostles. No one ex- 
 cused, no one exempted- It is delivered to the whole 
 race. The Lord God called unto Adam and said, 
 "Adam, where art thou?" It is just as direct as if he 
 had said, "Moses, where art thou?" "David, where 
 art thou?" "Peter, where art thou?" He speaks to 
 you as he did to Adam. The question should come 
 to you, in the busy hours of the day; in the silent 
 watches of the night, and in the midst of your chosen 
 circle of friends. The call is addressed to you, 
 "Where art thou?" "What are you doing here?" 
 "Whither are you going?" "What is to be your here- 
 after?" "Adam, where art thou in the material 
 world?" "Where art thou hiding?" But a short time 
 ago you heard the voice of God and it was music 
 in your ear; but a short time ago you considered 
 it the highest honor to enjoy the presence of the 
 Jehovah, and to be a participant in his blessing; 
 but a short time ago you thought the thoughts 
 of heaven and breathed its very atmosphere. Now, 
 where are thou? Whither hast thou gone? Is 
 the voice of God thrilling your heart with terror? 
 Is the thought of God filling your mind with confu- 
 sion? Dost thou fear the presence of God, lest he 
 should smite thee, that thou art in hiding from him ? 
 
 "Adam, where art thou in the spiritual world?" 
 From what heights hast thou been hurled, to what deg- 
 radation and sin hast thou fallen? Is it possible that 
 the son of the morning has descended to the very gates 
 
GOD CALLING TO MAN 159 
 
 of hell? Is it possible that a dark cloud has arisen 
 between the creature and the Creator. Is it possible 
 that an awful sense of condemnation is hanging over 
 his soul? "Hast thou fallen from the threshold of 
 glory to the very portal of the world of doom?" 
 "Adam, where art thou?" "Into what gulf of 
 misery has thou fallen ? Thou, who wast clothed with 
 majesty, innocence and glory, into what deep disgrace 
 and bitter remorse hast thou fallen ? 
 
 How Does God Call to Man? 
 
 In Revelation. He called through Noah, Abraham 
 and Moses. He called through the greater and lesser 
 prophets. We hear that call in the preaching of John 
 the Baptist. We hear it ringing out clear and strong 
 in the preaching of Christ and the Apostles. You can 
 scarcely read a page in the New Testament Scrip- 
 tures but what you feel in your conscience that God 
 is calling to you. Read the Sermon on the Mount. 
 Read the parable of the lost sheep. Read how Christ 
 wept over Jerusalem. Read the record of his suf- 
 ferings, and as you read listen to the voice of God 
 calling to you. Or, do you leave the Bible unread 
 because it is not your desire to hear the voice of God 
 and to recognize his presence? Doubtless many 
 neglect reading the Good Book for this reason, but my 
 friend, do you not believe the Scriptures to be of 
 divine origin? Surely you must believe. 
 
 God Calls Through the Church. 
 
 It is here his word is expounded, the table of the 
 Lord is spread, spiritual songs are sung, prayers are 
 
160 SOUL SAVING 
 
 offered, and fellowship enjoyed in the assembly of 
 the saints. How often have you heard God calling 
 to you through the sermons preached, the songs sung, 
 and the exhortations and invitations of loved ones ! 
 Or, do you forsake the house of God and neglect 
 assembling yourselves together, lest you will hear the 
 voice of God and become conscious of his presence? 
 Some people ask to be excused from the service on 
 account of not being well enough clothed, or being 
 too far from the house of worship, or not being able 
 to enjoy the services, but is it not true that in most 
 cases many men and women absent themselves be- 
 cause it is there God calls in a loud voice unto them 
 and makes them uncomfortable in their sins, and 
 awakens them to the necessity of preparing to meet 
 God? 
 
 Sometimes God calls through yourself. He speaks 
 through the conscience. You have a faculty in your 
 mind that sits in judgment on your every action; en- 
 ables you to discern between that which you believe to 
 be right and that which you believe to be wrong, and 
 constrains you to do that which you believe to be 
 right, and restrains you from doing that which you 
 believe to be wrong; a faculty that recognizes God 
 and convinces you that you will have to stand before 
 him some time and answer for the deeds done in your 
 body; conscience warns us to turn from sin and to 
 live righteously. It is an entire court to us, including 
 the judge, the witnesses, the jury, and the executioner. 
 Sometimes God speaks so loud through conscience 
 
GOD CALLING TO MAN 161 
 
 that it disturbs the midnight slumbers and gives no 
 rest until peace is made with both man and God. 
 
 God Calls Through the Events of Providence. 
 
 The Bible may be left unread, the church may be 
 forsaken, the warnings of conscience may be stifled, 
 but God may then speak in the events of Providence 
 with such emphasis that his voice will be heard. 
 Nebuchadnezzar did not recognize God until he had 
 been deposed from his throne, his glory taken from 
 him, and he was driven to make his dwelling place 
 in the field and eat grass with the oxen, and to have 
 his body wet with the dews of heaven. It was then 
 he acknowledged that God ruled in the kingdom and 
 would appoint over it whomsoever he would. Have 
 you been prosperous? Have you the power to make 
 money? The Bible declares that God gave you that 
 power. Have you had length of days? The Bible 
 declares that God has given to you life and health and 
 all things. Have you loved ones ? Are they not jewels 
 that God has entrusted to your care ? Has he not 
 blessed you in basket and store, and sent sunshine 
 and rain ; given mercies new every morning and fresh 
 every evening, and in the removal of the dearest ones, 
 the pruning of the tree that it might bear better fruit, 
 and in the deliverance from temptations, troubles and 
 death spoken to you in tones of thunder? Oh 
 man! Canst thou not hear? Wilt thou not give at- 
 tention? Wilt thou not hearken to the voice of God? 
 
 Adam began to make excuses. Hear the coward say, 
 "I was afraid." "I was naked." "I hid myself." 
 
162 SOUL SAVING 
 
 "The woman whom thou gavest me to be with me, she 
 did give me of the tree and I did eat!" Instead of 
 protecting his beloved companion he thrust all the 
 blame and fault of his sin upon her. "She tempted 
 me and I did sin" "If a sentence is to be pronounced 
 let it strike Eve. If there is to be an execution, ex- 
 ecute Eve. If the thunders of divine justice must 
 roar let them roar over the head of Eve. If endless 
 misery must come, let it come to Eve. If there are 
 any deplorable consequences as the result of my sin, 
 let the effect be upon Eve. If a bitter cup must be 
 drunk to the dregs, let Eve drink it. She gave me of 
 the tree and I did eat. Excuse me, but punish her." 
 Instead of humbling himself and being penitent of his 
 wickedness he began to justify himself and to make 
 excuses, and are the sons of men that follow in the 
 footsteps of Adam just as bad and mean and guilty 
 as Adam ? When God speaks they will not hear ; when 
 God calls they will not answer; when God finds 
 them they begin to make excuses. Adam is no 
 worse than the average sinner. His conduct is evi- 
 dence that God's presence was still intact in his 
 soul, and in his sin and shame he tried to hide himself 
 from God. He declares that he hid himself because he 
 was ashamed ; God's presence was a terror to him. 
 Sin must have made a terrible change in that the new- 
 made man was now afraid of his God. Why was he 
 fearful? He had eaten of the forbidden fruit. He 
 had transgressed the law. He had gratified a single 
 desire. He had despised the goodness of God. He 
 
GOD CALLING TO MAN 163 
 
 had listened to the voice of Satan. He also declared 
 that he was naked, and therefore he was ashamed. It 
 was not so much the nakedness of his body, but his 
 unclothed soul that burdened him- There was no 
 shame until he made shame. Shame makes the sin- 
 ner shrink from God; wish there was no God; wish 
 that God could not see him, or wish that he could 
 hide away from God and cover up his wickedness. 
 Thus, in the fear of God and the shame of sin Adam 
 is a good representative of the human race. 
 
 He endeavors to hide himself amongst the trees of 
 the Garden, but what trees are large enough under 
 which the human soul may seek refuge from its God? 
 Some try to hide behind the trees of rationalism. 
 Some hie away and endeavor to hide themselves be- 
 hind the trees of sensual pleasure. Some behind the 
 trees of theological traditions, dogmas, and human con- 
 fessions, and some behind the trees of a feeble and in- 
 distinct belief in universal salvation, but alas; poor 
 hiding places ; vain refuge of lies ! Such an attempt 
 at hiding is impossible. God's eyes run to and fro 
 through the earth, and his presence is everywhere. It 
 is utter folly to try and hide away from him. 
 
 I read not long since of a burglar who found while 
 robbing an unoccupied dwelling at the seaside, a 
 marble bust of Guido's Christ, crowned with thorns, 
 standing on a bracket in the corner of a room. It was 
 so placed that the face of Jesus could behold every 
 part of the room. The guilty robber left the marks 
 of his fingers upon it, where he had examined it, and 
 
164 SOUL SAVING 
 
 replaced it with the face turned toward the wall, as if 
 he would not have the sightless eyes of even a marble 
 Savior looking upon his deeds of infamy. And so it 
 was that the first sinner tried to hide himself from 
 the face of God and the sound of his voice. 
 
 The only safe refuge for man is in Christ Jesus. 
 He seeks man, calls man from among the trees, and 
 chases him from out his hiding place, as if to say, 
 "Adam, where art thou ?" "I am searching for thee 
 wherever thou mayest be. I will look for thee until 
 mine eyes shall see thee in pity- I will follow thee until 
 mine arms shall encircle thee. I will call for thee 
 until thou shalt answer" "I will reach out my mercy 
 until I can bring thee back." Yea, God has a habit 
 of pursuing transgressors. He pursued Adam and 
 Eve in the Garden of Eden by his voice. He pur- 
 sued Jonah on the ocean deep by his wind. He pur- 
 sued David by his Prophet Nathan. He pursued 
 Ahab by the man of God, Elijah. He pursued Herod 
 by John the Baptist, and he is pursuing you by his 
 word, his Spirit, his providence, his ministers, his peo- 
 ple. You cannot hide from him. Darkness will not 
 hide you. Secrecy will not avail you. Material defense 
 will not ward off his coming ; distance will not prevent 
 it; the lapse of time will not hinder him; excuses will 
 be of no avail. He will pursue until you come out from 
 your hiding place and surrender, and call upon him for 
 mercy, and if you will not come forth from your hiding 
 place at his call you will surely be arrested, brought to 
 judgment, and condemned as a traitor and a rebel. 
 
GOD CALLING TO MAN 165 
 
 Adam had to answer, and so will you have to 
 answer. The sooner attention is given, the better. 
 Your attitude should be, "Speak, Lord, for thy servant 
 heareth." "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do." 
 "God, be merciful to me, a sinner." "Lord, here am 
 I; send me." It is high time that you were giving 
 attention to the voice of God, and recognizing the 
 presence of God. "Where art thou ?" is an inquiry ad- 
 dressed to you- Art thou in the kingdom of heaven, 
 or out of it? Art thou near to thy Father or far 
 from him? Art thou in the sunshine of God's pres- 
 ence, or hiding behind some shadow ? Are you travel- 
 ing the narrow path that leads to eternal life, or the 
 broad road that leads to destruction? Where do you 
 stand on the question of God? The question of the 
 Bible? The question of the Church, and the question 
 of heaven? Where art thou in business? Are you 
 providing things honest in the sight of all men? 
 Where art thou in society? Art thou^ practicing 
 purity? Where art thou on the question of salva- 
 tion? Have you been saved by the blood of Christ? 
 Where do you stand on the subject of eternal things? 
 Have you believed unto life everlasting? 
 
 I would like to put this question to the backslider, 
 to those who have turned away from Christ and 
 the Church, from God and Heaven : "Where art 
 thou?" Are you not living in sin? Are you not 
 under the greater condemnation? Are you not 
 searing your conscience and hardening your heart? 
 Is not your second state worse than the first? Will 
 
166 SOUL SAVING 
 
 not your judgment be greater than though you had 
 never known the love of the Lord, Jesus Christ? Oh, 
 then will you not "hear the voice of God, and 
 come forth from your hiding places that you may 
 again enjoy the pardon of sins, peace with God, com- 
 munion with Christ, fellowship with his people, and 
 the blessed hope of heaven? 
 
 To you Christian people, "Where art thou?" You 
 know the truth: do you live it? "Unto him that 
 knoweth to do good and doeth it not, it is sin." "If 
 ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them." 
 If you neglect to practice what you preach, to live 
 what you profess, then you will have a name to live 
 when you are dead. One of the greatest powers for 
 the conversion of man is a living Christian. A skeptic 
 once said to a young Christian, "All Christians are 
 shams and hypocrites." "But," said the young man, 
 "not all of them. There is at least one exception, and 
 that is my mother." Christians, where art thou on 
 the subject of soul-saving? If Christ is all and all 
 to your soul should you not desire to have him become 
 all and all to the souls of others? If you have had 
 your thirst for God quenched ought you not to hand 
 the water of everlasting life to those around you? If 
 you have been redeemed by the Son of God ought you 
 not to seek the redemption of others? If Christ is 
 precious to you, would he not be precious to your 
 loved ones who know him not? Christians, where art 
 thou in the practice of your religion? Have you put 
 the light under a bushel where it cannot be seen ? Oh, 
 
GOD CALLING TO MAN 167 
 
 will you not turn over the basket and set the light upon 
 the table that it may light all in the house? Will 
 you not let your light so shine that others may see 
 your good works and glorify your Father which is 
 in heaven ? Christians, where art thou ? Are not some 
 of you indifferent and lukewarm? Is it not time that 
 you were renewing your energies and redoubling your 
 efforts for the salvation of your loved ones? Is it 
 not high time that you were working out your own 
 salvation in fear and in trembling? Have you not 
 friends near and dear to you still out of the kingdom ? 
 There is blame — upon whom? There is responsibility 
 — where ? 
 
 To you who are not Christians: you have been 
 wandering from the Father's home. You have taken 
 your portion of the goods and have been spending 
 it in riotous living. You have strayed far upon the 
 mountains of sin. You have eaten of the fruit of 
 life — you are now in hiding. You are trying to hide 
 behind your moralities, your business ambitions, your 
 polluted life. Some of you are trying to hide away in 
 your independence, claiming that you are proud and 
 rich and increased with goods, and have need of noth- 
 ing; that you have been building a nest for yourself 
 and compassing it about against the blasts of fortune, 
 that you may be secure against the calamities and mis- 
 fortunes of your life. Some of you are trifling, and 
 asking to be let alone for a time; to wait a little 
 while for a convenient season, and then you will listen 
 to the voice of God ; then you will turn from sin ; 
 
168 SOUL SAVING 
 
 then you will enter the kingdom ; then you will follow 
 Christ; then you will read the Bible; then you will 
 pray ; then you will work for the salvation of precious 
 souls. But God is calling to all of you, "Where art 
 thou?" He sees you in your hiding places; he dis- 
 covers you behind your rocks of sin, your trees of neg- 
 ligence- He sees you in the caves of doubt and infidel- 
 ity; he notices you as you flee from his presence 
 through the brambles; he sees you as you enter the 
 saloon, or the brothel. His eye is sharp to detect your 
 dishonesties in business, your cowardice in religious 
 conduct, your immoralities in society, your profanity 
 of things sacred, your negligence of the precious sal- 
 vation brought to your door. Oh, then, why do you 
 seek these vain hiding places? Why not come forth 
 and answer the call of God to your soul? Answer 
 me now, Where art thou? Are you a son of God, 
 or a son of Bael? Christ declares that you are the 
 child of God or the child of the devil — a hard saying, 
 but with which class is your name registered? An- 
 swer me: Where art thou? With Christ or against 
 him? Jesus declares "he that is not with me is 
 against me, and he that gathereth not with me scatter- 
 eth abroad." "Ye cannot serve God and Mammon. 
 You must love the one and hate the other." Answer 
 me: where art thou in the preparation for eternity? 
 Are you a vessel of mercy, being prepared for glory, 
 or a vessel of wrath being fitted for destruction? Are 
 you building on the loose, shifting sand, or the firm, 
 solid rock, your hopes of an eternal home? 
 
GOD CALLING TO MAN 169 
 
 Iti closing, I plead with you to take heed how you 
 hear the voice of God. Hear it humbly, for it is 
 God that speaks, and you have the assurance if you 
 will humble yourself before him and confess your 
 sins, he will hear from heaven and pardon. Hear 
 prayerfully, for Jehovah is a God that hears and an- 
 swers prayers, and he has promised that whatsoever 
 you ask in the name of his Son he will give unto you. 
 Oh, will you not hear the voice of God today, and 
 consider the great question of "where art thou?" at- 
 tentively, seriously, and with an earnest desire to 
 have your soul saved? Will you not hear that voice 
 and come forth to obey it? It was disobedience that 
 caused Adam to lose Paradise and made Cain a vaga- 
 bond and wanderer upon the face of the earth. It was 
 obedience that saved Noah, the builder of the Ark; 
 that blessed Moses, the law -giver of Israel; that ex- 
 alted David to the kingdom of Israel; that brought 
 healing to Naman, the Syrian leper; and salvation to 
 the soul of every Christian. 
 
 Where art thou? Oh, could I ask this question as 
 the servant of the Most High God ! Could I speak it 
 in tones of thunder! Could I ring it out as with 
 silvery bells ! Could I write it as an ominous hand 
 upon the walls of your hearts ! Could I sink it deep in- 
 to your souls and write it indelibly upon your minds 
 that it would be uppermost in your thoughts, not only 
 while you hear it from the pulpit, but when you walk 
 to your homes and lie down upon your couches ! Oh, 
 that it would disturb your slumbers, rouse you in your 
 
170 SOUL SAVING 
 
 dreams, and be the first thought on waking in the 
 morning! If I could, I would place it before you in 
 your walk upon the street, in the marts of trade, in 
 the office, and counting room, upon the shelves of the 
 store, upon the ledger in the office, upon the typewriter 
 that you use, on the utensils with which you cook, on 
 the implements and tools with which you labor! 
 Where art thou? Where art thou? Are you saved 
 or unsaved? Are you a believer or unbeliever? Are 
 you a Christian or non-Christian? Are you on the 
 way to heaven or to hell? Where art thou? Where 
 art thou? 
 
CHRIST AT THE DOOR 
 
 ''Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man 
 hear my voice let him open the door and I will come 
 in and sup ivith him and he with me." — Rev. 3 :20. 
 
 This language was originally addressed to the 
 church at Laodicea. This city was located about forty 
 miles from Ephesus and was once large and flourishing 
 but was destroyed by earthquakes, abandoned, and 
 now lies in lonely ruins. The declining church was in 
 a state of lukewarmness. "I would thou wert cold or 
 hot." Cold water is refreshing, hot water pleasant, 
 tepid water sickening. Cold in religious matters im- 
 plies absence of religion, — lifeless, dead- Hot refers 
 to zeal and fervency in religious services, but to be 
 neither cold nor hot denotes a state of indifference 
 which is the worst temper in the world. If religion 
 is genuine then it is a most excellent thing and we 
 should be in earnest. If it is a counterfeit then it is 
 an imposter and we should oppose it. Having every 
 assurance that it is genuine it is better to be decidedly 
 in its favor instead of being lukewarm, thoughtless 
 and careless. 
 
 It was a state of pride and self satisfaction: thou 
 sayest, "I am rich and increased with goods and have 
 need of nothing ;" but knowing their real condition re- 
 
172 SOUL SAVING 
 
 minds us of insane men who think themselves illustri- 
 ous heroes; drunken paupers who think themselves 
 millionaires and poor beggars who think themselves 
 kings of the first order. 
 
 It was a state of abject wretchedness: knowest 
 not that thou are wretched, and miserable, and poor, 
 and blind, and naked?" "Wretched," though they may 
 dance and sing, yet they are as outcasts and are per- 
 ishing. "Miserable," though lauded by princes and 
 priests, yet the real object of pity and commiseration. 
 "Blind," though the physical optics are sound, yet 
 spiritually they see not- "Poor," with all their preten- 
 sions to piety they have not religion sufficient to meet 
 the trials and afflictions of life. "Naked," though 
 robed in splendor, they were spiritually unclothed; 
 naked in soul, without the garment of salvation. 
 What a terrible and alarming condition is the luke- 
 warm professor herein described. It is a state of im- 
 minent peril. "I will spue them out of my mouth." 
 Christ will not dwell in a church of this character. 
 He will not dwell in the heart of the lukewarm. "Ich- 
 abod" is written over the door; the glory is departed. 
 No wonder he commands them to be zealous and re- 
 pent! No wonder he rebukes and chastens the back- 
 sliding professor of religion ! No wonder he counsels 
 them to buy of him grace without money, gold tried 
 in the fire, white raiment to clothe their nakedness, 
 and ointment with which to anoint their blind eyes 
 that they may be reinstated in his love and enjoy his 
 fellowship- Every lukewarm professor that hears this 
 
CHRIST AT THE DOOR 173 
 
 description of his perilous condition and the tender im- 
 portunity of Jesus to open the heart, should repent, 
 confess his sins, hold fast that which remains, and 
 fan the flickering flame into a glowing heat. Oh, wan- 
 dering soul, come back to your first love. Why not 
 cry out today: "Be gone, ye idols of my heart; only 
 Christ shall dwell there." Why not cry out: "Come 
 in, thou blessed Lord, why standest thou without?" 
 
 This text may also be applied to the unsaved — to 
 those unacquainted with the saving power of Christ. 
 What amazing condescension on the part of Jesus! 
 At the Door: it is a wonder that he should be there 
 at all. He who has suffered such unspeakable wrongs 
 comes and knocks at the door of your heart and 
 asks to be admitted as a heavenly guest. He who pos- 
 sesses infinite treasures of love and who embraces all 
 creatures within his arms, comes down from heaven 
 and stands at your door, as if you were worthy such 
 humiliation. Elsewhere in the Scriptures you are in- 
 vited to come to him ; to pray for forgiveness ; to faint 
 not ; to seek him while he may be found ; to call upon 
 him while he is near; to knock at the door of his 
 mercy ; to strive to enter in at the straight gate. But 
 in this text he is represented as knocking at the door 
 of your heart, pleading with you to open and admit 
 him. It is not, will he hear, but will you hear; not 
 will he open the door of mercy to you, but will you 
 open the door of your heart unto him. It is not, will 
 you seek him; but he seeks you and comes to 
 you. Will you keep the heart closed against him 
 
174 SOUL SAVING 
 
 while he stands there knocking and pleading for 
 entrance ? 
 
 Look at the beautiful figure — Christ without, stand- 
 ing at the door ; the Just and the Holy One ; the Son 
 of God and the Savior of men; the Divine Being, 
 adored by angels ; the Chief among ten thousand ; the 
 Altogether Lovely. He is represented by a great artist 
 as standing holding a brilliant light, knocking at a door 
 in which there is darkness, and asking to be admitted 
 as the Light of the World. Yes, Christ the King, 
 Christ, the Teacher, Christ the Priest, Christ, the 
 First and the Last, All and in all, so zealous for your 
 salvation, as to come from heaven to earth to be 
 fashioned like unto men, bone of your bone, and flesh 
 of your flesh, standing at the door, knocking and 
 asking if you will open unto him. It appears to be 
 in the cool of the evening; the cares of the day are 
 over ; it is now the hour of relaxation ; the solitude 
 of the evening disposes the mind to serious thought; 
 alone with its quiet influences; alone, and may be, in 
 the spirit of silence and peace, and ready to approach 
 the chamber for a night of undisturbed rest. Listen! 
 the footsteps of Jesus are heard on the threshold, 
 coming, perhaps for his last visit, and in great love 
 and condescension, with great earnestness and impor- 
 tunity, he knocks at the door of the heart. Oh, what 
 anxiety and solicitude he must possess when he comes 
 so far and entreats so tenderly, to recover from 
 wretchedness and woe and to save a soul from death. 
 
 He not only stands, but knocks- In the East there 
 
CHRIST AT THE DOOR 175 
 
 are great iron knockers; many of them may be seen 
 today. Many of the houses have but one door, with 
 its huge knocker fastened upon it, and those desiring 
 admission knock and use this method of arousing 
 the inmates and -calling their attention to the stranger 
 or friend seeking admission ; thus, Christ comes to 
 the door of the sinner's heart. He sometimes knocks 
 at one door to the soul and sometimes at another. He 
 knocks at the door of your intellect. He comes with 
 all the evidence of reasonableness of his faith and 
 claims, and there is no show of reason that you can 
 present that can refute his arguments. 
 
 He knocks at the door of your Conscience: he 
 shows his goodness and righteousness and appeals to 
 your conscience that he ought to be obeyed. 
 
 He knocks at the door of your affection : he seeks 
 to arouse within you the spirit of gratitude in response 
 to his love and mercy and what he is doing to save 
 your soul. 
 
 He knocks at the door of your fear: he strives to 
 alarm and awaken you to the fearful looking for of 
 judgment, and in view of the terrors to come, he 
 would persuade you to open unto him. 
 
 He knocks at the door of your hope : he hangs 
 out before you the most blessed prospect of eternal 
 life, with all it embraces — peace, joy and glory. He 
 knocks at the door of your heart — of your darkened, 
 perverted, hardened and alienated heart that should 
 be melted by his tenderness, goodness, forbearance and 
 long-suffering. Unfortunately, your heart is closed 
 
176 SOUL SAVING 
 
 against him. Your heart is bolted by unbelief. You 
 do not believe the statements of Revelation. You do 
 not believe Jesus to be the Son of God or you would 
 accept him. It was said of him that he could not 
 perform miracles in a certain place because of their 
 unbelief, and because of your unbelief the invitations 
 do not allure you, the promises do not attract you, 
 and the Gospel will not save you. 
 
 Your heart is bolted by Satan. He dwells there, his 
 scepter reigns there, his sentinels are on command. 
 
 Your heart is bolted by self -righteousness- Vanity 
 and pride reign within. No matter how you think or 
 feel about it, except your righteousness exceeds the 
 righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you cannot 
 enter into the kingdom of heaven. No man can be 
 saved by works lest he should boast. Christ cannot 
 dwell with sin. Ye cannot love sin and love God at 
 the same time. Light hath no fellowship with dark- 
 ness, neither has sin with holiness. 
 
 Your heart is bolted by love of the world. The 
 affairs of this life absorb the affection of the heart 
 and the desires of the mind. Worldly honors, riches 
 and pleasures are preferred to the honors, riches and 
 pleasures of Christ. 
 
 Your heart is bolted by ignorance. You have never 
 taken the time to search the word of God to see 
 whether these things about salvation be true. Souls 
 perishing for lack of knowledge; minds darkened by 
 the God of this world. The ox knoweth his master's 
 voice, but people made in the image of God will not 
 
CHRIST AT THE DOOR 177 
 
 consider; will not ponder over the momentus question 
 of soul salvation. "Israel doth not know; my people 
 doth not consider." 
 
 Behold, how he knocks. Sometimes by his daily 
 bounties. He comes to you in showers of blessing. 
 He sends fruitful seasons and times of rejoicing. 
 His mercies are new every morning and fresh every 
 evening. He shows mercy upon mercy, privilege upon 
 privilege. He blesses you with family and friends; 
 with happy and loving homes; with prosperity in 
 worldly affairs; with balm in the hour of sickness; 
 with deliverance from dangers; with every possible 
 earthly good ; thus he seeks to awaken your gratitude, 
 to draw forth your love, and to constrain you to open 
 the door unto him. 
 
 He sometimes knocks through afflictions. Sickness 
 may come to the family. The heavy hand of trouble 
 may be placed upon you. Disappointments may come 
 to your soul ; the broad wings of poverty may flap over 
 your home; sorrow, deep, and terrible, may cast its 
 gloom, pall-like, over your life ; the nearest and dear- 
 est on earth may be taken from you. You may be 
 humbled, crushed, and heart-broken, and in the midst 
 of such troubles and sorrows, Christ may come to 
 you, knock mercifully and ask for admittance. It 
 was not till Nebuchadnezzar was deposed from his 
 throne and humbled to the earth ; not till his body was 
 wet with the dews of heaven and he ate grass like the 
 oxen, did he acknowledge that God ruled in the king- 
 dom and would appoint over it whomsoever he would. 
 
178 SOUL SAVING 
 
 He sometimes knocks through the sermons you hear. 
 His ministers are commanded to preach the gospel to 
 every creature ; to warn, exhort, and persuade men to 
 obey the gospel. They are commanded to go out into 
 the highways and hedges and compel them to come 
 in. Knowing the gracious offers of his gospel they 
 invite you to kiss the Son lest he be angry. They plead 
 with you to accept the terms of pardon and peace and 
 eternal life that are offered unto you. When these 
 Gospel appeals come to your soul it is Jesus Christ 
 knocking and asking you to open unto him. 
 
 He sometimes knocks through his word. You meet 
 with his word on all hands ; in the church, in the libra- 
 ry, on the center table, and the silence of your room. 
 It proclaims the truth of God, and testifies of the love 
 and mercy of Jesus, of his willingness, readiness and 
 ability to save. - In every precept and promise, in 
 every chapter and on every page his word appeals to 
 you to open your heart and let him come in. 
 
 He sometimes knocks by his Spirit. The Spirit 
 was sent to convict men of sin, righteousness, and 
 judgment to come. He sent the Spirit and the Spirit 
 came to stir up your conscience and arouse your sen- 
 sibilities. Will you grieve and wound, resist and 
 quench the Holy Spirit? Why not hear the voice of 
 the Spirit, saying, "Come." Why not open the door 
 of your heart and let him come in ? 
 
 He sometimes knocks by the prayers and desires of 
 your loved ones- Paul declared that his heart's desire 
 and prayer for Israel was that she might be saved. 
 
CHRIST AT THE DOOR 179 
 
 Have you a beloved mother, or father, or sister or 
 brother, or companion? It may be that dear one is 
 earnestly desiring and persistently praying for your 
 salvation, and through these prayers God would 
 blockade your pathway to ruin and turn you about to 
 think of your salvation and to think of the tender 
 appeal of Jesus to open the door of your heart and 
 let him come in. 
 
 Why does Christ knock ? He is anxious for your 
 salvation. He knows the infinite value of your perish- 
 ing soul. He knows its high capabilities. He knows 
 that it should resemble God and rejoice in him. He 
 knows that it should love and worship God. He knows 
 its terrible peril, and he knows that it is lost/ — like 
 the lost sheep or the lost piece of silver or the lost 
 child. He knocks because he desires to enter the 
 heart to cleanse it, to purify it, to make it faithful 
 and true, and to make it one with him in thought, af- 
 fection and deed. He desires to enter your heart to 
 save your soul from sin and death. 
 
 He has many precious messages for you. He has 
 a message of knowledge. He is called the Counsellor. 
 In him is hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowl- 
 edge. It was said of him, "Thou knowest all things-" 
 He is the wisdom of God. He is the solution of your 
 every problem. He has a message of pardon for you. 
 In him is redemption, even the forgiveness of sins. 
 He alone hath power to forgive sins. He has power 
 to wash away your sins and cleanse your souls and 
 make them as white as snow. He has a message of 
 
180 SOUL SAVING 
 
 truth for you — not a fable, not a lie, not a romance, 
 but the truth, cleansing, saving, sanctifying truth. He 
 has a message of peace for you. Is there discord and 
 rebellion in your heart? He has a peace not like the 
 peace of the world; a peace that passeth all under- 
 standing. Your peace is like the troubled sea that is 
 never at rest, but the peace Jesus has for you will 
 bring rest to your souls. He has a message of love 
 for you. Hear him declare that God is love; that 
 God loved you and gave his Son to die for you. His 
 love is pure, unselfish and unadulterated. He has a 
 message of hope for you. The hopes of this world 
 may disappoint you, may overwhelm your soul with 
 sorrow, but Christ's hope is well-founded. It is a 
 lively hope. Christ within, the hope of eternal glory 
 will never disappoint you. He has a message of rec- 
 onciliation. God was in Christ reconciling the world 
 unto himself. He is the Way, the Life and the Truth. 
 No man can come unto the Father save by him- 
 Through him the Father will receive you and forgive 
 you. 
 
 It is your duty to hear his voice : To hear it humbly, 
 prayerfully, attentively, thoughtfully; to hear it with- 
 out prejudice; to hear it with a desire to be benefited 
 thereby; to hear it and heed and obey it. 
 
 It is your duty to open the door. You have this 
 power— None other has; not an angel of heaven, not 
 the mighty sea, not the raging wind, not the devour- 
 ing fire. You alone have the power to refuse or the 
 power to open. You have kept Jesus outside and 
 
CHRIST AT THE DOOR 181 
 
 freely admitted other guests. You have been reluctant 
 to open the door to Christ, to admit him to your con- 
 duct, conversation and character, to accept his max- 
 ims and principles — to let his scepter of righteousness 
 reign supreme. You have voluntarily excluded Christ, 
 shut your heart to his every appeal, deadened your 
 conscience to every conviction, and filled your heart 
 with pleasure, business and sin. Yes, my friend, you 
 have shut Christ out. The house is yours, the door 
 and the keys are yours. Christ will not come in un- 
 invited and unwelcomed. You must remove the bar- 
 riers. You must unbolt the door. You must take 
 the key and turn back the lock. You must open the 
 door by faith, by love, by repentance, by confession, 
 by obedience. You must open it cheerfully and admit 
 him. It is your exalted privilege to admit him. "If 
 any man will open." Thereby, you are taught that 
 you may and should open the door. It is your pre- 
 rogative- You have the power to say "Enter," and 
 the power to say "Depart;" therefore, the opening of 
 the door depends upon you. This is in perfect har- 
 mony with reason, with Scripture, and with history. 
 
 It is your advantage to open the door of your heart 
 and let him come in. Surely, it is an honor to enter- 
 tain such a divine guest. From an earthly standpoint, 
 to entertain, any great guest, a Senator, Governor, 
 President, Prince or King is considered a great honor. 
 To sit down at a table and enjoy the hospitality of a 
 great friend is considered a privilege and a blessing. 
 Think of it! the divine indwelling of God. Christ 
 
182 SOUL SAVING 
 
 within you. Ye are the temple of the Holy Spirit. 
 God dwells in the humble and contrite heart. You 
 may wonder at this indwelling, but we are assured 
 that he dwells there by faith. Christ your host; "He 
 with Me." Christ within, as a friend; not an enemy to 
 entice you to sin. Christ within as a loving guest in 
 whom you may put your trust that you may dwell 
 safely. A powerful guest, who is able to succor you 
 in the time of temptation; a sympathetic guest that 
 will never leave you. A guest that sticketh closer 
 than a brother. You have the advantage of not only 
 the divine indwelling, but of the divine fellowship. 
 "I will sup with him." He spreads his own table- He 
 brings his own food. He prepares his own feast. 
 He gives his own invitation. He invites you to heaven- 
 ly communion. He invites you to a feast of pardon 
 and love. His grace is abundant. His love is inex- 
 haustible. His provisions are everlasting. He invites 
 you to the fellowship of his sufferings and his joy; 
 of his peace and his power; of his mercy and his 
 hope ; of his enduring riches and glory. 
 
 "Our Father is rich in houses and lands, 
 He holds the wealth of the world in his hands ; 
 Of rubies and diamonds, of silver and gold — 
 His coffers are full, he has riches untold." 
 
 He invites you to eat for his bread will give 
 strength; to drink, for his water will bubble up into 
 everlasting life and refresh thy heart. You may eat 
 
CHRIST AT THE DOOR 183 
 
 and drink and spare not, for he has a daily renewal 
 of bread and wine. You may eat and drink and be 
 strengthened and cheered until you attain to the Par- 
 adise of God where they neither hunger nor thirst any 
 more. Oh, what a blessed fellowship and mutual com- 
 munion ! What a blessed joy and hope! Then, will 
 you not open your heart unto this great Shepherd that 
 your souls may not want? He who provided manna 
 for the children of Israel, sent the ravens to feed 
 Elijah, replenished the barrel of meal and the cruise 
 of oil for the poor widow, and opened the prison doors 
 for the apostles, will surely bring untold blessings to 
 your soul and make your heart the temple of God. 
 
 It is dangerous not to open. He knocked at the 
 gates of Sodom and Gomorrah ; of Tyre and Sidon ; 
 of Ninevah and Babylon ; of Bethsaida and Chorazin 
 and they refused to admit him, and woe was their 
 doom ! He knocked long and loud at the gates of the 
 Jewish nation, but they received him not, and their cities 
 became desolate. He knocked long and loud at the iron 
 gates of Greece and Rome, but they mocked at his mes- 
 sengers and spurned the gospel of Christ as foolishness 
 and Greece notwithstanding her great glory, went 
 down in hopeless ruin ; and Rome, notwithstanding her 
 military power, was humbled to the dust. He has 
 knocked long and loud at the door of your heart. He 
 has knocked with tender mercy, with pressing offers, 
 with matchless love, and if you refuse to hear that 
 knock and keep your hearts bolted and exclude him, he 
 may cease to knock and turn away. 
 
184 SOUL SAVING 
 
 Behold, he stands ready to depart. If you will not 
 open the doors of your hearts to him now he will 
 not open the doors of heaven to you hereafter. If you 
 now say to him, "Depart," he will say to you on the 
 day of judgment, "Depart, I know you not!" Would 
 it not be a sad spectacle to rise on that day and find the 
 gates of heaven shut, and to knock for admission and 
 find no entrance. He once knocked at the doors of the 
 hearts of the five foolish virgins, but they would not 
 admit him ; the curtain of death is lifted ; we now be- 
 hold the five foolish virgins knocking at the gates of 
 heaven, crying, "Lord, Lord; open to us." Listen to 
 the voice that comes from within those jasper walls, 
 "Depart from me; I know ye not, ye workers of in- 
 iquity." 
 
 The invitation is to any man. To the. young; to 
 those who are starting in life ; to those who have long 
 resisted the gospel invitation; to the aged sinner who 
 has given most of his life to the service of Mammon 
 and Satan; to those who prefer the pleasures of this 
 life to the pleasures of the life to come ; to those who 
 have wandered far from heaven; to those who have 
 fallen from grace ; to those who have backslidden 
 with a perpetual backsliding; to those in the gall of 
 bitterness and the bonds of iniquity ; to those who feel 
 there is no mercy and no hope for them. He has 
 knocked in great mercy and love at the door of your 
 hearts. He has knocked in great patience and for- 
 bearance at the door of your hearts. Oh, will you 
 not hear, open the door of your heart, and let him 
 
CHRIST AT THE DOOR 185 
 
 come in ? Will you not break with evil and make peace 
 with God? Will you not put forth the hand of faith 
 and unbolt the door that the Sun of Righteousness 
 may shine in your hearts? Will you not admit him 
 now ere he ceases to knock and turn away? Will you 
 not cry out to him now, "Here, Lord, I open wide 
 the door. Come in and be my guest forevermore." 
 
 I read somewhere a story related by Dr. Arnot, a 
 faithful preacher of Edinboro, Scotland, that beau- 
 tifuly illustrates this text: 
 
 "I was visiting," said he, "among my people of 
 Edinburg. I stood away back, and looked up at the 
 high houses to see whether Betty Gordon, an aged 
 saint of God, was at home. I knew that she was at 
 home by this sign: that her little flower pots were 
 out upon her window sill, that the blind was up. I 
 knew Betty was in, for when she went away she care- 
 fully took in the flower-pots and pulled down the 
 blinds. I knew that she was poor and needy, but she 
 trusted God, and I was so glad that somebody had 
 given me some money that morning to give to the poor. 
 I put aside Betty's rent for a month in my pocket and 
 climbed up the winding stone stairs to Betty's door. 
 At first I knocked softly, but there was no answer. 
 Then I pulled the bell, but there was no answer. Then 
 I knocked louder, but there was no answer. At last I 
 said, 'Betty forgot to pull down the blinds, and she 
 has gone out, leaving her flower-pots there. What a 
 pity!' Then I went down the stairs. 
 
 "The next morning I went back and knocked at the 
 
186 SOUL SAVING 
 
 door. After a little waiting, Betty came and opened 
 it- 
 
 " 'Oh/ she said, 'is it you, Mr. Arnot ? I am so 
 glad to see you ! Come in !' There were tears in her 
 eyes, and a look of care. 
 
 "I said, 'Betty, woman, what are you crying for?' 
 'Oh,' she said, 'Mr. Arnot, I am so afraid, so afraid 
 of the landlord. He came yesterday and I had na the 
 rent, and I dinna open the door, and now I am 
 afraid of his coming; for he is a hard man.' 'Betty, 
 what time did he come yesterday?' 'He came be- 
 tween eleven and twelve o'clock,' she said. 'It was 
 twenty-five minutes to twelve.' 
 
 " 'Well/ I said, 'it was na the landlord ; it was I, 
 and I brought to you, Betty, this money to pay your 
 rent/ 
 
 "She looked at me, and said, 'Oh, was it you? Did 
 you bring me that money to pay my rent, and I kept 
 the door shut against you, and I would na let you in? 
 And I heard you knocking, and I heard your ringing, 
 and I said, That is the landlord ; I wish he would go 
 away. And it was my ain meenister. It was my ain 
 Lord who had sent ye as his messenger, and I would 
 na let ye in ?' " 
 
 That is just like some sinners. When Jesus is 
 knocking at their hearts they treat him as if he were 
 a hard landlord and will not let him in. Oh, let me 
 beseech of you, receive the Savior now, let him come 
 in now ere he departs. 
 
SIN WILL FIND YOU OUT! 
 
 "Be sure your sins will find you out!" — 
 Numbers 32:23. 
 
 These words were uttered by Moses, — a man of 
 broad experience, of learning and wisdom, and one 
 who had lived in close fellowship with God. He had 
 seen sin in all of its forms and enormity, and had 
 witnessed its punishment with the utmost severity. 
 These words may be applied in a sense to every sin, 
 but were spoken especially of bad deeds, that go forth 
 on their mischievous errands, but are sure to return 
 home and bring retiribution with them. The proverb 
 is true of sins as well as pennies — "a bad penny comes 
 back;" true of crimes as well as curses — "curses, like 
 chickens, always come home to roost." 
 
 Most people, in committing sin, count on escaping 
 detection, hence the importance of exposing this vain 
 expectation. They indulge the hope of concealment, 
 as if to say, neither man nor the Lord shall know, but 
 we shall see that the escape from the results and de- 
 tection of sin is impossible- 
 One cannot hope to escape by lapse of time. Sin 
 is the transgression of the law. It is poison in the 
 blood. It is a thorn in the flesh, and it is useless to 
 say, "Let bygones be bygones ;" "let time efface it," for 
 
188 SOUL SAVING 
 
 there is no statute of limitations in regard to the pay- 
 ment of the debt of sin. A note may be outlawed in 
 ten or twenty years and the debt be cancelled in the 
 sight of the law. Not so in regard to sin. Lot 
 chose the rich plains of Sodom and Gomorrah, but 
 years afterwards, he reaped domestic ruin. Saul's 
 bloody house was the penalty of his sins. 
 
 It is impossible to escape by concealment. One may 
 think sin safely buried, like a murdered corpse, and 
 that grass will grow over the grave — but it is only 
 awaiting a sure resurrection. Adam tried to hide his 
 sin, but he could not ; Achan tried to conceal the stolen 
 goods, but he could not. Even when concealment 
 seems possible the sinner frequently, in awe of himself 
 and under the sting of his own wickedness, makes con- 
 fession in hope of receiving pardon. Sometimes it is 
 a strange combination of circumstances that brings the 
 sin to light when concealment seemed certain. 
 
 The sinner cannot escape by good works. A change 
 of life is most commendable, but if the sins are not 
 pardoned by the Lord Jesus Christ no good deeds, no 
 amends, and no substitution, will wipe out the fruits 
 of wickedness. Jacob had to bear the burden of de- 
 ceiving his father and wronging his brother. David 
 was pardoned, yet he was followed by the terrible con- 
 sequences of his own sin. In Nature there is nothing 
 annihilated : the lump of coal, the decaying plant, the 
 buried body may be changed, but they pass into an- 
 other existence — not out of existence; so it is with 
 sin. Its consequences cannot be hid. All efforts at 
 
SIN WILL FIND YOU OUT! 189 
 
 concealment, good works, annihilation, and distance 
 from the place of commission or lapse of time will be 
 of no avail, for it is an eternal law that sin cannot 
 be covered ; that sin will be found out ; that its effects 
 will remain and in some way will be revealed- 
 
 Sin brings its own punishment. It has staying qual- 
 ities. As sure as it had a seed time it will have a 
 harvest time. It will be found out, no matter what 
 pains are taken to prevent it. Phocas built a palace for 
 his security, and after he entered it he heard a voice 
 calling, "Oh Emperor, though thou build thy wall as 
 high as the clouds, if sin be within it will overthrow 
 all." 
 
 The source of sin is in the depraved heart. "I was 
 shapen in iniquity and born in sin !" "In my flesh 
 dwelleth no good thing." The works of the flesh are 
 manifest in everybody. The heart is deceitful above 
 all things. The carnal mind is enmity to God. Sin 
 is universal. We find it everywhere — amongst all peo- 
 ple, throughout all nations. Sin is sin, no matter how 
 it is classified. The besetting sin is the master sin, 
 like the master bee of the hive. It is the Samson of 
 the Israelites; the Goliath of the Phillistines. It is 
 the hardest sin to give up. It is the sin that pricks 
 the conscience when under conviction. It is generally 
 the worst habit and of longest standing- The besetting- 
 sin of some is dishonesty ; of some profanity ; of some 
 licentiousness; of some fault-finding; of some in- 
 fidelity. 
 
 Secret sins are those bad deeds committed in con- 
 
190 SOUL SAVING 
 
 cealment. They are known only to God and to the 
 participants. There are many people whose social and 
 public life is passable, but whose private life is marred 
 with secret sins. Many people fail in life without 
 apparent cause, but they know, and God knows, the 
 failure is due to secret sin. Many drop into untimely 
 graves because of secret sins. "He that covereth his 
 sin shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth and for- 
 sakes them shall have mercy." The cry of all those 
 guilty of secret sins should be the prayer of the 
 Prophet, "Oh, Lord, cleanse thou me of secret faults." 
 
 Little sins are the curse of many people. Some men 
 would not think of committing theft, adultery or mur- 
 der, but sear their souls with little sins. They escape 
 the rocks and wreck upon the sand. They are not 
 troubled by the biting dog, but are bitten by the little 
 fleas. It was a little blaze that started the Chicago 
 fire. Little grains of sand overtake and smother whole 
 caravans. A little worm in a plank of a ship can do 
 as much damage as a cannon ball. A little scratch 
 on a diamond will lessen its value. The most annoy- 
 ing cancers had small beginnings. Little sins make 
 way for greater sins. They keep swelling and increas- 
 ing until their influence is felt in body, soul and spirit. 
 
 The Sins of Youth- An old man once wrote that 
 his bones were filled with the sins of his youth, and 
 he would lie down with them in the dust. Youth may 
 be warned, but they heed not. They sow their wild 
 oats as if they would never have any consequences. 
 Experience is a hard master, and he who profits by 
 
SIN WILL FIND YOU OUT! 191 
 
 his experience is wise, but he who profits by the ex- 
 perience of another is doubly wise. The youth who 
 thinks that he can live a life of sin without experienc- 
 ing any evil effects makes a fatal mistake, and will 
 have to suffer the consequences ; for every sin com- 
 mitted in youth there will be a penalty to be paid in 
 after life. Mirabeau said, "Oh, if I had not spent 
 my youth in sin, my middle age in folly, then I could 
 have saved France!" 
 
 Presumptuous sins are the sinful and deliberate acts 
 of unkindness and cruelty. Judas deliberately sold 
 Christ. Ahab committed a presumptuous sin when he 
 murdered Naboth. The man who deliberately dese- 
 crates the Lord's Day is a presumptuous sinner "The 
 soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether \,e be 
 born in the land of the stranger, the same approacheth 
 the Lord, and the same shall be cut off from among 
 the people." 
 
 Sins of omission, though not openly so flagrant, are 
 in many respects as bad as sins of commission. Oft- 
 times failure to perform a duty has serious results. 
 Many lives have been hurled into Eternity as a result 
 of a dispatcher failing to do his duty. If your friend is 
 in distress and you can relieve him, and you do not, you 
 are guilty of a sin of omission. The failure to attend to 
 soul salvation will result in eternal condemnation. The 
 man of plenty refused the crumb to the poor beggar, 
 but was afterward refused a drop of water to quench 
 his burning thirst. "Inasmuch as ye did it not unto the 
 least of these, my brethren, ye did it not unto me." 
 
192 SOUL SAVING 
 
 We shall carry the classification of sin no further, 
 but turn to the great thought of our text. "Be sure 
 your sins will find you out-" The retribution is cer- 
 tain. There is no hiding place for the wicked. 
 
 Be sure your sins will find you out in the body. No 
 matter how strong in body and vigorous in constitu- 
 tion, sin will weaken the body and wreck the constitu- 
 tion. Certain diseases follow certain sins. There is an 
 intimate connection between sin and its physical con- 
 sequences. Sin will tell on the health. Sin will bring 
 suffering to the body. It is the law of Nature — there is 
 no exception to it. The body is designed to be a useful 
 servant, and not a burden to the soul, but when men 
 disregard the laws of health and recklessly use their 
 bodies they will become old in body while young in 
 years. Sin is followed with disease — diseases in the 
 blood, brain, stomach and nerves. Take, for example, 
 the vice of dissipation and excess : do they not betray 
 themselves in the looks, in the eyes, the gait, the bloated 
 faces, the red noses, the softened muscles, the decay- 
 ing health, and the wasted fortunes of the victim ? The 
 mark of sin is placed upon the body beyond the power 
 of cosmetics and grace of manners to conceal. Disease 
 may be hereditary, — the result of misfortune, but oft- 
 times it can be traced directly to sin. Paralysis, stom- 
 ach disorders, rheumatism, and a thousand ills that 
 flesh is heir to, may be traced directly to sin. Can 
 man take fire into his bosom and his clothes not be 
 burned? Can one go upon hot coals and his feet not 
 be burned? 
 
SIN WILL FIND YOU OUT! 193 
 
 Sin will be found out upon the mind. With a weak- 
 ened body comes a weakened mind. Sin weakens the 
 faculties, perverts the imagination, and destroys the 
 intellect. Strong minds feed upon the truth. Men, to 
 retain full and free use of their mental faculties till 
 old age, must live in the practice of virtue and tem- 
 perance. A life of sin will enervate and result in the 
 loss of mental power; it will cloud the brain, dim the 
 vision, and efface the memory- Drunkenness will make 
 a man as a child. Excesses make idiots and lunatics. 
 Sin, in its terrible consequences, will so weaken the 
 mental powers of man that he will be incapacitated for 
 business and failure be the result. Women, who might 
 have been of great service in the Master's vineyard and 
 crowns of glory to society, have had their minds weak- 
 ened and bodies enfeebled by the practice of sin. 
 
 Sin will find you out in your character. "Righteous- 
 ness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any 
 people." The wicked man is loathesome, and must 
 come to shame. No one covets the reputation of the 
 profane, the extortioner, the miser, the adulterer or 
 the infidel. There are sometimes strange inconsisten- 
 cies of character which the world may not understand, 
 but which God knows to be the result of a sinful life. 
 Sin freely indulged produces defects of character that 
 prove disastrous to the moral nature. In many in- 
 stances the effect is so far-reaching as to unfit the 
 sinner for meditation upon God's word, and sink him 
 to such a level that he is almost beyond redemption. 
 
 Sin will be found out in the Conscience. It destroys 
 
194 SOUL SAVING 
 
 self-respect. There is no peace to the wicked. The 
 freedom, confidence and peace of conscious integrity 
 are driven out of the heart by sin. Sin is leprosy, not 
 only to the body and character, but to the conscience. 
 We suffer physical torment because of the torment of 
 an accusing conscience. If the sin is concealed from 
 the eye of the world it is not concealed from the con- 
 science, and if conscience condemns, how about God 
 who is greater than the conscience? Conscience will 
 bring sin to remembrance under a searching ministry 
 of the Gospel, in season of sickness, in the diverse 
 changes of human life, and at the near approach of 
 death, and it will bring unutterable pain to the man who 
 carries this accuser in his own heart. 
 
 Sin will be found out in posterity. Its evil conse- 
 quences are inflicted upon others- The iniquities of 
 the fathers are visited upon the second and third gen- 
 erations. The sins of Saul brought death to his own 
 sons. Sometimes weak and feeble children are the 
 result of the sins of the parents. Many innocent peo- 
 ple have to bear the shame and disgrace of the sins 
 of others. A corrupt man will impart his corruption 
 to others. A bad book will contaminate every heart 
 that receives it. One of the terrible curses of sin is 
 the evil it brings upon the innocent persons. The curse 
 of the parent is often the curse of the child. The 
 bad example of the parent is too often copied by the 
 child. The man who weakens his body, enfeebles his 
 mind, sears his conscience, destroys his reputation, will 
 curse his posterity. 
 
SIN WILL FIND YOU OUT! 195 
 
 Sin will be found out in society. No man can be 
 dishonest in business without it becoming known. 
 The employer cannot wrong the employee without 
 having to suffer for it. No man can wrong his wife 
 without having a death-dealing cancer in his heart. 
 The laws of virtue cannot be violated without having 
 to reap terrible consequences, and one of the worst 
 consequences is, that when the wickedness comes to 
 light too frequently the victim is accused of things of 
 which he is innocent, and made to carry burdens that 
 do not belong to him. Society soon detects the scoffer, 
 the intriguer, the libertine, the miser, and the adulterer. 
 "Curse not the king," said the preacher, "no, not in 
 thy thought, and curse not the rich in thy bed-chamber, 
 for the birds of the air will carry the voice, and that 
 which hath wings shall tell the matter." Society pun- 
 ishes the guilty by the loss of confidence and friendship, 
 by public scorn and indignation. 
 
 Sin will be found out by our rather in heaven. No 
 evil doer can escape God, though he may enjoy the 
 pleasures of sin for a season. Men may, for a time, 
 despise the goodness, forbearance and long-suffering 
 of God, but retribution will surely come. The dresser 
 of the vineyard may beg for another year's reprieve, 
 but the year will end. "The sinner may say God doth 
 not see," but the fact is that God does see. He sees 
 every sinner in his course, and he sees the results and 
 the doom that will come at last. Be not deceived ; God 
 is not mocked. Whatsover a man soweth that shall 
 he also reap. Did not God know the sin of Adam, and 
 
196 SOUL SAVING 
 
 Cain? The sin of the antidiluvians ? Who can hide 
 away from the all-seeing eye of God? 
 
 Sin will be found out at the day of judgment. It is 
 appointed unto man once to die, and after death the 
 judgment. On that great day there is nothing hidden 
 that shall not be revealed; nothing covered that shall 
 not be made known. Cursed are the dead that die in 
 their sins for they have no rest from their transgres- 
 sions, and their guilt follows them. Think of being 
 found out in the world to come under the curse of 
 eternal sin! Where the wolf will be stripped of his 
 sheep's clothing and will have to stand revealed in his 
 gaunt, ghastly and sinful character and hear ringing 
 over him, "Found out at last!" Found out before 
 angels and redeemed spirits. Found out where there 
 is no possible chance of escape or concealment. Found 
 out where the violent die as the result of sin, where 
 the soul meets the immediate and swift punishment of 
 destruction from the presence of God and his angels. 
 
 Let us make a personal application of this text. Will 
 your sins be found out? Are you keeping bad com- 
 pany? Be sure the sin will be found out. "Lest thou 
 learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul." The com- 
 panion of fools shall be destroyed. If you keep good 
 company you will be one of the number. If you keep 
 bad company you will be one of the number. If you 
 keep company of wolves you will learn to howl. If your 
 associations are wicked, it will be manifest in your 
 words and deeds. A man recently confessed on the gal- 
 lows that bad company led him to commit the crime. 
 
SIN WILL FIND YOU OUT! 197 
 
 Sampson kept company with Delilah, and lost his hair, 
 his strength, his life. Brutus kept company with Casius 
 and was instigated to murder Caesar. Ahab kept com- 
 pany with Jezebel, committed murder, and both lost 
 their lives. Is your sin that of drunkenness? You 
 may, for a time, conceal the social drink, but eventually 
 you will become a tipler, and finally a drunkard. Some 
 one will see and will tell. It will be carried on the 
 wings of the birds, and will soon be found out : found 
 out in your poverty, in the loss of your position, in 
 your looks, in your general appearance, in your totter- 
 ing steps, and your bloated face. It will be found out 
 in your home and by your associates. Is it theft that 
 you are practicing ? No matter how careful the conceal- 
 ment, it will be found out. It will soon become a habit, 
 and you will become bolder and bolder until hiding will 
 be impossible. You may elude the meshes of the law 
 for a few days or months, but soon the net will entrap 
 you. I knew a young man who served as clerk in a 
 store, and who took a little money now and then, until 
 it became a habit. He grew bolder and finally was 
 found out, convicted, and sentenced to the penitentiary. 
 Is it murder ? Your sin will find you out. Some one 
 will hear you plotting the crime, or you may be be- 
 trayed by an accomplice, or be seen lurking about the 
 spot, or be heard talking about the person, or after 
 you have borne the crime till you can bear it no longer 
 you may inform against yourself, and surrender to 
 justice under the conviction that the hell of punishment 
 will be no worse than the hell of suspense. Have you 
 
198 SOUL SAVING 
 
 not read many instances where every effort was made 
 to cover up the crime, but some little circumstances led 
 to its discovery? It may have been a nervous uneasi- 
 ness about the future ; an anxious looking-into the faces 
 to see whether you were being suspected ; the readiness 
 to flee or fight at the approach of an officer. The 
 burden of carrying the secret and the relief found in 
 confessing it may lead to its publicity and your being 
 found out. There are numerous examples to demon- 
 strate the truthfulness of the old adage, "Murder will 
 out." I knew a young man in Virginia who commit- 
 ted a foul murder by drowning his victim, a beautiful 
 young lady, in a reservoir, and after a time her body 
 was found, and recognized. Later on the young man 
 was arrested; his shoe fit the shoe-print left in the 
 sand on the shore ; his watch-charm was found, where 
 she had made a desperate struggle for life ; the street- 
 car conductor was found in whose car the couple were 
 carried to the reservoir ; the watchman was found who 
 witnessed them walking on the banks ; the motive was 
 found to induce the young man to commit the murder, 
 and thus many circumstances gradually wove the hemp 
 into a rope that swung the young man into eternity. 
 Yes, history and experience declare that sin will out, 
 and the Bible enforces it. 
 
 Our text says, "Be sure your sins will find you out." 
 The wise man declares, "He that walketh uprightly 
 walketh surely, but he that perverteth his ways shall be 
 known." Did not Adam's sin in eating the forbidden 
 fruit find him out? Did not the sin of Cain in killing 
 
SIN WILL FIND YOU OUT! 199 
 
 his brother Abel, find him out? Did not the sins of 
 the Antidiluvians in rebelling against God, find them 
 out? Did not the sin of Pharaoh, oppressing the 
 Israelites, find him out ? Did not the sin of King Saul, 
 in disobeying God, find him out? How about the sin 
 of Ahab, the murderer; Achan, the thief; Belshazzar, 
 the idolator ; Judas, the betrayer ; Herod, the adulterer ; 
 Simon, the sorcerer ; Annanias, the covetous man ? Are 
 they not all examples that prove the text to be true? 
 "Be sure your sins will find you out." 
 
 Are you hardening your hearts against the Gospel 
 of Christ? Are you refusing the invitations of your 
 blessed Savior? Are you slighting the entreaties of 
 your loved ones ? Be sure your sin will find you out." 
 I care not whether your sin be little or great; a sin 
 of omission or commission; a sin of presumption or 
 of youth or a besetting sin — it will be found out. It 
 will be found out in your body, in your intellect, in 
 your soul. It will be found out in society, in your 
 home, in your posterity. It will be found out in Eter- 
 nity, and my friend, be sure it will be found out to 
 your shame and trouble and disgrace. Oh, will you not 
 be wise today and search and find out your sins, and 
 get rid of them ? Kill sin before it kills you. Separate 
 yourself from it before it separates you from God. 
 Destroy it before it brings destruction to your soul. 
 Forsake it before you are forsaken by your heavenly 
 Father. I beseech of you, appeal to Christ, the Judge 
 of the quick and dead, to cover your sins, to blot them 
 out of the Lamb's book of Life, and to save your souls 
 
200 SOUL SAVING 
 
 before your sins find you out to the death of your 
 character, usefulness, soul, life, God's love and pres- 
 ence. 
 
DANIEL BEFORE BELSHAZZAR 
 
 "Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin." — Daniel 5 :25. 
 
 The great court scene in which the prophet appears 
 before King Belshazzar took place in Babylon- This 
 famous metropolis was situated in a wide plain on 
 the Euphrates, which divided it into two nearly equal 
 parts. Its foundations were laid, according to the 
 Scriptures, at the same time with those of the Tower 
 of Babel. According to the traditions which the Greeks 
 derived from the Babylonians the city was originally 
 built 2230 B. C. In the revolutions of centuries it 
 underwent many changes, and received many additions. 
 The statements respecting the size and appearance of 
 Babylon which have come down to us in classical 
 writers, are derived from two sources: the works of 
 Herodotus and Ctesias, both authors having been eye- 
 witnesses of the glory of Babylon. According to the 
 records of these famous writers the walls of Babylon 
 were double; the outer line, being fifty-six miles in 
 circumference, was built of large bricks cemented with 
 bitumen, and constructed around the city in the form 
 of a square measuring fourteen miles along each face. 
 The walls were three hundred and fifty feet high, and 
 eighty-seven feet thick, — so thick that four horse 
 chariots could pass each other on them without danger. 
 
202 SOUL SAVING 
 
 A vast moat surrounded the walls, constructed of the 
 same material, and proportionate in depth and width 
 to the elevation of the walls. The city was entered by 
 twenty-five brass gates on each side, and strengthened 
 by two hundred and fifty powerful towers. There 
 were streets running in straight lines through the town 
 from gate to gate, crossing each other at right angles, 
 thus making six hundred and fifty-six squares, each 
 square being a little more than two miles in circum- 
 ference. Nearly the entire space was covered with 
 houses, many of them three and four stories in height. 
 The Euphrates River ran through the city from north 
 to south, protected on each side with a quay the same 
 thickness as the walls of the city and one hundred 
 stadia in length. Through these quays were gates of 
 brass, from which steps descended into the river. The 
 two parts of the city were connected by a stone bridge, 
 one hundred yards long and thirty feet broad. At 
 either end of the bridge was a royal palace. The palace 
 on the eastern side was defended by a triple wall, the 
 outermost seven miles around, the second four and a 
 half, and the third two and a quarter. The second 
 wall was three hundred feet in height and contained 
 four hundred and twenty towers. The elevation of 
 the inner wall was even greater than this. The walls 
 were made of colored brick, with the pictures of 
 hunting scenes upon them- The two palaces were also 
 joined by a tunnel under the river. The fortress on the 
 east was called the Royal Palace, and the one on the 
 west was called the Temple of Belus, the latter being 
 
DANIEL BEFORE BELSHAZZAR 203 
 
 a species of pyramid, composed of eight square towers 
 placed one above the other, the dimensions of the base- 
 ment tower being above six hundred feet each way. 
 A winding ascent passed around all the towers and 
 led to the summit on which was placed a spacious ark, 
 regarded by the natives as the habitation of the God. 
 As the Euphrates overflowed during the summer 
 months two great canals were cut to turn the course 
 of the waters into the Tigris, and vast embankments 
 were raised on each side of the river. To the west of 
 the city an immense lake, forty miles square was ex- 
 cavated to a depth of thirty-five feet, and into this 
 lake the river was turned, until the work was com- 
 pleted. It was into this lake that Cyrus turned the 
 Euphrates when he captured the city. The inhabitants 
 were at the same time engaged in carousals, it being 
 a great festive occasion. Xenophan states the citizens 
 in the opposite quarter of the city did not learn what 
 had happened until three hours after sunrise, the city 
 having been taken at night. Babylon, in the height of 
 her glory, was enriched by the treasuries and valuable 
 acquisitions, rare works of art, and novelties that her 
 kings and conquerors had brought from the various 
 countries and people they had subjugated. 
 
 Its greatest boast were the hanging gardens which 
 acquired from the Grecian writers the appellation of 
 "one of the wonders of the world." It is said that 
 Nebuchadnezzar constructed them in compliance with 
 the wish of his queen to possess elevated groves such 
 as she had enjoyed in the hills of her native country. 
 
204 SOUL SAVING 
 
 Babylon was level, and to accomplish so extravagant 
 a desire an artificial mountain was raised four hundred 
 feet on each side, with terraces one above the other 
 to a height that overtopped the walls of the city in 
 elevation. The ascent from terrace to terrace was 
 made by flights of steps. On the walls were spread 
 beds of matting, then a thick layer of bitumen, after 
 which came two courses of brick which were covered 
 with sheets of lead. The earth was heaped on this 
 platform, and in order to admit the roots of large 
 trees hollow piers were built and filled with mould. 
 Water was drawn up from the river Euphrates by 
 means of machinery for the purpose of irrigation. It 
 is said that it had the appearance of a forest over- 
 hanging mountains. When all was completed, Babylon 
 doubtless was the greatest city, at the time, in all 
 the world. So great, that after its capture by Alex- 
 ander and final downfall, four great capitals were 
 built out of its remains, — one by the Greeks, one by 
 the Persians, one by the Parthians, and one by the 
 Caliphs, besides towns and villages without number, 
 the materials being transported along the rivers and 
 canals. 
 
 Babylon, as the center of her kingdom, was the seat 
 of boundless luxury- The people were addicted to 
 self-indulgence and effeminacy. Ctesias asserts "Noth- 
 ing could be more corrupt than the morals of Babylon, 
 nothing more fitted to excite and allure to immoderate 
 pleasures. Money dissolved every tie. The Babyloni- 
 ans were greatly given to wine and inebriety. Women 
 
DANIEL BEFORE BELSHAZZAR 205 
 
 engaged in the feasts, at first with some degree of 
 propriety, but grew worse and worse by degrees. 
 They ended by throwing off their modesty and their 
 clothing." 
 
 At the time of Belshazzar, the Jews were inhabi- 
 tants within the walls of Babylon. The overthrow of 
 the great city had been predicted two hundred years 
 before, and now the last grain of sand is falling in 
 the hour-glass of Belshazzar: his cup of iniquity is 
 full to overflowing; his career of impiety is hastening 
 to an end; the fatal arrow is aimed, and t{ie sword is 
 suspended. 
 
 Belshazzar was the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, 
 and son of King Nabonedus, and associated with him 
 in the reign. He was the last of the Chaldean kings. 
 Nabonedus was directing the troops in the field and 
 was defeated, while Belshazzar ruled in Babylon till 
 it was taken by the Medes and Persians. The only 
 circumstances recorded of him in the Scriptures are 
 his impious feast and violent death. During his reign 
 he lived in such awful impiety and heaped so many 
 insults and indignities upon the Jews that he brought 
 against himself the judgment of heaven. 
 
 The night in which he was slain was a night of 
 awful dissipation. He assembled a company of 
 princes, noblemen and concubines. He devoted the 
 evening to banqueting and intemperance. The spark- 
 ling wine was passed freely around amid the 
 sounds of revelry and maddening mirth. Drunken- 
 ness and profligacy were the order of the night. Wis- 
 
206 SOUL SAVING 
 
 dom, dignity and good sense, reason and decorum all 
 drowned in the depths of the wine cup- The king 
 led the way to extravagance, folly and intemperance. 
 He who should have been a guide to virtue used his 
 influence to pervert it. He alone is mentioned as 
 the leader of these bacchanalian revelries. Many, like 
 Belshazzar, have been destroyed by the practice of 
 sensual pleasure. For dissipation, many of the ablest 
 and most talented men have given their lives; thou- 
 sands of parents have gone down to premature graves 
 through trouble over the dissipation of their children. 
 Health has been broken, homes destroyed, children 
 made orphans ; fathers, fiends ; and wives, widows ; 
 because of sinful pleasures. Eternity alone will dis- 
 close the multitudes destroyed by dissipation of the 
 Belshazzar sort. 
 
 It was a night of great profanity. Throughout 
 Nebuchadnezzar's reign the gold and silver vessels 
 of the temple had been carefully preserved, and the 
 captive Jews had cherishd the hope that these precious 
 vessels would again adorn the temple at Jerusalem. 
 Belshazzar had reigned for probably eighteen years 
 and had not, as yet, ventured to profane these sacred 
 vessels, but he is madly inflamed with wine; his 
 purity is lost in the carousing bowl; he forgets the 
 sacredness with which his grandfather withheld these 
 vessels, and being prepared by an inflamed mind, he 
 orders them brought forth and he and his lords and 
 concubines drink wine out of them. Is it not true 
 that infidelity and contempt for everything sacred is 
 
DANIEL BEFORE BELSHAZZAR 207 
 
 generally produced under similar circumstances ? 
 Skepticism is more frequently the result of sinful 
 pleasure than deliberate reflection. The fool has said 
 in his heart, not in his reason, "there is no God." 
 
 It was a night of gross negligence. The enemy was 
 at the gates, yet the king was reveling in effeminate 
 orgies. They knew the enemy, with a powerful army, 
 was without, and yet they relied on the security of 
 the city and gave themselves no concern about its 
 protection. It was a time for serious reflection, but 
 reason was dethroned. It was a time for vigilance, 
 but they were possessed of a besotted stupor. What 
 a scene ! A city engulfed in dissipation and a powerful 
 army undermining the walls ! Indifference and reck- 
 lessness are natural consequences of dissipation. They 
 deaden the moral feeling, brutalize the passions and 
 sear the conscience. Friends may admonish those 
 who are living in the whirlpool of dissipation, but 
 they hear not ; ministers may preach to them, but they 
 hear not; Providence may present her appalling spec- 
 tacles, but they heed not; health may be undermined, 
 character waning, and business disappear, still they 
 pursue in their course of sin and death. 
 
 It was a night of supernatural visitation. God 
 might have sent an earthquake to have shaken the 
 palace and buried the revelers in the dust. He might 
 have sent fire streaming out from the golden vessels 
 to consume king and guests. He might have sent a 
 thunder-bolt from heaven as a minister of his justice. 
 He might have sent a hurricane to have swept over the 
 
208 SOUL SAVING 
 
 city and blown the buildings upon the people. The 
 kings of Babylon were famous for writing irresistible 
 and irreversible decrees, but a mightier King than any 
 earthly potentate is about to write a decree in the 
 sight of all. Behold the banqueting hall! See the 
 king elevated in the midst of his guests ! Around are 
 the lords and concubines, with their golden vessels and 
 goblets. The music increases, the excitement and 
 fresh draughts of wine add to the merriment. But 
 behold! in the midst of it all, a hand is seen writing 
 on the wall. It writes publicly in the presence of 
 king and courtiers. It writes silently, which makes 
 it more impressive to all present. It writes decisively, 
 words to remain at which the eyes may look, and be- 
 come more impressive than the words spoken. It 
 writes mysterious characters. This language of heaven 
 is unknown to these Godless men. 
 
 It was a night of awful consternation. The writing 
 drove terror to the heart of the king and his courtiers. 
 The wickedness of the king is as great as that of his 
 slaves- The terror of the king was augmented by his 
 guilt. It was deepened by the unfamiliarity with 
 the characters. The king becomes greatly troubled, 
 his countenance changes, his eyes indicate alarm, his 
 knees smite each other, his frame trembles, his color 
 comes and goes; the mirth of the assembly is inter- 
 rupted. Fear comes upon them as the glow of the in- 
 scription upon the wall engrosses the glitter of the ban- 
 queting hall. The ominous hand retires, but the in- 
 scription remains, and the consternation increases. 
 
DANIEL BEFORE BELSHAZZAR 209 
 
 It was a night of dreaded interpretation. The as- 
 trologers and sooth-sayers are summoned at once. 
 These are the royal interpreters in matters of religion. 
 These professed to know the secrets of the gods. They 
 were kept at the king's expense, and should render 
 proper service in return. Great rewards are offered 
 to the man who will interpret the strange writing, 
 but they are unable to make known the meaning of 
 the characters. The staff upon which Belshazzar is 
 leaning is a rotten staff; the cable to which he was 
 attaching his frail barque possessed a faulty link. 
 Every attempt to stimulate these men and make known 
 the meaning is vain. The oracles are dumb. False 
 religions may serve for a false life, but when the 
 realities of death and eternity are dawning, then 
 there is no refuge nor retreat for the false faith. At 
 length, the queen, the mother of Belshazzar, is called 
 in. Be it said to her honor, that she was not present 
 with this infamous assembly. She recommends 
 Daniel Daniel, whose name means, "God with 
 thee;" Daniel, who had proposed in his heart not to 
 defile himself with the king's meat and wine; Daniel, 
 the servant of God; Daniel, who was closely con- 
 nected with the history of Nebuchadnezzar ; Daniel, the 
 wise man ; Daniel, the good man ; Daniel, the temper- 
 ate man ; Daniel, who had defied the laws of the Medes 
 and Persians, and for which he had been cast into the 
 lion's den, but trusting in God was saved from being 
 the prey of the beasts ; Daniel, who had been neglected 
 by the dissolute king, is sent for in all haste. 
 
210 SOUL SAVING 
 
 In early life Daniel was carried away captive in 
 company with other Hebrew children. He was prob- 
 ably born in Jerusalem, and undoubtedly possessed 
 many natural endowments. He early distinguished 
 himself for piety, wisdom and strict observance of 
 the Mosaic law. When opportunities presented them- 
 selves in the eastern court he always displayed acute- 
 ness of mind and religious convictions. At the close 
 of the third's year's captivity and discipline, he had 
 an opportunity to exercise his gift of interpreting 
 dreams. It was after the utter failure of the Magi 
 of Nebuchadnezzar's court to make known the king's 
 dream to him. In consequence of his success, like 
 Joseph of old, he was elevated to a responsible posi- 
 tion — the governorship of the province of Babylon 
 and president of the Babylonian wise men. Later 
 on he interpreted another dream for Nebuchadnezzar 
 to the effect that Nebuchadnezzar was to lose his 
 throne for a while, and then it was to be restored to 
 him after his humility had been effected. After the 
 reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel seems to have lost 
 his princely position for a time. He occupied a sub- 
 ordinate place under the reign of Belshazzar. He had 
 two remarkable visions, which disclosed to him the 
 fact of two of the most powerful empires of the 
 world, and their relations to the kingdom of God. 
 He afterward interpreted the hand-writing on'the wall, 
 which foretold the destruction of Belshazzar. When 
 Babylon was taken by the Medes and Persians, he 
 was made the first of the three presidents of the em- 
 
DANIEL BEFORE BELSHAZZAR 211 
 
 pire. We now find him in deep humility and pros- 
 tration of spirit, praying to God for the forgiveness 
 of the people's sins and asking for divine mercy. 
 
 Being so greatly blessed by Jehovah and occupying 
 such a high post of honor in the state, the enmity and 
 jealousy of his colleagues were aroused, and they at 
 last succeeded in prevailing on the weak monarch to 
 issue the decree which they well knew would be at 
 variance with Daniel's creed and the violation of 
 which resulted in the casting of Daniel into the lion's 
 den. He was miraculously delivered from the den 
 of lions, and again raised to the highest post of honor. 
 At the ascension of Cyrus, he continued to retain his 
 post of honor- He thus occupied a high official posi- 
 tion in the state during the reign of three kingdoms 
 — the Chaldean, Median and Persian. He did not ac- 
 company the Jews back to Jerusalem, but died in exile 
 when past ninety years of age. 
 
 This servant is introduced, and at once, the king 
 offers him great rewards to make known the inter- 
 pretation of the characters on the wall. Daniel re- 
 plies, "Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy re- 
 wards to another ; yet I will read the writing unto the 
 king, and make known to him the interpretation. O 
 thou king, the most high God, gave Nebuchadnezzar, 
 thy father, a kingdom, and majesty and glory, and 
 honor: and for the majesty that he gave him, all 
 people, nations and languages trembled and feared 
 before him: whom he would he slew, and whom he 
 would he kept alive, and whom he would he set up 
 
212 SOUL SAVING 
 
 and whom he would he put down. But when his 
 heart was lifted up and his mind hardened in pride, 
 he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took 
 his glory from him : and he was driven from the sons 
 of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and 
 his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him 
 with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the 
 dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God 
 ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth 
 over it whomsoever he will. And thou, his son, O 
 Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou 
 knowest all this; but hast lifted up thyself against 
 the Lord of Heaven; and they have brought the ves- 
 sels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, 
 thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in 
 them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver and 
 gold, of brass, iron, wood and stone, which see not, nor 
 hear, nor know; and the God in whose hand thy 
 breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not 
 glorified. Then was the part of the hand sent from 
 him; and this writing was written. And this is the 
 writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, 
 UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of the 
 thing: MENE — God hath numbered thy kingdom, 
 and finished it. TEKEL — thou art weighed in the 
 balances, and art found wanting. PERES — thy king- 
 dom is divided, and given to the Medes and Per- 
 sians." Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed 
 Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his 
 neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that 
 
DANIEL BEFORE BELSHAZZAR 213 
 
 he should be the third ruler in the kingdom- In that 
 night was Belshazzar, the king of the Chaldeans, slain 
 and Darius, the Median, took the kingdom, being 
 about three-score and two years old. 
 
 It was a night of terrible retribution. The enemy 
 had drawn the bed of the river. The keepers of the 
 gates, in their revelings, had left them open, and the 
 army passed into the city. Herodotus tells us that 
 Cyrus took the city by drawing off the waters of the 
 Euphrates into the great lake and then marching with 
 his whole army along the bed of the river into the 
 city during the Babylonian festival. The people feel- 
 ing perfectly secure, were scattered over the whole 
 city in reckless amusement. The palace was besieged, 
 the banquet of wine was exchanged for the flowing 
 of human gore, the laughter for cries, the sign of mer- 
 riment for a sign of danger, and Belshazzar was slain. 
 Ah, such is the typical end of the sinner — of those 
 who revel and profane. "The wages of sin is death, 
 and the wicked shall be turned into hell." It was not 
 merely a loss of a crown, but it was a complete and 
 irreparable loss. His sovereign power, his health, his 
 life, his hope, his crown were all destroyed at a single 
 blow. The calamity was greater in extent than anyone 
 can estimate. He had a splendid opportunity, but he 
 wasted it ; he might have gained heaven, but he failed. 
 "He that is filthy, let him be filthy still." "Mene, 
 Tekel, Upharsin." The words written were, "Num- 
 bered! Numbered!" A man's days are numbered 
 when his death draws nigh- This significant word 
 
214 SOUL SAVING 
 
 here implies either that the days of Belshazzar, or his 
 kingdom, are numbered. Daniel applies it to the king- 
 dom. Babylon has run its race and the end is at 
 hand. The Persians thundering around the walls 
 would bring it to a close. The second word, "Tekel," 
 means weighed, and is applied to the king. Roberts 
 remarks that this striking form of speech is much 
 used in the East at this day. Thus, should two men 
 be disputing respecting the moral character of a third 
 person, one will say, "I know the fellow well; I 
 have weighed him, and he is found wanting." "He 
 found wanting! You are much lighter than he." 
 "What, miscreant! Do you wish to weigh against 
 me?" "Thou art but one part in a thousand." "Be- 
 gone, fellow, or I will soon weigh thee." "Yes, yes, 
 there is no doubt about it; you have weighed me; I 
 am much lighter than you." "What kind of times are 
 these ? The slaves are weighing their masters." "Yes, 
 the low castes have become very clever; they are 
 weighing thir supriors." What, woman ! Do you call 
 in question the authority of your husband? Are you 
 qualified to weigh him?" "The judge has been weigh- 
 ing the prisoners, and they are all wanting." God has 
 the right to weigh men. He is our Creator, Preserver 
 and Redeemer. We owe him our obedience and our 
 service. God has the means to weigh people: his 
 balances are perfect and his laws are just He has 
 the ability to weigh people: power, wisdom, knowl- 
 edge, goodness and holiness belong to him. Belshaz- 
 zar was weighed in the balances and it was found that 
 
DANIEL BEFORE BELSHAZZAR 215 
 
 he had sacrificed his own dignity, plunged into drunk- 
 enness, jested with sacred things, violated the de- 
 cencies of domestic life, lifted himself up against God, 
 and therefore he was found wanting. In one side of 
 the balance were placed his responsibilities and his 
 opportunities; in the other his conduct and character; 
 he was wanting ! Light, frivolous, contemptible, rather 
 than a noble ruler. 
 
 We should weigh ourselves, not in the scale of 
 comparative excellence, which is one of the most com- 
 mon scales of man and one on which many rely; we 
 should not follow the example of the Pharisees, who 
 thanked God that they were not like other men. Paul 
 declares that men who measure themselves by them- 
 selves and compare themselves to themselves are not 
 wise. We should not weigh ourselves in the scale 
 of selfish opinion. The heart of man is deceitful 
 above all things. Peter failed when he trusted in his 
 own heart. Neither should we weigh ourselves in the 
 estimation of our fellowmen; they may err in their 
 judgment; our enemies will underestimate and our 
 friends will overestimate us. We may be treated as 
 Job was by his comforter ; or Joseph, by his brethren ; 
 or the disciples, by Judas ; or as the apostles, by Simon, 
 the sorcerer; or Paul, by Alexander. We should 
 weigh ourselves in the scale of revelation and the 
 law and the testimony. "Let me be weighed in an 
 even balance, that God may know my integrity." The 
 king had been weighed. This is God's correct weight 
 and just balance. There is One that will judge even 
 
216 SOUL SAVING 
 
 the word I have spoken to you. His word will make 
 all manifest. Herein we should weigh our hearts and 
 see if they have been changed, if they have been con- 
 verted by the cross of Christ and won by the love of 
 Heaven. We should weigh our spiritual characters 
 and see whether we are under guilt or enjoying the 
 blessing of pardon. We should weigh our principles 
 by these divine scales of justice, and see whether 
 they are principles of love — love to God and love 
 to man, love for the truth and love for right- 
 and love to man, love for the truth and love for right- 
 eousness. We should weigh our graces that we may 
 understand whether we have unbounded faith in God 
 and joyous hope in Christ; whether we are exercis- 
 ing ourselves unto patience, humility, and Godliness. 
 We should weigh our usefulness that we may be able 
 to discern whether our talents are consecrated to God, 
 or whether our meat and drink is to do the will of our 
 Father which is in heaven." All are weighed in bal- 
 ances : kingdoms, institutions, systems and men. 
 Whatever is found wanting, does not bless the race but 
 degrades it, and will be destroyed. Thus religions, 
 philosophies and kingdoms have their day, are num- 
 bered, and pass away because they do not lift men 
 higher and make them better. Whatsoever tree 
 bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast 
 into the fire. There are balances for every man — for 
 you. In the one scale is what God demands of you 
 to be ; in the other, what you are. Is there a balance, 
 or does your end of the beam fly upward? If so, you 
 
DANIEL BEFORE BELSHAZZAR 217 
 
 have no part in the kingdom. Weigh yourself in the 
 scale of God's word, and "add" the Christian graces, 
 until there is an equipoise. 
 
 We must weigh ourselves in the Gospel balances: 
 our faith in Christ, our repentance, our love to God, 
 our obedience, our holiness of life, and if we find we 
 are wanting we must place Christ in the other side of 
 the balances, with his power of forgiveness, power 
 of protection, and power of blessing; then we shall 
 not be found wanting. We must weigh ourselves in 
 the judgment balances. In that day when all men 
 are raised from the dead, when the heavens shall pass 
 away with a great noise and the earth shall be burned 
 with a fervent heat, and the Judge shall be seated on 
 his throne, when angelic hosts shall surround him, 
 when the books are opened, when we are called to 
 render an account for the deeds done in our bodies, 
 shall we be found wanting? If so, there will be no 
 weight and no salvation to tip the scales in our favor. 
 Today we must weigh ourselves in the scale of divine 
 justice, with Christ by our side, that we shall not be 
 wanting on the day of judgment, and then we shall 
 not be wanting in time nor eternity; on the day of 
 death nor the day of judgment. 
 
 These things being true, I appeal to all of you to 
 avoid the errors of Belshazzar and to imitate the ex- 
 ample of Daniel. Will you not worship God in whose 
 hands is your breath? the God in whose hands are 
 all thy ways; the God who hath given to you life 
 and health and all things ? I appeal to you, do not lift 
 
218 SOUL SAVING 
 
 up your hearts against him, as did Belshazzar, but 
 humble yourselves before him and glorify him, as did 
 Daniel. If there be any here who have not glorified 
 God, but have been spending their lives in practical 
 infidelity, wicked idolatry, awful recklessness, mani- 
 fest profanity, terrible dissipation, will you not turn 
 from such a wicked course to the God of Daniel for 
 the forgiveness of your sins and the hope of eternal 
 life? 
 
THE CHOICE OF MOSES 
 
 "By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be 
 called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing 
 rather to share ill treatment with the people of God, 
 than to enjoy the plaesures of sin for a season; ac- 
 counting the reproach of Christ greater riches than 
 the treasures of Egypt for he looked unto the 
 recompense of reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, 
 not fearing the wrath of the king for he endured, 
 as seeing him who is invisible." — Hebrews 1 1 :24-27. 
 
 Greece had her Miltiades, Rome had her Caesar, 
 Carthage had her Hannibal, Russia had her Peter the 
 Great, Italy had her Garibaldi, Holland had her 
 William the Silent, France had her Napoleon, England 
 had her Wellington, the United States had her Wash- 
 ington. The ancient Israelites had their heroes: 
 Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, and 
 Caleb. The eleventh chapter of Hebrews contains an 
 honor roll of Bible heroes. Nations have books in 
 which they keep the names of their peers and their 
 pedigrees; this chapter of Hebrews is a peerage book 
 of stars that shine in Glory. 
 
 Moses was one of the greatest of heroes. Others 
 were greater in certain respects. David could sing 
 more sweetly ; Isaiah had a more prophetic vision ; 
 
220 SOUL SAVING 
 
 Ezekial had a more majestic imagery; Solomon had 
 greater knowledge; Peter had more zeal; John had 
 more love; but Moses towered, like the paintings of 
 Raphael or the architecture of Angelo, great in every 
 respect. He stands foremost amongst the heroes of 
 antiquity. No statesman ever moulded such crude 
 materials into so perfect a commonwealth ; no military 
 leader ever conducted such a host through such a wil- 
 derness. His superlative greatness was not so much 
 in his genius as in his character. He was not only 
 great by virtue of what he did, but by virtue of what 
 he was. Moses was well-born and well-educated. His 
 companions were great; his surroundings were great; 
 his opportunities were great ; his prospects great. But 
 he was greatest of all in character, manhood, choice, 
 and service of God. The one act that gives us the 
 best conception of his character is his decision: he 
 refused to be called the Son of Pharaoh's daughter, 
 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of 
 God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 
 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than 
 the treasures of Egypt. This was a wonderful de- 
 cision. It showed forth his real greatness; it shaped 
 his career; it determined his destiny. Let us study 
 the import of this decision and examine into what he 
 declined in refusing to be called the son of Pharaoh's 
 daughter. 
 
 He refused a crown. He was born an Israelite, and 
 at a time, when, on account of the rapid increase of 
 the Israelites, Pharaoh issued an edict commanding 
 
THE CHOICE OF MOSES 221 
 
 all the male children of Israel under two years of age 
 to be slain. This led the parents of Moses to hide 
 him away in the bullrushes. He was a fair child — ex- 
 ceedingly fair. Fair to the mother and fair to God. 
 The beauty of the Lord sat upon him as a presage 
 that he was born to great things. Sometimes, though 
 not always, the countenance is an index of the mind. 
 Pharaoh's daughter cariie down, after the custom of 
 her country, to bathe in the river or to loiter by its 
 side. She saw the basket of flags being borne down 
 the stream and dispatched her servants after it. When 
 it was opened the cry of the child moved the princess 
 to compassion and she determined to adopt it and rear 
 it as her own. The child refused the care of the 
 Egyptian nurses, and by some wise providence, the 
 sister of Moses was at hand to run and bring a He- 
 brew nurse, and naturally, brought the mother of the 
 child. Josephus tells us that the child was so beau- 
 tiful that passersby stood fixed to look upon it, and 
 laborers left their work to steal a glance at it. 
 Josephus, and other historians, tell us that this Egypt- 
 ian princess was childless, and therefore she had great 
 delight in adopting a child of such marvelous beauty. 
 Many striking coincidences, with monumental records, 
 identify this princess as the only daughter of Sesostris 
 Rameses, the famous architectural monarch. From 
 this time forth, for forty years, Moses must be con- 
 sidered as an Egyptian. The Scriptures tell us that 
 he was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and 
 was mighty in words and deeds. Strabo, Philo and 
 
222 SOUL SAVING 
 
 Josephus inform us that he was highly educated at 
 Heliopolis — taught the whole range of Greek, Chaldee, 
 and Assyrian literature; that he was learned in math- 
 ematics and astronomy; that he was an inventor of 
 boats, engines for building, instruments of war, 
 hydraulics, hieroglyphics and divisions of lands; that 
 he was a great student and finally became a teacher; 
 that he taught Orpheus; that he taught grammar to 
 the Jews; and being taught the art of war he was 
 given the command of an expedition against the 
 Ethiopians whom he subjugated. He advanced to the 
 capital of Ethiopia, changed the name of the city, and 
 gave it the name of his foster-mother. He also found- 
 ed the city of Hermopolis to commemorate his victory. 
 He was so great in knowledge and in deeds that 
 powerful rivals rose up against him. Perhaps some 
 of these learned men became envious and jealous of 
 the caresses he received from the princess, the favors 
 of the populace, and the advancements of Pharaoh, 
 and therefore, they probably accused him before the 
 monarch. I wonder if the proud and dusky sovereign 
 had not reasons to become suspicious of Moses? 
 Probably he thought, "I fear we are putting power 
 and authority into the hands of this young Hebrew 
 that may lead to our destruction. The blood of Levi 
 flows in his veins. His mother may have his ear and 
 heart, and she would die sooner than surrender her 
 faith. He is proud of his people. He worships none 
 of our Gods, but bows down to the God of Abraham, 
 Isaac and Jacob. He is educated in all our arts and 
 
THE CHOICE OF MOSES 223 
 
 wisdom and has the love of both the Egyptians and 
 Hebrews, and can it be, we are preparing this giant 
 to accomplish our overthrow and lead his people to 
 traditional victory? He is the only heir and entitled 
 to the crown, but will he be true to the Egyptians, or 
 will he throw off all allegiance and identity himself 
 with the accursed race of his mother, and seek to 
 possess the land for them?" 
 
 A crown was within the reach of Moses. He was 
 heir to it. He was entitled to the crown of the most 
 powerful country on the face of the earth, for at that 
 time many nations were paying tribute to Egypt. The 
 conquering arms of the Pharaohs had extended far 
 into Africa and Asia. Their fleets, manned by Phoe- 
 nician sailors, gave them the supremacy of the Medi- 
 terranean. The Egyptians had many servants. They 
 were warriors, builders and agriculturists. To be heir 
 to such a throne was to receive, from an earthly stand- 
 point, the highest position that could be occupied by 
 man. Moses must settle the question of his allegiance. 
 He must take a stand. He must identify himself with 
 the Egyptians or the Israelites. Compromise or rec- 
 onciliation was impossible. Moses was subject to like 
 temptations with the rest of us, and was by education, 
 association, and inheritance, prepared to rule over 
 Egypt. He, doubtless, was possessed of an ambition 
 that is common to man. The diadem was within his 
 reach. I imagine him climbing to the summit of one 
 of the great pyramids, that overlooked one of the 
 most fertile valleys in all the world. In every direc- 
 
224 SOUL SAVING 
 
 tion he sees monuments of wealth and power. He be- 
 holds a valley teeming with prosperity — a fertile soil 
 under a high state of cultivation, yielding immense 
 crops of grain and bearing aloft trees heavily laden 
 with precious fruits, and many villages inhabited by 
 the subjects of the great dynasty. In the distance he 
 beholds Helioplis, with her great library and schools, 
 and in whose halls and corridors are students and 
 scholars from all the nations of the world, seeking the 
 lore of Egypt. He beholds, to the south, sphinx after 
 sphinx, pyramid after pyramid, city after city, and 
 temple after temple, all rising majestically before 
 him. The river Nile, fringed with worshipers, flows 
 like a golden ribbon to the sea. He sees the priests 
 hastening to the shrines for their evening devotions. 
 He beholds the thousands of dusky Israelites toiling 
 away, some quarrying in the limestone rock, some tug- 
 ging at ropes and rollers, some making brick, some 
 gathering straw and making mortar, some plying the 
 boats upon the river, some straining every nerve and 
 muscle under the cruel rod of the fierce overseer, some 
 lifting gigantic stones to be set in their places. He 
 also beholds the titled aristocrats of Egypt, reposing 
 peacefully in their elegant apartments, or walking 
 leisurely through their beautiful gardens, or driving 
 about in costly chariots. He looks out upon the 
 standing army that numbered over four hundred 
 thousand men. He beholds the archers, spearmen, 
 swordsmen, clubmen and slingers. He sees the numer- 
 ous chariots of war, richly ornamented and inlaid with 
 
THE CHOICE OF MOSES 225 
 
 gold. He sees the mighty army marching to and fro, 
 giving their evening drill and exercise, and their bril- 
 liant weapons and gay uniforms reflect back the rays 
 of the evening sun. 
 
 What a kingdom! The first nation on earth — the 
 cradle of Science. Monuments of art, sculpture, paint- 
 ing and statuary. With an army to protect and de- 
 fend, or to carry on invasions and make successful 
 sieges. With a country rich in grain and fruit, rich 
 in inhabitants and history, all at the command of 
 Moses if he chooses to accept of the crown. Moses 
 is on the Mount of Temptation. Satan says, "Look 
 to every point of the compass. Behold the splendor 
 of the greatest empire on earth! Behold a mighty 
 army whose swords will be drawn at thy command! 
 Behold a crown set with rubies and pearl! All this 
 shall be thine if thou wilt fall down and worship me." 
 It is a crisis in the life of Moses. He can accept or 
 reject that for which nations have been plunged into 
 war, millions have been slain, and mints of money been 
 expended. To obtain crowns, what dark, fiendish, and 
 bloody deeds have been executed! To obtain crowns, 
 what inglorious ambition, and what deep scheming! 
 To obtain crowns, innocent children have been mur- 
 dered, brothers have been assassinated and helpless 
 women slain! Through fear of losing a crown, Saul 
 sought the life of David, hounding him from place 
 to place, determining to kill him. In the hope of ob- 
 taining a crown, Absolom rebelled against his father 
 David, and finally met with his own death. After 
 
226 SOUL SAVING 
 
 the death of Alexander, the Great, his generals 
 became ambitious for crowns and for more than 
 a score of years they fought, grasped and wrangled 
 like tigers. For a crown, Lucius and his wife Tullia, 
 murdered Severus, the father of Tullia, and the Em- 
 peror of Rome; as Tullia was returning from the 
 Senate, to which she had hastened to compliment her 
 husband on being king, her driver came to the pros- 
 trate body of her father, and being about to turn aside 
 she fiercely commanded him to "go forward/' and 
 the blood of her father, the old Emperor, spattered 
 her dress as the chariot rolled over the lifeless re- 
 mains. Of the sixty-two Emperors, from Caesar to 
 Constantine, forty-two were murdered as the result 
 of enmity, jealousy, hatred and strife; and from Con- 
 stantine of Rome, to Richard the Third of England, 
 who usurped the throne and murdered the legal heirs 
 to it, there have been, in all countries, awful scenes 
 of jealousy, murder, rapine and war for crowns, as 
 if the highest ambition of man was to wear a crown; 
 but Moses refused that for which others fought and 
 fell. He was equal to the occasion. He resisted the 
 temptation. He refused to be called the son of 
 Pharaoh's daughter. In this refusal he declined the 
 crown; he owed his life to this princess, his foster- 
 mother: Doubtless he loved her, and to refuse such 
 kindness from her would appear not only ingratitude 
 to her, but a neglect of Providence that would seem 
 to promote his advancement and that of his brethren. 
 How glorious the triumph of his faith in this trial! 
 
THE CHOICE OF MOSES 227 
 
 He refused, lest he should undervalue the true honor 
 of being the son of Abraham. He refused, lest it 
 should appear that he was severing his relations to 
 Israel. 
 
 In this refusal he declined the wealth of the world. 
 It is a great shrine and many bow before it. Rail- 
 roads are built and steamships constructed in pursuit 
 of wealth; mills and factories are started for wealth; 
 offices and stores are opened for wealth. This golden 
 shrine has more devotees than Christ. Many who have 
 professed to love Christ, love Mammon more than 
 they love him. For wealth, Lot chose the beautiful 
 plains of Sodom ; for wealth, Ahab murdered Naboth ; 
 for wealth, Achan took and hid a Babylonish garment, 
 two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold; 
 for wealth, Elijah's servant lied to the Syrian ruler; 
 for wealth, Judas sold his Master; for wealth, the 
 rich young man disobeyed Christ and went away sor- 
 rowful; for wealth, Ananians and Sapphira lied to the 
 Holy Spirit. But Moses rises above the seductions 
 of wealth. His soul was greater than all the treasures 
 of Egypt. He put the treasures of Egypt in one side 
 of the scale, and the reproaches of his religion in the 
 other, and the latter, though the worst of religions 
 from an earthly point of view, outweighed the former. 
 He believed that without God's favor the millionaire 
 was a pauper. He believed that the righteous were 
 the only rich men on earth. He rose like a Giant 
 and overcame the Dragon of Avarice. He refused 
 the wealth of the world for the poverty of his brethren. 
 
228 SOUL SAVING 
 
 Like Christ, he who was rich became poor, that 
 through his poverty his people might be made rich. 
 What a decision was this! Who is there amongst 
 us able to imitate the example of Moses? 
 
 He refused worldly honor. For honor, Alexander 
 conquered the world and then wept because there were 
 no more worlds to conquer. For honor, Nebuchadnez- 
 zar issued a decree that no other God should be wor- 
 shiped, save himself. For honor, Herod built Caesarea- 
 Palistina, and adorned it with gorgeous temples and 
 theatres of polished stone, that could be seen a long 
 distance at sea. For honor, the Emperors of Rome 
 built temples, palaces and arches and had their sea- 
 sons of triumph. For honor, the Pharaohs built the 
 imperishable pyramids and sphinx. For honor, Nero 
 divorced his wife and accepted the hand of a woman 
 of abandoned morals, and in commemoration of the 
 occasion accepted a panegyric in his praise from his 
 infamous and servile senate. For honor, Cromwell 
 forced the proudest monarchs of Europe to address 
 him as "Our dear Brother" and to accord him all the 
 titles claimed by crowned heads. For honor, generals 
 and kings have forced subjects to address, and bow 
 to them, as Gods. In the strife for place and power, 
 the earth has been soaked with blood ; for this infatua- 
 tion, wrongs and cruelties have been perpetuated that 
 make the blood curdle. Even where the attainment 
 of honor is legitimate there are evil influences almost 
 impossible to withstand. Even in our own land the 
 strife for honor is so fascinating and deluding that 
 
THE CHOICE OF MOSES 229 
 
 not one in a hundred comes out of political strife as 
 clean as when he went in. To have the name in the 
 paper, to occupy a coveted position and to be a law- 
 maker are prospects which glitter and entice the un- 
 wary, and thousands in our own land have been ruined 
 by their seductiveness. Doubtless the prospect of pos- 
 sessing great honor in Egypt tempted Moses and cost 
 him a struggle to decide against it. His power of will 
 was greater than the seductive power of honor. The 
 honors of heaven outweighed the honors of earth. 
 
 Josephus tells us that when Moses was a child, Pha- 
 raoh playfully placed a crown upon his head, but he 
 immediately pulled it off and trampled it under his 
 feet. He declined the honors of men. He rose above 
 the vain flatteries and praises of courtiers. He pre- 
 ferred the approval of God. He preferred the praises 
 of angels. He preferred the favors of a king whose 
 favors are more to be desired than those of any earthly 
 potentate, and whose threatenings are more to be feared 
 than those of any conqueror. Noble decision! Go 
 tell it to those who pant for worldly aggrandizement 
 and gilded gewgaws. Go tell it to ambitious angels 
 who kept not their first estate, but who, through pride, 
 fell. Go tell it to the inhabitants of Tophet, who, for 
 a moment's applause, gave in exchange their immortal 
 souls. 
 
 He refused pleasure. In the day of Moses the 
 rulers and rich men of the world lived in great pomp 
 and luxury. The poor people might starve, but the 
 rich would squander a fortune at a single banquet. 
 
230 SOUL SAVING 
 
 Extravagance and ostentation reveled in the heart of 
 society. It is recorded that women of wealth would 
 cover their dresses with pearls and emeralds ; that both 
 men and women wore golden collars, bracelets, anklets 
 and finger rings set with priceless gems. They had 
 numerous servants ; butlers, barbers, tailors, gold- 
 smiths, chamberlains and chambermaids. Rulers lived 
 in magnificent mansions, surrounded by strong walls 
 and lofty towers. The grounds were entered by fold- 
 ing gates and the avenues were bordered by rows of 
 trees. The buildings were made airy by numerous 
 corridors, columns and open courts, shaded by beau- 
 tifully colored awnings. The extensive grounds in- 
 cluded flower gardens, vineyards, date orchards and 
 sycamore groves. There were stables and chariot 
 houses, summer houses and artificial ponds. Their 
 houses were elegantly furnished with couches, otto- 
 mans and foot-stools made of choice wood and either 
 richly inlaid with ivory, or covered with leopard skins. 
 The tables were of fanciful patterns ; the floor covered 
 with palm-leaf mattings ; around were many toilet con- 
 veniences — polished mirrors, fancy bottles with oint- 
 ments and perfumes, trinket boxes shaped like fish or 
 birds, and everywhere were flowers hanging in fes- 
 toons, clustering on stands, crowning wine bowls, 
 twining around pillars and flinging forth their perfume 
 and beauty. There were many sparkling fountains and 
 appetizing table delicacies and a retinue of servants. 
 And all this luxurious and pompous living Moses could 
 have for the taking. Others sought after these and 
 
THE CHOICE OF MOSES 231 
 
 reveled in them, but Moses refused all, preferring the 
 hardships and poverty of his own brethren. He pre- 
 ferred the pleasures of his religion to the pleasures of 
 Egypt. He looked forward to the pleasures at the 
 right hand of God. 
 
 His choice was a voluntary one. His decision was 
 not that of a child, but that of a man of maturity. It 
 was the result of serious deliberation. He was forty 
 years old. He had come to years of judgment and 
 discretion. He made his choice upon the convictions 
 of his judgment and the decisions of his heart. It was 
 his choice. No apparition had appeared to him; no 
 angel had spoken to him about it; nothing said about 
 God commanding him. He had no special revelations, 
 no feeders to his faith, no favorable associations to 
 arouse enthusiasm. He did it of his own free will. 
 He obeyed the voice of his own better judgment and 
 nature. 
 
 Note what this choice embraced: he chose rather 
 to suffer affliction with God's people. Their lot was 
 one of suffering: suffering great hardships, toil, fa- 
 tigue, poverty, dangers, fightings. His choice embraced 
 a life of danger, a sphere of humiliation, a name of 
 ignominy. He shrank not from the painful duties of 
 his brethren. He asked not for exemption from their 
 troubles. He was willing to walk their thorny paths 
 and to suffer with them. What though they were 
 slaves? What though they were obliged to gather 
 straw and make brick ? What though they were hewers 
 of wood and drawers of water? What though they 
 
232 SOUL SAVING 
 
 would have to undergo great reproach ? What though 
 they would have to wander through the wilderness 
 for long weary years? He was willing to suffer and 
 be imperiled ; to spend and be spent for them. "Whith- 
 er thou goest I will go ; and where thou lodgest I will 
 lodge. Thy people shall be my people and thy God 
 my God. Where thou diest I will die, and there will 
 I be buried. The Lord do so to me and more also, if 
 aught but death part thee and me." I would rather 
 be the least of the Lord's children, than wear a royal 
 diadem and sit upon a throne. He had waited long 
 enough, and if God would forgive him for the years 
 he had spent in unconcern and seeming indifference he 
 would identify himself with his mother's people and 
 do something for them. He would suffer with them 
 in order that he might reign with them. He would 
 take his stand with them that he might at last take his 
 stand with Him that is mighty to save, that cometh 
 from Edom with dyed garments from Bozrah. 
 
 Why did he refuse ? He was a man of conscientious 
 convictions and he lived by his convictions; he had 
 the courage of his convictions. He had heartfelt prin- 
 ciples and the courage to stand by his principles. He 
 had a deep sense of what was his duty and he had the 
 courage to perform his duty. He knew what was right, 
 and he had the power to stand by the right. He sus- 
 pended judgment and decided for the greatest good of 
 man and glory of God. 
 
 He looked beyond immediate results. Men love im- 
 mediate results. In order that men may have imme- 
 
THE CHOICE OF MOSES 233 
 
 diate results from their labors they take a pittance to- 
 day instead of an abundance tomorrow. Many young 
 men and women will quit school and engage in business 
 for immediate results, rather than toil on and prepare 
 themselves for greater results in the future. Men pre- 
 fer an empty present to a full future, and tangible 
 results to that which seems far away, but Moses gave 
 up present comforts and princely honors for that which 
 was to come. He had respect unto the recompense of 
 the reward. Yes, the reward! He looked beyond the 
 crumbling dynasties of Egypt. He looked beyond the 
 crowns and glories of earthly kingdoms. He looked at 
 the end and not the beginning of life. He well knew 
 that the end would crown all. He looked beyond the 
 spring time to autumn. He looked over the sowing 
 season to the reaping season. He displayed sublime 
 wisdom in forecasting the results of his choice. If 
 you had asked Moses why he refused Egypt's crown 
 and diadem, he would probably have replied : "Because 
 I have respect unto the recompense of reward, and en- 
 dure as seeing him who is invisible. Heaven is the 
 reward, and faith and fidelity is the price I must pay 
 for it. Heaven is the great reward. It is the land- 
 mark toward which I direct my course. It is the load- 
 stone that drags my heart. It is the spur to quicken 
 me to duty. It is the argument that sways my decision. 
 It is the sword by which I shall conquer my enemies. 
 It is the attraction that is more charming than all earth- 
 ly grandeur. I am the servant of the Lord and must 
 endure as seeing him who is invisible. I want to be 
 
234 SOUL SAVING 
 
 on the safe side when life's flickering candle is extin- 
 guished. If life and destiny were questions of only 
 four score years then I would choose earth's wealth, 
 honors and pleasures, but life and destiny are ques- 
 tions of future rewards and endless existence, and 
 therefore I must decide for eternity rather than for 
 time. If I had only man to please, then I would ac- 
 cept the diadem, but I must decide as one who sees the 
 invisible. It would be pleasant to be numbered with 
 the Pharaohs, to ride in state, to sit on garnished 
 thrones, to walk in palaces, to w r ear crowns, to receive 
 the homage of the world, but what if I should lose my 
 soul! Ah, the price is too great! I love my foster- 
 mother, her home and her love, but my interest is a 
 deferred one. My God is on one side of the scales, 
 and my foster-mother's idols of Egypt on the other. 
 Immortal dominion in one, and the throne of Egypt 
 in the other. Pleasures evermore in one, and the pleas- 
 ures of sin for a season, in the other. Let the world 
 pile up its momentary grandeurs on one side. I pile up 
 the realities of eternity on the other, and weighed in 
 the balances all that is earthly appear as light as air." 
 All may not have the talents of Moses, but all may 
 imitate him in his choice. You may not have a crown 
 to resign, but you have a passion to conquer. You 
 may not reach the summit of his fame, but you may 
 determine your eternal destinies. You may be destitute 
 of his opportunities and rank, but you may adopt his 
 decision ; and in this he was most eminent and in imitat- 
 ing his example you will be most glorious. 
 
THE CHOICE OF MOSES 235 
 
 There are times in our lives when important de- 
 cisions must be made. Every man is called to choose 
 between honor and dishonor ; between labor and ease ; 
 between self-denial and luxury; between suffering 
 and pleasure; between the reproach of Christ and the 
 pleasures of sin; between walking in the spirit and 
 fulfilling the lusts of the flesh ; between eternal treas- 
 ures and ephemeral pleasures; between the delights 
 of heaven and the glittering seductions of the world; 
 between Canaan and Egypt; between God and Bael. 
 There are critical periods when the decision must be 
 made. Sometimes the decision is in the realm of 
 thought ; sometimes in the sphere of the affections ; 
 sometimes in the force of will, and sometimes in the 
 arena of citizenship. There should be no effort at 
 compromise between truth and falsehood. Every im- 
 agination of the mind, emotion of the heart, word of 
 the mouth, act of the hand, deed in the home, or 
 society, or church, is an absolute decision for or against 
 God. We may be compassed about by golden calves, 
 seducing Delilahs, tempting Jezebels and fair pros- 
 pects, and our spirits may cry out after these things 
 that decay and destroy, yet we must act the part of 
 Moses in our decisions. Let his motives influence us 
 in our choice. 
 
 Consider the example of Moses. He came out from 
 the courts of Pharaoh, and identified himself with the 
 people of God. Had he not done this where would 
 have been his splendid biography, his emulation in 
 the hearts of men, his world-wide love? Had he not 
 
236 SOUL SAVING 
 
 done this he would probably have been buried as a 
 pagan, without hope, in a strange land, and no angel 
 escort would have swept over the land of Moab in 
 quest of him, and there would have been no dispute 
 over his body. Standing by Moses in Egypt, his 
 choice may appear foolish, but standing by the glo- 
 rified Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration, his 
 choice was a wise one. Viewing him in the midst 
 of the charms and fascinations of the Egyptian court, 
 his choice was absurd, but viewing him today, en- 
 shrined in the hearts of men, his choice was honorable. 
 Read his epitaph today: "Moses chose to suffer af- 
 fliction with the people of God rather than to enjoy 
 the pleasures of sin for a season." Then "go and 
 do likewise." Choose, considering the outcome. 
 Choose, knowing that eternity is at stake. Choose, 
 knowing that Heaven is to be gained and perdition 
 to be escaped. Choose, knowing that a righteous 
 choice will identify you with God's redeemed on earth, 
 and his triumphant hosts in heaven. Choose, knowing 
 that the invisible God is looking upon you from every 
 cloud that sails, from every star that glitters, and from 
 every event in your life. Choose, knowing that it is 
 God's desire that you accept his Son as your Savior. 
 Live in fellowship with him, walk worthy of your 
 calling, serve him with your whole heart, and prepare 
 to stand before his judgment bar to answer for your 
 stewardship. 
 
NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL 
 
 "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel for it is the 
 power of God unto salvation/' — Romans 1 :16. 
 
 Surrounded as we are by the many blessings and 
 victories, friends and followers of the gospel, it re- 
 quires but little courage to declare that one is not 
 ashamed of it. But when Paul uttered these words 
 the gospel did not occupy the exalted position in the 
 world that it does today. Then Christianity was just 
 beginning ; today it can point to the triumphs of nine- 
 teen centuries. It has received the homage of the 
 noblest intellects and purest hearts. It has received 
 the reverence of the civilized world; but in the time 
 of Paul, it was in ill-repute and therefore required 
 courage to profess and preach this faith. 
 
 The humble origin of Christianity was not cal- 
 culated to favorably impress the great men of the 
 world. Its origin was in Palestine; its founder was a 
 Jew ; he was the offspring of lowly parents ; his death 
 was upon the cross. 
 
 The Romans looked upon the Jews with contempt 
 and the Christians were considered worthy more re- 
 proach than the Jews. The religion of Christ de- 
 manded faith in a crucified Savior; contrition and re- 
 pentance; a new heart, a humble spirit, and a life of 
 
238 SOUL SAVING 
 
 self-denial. It did not appear at first amongst the 
 philosophers, the poets, theologians, conquerors and 
 school men, neither did it provide gorgeous temples 
 and an imposing priesthood. It was a stumbling block 
 to the Jew and foolishness to the Greek. Paul was a 
 Hebrew held in high esteem and repute amongst his 
 learned country-men. He was a scholar versed in 
 Grecian literature and history. He was a Roman cit- 
 izen entitled to the immunities and privileges accom- 
 panying such citizenship: therefore, considering 
 Paul's scholarship and prospects, and the contempt 
 in which Christianity was held, one could hardly ex- 
 pect him to accept unlettered instructors and col- 
 leagues, and turn against Judaism to which he had 
 so faithfully adhered. Nevertheless, Paul did become 
 a Christian, and declared that he was not ashamed of 
 the gospel: not ashamed to profess it; not ashamed 
 to declare it in Jerusalem, the capital city of the 
 Jews; not ashamed to declare it in Athens, the city 
 of Plato and Socrates; not ashamed to declare it in 
 Ephesus, the city of Diana of the Ephesians ; not 
 ashamed to declare it in Corinth, the city of world- 
 ly pleasures; not ashamed to declare it in Rome, 
 the city of Cicero and Caesar. He was not 
 ashamed of Jesus, because Jesus was his Prophet, 
 Priest and King. He was not ashamed of the gospel 
 for it was the religion designed to transform and 
 purify the world. He made this assertion, knowing 
 that it would be read by the statesmen, philosophers, 
 poets, orators, theologians and historians of the world. 
 
NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL 239 
 
 The Gospel of Christ embraces the biography of 
 Christ, including the record of his birth in Bethlehem, 
 his residence in Nazareth, his baptism, temptations, 
 teachings, miracles, crucifixion, burial, resurrection 
 and ascension; but it is more: it is a Revelation of 
 God's goodness, power and love to man ; it is a record 
 of the best system of morals and grandest code of 
 ethics in the world ; it is declared to be glad tidings — 
 "Behold, I bring to you glad tidings of great joy, for 
 unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a 
 Savior who is Christ, the Lord." Glorious good news, 
 that Christ has come, that he has suffered for our 
 sins, risen from the grave, and brought life and im- 
 mortality to light. It embraces the glad news that 
 God is reconciled to man, heaven to earth, and that 
 man has a right to approach God through Christ. It 
 tells man that there is pardon, peace, and hope for 
 him. It embraces great facts to be believed, great 
 commands to be obeyed, three promises to be realized : 
 some of the facts to be believed, — Jesus died for our 
 sins, was buried, and rose for our justification. Some 
 of the commands to be obeyed, — to believe on him 
 with all our hearts, to repent of our sins, to confess 
 him before men, to be baptized in his name. Some of 
 the promises to be enjoyed — the forgiveness of our 
 sins, the gift of the Spirit of God, and the hope of 
 heaven. 
 
 The Gospel of Christ Jesus, sometimes called the 
 Gospel of God, the Gospel of the Kingdom, the Glo- 
 rious Gospel, was preached first at Jerusalem, then 
 
240 SOUL SAVING 
 
 throughout Samaria and Judea, and everywhere it was 
 received with joy and gladness. It is declared to be 
 the power of God unto salvation. We all admire and 
 respect power. The civil power is needed to preserve 
 peace, promote liberty, maintain justice, and foster 
 industry. The power of eloquence is needed to preach 
 the Gospel of Christ, to impress it upon the mind and 
 move the heart to obedience. The power of truth is 
 needed to overthrow falsehood, silence objections and 
 to shine in the lives of men. The power of miracles 
 was needed in the early history of the church to con- 
 firm the truths that were preached, to silence gain- 
 sayers and to establish the Kingdom; but the "Gospel 
 of Christ is the power of God unto salvation." The 
 power of God is manifest in the forces of nature 
 around us — in the creation of the universe, the gov- 
 ernment of nature and the control of the affairs of 
 man; but in the Gospel of Christ is manifest the 
 "power of God unto salvation." Salvation means de- 
 liverance from sin and perdition. Men are sinful 
 and need salvation. Prophets of old saw the need of 
 it; philosophers knew the need of it; the wretched 
 condition of the world was a declaration of the need 
 of it ; and God gave us this salvation to save men from 
 their sins. "Unto salvation" — there is no narrowness 
 in this term. It is co-extensive with the life of man. 
 Man is ignorant of the true God, a slave to sin, cor- 
 rupt in nature, an alien from heaven and under con- 
 demnation. The Gospel awakens him from his sleep 
 and is quick and powerful and sharp as any two-edged 
 
NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL 241 
 
 sword to convict man of his sins, of his unrighteous- 
 ness, to warn him of Judgment to come and to save 
 him. It is the "power of God unto salvation;" it re- 
 quires power to pardon sins. Alexander had power to 
 conquer the world by force of arms. Rome had power to 
 render Britain tributary, to swell the Rhine with Ger- 
 man blood, to over-run Egypt, and to subdue Judea, 
 but these powers were not able to forgive the sins 
 of man ; but the Gospel of Christ is the power of God 
 to forgive men of their sins. It exhibits to the sinner 
 Jesus as a willing Savior able to save to the uttermost 
 all who will come unto him. It is to save from the 
 power of sin in heart and life. The blood of Jesus 
 Christ cleanseth us from all sin. It is to save from 
 the punishment of sin in the life to come, and more 
 — it is to have a present practical influence on our 
 lives. It is the power of God to change our natures. 
 It brings to man a new creation. If any man is in 
 Christ he is a new creature. Old things have passed 
 away and all things are become new. It produces a 
 change of heart. It makes man hate that which he 
 formerly loved : as a watch that is cleaned and oiled 
 and put in working order, becomes, in a sense, a new 
 watch, so the sinner in coming under the influence of 
 the life and teachings of Christ becomes a new man. 
 In Christ he is cleansed, sanctified, purified and taught 
 to deny himself fleshly lusts and to follow after holi- 
 ness. 
 
 The Gospel is the power of God to adopt into His 
 family. It makes man the heir of God and the joint 
 
242 SOUL SAVING 
 
 heir of Christ. He is no more an alien, but is an 
 adopted child of God. God looks upon him as his son 
 and says, "I am thy God." He is no more an orphan, 
 but has a heavenly Father, who loves and cares for 
 him. 
 
 The Gospel is the power of God to triumph over 
 death. We are told in Hebrews that "since the chil- 
 dren are sharers in flesh and blood, he also himself in 
 like manner partook of the same; that through death 
 he might bring to nought him that had the power of 
 death, that is, the devil; and might deliver all them 
 who through fear of death were all their lifetime sub- 
 ject to bondage." By dying Christ took away the sting 
 of death and now sustains and strengthens man in the 
 approach of death. His promise is, "Lo, I am with 
 you always." He says, "I will guide you even unto 
 death." He enables his followers to shout, "Oh, 
 Death! where is thy sting? Oh, Grave! where is 
 thy victory?" 
 
 The Gospel is the power of God to raise us up at the 
 last day. "He that believeth on me hath everlasting 
 life, and I will raise him up at the last day." "I am 
 the Resurrection and the Life; he that believeth on 
 me shall never die." "We know that, if he shall be 
 manifested, we shall be like him ; for we shall see him 
 as he is." He shall change our vile bodies and liken 
 them unto his glorified body. Such is the power of 
 the Gospel of Christ. It has power to melt the 
 hardened soul; power to cheer the broken heart; 
 power to loose the captive; power to emancipate the 
 
NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL 243 
 
 slave; power to overthrow the heathen gods; power 
 to give peace to the troubled heart; power to sustain 
 in the hour of departure from the earth; power to 
 wipe tears from the eyes of the mourning; power to 
 raise us up at the last day, to stay the terrors of Judg- 
 ment, and to admit into heaven. 
 
 It is a constraining power. What is it that calls men 
 and women to leave father and mother to go into 
 distant lands and labor as missionaries? What con- 
 strains men to stand before multitudes of their fellow- 
 men, determined to know nothing but Christ and him 
 crucified? It is the power of the Gospel. What con- 
 strains the timid woman to walk the dark street at 
 eventide to sit beside the victim of fever? What is it 
 constrains her to visit the imprisoned and the profligate 
 and read to them the story of the cross ? It is neither 
 gold nor silver, neither fame nor worldly pleasures, 
 but the power of the Gospel that inspires to these 
 duties. What sends the martyr to the stake amidst 
 the crowds of mockers and sustains hjm when the 
 chains are being fastened and the faggots are being 
 heaped around him? It is the power of the Gospel 
 of Christ. It is this Gospel that enables him to say, 
 "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and though the 
 fire devour this body, yet in my flesh I shall see the 
 Lord." What sustains the mother in the sick room by 
 the side of the dying child with face blanched with 
 consumption, and death fast approaching? It is the 
 Gospel of Jesus Christ. What sustains the Christian 
 as the earth recedes and the River of Death rolls upon 
 
244 SOUL SAVING 
 
 the shores of Life? Does not the Gospel of Christ 
 sustain him, and enable him to sing, 
 
 "Jesus, lover of my soul, 
 
 Let me to thy bosom fly ; 
 While the nearer waters roll, 
 
 While the tempest still is high. 
 Hide me, Oh, my Savior hide, 
 
 Till the storm of life is past ; 
 Safe into the haven guide, 
 
 Oh, receive my soul at last." 
 
 To whom is this power manifest? Paul says, "To 
 everyone that believeth." To the Jew first, and also to 
 the Greek. It is not to those who only hear it and 
 admire it, but to those who believe it and obey it. 
 Its range is large. God's love is great. God is no 
 respecter of persons. This Gospel is for the Jew and 
 the Gentile; for those of culture and non-culture. It 
 is a Gospel for everyone. There are those who are 
 rich who think that the Gospel will do very well for 
 the poor, and they have no need of it; and there are 
 those who are poor who think the Gospel will do for 
 respectable people, but not for them; there are some 
 intellectual men who imagine the Gospel will do for 
 ignorant people, but not for men of culture ; and there 
 are some who are lacking in culture who think it will 
 do for those advanced in knowledge ; there are some 
 who think the heathen are well enough off without it, 
 and there is no need in sending it to them. But Paul 
 
NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL 245 
 
 declares, "It is the power of God to every one that 
 believeth." And for this reason he felt himself a 
 debtor both to the Greeks and Barbarians, both to the 
 wise and unwise. He knew no difference in nation, 
 ability, or language, in creed or class. The Gospel 
 is a message for the rich : it tells them of treasures in- 
 corruptible that fadeth not away; it tells them how to 
 become rich toward God. It is a message for the 
 poor : it teaches them to be industrious and contented, 
 to be happy and peaceful amid circumstances of out- 
 ward poverty. It is a Gospel for men of learning: 
 it sets before their minds sublime ideas; it tells them 
 of a glorious hope and prospect of eternal progress. It 
 is a Gospel for the ignorant : it is full of simplicity and 
 comfort. Embraced within its fold have been men of 
 giant intellects like Newton and Farraday, Miller and 
 Herschel, and men of lowly position who have lived 
 and died in obscurity and yet have been blessed and 
 cheered along life's pathway by the Gospel of Christ. 
 It is a Gospel for the sorrowing; a Gospel to melt the 
 heart of Shylock; a Gospel to bring temperance and 
 honesty to the world ; and a Gospel to spread the 
 spirit of gentleness and love and peace over all. 
 
 Within this Gospel may be found the solution to the 
 great problems of Capital and Labor : herein the capi- 
 talist may learn not to oppress the poor; ?nd on the 
 other hand, the employee may learn not to rail against 
 the employer, and both may learn to dwell together in 
 unity, for God is the Maker of them all. Herein may 
 be found the solution to every problem of society: it 
 
246 SOUL SAVING 
 
 teaches men to honor one another, to love one another, 
 and to live at peace as much as lieth within them. Here- 
 in is found the solution to the question of the saloon : 
 it teaches men to be sober, temperate, and practice 
 moderation in all things. It is a Gospel to bless man 
 in body, mind and Spirit. It is a Gospel to bless a 
 community of individuals. It is a Gospel to exalt 
 a nation in righteousness. 
 
 Paul declares, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel 
 of Christ." This was his vow, his boast, his glory. 
 He was not ashamed to own it before the great tri- 
 bunals of men ; not ashamed to confess it and defend 
 it in the great metropolis of the world-wide empire; 
 not ashamed to stand by it in Jerusalem, in Athens, in 
 Rome ; no matter in whatever company, or city, or 
 nation, it was his sublimest topic, his chief est joy. He 
 was not ashamed of it, because it was God's power 
 to save men ; because it had changed his life ; because 
 it was the efficient remedy for the woes and ills of 
 mankind. Like Paul, we should make it our life, our 
 joy, and our glory. 
 
 We should not be ashamed of the Founder of the 
 Gospel. Though he was born in a manger; though 
 there was no room for him in the inn ; though he was 
 born of humble parents; though he lived in the little 
 city of Nazareth; though he was tempted like as we 
 are; though he was despised and rejected of men; 
 though he ate with publicans and sinners; though he 
 died an ignominious death ; we should not be ashamed 
 of him, for he became poor that we through his pov- 
 
NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL 247 
 
 erty might be made rich. We should not be ashamed 
 of those who obey the Gospel. There may be some 
 church members who are ashamed of their poor and 
 humble brethren, and who will not recognize them on 
 society occasions, but Christians are not ashamed of 
 the humblest disciples of Jesus; for their Lord and 
 Master has declared that he is no respecter of persons, 
 that the bruised reed he will not break and the 
 smoking flax he will not quench, and that we are all 
 brethren. What though they may not be rich, nor 
 great, nor learned, we must remember that the least 
 of Christ's followers is known to Jesus, and he who 
 despises the least of them, despises the Lord; and he 
 who gives a cup of cold water to any one of them gives 
 it also to Christ ; that he who is ashamed of the disci- 
 ple of Jesus is ashamed of Christ himself. 
 
 We should not be ashamed to proclaim the Gospel 
 of Christ. It should be our heart's desire to proclaim 
 it. A great poet said, "I am a man, and everything 
 human has an interest for me." But it was a finer 
 sentiment of Paul when he said he was a debtor both 
 to the Greeks and Barbarians, and to the wise and un- 
 wise. And what was that debt ? That he might preach 
 the Gospel to them. We are our brothers' keepers. 
 If Paul, a Jew, was under obligation to do some- 
 thing for the barbarians; if Paul, an intellectual 
 man, was under obligation to do something for 
 the ignorant — we, too, are debtors to the civilized 
 and the uncivilized, the wise and the unwise, the 
 rich and the poor, the Jew and the Gentile, and 
 
248 SOUL SAVING 
 
 we should not be ashamed to proclaim the Gospel 
 to them. 
 
 We should not be ashamed of the excellency of the 
 Gospel. It is the glorious Gospel of the blessed God, — 
 replete with pity and pardon and full of interest and 
 glory. It is excellent in its Revelations, — revealing to 
 us a Savior of love and a God of power. It is excel- 
 lent in its testimony, — announced in prophecies, in- 
 augurated by the Son of God, established by miracles, 
 witnessed by hundreds of believers. It is excellent 
 in what it offers, — salvation from sin, peace in heart, 
 and rest for the soul. It is excellent in doctrine, — 
 how wise and instructive are its doctrines of faith, obe- 
 dience and judgment, and suitable to the sinner. It 
 is excellent in precepts, — they are holy, just and good. 
 It is excellent in its ordinances, — how excellent and 
 beautiful in the ordinance of Baptism, — it is the sym- 
 bol of Christ's death, burial and resurrection. How 
 excellent and beautiful is the ordinance of the Lord's 
 Supper, — reminding us of Christ's sufferings and 
 death. It is excellent in its privileges and promises, — 
 sweet, various and refreshing, — promises of grace suf- 
 ficient for every trial. 
 
 We should not be ashamed of the victories of the 
 Gospel. Its founder rose from the dead and gained 
 the victory over Death. He ascended to heaven and 
 was exalted at the right hand of God. This Gospel 
 gained a victory over Judaism, Paganism and Bar- 
 bar ianism. "It led captivity captive and gave gifts 
 unto men." It gained victory over Sin. It opened the 
 
NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL 249 
 
 prison doors of Iniquity. It made pagan gods to totter. 
 It has risen upon the world as a brilliant sun to shine 
 with increasing splendor until the glorious consumma- 
 tion of hope beyond. 
 
 Shall we be ashamed of this Gospel? Shall we be 
 ashamed of that which softened our hearts, opened 
 our eyes and set us free ? Shall we be ashamed of the 
 blood which pardoned our sins, elevated our souls, 
 and inspired us with the hope of glory? Shall we be 
 ashamed of him who conquered Satan, Death and 
 Hades ? Shall we be ashamed of him who is the light 
 and beauty of the world? Shall we be ashamed of 
 him who is the Chief among ten thousand, and alto- 
 gether lovely? Never! We exhort you, be not 
 ashamed of the Gospel. Though materialists, philos- 
 ophers, skeptics, and worldlings be ashamed of it, no 
 matter where you go stand up for the Gospel of 
 Christ: 
 
 "Stand up, stand up for Jesus, 
 
 Ye soldiers of the Cross, 
 Lift high the royal banner, 
 
 It must not suffer loss. 
 From vict'ry unto vict'ry 
 
 His army shall he lead ; 
 Till every foe is vanquished 
 
 And Christ is Lord indeed I" 
 
 In the gaities of life, in the temptations of business, 
 amidst scoffings and ridicule, be not ashamed of this 
 
250 SOUL SAVING 
 
 Gospel. Assert your faith in it; stand by it; abide in 
 it; advocate it. The proud are ashamed of it because 
 it teaches humility. The skeptic is ashamed of it be- 
 cause he that believeth not is damned already. The 
 covetous are ashamed of it because the hopes of the 
 covetous shall be cut off. The rumseller is ashamed 
 of it, because "Woe unto the man who putteth the cup 
 to his neighbor's lips!" The drunkard is ashamed of 
 it, because it declares no drunkard can enter into the 
 Kingdom of Heaven. The Romans were ashamed of 
 it because they considered it foolishness. The Jews 
 were ashamed of it because it was a stumbling block 
 to them; but be ye not ashamed of it, because who- 
 soever believeth on him shall not be ashamed, and 
 whosoever is ashamed of it is guilty of sin, and re- 
 bellion. Be ye not ashamed of it, because of those 
 who are ashamed of him in this evil and adulterous 
 generation, will he be ashamed when he comes in 
 the glory of God in the clouds of the heavens. Those 
 ashamed of Christ on earth will not be recognized by 
 Christ in heaven. Those ashamed of the words and 
 deeds of Jesus on earth, will find no Savior willing to 
 own their words and deeds on the Day of Judgment. 
 Christ is ashamed of sin, filthiness and iniquity. When 
 he comes in the glory of God with the holy angels and 
 ten thousand saints, those who have been ashamed of 
 his Gospel, his love, and his sufferings shall stand con- 
 founded, confused and ashamed in the sight of the 
 joys and glories of eternity. 
 
A PRECIOUS INVITATION 
 
 "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, 
 and I will give you rest ."— Matt. 1 1 :28. 
 
 There are many precious invitations in the Bible — 
 invitations sent from the heart of God: invitations 
 sent in times past through Moses and the Prophets, 
 Christ and the Apostles. Invitations sent to the sinful 
 and thirsty, the weary and heavy laden. Invitations to 
 come to Christ, to find peace, pardon and hope. A 
 precious invitation was sent through Isaiah: "Come 
 now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: 
 Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white 
 as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall 
 be as wool." "Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye 
 to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, 
 buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without 
 money, and without price." Many precious invitations 
 are given by our Lord and Savior: "Come, for all 
 things are now ready;" "If any man thirst, let him 
 come unto me and drink;" "Him that cometh unto 
 me I will in no wise cast out;" "Everyone which 
 seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have ever- 
 lasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day;" 
 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me 
 hath everlasting life;" "Behold, I stand at the door 
 
252 SOUL SAVING 
 
 and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the 
 door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, 
 and he with me;" "And the Spirit and the bride say, 
 Come. And let him that heareth say Come. And let 
 him that is athirst come : And whosoever will, let him 
 take the water of life freely." But there is none 
 more precious than the one of our text, "Come unto 
 me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will 
 give you rest." 
 
 Restlessness has a cause. There is a reason for it. 
 Everything is governed by law. Happiness is gov- 
 erned by law. Rest is governed by law, and so is 
 restlessness. To get rid of restlessness one must re- 
 move the cause; and to possess rest, men must obtain 
 the means and pay the price. 
 
 Such a simple thing as the baking of a cake is gov- 
 erned by law. A housewife cannot bake a good cake 
 unless she makes the proper mixture of ingredients 
 and sets the causes at work which bring about the 
 result. A man cannot learn Astronomy unless he 
 studies it, and so it is with happiness and unhappiness. 
 Time may be well spent in studying the causes of 
 unrest. 
 
 Distrust of God. There is considerable inward 
 murmuring against God's dealings with man. Some 
 people blame their own inconsistencies upon God, and 
 therefore murmur at the ways of Providence. They 
 know not that "the secret of the Lord is with them 
 that fear him and that he will show them his judg- 
 
A PRECIOUS INVITATION 253 
 
 Inward discord is another source of unrest. Pride 
 and selfishness will bring about a state of restlessness, 
 produce jars in business, discord in the home, collapse 
 of ambition, and the conflict of our wills with others 
 which make rest impossible. 
 
 Outward circumstances ofttimes produce restless- 
 ness. Some men think they could find rest in wealth. 
 They seek for the patronage of men of wealth. They 
 seek for rest in money markets, in railroads, in stocks, 
 in bonds, in safety deposits, in government securities, 
 in houses and in lands. They seek for rest in fine 
 steeds, splendid carriages, costly furniture, downy 
 beds, beautiful tapestry, exquisite paintings: but does 
 wealth give rest? Does luxury give rest? How often 
 in the midst of all these, with the lights out and the 
 clock ticking away the time, slumber will not come 
 to the weary brain, nor rest to the weary body. In the 
 midst of riches men are often in anguish of soul. 
 Some fear their riches will take wings and fly away. 
 Some fear their riches will be stolen. Some fear their 
 riches will be spent by dissipated children. Some fear 
 bankruptcy and panics. Who can claim that he has 
 found rest, peace, and satisfaction in worldly treas- 
 ures? 
 
 Some have an idea that rest could be found in the 
 honors of the world. They think if they could only 
 rise to a place of eminence, or if they could be elected 
 to a political office, or if they could write a book, or 
 make a speech, or have their names on the lips of ten 
 thousand, they would find happiness: but has not 
 
254 SOUL SAVING 
 
 this been tried? Have not ambitious men been ban- 
 queted? Have they not listened to the hurrahs of 
 multitudes? Have they not received garlands from 
 galleries of beauty? Have not processions marched 
 in their honor ? Have not papers heralded their great- 
 ness? But did these things give rest to the soul? 
 Have not such men been sad in the midst of the ap- 
 plause of their fellowmen? Have not many of them 
 wakened the next day to find themselves in the midst 
 of execrations of those who once caressed them ? Have 
 they not met with political rivals, been scorned by 
 bitter enemies, and been forced to exclaim, "No rest! 
 No rest!" When Charles Matthews was playing in 
 London to immense audiences, a worn-out and gloomy 
 man came one day into a doctor's office, saying, "Doc- 
 tor, what can you do for me?" The doctor examined 
 him and said, "You need rest. My advice is that you 
 go and see Charles Matthews." "Alas! Alas!" said 
 the man, "I myself am Charles Matthews." Jeffrey 
 thought if he could only be judge he would be a happy 
 man. He became judge, and then cursed the day on 
 which he was born. Alexander conquered the world, 
 and then drank himself to death because he could not 
 endure the trouble it gave him. Burns was anxious 
 to have the honor of courts and princes, and when in 
 the midst of their joys he yearned to creep back into 
 obscurity, to where he wrote about "The daisy, wee 
 modest, crimson-tipped flower." At Versailles there 
 are several miles of pictures painted of Napoleon and 
 his triumphs; then, in another room in the corner, is a 
 
A PRECIOUS INVITATION 255 
 
 bust of Napoleon as he appeared at St. Helena. But 
 Oh, what an expression on the face ! What a differ- 
 ence of expression on the face of the Napoleon Tri- 
 umphant and the Napoleon Heart-broken! 
 
 Some think they could find rest in some other station 
 or position. They have an idea that their genius is 
 not understood, that they have been slighted, that 
 they are kings uncrowned; that they have had no op- 
 portunity to display their ability; that they have not 
 been duly rewarded, and thus, being slaves of vanity 
 and pride, and being anxious to seek rest in external 
 positions and circumstances, they meet with disap- 
 pointment and restlessness. 
 
 Jesus understands all this. He knows what is in 
 man. He knows the cause of restlessness and he 
 knows what will produce rest, and therefore, he offers 
 to impart to man just what he needs. He knows that 
 man's weariness comes not from much work, but from 
 work in the wrong way; not from the difficul- 
 ties of the present life, but from the failure to 
 learn the proper lessons from these difficulties; not 
 from the burdens of life, but from the method of 
 carrying the burdens ; not from the loads we have to 
 bear, but from the way we bear the loads ; and there- 
 fore, Jesus said, "Come unto me, all ye that labor 
 and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." 
 
 Men are restless from overwork. God ordained 
 that man should work. It is the proper condition of 
 man. We were not made to be idle: our bodies and 
 minds must be active in order to be healthy. Jesus 
 
256 SOUL SAVING 
 
 says: "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work/' 
 We ought to work up to our capacities. Work is 
 pleasant and profitable, dignified and right, but the 
 trouble is that men overwork, and do not work in the 
 right way. You cannot overwork a machine, but you 
 can an animal. As soon as you overwork your machine 
 it stops, but a man may overwork and scarcely see 
 the injury he is doing to himself. He works until 
 "the last straw breaks the camel's back." Overwork 
 is sometimes caused by an overestimate of our wants. 
 Civilization has increased until luxuries have come to 
 be regarded as necessaries. The rivalry in cities has 
 led to costly living in dress, in furniture, in spread, 
 and in display. A majority of the rich people were 
 once poor; but as their means increased their wants 
 multiplied and men have worn themselves to death 
 laboring to procure means to satisfy their wants. 
 Some have an overestimate of their powers. Work 
 has not yet killed them, and they think it never will; 
 they have an idea that bye-and-bye they will take 
 matters easier; they boast of their power of en- 
 durance; they seek for stimulants to carry on their 
 work and to satisfy their ambitions. The spirit of 
 modern civilization presses them. Some men become 
 so engrossed in their pursuits of life that they have no 
 time for the family, no time for worship, no time 
 for prayer, no time to visit the sick, no time for phil- 
 anthropic measures, no time for devotional exercise: 
 time only for the management of their business. And 
 thus, through the increase of our wants, the over- 
 
A PRECIOUS INVITATION 257 
 
 estimate of our powers, and the pressure of a high 
 civilization, men become weary and heavy laden with 
 work. They disobey the laws of temperance and mod- 
 eration, and therefore are restless in their work. 
 
 Some are heavy laden with life's drudgeries. They 
 are engaged in a daily routine : they are weary of the 
 rounds of sweeping, sewing, washing, and cooking. 
 Mechanics, farmers, merchants, sometimes grow 
 weary with the daily load of little things. A little girl 
 once said to me : "I am tired of this thing of getting 
 up in the morning and dressing, and this thing of un- 
 dressing at night: will it have to be done all my 
 life?" This daily routine often becomes intolerable to 
 ourselves. It is expected that some people will never 
 grow weary of their work: For instance, a pastor's 
 wife may look after her own household, and then, be 
 expected to look after other households, and then do 
 pastoral work, and all other kinds of church work, 
 and never grow weary and heavy laden. Of course, it 
 is expected that a pastor will never grow weary of 
 writing and studying sermons, will never grow weary 
 of the cares and burdens of others which are pressing 
 upon him. It is expected that a teacher will never 
 grow weary of the routine through which he has to 
 go, of being patient with incorrigible pupils, of being 
 pleasant to everyone, of standing all the criticism 
 heaped upon him without murmuring. It is not to be 
 expected that a poor laborer on a dollar a day will 
 ever grow weary of work, or weary of eking out an 
 existence on such meagre pay. There is much of this 
 
258 SOUL SAVING 
 
 weariness with life's work and drudgeries. Christ 
 understood all this. He knew the heart aches and 
 lonesomeness of all such and he invited them to come 
 to him and have rest. 
 
 Some are restless under the difficulties of life. They 
 have been unable to avoid these; they seem to have 
 no tact or skill to overcome them. Misunderstandings 
 arise between good men; misunderstandings in the 
 home; in business; and in the church; it is a hard 
 thing to be misunderstood by a good man. There are 
 times when business men seem to be forced to look 
 after their own interests, perhaps to the detriment of 
 their neighbors, and yet strive to do so without doing 
 them injury. Society's domestic perplexities press 
 upon the heart: misunderstandings between children, 
 between husbands and wives, and between parents and 
 children. Sometimes there are prodigal sons, way- 
 ward daughters, unfaithful husbands, and disloyal 
 wives. Thus, many are weary and heavy laden in the 
 home. 
 
 Some are distressed with poverty which they cannot 
 overcome, with temptations that bear them down, with 
 persecution so great as to make one wish that he had 
 wings that he might fly away and be at rest. Christ 
 knew the abasement of man and the difficulties that 
 beset him on all hands, and unto all those who are 
 weary and heavy laden with the perplexities and dif- 
 ficulties of life he gave the precious invitation — "Come 
 unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I 
 will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn 
 
A PRECIOUS INVITATION 259 
 
 of me ; for I am meek and lowly in heart : and ye shall 
 find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and 
 my burden is light." 
 
 Some are burdened with the battle with self. Some 
 have to struggle with flesh and blood; some have a 
 bad temper to control, an unruly tongue to hold in 
 check, a passionate body to keep under, lusty thoughts 
 to dispel, and thus a desperate conflict is waged be- 
 tween spirit and flesh. Jesus understood this, for he 
 knew the nature of man, hence the invitation to come 
 unto him and have rest. 
 
 Some are restless because of sin. Man's heart 
 sometimes is more like a city of destruction than a 
 city of joy; it grows weary from the groanings within. 
 Sin is a heavy load; guilt is an awful burden. Many 
 live a double life — they serve God and mammon at 
 the same time. On one hand they have a fit of de- 
 pravity; on the other, they have aspirations to do 
 better. At times they plunge into the vortex of sin 
 like the prodigal; at other times they feel their guilt 
 and cry out like the Publican, "God be merciful to 
 me, a sinner!" Christ understood this and came to 
 save the sinner. He came to give his life to ransom 
 the lost. He knows how weary and heavy laden men 
 are with sin, therefore, he invites them to come unto 
 him and find rest. 
 
 What is the rest that Jesus offers? It is not leth- 
 argy, not a condition of inactivity, not a condition in 
 which the powers of the soul are passive, for that 
 would be contrary to all the laws of nature and God. 
 
260 SOUL SAVING 
 
 It is rather a rest from weariness than from labor, 
 a rest from much labor and not from a due amount 
 of labor. It is neither confinement nor isolation, for 
 to be in harmony with God's laws this rest must be 
 compatible with service. It is not leisure, not a season 
 of relaxation, but it is a rest in harmony with ac- 
 tivity and peace. It is not absence of outward trial, 
 for there is sorrow and tribulation in this world, and 
 every man must expect sooner or later, to receive his 
 portion of it. It is not always the removal of the 
 burden, for Paul cried out to have the thorn in his 
 flesh removed, but it remained; but God gave him 
 grace to bear it. It is not a life free from duty, not the 
 paradise of the sluggard, where there is no exertion, 
 not the heaven of the coward, where there is no dif- 
 ficulty to be met ; but it is a rest that is positive. 
 
 It is an abiding calm within; it is a conscience that 
 is at ease; it is a mind that is content; it is a heart 
 that is full of love; it is a hope both sure and stead- 
 fast; it is a fortitude that is ever willing to bear 
 with the trials of life ; it is a security that arises from 
 a strong faith in God; it is a peace within. The only 
 true happiness is heart happiness. The only true 
 peace is heart peace. The Kingdom of God is within 
 you. The rest spoken of here is that which lies in 
 the heart of man. It cannot be had by fleeing away 
 to the wilderness, but by fleeing to Christ and learning 
 of him. Christ says, "Come unto me and ye shall 
 find rest to your souls." That is, he would put them 
 in the way of securing rest ; he would tell them how 
 
A PRECIOUS INVITATION 261 
 
 it is to be acquired; he would give them the process 
 of rest. "Learn of me," says he, "and ye shall find 
 rest to your souls." Here is the cause and effect, — 
 learn and rest. No rest without learning of Christ. 
 He understood the art of living. He invites us to 
 come to him and learn his way. Come unto me ; hear 
 my words; follow me; reproduce my life; obey my 
 teachings; take life as I take it, — meek and lowly in 
 heart as I am; love as I love; be humble as I am 
 humble ; serve God as I serve him. You will not find 
 rest in outward circumstances, nor in books, nor music, 
 though these may help; but you will find it in the 
 poise of the soul, in the contented mind, in the for- 
 giving heart, in the life that is properly adjusted to 
 God's life. Therefore, to have rest we must come to 
 Christ: he has it and will give it, for his promises 
 are sure. 
 
 We may go to church without going to Christ; we 
 may go to the Bible without going to Christ. To go 
 to Christ, we must submit to his rule, we must comply 
 with his conditions, we must obey his word, we must 
 have a personal interview and acquaintance with him, 
 we must go in heart to his house, to his table and his 
 throne ; we must go humbly ; v/e must go prayerfully ; 
 we must go reverently and obediently ; we must go be- 
 lieving that he will help us and give us rest. We must 
 follow in the way that he has appointed; we must look 
 upon him and become like him ; we must strive to re- 
 produce his life in ours ; we must take life as he took it. 
 If we will do this we will have rest for our souls. 
 
262 SOUL SAVING 
 
 This we cannot find in any philosophy, nor in any 
 code of morals, but in the person of the Lord Jesus 
 Christ. It will be a rest from the fears which arise 
 in unpardoned hearts, for he has pardon for every 
 sin. It will be a rest from the burdensome services, 
 for he will help to regulate the labors of life. It will 
 be a rest from the weary ambitions, for he will help 
 to make all our ambitions noble and pure. It will be 
 a rest from sorrow, for he will give grace to bear it. 
 It will be a rest from despondency, for he will give 
 comfort and hope. It will be a rest in his knowledge, 
 in his love, in his heart, and in his peace. 
 
 Yes, friend, come to Christ and learn of him — learn 
 his life and live it, and you will have rest. He had 
 the right to say, "Come unto me;" "Learn of me;" 
 "Take my yoke upon you, and I will give you rest." 
 He had that "rest" in himself, and therefore could 
 give it. Turn to his history, and you will behold one 
 of the most troubled lives that was ever lived, and 
 yet it was a life of rest. On the Mount, teaching 
 the multitude; at the wedding feast, in the midst of 
 the innocent joys of life, — and on through his life to 
 the cross, we find tempest succeeding tempest and 
 tumult following tumult: and yet his inner life was 
 like a sea of glass. When he was tried by his disci- 
 ples in their slowness to understand the word of God, 
 when he was in open conflict and discussion with 
 Pharisaical enemies, he was possessed of a perfect 
 calmness. When he stood by the grave of Lazarus 
 with his eyes dim with tears, and when he looked 
 
A PRECIOUS INVITATION 263 
 
 upon Jerusalem and grieved over her wickedness, 
 there was that same calm, simple, restful heart within. 
 Behold that peace that possesses his soul, whether it 
 be in the quiet home at Bethany in conversation with 
 a few friends; or whether it be upon the mountain 
 top teaching the multitudes; or whether it be at the 
 well of Samaria in conversation with a down-trodden 
 woman; or whether it be in the midst of friends who 
 were shouting "Hosanna to the Highest!" or whether 
 it be under the fire of the perplexing questions of 
 the Pharisees and Sadducees; or whether it be in the 
 infamous court of Caiaphas, where witnesses were 
 swearing falsely against him; or whether it be in the 
 judgment hall of Pilate when the governor was ques- 
 tioning him about his kingdom ; or whether it be upon 
 the cross in the midst of a howling mob; there was 
 always rest in his soul, peace in his heart, love upon 
 his lips. Nothing could break the serenity of his life. 
 Enemies could not move him. Misfortune could not 
 touch him. Ambitions of men played no part with 
 him. Death could not conquer him. The malignity 
 of men could not lower his reputation because he made 
 himself of no reputation, and was dumb before his 
 accusers. He was reviled, but he reviled not again. 
 His spirit was calm when the spirit of others was 
 ruffled. In every emergency of life he proved himself 
 the One only man, able to give rest to the soul. There- 
 fore, could he say with good reason and with absolute 
 authority, "Come unto me and find rest." 
 
 Christ loves you, and if you will learn of him you 
 
264 SOUL SAVING 
 
 will learn the way of peace. If you have never learned 
 of him, do so now and it will be an everlasting day of 
 calmness to your soul. But if you will not learn of 
 him it will be darkness and dreariness. If you will 
 learn of him he will take away your sins and give to 
 you the repose of forgiveness and the assurance of 
 eternal life. If you will learn of him you shall find 
 rest unto your souls — rest from your inward disquiet, 
 rest from the bondage of iniquity, and be assured 
 you will find no rest out of him. Oh, come to him, 
 for he has compassion in his eyes, love in his heart. 
 Come to him, his arms are outstretched to receive you. 
 You who have youth and life, come to him. You who 
 have wealth and genius, come to him. You who have 
 perplexities and duties, come to him. You who are 
 weary and heavy laden, come unto him. You who 
 have become dissatisfied with this world, come unto 
 him; he will give all of you rest now; and bye-and- 
 bye he will give you eternal rest — "for there remain- 
 eth a rest for the people of God." He will give you 
 rest from the toil, conflicts, sufferings, and crosses of 
 this life. Come to him, and though your lot may not 
 be one of wealth and affluence, though you may be 
 deprived of comforts and luxuries, yet you may be 
 made rich in heart, and when your life closes on earth, 
 you will find rest in the presence of Christ and in the 
 midst of loved ones. Up yonder remaineth the rest 
 for the people of God. Those who have crossed the 
 River of Death, steadfast in the faith ; those who have 
 fallen asleep in sweet peace; those who have died in 
 
A PRECIOUS INVITATION 265 
 
 blessed hope weary with life's struggles, are now at 
 rest. Prophets and Apostles have gone over to take 
 possession of that land of rest. There is Enoch, who 
 walked with God and was translated to glory; there 
 is Abraham the Faithful, now enjoying the fellowship 
 of that city, not made with hands; there is Moses, 
 the Law-giver of Israel, with face more radiant with 
 the light of heaven than when he descended from the 
 Mount; there is David triumphant; there is Paul ex- 
 ultant ; there is Carey free from the dungeons of Bur- 
 mah; there is Morrison enjoying the fruits of his 
 labor; there are all the redeemed who have gone up 
 from the nations of the earth ; there are the little ones 
 who have been borne over on the wings of angels; 
 there are the aged ones whose spirits have been trans- 
 planted glorious. They are not dead — but at rest 
 from the sorrows, separations, difficulties and sins of 
 this life. They are not dead: they have only moved 
 on. Hail, loved ones ! Hail, blessed spirits ! Glory is 
 yours, Rest is yours, Peace is yours, Rejoicing is 
 yours, in that ye have passed the flood and won the 
 crown ! And while we wait, let us labor, let us pray, 
 let us live Christ's life, let us learn the way of life 
 and duty from him, that we may find rest for our 
 souls here, and when the summons comes to clasp glad 
 hands with those who have done with the sins and 
 conflicts of this life, we may join with them in singing 
 the praises of Him who hath redeemed us and given 
 to us rest and peace on earth, and joy and glory in 
 heaven forevermore. 
 
THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST 
 
 "Who was declared to be the Son of God with power 
 — by the resurrection from the dead." — Romans 1 :4. 
 
 All the scholars in the Christian world acknowledge 
 that such a person as Jesus of Nazareth once lived on 
 the earth. This fact has never been doubted by any 
 man of learning. His life, as recorded by Matthew, 
 Mark, Luke and John, is one of simplicity and wonder. 
 His birth was announced by angels. The star ap- 
 peared and the wise men were guided by it to Beth- 
 lehem, where he was found in a manger. At the age 
 of twelve, his juvenile intelligence confounded the doc- 
 tors and teachers of the law. His request for bap- 
 tism perplexed John so much that at first he refused 
 to administer it. The manner in which he resisted 
 the temptations in the wilderness commands the ad- 
 miration of the world. His teachings were so unique 
 that it was said of him, "Never man spake as this 
 man spake." His wonderful miracles were talked 
 about throughout all Judea, Galilee and the regions 
 round about. He penetrated the future, and predicted 
 events that would come to pass. One of the greatest 
 events he foretold was his resurrection. He consid- 
 ered the fulfillment of this prophecy sufficient evi- 
 dence to establish his Divinity. 
 
268 SOUL SAVING 
 
 While he was living he spoke of his death and res- 
 urrection in this wise: "Destroy this temple, and in 
 three days I will raise it up again." "I have power to 
 lay down my life and power to take it up again." "An 
 evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign, 
 but no sign shall be given to it, but the sign of Jonah, 
 the prophet: for as Jonah was three days and three 
 nights in the belly of the whale, so shall the Son of 
 Man be three days and three nights in the heart of 
 the earth." "It shall come to pass that they will de- 
 liver the Son of Man to the Gentiles, to mock, to 
 scourge, and kill him, and the third day he shall rise 
 again." Thus he taught, and everywhere he went 
 people in great multitudes gathered around him to 
 see and hear. It was not long after he uttered the 
 prophecies relating to his death and resurrection until 
 they were fulfilled. It was only a few months until 
 he was delivered into the hands of the Gentiles to 
 be killed. He was condemned, scourged, and crucified. 
 
 Did He Die? Ask the Jews, Scribes, Levites and 
 Priests, who surrounded the cross, ask the soldiers 
 who drove the nails, ask the centurion who had charge 
 of the crucifixion, ask John the faithful disciple, ask 
 the loving mother; all bear testimony to his death. 
 The rending veil, the darkening sun, the trembling 
 rocks and the opening tombs testify of his death. The 
 soldiers who were sent to hasten the death of the 
 victim and who pierced his side, testify of his death. 
 Joseph, who wrapped his body in clean linen, and the 
 women who aided in embalming and burying it in 
 
THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST 269 
 
 the sepulchre testify of his death. His sayings on the 
 cross: "Father, forgive them, they know not what 
 they do" ; "This day thou shalt be with me in Par- 
 adise"; "Woman, behold thou hast in him at thy side 
 thy son given back to thee"; "My God! My God! 
 and hast thou forsaken me?" "I thirst"; "It is finish- 
 ed"; Father, into thy hands I commend my Spirit"; 
 bear testimony of his death. 
 
 Note the Means Used to Prevent His Resurrection : 
 Immediately after his burial in Joseph's sepulchre, a 
 delegation of the Jews called on the Governor, and 
 said, "Sir, we remember that that deceiver said while 
 he was yet alive, 'After three days I will rise again.' 
 Command, therefore, that the sepulchre be made sure 
 until the third day, lest haply his disciples come and 
 steal him away, and say unto the people, 'He is risen 
 from the dead/ and the last error will be worse than 
 the first." The Governor said: "Ye have a guard; 
 go your way and make it as sure as ye can." They 
 took a detachment of soldiers, and rolled a huge stone 
 to the mouth of the sepulchre, and set the Governor's 
 seal upon it. The soldiers who were set to watch 
 the sepulchre of the dead were amenable to a law, in 
 penalty of death for any unfaithfulness. Thus you 
 see every step was taken to prevent the removal of 
 the body. 
 
 This was a Solemn Time for the Friends of Christ : 
 The Teacher was crucified, and the disciples were in 
 mourning. The Shepherd was smitten and the flock 
 was scattered. "The hopes of Israel were prostrate 
 
270 SOUL SAVING 
 
 and bleeding at every vein. The one whom they had 
 expected to restore the kingdom to Israel now lies 
 silent in the tomb. A dark cloud hangs, like a pall, 
 over the disciples ; their faith trembles, and some of 
 them take up their former employment. It was a sad 
 time for them. They had seen Jesus cleanse the leper 
 in Capernaum, weep at the tomb of Lazarus, and 
 sweat great drops of blood in the Garden of Geth- 
 semane. They had seen him betrayed by one, denied 
 by another, and forsaken by all. They had heard his 
 comforting words, "I am the Resurrection and the 
 Life; he that believeth on me shall never die." "Let 
 not your hearts be troubled ; ye believe in God, believe 
 also in me. In my father's house there are many 
 mansions : If it were not so, I would have told you ; 
 for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and 
 prepare a place for you, I come again, and will receive 
 you unto myself; that where I am there ye may be 
 also." And now this Jesus, in whom they had trusted 
 for comfort and eternal life, in whom their hopes 
 were centered, was powerless and silent in that lonely 
 tomb. No wonder they were scattered abroad, sad 
 and disappointed. 
 
 This Was a Time of Rejoicing for the Enemies of 
 Christ: They were enjoying a temporary triumph. 
 They hated Jesus, despised his teachings, and feared 
 the spread of his doctrine. But now that he is killed 
 and buried, they can have ease and contentment. They 
 need fear him no more. The priests can continue to 
 offer sacrifices, make long prayers, dispense the law, 
 
THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST 271 
 
 receive the gold, and retain their positions of trust and 
 profit. 
 
 Christ's Authority as a Teacher will Soon be Tested : 
 He will soon have an opportunity to prove his power 
 over death. His disciples will soon know whether 
 they have trusted an imposter or the Son of God. His 
 enemies will soon know the truthfulness or the falsity 
 of his wonderful claims. The reality of the future 
 will soon be proved; His pretensions to Divinity will 
 soon be demonstrated; His ability to save will soon 
 be known; the efficacy of his blood will soon be pro- 
 claimed; and his salvation for the world will soon be 
 heralded. 
 
 The Wheels of Time Seem to Linger : The moments 
 pass slowly and sadly by. Saturday wears away, 
 darkness follows the light. Solemnly the witching 
 hour of midnight passes. The dawn of the third 
 day approaches. Yonder is the morning star ! See ! 
 the gray dawn of the morning cometh ! Behold those 
 faint and glistening sunbeams shooting across the 
 horizon! See that crimson light, soft and beautiful, 
 as the King of day approaches! The interest of the 
 occasion grows intense. Will he come forth? Has he 
 the power to rise again? Is our faith and hope in 
 vain? 
 
 The Soldiers are at Their Post of Duty : They are 
 filled with courage. They know but little about Christ, 
 and consequently have no confidence in the claim that 
 he will rise again. They think the victory will soon 
 be theirs. "We shall soon return to the Chief Priests, 
 
272 SOUL SAVING 
 
 be greeted with words of praise, shouts of triumph, 
 and receive wages for guarding the sepulchre of the 
 dead." 
 
 But no ; they are soon aroused from their revery by 
 an awful earthquake. Open, fly the heavens. Down 
 come the angels. Opened are the gates of Hades. 
 Back comes the Spirit of Christ and unites with his 
 body. The Governor's seal is broken and the stone is 
 rolled away. "Neither was he left in Hades, nor did 
 his flesh see corruption." He comes forth declared to 
 be the Son of God with power, a conqueror of Satan, 
 of Death, of the Grave, and of Hades. He comes 
 forth with the keys of Life, Death and Eternity. He 
 comes forth and shows that death to him is but the rain 
 cloud, which obscures the sun that continues to shine 
 beyond, and then to burst forth in more brilliancy after 
 the cloud has passed away. He comes forth, showing 
 that death has no power over the real principles of 
 life. He comes forth, showing that death is only an 
 experience of life, and not the end of it. He comes 
 forth, showing that life passes through death, un- 
 harmed and unchecked. He comes forth to instill hope 
 and courage into the trembling conscience, and to dry 
 the tears of the disciples. He comes forth to announce 
 his authority in heaven and earth, and to pronounce 
 the terms of salvation to a lost and ruined world. He 
 comes forth, to complete the plan of redemption, to 
 establish his authority, and to prove the future state 
 of existence. 
 
 The Keepers Shook and Became as Dead Men: 
 
THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST 273 
 
 The sight of angels from heaven, clothed in shining 
 apparel, and the sight of the dead starting into life, 
 suspend the pulsations of their hearts ; as soon as 
 they recover from the shock, they hasten into the city 
 to relate such sights as they had never seen, such 
 wonders as they had never witnessd, such feelings as 
 they had never experienced. "Hush!" say the Chief 
 Priests: "Here is large money; say that while ye 
 slept, the disciples came and stole the body away, and 
 if this comes to the Governor's ears we will persuade 
 him and secure you !" 
 
 Note a Few Arguments in Support of the Resurrec- 
 tion of Christ: I shall dwell upon the proofs of his 
 resurrection, because upon his resurrection rests his 
 divinity, his church, and our faith and hope. Without 
 Christ's resurrection our religion is a flimsy tale. With 
 his resurrection established, the Christian religion is 
 the grandest and best religion on the face of the earth. 
 
 Some Proofs of his Resurrection are Derived from 
 his Enemies : On the third day his tomb was found 
 empty, and he was gone. If the Jews had had his 
 body they would have produced it, and thereby silenced 
 the report of his resurrection and added to their glory. 
 But they did not have the body ; hence, they could not 
 produce it. 
 
 If His Body was not Raised, was it Stolen? But 
 who would have stolen it? His enemies would not. 
 They would not have added to his glory. They would 
 not have undermined their glory by starting a report 
 of his resurrection. His disciples could not have taken 
 
274 SOUL SAVING 
 
 it. They were a few weak and timorous people, who 
 fled the moment of his arrest. Even Peter trembled 
 at the voice of a servant girl, and denied him three 
 times. Would such people have dared to defy the 
 Governor, the Sanhedrim, and to confront Roman 
 soldiers armed and ready for danger? His disciples, 
 few in numbers, unarmed, unaccustomed to war, and 
 scattered, would certainly never attempt an attack on 
 invincible regulars. If they relied on theft, they could 
 not have hoped to find all of the soldiers asleep, be- 
 cause death was the penalty for the soldier who slept 
 at his post. If the guards had been asleep could 
 the disciples have rolled away a massive stone, en- 
 tered the tomb, and carried away the body without 
 waking at least one of them ? Could they have carried 
 it through the streets, teeming with the passing multi- 
 tudes, and not have been detected ? Would they, when 
 in such a hurry, have been particular before leaving 
 the tomb to fold the napkins? If the soldiers slept, 
 is it not strange that all slept at the same time? Do 
 soldiers sleep when amenable to such laws? If they 
 slept, is it not strange that they were not punished 
 for it? They were either asleep or awake. If awake, 
 why should they suffer the body to be taken away? If 
 asleep, how could they know that the disciples took it 
 away? What bold presumption, then, to depose it 
 was stolen! These arguments deduced from the ene- 
 mies' reports aid in confirming the testimony touching 
 the resurrection. 
 
 We next Consider the Testimony of the Disciples: 
 
THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST 275 
 
 There are ten considerations that add weight to their 
 testimony. The number of witnesses. His first ap- 
 pearance was to the women on their return from the 
 sepulchre. He told them to tell his disciples he would 
 meet them in Galilee. His second appearance was to 
 Mary Magdalene, with whom he had a conversation, 
 as recorded in the second chapter of John. His third 
 appearance was to Peter, who had denied him just 
 prior to his crucifixion. His fourth appearance was 
 to two disciples who were on their way to Emmaus. 
 His fifth appearance was to the assembled apostles, 
 all being present except Thomas. His sixth appear- 
 ance was on the next Lord's Day to all of his apostles, 
 at which time he held a remarkable conversation with 
 Thomas. His seventh appearance was to the seven 
 apostles at the Lake, where he questioned Peter about 
 his love. His eighth appearance was to the great 
 body of the disciples where there were over five 
 hundred present. His ninth appearance was to James 
 the Less. His tenth was to all the apostles on his 
 ascension day. Lastly, he appeared to Paul as one 
 born out of due time. The great number of these 
 witnesses add weight and importance to their testi- 
 mony. If he had appeared to but one or two, the 
 testimony might have been doubted; but when he ap- 
 peared so often and to so many there is no room left 
 for doubt. There were a sufficient number of wit- 
 nesses to establish the truth of his resurrection in any 
 court of justice in the whole world. 
 
 Consider the Character of these Witnesses: They 
 
276 SOUL SAVING 
 
 were plain, honest-hearted men: men without reputa- 
 tion to impose upon people, without riches to reward, 
 without authority to compel, and without learning to 
 persuade. Men incapable of putting a cheat upon 
 others; men whose conduct proved the simplicity of 
 their character; men such as are trusted for their 
 honesty and virtue — When evidences of Christ's res- 
 urrection come from such characters we must accept 
 it as true or deny all testimony. 
 
 Consider What They Assert: Had it been an as- 
 tronomical calculation, involving deep study; had it 
 been a metaphysical question depending on a chain of 
 reasoning; had it been some complex question on 
 chemistry, botany or electricity, or had it been a distant 
 event, we might suspect their statements. But no: it 
 is a simple fact, one plain truth to which they testify. 
 They were eye-witnesses in divers places and at divers 
 times. They could not have been mistaken, because 
 they knew him. They heard his voice, conversed with 
 him, sat with him, touched him and ate with him. 
 Hence, the simple facts which they assert add weight 
 to their testimony. 
 
 Consider the Agreement of Their Evidence: They 
 unanimously agree that Christ rose from the dead. 
 Over five hundred people, with different capacities and 
 tempers, slow, rapid, witty, duJl, timid, bold — all agree 
 to the same. Fishermen, tent-makers, tax collectors, 
 mechanics, and physicians assert that they saw him 
 after he arose. Men and women alike agree in testi- 
 mony: a perfect conformity to the truth, a perfect 
 
THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST 277 
 
 unity in evidence. Had it been a lie would it not have 
 been detected? But all agree to the same thing, and 
 this perfect agreement adds weight to their testimony. 
 
 Consider the People before whom they gave Tes- 
 timony: They gave testimony before Pagans, Sol- 
 diers, and Governors ; they gave testimony before Law- 
 yers, Doctors, Scribes, Sadducees and Pharisees; they 
 gave testimony, be fore Priests and Chief Priests. God 
 so ordained it that they testified before people of all 
 nations — Parthians, Medes, Elamites, Mesopotamians, 
 Judeans, Cappadocians, Phrygians, Pamphylians, Cy- 
 renes, sojourners from Eastern Asia and Rome. God 
 so ordained it that they gave the same testimony in all 
 the different languages then spoken ; for each sojourn- 
 er heard them speaking in his own tongue. If this 
 testimony had been preconceived would it not have 
 been detectd as false by some one of such a company 
 of men ? Had it been false testimony would it not have 
 been detected and exposed by the lawyers, philos- 
 ophers, and priests? 
 
 Consider the Place in which they gave Testimony: 
 Not in distant countries and foreign lands ; not beyond 
 mountains and seas ; not far away where it was difficult 
 for hearers to obtain definite information; but they 
 published it at first in Jerusalem, in her synagogues and 
 in her temples. They proclaimed it on the very spot 
 where his resurrection took place. They displayed their 
 Master's banner where he taught, suffered and was cru- 
 cified. Considering the place where they first preached 
 his resurrection adds weight to their testimony. 
 
278 SOUL SAVING 
 
 Consider the Time of the Testimony : They did not 
 wait for quiet and peace; they did not wait for the 
 wrath of the Jews to subside; they did not wait until 
 several years had transpired ; but immediately, only ten 
 days after his ascension while the Jews were still trying 
 to prevent it; while the Jews were still white with 
 rage; while Calvary's cross was still dyed with blood; 
 while his life, death and miracles were still fresh in 
 the memory, they declared what they had seen. Con- 
 sidering the time the testimony was given adds weight 
 to it. 
 
 Consider the Day on which they First Proclaimed it : 
 They select one of the greatest days of all the year. 
 The Jews had three annual feasts. During one of 
 these feasts Christ was crucified, and now, during the 
 Pentecostal Feast, they proclaim his resurrection. A 
 day, on which were gathered at Jerusalem, people from 
 all nations under heaven. Considering the day, weight 
 is added to their testimony. 
 
 Consider the Motives which Induced them to 
 Publish it: Survey all the world, examine all history, 
 examine all impostures practiced on mankind. There 
 is but one design in deceiving: All deceivers deceive 
 for their own interests. People practice falsehood, 
 trickery, perjury for selfish interests. There is an 
 interest of applause, of wealth, of fame, and of ease. 
 Did they desire applause? No; Jesus told them they 
 should be hated by all men ; that the time would come 
 when men would think that they did God service to 
 stone them. Did they seek wealth? No; they had 
 
THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST 279 
 
 to endure poverty and starvation, without even a hut 
 to call their own. Did they desire fame? No; they 
 submitted to what made them the hated of men and 
 the off-scou rings and filth of creation. Did they desire 
 ease? No; they toiled and suffered, in peril by land 
 and by sea, by day and by night. To suppose them to 
 be actuated by false motives is to suppose them to give 
 up pecuniary interests, friends, ease, position, safety 
 and life itself, and for what? To promote a base lie, 
 to honor an imposter. Their motive was a desire to 
 publish a truth, to honor God, and to save souls, 
 hence their motives add weight to their testimony. 
 
 Consider the Demonstrations made to support their 
 Testimony : Imagine those twelve men addressing the 
 thousands on the day of Pentecost in the following 
 language: You refuse to believe what we assert. 
 You think us enthusiasts. You count us drunk. You 
 think that we are all infected with some hallucination. 
 You think that we simply imagine we have seen a man 
 whom we have not seen, that we have conversed with 
 a man with whom we have not conversed, that we 
 have eaten with a man with whom we have not eaten, 
 that we have walked with a man with whom we have 
 not walked. You consider us madmen who intend to 
 surrender our reputations, our occupations, our profit, 
 our ease, our all — and for what? Simply to spread a 
 fanciful resurrection, and to spread it from land to 
 land. But bring out your sick;, bring out your de- 
 moniacs ; bring hither your deaf, your blind and lame. 
 Let all tribes and nations bear witness. Behold, we 
 
280 SOUL SAVING 
 
 restore hearing to the deaf, sight to the blind, speech 
 to the mute, and make the lame leap for joy. Confront 
 us with the Medes and Parthenians, and let those from 
 Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia and Egypt sur- 
 round us and listen, while we illiterate men, we Gali- 
 leans, we disciples of Christ, we fishermen, discourse 
 to each of you in the language of his people. We will 
 explain prophecies, examine predictions, and make 
 known mysteries. We will teach you notions of God, 
 give you rules of conduct, grander than you have ever 
 heard before. Aye, we can do more still. We can 
 confer these gifts to you. We can communicate to you 
 power to heal, perform miracles, speak in different 
 tongues, explain prophecies. Hear that rushing, 
 mighty noise like as a wind ! Hear these different lan- 
 guages spoken ! See these miracles performed in your 
 very presence! All these demonstrations, this testi- 
 mony, we submit in proof of Christ's resurrection. 
 
 Consider the Effect Produced: After the descent 
 of the Spirit, after the display of tongues, and after 
 the speech of Peter, who was appointed to open the 
 kingdom, three thousand were pierced to the heart be- 
 cause of their guilt, and cried out: "What must we 
 do?" to which Peter replied, "Repent, and be baptized 
 every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, unto the 
 remission of your sins, and ye shall receive the gift of 
 the Holy Spirit." "They, then, that received his word 
 were baptized, and there were added unto them in 
 that day about three thousand souls." History has 
 never witnessed such a day and such a revival. 
 
THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST 281 
 
 Consider the death of the Apostles : Traitors trem- 
 ble at the sight of death; deceivers confess in the pres- 
 ence of death; but as death approached the 
 disciples they preached with more boldness. They 
 feared not, they shrank not, they trembled not, 
 they took nothing back. In face of death — a death on 
 the cross, a death on the rack, a death by the sword 
 or fire, they marched right on preaching the Resurrec- 
 tion and heralding deliverance from sin through Christ. 
 
 Considering, then, the number of witnesses, the 
 character of the witnesses, the agreement of their evi- 
 dence, the people before whom they gave testimony, 
 the place, the time, the day, the motives, the demon- 
 strations, the effect produced, the death of the wit- 
 nesses, are we not justified in accepting the testimony 
 presented as genuine? 
 
 There is a Living Witness, called the Lord's Day: 
 He rose from the dead on the first day of the week; 
 on this day he met with his disciples to break bread; 
 on this day the Kingdom of Heaven was opened on 
 earth; on this day He sent forth his Spirit; on this 
 day the Apostles and disciples met to break bread. 
 John was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day. During the 
 first, second and third centuries the disciples met on 
 the Lord's Day to worship Christ, to study the Scrip- 
 tures, to pray, to sing spiritual songs, and to celebrate 
 the Lord's Supper. Coming down the ages, in spite 
 of racks, punishments and imprisonments, his faithful 
 followers have met on the Lord's Day to commune 
 with him and to keep in remembrance his death, suf- 
 
282 SOUL SAVING 
 
 ferings, and resurrection. On every Lord's Day mil- 
 lions of people meet to commune with this Jesus who 
 arose from the dead and "who has begotten us again 
 unto a lively hope." The Lord's Day reminds us that 
 Christ disarmed death, that he rose from the dead and 
 was declared to be the Son of God with power — by 
 his resurrection. 
 
 This resurrection is the central truth in Christianity. 
 Upon this theme the apostles discoursed ; this fact en- 
 tered into all thier teachings. Baptism is a symbol of 
 his death, burial and resurrection. His resurrection 
 has given comfort to his disciples during all ages. 
 With a risen Redeemer, they know that their faith 
 is not in vain; that they have not followed cunningly 
 devised fables ; that their hope is not in vain ; that their 
 sins are pardoned; that their prayers answered, and 
 that one day they shall be raised from the dead. 
 
 His Resurrection Proves Him to be Divine : Jesus 
 claimed to be the Son of God. This he frankly con- 
 fessed before the Chief Priest. For making this claim 
 he was condemned and crucified, and his resurrection 
 vindicates the justness of his claim. God declared him 
 to be the Son of God, with power by his resurrection 
 from the dead. Peter said, "This Jesus whom ye have 
 crucified God hath raised from the dead, exalted at his 
 right hand and hath made him both Lord and Christ." 
 Christ said that he had the power to lay down his life 
 and power to take it up again. This power was within 
 himself. Elijah raised the dead, but it was by a 
 power without — a power that he had received from on 
 
THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST 283 
 
 High. Peter restored one to life, but it was through 
 the power of Christ; but Jesus Christ had the power 
 within himself. He raised Lazarus, Jairus' daughter, 
 and the son of the widow of Nain to life by his own 
 power. It was because there was life within him- 
 self, therefore he could say, "Destroy this temple, and 
 the third day I will build it up again." "I am the 
 Resurrection and the Life." What a comfort ! What 
 an assurance! Jesus Christ is declared to be the Son 
 of God and the Savior of man by his resurrection from 
 the dead. Here is an absolute certainty of salvation. 
 Here is assurance of remission of sins. Herein the 
 children of God are justified, walk in newness of life 
 with him and have their lives hid in God with him. 
 
 It Proves His Power Over Death: By dying he 
 conquered death. "Since then, the children are sharers 
 in flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner par- 
 took of the same; that through death he might bring 
 to nought him that had the power of death, that is, 
 the devil ; and might deliver all them who through fear 
 of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." 
 
 In the Resurrection of Christ we see Soul Victory: 
 His resurrection is a complete demonstration of tri- 
 umph. Death could not hold him. He won a victory 
 over it. In Gethsemane his soul triumphed in obedi- 
 ence to the will of God. On the cross his soul triumph- 
 ed over physical woes. And on the Resurrection morn 
 his soul triumphed over the grave and he gained Divine 
 acceptance. It was the Divine seal of testimony to 
 the perfectness and acceptability of his work. The 
 
284 SOUL SAVING 
 
 raging of the wicked, the antagonism of error, the 
 whole power of the enemy triumphed in crushing the 
 truth, but in the resurrection is a demonstration of 
 complete triumph over all. He took up his life again, 
 and his triumph was but a triumph for all his followers. 
 The Father's acceptance of him was the acceptance of 
 the Church of which he is the head. Christ under- 
 took this conflict for us. It was a battle between 
 flesh and spirit, and the spirit won. If we have Geth- 
 semane trials we can triumph through Christ. If we 
 have Calvary suffering, we can triumph through our 
 Redeemer. If we sin, Christ died on Calvary, a 
 propitiation for our sins. If we are buried in a tomb, 
 we can triumph through Christ. His resurrection is 
 an assurance of our resurrection and therefore, we 
 conquer by the power of his resurrection. Rejoice, 
 and be glad, for in life, in toil, in suffering, in death 
 we triumph through Christ. The soul is made a victor 
 over sin and its consequences, over death and its power. 
 Those who unite by faith to Christ are more than 
 conquerors through him that lived. This soul triumph 
 is seen in the life of Peter after he had seen and con- 
 versed with the risen Lord. Before the resurrection 
 of Christ he was fickle and impulsive, shrieking with 
 terror when he saw Christ walking on the waves, per- 
 mitting Satan to buffet him in the very presence of 
 his Master, denying Jesus in the hour of his trial, 
 fleeing from him in the hour of his crucifixion; but 
 after he had seen the risen Lord, and looked stead- 
 fastly into his face and heard his words, the timid 
 
THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST 285 
 
 man became bold, the weak man became strong, the 
 fearful man no longer feared men who could destroy 
 only the body. Then, he said, "It is better to obey 
 God than man." Then, he was equipped for life's 
 battles and life's work. His whole nature was 
 changed. His will power was strengthened, his en- 
 ergies were renewed, his zeal was rekindled, and his 
 love was unbounded. Then, he was willing to give 
 up all for Christ and to hasten from city to city, 
 province to province, and kingdom to kingdom to tear 
 down the strongholds of Satan, to preach the Gospel 
 of Christ, and to establish churches of Christ. And if 
 we believe on the Lord, as did Peter, our souls will 
 become triumphant and we will become bold in pro- 
 claiming the truth, brave in defending the truth, and 
 strong in the love of the truth, because of the power 
 of Christ and his resurrection. 
 
 He arose that he might assert his authority in 
 heaven and in earth: "All authority is given to me 
 in heaven and in earth." "I have the keys of Death 
 and Hades." "I am alive forevermore." Yes, he is 
 alive and moving in triumphant march, mightier than 
 when he was manifest in the flesh. He came forth 
 from the grave, robbed it of its sting, showing that 
 death had no power over him. He has power to save ; 
 power to "lead captivity captive and to give gifts to 
 men" ; power to wash us white in his blood ; power 
 to send his angels to welcome us into that everlasting 
 kingdom; and power to give to us a glorious immor- 
 tality. 
 
286 SOUL SAVING 
 
 His resurrection proves a future existence. "I am 
 the Resurrection and the Life: "he that believeth on 
 me, though he die, yet shall he live; and whosoever 
 liveth and believeth on me shall never die." "This 
 day thou shalt be with me in Paradise." "God is not 
 the God of the dead, but of the living." He descended 
 into Hades, remained his appointed time, and came 
 forth. Let our enemies speak of oblivion; let the 
 devil tell us we live no more; let him argue that we 
 drop into forgetfulness. We know it not. We believe 
 it not. We have not so learned Christ. We know 
 that we shall live, because our Redeemer liveth. We 
 know that we shall see him as he is, and be like him. 
 The school-master is not dead because he has closed 
 the doors and left the building. We must not conclude 
 that our friend is dead because he does not look out 
 of the windows of the soul. Death is but an entrance 
 into the future life, or rather the continuation of the 
 life, without the body, in the world to come. 
 
 He was raised that we might have hope in a glori- 
 ous Resurrection: it assures us that we shall rise to 
 be forever with the Lord. Christ is risen, and has be- 
 come the first fruits. He rose as the forerunner of 
 his people. As the first fruits were gathered, so shall 
 the whole harvest be gathered. He is the father and 
 we the children of the Resurrection. Then, "let my 
 eyesight decay, let my body drop from me — let it 
 wither, decompose, pass into dust: I know that I 
 shall rise again, and have a glorified and immortal 
 body. The Spirit that raised Christ from the dead 
 
THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST 287 
 
 shall raise me at the last day." Let death come; let 
 it sweep away our friends; let it tear away the dear 
 ones of our bosom; let our eyes, all gushing with 
 tears, our hearts all filled with sorrow, behold her 
 expire who was our counsel in difficulty, our comfort 
 in sorrow, our friend at all times; but, if we believe, 
 we shall see the glory of God. "Lazarus, thy brother, 
 shall rise again"; so our loved ones shall rise, for 
 Jesus is our Resurrection and our Life. 
 
 In conclusion, let me exhort you who are not Chris- 
 tians to seek the risen Lord. There are too many 
 seeking Christ in the grave. They think of his earthly 
 life with its outward incidents and tragic close. They 
 think of his ministry as coming to an end on Calvary ; 
 but they should think of him as a risen Lord, as a 
 living Lord, as being the head of the Church, as work- 
 ing in human hearts, as governing the affairs of man, 
 as blessing the lives of his people. As a risen Lord, he 
 has spiritual sway over his people. It is not in his 
 body that his presence consists, but in his all-pervading 
 spiritual power and life that transforms the world's 
 moral life. It is by the power of his sacrifice, his 
 obedience, his resurrection, his continued work that 
 he conquers. Kings and conquerors have passed 
 away after careers of slaughter and oppression : death 
 ends their power. Teachers and discoverers of truth 
 leave an influence that outlives their earthly lives, 
 but far beyond this is the work of the Son of Man. 
 He arose that he might become the Divine light and 
 life of men, that he might continue to illuminate and 
 
288 SOUL SAVING 
 
 inspire the world that rejected him, that he might 
 project his mission in the lives and hearts of his fol- 
 lowers, that he might be an ever-present Savior living 
 in heaven and living on earth; therefore, seek him as 
 being present in truth, in righteousness, and in spirit. 
 Look to him for the salvation of your souls. With his 
 resurrection established, you have a sure foundation 
 for your faith. Would you be numbered with the 
 righteous, die the death of the righteous, have part 
 in the resurrection of the righteous, and receive the 
 reward of the righteous? Accept the risen Christ as 
 your Redeemer. The Scriptures assure us that Christ 
 will come again in an hour that we know not; that 
 his voice will sound, and death and Hades will give 
 up their dead; that all shall hear his voice and come 
 forth. No ear can be stopped to the sound of his 
 voice on that day. There will be a resurrection of the 
 just and a resurrection of the unjust; a resurrection of 
 the good and a resurrection of the evil; a resurrec- 
 tion unto life and a resurrection unto damnation. 
 The thief cannot take his spoils, the beggar cannot 
 take his rags, the rich man cannot take his wealth, 
 the king cannot take his crown. All must stand be- 
 fore him in the true light of their characters. Joyful 
 will be the portion of those who have part in the first 
 resurrection; sorrowful will be the portion of those 
 who come forth to the resurrection of the unjust. If 
 you have not risen with Christ from your sins, then 
 you have no hope of attaining to the resurrection of 
 the just. Oh, then, come today to this risen Christ, 
 
THE .RESURRECTION OF CHRIST 289 
 
 who is living and moving amongst men, who has the 
 keys of death and Hades, who 'is able to save your 
 souls and raise you up at the last day, open the gates 
 of heaven to you, and grant you the privilege of sit- 
 ting down with him in the throne of God. 
 
IN THE DAYS OF THY YOUTH 
 
 "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth," 
 Eccl. 12:1. 
 
 These are the words of Solomon, and the wisdom 
 of the- world supports his wisdom in affirming that 
 the best safeguard to the morals, honor, reputation, 
 character and future prospects of the youth is to re- 
 member God in the morning of life. 
 
 Our text suggests four questions : remember whom ; 
 remember how; remember when; remember why. 
 
 Remember "Whom?" Our text declares "Thy 
 Creator." This language implies that man has a Creat- 
 or. Man is a dependent creature and therefore could 
 not create himself; he could not have made himself, 
 for that would have necessitated his action before his 
 existence. God is his Creator — the one living and 
 true God, the Creator of the universe, the One who 
 created the heavens and the earth, the One who made 
 of one blood all nations to dwell upon the earth. "It is 
 God who hath made us and not we ourselves;" God, 
 the Father of Jesus Christ, who is the express image of 
 the Father, and by whom all things are made, and with- 
 out whom nothing is made. God has wonderfully and 
 feafully made man — made him as by needle-work. 
 Could you view man as through a transparent medium 
 
292 SOUL SAVING 
 
 and behold the operation of all his organs, what a won- 
 derful piece of machinery you would find him to be! 
 The eye with its window and lens ; the ear with its 
 paraphernalia and drum ; the tongue with its countless 
 operations and various functions ; the lungs with their 
 inhalations and exhalations; the heart throbbing with 
 its ceaseless beats; the stomach with its gastric juice 
 digesting the food; the lacteal nerves of the bowels 
 with their assimilating power; the liver with its se- 
 creting power; the kidneys with their purifying pow- 
 er; the nerves, muscles, bones, sinews and the triple 
 skin punctured by millions of pores, all present an 
 appearance of mechanism that required a God to con- 
 ceive as well as a God to make. Our text implies that 
 man originally knew God ; that even in his fallen con- 
 dition he is not destitute of the knowledge of God. 
 Paul expressly declares that the visible things of 
 Nature declare the glory of God, and show forth the 
 power of his handiwork. Therefore, in reply to the 
 first question as to whom we are to remember, it is 
 evident the one Being, who deserves to be remem- 
 bered above all others, is God — our Father, Creator, 
 Preserver and Redeemer. 
 
 Remember "How." This is figurative language that 
 expresses our walk with God. We remember him by 
 setting him always before our faces, dwelling in the 
 secret place of the Most High, abiding under the 
 shadow of the Almighty. To remember him is to have 
 the thought of God constantly present with us, to keep 
 us faithful, contented, humble, pure, peaceful and 
 
IN THE DAYS OF THY YOUTH 293 
 
 hopeful. Our text implies that man may forget God. 
 Moses greatly feared lest the children of Israel should 
 forget God ; should forget Him who had blessed them 
 and brought them out of Egypt, the land of bondage, 
 by a hand of mighty power; forget Him who had 
 encamped behind them as a pillar of cloud and 
 marched before them as a pillar of fire; forget Him 
 who had fed them with manna from on high when 
 they were on the point of starvation ; forget Him who 
 sent water when their tongues were parched in the 
 wilderness; forget Him who had defeated their ene- 
 mies and given them such great victories. 
 
 The one characteristic of the wicked is that God 
 is not in all their thoughts. David declares that the 
 wicked, through the pride of his countenance, shall 
 not seek after God ; that God is not in all his thoughts ; 
 that the fool hath said in his heart, "There is no 
 God" ; that whereas the good man meditates upon God 
 in the day and by the night watches, the wicked cast 
 him out of their thoughts. This is a sin against 
 which Christians have to guard. The Apostle exhorts 
 us, "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you 
 an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living 
 God." It is a sin which shall receive an awful pun- 
 ishment, for the Scriptures declare that the wicked 
 and those who forget God shall be turned into hell. 
 Again, the Psalmist exhorts people to consider lest 
 they forget God and be torn into pieces, and have 
 none to deliver them. 
 
 We remember God by thinking about Him. Our 
 
294 SOUL SAVING 
 
 God is a living, personal, intelligence. He is pos- 
 sessed of attributes. He is possessed of a character 
 that is perfect — a character that we may think about 
 and imitate. "The wicked may trust in chariots and 
 horses" ; says David, "but we will remember the name 
 of the Lord our God. I will trust and not be afraid, 
 for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song." 
 We should reflect on his holiness for he is perfect 
 in all respects. "Glorious in holiness, fearful in 
 praises, continually doing wonders." We should re- 
 member his goodness. "Despiseth thou the riches of 
 his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering, not 
 knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to re- 
 pentance? But after thy hard and impenitent heart 
 treasurest up for thyself wrath against the day of 
 wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of 
 God; who will render to every man according to his 
 works." 
 
 We remember him by acknowledging his providence 
 that ruleth over all. "We should bless the Lord with 
 all our souls and forget not all his benefits, who forgiv- 
 eth all our iniquities, healeth all our diseases, redeem- 
 eth our life from destruction, crowneth us with loving 
 kindness and tender mercies-, satisfieth our mouth with 
 good things, so that our youth is renewed like the 
 eagles'." One who merely accepts God's daily ben- 
 efits without any gratitude or acknowledgment, there- 
 fore, is guilty of forgetting God. 
 
 We remember God by meditating upon his word. 
 We must not forget that he has revealed to us words 
 
IN THE DAYS OF THY YOUTH 295 
 
 of truth and grace, and like David, we should med- 
 itate upon his word by day and by night. The Scrip- 
 tures are sufficient to make us wise unto salvation. 
 David says, we are converted by them. Christ says, 
 we are sanctified by them. Paul says, we are begotten 
 by them. Peter says, we a*re born again by them. We 
 should, therefore, remember God by studying his word 
 and keeping it. It should dwell richly in our hearts. 
 "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto 
 my path." 
 
 We remember God by obeying his Son. This is the 
 will of God that we believe on him whom he hath 
 sent. Jesus said, "Ye are my disciples if ye do what- 
 soever I command you." "He that hath my words and 
 keepeth them, he it is that loveth me." The Apostle 
 declares that Christ is made the author of eternal sal- 
 vation to all who obey him. Again, "In flaming fire 
 God will take vengeance on all who obey not the 
 Gospel of Christ." The true test of discipleship is 
 faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to his revealed 
 will. If Christ is forgotten, God is forgotten; if 
 Christ is rejected, God is rejected. To receive Christ 
 is to receive God, and to honor Christ is to honor God. 
 
 We remember God by attending his house. He 
 promises that where two or three are gathered to- 
 gether in his name that he shall be in their midst. 
 The rich and poor meet together — the Lord is the 
 maker of them all. "I had rather be a door-keeper in 
 the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of 
 wickedness." In the house of God the disciples meet 
 
296 SOUL SAVING 
 
 to have fellowship with one another, to study God's 
 word, to pray, to sing his praises, and to remember the 
 Lord's death and Resurrection. We should, there- 
 fore, remember him by being prompt and regular in 
 our attendance at the services of the church. 
 
 Remember "When?" "In the days of thy youth." 
 Not then only for it is our duty to remember God 
 along the whole journey of life — to begin and con- 
 tinue in this remembrance. No age exempt from it 
 and no sex excluded from it. The religion of Christ 
 is a religion of hope for the youth, and a religion of 
 comfort for the aged. It is as becoming to man to 
 remember God as it is to the youth. Our text em- 
 phasizes, in point of time, to remember God in the 
 days of youth. Christ says, "Seek ye first the king- 
 dom of God and his righteousness and all these things 
 shall be added unto you." "They that seek me early 
 shall find me." Scripture writers are unanimous in 
 recommending early godliness. Moses commanded to 
 gather together men, women, and children and the 
 strangers within the gates, to hear and learn of God, 
 to do all the words of the Law, and especially did he 
 command that the children should hear and learn to 
 fear the Lord their God. David, in the thirty-fourth 
 Psalm, says, "Come, ye children, hearken to me and 
 I will teach you the fear of the Lord." In the third 
 chapter of Proverbs, Solomon says, "My son, forget 
 not my law, but let thine heart keep my command- 
 ments, for length of days and long life and peace shall 
 they add to thee." Paul praised Timothy for knowing 
 
IN THE DAYS OF THY YOUTH 297 
 
 the Scriptures from his youth. It was said of Jesus 
 that he grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with 
 God and man. At the age of twelve he was found in 
 the temple about his Father's business, thus setting 
 an example for youth for all time to come. 
 
 Remember "Why?" Why remember thy Creator 
 in the days of youth ? Because he is worthy of being 
 remembered. He is a God of loving kindness, tender 
 mercy, and forgiving spirit. He has given to us life, 
 breath, and all things. He therefore has a right to our 
 remembrance. It is a reasonable service. We should 
 remember him in the days of our youth because it is 
 a formative period. It is a period for forming habits. 
 It is a period when impressions are most readily made 
 and are most lasting. The mind of the youth is like 
 the cement pavement — at first pliable, but later on hard 
 and fixed as rock. Of this truth Memory also affords 
 a specimen. Aged people remember distinctly the 
 events of early life, while those of a later date are 
 readily forgotten. This is true of our other faculties. 
 We learn rapidly in early life, but the faculty of ac- 
 quiring knowledge is greatly lessened as age advances. 
 Again, in the morning of life preparation is made for 
 life's work. It is a period when foundations for fu- 
 ture usefulness and happiness are laid. It is the period 
 when education is obtained, apprenticeship served and 
 business or profession for life, chosen. It is also the 
 period when associations and friends for life are se- 
 lected; then, how vastly important that during this 
 formative period God be remembered and consulted so 
 
298 SOUL SAVING 
 
 that wise decision be made, character formed aright, 
 and salvation of the soul be assured. 
 
 God should be remembered in the days of youth for 
 it is natural then to do so. The youth has faith in 
 his parents and friends. His confidences are strong 
 and lasting. Faith in God is easy and natural. He 
 can readily rise from faith in earthly parents to faith 
 in the heavenly parent. He is quick to respond to 
 the appeals to conscience, easily persuaded to give his 
 heart to Christ. The Gospel has irresistible attrac- 
 tions for him, hence every encouragement should be 
 given to remember God in the days of youth. 
 
 Centuries ago Gregory said that the Bible is like a 
 river, in which an elephant may drown and yet a lamb 
 can ford. He meant that while a lamb — a little child — 
 can believe the truths of the Bible many of the most 
 learned find belief difficult because they have not been 
 brought under the influence of these doctrines in early 
 life. A child rapidly receives the truth. Jesus there- 
 fore says whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of 
 God as a little child, he shall in no wise enter therein." 
 The little child has no prejudices and no persuasive 
 theories to give up ; he has but little to unlearn. He has 
 a strong faith in Jesus. He believes with a faith that 
 makes everything real. He believes in all humility. 
 He trusts his teacher and receives his words as de- 
 cisive. He believes in Jesus and cares nothing for crit- 
 ical points, and hair-splitting theology over the fore- 
 ordination, destination, and condemnation of men. 
 Would to the Lord that all adults would come to 
 
IN THE DAYS OF THY YOUTH 299 
 
 Christ as children come to him ; would believe on him 
 as children believe on him ; sing his praises as children 
 sing them ; love him as children love him ! God forbid 
 that any should be like the disciple of Jesus, who for- 
 bade the little children to come to him, to whom our 
 Savior replied, "Suffer the little children to come unto 
 me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom 
 of Heaven." He took the little ones in his arms, put 
 his hands upon them, and blessed them. 
 
 It is the most convenient time. Young people have 
 leisure ; their moments are not occupied with so many- 
 cares ; they are not as busy as heads of families, mas- 
 ters of shops, or those who have professional duties to 
 perform; therefore, they have a better opportunity to 
 learn the ways of wisdom. Parents, pastors and teach- 
 ers know this to be true, hence they have afforded the 
 youth special opportunities for acquiring knowledge of 
 God's salvation. 
 
 It is an act of supreme wisdom. It is a sorry thing 
 to give God only the dregs of life, to delay till the 
 eleventh hour, even though man is acceptable at that 
 hour. It is unreasonable to wait until old age to obtain 
 an education, or to learn a business, and it is more 
 unreasonable to delay until old age to give the heart to 
 Christ. It is the height of folly to wait until the facul- 
 ties have faded, the powers of discernment weakened, 
 the conscience seared, and the voices of heaven fail to 
 interest, before giving attention to the salvation of 
 the soul. 
 
 The force of habit is another argument. Habits 
 
300 SOUL SAVING 
 
 long continued are exceedingly difficult to change, es- 
 pecially bad habits. Ask the man confirmed in the hab- 
 its of dissipation if this statement is not true. He would 
 reform, but he cannot. The same is true of good habits. 
 If a man is confirmed in religious habits it becomes 
 second nature to him ; he will not turn out of the way. 
 "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when 
 he is old he will not depart from it." Therefore, be- 
 fore impious habits are formed, while hearts are ten- 
 der, affections strong, and character developing, God 
 should be remembered. 
 
 It is the only way to get started right. A good be- 
 ginning is half ended; a right start, and the battle 
 is half fought ; a wrong start and a bad ending ; a good 
 foundation must be laid for a good life. Every youth 
 should be ambitious to start right. How better start 
 right than by getting the heart right with God and by 
 getting on the right way? The way of Christ is the 
 right way. Have you abounding energy? Christ will 
 assist in employing this aright. Have you great temp- 
 tations ? Christ will help to overcome them. Joseph's 
 recollection of Jehovah helped him to resist tempta- 
 tion and turn away from sin. Have you hard ques- 
 tions ? Christ will help to solve them. He is a friend 
 that will stick closer than a brother. 
 
 The shortness of time sustains this position. The 
 sooner children come to Christ the less they have to 
 repent of, and the longer time to repent in. Is it not 
 a nobler sight to see an entire life, from youth to age, 
 given to Christ, than to see the early life spent in sin 
 
IN THE DAYS OF THY YOUTH 301 
 
 and the middle life in folly, and then an effort made 
 in old age to build upon the shaky foundation of past 
 sin and impiety? Again, the morning of life is the 
 surest time of success. Those who deliberately set 
 out to obtain salvation when they are young and 
 healthful are sure to succeed and but few will entertain 
 doubts of their sincerity ; but those who wait until they 
 are old and feeble, and about to die, have reason them- 
 selves to question their sincerity; and their friends 
 may doubt the motives that lead them to make 
 an effort to become Christians. I do not claim that 
 all conversions in old age are delusions, for who 
 knoweth the heart, save God? — but, admitting that 
 many are genuine, yet the argument still holds good, 
 that early life is the time to prepare for every emer- 
 gency ; the time to lay up in store a goodly foundation 
 for the future. Solomon says, "The fear of the Lord 
 is the beginning of wisdom." Parents are exhorted 
 to rear their children in the nurture and admonition 
 of the Lord. Surely, then, so important a matter as 
 saving the soul should be looked after as soon as the 
 age of accountability is reached. Therefore, "it is 
 good for man to wear the yoke in his youth" ; to seek 
 the Lord while he may be found ; to call upon him 
 while he is near; to remember him in the days of 
 youth. 
 
 God should be remembered in the days of youth, 
 before the evil days come. They are sure to come : no 
 matter how young, hale and prosperous, the afflictions 
 and sorrows of life will come. Whether the youth of 
 
302 SOUL SAVING 
 
 today shall be rich or poor, honorable or dishonorable, 
 no man can tell; but all men are born unto sorrow 
 as sure as the sparks fly upward. All men hope for 
 the best, yet some will be doomed to abject poverty; 
 some to be outcasts in society; some to encounter ter- 
 rible enemies; some to be left under the sting of dis- 
 appointed ambitions and blasted hopes; some to fol- 
 low their dearest friends and relatives to the tomb; 
 some to be left orphans to seek bread for themselves ; 
 some to linger under chronic diseases; and all to 
 die and go the way of all the earth. Hence the im- 
 portance of early godliness ; hence the necessity of re- 
 membering our Creator before the evil days draw 
 nigh; hence the necessity of having God for our 
 stronghold when affliction and trouble come upon us. 
 
 If God is not remembered in youth he is apt to be 
 forgotten in age. Those who pass through youth and 
 middle age forgetting God, will, in all probability, die 
 out of Christ. Nine-tenths of the converts to Christ 
 come from the ranks of youth. Timothy knew the 
 Scriptures from his youth up. Had Saul of Tarsus 
 not been converted when a young man there would 
 have been no Paul in history. Polycarp was converted 
 at the age of nine years; Matthew Henry at eleven; 
 Dr. Watts at nine; President Edwards at seven; 
 Bishop Hall at eleven; and Robert Hall at twelve. 
 Ninety-two out of one hundred of the foremost Chris- 
 tian women of England gave their hearts to Christ 
 before the age of twenty. Of one thousand converts 
 made to Christ, during a definite period of my min- 
 
IN THE DAYS OF THY YOUTH 303 
 
 istry, less than a score were beyond the age of forty, 
 and the majority of them were under the age of 
 twenty. If conversion does not take place in youth, as 
 a rule the heart becomes harder, sin more familiar, 
 Satan more seductive, the world more fascinating, the 
 conscience more seared, the Gospel invitations less per- 
 suasive, the prayers and entreaties of friends less ef- 
 fective, the soul less interested in salvation, and 
 heaven less attractive. These facts emphasize the im- 
 portance of remembering God in the days of youth. 
 Parents should not only endeavor to train up their 
 children in the way they should go, but co-operate with 
 Sunday-school teacher and preacher in bringing them 
 to an open acceptation and confession of Christ. Some 
 parents claim they do not wish to exercise so great 
 influence over their children in religious matters, but 
 in nothing else do parents pursue such a course. They 
 insist on their children attending school, though they 
 may not want to do so; they insist on the children 
 adopting certain customs and manners, though the 
 children may not wish to do so. They insist on the 
 children accepting certain standards of morality though 
 the children may not desire so lofty ideals. Some 
 parents object to their children becoming Christians 
 on the ground that they will not hold out, but such an 
 objection is contrary to all experience. The percentage 
 of steadfastness on the part of the children is much 
 greater than on the part of the aged converts. It is 
 told that a certain deacon in Maine, who would not 
 allow his boy to become a Christian because he was 
 
304 SOUL SAVING 
 
 "too young," saying, "Wait awhile till you show that 
 you are pious," was found by the good minister, who 
 did not coincide with his views, on one cold spring 
 day driving the sheep and lambs into the barn. "Why 
 do you do this?" said the pastor, to which the deacon 
 replied, "I fear the lambs would freeze to death if 
 left out over the night." "But," said the pastor, 
 "would it not be as well to leave them out till they 
 show that they are going to live before you drive them 
 in?" The deacon took the hint, and raised no further 
 objection to his son becoming a Christian. I have a 
 record of a number of cases where parents refused 
 permission to their children to become Christians, and 
 as a result, the children grew up without Christ, and in 
 several instances became desperately wicked, and in 
 all the cases, the parents lived to regret the course they 
 pursued. If youth passes without education, as a rule 
 life passes without learning. If youth passes without 
 training in morals, as a rule life passes without good 
 morals. The same is true in the training of youth in 
 faith, hope, love, and worship. If this is not done 
 in early life, as a rule life passes without Christ and 
 Christianity. It is an awful responsibility that a parent 
 assumes when he prevents his child from becoming a 
 Christian. Better that a millstone be tied about the 
 neck of the parent, and he be cast into the depths of the 
 sea, than to prevent one of the little ones coming to 
 Jesus. Sunday-school teachers should feel deeply the 
 responsibility placed upon them in the training of 
 their pupils. They should not cease to pray and work 
 
IN THE DAYS OF THY YOUTH 305 
 
 for their salvation till everyone in their charge is made 
 a disciple of Christ. Many a convert to the Lord 
 has good reason to thank God for his Sunday-school 
 teacher. Every teacher that resolves in the heart to 
 bring the pupils to Jesus, and sets about it in prayer, 
 in kindness, in persistent effort, will be greatly reward- 
 ed by being able to present the entire class to God, 
 washed in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. All 
 youths old enough to know what sin is, what truth is, 
 and to know the difference between right and wrong 
 are old enough to give consideration to their soul sal- 
 vation. If the masses are to be evangelized it requires 
 no extensive learning to solve this problem — win the 
 children and you win the men ; save the young and you 
 save the old ; soften the heart of the child and you will 
 soften the heart of Shylock. Rear them right, and 
 they will remain right; train them in the way they 
 should go, and they will travel that way. Start them 
 in the narrow path to heaven and it will shine brighter 
 and brighter upon them till the perfect day. 
 
 Now is the season for the young to remember Christ, 
 to give their hearts to him, to trust him, to obey him. 
 If this is not done, of what avail all your knowledge 
 and opportunities, and of what benefit all the instruc- 
 tion of parents and teachers ? Today, if you wjll come 
 to him, he will in no wise cast you out. Now 
 is the time to remember God with your love, confession 
 and obedience; now remember him who has not for- 
 gotten you in blessing you with home and friends, op- 
 portunities, privileges, health, happiness, and the offer 
 
306 SOUL SAVING 
 
 of Christ's salvation. "Seek first the kingdom o,f God 
 and his righteousness." The greatest commandment 
 is to "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and 
 with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." 
 "They that seek me early shall find me." 
 Then, "seek the Lord while he may be found, call 
 upon him while he is near." 
 
THE REJECTED AND ACCEPTED 
 SAVIOR 
 
 "He was in the world, and the world was made by him, 
 and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, 
 and his own received him not. But as many as re- 
 ceived him to them gave he power to become the sons 
 of God."— John 1:10, 11, 12. 
 
 Herein is a double rejection of Christ. The first 
 rejection is stated in the sentence, "He was in the 
 world, the world was made by him, and the world knew 
 him not." He has been in the world ever since its crea- 
 tion. In Him all things live and move and have their 
 being. His presence has been continuous with man 
 ever since he was created. His life has always been 
 the light of men. Being the Creator of the world he 
 has had a right to be in the world. He has been in its 
 laws and order; in its beauty and conscience; in its 
 reason and religion. Yes, in the world by Spirit and 
 Power, by Life and Revelation. 
 
 Herein we learn of his special presence — his presence 
 as one of the world's inhabitants ; being under its laws ; 
 subject to the powers that be. He was in the world, 
 manifest in the flesh; bone of our bone and flesh of 
 our flesh. His presence in the world presents the great 
 est wonder. Think who he was — the Son of God. "In 
 
308 SOUL SAVING 
 
 the beginning was the word and the word was with 
 God and the word was God, and the word was made 
 flesh and dwelt amongst us." This is a wonderful fact 
 in the history of the world; so wonderful that it has 
 engaged the attention and interest of angels and men. 
 His special presence in the world shows his great con- 
 descension : This world, compared with the mansions 
 in the heavens, is but a hut in size, a particle of dust 
 in glory, a passing ray of the sun, an insignificant ter- 
 ritory in rebellion, a valley of desolation and death. It 
 would have been a condescension for an angel to have 
 come to live in this world, but a greater condescension 
 for Him who is the Lord of Angels. Consider how he 
 came into the world — not in a palace, not rolling in 
 wealth and luxury, but in a stable, moving from place 
 to place, homeless, poorer than the foxes of the fields. 
 And too, he came not as an intruder, not as an in- 
 fringer, not as a transgressor, for it was to his own 
 world that he came. Herein is a display of the greatest 
 love. Naught else will account for his coming. There 
 was no attraction in the moral sense. Its inhabitants 
 were unfriendly, hostile to each other and hostile to 
 him. They were trampling under foot his bounties, 
 rejecting his teachings, reeking their mad and murder- 
 ous impulses on one another. But he loved the world 
 and voluntarily came into it. Herein is a principle of 
 the greatest importance. His coming was so important 
 that it was told by prophets, foreshadowed by priests, 
 manifested by types, kept before the world by ritual- 
 ism, expected from time to time; so important that 
 
THE REJECTED AND ACCEPTED SAVIOR 309 
 
 the world was four thousand years preparing for his 
 coming and looking forward to that event as the great- 
 est in all history. Herein is manifested a principle of 
 the greatest benefit. The benefit the world derived by 
 his coming was salvation — salvation from sin, its do- 
 minion and consequences ; salvation for both time and 
 eternity ; salvation for body, soul and spirit. Herein is 
 manifested the principle of the greatest honor. Was it 
 not an honor to have the Son of God come to this 
 world? Many a place is sacred as the birthplace of a 
 great man— a great reformer, a great poet, a great 
 statesman, a great scientist, or a great author. Thou- 
 sands go annually to Strat ford-on- Avon because it was 
 there Shakespeare was born. Should we not consider 
 the world sacred because Christ was born in it? It 
 will ever be distinguished as the world in which God 
 was manifest in the flesh. 
 
 The World Knew Him Not. This is not as- 
 serted of the material world, for this knew him 
 by his laws, forces and elements — knew him at once 
 and obeyed his voice ; but it is sadly true of the world's 
 inhabitants, for they knew him not. Paul declared, 
 "The world by wisdom knew not God." In cultured 
 Athens was "an altar to the unknown God." What a 
 dark page on the world's history ! Many of the Jews 
 and Gentiles knew him not, paid no heed to his teach- 
 ings, nor his works, nor his character. They knew 
 him not, notwithstanding he proved his authorship by 
 touching the world's laws and forces and they were 
 obedient to his touch. The world of matter knew him, 
 
310 SOUL SAVING 
 
 but that of intelligence knew him not. What pro- 
 found ignorance in the world not to know its Creator, 
 Preserver and Redeemer! 
 
 The Second Rejection. "He came to his own 
 and his own received him not." He came physic- 
 ally, personally and visibly. He came to his own 
 — to his own land, the land of Palestine; to his own 
 people — the Jewish nation; to his own city — Jerusa- 
 lem; to his own temple — the temple of the Lord. He 
 came to the world at large, but to the Jews in particu- 
 lar. He came to humanity generally, but specially to 
 this particular nation. He came to his own — they 
 were his own by sovereign choice. He had chosen 
 them out of the nations of the earth to be the recipient 
 of God's special revelation, the object of God's special 
 care. They had entered into a covenant by which 
 they were to be his people, to obey and serve him; 
 and he was their God to bless and save them. They 
 were his own by special promises : the central one was 
 the promise of the Messiah and the blessings of His 
 Reign. They were his own by special training; they 
 had been prepared for ages for his advent; they had 
 been fostered by a long and careful training. They 
 were trained by special privileges, revelations and pro- 
 tection; by an economy of rites and sacrifices, all of 
 which pointed to the Messiah's coming. Had he ap- 
 peared in any other land than that of Israel he would 
 not have come according to the predictions of the 
 Book written of him. 
 
 "His Own Received Him Not." This is a 
 
THE REJECTED AND ACCEPTED SAVIOR 311 
 
 stronger statement than that the world knew him 
 not. The Jews were more guilty than the Gentiles 
 in the rejection of the Redeemer, because they were 
 better prepared to receive him, and only a few re- 
 ceived him. The inhabitants of Nazareth thrust him 
 out of the city. The Gergasenes besought him to 
 depart from their borders. A village of Samaria re- 
 fused to admit him. Chorazin and Bethsaida were up- 
 braided by him because of their unbelief. Jerusalem 
 crucified him. His own rejected him because his hu- 
 mility was an offense to their worldliness and pride. 
 His holy character was a rebuke to their sins. His 
 spiritual teaching was a rebuke to their formality. His 
 benevolent life a rebuke to their selfishness. His 
 spiritual kingdom a rebuke to their temporal ambi- 
 tions. This rejection proved most fatal to them. It 
 deprived them of the privleges they despised and 
 abused. It was the rejection of an only friend, a de- 
 liverer who had come to befriend and save — come for 
 the last time to deliver them from spiritual bondage. 
 It was a great loss. There was no other to whom 
 they could go for salvation. For the world to know 
 him not and for his own to receive him not was not 
 only the greatest loss ever sustained by the world but 
 the greatest blunder ever committed by man. The 
 brightest fact in the history of the world is that Christ 
 was in it, and the blackest spot in the history of the 
 world is that it rejected him. Terrible consequences 
 came to the Jewish nation as the result of rejecting 
 Him. France, at a dark period of her history, knew 
 
312 SOUL SAVING 
 
 him not, rejected him; and terrible were the conse- 
 quences that came to that nation ; and, notwithstanding 
 all of her artistic, musical and literary talent she has 
 never been able to overcome that fatal mistake. She 
 is still in the throes of infidelity and political up- 
 heavals. 
 
 The Savior Accepted. Observe, first, by whom 
 the Son of God was gratefully received. This 
 chapter tells of Andrew, and Simon, and Philip and 
 Nathaniel. Andrew found Jesus, and brought his 
 brother Peter; Philip found the Lord and brought 
 Nathaniel. We read elsewhere of such people as 
 Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea receiving him; 
 of such families as that of Mary and Martha and 
 Lazarus at Bethany. These afford a glimpse into the 
 soul history of other individuals and families that re- 
 ceived the Savior. Observe what is said of their re- 
 ception of Christ. They believed on His Name. His 
 name set forth the object of their faith. They believed 
 the prophecies which spoke of his coming. They 
 believed him to be the Messiah that was to save 
 the world. They believed his life was the light 
 of men. They believed him to be the Son of 
 God. They believed that faith in him and obedi- 
 ence to his will would make them members of his 
 kingdom. 
 
 Observe the blessing bestowed upon those who re- 
 ceive Christ. To them he gives the power to be the 
 Sons of God. This is a new spiritual relationship — 
 the gift that Christ bestowed upon man; the highest 
 
THE REJECTED AND ACCEPTED SAVIOR 313 
 
 honor that man can enjoy. And to this exalted priv- 
 ilege we call your special attention. 
 
 The "Sons of God." Elsewhere we are told, 
 "Now are we the sons of God." Some may question 
 about our origin, but it matters little what man was 
 in the previous history of physical elements. No mat- 
 ter if the first sign of physical life was detected in a 
 fungus. No matter if the first forms of physical life 
 were ungainly. No matter if our organic life had to 
 struggle and struggle up through untold ages until 
 there stood forth a comely Adam and a beautiful Eve 
 to be the first recipients of human souls. No matter 
 in what conditions were our ancestors — whether 
 monkeys or monsters, whether wild men of the woods 
 or noblemen from heaven. The fact is, "Now are we 
 the Sons of God." This is the grandest thing that can 
 be said about us. This is said of our spirits, and this 
 is as literally true as the fact that we were brought 
 forth into the world by our physical fathers and 
 mothers. The fact that we are the "Sons of God" 
 implies that we are the heirs of God. 
 
 God will give to us the enjoyment of his whole es- 
 tate. Shall He not share with his own? If you 
 were the king of a kingdom and your children were 
 living in huts for a few years for good reasons known 
 to you, would you not be delighted to visit them, 
 mingle with them, dine with them, and sojourn with 
 them in their lowly estate? Heirs of God! No man 
 can comprehend its depth of meaning. God created 
 man in His own image, and then, by adoption, calls 
 
314 SOUL SAVING 
 
 him son. As you trace in your physical bodies re- 
 semblances to your earthly parents, so you may trace 
 in your spiritual likenesses the image of the Father of 
 your spirits. If God has a throne, we are heirs to it. If 
 He has joys, we are heirs to them. If He has ineffable 
 glory, we are heirs to that glory. If He has mansions 
 beyond the skies, we are heirs to those mansions. 
 If He has an eternity of love we are heirs to that. 
 Sons of God! What possibilties are before us. All 
 history and science declare that the human race is in 
 its infancy; but as sons of God and heirs of eternal 
 life, man will be in his infancy when myriads of ages 
 shall have passed away. Being now a son of God, 
 what shall be the progress of man in the future? 
 Man has already made great progress, but what of the 
 future? With our relationship to God, with our basis 
 of immortality, with our boundless faculties, with our 
 earthly experiences, with the help of eternity, with 
 space for our activities, with the throne of God for 
 our light, with perfection for our attribute, with eter- 
 nity for our day, to what may we not attain? We 
 shall not cease to be the "sons of God" but who can 
 tell what "sons of God" may come to be. "Beloved, 
 now are we the sons of God, for it doth not yet appear 
 what we shall be, but we know that we shall be like 
 him for we shall see him as he is." 
 
 "We shall be." Troubles may bear heavy upon 
 our souls; misunderstandings may come between us; 
 enemies may wish us out of sight, but we shall be. 
 The sods of the earth may close over us, the grave 
 
THE REJECTED AND ACCEPTED SAVIOR 315 
 
 may swallow us, and ages seem to engulf us, but we 
 shall be. Our memories may perish from the minds 
 of men; the doors of our establishments may be closed 
 forever, but we shall be. The fashions of the world 
 may change ; the earth is growing old with age, and 
 may sometime drop into the chasms of the universe, 
 but we shall be. New-born worlds may rise and reign 
 in rays of glory, but we shall be. God's magnificent 
 stellar systems may have the cogs of their wheels 
 broken from the friction of long work, and the great 
 orbs of the universe may tire as they sweep through 
 the cycles of ages, and be folded up as a napkin, but 
 we shall be. The angel of the Lord may descend to 
 the earth, and with one foot on the land and one 
 foot upon the sea, and with uplifted hand, declare that 
 time shall be no more, and latitude and longitude may 
 be lost on the shoreless sea of eternity, but as the sons 
 of God, we shall be. 
 
 "We shall be." I emphasize "we." We have en- 
 tered upon an existence that knows no termination. 
 We are endowed with immortality, and have already 
 begun out eternity. We who now live, and move, 
 and have our being upon the earth; we, men and 
 women and children, who this day are worshipping 
 God, shall be. We shall be either enjoying the joys 
 of heaven or suffering the agonies of hell. That we 
 shall be is clearly revealed, but what we shall be is to 
 some extent concealed, but this is all to our advantage. 
 
 Suppose that you who have attained success in busi- 
 ness, had been enabled as youths to have pierced the 
 
316 SOUL SAVING 
 
 future of your lives, beheld the advances along the road, 
 witnessed your struggles and known the sum-total of 
 your success, would not your life have been common- 
 place and the march along the way been devoid of 
 charm? If you men of intellectual power had known, 
 when young men, just what you would have been 
 when your fame was full, would it not have detracted 
 from the spring of your intellectual aims and ambi- 
 tions? The beauty of that mysterious future and joy 
 of attainment which is always just ahead gives charm 
 to our spiritual life. We are now the sons of God, 
 but it doth not yet appear what we shall be, though 
 the future is indescribably beautiful — beautiful 
 enough to make noon burst upon noon and wing rise 
 above wing; beautiful enough to make each great 
 achievement the precursor of a greater achievement; 
 each happy moment the predecessor of a happier mo- 
 ment, and each joyful association the anticipation of 
 a more joyful association; yet it doth not appear to 
 what we shall attain. God's Alps will be Alps ascend- 
 ed, and from each higher peak we shall see light be- 
 yond, and looking back to our brethren we can pro- 
 claim: "It doth not yet appear"; "It doth not yet 
 appear." But we know that we shall be like him — 
 like him in glory and in holiness; like him in loving 
 character; like him in spiritual ardor. I once heard 
 a dying Christian declare that the thought that filled 
 his soul with rapture was that he should soon be like 
 his Lord. When earthly love grows powerless to sus- 
 tain, what is it that comforts the dying man — the 
 
THE REJECTED AND ACCEPTED SAVIOR 317 
 
 goodly mansions with streets of gold by crystal 
 streams ; the trees that bare twelve manner of fruits ; 
 the thrones of ivory; the crowns of diadems; the 
 scepters of gold ; the robes of celestial whiteness ? No, 
 for these splendors are all external. But that which 
 fills the dying soul with rapture is the hope of being 
 like his Lord with all the deformities and effects of 
 his sins taken away; the hope that he shall be trans- 
 formed into the likeness of his Father; that he shall 
 live in holiness with God ; that he shall see Him as He 
 is ; that he shall be like him when he shall see him face 
 to face. How we long to behold the absent ones, those 
 who have crossed over the river that rolls between 
 us and the shores of light; those who have gone out 
 from our midst upon whom our affections were cen- 
 tered ; those who have gone up to be like Jesus. When 
 we think of them in our sober moments how intense 
 our longings to behold them once more ; to behold the 
 faces of our fathers and our mothers, of our beloved 
 companions, of our sons and daughters. And may 
 not this be a part of that joy in heaven — this blessed 
 reunion of friends? But in the midst of these joys 
 there will be another and a deeper joy. "Whom have 
 I in heaven but Thee, and there is none upon the 
 earth that I desire but Thee." Some time and some 
 how we shall see him. It will be a vision of faith 
 bright and shining. He will communicate to us his 
 ideas, his principles, his character, his heart of love. 
 He will show us his glory. Then, comfort to those 
 eyes filled with weeping! Sight to those eyes that 
 
318 SOUL SAVING 
 
 have been blind from birth! Ye shall see the King 
 in his beauty and the land that is afar off. Ye shall 
 behold a city — a city not made by the hands of men. 
 As Moses on the Mount did catch from God's face a 
 brightness that planted itself upon the prophet's coun- 
 tenance, with its luminous splendor, long after he had 
 descended from the Mount to be with his friends, so 
 we shall behold Jesus, and we shall be like him, we 
 shall be changed into a better and increasing likeness 
 of our Lord. As dull planets turn their faces to the 
 sun to borrow light, so the sons of God turn their 
 faces to Jesus to catch the glow of his sunshine of love. 
 As he appeared upon the Mount of Transfiguration in 
 an illumined atmosphere, with a shining face and with 
 white garment, so he will transform our vile bodies 
 and fashion them like unto his glorified body. We 
 are now sons of God. We have not yet attained our 
 majority. We are sons of God on earth, but we shall 
 soon be sons of God in heaven. We now know one an- 
 other as sons of God where there is sin, and sor- 
 row, and misunderstandings, and separation, and 
 death, but we shall soon know one another as 
 sons of God where sin shall not enter, where 
 sorrow shall not come, where the inhabitant shall not 
 say, "I am sick," and where death is no more. We 
 now know one another as the sons of God where we 
 are struggling for more light, for we see through a 
 glass darkly, but we shall soon know one another as 
 sons of God where the clouds that have dimmed our 
 earthly horizon shall be rolled away and we shall see 
 
THE REJECTED AND ACCEPTED SAVIOR 319 
 
 with the effulgent light of heaven. We now know 
 one another as the sons of God where we are buffeted 
 by Satan, but we shall soon know one another as the 
 sons of God where Satan hath no dominion, where 
 flesh and blood shall not enter, where God reigns su- 
 preme and the spirits of just men are made perfect. 
 We now know one another as the sons of God, 
 though we may be disguised as farmers, merchants, 
 lawyers, physicians, students, mechanics, preachers — 
 poor and unknown, toiling in shops for bread, living 
 in lonely palaces, dying unnoticed, but, bye and bye, 
 we shall ascend to the lofty palaces of eternity where 
 we shall be recognized in our true capacity, where 
 God's honor, glory, and everlasting joy shall be ours. 
 And while this is comforting to the Christian, let those 
 who are not in Christ hasten to accept this King who 
 came into the world that they may be called his sons 
 and inherit his glory. Oh, he is a King immortal, 
 eternal. Where is Louis XIV.? Dead! Where is 
 Richard III. ? Dead ! Where is Peter the Great ? Dead ! 
 Where is Napoleon ? Dead ! Death sits in the palace of 
 the potentates of the earth, but King Emanuel lives as 
 an Immortal King, as a living, personal, present, loving 
 Savior. Oh, will you not accept him who is the Res- 
 urrection and the Life that you may live and reign 
 with him forevermore? Accept him, so that when 
 he shall appear, you shall be like him; for you shall 
 see him as he is. 
 
RINGING THE BELLS OF HEAVEN 
 
 "And the Spirit and the Bride say Come. And let him 
 that heareth say Come. And let him that is athirst 
 come, and whosoever will, let him take the water of 
 life freely."— Rev. 22:17. 
 
 These precious invitations sound like a chime of 
 bells from heaven. Christ says "Come." The Spirit 
 says "Come." The Church says "Come." Let him 
 that heareth catch up the sound and say "Come." Let 
 the thirsty come, and whosoever will, let him come. 
 
 It is claimed that every perfect bell has a clear note 
 and the manufacturer can name the note as soon as 
 he hears the bell ring. The clear, full, resonant note 
 of the Bible is "Come." It occurs hundreds of times 
 in the Scriptures. More than five thousand years ago 
 God rang out an invitation to Noah and his household 
 to come into the ark. Thence down the ages God 
 rings the bell of "Come," like a tocsin, inviting the 
 wanderer to return, the weary to rest, and the lost 
 to salvation. Five and twenty centuries ago it sounded 
 in sweet accents from the lips of the venerable Isaiah, 
 when he said, "Ho, every one that thristeth! Come, 
 yea come!" "Come now, and let us reason together, 
 saith the Lord: Though your sins be as scarlet, they 
 shall be as white as snow ; though they be red like 
 
322 SOUL SAVING 
 
 crimson, they shall be as wool." The bells are ringing 
 today ; we hear them. The Spirit says "Come." The 
 Church says, "Come." Today we ring this chime of 
 bells and beckon you to come. Some of the bells 
 in the great cathedrals of Europe ring only on great 
 occasions, but the bells of heaven are ringing all the 
 time. Night and day they never cease. We are never 
 weary with their chime for they bring us joy, hope, 
 and peace. 
 
 Christianity is the only religion that says, "Come." 
 Go, search through all other religions, ancient and 
 modern, and see if you can find "Come." Go and 
 listen, and see if you can hear the sweet and beautiful 
 chime of "Come." 
 
 Begin with the religion of Egypt — the oldest of all. 
 Study carefully all that is gleaned from the "Book of 
 the Dead." You may learn about their rules of right 
 living, their faith in immortality, but "Come" it does 
 not contain ; hence, their offering tears upon the altars 
 of their gods, their religion of despair, their future, a 
 land of slumber and darkness. 
 
 Study the religion of the Greeks, who were, as 
 Paul said, exceedingly devout. Zeus was their su- 
 preme Deity. His attributes were the eagle, the thun- 
 derbolt and scepter. His eyes flashed lightning and 
 with his thunderbolt he hurled his foes down the 
 mountain side ; but he never said "Come." Study 
 the lives and writings of the old Grecian philosophers : 
 Plato, who founded the academy; Epicurus, who left 
 to posterity the strange maxim, "Let us eat and drink, 
 
RINGING THE BELLS OF HEAVEN 323 
 
 for tomorrow we die ;" Zeno, who founded the School 
 of the Stoics; Diogenes, who founded a philosophy 
 steeped in gall; Aristotle, who taught the inductive 
 method of reasoning; and Socrates, the noblest of 
 them all, with the fatal hemlock at his lips, hoping 
 for immortality, never said "Come ;" they never in- 
 vited men to a Savior of pardon and love. 
 
 Study the religion of ancient Rome. Did Jupiter, 
 their great god, ever say "Come?" He was a foe to 
 humanity rather than a blessing. He was jealous 
 of human happiness, not a promoter of it. 
 
 Study modern Brahmanism, and see if you can find 
 where men and women are invited to put off the 
 earthly and put on the heavenly, to come to a higher 
 and better state. You may learn of the fabled Brahm 
 issuing from the primeval egg and creating from his 
 head the Brahmans; from his breast the soldiers; 
 from his loins the merchants ; and from his feet the 
 laboring classes. And thus came the iron-clad sys- 
 tem of caste that has prevailed for more than thirty 
 centuries and has cursed India with a thousand 
 curses. 
 
 The god of Buddhists is far away from the struggles 
 of humanity. He is impersonal and inactive — without 
 eyes to see, arms to save and heart to pity. He gives 
 no invitation. His worshipers want no invitation to 
 come to him, for they only fear him. 
 
 Confucianism, with all its veneration for learning, 
 reverence for the past and worship of ancestors, gives 
 no invitation to come to a great salvation. It has 
 
324 SOUL SAVING 
 
 made a race of plodding materialists heedless of eter- 
 nity. 
 
 Mohammedanism, founded by Mohammed the 
 prophet, the canal driver of Mecca, has come down 
 the ages brandishing a sword crimson with blood, with 
 the harem on one side, and the Bedouin slave driver 
 on the other. It has written its history in war, polyga- 
 my, slavery and destitution. It does not invite the 
 weary, heavy laden, and suffering, to come to a 
 Savior of peace and pardon. I do not say that there 
 is no good in these religions, but it is like unto only 
 a trace of gold in the quartz — it is not found in paying 
 quantities ; it does not pay to separate it from the dross. 
 
 You may continue the search through the whole 
 catalogue of religions, past and present, and only in 
 Christianity will you find a God who invites men to 
 come to him and be saved and blessed. Herein Chris- 
 tianity differs from all other religions. Herein is the 
 pre-eminence of Christ. Herein our God is shown 
 to be above all other Gods. 
 
 They not only have no "Come," but no sal- 
 vation, no deliverance from sin and its conse- 
 quences; no future punishment for the wicked; no 
 way of escape from the wrath to come made known 
 in unmistakable terms ; no heaven for the faithful ; no 
 door of entrance revealed unto man by which he may 
 enter into the gates into that city about which so many 
 beautiful things are spoken. 
 
 The first "Come" of Christianity is the coming of 
 Christ. When a prince was born in Moscow three 
 
RINGING THE BELLS OF HEAVEN 325 
 
 hundred bells rang out the glad news. When Christ 
 came the angels rang the bells of heaven and sang the 
 sweetest song ever sung on earth; "Glory to God 
 in the highest; peace on earth and good-will to men." 
 Men were lost in their wisdom and knowledge, in their 
 sins and iniquities and Christ came to save them. 
 That was Christ's mission and he has fulfilled it. An 
 Emperor of Japan gave an order to a bell-maker to 
 cast a bell that could be heard from the factory to the 
 palace. He cast one bell and another, but the Emperor 
 listened in vain. An oracle was consulted that de- 
 clared the metal would have to be saturated with the 
 blood of a human being, and when the daughter of 
 the bell-maker heard the sad news, she threw herself 
 into the caldron of molten metal, and when the bell 
 rang, the Emperor heard the sound in his far-away 
 palace and declared it the sweetest music he had ever 
 heard. So Jesus Christ came and sprinkled his blood 
 over the sinner's heart that he might be saved; and 
 the Father saw and heard from heaven and was well- 
 pleased with the salvation wrought by his own beloved 
 son. 
 
 Christ came from the glory he had with the Father 
 before the world was. He came from the throne be- 
 yond the skies. He came from the worship of the 
 angelic hosts of heaven. He came voluntarily. He 
 came in all humility. No stately palace received him, 
 no princely couch sustained his infant head, no na- 
 tional feast hailed his coming. He loved man and 
 came to save him. He came to seek and to save the 
 
326 SOUL SAVING 
 
 lost. "Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all ac- 
 ceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to 
 save sinners." Says Christ, "I come that ye might 
 have life, and have it more abundantly." "The Son 
 of Man is not come to destroy, but to save." "I am 
 come a Light into the world." 
 
 , When Christ came he rang anew the heavenly 
 chimes, and he rang them again and again. The tone 
 of one bell, well tuned, is sweet, but when a dozen or 
 more are harmoniously tuned and skillfully rung, in a 
 grand chime, then the music sounds out in one grand 
 chorus almost celestial. No one having heard the 
 sweet Carillon chorus of Amsterdam, Copenhagen, 
 Worchester, Lincolnshire and Bradford will ever for- 
 get them. No one hearing the sweet chime of bells 
 rung by our Lord and Master will ever forget them. 
 Hear the glad news, "Come and see." "Come, for all 
 things are now ready. If any man thirst, let him come 
 things are now ready." "If any man thirst, let him 
 come unto me and drink." "Come unto me, all ye that 
 labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." 
 "Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out." 
 Christian people, listen, and see if you cannot hear 
 one of the bells that Christ is ringing especially for 
 you. "If any man will come after me, let him take 
 up his cross, deny himself, and follow me." Jesus is 
 our leader. He stands in the forefront of the battle. 
 He calls us to follow after him. Have we not often 
 been so heartless, indifferent and negligent as to be 
 ashamed to look into our Captain's face? Consider- 
 
RINGING THE BELLS OF HEAVEN 327 
 
 ing our weakness, it is a wonder that we have won a 
 single battle. Considering the vast number of fighting 
 men and women in the army of the Lord one would 
 think Satan and his allies would long ago have been 
 defeated, the strongholds of wickedness torn down, 
 and every city of sin destroyed, and the whole field 
 captured for our Lord and Savior; but alas! many 
 of those well able to fight have never seen the firing 
 line; many of them have never looked into the face 
 of the enemy. Many of them have bcome stragglers 
 from camp; many of them have become deserters 
 from the army. What will be the answer when our 
 general comes to call the roll, to make up his jewels, 
 and we have to answer for our stewardship? I fear 
 many will be cast out as unworthy soldiers and have 
 no place with those who have fought for our captain, 
 and helped win the victory. But our hearts should be 
 made glad when we see the number in the army in- 
 creasing so rapidly — more new recruits joining the 
 rank and file, than deserters from the post of duty. 
 We hear good reports coming from every direction 
 of multitudes turning away from Satan to Christ 
 and putting on the whole armor of God that they may 
 be able to fight against flesh and blood, and spiritual 
 wickedness in high places. When Nelson arranged 
 the English navy in battle line to meet the combined 
 Spanish and French navies, he stood on the flagship 
 with the standard of Great Britain unfurled, and cried 
 out: "England this day expects every man to do his 
 duty." And so, the Captain of our salvation stands 
 
328 SOUL SAVING 
 
 on the bridge of the ship of Zion, and gives command 
 all along the line for every soldier and seaman to do 
 his duty. He leads into the thickest of the battle; 
 follow after him. During one of the hottest-con- 
 tested battles in the history of our country, when 
 patriots were falling back step by step, notwithstand- 
 ing the shouts of captains and colonels, "to face about 
 and bear down upon the foe," the retreat had fully 
 set in when the general came galloping down the line, 
 brandishing his sword, and shouting, "Come, boys, fol- 
 low me," at once, the men rallied, every retreating step 
 was gained; new courage was instilled into the hearts 
 of all the soldiers; they followed the general into the 
 battle and on to victory. So, Jesus Christ leads; he is 
 calling you to come. Hear the call: "Come after 
 me." "Come over into Macedonia and help us." 
 "Come up to the help of the Lord and the mighty." 
 Come, for souls are perishing. Come, for the fields 
 are white unto the harvest. Will you not put on the 
 armor and follow after him? He may lead you by 
 the side of still waters, into the midst of green pas- 
 tures, along flowery paths of joy and prosperity, or it 
 may be into a battle against sin and Satan, or with 
 temptation and difficulty, or into the darkened valley 
 of sorrow, or into the valley of the shadow of death. 
 But, if you will follow after him he will finally lead 
 you. across the river, and through the gates, into the 
 mansions of God. 
 
 Christian people should learn to ring the bells of 
 heaven. In times past they were rung by prophets, 
 
RINGING THE BELLS OF HEAVEN 329 
 
 apostles, martyrs, evangelists, and the redeemed in 
 Christ. The apostles rang these bells over Syrian 
 deserts, Judean mountains and plains, over stormy 
 seas, in pestilential climes, in prison cells, amid hunger 
 and thirst, and persecution. Martyrs rang these bells 
 amidst blazing fagots, upon the ignominious cross, and 
 amongst the wild beasts in the arena. Such men as 
 Brainard and Elliott, Whitefield and Wesley, Knox 
 and Luther, Moffett and Stanley, have in seraph tones 
 sounded out the "Comes" of Christ. "Let the Bride 
 say 'Come/ The whole church should join in one 
 colossal concert, and say 'Come.' Are there children 
 in the church? Let their voices ring out in a sweet 
 and harmonious tintinnabulation of 'Come/ Are there 
 young men and women? Let their voices join in the 
 eternal harmony of 'Come.' Are there strong men and 
 women? Let them stand forth in the light and prime 
 of life and give the invitation to 'Come.' Are there 
 aged men and women in the Master's service? Let 
 them declare what great things the Lord hath done for 
 them, and persuade men to 'Come.' Let the healed 
 say 'Come.' Let the pardoned say 'Come.' Let all 
 who have been lifted up from the lowest depths 
 of sin say 'Come.' Let all who have had their thirst 
 quenched by the waters of life say 'Come.' Not 
 one voice is to be mute; all are to ring the bells of 
 heaven; all are to sound out the glorious invitations, 
 'Come,' 'come,' come.' Jesus is the leader of this 
 mighty choir. He has hung aloft this magnificent 
 peal of bells, and he would have us fill the whole 
 
/ 
 
 330 SOUL SAVING 
 
 earth with the chimes and harmonies of 'Come/ 
 'come/ come/ " 
 
 Some of the greatest bells of earth, like the one at 
 Moscow, that weighs four hundred and forty thousand 
 pounds, and the old Independence bell of America 
 that rang to proclaim liberty to all the world, are 
 broken ; but the bells of heaven will never break, crack, 
 or wear out from their much usage; but rather will 
 their music become sweeter the longer and oftener 
 they are rung. 
 
 y You will not ring the bells of heaven in vain. The 
 bells of earth are rung for various purposes: to call 
 soldiers to arms, citizens to the Senate, and Christians 
 to the church; they have sounded out the alarm of 
 fire and tumult; they have been rung to scare away 
 evil spirits ; they have been rung as a sign to massacre 
 the believers in Christ; they have been rung to wel- 
 come in the New Year; to announce the victories of 
 armies and navies, to extinguish the lights of cities, 
 to remind the children of the Curfew Law, and to 
 toll out the sad news of death. At the news of Nel- 
 son's death and triumph at Trafalgar, the bells of 
 Chester rang a merry peal, alternated with one deep 
 toll, thus signaling the victory and at the same time 
 mourning the loss of the mighty conqueror. 
 
 But the bells of heaven are rung for a greater pur- 
 pose — to invite men to come to Christ for pardon, 
 peace and eternal life. Yes, to the Savior, for he is 
 the only one to whom men are to come for salvation. 
 He is the Water of Life. He is the Way, the Life, 
 
RINGING THE BELLS OF HEAVEN 331 
 
 and the Truth. No man cometh unto the Father 
 save by him. For whom are the bells of heaven rung? 
 To those who thirst. Some thirst, and do not know 
 for what. It is a thirst for peace that cometh through 
 Christ — the thirst for the immortality that Christ hath 
 brought to light through his Gospel. Blessed be his 
 name, "Whosoever will may come." This invitation 
 includes all. Whosoever is far away on the moun- 
 tains of sin may come; whosoever is subjected to 
 fearful temptations may come; whosoever has long 
 delayed his soul salvation may come. Old and young 
 may come; rich and poor may come; learned and 
 ignorant may come. The morally good, and the mor- 
 ally bad may come; those who are far from the king- 
 dom, and those who are near the kingdom, may come. 
 Those only are kept out who refuse to accept the in- 
 vitation; those only miss the blessing who refuse' to 
 hear the ringing of the bells of heaven. All are in- 
 vited to come in faith, repentance, and obedience. 
 Your coming will not only bring joy to your own 
 heart, but will give joy to your friends to know you 
 have come to Christ, and will make joy in the presence 
 of the angels of God because of your repentance ; yes, 
 over your coming, the bells of heaven will ring; 
 Christ, the Chief Shepherd, will rejoice; the angels of 
 God will rejoice; the redeemed in Paradise will re- 
 joice. Great will be this joy and rejoicing because 
 God's image has been recovered in the heart, your 
 character has been changed, you have been saved from 
 sin and its consequences, and you are in the way of 
 
332 SOUL SAVING 
 
 eternal life. Oh people! the bells of heaven are 
 ringing today. Hear them ! Hear them ! "The Spirit 
 and the Bride say Come. Let him that heareth say 
 Come. Let him that is athirst, Come, and whosoever 
 will, let him take of the water of life freely." Hear 
 them, and heed them, and bye-and-bye you will hear 
 another bell of heaven, "Behold, the Bridegroom 
 cometh" ; "I will come and receive you unto myself" ; 
 "Come up higher." And when your immortal spirit 
 quits the mortal body will not the ringing of these 
 bells of heaven be sweet music to you ? 
 
 When the faithful come from the East and the 
 West, the North and the South, to sit down in the 
 Father's throne, will it not be a joy unspeakable and 
 full of glory to be with them and to hear the ringing 
 of the Resurrection bell for the righteous ; "Come, ye 
 blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared 
 for you from the foundation of the world." God 
 grant that you may be robed, and ready to say, "Even 
 so come, Lord Jesus. Amen." 
 
DEC 26 ISO 1 ? 
 
 Deacidified using the Bookkeeper procei 
 Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide 
 Treatment Date: Oct. 2005 
 
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