,,and  ,,judas ,,iscariot   ,,together  
,,with ,,other ,,evangelistic           
,,addresses   ,,by  ,j4 ,,wilbur        
,,chapman     ,,hodder  ,,stoughton     
,,new ,,york  ,,george ,h4 ,,doran      
,,company     ,copyright  #aijf  ,the   
,winona ,publishing ,company            
,,contents     ,and ,judas ,iscariot    
,an ,old-,fashioned ,home   ,the        
,swelling of ,jordan   ,a ,call to      
,judgment   ,a ,changed ,life   ,the    
,lost ,opportunity   ,a ,great ,victory 
,paul a ,pattern of ,prayer   ,a        
,startling ,statement   ,the ,grace of  
,god   ,conversion   ,five ,kings in a  
,cave   ,definiteness of ,purpose in    
,christian ,work   ,the ,morning        
,breaketh   ,an ,obscured ,vision   ,the
 ,compassion of ,jesus   ,sanctification
   ,an ,unheeded ,warning   ,the        
,approval of the ,spirit   ,a           
,reasonable ,service   ,the ,true       
,christian ,life     ,,introduction     
,the sermons contained in this volume   
are published in response to numerous   

requests that they might be put into    
permanent form4  ,the author of these   
sermons needs no introduction to the    
,christian readers of ,america4  ,his   
fame as an author1 preacher and         
evangelist is more than national4  ,as  
,director of the evangelistic work      
carried on by the ,general ,assembly's  
,committee of the ,presbyterian ,church1
 he has achieved distinction as a       
preacher of the ,gospel4  ,under his    
direction simultaneous evangelistic     
campaigns have been held in many of the 
leading cities of the land1 and the     
,christian ,church and the world have   
had an experience of a new1 aggressive  
and emphatic evangelism that has stirred
 the ,church1 revived ,christian service
 and been the means under ,god of       
turning thousands to a life of          
allegiance to ,jesus ,christ4           
,therefore it is a privilege and        
pleasure to put into book form some of  
the sermons which ,dr4 ,chapman has     
preached in his evangelistic work and   

also as the ,director of the            
,interdenominational ,bible ,conference 
at ,winona ,lake1 ,indiana4  ,thousands 
have borne witness to the profound      
impression and enduring influence of    
those messages4  ,especially is this    
true of ,and ,judas ,iscariot and ,an   
,old-,fashioned ,home4  ,one can never  
forget the scene when the latter sermon 
was preached on ,thanksgiving ,day1     
#aije1 in the great theater in ,jersey  
,city4  ,great numbers of men have      
confessed their sins and accepted ,jesus
 ,christ as a personal ,savior following
 the preaching of ,the ,swelling of     
,jordan4  ,the book is sent forth with  
devout gratitude to ,god for his        
blessing upon the preaching of these    
sermons1 and with a prayer that even the
 reading of them may be attended with   
deeper devotion to ,jesus ,christ1 and  
increasing service to those for whom    
,christ died4  ,,parley ,e4 ,,zartmann4 
,,and ,,judas ,,iscariot   ,,and ,,judas
 ,,iscariot  ,,text3 ,and ,judas        

,iscariot4--,mark #c3ai4  ,there is     
something about the name of this        
miserable man which commands our        
attention at once4  ,there is a sort of 
fascination about his wickedness1 and   
when we read his story it is difficult  
to give it up until we have come to its 
awful end4  ,it is rather significant1  
it would seem to me1 that his name      
should come last in the list of the     
,apostles1 and the text1 ,and ,judas    
,iscariot1 would suggest to me not only 
that his name was last1 but that it was 
there for some special reason1 as ,i am 
sure we shall find out that it was4  ,it
 is also significant that the first name
 mentioned in the list of the ,apostles 
in this third chapter of ,mark was      
,simon1 who was surnamed ,peter4  ,the  
first mentioned ,apostle denied ,jesus  
with an oath1 the one last referred to  
sold him for thirty pieces of silver and
 has gone into eternity with the awful  
sin of murder charged against him4  ,the
 difference between the two is this3    

their sins were almost equally great1   
but the first repented and the grace of 
,god had its perfect work in him and he 
was the object of ,christ's forgiveness2
 the second was filled with remorse     
without repentance and grace was        
rejected4  ,the first became one of the 
mightiest preachers in the world's      
history2 the second fills us with horror
 whenever we read the story of his awful
 crime4  ,different names affect us     
differently4  ,one could not well think 
of ,john without being impressed with   
the power of love2 nor could one        
consider ,paul without being impressed  
first of all with his zeal and then with
 his learning4  ,certainly one could not
 study ,peter without saying that his   
strongest characteristic was his        
enthusiasm4  ,it is helpful to know that
 the ,spirit of ,god working with one   
who was a giant intellectually and with 
one who was profane and ignorant        
accomplished practically the same       
results1 making them both1 ,paul and    

,peter1 mighty men whose ministry has   
made the world richer and better in     
every way4 ,but to think of ,judas is   
always to shudder4  ,there is a kindred 
text in this same ,gospel of ,mark1 but 
the emotions it stirs are entirely      
different4  ,the second text is1 ,and   
,peter4  ,the crucifixion is over1 the  
,savior is in the tomb1 poor ,peter1 a  
broken-hearted man1 is wandering through
 the streets of the ,city of the ,king4 
,he is at last driven to the company of 
the disciples1 when suddenly there      
rushes in upon them the woman who had   
been at the tomb1 and she exclaims1 ,he 
is risen1 has gone over into ,galilee   
and wants his disciples to meet him4    
,this was the angel's message to her4   
,all the disciples must have hurried to 
the door that they might hasten to see  
their risen ,lord--all save ,peter4     
,and then came the pathetic and         
thrilling text1 for the woman gave the  
message as ,jesus gave it to the angels 
and they to her1 ,go tell his           

disciples--and ,peter4  ,but this text1 
,and ,judas ,iscariot1 brings to our    
recollection the story of a man who lost
 his opportunity to be good and great2  
the picture of one who was heartless in 
his betrayal1 for within sight of the   
,garden of ,gethsemane he saluted ,jesus
 with a hypocritical kiss2 the          
recollection of one in whose ears to-day
 in eternity there must be heard the    
clinking sound of the thirty pieces of  
silver2 and the account of one who died 
a horrible death1 all because sin had   
its way with him and the grace of ,god  
was rejected4  ,the scene connected with
 his calling is significant4  ,mark     
tells us in the third chapter of his    
,gospel that when ,jesus saw the man    
with the withered hand and healed him1  
he went out by the seaside and then upon
 the mountain1 and there called his     
,apostles round about him1 gave them    
their commission and sent them forth to 
do his bidding4  ,in ,matthew the ninth 
chapter and the thirty-sixth to the     

thirty-eighth verses1 we are told that  
when he saw the multitudes he was moved 
with compassion1 and he commissioned the
 twelve and sent them forth that they   
might serve as shepherds to the people  
who appeared to be shepherdless4  ,then 
saith he unto his disciples1 ,the       
harvest truly is plenteous1 but the     
laborers are few2 pray ye therefore the 
,lord of the harvest1 that he will send 
forth laborers into his harvest4  ,and  
then he sent the twelve forth4  ,as a   
matter of fact the ,scriptures          
concerning ,judas are not so very full1 
but there is a good outline1 and if one 
but takes the points presented and      
allows his imagination to work in the   
least1 there is a story which is        
thrilling in its awfulness4  ,the four  
,evangelists tell us of his call1 and   
these are practically identical in their
 statement except concerning his names4 
,matthew and ,mark call him the         
,betrayer2 ,luke speaks of him as a     
,traitor1 while ,john calls him a       

,devil4  ,the next thing we learn       
concerning him is his rebuke of the     
woman who came to render her service to 
,jesus as a proof of her affection4  ,in
 ,john the twelfth chapter1 the fourth  
to the sixth verse1 we read1 ,then saith
 one of his disciples1 ,judas ,iscariot1
 ,simon's son1 which should betray him1 
,why was not this ointment sold for     
three hundred pence1 and given to the   
poor8  ,this he said1 not that he cared 
for the poor1 but because he was a      
thief1 and had the bag1 and bare what   
was put therein4  ,next we hear of him  
bargaining with the enemies of ,jesus   
for his betrayal4  ,the account is very 
full in ,matthew1 the twenty-sixth      
chapter the fourteenth to the sixteenth 
verse4  ,then one of the twelve called  
,judas ,iscariot1 went unto the chief   
priests1 and said unto them1 ,what will 
ye give me1 and ,i will deliver him unto
 you8  ,and they covenanted with him for
 thirty pieces of silver4  ,and from    
that time he sought opportunity to      

betray him4  ,then we are told of his   
delivering ,jesus into the hands of his 
enemies1 in ,matthew1 the twenty-sixth  
chapter1 the forty-seventh to the       
forty-ninth verses3 ,and while he yet   
spake1 lo1 ,judas1 one of the twelve1   
came1 and with him a great multitude1   
with swords and staves1 from the chief  
priests and elders of the people4  ,now 
he that betrayed him gave them a sign1  
saying1 ,whomsoever ,i shall kiss1 that 
same is he3 hold him fast4  ,and        
forthwith he came to ,jesus1 and said1  
,hail1 ,master2 and kissed him4  ,and   
then finally comes his dreadful end1 the
 account of his remorse in ,matthew1 the
 twenty-seventh chapter1 the third and  
the fourth verses4  ,then ,judas1 which 
had betrayed him1 when he saw that he   
was condemned1 repented himself1 and    
brought again the thirty pieces of      
silver to the chief priests and elders1 
saying1 ,i have sinned in that ,i have  
betrayed the innocent blood4  ,and they 
said1 ,what is that to us8 see thou to  

that4  ,and the statement of his suicide
 in ,matthew1 the twenty-seventh        
chapter1 the fifth verse1 ,and he cast  
down the pieces of silver in the temple1
 and departed1 and went and hanged      
himself4   ,i  ,the natural question    
that comes to every student of the life 
of ,judas must be1 ,why was he chosen8  
but as ,joseph ,parker has said1 ,we may
 well ask why were we chosen ourselves1 
knowing our hearts as we do and         
appreciating our weakness as we must4   
,it has been said that if we study the  
,apostles we will find them             
representatives of all kinds of human   
nature1 which would go to show that if  
we but yield ourselves to ,god1 whatever
 we may be naturally1 he can use us for 
his glory4  ,it was here that ,judas    
failed4  ,i have heard it said that     
,jesus did not know ,judas' real        
character and that he was surprised when
 ,judas turned out to be the disciple   
that he was2 but let us have none of    
this spirit in the consideration of     

,jesus ,christ4  ,let no man in these   
days limit ,jesus' knowledge1 for he is 
omniscient and knoweth all things4  ,let
 us not forget what he said himself     
concerning ,judas in ,john the          
thirteenth chapter and the eighteenth   
verse1 ,i speak not of you all2 ,i know 
whom ,i have chosen2 but that the       
,scripture may be fulfilled1 ,he that   
eateth bread with me hath lifted up his 
heel against me4  ,again1 in the sixth  
chapter and the seventieth verse1 ,jesus
 answered them4  ,have not ,i chosen you
 twelve1 and one of you is a devil8 and 
finally1 in the sixth chapter and the   
sixty-fourth verse1 ,but there are some 
of you that believe not4  ,for ,jesus   
knew from the beginning who they were   
that believed not1 and who should betray
 him4  ,there were others who might have
 been chosen in his stead4  ,the        
,apostles found two when in their haste 
they determined to fill the vacancy made
 by his betrayal4  ,acts #a3bc-bf1 ,and 
they appointed two1 ,joseph called      

,barsabas1 who was surnamed ,justus1 and
 ,matthias4  ,and they prayed1 and said1
 ,thou1 ,lord1 which knowest the hearts 
of all men1 shew whether of these two   
thou hast chosen1 that he may take part 
of this ministry and apostleship1 from  
which ,judas by transgression fell1 that
 he might go to his own place4  ,and    
they gave forth their lots2 and the lot 
fell upon ,matthias1 and he was numbered
 with the eleven apostles4  ,it seems to
 me that there can be no reason for his 
having been called of ,christ except    
that he was to serve as a great warning 
to those of us who have lived since his 
day4  ,there are many such warnings in  
the ,scriptures4  ,jonah was one4  ,god 
said to him1 ,go to ,nineveh1 and yet1  
with the spirit of rebellion1 he        
attempted to sail to ,tarshish and we   
know his miserable failure4  ,let it    
never be forgotten that if ,nineveh is  
,god's choice for you1 you can make no  
other port in safety4  ,the sea will be 
against you1 the wind against you4  ,it 

is hard indeed to struggle against ,god4
  ,jacob was a warning4  ,deceiving his 
own father1 his sons in turn deceived   
him4  ,may we never forget the          
,scripture which declares1 ,whatsoever a
 man soweth that shall he also reap4    
,esau was a warning4  ,coming in from   
the hunt one day1 weary with his        
exertions1 he detects the savory smell  
of the mess of pottage1 and his crafty  
brother says1 ,i will give you this for 
your birthright1 which was his right to 
be a priest in his household2 a moment  
more and the birthright is gone2 and in 
the ,new ,testament we are told he      
sought it with tears and could find no  
place of repentance4  ,but many a man   
has sold his right to be the priest of  
his household for less than a mess of   
pottage1 and in a real sense it is true 
that things done cannot be undone4      
,saul was a warning4  ,he was commanded 
to put to death ,agag and the flock1 and
 he kept the best of all the flock and  
then lied to ,god's messenger when he   

said that the work had been done as he  
was commanded4 ,he had no sooner said it
 than1 behold1 there was heard the      
bleating of the sheep1 and the lowing of
 the oxen4  ,be sure your sin will find 
you out4  ,the ,new ,testament has many 
warnings like these in the ,old1 but    
,judas surpasses them all4  ,there is   
something about him that makes us       
shudder4  ,it is said that in           
,oberammergau1 where the ,passion ,play 
is presented1 the man taking the        
character of ,judas is always avoided   
afterwards4  ,he may have been ever so  
reputable a citizen1 but he has been at 
least in action a ,judas1 and that is   
enough4  ,i was once a pastor at        
,schuylerville1 ,n4 ,y41 where on the   
,burgoyne surrender ground stands a     
celebrated monument4  ,it is beautiful  
to look upon4  ,on one side of it in a  
niche is ,general ,schuyler1 and on the 
other side1 if ,i remember correctly1   
,general ,gates2 on the third1 in the   
same sort of a niche1 another           

distinguished general is to be seen1 but
 on the fourth the niche is vacant4     
,when ,i asked the reason ,i was told   
that ,it is the niche which might have  
been filled by ,benedict ,arnold had he 
not been a traitor4  ,the story of      
,judas is like this4  ,he might have    
been all that ,god could have approved  
of2 he is throughout eternity a         
murderer1 and all because grace was     
rejected4  ,numerous lessons may be     
drawn from such a story4 ,certain things
 might be said concerning hypocrisy1 for
 he was in the truest sense a hypocrite4
  ,reference could be made to the fact  
that sin is small in its beginnings1    
sure in its progress1 terrific in its   
ending1 for at the beginning he was     
doubtless but an average man in sin1    
possibly not so different from the      
others2 but he rejected the influence of
 ,christ4  ,or1 again1 from such a      
character a thrilling story could be    
told of the end of transgressors1 for   
hard as may be the way the end baffles  

description4  ,judas certainly tells us 
this4   ,,ii  ,however much of a warning
 ,judas may be to people of the world1  
,i am fully persuaded that there are    
four things which may be said concerning
 him4  ,first3 ,he gives us a lesson as 
,christians4  ,there were many names    
given him4  ,in ,matthew the tenth      
chapter and the fourth verse1 and in    
,mark the third chapter and the         
nineteenth verse1 we read that he was a 
betrayer2 in ,luke the sixth chapter and
 the sixteenth verse he was called a    
traitor2 in ,john the sixth chapter and 
the seventieth verse he is spoken of as 
a devil1 but in ,john the twelveth      
chapter and the sixth verse he is       
mentioned as a thief4  ,to me however   
one of the best names that could be     
applied to him is that which ,paul      
feared might be given to him when he    
said1 ,lest when ,i have preached to    
others ,i myself should be literally    
disapproved 7#a ,corinthians #i3bg74    
,it is indeed a solemn thought1 that if 

we are not right with ,god he will set  
us aside1 for he cannot use us4  ,i have
 in mind a minister1 who once thrilled  
great numbers of people with his        
message4  ,under the power of his       
preaching hundreds of people came to    
,christ4  ,there was possibly no one in 
the ,church with a brighter future4     
,to-day he is set aside1 for ,god cannot
 use him4  ,i have in mind a ,sunday    
school superintendent1 who used to be on
 every platform speaking for ,christ1   
and then yielded to undue political     
influence of the worst sort1 lost his   
vision of ,christ and his power in      
speaking1 and to-day is set aside4  ,but
 of all the illustrations1 ,i know of   
nothing which so stirs me as the story  
of ,judas4  ,he might have been true and
 faithful and he might have been with   
,christ to-day in glory2 instead1 he is 
in hell1 a self-confessed murderer1 with
 the clinking of the thirty pieces of   
silver to condemn him1 and his awful    
conscience constantly to accuse him4    

,it is indeed enough to make our faces  
pale to realize that1 whatever we may be
 to-day in the service of ,god1 we can  
be set aside in less than a week1 and   
,god will cease to use us if we have    
anything of the spirit of ,judas4       
,second3 ,i learn also from ,judas that 
environment is not enough for the       
unregenerate4  ,it is folly to state    
that a poor lost sinner simply by       
changing his environment may have his   
nature changed4  ,as ,john ,g4 ,woolley 
has said1 it is like a man with a       
stubborn horse saying1 ',i will paint   
the outside of the barn a nice mild     
color to influence the horse within4'   
,the well on my place in the country    
some years ago had in it poisoned water4
  ,it was an attractive well with a     
house built around about it1 and the    
neighbors came to me to say that ,i must
 under no circumstances drink from it4  
,what if ,i had said1 ,i will decorate  
the well house that ,i may change the   
water8  ,it would have been as          

nonsensical as to say1 ,i will change   
the environment of a man who is wicked  
by nature1 and thereby make him good4   
,judas had lived close to ,jesus1 he had
 been with him on the mountain1 walked  
with him by the sea1 was frequently with
 him1 ,i am sure1 in ,gethsemane1 for we
 read in ,john the eighteenth chapter   
and the second verse1 ,and ,judas also1 
which betrayed him1 knew the place3 for 
,jesus ofttimes resorted thither with   
his disciples4  ,he was also with him at
 the ,supper4  ,but after all this      
uplifting1 heavenly influence of the    
,son of ,god he sold him for silver and 
betrayed him with a kiss4  ,nothing can 
answer for the sinner but regeneration4 
,his case is hopeless without that4     
,third3 ,hypocrisy is an awful thing4   
,the text in ,galatians is for all such4
  ,be not deceived2 ,god is not mocked4 
,those words in ,matthew in connection  
with the sermon on the ,mount are for   
such1 when men in the great day shall   
say1 ,have we not prophesied in thy     

name8 and in thy name have cast out     
,devils8 and in thy name done many      
wonderful works8 ,jesus will say1 ,i    
never knew you4  ,if we read the        
commission in ,matthew the tenth chapter
 the fifth to the twentieth verses      
inclusive1 we shall understand that     
these ,apostles were sent forth to do a 
mighty work1 and evidently they did it4 
,judas had that commission1 and he may  
have fulfilled it in a sense1 but he is 
lost to-day because he was a hypocrite4 
,the disciples may not have known his   
true nature4  ,in ,john the thirteenth  
chapter the twenty-first to the         
twenty-ninth verses we read1 ,when      
,jesus had thus said1 he was troubled in
 spirit1 and testified and said1        
,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 that  
one of you shall betray me4  ,then the  
disciples looked one on another1        
doubting of whom he spake4  ,now there  
was leaning on ,jesus' bosom one of his 
disciples1 whom ,jesus loved4  ,simon   
,peter therefore beckoned to him1 that  

he should ask who it should be of whom  
he spake4  ,he then lying on ,jesus'    
breast saith unto him1 ,lord1 who is it8
  ,jesus answered1 ,he it is to whom ,i 
shall give a sop when ,i have dipped it4
  ,and when he had dipped the sop1 he   
gave it to ,judas ,iscariot1 the son of 
,simon4  ,and after the sop ,satan      
entered into him4  ,then said ,jesus    
unto him1 ,that thou doest1 do quickly4 
,now no man at the table knew for what  
intent he spake this unto him4  ,for    
some of them thought1 because ,judas had
 the bag1 that ,jesus had said unto him1
 ,buy those things that we have need of 
against the feast2 or that he should    
give something to the poor4  ,which     
would seem to impress this thought upon 
us4  ,oh1 may ,i say that it is a great 
sin to be untrue8  ,the only time that  
,jesus is severe is not when sinners    
seek him out1 nor when the woman taken  
in adultery is driven to him by those   
who would stone her with stones1 nor    
with the thief on the ,cross1 but when  

he faces hypocrites2 he can have no     
tenderness for them4  ,fourth3 ,i learn 
from ,judas that sin is of slow         
progress4  ,there may have been first   
just a natural ambition4  ,he thought   
that the ,kingdom of ,jesus was to be a 
great temporal affair1 and he desired to
 be a part of it4  ,how many men to-day 
have wrecked their homes and all but    
lost their souls1 because of unholy     
ambitions6  ,it may be an ambition for  
your family as well as for yourself4    
,doubtless ,jacob had such when he      
stopped at ,shechem4  ,the result of his
 tarrying was his heart-breaking        
experience with the worse than murder of
 his daughter4  ,there are souls to-day 
in the lost world who were wrecked upon 
the rock of ambition4  ,fifth3 ,he was  
dishonest4  ,it is a short journey from 
unholy ambition to dishonesty4  ,the    
spirit of ,god ,himself calls him a     
thief4  ,but1  ,sixth3 ,let it be known 
that while sin is of slow progress1 it  
is exceedingly sure4  ,in the           

twenty-second chapter of ,luke and the  
third to the sixth verses we read that  
,satan entered into ,judas4  ,it seems  
to me as if up to that time he had      
rather hovered about him1 tempting him  
with his insinuations1 possibly causing 
him to slip and fall in occasional sins1
 but finally he has control and then    
betrayal1 denial and murder are the     
results4  ,i looked the other day into  
the face of a man who said to me1 ,do   
you know me8 and ,i told him ,i did not1
 and he said1 ,i used to be a ,christian
 worker and influenced thousands to come
 to ,christ4  ,in an unguarded moment ,i
 determined to leave my ministry and to 
become rich4 ,my haste for riches was   
but a snare4  ,i found myself becoming  
unscrupulous in my business life and now
 ,i am wrecked1 certainly for time--oh1 
said he1 can it be for eternity8  ,i am 
separated from my wife and my children1 
whom ,i shall never see again4  ,and    
rising in an agony he cried out as ,i   
have rarely heard a man cry1 ,god have  

mercy upon me6  ,god have mercy upon me6
   ,,iii  ,there are but three things   
that ,i would like to say concerning    
,judas as ,i come to the end of my      
message4  ,the first is that he was     
heartless in the extreme4  ,it was just 
after a touching scene recorded in      
,matthew the twenty-sixth chapter the   
seventh to the thirteenth verses1 ,there
 came unto him a woman having an        
alabaster box of very precious ointment1
 and poured it on his head1 as he sat at
 meat4  ,but when his disciples saw it1 
they had indignation1 saying1 ,to what  
purpose is this waste8  ,for this       
ointment might have been sold for much1 
and given to the poor4  ,when ,jesus    
understood it1 he said unto them1 ,why  
trouble ye the woman8 for she hath      
wrought a good work upon me4  ,for ye   
have the poor always with you2 but me ye
 have not always4  ,for in that she hath
 poured this ointment on my body1 she   
did it for my burial4  ,verily ,i say   
unto you1 ,wheresoever this gospel shall

 be preached in the whole world1 there  
shall also this1 that this woman hath   
done1 be told for a memorial of her4    
,it was after this that ,judas went to  
the enemies of ,jesus and offered to    
sell him1 and as if that were not       
enough1 it was just after he had left   
,gethsemane1 in ,matthew the            
twenty-sixth chapter the forty-fifth to 
the forty-ninth verses1 that he betrayed
 him with his kiss4  ,then cometh he to 
his disciples and saith unto them1      
,sleep on now1 and take your rest2      
behold1 the hour is at hand1 and the    
,son of man is betrayed into the hands  
of sinners4  ,rise1 let us be going3    
behold1 he is at hand that doth betray  
me4  ,and while he yet spake1 lo1       
,judas1 one of the twelve1 came1 and    
with him a great multitude1 with swords 
and staves1 from the chief priests and  
elders of the people4  ,now he that     
betrayed him gave them a sign1 saying1  
,whomsoever ,i shall kiss1 that same is 
he3 hold him fast4  ,and forthwith he   

came to ,jesus1 and said1 ,hail1        
,master2 and kissed him4  ,the blood    
drops had just been rolling down the    
cheeks of the ,master1 for he sweat1 as 
it were1 great drops of blood2 and ,i   
can quite understand how upon the very  
lips of ,judas the condemning blood may 
have left its mark4  ,but do not condemn
 him2 he is scarcely more heartless than
 the man who to-day rejects him after   
all his gracious ministry1 his          
sacrificial death and his mediatorial   
work of nineteen hundred years4         
,second3 ,his death was awful4  ,acts   
#a3ah1 ,now this man purchased a field  
with the reward of iniquity2 and falling
 headlong1 he burst asunder in the      
midst1 and all his bowels gushed out4   
,i can imagine him going out to the     
place where he is to end it all1        
remembering as he walked how ,jesus had 
looked at him1 recalling1 doubtless1    
some of his spoken messages1 and        
certainly remembering how once he had   
been with him in all his unfaithful     

ministry4  ,all this must have swept    
before him like a great panorama1 and   
with the vision of his betrayed ,master 
still before him he swings himself out  
into the eternity2 and then as if to    
make the end more terrible the rope     
broke and his body burst and his very   
bowels gushed forth4  ,oh1 if it be true
 that the way of the transgressor is    
hard1 in the name of ,god what shall we 
say of the end8  ,third3 ,i would like  
to imagine another picture4  ,what if   
instead of going out to the scene of his
 disgraceful death he had waited until  
after ,jesus had risen8  ,what if he had
 tarried behind some one of those great 
trees near the city along the way which 
he should walk1 or1 possibly on the     
,emmaus way8  ,what if he had hidden    
behind some great rock and simply       
waited8  ,while it is true that he must 
have trembled as he waited1 what if     
after it all he had simply thrown       
himself on the mercy of ,jesus and had  
said to him1 ,master1 ,i have from the  

first been untrue2 for thirty pieces of 
silver ,i sold thee and with these lips 
,i betrayed thee with a kiss2 but       
,jesus1 thou ,son of ,david1 have mercy 
upon me8  ,there would have been written
 in the ,new ,testament ,scriptures the 
most beautiful story that the inspired  
book contains4 ,nothing could have been 
so wonderful as the spirit of him who is
 able to save to the uttermost1 and who 
never turned away from any seeking      
sinner1 and he would1 ,i am sure1 have  
taken ,judas in his very arms2 he1 too1 
might have given him a kiss1 not of     
betrayal1 but of the sign of his        
complete forgiveness1 and ,judas might  
have shone to-day in the city of ,god as
 shines ,joseph of ,arimathaea1 ,paul   
the ,apostle1 ,peter the ,preacher4     
,the saddest story ,i know is the story 
of ,judas1 for it is the account of a   
man who resisted the grace of ,god and  
must regret it through eternity4        
,,an ,,old-,,fashioned ,,home  ,,text3  
,what have they seen in thy house8--#b  

,kings #bj3ae4  ,if you will tell me    
what is in your own house by your own   
choice ,i will tell you the story of    
your home life and will be able to      
inform you whether yours is a home in   
which there is harmony and peace or     
confusion and despair4  ,let me read the
 names of the guests in your guest book1
 allow me to study the titles of the    
books in your library in which you have 
special delight1 permit me to scan your 
magazines which you particularly like1  
allow me to listen to your conversation 
when you do not know that you are being 
overheard1 give me the privilege of     
talking but for a moment to your        
servants1 and make it possible for me to
 visit with your friends in whom you    
have particular delight--and ,i will    
write a true story of what you have     
been1 of what you are1 and of what you  
will be but for the grace of ,god1 even 
though ,i may not know you personally at
 all4  ,in other words1 whatever may be 
seen in your home determines what your  

home is4  ,i was a man grown before ,i  
visited ,washington1 the capital of the 
nation4  ,i was the guest of a member of
 the ,president's ,cabinet4 ,riding with
 him the first evening1 when the moon   
was shining1 we suddenly came upon the  
,national ,capitol1 and ,i said to my   
host1 ,what in the world is that8  ,he  
said1 with a smile1 as if he pitied me1 
,that is the ,capitol building1 and that
 is the home of the nation4  ,i am sure 
he was right in a sense1 because the    
building is magnificent1 and is in every
 way the worthy home of such a nation as
 ours2 but ,i think ,i take issue with  
him1 after careful thought1 in his      
statement that the ,capitol building is 
the home of the nation4  ,i can recall a
 visit made to a home which was not in  
any sense palatial1 where the           
old-fashioned father every morning and  
evening read his ,bible1 knelt in prayer
 with his household about him1 commended
 to ,god his children each by name1     
presented the servants at the throne of 

grace1 and then sang with them all one  
of the sweet hymns of the church2 and   
from the morning prayer they went forth 
to the day of victory1 while from the   
evening prayer they went to sleep the   
undisturbed sleep of the just1 with the 
angels of heaven keeping watch over     
them4  ,i recall another home in the    
,state of ,ohio where the father and    
mother were scarcely known outside of   
their own county4  ,the size of their   
farm was ten acres1 but they reared two 
boys and two girls whose mission has    
been world-wide and whose names are     
known wherever the church of ,christ is 
known and wherever the ,english language
 is spoken4 ,these1 in the truest sense1
 are the homes of the nation1 and such  
homes give us men and women as true as  
steel4  ,napoleon once was asked1 ,what 
is the greatest need of the ,french     
nation8  ,he hesitated a moment and then
 said1 with marked emphasis1 ,the       
greatest need of the ,french nation is  
mothers4  ,if you will ask me the       

greatest need of ,america ,i could wish 
in my reply that ,i might speak with the
 power of a ,napoleon and that my words 
might live as long1 for ,i would say1   
the greatest need of the ,american      
nation to-day is homes2 not palatial    
buildings1 but homes where ,christ is   
honored1 where ,god is loved1 and where 
the ,bible is studied4  ,a returned     
missionary1 who had been for twenty-five
 years away from his home because he    
would not accept his furloughs1 was     
asked after he had been in ,california  
for a little season what impressed him  
the most after his absence of a quarter 
of a century4  ,the reporter expected   
him to say that he was impressed with   
the telephone system which bound houses 
and cities together1 or that he was     
amazed at the wireless telegraphy1 by   
means of which on the wave currents of  
the air messages were sent from one city
 to another2 but the returned missionary
 expressed no such surprise4  ,he said1 
,when ,i went away from ,america almost 

every home had its family altar2 now    
that ,i have returned ,i have watched   
very carefully and find that a family   
altar in a home is the exception and not
 the rule4  ,wherever this is true there
 is real cause for great alarm1 for in  
proportion as the home fails the nation 
is in danger4  ,hezekiah had been sick  
unto death4  ,the word of the ,lord by  
the mouth of the ,prophet came to him1  
saying1 ,set thy house in order1 for    
thou must die4  ,then he recovered for a
 season4  ,the ,king of ,babylon sent   
messengers to him1 and when the         
messengers had gone ,isaiah asked him   
the question of the text1 ,what have    
they seen in thy house8  ,the dearest   
and most sacred spot on earth is home4  
,around it are the most sacred          
associations1 about it cluster the      
sweetest memories4  ,the buildings are  
not always palatial1 the furnishings are
 not always of the best1 but when the   
home is worthy of the name ladders are  
let down from heaven to those below1 the

 angels of ,god come down1 bringing     
heaven's blessing and ascend1 taking    
earth's crosses4  ,such a home is the   
dearest spot on earth1 because there    
your father worked and your mother      
loved4  ,there is no love which         
surpasses this4  ,some years ago1 when  
the ,english soldiers were fighting and 
a ,scotch regiment came to assist1 the  
,scotchmen1 strangely enough1 began to  
die in great numbers4  ,the skill of the
 physicians was baffled4  ,they could   
not tell why it was that there seemed to
 be such a rapid falling away of the    
men4  ,but at last they discovered the  
cause4  ,the ,scotch pipers were playing
 the tunes that reminded the ,scotchman 
of the heather and the hills1 and they  
were dying of homesickness4  ,when the  
music was changed the deaths in such    
large numbers almost instantly ceased4  
,we are drifting away from our          
old-fashioned homes2 fathers have grown 
too busy1 mothers have delegated their  
,god-given work to others4  ,we have    

lost instead of gained4  ,wherever the  
homes are full of weakness the          
government is in danger4  ,the homes of 
our country are so many streams pouring 
themselves into the great current of    
moral and social life4  ,if the home    
life is pure1 then all is pure4  ,i     
stand with that company of people today 
who believe that we are at the beginning
 of a great revival of religion1 and ,i 
am persuaded that this revival is to be 
helped on not so much by preaching1     
though that is not to be ignored2 nor by
 singing1 though that in itself is      
useful2 but it is to be helped or       
hindered by the condition of the homes  
in our land4   ,i  ,i have a friend1    
,george ,r4 ,stuart1 who says that when 
,god himself would start a nation he    
made home life the deciding question4   
,he selected ,abraham as the head of the
 home1 and in ,genesis1 the eighteenth  
chapter and the nineteenth verse1 he    
gives the reason for this in these      
words3 ,for ,i know him1 that he will   

command his children and his household  
after him4  ,there are two great        
principles which must prevail in every  
home3  ,first3 ,authority1 suggested by 
the word command4  ,second3 ,example1   
suggested by the expression1 ,he will   
command his children and his household  
after him4  ,in order that one may      
rightly command he must himself be      
controlled or be able to obey an        
authority higher than his own4  ,it is  
absolutely impossible for one to be the 
father he ought to be and not be a      
,christian1 or to be worthy of the name 
of mother and not yield allegiance to   
,jesus ,christ4  ,if we are to set      
before those about us a right example1  
we cannot begin too soon4  ,your        
children are a reproduction of yourself1
 weakness in them is weakness in        
yourself1 strength in them is but the   
reproduction of your own virtue4  ,a    
convention of mothers met some years ago
 in the city of ,cincinnati and was     
discussing the question as to when one  

ought properly to begin to train the    
child for ,christ4  ,one mother said1 ,i
 begin at six2 another suggested seven  
as the proper age2 another said1 ,i     
begin when my child takes his first     
step1 and thus point him to ,christ1 or 
when he speaks his first word ,i teach  
him the name of ,jesus4  ,finally an old
 saint arose and said1 ,you are all of  
you wrong2 the time to begin to train   
the child is the generation before the  
child is born1 and this we all know to  
be true4  ,but the responsibility does  
not rest simply upon mothers2 fathers   
cannot ignore their ,god-given position4
  ,judge ,alton ,b4 ,parker and his     
favorite grandson1 ,alton ,parker ,hall1
 five years old1 narrowly escaped death 
by drowning in the ,hudson ,river4  ,for
 half an hour the two played in the     
water4  ,then ,judge ,parker took the   
boy for a swim into deep water4         
,placing the boy on his back1 he swam   
around for awhile1 and then1 deciding to
 float1 turned over1 seating the boy    

astride his chest4  ,in this manner the 
judge floated a distance from the wharf 
before noticing it4  ,then he attempted 
to turn over again1 intending to swim   
nearer the shore4  ,in the effort to    
transfer the boy to his back the little 
fellow became frightened and tightly    
clasped the judge about the neck4       
,judge ,parker called to the boy to let 
go his hold1 but the youth only held on 
the tighter1 and1 frightened at the     
evident distress of the judge1 began to 
whimper4  ,in a few moments the grasp of
 the boy became so tight that ,judge    
,parker could not breathe4  ,he tried to
 shake the boy loose1 and then attempted
 to break his grasp4  ,the boy held on  
with the desperation of death1 however1 
and every effort of the judge only      
plunged them both beneath the choking   
waves4  ,with his last few remaining    
breaths1 ,judge ,parker gave up the     
struggle and shouted for assistance4    
,the mistake that the distinguished man 
made was that he went too far from shore

 with the boy4  ,there are too many men 
to-day who are doing the same thing4    
,they are going out too far in social   
life1 they are too lax in the question  
of amusements1 they are too thoughtless 
on the subject of dissipation4  ,some   
day they will stop1 themselves          
recovering1 but their boys will be gone4
  ,example counts for everything in a   
home4  ,it there is any blessing in my  
own life or others1 if there has been   
any helpfulness in my ministry to       
others1 ,i owe it all to my mother1 who 
lived before me a consistent ,christian 
life and died giving me her blessing2   
and to my father1 who with his arms     
about me one day said1 ,my son1 if you  
go wrong it will kill me4  ,i was at one
 time under the influence of a boy older
 than myself and cursed with too much   
money4  ,i had taken my first           
questionable step at least1 and was on  
my way one night to a place which was at
 least questionable if not sinful4  ,i  
had turned the street corner and ahead  

of me was the very gate to hell4        
,suddenly1 as ,i turned1 the face of my 
father came before me and his words rang
 in my very soul4  ,if my father had    
been anything but a consistent          
,christian man ,i myself1 ,i am sure1   
would have been far from the pulpit1 and
 might have been in the lost world4     
,there are those who seem to think that 
the height of one's ambition is to amass
 a fortune1 to build a palace or to     
acquire a social position4  ,my friend1 
,george ,r4 ,stuart1 says you may build 
your palaces1 amass your fortunes1      
provide for the satisfaction of every   
desire1 but as you sit amid these       
luxurious surroundings waiting for the  
staggering steps of a son1 or as you    
think of a wayward daughter1 all this   
will be as nothing1 for there is nothing
 that can give happiness to the parents 
of ,godless1 wayward children4  ,some   
one has said1 ,every drunkard1 every    
gambler1 every lost woman once sat in a 
mother's lap1 and the downfall of the   

most of them may be traced to some      
defect in home life4  ,the real purpose 
of every home is to shape character for 
time and eternity4  ,the home may be one
 of poverty1 the cross of self-sacrifice
 may be required1 suffering may         
sometimes be necessary1 but wherever a  
home fulfills this purpose it is        
overflowing with joy4  ,one of my       
friends has drawn the following picture 
which he says is fanciful1 but which ,i 
think is absolutely true to life3  ,back
 in the country there is a boy who wants
 to go to a college and get an          
education4  ,they call him a book-worm4 
,wherever they find him--in the barn or 
in the house--he is reading a book4     
,what a pity it is1 they say1 that ,ed  
cannot get an education6  ,his father1  
work as hard as he will1 can no more    
than support the family by the products 
of the farm4  ,one night ,ed has retired
 to his room and there is a family      
conference about him4  ,the sisters say1
 ,father1 ,i wish you would send ,ed to 

college2 if you will we will work harder
 than we ever did1 and we will make our 
old dresses do4  ,the mother says1 ,yes1
 ,i will get along without any hired    
help2 although ,i am not as strong as ,i
 used to be1 ,i think ,i can get along  
without any hired help4  ,the father    
says1 ,well1 ,i think by husking corn   
nights in the barn ,i can get along     
without any assistance4  ,sugar is      
banished from the table1 butter is      
banished from the plate4  ,that family  
is put down on rigid1 yea1 suffering1   
economy that the boy may go to college4 
,time passes on4  ,commencement day has 
come and the professors walk in on the  
stage in their long gowns and their     
classic but absurd hats4  ,the interest 
of the occasion is passing on1 and after
 a while it comes to a climax of        
interest as the valedictorian is        
introduced4  ,ed has studied so hard and
 worked so well that he has had the     
honor conferred upon him4  ,there are   
rounds of applause1 sometimes breaking  

into vociferation4  ,it is a great day  
for ,ed4  ,but away back in the         
galleries are his sisters in their old  
plain hats and faded clothes1 and the   
old-fashioned father and mother2 dear   
me1 she has not had a new hat for six   
years2 he has not had a new coat for a  
longer time4  ,they rise and look over  
on the platform1 then they laugh and    
they cry1 and as they sit down1 their   
faces grow pale1 and then are very      
flushed4  ,ed gets the garlands and the 
old-fashioned group in the gallery have 
their full share of the triumph4  ,they 
have made that scene possible1 and in   
the day that ,god shall more fully      
reward self-sacrifice made for others1  
he will give grand and glorious         
recognition4  ,as his part is that goeth
 down to battle1 so shall his part be   
that tarrieth by the stuff4  ,this      
experience describes a home in the      
truest sense of the word better than all
 the palaces the world has ever known   
where love is lacking and the spirit of 

,god is gone4   ,,ii  ,there are two    
great forces in every home4  ,i speak of
 the father and the mother1 not but that
 the children have their part in either 
making or breaking a household1 but     
these two are the mightiest of agencies4
  ,the mother stands first4  ,there are 
certain things which must be true of    
every mother4  ,she must be a           
,christian4  ,the father may fail if he 
must1 but let the mother fail and ,god  
pity the children4  ,she must be        
consistent4  ,the children may forget   
the inconsistencies of the father but   
when the mother fails the impression is 
lasting as time and almost as lasting as
 eternity4  ,she must be prayerful4  ,i 
do not know of anything that lifts so   
many burdens or puts upon the face such 
a look of beauty as the spirit of       
prayer4  ,and she must study her ,bible4
  ,when we pray we talk with ,god1 but  
when we read the ,bible ,god talks with 
us and every mother needs his counsel4  
,a poor young man stood before a judge  

in a great court to be sentenced to     
death4  ,when asked if he had anything  
to say1 he bowed his head and said1 ,oh1
 your honor1 if ,i had only had a       
mother6  ,a mother's love is unfailing4 
,when ,i was in ,atlanta1 ,georgia1 in  
,october1 #aijd1 a little girl and an   
old mother came to see the governor4    
,they had met on the train1 and the     
child agreed to take the old lady to see
 the governor of the ,state4  ,they     
entered the governor's office and she   
spoke as follows3  ,i want to see the   
governor1 was the straightforward       
request of the little lady addressed to 
,major ,irwin1 the private secretary to 
the governor1 as he inquired her errand4
  ,that is the governor standing there4 
,he will see you in a moment1 replied   
the major1 indicating ,governor ,terrell
 standing in the group4 ,the governor   
went over to her4  ,what can ,i do for  
you1 dear8 he asked4  ,throwing back her
 curls she opened wide her baby brown   
eyes and said3  ,governor1 it is not for

 me2 it is for this old lady4  ,her name
 is ,mrs4 ,hackett1 and she wants to    
talk to you about pardoning her boy4    
,this was said by a little lady of      
eleven1 who spoke with all the grace and
 savoir-faire of a woman twice her age4 
,in a voice choked with emotion1 ,mrs4  
,hackett began her tearful1 scarcely    
audible story and presented her petition
 for clemency for her boy4  ,governor1  
have mercy on me1 she began1 and threw  
back her bonnet1 showing a face wrinkled
 by age and furrowed and drawn by       
suffering1 and give me back my boy4     
,breaking down under the strain of      
talking to the governor1 whom she had   
planned for months to see1 the pleading 
mother gave way to her grief4 ,the      
governor was visibly moved1 and         
continued to stroke the curly hair of   
,mrs4 ,hackett's little guide4  ,give me
 back my boy4  ,i am an old woman1 going
 on seventy-nine1 and ,i cannot be here 
long4  ,i know ,i am standing with one  
foot in the grave1 and ,i do want to    

hear my boy1 my baby1 say to me1 ',ma1  
,i'm free4'  ,let me go down on my knees
 to you and beg that you have mercy on a
 mother's breaking heart4  ,during the  
last month ,i picked five hundred pounds
 of cotton and made two dollars to get  
here to see you4  ,i got here without a 
cent1 and this little angel gave me a   
dollar--her all4  ,i don't care if ,i   
have to walk back home1 for ,i've seen  
you and told you of my boy4  ,with      
unsteady voice the governor told her the
 law1 and referred her gently to the    
prison commission1 assuring her that    
they would give her petition the most   
considerate attention4  ,i am told that 
when the books were examined the crime  
was found to be one of the blackest on  
the calendar1 and yet the mother loved  
him4  ,her love always stimulates love4 
,it lasts when everything else fails4 ,a
 man cannot wander so far from ,god as  
to forget his mother1 or go so deep in  
sin as to be unmindful of her sweet     
influence4  ,the following is a sketch1 

full of touching interest1 of a little  
ragged newsboy who had lost his mother4 
,in the tenderness of his affection for 
her he was determined that he would     
raise a stone to her memory4  ,his      
mother and he had kept house together   
and they had been all to each other1 but
 now she was taken1 and the little      
fellow's loss was irreparable4  ,getting
 a stone was no easy task1 for his      
earnings were small2 but love is strong4
  ,going to a cutter's yard and finding 
that even the cheaper class of stones   
was far too expensive for him1 he at    
length fixed upon a broken shaft of     
marble1 part of the remains of an       
accident in the yard1 and which the     
proprietor kindly named at such a low   
figure that it came within his means4   
,there was much yet to be done1 but the 
brave little chap was equal to it4  ,the
 next day he conveyed the stone away on 
a little four-wheeled cart1 and managed 
to have it put in position4  ,the       
narrator1 curious to know the last of   

the stone1 visited the cemetery one     
afternoon1 and he thus describes what he
 saw and learned3  ,here it is1 said the
 man in charge1 and1 sure enough1 there 
was our monument1 at the head of one of 
the newer graves4  ,i knew it at once4  
,just as it was when it left our yard1  
,i was going to say1 until ,i got a     
little nearer to it and saw what the    
little chap had done4  ,i tell you1     
boys1 when ,i saw it there was something
 blurred my eyes1 so's ,i couldn't read 
it at first4  ,the little man had tried 
to keep the lines straight1 and         
evidently thought that capitals would   
make it look better and bigger1 for     
nearly every letter was a capital4  ,i  
copied it1 and here it is2 but you want 
to see it on the stone to appreciate it3
     ,,my ,,mother   ,,shee ,,died      
,,last ,,weak   ,,shee ,,was ,,all ,i   
,,had4  ,,shee   ,,sed ,,shead ,,bee    
,,waiting ,,fur--  and here the boy's   
lettering stopped4  ,after awhile ,i    
went back to the man in charge and asked

 him what further he knew of the little 
fellow who brought the stone4  ,not     
much1 he said2 not much4  ,didn't you   
notice a fresh little grave near the one
 with the stone8  ,well1 that's where he
 is4  ,he came here every afternoon for 
some time working away at that stone1   
and one day ,i missed him1 and then for 
several days4 ,then the man came out    
from the church that had buried the     
mother and ordered the grave dug by her 
side4  ,i asked if it was for the little
 chap4  ,he said it was4  ,the boy had  
sold all his papers one day1 and was    
hurrying along the street out this way4 
,there was a runaway team just above the
 crossing1 and--well--he was run over1  
and lived but a day or two4  ,he had in 
his hand when he was picked up an old   
file sharpened down to a point1 that he 
did all the lettering with4  ,they said 
he seemed to be thinking only of that   
until he died1 for he kept saying1 ,i   
didn't get it done1 but she'll know ,i  
meant to finish it1 won't she8  ,i'll   

tell her so1 for she'll be waiting for  
me1 and he died with those words on his 
lips4  ,when the men in the cutter's    
yard heard the story of the boy the next
 day1 they clubbed together1 got a good 
stone1 inscribed upon it the name of the
 newsboy1 which they succeeded in       
getting from the superintendent of the  
,sunday school which the little fellow  
attended1 and underneath it the touching
 words3 ,he loved his mother4  ,god pity
 the mother with such an influence as   
this if she is leading in the wrong     
direction6  ,it is necessary also to say
 just a word about the father4  ,there  
are many pictures of fathers in the     
,bible4  ,jacob gives us one when he    
cries1 ,me ye have bereft of my         
children4  ,david gives another when he 
cries1 ,o ,absalom1 my son4  ,the father
 of the ,prodigal adds a new touch of   
beauty to the picture when he calls for 
the best robe to be put upon his boy4   
,i allow no one to go beyond me in      
paying tribute to a mother's love1 but  

,i desire in some special way to pay    
tribute to the devotion and consistency 
of a father4  ,there are special        
requisites which must be made without   
which no father can maintain his        
,god-given position4  ,he must be a     
,christian4  ,i rode along a country    
road with my little boy some time ago4  
,i found that he was speaking to my     
friends just as ,i spoke to them4  ,one 
man called my attention to it and said1 
,it is amusing1 isn't it8  ,to me it was
 anything but amusing4  ,if my boy is to
 speak as ,i speak1 walk as ,i walk1    
then ,god help me to walk as a          
,christian4  ,he must be a man of       
prayer4  ,no man can bear the burdens of
 life or meet its responsibilities      
properly if he is a stranger to prayer4 
,he must be a man of ,bible study4  ,one
 of the most priceless treasures ,i have
 is a ,bible my father studied1 the     
pages of which he turned over and over1 
and which ,i never used to read without 
a great heart throb4    ,i con its pages

 o'er and o'er2   ,its interlinings mark
 a score   ,of promises most potent1    
sweet1   ,in verses many of each sheet2 
,albeit the gilding dull of age1   ,and 
yellow-hued its every page1   ,no book  
more precious e'er may be   ,than       
father's ,bible is to me4    ,its       
tear-stained trace fresh stirs my heart 
,the corresponding tear to start2   ,of 
trials1 troubles herein brought1   ,for 
comfort never vainly sought1   ,for help
 in sorest hour of need1   ,for love to 
crown the daily deed1   ,no book more   
precious e'er may be   ,than father's   
,bible is to me4   ,he must also erect  
in his house a family altar4  ,i know   
that many business men will say this is 
impossible1 but it is not impossible4   
,if your business prevents your praying 
with your children1 then there must be  
something wrong with your business4  ,if
 your life prevents it1 then you ought  
to see to it that your life is made     
right and that quickly4  ,my friend1    
,george ,r4 ,stuart1 one of the truest  

men ,i know1 gave me the following      
picture of a ,christian home4  ,he said3
 ,when ,i was preaching in ,nashville1  
at the conclusion of my sermon a        
,methodist preacher came up and laid his
 hand upon my shoulder and said1        
',brother ,stuart1 how your sermon      
to-day carried me back to my home6  ,my 
father was a local preacher1 and the    
best man ,i ever saw4  ,he is gone to   
heaven now4  ,we have a large family2   
mother is still at home1 and ,i should  
like to see all the children together   
once more and have you come and dedicate
 our home to ,god1 while we all         
rededicate ourselves to ,god before     
precious old mother leaves4  ,if you    
will come with me1 ,i will gather all   
the family together next ,friday for    
that purpose4'  ,i consented to go4     
,the old home was a short distance from 
the city of ,nashville4  ,there were a  
large number of brothers and sisters4   
,one was a farmer2 one was a doctor2 one
 was a real estate man2 one was a       

bookkeeper2 one was a preacher2 and so  
on1 so that they represented many       
professions of life4 ,the preacher      
brother took me out to the old home1    
where all the children had gathered4    
,as we drove up to the gate ,i saw the  
brothers standing in little groups about
 the yard1 whittling and talking4  ,did 
you never stand in the yard of the old  
home after an absence of many years1 and
 entertain memories brought up by every 
beaten path and tree and gate and       
building about the old place8  ,i was   
introduced to these noble-looking men   
who1 as the preacher brother told me1   
were all members of churches1 living    
consistent ,christian lives1 save the   
younger boy1 who had wandered away a    
little1 and the real object of this     
visit was to bring him back to ,god4    
,the old mother was indescribably happy4
  ,there was a smile lingering in the   
wrinkles of her dear old face4  ,we all 
gathered in the large1 old-fashioned    
family room in the old-fashioned        

semicircle1 with mother in her natural  
place in the corner4  ,the preacher     
brother laid the large family ,bible in 
my lap and said1 ',now1 ,brother        
,stuart1 you are in the home of a       
,methodist preacher2 do what you think  
best4'  ,i replied1 ',as ,i sit to-day  
in the family of a ,methodist preacher1 
let us begin our service with an        
old-fashioned experience meeting4  ,i   
want each child1 in the order of your   
ages1 to tell your experience4'  ,the   
oldest arose and pointed his finger at  
the oil portrait of his father1 hanging 
on the wall1 and said in substance about
 as follows3 ',brother ,stuart1 there is
 the picture of the best father ,god    
ever gave a family4 ,many a time he has 
taken me to his secret place of prayer1 
put his hand on my head1 and prayed for 
his boy4  ,and at every turn of my life1
 since he has left me1 ,i have felt the 
pressure of his hand on my head1 and    
have seen the tears upon his face1 and  
have heard the prayers from his         

trembling lips4  ,i have not been as    
good a man since his death as ,i ought  
to have been1 but ,i stand up here      
to-day to tell you and my brothers and  
sisters and my dear old mother that ,i  
am going to live a better life from this
 hour until ,i die4'  ,overcome with    
emotion1 he took his seat1 and the      
children in order spoke on the same     
line4  ,each one referred to the place  
of secret prayer and the father's hand  
upon the head4  ,at last we came to the 
youngest boy1 who1 with his face buried 
in his hands1 was sobbing and refused to
 speak4  ,the preacher brother very     
pathetically said1 ',buddy1 say a word2 
there is no one here but the family1 and
 it will help you4'  ,he arose1 holding 
the back of his chair1 and looked up at 
me and said1 ',brother ,stuart1 they    
tell me that you have come to dedicate  
this home to ,god2 but my old mother    
here has never let it get an inch from  
,god4 ,they tell you that this meeting  
is called that my brothers and sisters  

may dedicate their lives to ,god1 but   
they are good4  ,i know them4  ,i am the
 only black sheep in this flock4  ,every
 step ,i have wandered away from ,god   
and the life of my precious father1 ,i  
have felt his hand upon my head and     
heard his blessed words of prayer4      
,to-day ,i come back to ,god1 back to my
 father's life1 and so help me ,god1 ,i 
will never wander away again4'          
,following his talk came a burst of     
sobbing and shouting1 and ,i started    
that old hymn1 ',amazing grace 7how     
sweet the sound67 that saved a wretch   
like me6' etc41 and we had an           
old-fashioned ,methodist class-meeting1 
winding up with a shout4  ,as ,i walked 
away from that old homestead ,i said in 
my heart1 ',it is the salt of a good    
life that saves the children4'  ,a boy  
never gets over the fact that he had a  
good father4  ,what have they seen in   
thy house8  ,if we are to help our      
children for time and eternity1 our     
homes must be better1 our lives must be 

truer1 our ambition to do ,god's will   
must be supreme4  ,when these conditions
 are met it will be possible for us to  
answer the question of the text4        
,,the ,,swelling ,,of ,,jordan  ,,text3 
,how wilt thou do in the swelling of    
,jordan8--,jer4 #ab3e4  ,high up in the 
mountains of ,anti-,lebanon a famous    
river was born which was to play so     
important a part in the history of      
,god's people that it would not have    
been strange if the birds of heaven had 
chanted their praises when first it     
began its journey4  ,from four different
 places in the mountain the stream      
starts4  ,then the four streams become  
one1 and in a single channel the river  
makes its way across the plain4  ,there 
are two chief characteristics which must
 be borne in mind4  ,the first is that a
 part of its journey is through a rocky 
country1 and caves are on either side of
 the river1 sometimes one above another2
 frequently three caves are to be seen  
one above another4  ,the other          

characteristic is that it overflows its 
banks in all the time of harvest4       
,these two things must be kept in mind  
if the text would teach its lesson4     
,there are certain people who will      
always remember the river ,jordan--the  
children of ,israel first of all1       
because it separated them from the      
,promised ,land2 and while scripturally 
,canaan does not stand for ,heaven1 yet 
in the mind of many it does1 and the    
,jordan typifies an experience which    
stands between us and the future4       
,naaman will remember it1 for when he   
came as a leper to the servant of ,god  
he was bidden to wash seven times in    
this river4  ,at first he rebelled      
against the thought1 finally he entered 
the stream1 bathed twice1 three times1  
four1 five1 six times1 and was still a  
leper2 but you will remember the word of
 the ,lord1 seven times must he bathe1  
and when the seventh plunge was taken1  
behold1 his flesh was as the flesh of a 
little child6  ,no man need expect to   

have light and peace and power or       
eternal life until he has fulfilled all 
the commands of ,god4  ,the wild beasts 
frequently make their way to these caves
 as a place of refuge4  ,when the waters
 begin to rise they are driven out1 when
 they go to the higher cave1 and then to
 the highest of all1 and the waters     
constantly rising fill this cave and    
they are overpowered and put to death4  
,they are an illustration for us4  ,men 
of to-day are in caves of different     
sorts2 some in the cave of dissipation1 
others in the cave of infidelity1 and   
still others in the cave of morality4   
,one day the waters of judgment will    
begin to rise1 and it will be an awful  
thing to stand in terror before ,god1   
driven forth without refuge4   ,i       
,dissipation4  ,i am in the clutch of an
 awful sin1 wrote some one to me        
recently1 whether man or woman ,i cannot
 tell1 but this was the story3  ,three  
years before the writer had been free1  
and then in an unguarded moment had gone

 down4  ,now came the pathetic cry1 ,i  
am helpless and hopeless4  ,i do not    
know what the sin was1 but it makes no  
difference2 any sin can bind us if we   
but yield to it4  ,under the subject of 
dissipation ,i do not speak of drinking 
as the worst of sins1 because it is not 
the worst1 by any means4  ,i had a      
thousand times rather admit to my home  
the drunkard who has been cursed with   
his appetite than to admit there the man
 who is lecherous1 who possibly stands  
high in society and in the business     
world1 but whose sin is great and whose 
heart is vile beyond description4  ,i   
speak of drinking because it is the most
 common of sins4  ,john ,b4 ,gough cries
 out concerning this sin1 ,i do not     
speak of it boastingly1 said he1 for ,i 
have known what the curse of strong     
drink is2 ,i have felt it in my own life
 and seen it in others1 but ,i say the  
truth1 let the bread of affliction be   
given me to eat1 take away from me the  
friends of my old age1 let the hut of   

poverty be my dwelling place1 let the   
wasting hand of disease be placed upon  
me1 let me live in the whirlwind and    
dwell in the storm1 when ,i would do    
good let evil come upon me--do all this1
 merciful ,god1 but save me from the    
death of a drunkard4  ,when he would    
speak in such language1 ,god pity the   
man who yields to such a sin4  ,it may  
be that gambling is your weak point4    
,when ,i was in ,colorado a young man   
who was a graduate of ,harvard1 the     
honor man of his class1 and who had     
recently buried his wife1 sat at the    
gambling table1 staked his last dollar  
and lost it2 then deliberately put up   
his little child and lost her2 and then1
 in despair1 blew out his brains and    
sent his soul to hell4  ,when such a man
 of culture and training would go down  
under such a sin1 ,god pity the man who 
yields to it4  ,or it may be            
licentiousness1 that sin which makes men
 lower than the beasts of the field1    
from which one can scarcely break away4 

,i do not know what the sin may be that 
clutches your life1 but if you have     
given way to it and rejected ,christ1   
how wilt thou do in the swelling of     
,jordan1 when the waters rise higher and
 higher and you are without ,christ and 
without hope8   ,,ii  ,some are in the  
cave of infidelity4  ,that there are    
honest skeptics in the world we all     
believe1 and the honest skeptic is one  
who says1 ,i cannot believe as you do1  
and ,i do not know that ,i would if ,i  
could1 but if your hope is any comfort  
to you1 then cling to it and go down to 
your grave trusting in it4  ,the        
dishonest skeptic is the man who sneers 
at my faith1 who laughs at the          
old-fashioned religion1 who says that   
once he believed in it but has grown    
away from it1 seemingly forgetting that 
the greatest men the country has ever   
produced have been humble followers of  
,jesus of ,nazareth4  ,infidelity does  
not satisfy4  ,it leaves an aching void 
in life and mocks us in death4          

,besides1 it is deceiving and the talk  
of the infidel orator is deceiving4     
,said one of the most eloquent not many 
years ago1 ,when ,i think of the        
,christian's ,god and the ,christian's  
,bible1 ,i am glad ,i am not a          
,christian4  ,i had rather be the       
humblest ,german peasant that ever      
lived1 sitting in his cottage1 vine     
clad1 from which the grapes hang1 made  
purple by the kiss of the sun as the day
 dies out of the sky1 shod with wooden  
shoes1 clad in homespun1 at peace with  
the world1 his family about him1 with   
never a thought of ,god--,i say the     
truth ,i had rather be such a peasant   
than any ,christian that ,i have ever   
known4  ,and when he said it the people 
cheered him4 ,it was1 however1 but the  
trick of an orator4  ,let us change the 
sentences and give a new ring to the    
thought4  ,when ,i think of what        
infidelity would do ,i am glad ,i am not
 an infidel2 how it would rob me of the 
hope of seeing my mother and meeting    

again my child2 how it would take me in 
despair to the grave and send me away   
with a broken heart--,i say ,i am glad  
,i am not an infidel4  ,i had rather be 
the humblest ,german peasant that ever  
lived1 sitting in his cottage1 vine     
clad1 from which the grapes hang1 made  
purple by the kiss of the sun as the day
 dies out of the sky1 clad in homespun1 
shod with wooden shoes1 at peace with   
the world and at peace with ,god1 his   
family ,bible upon his knees1 the look  
of ineffable joy in his face and singing
 that grand old hymn of ,luther's1 ',a  
mighty fortress is our ,god'--,i had    
rather be such a ,german peasant than to
 be the mightiest infidel the world has 
ever known1 and so ,i would1 a thousand 
thousand times4  ,god pity you if you   
allow yourself to put ,christ out of    
your life and stand in the midst of the 
rising floods with no hope in him6  ,how
 wilt thou do in the swelling of        
,jordan8   ,,iii  ,some are in the cave 
of morality4  ,it seems a strange thing 

to have a word to say against it1 only  
when we remember that he that offends in
 one point is guilty of all1 and when we
 remember ,god's word as he has         
declared1 ,cursed is every one that     
continueth not in all the things written
 in the ,book of the law to do them4    
,then the question for the moralist is  
this1 ,have you ever offended in one    
point8  ,a splendid steamer was launched
 on ,lake ,champlain4  ,she made her way
 safely across the lake and started     
back1 when a storm came upon her1 the   
engines were disabled and she drifted to
 the rocks4  ,out with the anchor1 said 
the captain1 and the command was obeyed1
 but still she drifted1 and although the
 anchor was down she crashed against the
 rocks with an awful force1 and all     
because the anchor chain was three feet 
too short4  ,your morality so far as it 
goes may be a good tiling1 but it does  
not reach the standard of ,god1 nor can 
it until you are safely united to       
,christ2 and if you have put him out of 

your life and stand alone in the midst  
of the rising floods1 then how wilt thou
 do in the swelling of ,jordan8  ,sin is
 a terrible thing4  ,it not only blights
 our hopes and prospects for the future1
 but it wrecks the strongest characters4
  ,one has only to open his eyes to see1
 if he will but look abroad1 what       
dreadful havoc this awful evil hath     
wrought in the world1 and yet the       
wonderful thing is that ,god so loved   
the world that he gave his only begotten
 ,son that whosoever believeth in him   
should not perish but have everlasting  
life1 and no matter how dreadful the    
wreck or how awful the ruin1 ,jesus     
,christ comes seeking to save that which
 was lost4  ,major ,whittle used to tell
 the story of the aged ,quaker named    
,hartmann whose son had enlisted in the 
army4  ,there came the news of a        
dreadful battle1 and this old father1 in
 fear and trembling1 started to the     
scene of conflict that he might learn   
something concerning his boy4 ,the      

officer of the day told him that he had 
not answered to his name1 and that there
 was every reason to believe that he was
 dead4  ,this did not satisfy the       
father1 so1 leaving headquarters1 he    
started across the battlefield1 looking 
for the one who was dearer to him than  
life4  ,he would stoop down and turn    
over the face of this one and then the  
face of another1 but without success4   
,the night came on1 and then with a     
lantern he continued his search1 all to 
no purpose4  ,suddenly the wind1 which  
was blowing a gale1 extinguished his    
lantern1 and he stood there in the      
darkness hardly knowing what to do until
 his fatherly ingenuity1 strength and   
affection prompted him to call out his  
son's name1 and so he stood and shouted1
 ,john ,hartmann1 thy father calleth    
thee4  ,all about him he would hear the 
groans of the dying and some one saying1
 ,oh1 if that were only my father4  ,he 
continued his cry with more pathos and  
power until at last in the distance he  

heard his boy's voice crying            
tremblingly1 ,here1 father4  ,the old   
man made his way across the field       
shouting out1 ,thank ,god6  ,thank ,god6
  ,taking him in his arms1 he bore him  
to headquarters1 nursed him back to     
health and strength1 and he lives       
to-day4  ,over the battlefield of the   
slain this day walks ,jesus ,christ1 the
 ,son of ,god1 crying out to all who are
 wrecked by this awful power1 ,thy      
,father calleth thee1 and if there      
should be but the faintest response to  
his cry he would take the lost in his   
arms and bear them home to heaven4      
,will you not come while he calls       
to-day8     ,a ,,call ,,to ,,judgment   
,,text3 ,i call heaven and earth to     
record this day against you1 that ,i    
have set before you life and death1     
blessing and cursing1 therefore choose  
life1 that both thou and thy seed may   
live4--,deut4 #cj3ai4  ,moses was a     
wonderful man2 whether you view him as a
 poet or as a leader of men1 he is alike

 great4  ,this text was spoken by him to
 the people of ,israel at the close of  
his career4  ,the leadership of ,god's  
chosen people is now to be transferred  
to ,joshua1 and it is in order that he  
may speak to them as they should be     
addressed1 and at the same time in order
 that he may free himself from judgment1
 that he speaks as he does4  ,i have two
 great desires as ,i present this       
message4  ,first1 that ,i might myself  
be faithful1 and that it might be said  
that ,i am free from the blood of all   
men1 for ,i have not shunned to declare 
unto you the whole counsel of ,god4     
,second1 that ,i might help some one to 
the knowledge of ,christ4  ,this is no  
time for argument1 for argument always  
calls forth discussion4  ,it is no time 
for theory4  ,practical1 every-day      
people of the world care nothing for    
mere theories4  ,and it is no time for  
speculation1 for to give such to the    
people is like giving a stone when they 
have asked for bread4  ,but it is time  

for eternal choice4  ,the audience of   
the preacher vanishes when he thinks of 
the text and its meaning and he is face 
to face with the ,judgment when he shall
 be judged for the way he has spoken1   
and the people shall be called to       
account for the way they have heard4    
,it is indeed a solemn word4  ,i call   
heaven and earth to record this day     
against you1 that ,i have set before you
 life and death1 blessing and cursing3  
therefore choose life1 that both thou   
and thy seed may live4   ,i  ,record4   
,i desire to use this word as if it were
 a noun for the time being1 for it will 
bring to us the same truth4  ,this leads
 me to say that every one is making a   
record1 either good or bad4  ,deep down 
through the surface of the earth you    
will find the evidence of storms        
centuries ago2 the record was indelibly 
made4  ,two records are being kept4     
,this is indicated in the twentieth     
chapter of ,revelation1 where it is     
said1 ,and the books were opened4       

,notice that it is plural and not       
singular4  ,there is a record in heaven 
kept by the ,recording ,angel4  ,if it  
were in the memory of ,god it would be  
an awful thing1 for while ,god does not 
remember forgiven sin1 he cannot1 from  
the very nature of the case1 forget     
unpardoned sin1 and if that is the      
record one day we shall meet it face to 
face4  ,there is also a record upon     
earth4  ,we have seen it in the         
characters of men who have gone astray1 
and in the faces of those who have been 
affected by their sins4  ,in an eastern 
city where ,i was preaching my attention
 was called to a young man of brilliant 
prospects4  ,he was a member of a great 
wholesale grocery firm1 and young men   
looked at him almost with envy2 but he  
began to drink1 and at the end of a year
 the senior partner called him in to say
 that he must change his conduct or     
retire from the firm4  ,he made promises
 only to break them1 and finally1 going 
from bad to worse1 he was forced to     

retire4  ,one morning we read the news  
in the paper that his bloated body had  
been found floating in the ,hudson      
river2 and his old father1 up to a few  
years ago1 walked up and down the       
streets with bowed head1 giving every   
evidence of an almost broken heart4     
,sin is an awful thing and makes its    
record on whatever it touches4   ,,ii   
,two ,ways4  ,there are just two ways in
 this world along which men may walk1   
and they are not parallel ways4  ,i used
 to have that idea1 but ,i am sure it is
 wrong4  ,as a matter of fact1 it is but
 one way2 going in one direction is     
death1 and in the opposite direction is 
life4  ,first3 ,away from ,god1 away    
from his love1 every step only leads us 
farther from ,him--not because of       
anything he is1 but because of what we  
have done ourselves4  ,a father in the  
,south sent his boy to a northern       
university1 and for seven years he was  
away from the restraints of his home4   
,then he came back with his diploma but 

with the habit of intemperance fastened 
upon him4  ,it seemed impossible for him
 to break it1 and his old father was    
fairly crushed4  ,his mother broke her  
heart and died1 all because of her boy4 
,and yet the father loved him4  ,one day
 the old father stepped from his        
carriage in the town in which he lived4 
,the son was heard to make a request of 
him1 and when evidently it was refused  
the boy turned and struck him full in   
the face4  ,the old father staggered and
 would have fallen to the walk except   
for assistance4  ,he entered his        
carriage1 drove back to his home1 the   
servants saw him go out into the grove  
where his wife was buried1 throw himself
 on the grave and shriek aloud4  ,some  
time later the boy returned and the     
father met him at the door to say1 ,you 
must go away2 you have disgraced my name
 and killed your mother and broken my   
heart4  ,this is the measure of a       
father's love perhaps in this one       
instance1 but think how many times you  

have trifled with ,god1 spurned his     
love1 disregarded his ,son1 and yet he  
has loved you4  ,and remember also that 
word which says1    ,there is a time1 we
 know not when1     ,a place1 we know   
not where1   ,that seals the destiny of 
men     ,for glory or despair4          
,second3 ,towards ,god4  ,how easy a    
thing it is1 therefore1 to be saved if  
there is but one way and this way runs  
in opposite directions1 meaning either  
life or death4  ,it is just to right    
about face1 as the soldier would say1 by
 an act of the will and with the help of
 ,god to turn away from sin and from    
self4  ,i am very sure we can do it1    
because it is commanded in this text1   
and ,god would not mock us with a       
command which could not be obeyed4  ,i  
am equally sure that we must do it now1 
for ,god has plainly stated this in his 
,word4   ,,iii  ,choose ,life4  ,as has 
been indicated1 the text proves that we 
may choose life if we will1 but ,i have 
more especially in mind the question1   

,why should we do it8 and ,i answer1    
because it is the best sort of life and 
the only life4  ,one of my friends used 
to tell of a man whom he saw in ,colonel
 ,clarke's mission4  ,the man rose for  
prayers and accepted ,christ4  ,later on
 he saw him again in the mission4  ,he  
went forward to testify4  ,he had that  
look upon his face the result of sin1   
because of which you could not tell     
whether he was young or old1 and leaning
 up against the platform he gave his    
testimony4  ,among other things he said3
 ,i came to ,chicago some little time   
ago from my home in the east1 my father 
having made two requests--first1 that ,i
 should change my name because ,i had   
disgraced his2 second1 that ,i should go
 away and never return4  ,i had fallen  
too low here for them to receive me even
 in the station house1 and ,i was on my 
way to end it all when ,i heard the     
music of this mission and came in and   
found ,christ4  ,as ,i came down the    
aisle this evening ,i heard one man say 

to another1 ',he is getting paid for    
this1' and ,i wish to say that ,i am4   
,i have a letter in my pocket from my   
father1 and he tells me that ,i cannot  
come home too soon for him4 ,boys1 ,i am
 getting paid4  ,i have a sister at home
 whose name ,i would hardly dare to have
 taken upon my impure lips1 and she     
writes me that every day she has prayed 
for me and that a welcome home awaits   
me4  ,i am getting paid1 for to-night ,i
 am starting back to my ,new ,england   
home4  ,it is life which we may choose1 
and life of the very best sort4  ,it is 
better than anything that this world can
 give4  ,men have tried other ways1 and 
they have ended in despair and shame and
 death1 but this way is the path of the 
just and shines brighter and brighter   
unto the perfect day4  ,therefore choose
 life and choose it now4  ,in ,st4      
,paul's cathedral in ,london it is said 
that under the dome there is a red mark1
 and ,i have been told that this mark   
indicates the place where a workman lost

 his life4  ,he fell from the           
scaffolding and was dashed to pieces    
upon the floor4  ,i have been told that 
in the ,alps very frequently you will   
see black crosses where men have slipped
 into eternity as the result of an      
accident4  ,but ,i suggest these stories
 in order that ,i may say that where you
 are at this present moment may be the  
black cross of death1 because there some
 one rejected ,christ4  ,if you feel    
this1 choose ,jesus ,christ2 choose him1
 and choose him now4  ,i call heaven and
 earth to record this day against you1  
that ,i have set before you life and    
death1 blessing and cursing3 therefore  
choose life1 that both thou and thy seed
 may live4     ,a ,,changed ,,life      
,,text3 ,and1 behold1 there was a woman 
which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen
 years1 and was bowed together1 and     
could in no wise lift herself up4  ,and 
when ,jesus saw her1 he called her to   
him1 and said unto her1 ,woman1 thou art
 loosed from thine infirmity3 ,and he   

laid his hands on her2 and immediately  
she was made straight1 and glorified    
,god4--,luke #ac3aa-ac4  ,these verses  
present to us one of the most           
interesting stories imaginable--of      
interest to us first because it is one  
of our ,lord's miracles1 and one has    
only to study these manifestations of   
his power to be persuaded of his        
divinity2 interesting1 again1 because it
 is the account of a remarkable recovery
 from a great infirmity1 for instead of 
bondage which had held this woman for   
eighteen years we behold her standing   
upright glorifying ,god4  ,but it is all
 the more interesting to us because it  
presents a picture of what may be called
 the overflow ministry of ,jesus1 of    
which there are many instances--as1 for 
example1 the account of the staunching  
of the issue of blood when the woman    
touched the hem of his garment4  ,he was
 going upon another errand1 but was so  
filled with virtue that when one of the 
multitude at his side touched him1 by   

faith healing was the result4  ,and1    
again1 we have an illustration in the   
raising of ,jairus' daughter1 and once  
again in the rescue of the widow's son  
from death4  ,he was on his journey     
across the country and beheld the       
funeral procession coming4  ,mr4 ,moody 
used to say that ,jesus broke up every  
funeral he attended1 and he stops long  
enough in this journey to restore this  
boy to his broken-hearted mother4       
,again1 in the case of the woman of     
,samaria1 when he is going about his    
,father's business1 he stops by the     
wellside to rest1 and even in his       
resting moments forgives a woman's sins1
 so that under her influence an entire  
city is moved4  ,would that we could    
learn that it is the overflow of our    
lives that gives power to our ,christian
 experience6  ,this text is one of the  
best illustrations of this truth in the 
life of our ,savior4   ,i  ,many lessons
 might be drawn from this scripture1 the
 first of which would be his power to   

uplift womanhood2 but this is so well   
understood that it is unnecessary to    
take a moment of time to discuss it1    
except to say in passing that all that  
woman is today she owes to ,jesus of    
,nazareth4  ,she was as truly bound as  
this afflicted woman1 and just as truly 
was she set free4  ,but ,i prefer rather
 to let the woman of ,samaria illustrate
 many ,christians to-day who are bound  
in one way or another and so are shorn  
of power4  ,for this suggestion ,i am   
indebted to my dear friend1 the ,rev4   
,f4 ,b4 ,meyer1 a brief outline of whose
 sermon ,i recently had the privilege of
 reading4  ,she was a daughter of       
,abraham1 as we read in verse #af1 ,and 
ought not this woman1 being a daughter  
of ,abraham1 whom ,satan had bound1 lo1 
these eighteen years1 be loosed from    
this bond on the ,sabbath day8 ,and     
therefore she was like many children of 
,god whom we know4  ,what it is that    
binds them we cannot always tell4  ,with
 this person it is fashion1 and with    

that it is earnings2 with another it is 
pride1 and still another selfishness2   
with this one it is the encouragement of
 some passion1 and with still another it
 is the practice of some secret sin4    
,it is not necessary to describe the    
bondage2 it is true1 alas1 that many of 
us are sadly crippled in our influence  
because of these things1 for this woman 
was just as truly bound as if she had   
been in chains4  ,when ,jesus entered   
the synagogue his eye saw her instantly1
 and he detected her difficulty4  ,he is
 in the midst of us to-day1 and while we
 are unconscious of the bondage of the  
one who is beside us1 he understands it 
perfectly4  ,that minister who has lost 
his old power and is therefore an enigma
 to his people1 that church officer who 
is out of communion and whose testimony 
has lost its old ring of genuineness1   
that young woman bordering on despair   
because in her heart she knows she is   
not right with ,god1 and that young man 
whose character is being undermined by  

the cultivation of a secret sin--all    
these are known to him4  ,he looks them 
through and through1 and not a point of 
weakness is hidden from his gaze4  ,note
 again1 that she was powerless to help  
herself4  ,i doubt not that she had     
tried again and again to lift herself   
up4  ,she had been unable to turn her   
eyes upward to see the stars1 her vision
 had been centered upon things below1   
and in this way she is like many a      
,christian attempting to be satisfied   
with earthly things and making life a   
miserable failure4  ,the ,scriptures    
declare that she could in no wise lift  
up herself1 and ,i have been told that  
this expression is the same word which  
is used in another place in the ,epistle
 to the ,hebrews1 where ,jesus is said  
to be able to save to the uttermost2 so 
that really the ,scriptures mean that   
she tried to the uttermost to lift      
herself up and failed1 and that she had 
gone to the uttermost in the matter of  
bondage1 and then because ,jesus is able

 to save to the uttermost he set her    
free2 or1 in other words1 her need was  
met by his power4  ,oh1 what an         
encouragement to know that the thing    
which has been your defeat and mine he  
may easily conquer6  ,it is a striking  
picture to me2 he laid his hands on her 
and said1 ,woman1 thou art loosed1 and  
she stood straight and glorified ,god4  
,some years ago there came into the     
,mc,auley mission1 in ,new ,york ,city1 
a man who was1 because of his sin1      
unable to speak and was bound down      
until1 instead of standing a man six    
feet high1 as he should have done1 he   
was like a dwarf4  ,he came to ,christ  
in the old mission1 and when kneeling at
 the altar he accepted him1 as if by a  
miracle ,jesus set him free also1 and   
when he stood up the bonds were snapped 
that held him1 and he had his old       
stature back again4  ,his speech1       
however1 was not entirely recovered4    
,it is the custom in the mission for one
 to observe his anniversary each year   

and to give a testimony4  ,whenever the 
anniversary of this man occurred he     
always had another read his lesson1 then
 he would stand before the people bowed 
down as he had been in sin and suddenly 
rise before them in the full dignity of 
his ,christian manhood1 glorifying ,god 
in his standing4  ,this was like the    
woman of the text1 and oh1 that it might
 be like some one reading this who1     
bound by an appetite or a passion1 shall
 be set free by the power of ,god6  ,the
 difference between this woman in the   
one case bound and wretched and in the  
other straight and glorifying ,god is   
the difference between ,christians bound
 by appetite1 pride or sin and when set 
free by the power of ,christ4  ,it is   
the difference between the average      
,christian experience and what ,god     
means we should be4  ,two things this   
woman had--first1 his word1 when he     
said1 ,woman1 thou art loosed2 and1     
second1 the touch of his hand as he laid
 his hands upon her4  ,both of these    

privileges we may have4   ,,ii  ,have   
you really taken all that ,god meant you
 should have8  ,your life is the test of
 this question4  ,if you are constantly 
failing at the same point1 if you are   
dominated by a spirit of unrest1 if you 
are lacking in spiritual power1         
something is wrong and you need the     
touch of the living ,christ4  ,the early
 disciples were an illustration of those
 of us who have not yet fully           
appreciated and appropriated our        
,savior4  ,he had given them life1 for  
in the seventeenth of ,john he declares 
that this is true4  ,they had peace as a
 possession1 for in the fourteenth      
chapter and twenty-seventh verse he     
says1 ,peace ,i leave with you1 my peace
 ,i give unto you3 not as the world     
giveth1 give ,i unto you4  ,let not your
 heart be troubled1 neither let it be   
afraid4  ,they also had joy as a gift1  
for he said1 ,these things have ,i      
spoken unto you1 that my joy might      
remain in you1 and that your joy might  

be full2 and yet they quarreled among   
themselves1 one of them denied him with 
an oath1 and all of them forsook him4   
,they were a weak1 vacillating company  
of men1 but suddenly there came a       
remarkable change4  ,it was as if there 
had been two ,peters4  ,the first was a 
coward1 the second a perfect giant in   
his fearlessness4  ,the first was afraid
 of a little girl1 the second faced a   
mob and fearlessly proclaimed the truth 
of ,god that condemned him2 and the     
secret of this change is found in the   
fact that the ,holy ,ghost had fallen   
upon him and upon them4  ,this is what  
we need4  ,jesus was ,god's gift to the 
world1 and the ,holy ,ghost is his gift 
to the church4  ,have we failed to take 
both8  ,a man over in ,england1 telling 
his pastor about his experience1 said   
that he had taken ,jesus for his eternal
 life and the ,holy ,ghost for his      
internal life4  ,this is certainly what 
we need to do more than anything else4  
,we need the ,holy ,spirit of ,god in   

our lives4  ,he would illuminate our    
minds as we read the ,bible1 strengthen 
our faith as we appropriate ,christ1    
transform our lives as he came to do1   
and enable us to live and preach in     
demonstration of the ,spirit and with   
power4  ,have you ever stopped to think 
what is really associated with the full 
acceptance of the third ,person of the  
,trinity8  ,first1 ,power4  ,ye shall   
receive power after that the ,holy      
,ghost has come upon you4  ,second1     
,ability to pray4  ,we know not what we 
should pray for as we ought1 but the    
,spirit himself maketh intercession for 
us4  ,third1 ,victory over sin4  ,for   
the law of the ,spirit of ,christ in    
,christ ,jesus sets me free from the law
 of sin and death4  ,fourth1 ,cleanness 
of life4  ,ye have purified your souls  
in obeying the truth through the        
,spirit4  ,fifth1 ,the representation of
 ,jesus ,christ4  ,not imitation1 but   
reproduction1 is what we need4  ,two    
artists are painting before a picture4  

,the work of one is sadly deficient1 the
 other an inspiration1 for one is       
copying while the other is reproducing  
his own work4  ,oh1 that we might be so 
filled with the spirit of ,god that men 
should take knowledge of us that we not 
only had been with ,jesus but were like 
him6  ,two things we need1 both of which
 we may have3 ,his word and his touch4  
,first1 his ,word4  ,we surely have     
this4  ,has he not said1 ,ye shall      
receive power8  ,but with this there is 
coupled a condition1 ,come out from     
among them and be ye separate4          
,fulfilling this condition1 we have only
 to step out upon his promise on the    
ground of the fact that he has said1    
,that ye might receive the promise of   
the ,spirit through faith4  ,second1 we 
have the touch of his hand4  ,this      
emphasizes his reality4 ,one of the     
greatest dangers of the day1 it seems to
 me1 is the fact that we are so inclined
 to make him unreal4  ,it also indicates
 his nearness4  ,he can fill us so that 

his life may come throbbing into our    
very being1 and this is the secret of   
victory in the time of temptation4  ,we 
must be empty to be filled1 but no man  
can empty himself4  ,two ways may be    
presented for the emptying of a jar of  
air4 ,first1 use the air pump2 but in   
this way it cannot be perfectly done4   
,second1 fill the jar with water4  ,this
 is the better way4  ,when ,christ fills
 our lives he empties us of self and    
sin4  ,to some unknown friend ,i am     
indebted for four steps which we must   
take if we would be loosed from our     
bondage and stand straight in the       
presence of ,god and men4  ,first3 ,what
 ,god claims ,i will yield2 that is     
myself4  ,second3 ,what ,i yield ,god   
accepts4  ,since ,i have taken my hands 
off from myself ,i am not my own4    ,i 
have not much to bring ,thee1 ,lord4    
,for that great love which made ,thee   
mine1   ,i have not much to bring ,thee1
 ,lord1     ,but all ,i am is ,thine4   
,third3 ,what ,god accepts he fills4    

,fourth3 ,what ,god fills he uses4      
,,iii  ,mind you1 it is not once and for
 all that we are filled with the ,spirit
 of ,god2 there will be a necessity for 
daily renewal1 not only because we may  
sin but also because we may use the     
strength which he has imparted to us4   
,three suggestions may be made1         
therefore1 for our constant infilling4  
,first3 ,make his word your daily       
portion4  ,count that day lost which    
passes without a portion of his word    
absorbed into your life4  ,second3 ,make
 his will supreme4  ,there can be no joy
 in the household when the children     
rebel against the parents4  ,there can  
be no power in ,christian experience    
when our wills are contrary to his4     
,third3 ,make him the king of your life4
  ,his coronation will one day come1    
when he shall be proclaimed ,king of    
kings and ,lord of lords2 but while we  
wait for that we may crown him in our   
own lives4  ,when ,queen ,victoria had  
just ascended her throne she went1 as is

 the custom of ,royalty1 to hear ,the   
,messiah rendered4  ,she had been       
instructed as to her conduct by those   
who knew1 and was told that she must not
 rise when the others stood at the      
singing of the ,hallelujah chorus4      
,when that magnificent chorus was being 
sung and the singers were shouting      
,hallelujah6 hallelujah6 hallelujah6 for
 the ,lord ,god omnipotent reigneth1 she
 sat with great difficulty4  ,it seemed 
as if she would rise in spite of the    
custom of kings and queens1 but finally 
when they came to that part of the      
chorus where with a shout they proclaim 
him ,king of kings suddenly the young   
queen rose and stood with bowed head1 as
 if she would take her own crown from   
off her head and cast it at his feet4   
,let us make him our ,king and every day
 be loyal to him4  ,this is the secret  
of peace4     ,,the ,,lost ,,opportunity
  ,,text3 ,and as thy servant was busy  
here and there1 he was gone4  ,and the  
king of ,israel said unto him1 ,so shall

 thy judgment be2 thyself hast decided  
it4--#a ,kings #bj3dj4  ,there is a very
 striking incident connected with this  
text4  ,the great battle is raging1 a   
certain important prisoner has been     
taken1 and if you read between the lines
 you seem to know that upon him depend  
many of the issues of war4  ,his skill  
in leading the enemy had been marvelous1
 his courage in the thick of the fight  
striking2 and now he is a prisoner4     
,the king puts him in the keeping of a  
,jewish soldier1 saying1 ,guard this    
man2 if he escapes thy life shall be    
demanded for his4  ,it is possible that 
they gave an extra pull to the thongs   
that bound the enemy and the guard was  
left alone with him4  ,it is an         
important duty he has to perform4  ,his 
life hangs in the balance4  ,he must    
have been impressed with it4  ,but1 as  
we read on between the lines1 strange as
 it may seem1 he becomes negligent1 his 
bow is laid down and his spear is left  
standing against the tent4  ,he becomes 

hungry and takes a few small cakes to   
eat1 he is weary and lies down to doze  
and sleep4  ,suddenly there is a snap   
and a bound1 and the guard arouses      
himself just in time to see his prisoner
 dash into the thicket1 and he is gone4 
,now the king requires the prisoner at  
the guard's hand4  ,terror-stricken1 he 
falls upon his face to cry aloud in the 
words of the text1 ,and as thy servant  
was busy here and there1 he was gone4   
,and the king of ,israel said unto him1 
,so shall thy judgment be2 thyself hast 
decided it4  ,it is my purpose to show  
in this illustration that ,god is always
 placing opportunities within our grasp4
  ,in a sense they are bound1 for they  
may be made to do our will if we rightly
 use them4  ,and it is also my purpose  
to show that as saint and sinner alike  
we have permitted opportunities to slip 
away while we doze in weariness or give 
attention to matters of less importance4
  ,god save us all from the expression1 
,it might have been1 when it is too     

late1 for even ,god himself cannot      
reverse the wheels of time and bring    
back the lost opportunity4  ,we see this
 all about us4  ,i hold in my hands a   
piece of cold iron4  ,i cannot bend it2 
if ,i put it in the fire it becomes     
pliant2 if ,i take it out it is cold    
again4  ,there is a point in time1      
however1 where it is bent as easily as a
 piece of paper4  ,years ago our nation 
sent astronomers to ,africa to witness  
the transit of ,venus4  ,preparation for
 this great sight had been going on for 
months4  ,there was a critical moment   
when the sun1 ,venus and the earth were 
all in line4  ,every astronomer knew    
that at that moment his eye must be at  
the smaller end of the glass if he would
 see the planet go flying past the      
larger end4  ,if he should miss that    
moment no power on earth could bring the
 planet back again4  ,the world is full 
of these moments4  ,galileo studied the 
eye of an ox and beheld the principle of
 the lens4 ,watts ,transcriber's note3  

,watt8 looked at the teakettle lid as it
 was lifted by steam1 ,columbus saw the 
wind's direction and knew there was land
 not far away4  ,the difference between 
these men1 to whom the world is         
indebted1 and many others is this1 that 
they have looked at the oxen's eyes and 
have been unmoved1 have allowed the     
teakettle to boil without making an     
impression upon them1 and the wind to   
blow without leading them to any shore4 
,the opportunity for greatness is gone4 
,there is not a person in the world but 
to whom at some time a great opportunity
 has been given1 and for the use or     
abuse of it we shall be called to a     
strict account4   ,i  ,these            
opportunities for doing good come to the
 one who is a ,christian4  ,first3 ,i   
would not preach to others what ,i did  
not first preach to myself1 but there   
are many of us as ministers like        
,chalmers1 who was one day visiting an  
old man seventy-two years of age1       
apparently in perfect health4  ,they    

talked together about everything but    
,christ4  ,the minister was inclined to 
speak about his soul1 but did not4      
,before morning the old man was dead4   
,dr4 ,chalmers returned to the house1   
called all the old man's household about
 him1 and offered the most touching     
apology and prayer4  ,he spent the      
entire day in the woods1 saying1 ,if ,i 
had been faithful this might not have   
been4  ,i have no question but ,god     
would say1 ,so shall thy judgment be4   
,second3 ,you who are ,christian workers
 have failed4  ,a ,christian merchant   
was told that there was a certain man   
with whom he had traded for years to    
whom he had never spoken about his soul4
  ,i will speak the next time ,i see    
him1 he said1 but he never came1 for    
while he was busy here and there the man
 was gone from him4  ,before he came    
again death met him4  ,so shall his     
judgment be4  ,third3 ,you who are      
parents have failed4  ,years ago a young
 ,scotchman from ,fife1 in ,scotland1   

was leaving home4  ,he was not an active
 ,christian4  ,his mother went with him 
to the turn of the road and said1 ,now1 
,robert1 there is one thing you must    
promise before you go4 ,no1 said the    
lad1 ,i will not promise until ,i know4 
,but it will not be difficult1 said his 
mother4  ,then ,i will promise1 he said4
 ,and she said1 ,every night before you 
lie down to sleep read a chapter and    
pray4  ,he did not want to promise it1  
but he did4  ,who was that ,robert8  ,it
 was ,robert ,moffat1 the great         
missionary1 who1 when he came into the  
,kingdom1 brought almost a continent in 
after him4  ,many a mother has lost her 
opportunity to speak to her boy1 and she
 has lost it because she has not lived  
as a mother should who would help her   
boy4 ,so shall her judgment be4   ,,ii  
,these opportunities come to the        
unsaved4  ,the ,bible is full of men who
 have had an opportunity to be saved but
 are lost4  ,first3 ,there is ,herod4   
,his face blanches as he listens to the 

truth1 he is ready to forsake some of   
his sin2 but more is required than that 
to be a ,christian1 and ,herod fails4   
,second3 ,look at ,felix4  ,as he gazes 
into the face of ,paul the ,apostle and 
hears his message1 he trembles2 a moment
 more he will be a ,christian2 but more 
is required than that to be saved1 and  
,felix is lost4  ,third3 ,behold ,judas4
  ,see him at the feet of ,jesus4       
,later he is full of remorse because he 
has sold him for thirty pieces of       
silver2 but mere remorse never saved a  
soul1 and ,judas is lost4  ,you have    
doubtless heard of that young girl of   
whom the poet tells us4 ,she had a      
string of pearls in her hand and her    
hand is in the water1 the string is     
broken1 and one by one the pearls slip  
away4  ,so it has been with you who have
 been ,christians4  ,my hope is that    
there may be one pearl left yet4        
,to-day is the accepted time2 do not let
 the opportunity slip4   ,,iii  ,the    
,bible is full of men just the opposite 

who had opportunities to be saved and   
embraced them4  ,first3 ,zaccheus4      
,there was just one day1 one hour1 one  
moment2 when ,jesus would pass by1 and  
,zaccheus ran to the sycamore tree2 but 
he made haste and came down1 and that   
saved him4  ,second3 ,bartimeus4  ,there
 was just a moment when ,jesus was near 
to hear the sound of his voice4  ,if    
,bartimeus failed that moment he would  
be blind forever4  ,i can see him       
quickly turning his sightless eyes in   
the direction of the ,savior4  ,he cried
 unto him and it was his earnestness    
that saved him4  ,we must make haste    
while yet it is to-day4  ,third3 ,coming
 down from the mountain1 where he had   
preached his great sermon1 ,jesus beheld
 the leper4  ,he was dead1 according to 
the law1 yet he had a napkin bound about
 his mouth4  ,if one had called to him1 
,your child is dead1 he could not have  
gone to see the little one4  ,but he    
breaks through all of this and cries1   
,if thou wilt thou canst make me clean4 

,it was his desperation that saved him4 
,fourth3 ,look at the dying thief1 so   
near that he could have touched ,christ 
if he had been free4  ,here yawned      
before him the very brink of hell1 here 
was judgment for his sins1 for he       
acknowledged that he was justly         
punished4  ,i can see him struggle to   
decide whether he shall speak or not1   
and at last he cries1 ,lord1 remember   
me4  ,and ,jesus said1 ,to-day shalt    
thou be with me in paradise4  ,it was   
his last chance1 and he took it4  ,and  
this may be yours4  ,god forbid that you
 should let the opportunity slip away4  
,but whether my message is to ministers1
 to ,christian workers1 to parents or to
 the unsaved1 ,i call your attention to 
this fact3 ,it was when the soldier was 
busy that the prisoner escaped4  ,many  
of you have been busy about pleasure1   
and some day it will mock you4  ,you    
have been caught by the fascination of  
business1 and it does not prevent your  
soul having been surrounded by sin from 

which after a while you cannot escape1  
and if the opportunity slips away so    
shall our judgment be1 for we must      
decide it4  ,in a few years at the      
latest1 possibly in a few months1       
perhaps in a few weeks--who knows but   
within a few days8--eternity shall be   
upon us4  ,if it is an opportunity that 
is gone or a soul that is lost it will  
be a sad eternity indeed for us4  ,to   
this end may ,god keep us watchful4     
,a ,,great ,,victory  ,,text3 ,and they 
stood every man in his place round about
 the camp1 and all the host ran1 and    
cried1 and fled4--,judges #g3ba4  ,few  
things in this world are so inspiring to
 the traveler and at the same time so   
depressing as a city or temple in ruins4
  ,i remember a delightful experience in
 passing through the ruins of ,karnak   
and ,luxor1 on the ,nile in ,egypt1 and 
later passing through ,phylae at ,assuan
 on the ,nile2 and these two thoughts1  
each the opposite of the other1 kept    
constantly coming to my mind4  ,the     

loneliness is oppressive1 and one would 
be delighted to hear the song of a bird1
 the bark of a dog1 or the cry of a     
child4  ,these ruins were once happy    
homes1 or were temples filled with      
worshipers4  ,here little children      
played and gray-haired patriarchs       
worshiped their gods4  ,akin to this    
picture is the one of the people of     
,israel at the time of this story1 and  
the alternating feelings of pleasure and
 sadness keep constantly coming and     
going4  ,the condition of the land      
beggared description4  ,homes were      
there1 but no children were about the   
doors2 there were fields1 but no crops  
to be harvested2 pastures1 but no cattle
 fed upon them2 the hills were to be    
seen1 but no flocks bleated on their    
sides2 people were there1 but they were 
found in the caves and hiding away on   
the mountain sides4  ,when they had     
entered ,canaan1 these chosen people of 
,god1 he had said unto them1 ,and it    
shall come to pass1 if thou shall       

hearken diligently unto the voice of the
 ,lord thy ,god1 to observe and to do   
all his commandments which ,i command   
thee this day1 that the ,lord thy ,god  
will set thee on high above all nations 
of the earth2 and all these blessings   
shall come on thee1 and overtake thee1  
if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of 
the ,lord thy ,god4 ,blessed shalt thou 
be in the city1 and blessed shalt thou  
be in the field4  ,blessed shall be the 
fruit of thy body1 and the fruit of thy 
ground1 and the fruit of thy cattle1 the
 increase of thy kine1 and the flocks of
 thy sheep4  ,blessed shall be thy      
basket and thy store4 ,blessed shalt    
thou be when thou comest in1 and blessed
 shalt thou be when thou goest out4     
,the ,lord shall cause thine enemies    
that rise up against thee to be smitten 
before thy face2 they shall come out    
against thee one way1 and flee before   
thee seven ways4  ,the ,lord shall      
command the blessing upon thee in thy   
storehouses1 and in all that thou       

settest thine hand unto2 and he shall   
bless thee in the land which the ,lord  
thy ,god giveth thee4  ,the ,lord shall 
establish thee an holy people unto      
himself1 as he hath sworn unto thee1 if 
thou shalt keep the commandments of the 
,lord thy ,god1 and walk in his ways4   
,and all the people of the earth shall  
see that thou art called by the name of 
the ,lord2 and they shall be afraid of  
thee4  ,we have here the ,old ,testament
 ,beatitudes1 and there is nothing like 
them4  ,the story with which the text is
 associated really begins in the first  
verse of the sixth chapter of ,judges1  
,and the children of ,israel did evil in
 the sight of the ,lord2 and the ,lord  
delivered them into the hand of ,midian 
seven years4  ,but there must also be   
read in connection with this the last   
verse of the fifth chapter of ,judges1  
,so let all thine enemies perish1 ,o    
,lord2 but let them that love him be as 
the sun when he goeth forth in his      
might4  ,and the land had rest forty    

years4  ,it seems incredible that there 
could be such a difference in the       
experiences of ,god's people1 and yet1  
as you study them in all their          
wanderings1 you will find1 if you turn  
over but one leaf of the ,bible1 the    
people who sing to-day are active in    
evil to-morrow1 and the history of      
,israel is the history of one's self4   
,life is like a short ladder1 as some   
one has said1 and we spend most of our  
time going up to pray and down to sin4  
,there is a striking picture in the     
second verse of the sixth chapter4  ,the
 chosen people of ,god were dwelling in 
caves instead of their rightful         
positions in their homes1 and the same  
is true to-day2 men who ought to be at  
the front are left behind because they  
are living selfish lives or lives of    
sin4  ,do not for a moment think that ,i
 am saying that because a man is living 
out of sight that he is doing nothing1  
for we have only to remember ,gideon to 
know that this is not true4  ,he was a  

hidden man doing an honest work1 and the
 ,angel of the ,lord called him1 saying1
 ,the ,lord is with thee1 thou mighty   
man of valor4  ,to this ,gideon makes a 
significant reply in the thirteenth     
verse of the sixth chapter of ,judges1  
,and ,gideon said unto him1 ,oh1 my     
,lord1 if the ,lord be with us1 why then
 is all this befallen us8 and where be  
all his miracles which our fathers told 
us of1 saying1 ,did not the ,lord bring 
us up from ,egypt8 but now the ,lord    
hath forsaken us1 and delivered us into 
the hands of the ,midianites4  ,for the 
angel had said1 ,the ,lord is with thee1
 ,gideon1 and ,gideon had said1 ,if the 
,lord is with us1 then how can these    
things be8  ,and the angel did not say  
it4  ,how often it is true that we miss 
the truth of ,god because we miss the   
grammar of the ,bible4  ,when ,gideon   
had thus replied1 we read in the        
fourteenth verse of the sixth chapter1  
,and the ,lord looked upon him1 and     
said1 ,go in this thy might1 and thou   

shalt save ,israel from the hand of the 
,midianites2 have not ,i sent thee8     
,and the thing to pay special attention 
to there is that the angel looked at    
,gideon4 ,sometimes in translating a    
foreign language you come upon a word   
which you cannot express in your own    
language2 so it is with us here1 for the
 ,lord looked ,gideon into a new man and
 said unto him1 ,go and thou shalt save 
the people1 which leads me to say that  
one man right with ,god is mightier than
 a host against ,god4  ,the seventh     
chapter of ,judges opens with the       
significant word then4  ,you must have  
all that goes before in your mind to    
appreciate this word4  ,god has a plan  
for every life1 and all your sickness1  
your disappointment1 your discipline1 is
 for something4  ,there must be a then  
for you4  ,it is the call of ,god and   
the answer to it that makes real life4  
,compare ,gideon the farmer with ,gideon
 the soldier1 and you will see the      
difference in a human life4 ,let one1   

however low or ignorant1 but hear the   
voice of ,god and respond to it1 and    
when such an one answers ,god's call for
 his country1 for the church1 or for    
,christ1 the heroic in him is being     
stirred4  ,it is said that years ago    
there used to be a man in ,mr4          
,spurgeon's ,tabernacle who never had   
spoken in his social meetings1 for the  
reason that he had a stammering tongue4 
,one day he heard the great preacher say
 that the ,lord could use even the      
tongue of the stammerer4  ,it sent him  
to his home1 and to his knees1 and when 
he rose to his feet after having yielded
 himself wholly to ,god1 as if by       
miracle ,god gave him the gift of       
speech1 and ,i have been told that no   
one in the ,tabernacle spoke more to the
 edification of the people or the praise
 of ,god than he4  ,some years ago when 
,john ,g4 ,woolley was delivering his   
closing address on the commencement day 
at college a young boy heard him under  
peculiar circumstances4  ,he had walked 

in from the country4  ,it was a hot day1
 and to quench his thirst he had tasted 
the water of one of the springs4 ,it    
made him very ill1 and just to escape   
the heat of the sun he crept under the  
platform1 which had been erected upon   
the college campus for the commencement 
exercises4  ,while there he fell asleep 
and was awakened by the sound of a      
musical voice4  ,something that the     
graduating student said stirred his     
soul1 and he there made a vow that he   
would be a preacher4  ,it was ,god's    
call to him and his answer4  ,he has    
since become one of the world's most    
famous preachers1 and his influence has 
been as wide as the world itself4  ,when
 the ,midianites stood against the      
children of ,israel ,god called ,gideon 
to lead an army against them1 and this  
text is part of this story4  ,the scene 
was remarkable4  ,thirty-two thousand   
people following ,gideon's leadership   
with the first flush of the battle upon 
them4  ,they were ready to march1 and   

,god said when he looked at them1 ,the  
people are too many4  ,they would seem  
to us to have been too few1 for         
literally a multitude of ,midianites    
stood against him4  ,but we go wrong so 
often by applying human arithmetic to   
divine decrees4  ,it is said that when  
,napoleon marched with his soldiers he  
was counted as being equal to #dj1jjj of
 his men1 and so1 after all1 it is not a
 question of numbers with ,god1 but of  
the few men whom he can use4  ,the test 
by means of which ,gideon's army was    
decreased was remarkable4 ,in ,judges1  
the seventh chapter and the second to   
seventh verses1 we read1 ,and the ,lord 
said unto ,gideon1 ,the people that are 
with thee are too many for me to give   
the ,midianites into their hands1 lest  
,israel vaunt themselves against me1    
saying1 ,mine own hand hath saved me4   
,now therefore go to1 proclaim in the   
ears of the people1 saying1 ,whosoever  
is fearful and afraid1 let him return   
and depart early from ,mount ,gilead4   

,and there returned of the people twenty
 and two thousand2 and there remained   
ten thousand4  ,and the ,lord said unto 
,gideon1 ,the people are yet too many2  
bring them down unto the water1 and ,i  
will try them for thee there2 and it    
shall be1 that of whom ,i say unto thee1
 ,this shall go with thee1 the same     
shall go with thee2 and of whomsoever ,i
 say unto thee1 ,this shall not go with 
thee1 the same shall not go4  ,so he    
brought down the people unto the water2 
and the ,lord said unto ,gideon1 ,every 
one that lappeth of the water with his  
tongue1 as a dog lappeth1 him shalt thou
 set by himself2 likewise every one that
 boweth down upon his knees to drink4   
,and the number of them that lapped1    
putting their hand to their mouth1 were 
three hundred men2 but all the rest of  
the people bowed down upon their knees  
to drink water4  ,and the ,lord said    
unto ,gideon1 ,by the three hundred men 
that lapped will ,i save you1 and       
deliver the ,midianites into thine hand2

 and let all the other people go every  
man unto his place4  ,this test is going
 on now among men2 by the way we walk   
and talk1 by the way we listen and work1
 men form their judgment of us1 and so  
does ,god4  ,we may measure our         
spiritual state by the way we spend our 
leisure moments1 by the way we spend our
 ,saturday afternoons1 by our rest days1
 and by the books we read4  ,there is   
flowing past us the stream of literature
 and the stream of pleasure1 and the    
question is whether we are going to fall
 down before these streams to drink or  
whether we are just going to dip up as  
we hurry along to fulfill our mission2  
or1 in other words1 whether we are to be
 so taken up with ,god's plan that we   
have no time to idle away and no        
disposition to turn aside4  ,it does not
 so much matter how many members one may
 have in his church1 for under the      
banner of a popular ,christianity       
soldiers march4 ,what if there should be
 a struggle ahead when to be a          

,christian would mean to suffer         
martyrdom1 or dying at the stake1 or    
contending with the beasts of ,ephesus  
like ,paul1 how then do you think it    
would be8  ,and yet all the time to-day 
the struggle is going on2 both from     
within and from without the foe is      
assailing us1 the ,bible is being       
attacked1 ,christ is being denied1 the  
resurrection is counted a myth1 and the 
future is being questioned1 and in every
 part of the church it would seem as if 
men thought that the life of the        
,christian was all a holiday1 for people
 are idling1 gossiping1 buying and      
selling1 marrying and giving in         
marriage1 instead of being in the thick 
of the fight in the name of the ,lord of
 hosts4  ,give us three hundred in the  
church right with ,god rather than the  
thirty-two thousand compromising with   
sin and the world1 and we shall win the 
victory4   ,i  ,i am impressed in this  
story with the thought of how much may  
be accomplished without wealth1         

influence or material strength4  ,we    
somehow seem to think that we cannot    
work as ministers without a fine        
equipment4  ,we have an idea that we    
must have a committee back of us to be  
assured of success1 that if we are      
without influence we have a small       
mission in the world1 forgetting that   
,michelangelo wrought the frescoes in   
the ,sistine ,chapel with the ochres    
which he digged with his own hands in   
the garden of the ,vatican2 forgetting  
also that the greatest work in the world
 has been accomplished by men like      
,gideon1 who delayed not for elaborate  
preparation1 but just took firebrands   
and torches--indeed1 anything they could
 lay their hands upon--and cried out1   
,the sword of the ,lord and of ,gideon1 
and won the victory4  ,the text is most 
striking1 and presents an outline which 
any one ought to be able to see4   ,,ii 
,they stood4  ,it is not so easy to     
stand as to march or to fight4  ,i have 
been told that the most difficult       

service of the soldier is picket duty2  
and yet never until we learn to stand   
shall we be able to fight4 ,in the      
fourteenth chapter of ,exodus1 the      
thirteenth and fourteenth verses1 we    
read1 ,and ,moses said unto the people4 
,fear ye not1 stand still1 and see the  
salvation of the ,lord1 which he will   
shew to you to-day1 for the ,egyptians  
whom ye have seen to-day1 ye shall see  
them again no more forever4  ,the ,lord 
shall fight for you and ye shall hold   
your peace4  ,and again1 in #b          
,chronicles1 the twentieth chapter and  
the seventeenth verse1 it is recorded1  
,ye shall not need to fight in this     
battle3 set yourselves1 stand ye still1 
and see the salvation of the ,lord with 
you1 ,o ,judah and ,jerusalem3 fear not1
 nor be dismayed2 to-morrow go out      
against them1 for the ,lord will be with
 you4  ,three thoughts are impressed    
upon my mind3  ,first3 ,before any      
service1 let us stand1 giving ,god a    
chance with us4 ,let him use you and not

 you use him so much4  ,in the beginning
 of his ,christian service ,hudson      
,taylor1 the ,china ,inland missionary1 
was desirous of being used and cried out
 for ,god to send him out into service4 
,at last ,god seemed to say to him1 ,my 
child1 ,i have made up my mind to save  
inland ,china4  ,if you will come and   
walk with me ,i will do it through you1 
and the ,china ,inland ,mission was     
born4  ,second3 ,wait for orders4  ,in  
,ephesians the sixth chapter and the    
tenth to the thirteenth verses1 we have 
the following description of a soldier3 
,finally1 my brethren1 be strong in the 
,lord1 and in the power of his might4   
,put on the whole armor of ,god1 that ye
 may be able to stand against the wiles 
of the devil4  ,for we wrestle not      
against flesh and blood1 but against    
principalities1 against powers1 against 
the rulers of the darkness of this      
world1 against spiritual wickedness in  
high places4  ,wherefore take unto you  
the whole armor of ,god1 that ye may be 

able to withstand in the evil day1 and  
having done all1 to stand4  ,the        
striking part of that description is the
 sentence1 having done all1 to stand4   
,in other words1 with all our ingenuity 
and our planning1 with all our          
preparation and equipment1 we lack one  
thing3 that one thing is the touch of   
the ,almighty ,god4  ,third3 ,be willing
 to do the common thing4  ,it was rather
 interesting to march with thirty-two   
thousand1 and a striking thing to break 
pitchers and cry aloud1 ,the sword of   
the ,lord and of ,gideon1 but just to   
stand was a different matter1 and not at
 all easy4  ,if we were only willing to 
do the common things for ,christ we     
should accomplish more in our lives4    
,the great ,bethany ,sunday school      
building standing in ,philadelphia is a 
model in its perfect equipment4  ,the   
mighty ,sunday school held there is one 
of the wonders of the world4  ,the      
building was begun not only in the mind 
and heart of the distinguished          

superintendent1 the ,hon4 ,john         
,wanamaker1 but when he appealed for    
funds as they were then needed one of   
the poorest children in the city made   
practically the first and best          
contribution4  ,she gathered bones from 
the alleyways1 sold them and brought her
 few pennies to help make this wonderful
 work a success4   ,,iii  ,every man in 
his place4  ,first3 ,let us remember    
that ,god has a plan for every life4    
,ephesians #d3h-ac1 ,wherefore he saith1
 ,when he ascended up on high1 he led   
captivity captive1 and gave gifts unto  
men4  7,now that he ascended1 what is it
 but that he also descended first into  
the lower parts of the earth8  ,he that 
descended is the same also that ascended
 up far above all heavens1 that he might
 fill all things47  ,and he gave some1  
apostles2 and some1 prophets2 and some1 
evangelists2 and some1 pastors and      
teachers2 for the perfecting of the     
saints1 for the work of the ministry1   
for the edifying of the body of ,christ2

 till we all come in the unity of the   
faith1 and of the knowledge of the ,son 
of ,god1 unto a perfect man1 unto the   
measure of the stature of the fulness of
 ,christ4  ,second3 ,that which in our  
lives fits into ,god's plans dignifies  
and strengthens in every way4  ,a few   
years ago there was a young man selling 
farming implements4  ,he felt inclined  
to do ,christian work1 and later on     
became a ,christian ,association        
secretary4  ,he became known locally    
because of his ability to sing in a male
 quartette4  ,he was a good singer4     
,whether he was more than the average   
secretary ,i do not know4  ,he one day  
felt the call to preach and shrank back 
from it because he felt he was without  
ability1 then gave himself to ,god      
without reserve4  ,he has since become  
one of the greatest preachers to men in 
our country1 has possibly led more men  
to ,christ than any other man of his    
day1 and it was my privilege a short    
time ago to see hundreds of men under   

the power of his preaching come to      
,christ2 and this was all because ,fred 
,b4 ,smith gave himself unreservedly to 
,christ4  ,third3 ,it may be a very     
ordinary service that ,god calls you to 
perform1 but if you feel it your place  
your service will please him4  ,rev4    
,dr4 ,torrey tells the story of the poor
 mother who by hard day's work made it  
possible for her boy to attend college4 
,the day of the graduation came1 and he 
said to her1 ,you must go with me to the
 commencement4 ,naturally she shrank    
from it1 for her clothing was of the    
poorest sort2 but he said that there    
would be no commencement without her4   
,he was the valedictorian of his class4 
,proudly he led her into the hall1 and  
with beaming face she listened while the
 great throng applauded his brilliant   
speech4  ,when he received his gold     
medal he walked down from the platform  
and pinned it upon her breast1 saying1  
,this is yours1 and she was as proud as 
any queen could have been4  ,it was a   

very common thing to wash and iron for  
one's daily living1 but to be honored   
thus was something any mother might long
 to experience4  ,she simply did her    
best in a humble way and pleased ,god4  
,,iv  ,round about the ,camp4  ,first3  
,let it be remembered that we have a    
responsibility to others4 ,some years   
ago on the ,irish ,sea a terrific storm 
was raging4  ,it was known that just off
 the coast a vessel was going to pieces4
  ,suddenly two men1 an old sea captain 
and his son1 put out through the storm4 
,everybody tried to persuade them not to
 do so1 for it seemed to be absolutely  
useless4  ,over the waves1 which        
appeared almost mountain high1 they     
pushed along until at last amid the     
cheers of the waiting throng they       
returned with their little boat filled  
with those who had been all but lost    
upon the ship4  ,when the minister said 
to the old sea captain1 ,why do you do  
this8  ,why take such a risk8 he        
answered1 ,i have been there myself1 and

 ,i knew the danger4  ,it is because we 
have been once in sin and now are       
redeemed by the precious blood of       
,christ that we say something to those  
who are about us4  ,second3 ,we are     
responsible for others4  ,when ,horace  
,bushnell was a tutor in ,yale he was a 
stumbling block to all the students     
because he was not a ,christian4  ,he   
realized this himself1 and yet he said1 
,how can ,i accept ,christ or the       
,bible1 for ,i do not believe in either 
one4 ,and then the question came to him 
as from ,god1 ,what do you believe8 and 
he said1 ,i only know there is a        
difference between right and wrong4     
,god seemed to say to him1 ,have you    
ever taken that stand where you would   
say1 ',i am committed to the right even 
if it ends in death'8 and he said1 ,i   
never have4  ,falling upon his knees he 
said1 ,o ,god1 if ,jesus ,christ be     
true1 reveal him to me and ,i will      
follow him4  ,and he began to walk in   
the light1 which constantly increased1  

and almost every student in ,yale came  
to ,christ4  ,no man liveth unto himself
 alone4  ,we are responsible for the    
souls of other men4  ,we are also       
responsible for their service2 if we are
 half-hearted they will surely be4   ,v 
,and the host ran1 and cried and fled4  
,what hosts are against us to-day8      
,first3 ,as individuals there may be    
coming constantly to our minds a        
question of doubt1 of pride1 or of      
secret sin1 and we wonder if these are  
evidences that we are not ,christians4  
,not at all4  ,they are but the fruit of
 our old nature1 and are the hosts      
encamped against us4  ,we have only to  
take our stand with ,christ1 right with 
him1 and we shall win the victory4      
,second3 ,in the ,church we meet with   
indifference1 worldliness1 infidelity1  
and we wonder how we may win the        
victory4  ,the answer is simply1 ,we    
have but to be right with ,god and to   
walk with ,god1 and three hundred such  
followers of his could put the enemy to 

rout quickly4  ,third3 ,there is also a 
battle which those of us who are        
,christians are obliged to fight4  ,it  
has to do with the unsaved man4  ,men   
are not ,christians to-day not because  
they do not believe1 not because they   
are without interest in the future1 but 
simply because they have put off and put
 off1 and ,i know of no way to overcome 
this difficulty except by taking one's  
stand with ,christ and with those who   
are like-minded with ,christ4  ,having  
first concern for the lost1 then his    
intense earnestness in their salvation1 
the proscrastination of the sinner will 
flee away4  ,for such a victory as this 
we plead and pray4     ,,paul ,a        
,,pattern ,,of ,,prayer  ,,text3 ,if ye 
shall ask anything in my name ,i will do
 it4--,john #ad3ad4  ,jesus testified in
 no uncertain way concerning prayer1 for
 not alone in this chapter does he speak
 but in all his messages to his         
disciples he is seeking to lead them    
into the place where they may know how  

to pray4  ,in this fourteenth chapter of
 ,john1 where he is coming into the     
shadow of the cross and is speaking to  
his disciples concerning those things   
which ought to have the greatest weight 
with them1 the heart of his message     
seems to be prayer4  ,what an           
encouragement it is to his disciples to 
pray when they remember that he said1   
,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you4  ,he  
that believeth on me1 the works that ,i 
do shall he do also2 and greater works  
than these shall he do2 because ,i go   
unto my ,father4  ,and whatsoever ye    
shall ask in my name1 that will ,i do1  
that the ,father may be glorified in the
 ,son 7,john #ad3ab-ac74  ,jesus was    
himself a pattern of prayer4  ,he had   
prayed under all circumstances2 with him
 the day was born in prayer1 went along 
in meditation and closed in most        
intimate fellowship and communion with  
his ,father4  ,under all circumstances1 
whether it be the raising of ,lazarus   
from the dead1 or the breathing in of   

the very spirit of ,god so essential to 
him in his earthly ministry1 he prayed2 
and because he was a man of prayer      
himself1 he could speak to his disciples
 with authority concerning this subject4
  ,if we ourselves would know how to    
pray there are certain great principles 
which must be remembered when we come to
 him4  ,first3 ,we must believe that he 
is1 and that he is the rewarder of them 
that diligently seek him4  ,if one has  
hazy or mystical ideas of ,christ then  
from the very nature of the case prayer 
is impossible4  ,second3 ,we must       
believe his word4  ,mr4 ,spurgeon's     
statement that when he went to ,god he  
always went pleading a promise is the   
secret of his great success as a man of 
prayer4  ,earthly parents are not       
insensible to the pledges they make to  
their children and surely ,god cannot   
be4  ,third3 ,we must confess and       
forsake our sins4  ,to confess sin is to
 arraign before us those sins of which  
we know ourselves to be guilty1 and when

 they appear before us in solemn and    
awful procession we must heartily       
renounce them4  ,if we do not we cannot 
pray4  ,in another place in ,god's word 
we read1 ,ye ask and receive not1       
because1 4 4 4 and while in the verse   
the rest of the sentence is ,ye ask     
amiss1 we might finish by saying1 ,we   
ask and receive not1 because our lives  
are not right in ,god's sight4  ,fourth3
 ,we must exercise our faith4  ,the     
little child who prayed for rain and    
then wanted to carry an umbrella with   
her when the sun was shining is an oft  
repeated illustration1 but such faith as
 this is what every child of ,god must  
practice4  ,the text is exceedingly     
broad4  ,if ye shall ask anything in my 
name ,i will do it4  ,it is broad enough
 to include temporal blessing and       
spiritual power1 comprehensive enough to
 lead us to believe that ,god will      
direct our lives if we ask him and will 
bear our burdens even though they be    
almost insignificant in their weight4   

,thank ,god for the anything in the     
text6  ,it may be stated truly that     
,god's promises to ,israel are          
especially concerning temporal blessing 
and that his promises to the church have
 particular reference to spiritual      
possessions2 and they both1 the history 
of ,israel and the history of the       
church1 prove that ,god will give to us 
temporally as well as spiritually4      
,these blessings are included in the    
anything4  ,i have been greatly         
impressed with ,paul as a pattern in    
prayer1 and for the outline of this     
message as well as for many of the      
suggestions ,i am indebted to an        
,english clergyman1 the ,rev4 ,e4 ,w4   
,moore1 who has written1 ,the ,christ   
,controlled ,life1 and ,christ in       
,possession1 and has recently sent out a
 little book entitled1 ,the ,pattern    
,prayer ,book4  ,i have noticed in      
studying ,paul that the burden of his   
prayer was for spiritual blessing rather
 than for temporal power1 and throughout

 the ,epistles at least seven           
illustrations are to be found concerning
 this subject4   ,i  ,prayer for        
,pentecost4  ,ephesians #c3ag-ai1 ,that 
,christ may dwell in your hearts by     
faith2 that ye1 being rooted and        
grounded in love1 may be able to        
comprehend with all saints1 what is the 
breadth1 and length1 and depth and      
height2 and to know the love of ,christ1
 which passeth knowledge1 that ye might 
be filled with all the fulness of ,god4 
,just what is the burden of this prayer 
of ,paul's8  ,first3 ,he is not asking  
for that indwelling which is ours at    
conversion2 for this he would not need  
to pray1 for at the moment of           
regeneration ,christ is ours and eternal
 life 7which is only another way of     
saying1 the life of the eternal7 is our 
never failing possession4  ,second3 ,he 
is not asking for the bodily presence of
 ,christ1 as some have suggested1 for in
 this scripture he states that it is by 
faith that ,christ is to dwell with us4 

,third3 ,it is by no means a figurative 
expression1 for if this were true there 
would be no comfort in it to ,god's     
children4  ,yet1 as a matter of fact1   
this prayer of ,paul's has been an      
inspiration to ,god's people everywhere4
  ,it is rather a special ,pentecostal  
privilege for ,god's children concerning
 which ,paul is praying4  ,in ,galatians
 #d3ai we read1 ,my little children1 of 
whom ,i travail in birth again until    
,christ be formed in you4  ,and this is 
his petition4  ,let it be noticed that  
the tense of the verb in this connection
 denotes singleness of action1 so that  
,paul's prayer may be answered not      
gradually but immediately4  ,if this be 
true then let it be answered now for you
 and for me4  ,there are three blessings
 which would flow out of this answer to 
prayer4  ,first3 ,constancy of          
experience4  ,that ,christ may dwell1   
pleads the ,apostle4  ,it does not mean 
that he is to come in a fitful          
experience1 but the language of the hymn

 is true1    ,abide with me2 fast falls 
the even tide1   ,the darkness deepens2 
,lord1 with me abide2   ,when other     
helpers fail1 and comforts flee1   ,help
 of the helpless1 oh1 abide with me4    
,second3 ,strength will be our          
possession1 for the ,apostle tells us   
that we are to be rooted and grounded in
 him4  ,as the roots of the tree take   
hold upon the ground and the giant oak  
withstands the storms of the ,northern  
coasts1 so we may withstand temptation  
and trial and be more than conquerors if
 this prayer is answered4  ,third3      
,there will be cleansing1 for we are    
told that as a man thinketh in his heart
 so is he4  ,we are told also that we   
must keep our hearts with all diligence1
 for out of them are the issues of life4
 ,it is easy enough to understand how   
our lives would be pure if ,christ were 
only in possession4   ,,ii  ,prayer for 
,perception4  ,colossians #a3i-aj1 ,for 
this cause we also1 since the day we    
heard it1 do not cease to pray for you1 

and to desire that ye might be filled   
with the knowledge of his will in all   
wisdom and spiritual understanding2 that
 ye might walk worthy of the ,lord unto 
all pleasing1 being fruitful in every   
good work1 and increasing in the        
knowledge of ,god4  ,the need of this   
prayer was not that the ,colossians were
 weak1 or that they had been conspicuous
 in the failure of their ,christian     
experience1 for in the third and fourth 
verses of the first chapter of          
,colossians1 ,paul says concerning them1
 ,we give thanks to ,god and the ,father
 of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 praying   
always for you1 since we heard of your  
faith in ,christ ,jesus1 and of the love
 which ye have to all the saints2 and   
then in the face of this statement he   
prayed earnestly for them4  ,the subject
 of his prayer was not that he desired  
anything1 humanly speaking1 very great  
for them2 he did not ask honor1 nor did 
he desire that wealth should be theirs1 
but merely states in the ninth verse    

that they might be filled with the      
knowledge of his will in all wisdom and 
spiritual understanding4  ,i have been  
told that literally1 this means that    
they might have full knowledge1 not     
simply a passing opinion concerning him 
and his work4  ,if we study this        
particular scripture in which ,paul is  
praying for the ,colossians we will     
learn how this prayer is to be answered4
  ,first3 ,we must meditate upon ,god's 
word4  ,he makes himself especially     
known to his people in his word4  ,there
 are certain great principles which we  
must remember if we would know ,god's   
will4  7#a7 ,we must present our bodies 
to him4  ,romans #ab3a1 ,i beseech you  
therefore1 brethren1 by the mercies of  
,god1 that ye present your bodies a     
living sacrifice1 holy1 acceptable unto 
,god1 which is your reasonable service4 
7#b7 ,we must be delivered from this    
present evil age4  ,galatians #a3d1 ,who
 gave himself for our sins1 that he     
might deliver us from this present evil 

world1 according to the will of ,god and
 our ,father4  7#c7 ,we must separate   
ourselves from the world4  #a           
,thessalonians #d3c1 ,for this is the   
will of ,god1 even your sanctification1 
that ye should abstain from fornication4
  7#d7 ,we must be thankful4  #a        
,thessalonians #e3ah1 ,in everything    
give thanks2 for this is the will of    
,god in ,christ ,jesus concerning you4  
7#e7 ,we must continue patiently to     
serve and follow him4  #a ,peter #b3ae1 
,for so is the will of ,god1 that with  
well doing ye may put to silence the    
ignorance of foolish men4  ,all of these
 things are ,god's will for us4  ,if we 
but practice them the results can be    
only beneficial4  ,as a result of such a
 study of ,god's word the general       
knowledge of ,god and his will shall be 
ours4  ,second3 ,the spiritual          
perception spoken of in this particular 
scripture may be ours1 as we listen to  
the ,spirit of ,god1 for he will speak  
to us ,god's message and make known to  

us ,god's will4  ,the purpose of this   
prayer of ,paul's for the ,colossians   
was that they might walk worthy to all  
pleasing4  ,what a joy it is to know    
that we may please ,god6  ,for this we  
should be grateful4   ,,iii  ,prayer for
 ,purity4  #a ,thessalonians #e3bc-bd1  
,and the very ,god of peace sanctify you
 wholly2 and ,i pray ,god your whole    
spirit and soul and body be preserved   
blameless unto the coming of our ,lord  
,jesus ,christ4  ,faithful is he that   
calleth you1 who also will do it4  ,this
 prayer is also remarkable if we notice 
the spiritual condition of the          
,thessalonians1 for of them we read that
 they had received the word of ,god with
 joy1 and had turned from idols to serve
 the living ,god1 and yet the ,apostle  
prays for their sanctification4  ,by    
this he does not mean sinlessness1 and a
 careful study of his position would    
lead us to know that he does not teach  
that sanctification may be ever apart   
from growth4  ,we must day by day come  

more and more into the likeness of      
,christ4  ,there are three words which  
it would be well for us to remember in  
our study of this subject4  ,first3     
,position4  ,if we would grow unto his  
likeness we must be where he can let    
shine upon us the light of his          
countenance4  ,frances ,ridley ,havergal
 had an aeolian harp sent to her which  
she tried to play with her fingers1 and 
failed4  ,at last a friend suggested    
that she place it in the window1 and the
 music as the wind touched the strings  
was entrancing4  ,we must be where he   
can use us4  ,second3 ,purification4    
,sanctification is necessary because    
,god uses only that which is clean1     
never an unclean life4  ,third3         
,possession4  ,it is really ,christ     
filling us1 and he will fill us if we   
give him the opportunity4  ,the extent  
of this work is made plain in ,paul's   
prayer3  7#a7 ,the spirit is touched1   
and the spirit is that part of our      
nature which is capable of fellowship   

with ,god4  7#b7 ,the soul is filled1   
and the soul is the seat of all our     
intellectual faculties4  7#c7 ,the body 
is possessed1 and since the body is just
 the servant of the higher powers of    
man1 we can easily understand how       
necessary the work is4  ,it is needful1 
7a7 ,for our peace1 for the ,god of     
peace is to sanctify us4  7b7 ,for our  
prayers4  ,for ,paul is talking about   
prayer when he praises4  7c7 ,for our   
praise1 for we are told that we must    
rejoice evermore4   ,,iv  ,prayer for   
,power4  ,ephesians #a3ae-bj1 ,wherefore
 ,i also1 after ,i heard of your faith  
in the ,lord ,jesus1 and love unto all  
the saints1 cease not to give thanks for
 you1 making mention of you in my       
prayers2 that the ,god of our ,lord     
,jesus ,christ1 the ,father of glory1   
may give unto you the spirit of wisdom  
and revelation in the knowledge of him3 
the eyes of your understanding being    
enlightened2 that ye may know what is   
the hope of his calling1 and what the   

riches of the glory of his inheritance  
in the saints1 and what is the exceeding
 greatness of his power to usward who   
believe1 according to the working of his
 mighty power2 which he wrought in      
,christ1 when he raised him from the    
dead1 and set him at his own right hand 
in the heavenly places4  ,the ,church at
 ,ephesus was in every way remarkable1  
but to this people ,paul wrote his most 
spiritual epistle1 which in itself is a 
compliment to them1 for as in another   
instance it was not necessary for him to
 write unto them as if they were carnal4
  ,with this people for the space of two
 or three years he labored1 as we find  
recorded in ,acts the nineteenth chapter
 and the tenth verse1 ,and this         
continued by the space of two years2 so 
that all they which dwelt in ,asia heard
 the word of the ,lord ,jesus1 both     
,jews and ,greeks4  ,acts #bj3ca1       
,therefore watch1 and remember1 that by 
the space of three years ,i ceased not  
to warn every one night and day with    

tears4  ,there were no divisions in this
 church as at ,corinth2 there were no   
heresies as at ,galatia1 and no         
dissensions as at ,philippi2 and yet1   
for all that1 he prays most earnestly4  
,the natural question for us to ask is1 
just what is it for which he prays1 and 
the question is easily answered4        
,first3 ,for advancement in knowledge2  
he asks ,god that the eyes of their     
understanding might be enlightened4     
,under this general petition there are  
three special requests4  7#a7 ,that they
 might know the hope of their calling4  
,we have but to study ,paul's ,epistles 
to realize that this calling involved3  
,a perfect vision1 for one day it is    
,christ's promise and teaching that they
 shall see him as he is4  ,the hope of  
this would keep them faithful4  ,it     
involved1 in the next place1 a perfect  
likeness1 for1 seeing him as he is1 they
 would become like him1 and the hope of 
this would keep them clean4  ,it        
involved1 in the third place1 a perfect 

union1 for when this hope of their      
calling is fulfilled there is no        
possibility of anything coming between  
the believer and ,christ2 so the        
fellowship must be perfect4  7#b7 ,paul 
also requests that they may know the    
riches of the glory of his inheritance  
in the saints4  ,that is very wonderful4
  ,he does not say the riches of the    
saints in him--that could be easily     
understood2 but what an inspiration it  
is to know that he has glory in us1 and 
that the mere possession of poor1 frail 
creatures like ourselves is to him a    
perfect delight6  ,we sometimes say that
 we could not get along without ,christ1
 but how inspiring it is to know that he
 could not and he would not get along   
without us6  7#c7 ,the ,apostle also    
prays that the church at ,ephesus might 
know what is the exceeding greatness of 
,christ's power towards us4  ,it is not 
simply a great power that is described  
but an exceedingly great power4 ,there  
is absolutely no limit to what he can   

accomplish in and through us if we but  
yield ourselves unreservedly to him4    
,second3 ,another question1 may         
naturally come to us4  ,why have we not 
this power of his8  ,the answer is      
simply because the eyes of our          
understanding have not been enlightened4
  ,we have been too much self-centered  
and too closely wedded to the world4    
,we need a stronger vision4  ,there are 
stars in the heavens to-day that have   
never yet been seen1 not because they do
 not exist but because there has been no
 glass invented strong enough to take   
them in4  ,each new day brings a vision 
of new heavenly bodies4  ,we also need  
stronger faith1 for if we have become   
persuaded of the fact that he can do all
 things the victory is won when we take 
this position4   ,v  ,prayer for        
,perseverance4  ,philippians #a3i-aa1   
,and this ,i pray1 that your love may   
abound yet more and more in knowledge   
and in all judgment2 that ye may approve
 things that are excellent1 that ye may 

be sincere and without offence till the 
day of ,christ4  ,being filled with the 
fruits of righteousness1 which are by   
,jesus ,christ1 unto the glory and      
praise of ,god4  ,paul has a tender     
affection for this ,philippian ,church4 
,naturally he would wish for them only  
the best things1 and the burden of this 
prayer of his is1  ,first3 ,that they   
might be able to persevere to the end1  
or rather to the day of ,christ4  ,let  
it not be forgotten that he who said1   
,nothing can separate us from the love  
of ,god1 at the same time prays that    
those who are the object of this love   
may be faithful in their perseverance   
until time shall be no more4  ,it is    
,god's privilege to preserve us1 it is  
our privilege to persevere2 and if we   
study the words preserve and persevere  
we shall find that they are composed of 
almost the same letters with only a     
slightly different arrangement4 ,we must
 be exceedingly careful in our walk and 
we must rely perfectly upon ,christ4    

,second3 ,paul prays for the purity of  
these ,philippians when he asks that    
they may be sincere and without offence4
  ,i have been told that the word       
sincere sometimes means sunlight2 which 
leads me to say that our conduct as     
,christians should be such as to bear   
the clearest light of investigation4    
,possibly the use of this word grew out 
of the custom of the people who stored  
away their goods in the darkest corners 
of the bazaar where their defects could 
not be seen plainly4  ,when the purchase
 had been consummated they were brought 
out into the sunlight4 ,the word also   
means wax4  ,it is said that in the days
 of imperial ,rome when a sculptor came 
to a flaw in the marble he filled it    
with wax to hide the defect1 but when   
the hot days came and the wax was melted
 the defect was seen plainly4  ,paul is 
desiring for these ,philippians that    
there may be none of this1 but that     
their lives should commend themselves   
both to ,god and to men4  ,third3 ,he   

desires that they may be filled with the
 fruits of righteousness1 not simply    
that they may produce fruit of one sort 
or another4  ,it is not enough simply to
 bear fruit4  ,herein is my ,father     
glorified1 that ye bear much fruit4     
,this is the overflow experience of the 
,christian and must be realized by us   
all4   ,,vi  ,prayer for ,perfectness4  
,hebrews #ac3bj-ba1 ,now the ,god of    
peace1 that brought again from the dead 
our ,lord ,jesus1 that great ,shepherd  
of the sheep1 through the blood of the  
everlasting covenant1 make you perfect  
in every good work to do his will1      
working in you that which is            
wellpleasing in his sight1 through      
,jesus ,christ2 to whom be glory for    
ever and ever4  ,amen4  ,the burden of  
this prayer of the ,apostle is that his 
people may do the will of ,god4  ,this  
is required in all times and for various
 reasons4  ,first3 ,the glory of ,god   
demands it1 and unless we are doing his 
will we are robbing him of his glory4   

,revelation #d-aa1 ,thou art worthy1 ,o 
,lord1 to receive glory and honor and   
power3 for thou hast created all things1
 and for thy pleasure they are and were 
created4  ,second3 ,our own happiness   
depends upon it4  ,let it not be thought
 for a moment that we are simply to do  
,god's will when some sort of trial is  
upon us1 but rather let us remember the 
scriptural expression1 ,i delight to do 
thy will1 ,o ,god4  ,what if ,god's will
 should be done for but one year in all 
things in any of our cities2 would the  
result be anything else than perfect    
joy8  ,third3 ,our safety depends upon  
it4  ,we must lean hard upon ,god's     
will4 ,in ,switzerland at one of the    
most dangerous passes1 where men used to
 travel with their faces white with     
fear1 to-day any ordinary traveler can  
pass in safety because along the edge of
 the cliff there is an iron rail against
 which you may lean and have almost no  
danger beside you4 ,this iron rail      
corresponds to the will of ,god for     

,christians4  ,paul also asks in this   
prayer that ,god's people may be made   
perfect to do his will4  ,we need not be
 afraid of this word perfect1 nor of    
,paul's prayer1 for as ,dr4 ,moore has  
said1 it is not a perfection of doing   
but a perfection to do1 not a finality  
but a fitting4  ,the same ,greek word is
 used elsewhere1 as for example1        
,fitted4  ,romans #i3bb1 ,what if ,god1 
willing to show his wrath1 and to make  
his power known1 endured with much      
longsuffering the vessels of wrath      
fitted to destruction4  ,prepared4      
,hebrews #aj3e1 ,wherefore when he      
cometh into the world1 he saith1        
,sacrifice and offering thou wouldest   
not1 but a body hast thou prepared me4  
,framed4  ,hebrews #aa3c1 ,through faith
 we understand that the worlds were     
framed by the word of ,god1 so that     
things which are seen were not made of  
things which do appear4  ,restored4     
,galatians #f3a1 ,brethren1 if a man be 
overtaken in a fault1 ye which are      

spiritual1 restore such an one in the   
spirit of meekness1 considering thyself1
 lest thou also be tempted4  ,mend4     
,mark #a3ai1 ,and when he had gone a    
little farther thence1 he saw ,james the
 son of ,zebedee1 and ,john his brother1
 who also were in the ship mending their
 nets4  ,the illustration has been used 
of a man with his leg out of joint4  ,he
 cannot walk except with great pain1 but
 when he puts himself without reserve   
into the hands of the doctor and the leg
 is set he can then rise and walk4  ,he 
is not a perfect walker1 but he is made 
perfect to walk4  ,and the idea of all  
the verses above quoted is that we may  
be set with right relations to ,christ  
that he may have his way with us1 that  
we may stand where he willed we should  
stand2 and as a result we shall be well 
pleasing in his sight4   ,,vii  ,prayer 
for ,peace4  #b ,thessalonians #c3af1   
,now the ,lord of peace himself give you
 peace always by all means4  ,the ,lord 
be with you all4 ,peace is most         

difficult to define4  ,it is the        
opposite of unrest1 confusion and       
strife2 and this peace for which the    
,apostle prays is1 first1 not the peace 
of indifference4  ,let this never be    
forgotten4 ,second3 ,it is not the peace
 of prosperous surroundings4  ,some     
people frequently fail at this point but
 it is the very peace of ,god himself4  
,the peace here prayed for looks in     
three directions4  ,first3 ,godward4    
,being justified by faith we have peace 
with ,god4 ,his pardoning voice we hear 
and he is reconciled4  ,second3 ,inward4
  ,peace ,i leave with you1 my peace ,i 
give unto you2 let not your heart be    
troubled4  ,third3 ,outward4  ,with such
 a possession we may meet trial and bear
 burdens and never be moved4  ,how may  
we secure such a possession8  7#a7 ,by  
having confidence in ,christ's work1 for
 when he met his disciples and showed   
them his hands and his side1 he said1   
,peace be unto you4  7#b7 ,by submission
 to ,christ's rule4  ,thou wilt keep him

 in perfect peace1 or1 as the literal   
translation is1 ,thou wilt keep him in  
peace1 peace1 who trusteth in thee      
because his mind is set on thee4 ,this  
is our possession1 and for that ,paul   
prays4     ,a ,,startling ,,statement   
,,text3 ,the wicked shall not be        
unpunished4--,prov4 #aa3ba4  ,there are 
very many passages of ,scripture which  
ought to be read in connection with this
 text2 as for example1 ,fools make a    
mock at sin 7,proverbs #ad3i71 for only 
a fool would4  ,better trifle with the  
pestilence and expose one's self to the 
plague than to discount the blighting   
effects of sin4  ,and1 again1 ,the soul 
that sinneth it shall die 7,ezekiel     
#ah3d74  ,from this clear statement of  
the word of ,god there is no escape4    
,or1 again1 ,our secret sins in the     
light of thy countenance 7,psalm #ij3h74
  ,there is really nothing hidden from  
his sight4  ,we may conceal our sinful  
thoughts from men and sometimes even our
 evil practices2 but not from ,god4  ,or

 again1 ,sin1 when it is finished1      
bringeth forth death 7,james #a3ae74    
,here is unexampled progress indicated  
from which there never has been the     
slightest deviation4  ,but one of the   
sharpest texts in all the ,word of ,god1
 and one which men somehow in these days
 seem to ignore1 is ,paul's expression1 
,be not deceived2 ,god is not mocked3   
whatsoever a man soweth1 that shall he  
also reap 7,galatians #f3g71 and if we  
compare this reference in the ,new      
,testament to the text in the ,old      
,testament the harvest indeed seems to  
be sure1 for ,the wicked shall not be   
unpunished4  ,there is a note of truth  
in all of these statements for both     
saint and sinner4  ,jeremiah the        
thirtieth chapter and the eleventh      
verse1 ,for ,i am with thee1 saith the  
,lord1 to save thee3 though ,i make a   
full end of all nations whither ,i have 
scattered thee1 yet ,i will not make a  
full end of thee3 but ,i will correct   
thee in measure1 and will not leave thee

 altogether unpunished4  ,the old       
,prophet is speaking to the people of   
,israel2 and while he tells them that   
they are ,god's people1 nevertheless    
they shall not altogether go unpunished1
 for if they sow to the flesh they must 
of the flesh reap corruption4  ,in      
,deuteronomy the fifth chapter and the  
ninth verse1 we read1 ,thou shalt not   
bow down thyself unto them1 nor serve   
them3 for ,i the ,lord thy ,god am a    
jealous ,god1 visiting the iniquity of  
the fathers upon the children unto the  
third and fourth generation of them that
 hate me4  ,it is a solemn fact that the
 sins of the fathers descend upon the   
children unto the third and fourth      
generation4  ,it is more solemn that so 
blighting is the effect of sin that the 
fourth generation is the last4  ,there  
is no fifth4  ,even though we be        
pardoned from sin forever1 we shall not 
altogether go unpunished4  ,certainly it
 is true that if one rejects ,jesus     
,christ1 punishment for him is          

absolutely certain4  ,the other day in  
the city of ,chicago the following      
appeared in the ,inter-,ocean as an     
editorial under the title of ,preaching 
for ,men4  ,to those who look upon men  
as they are it is simply astounding that
 so many preachers should act as if the 
hope of reward alone could be efficient 
to move average mankind to leave sin and
 follow after righteousness4  ,in every 
other relation of human life every man  
is constantly confronted with the       
alternative3 ,do right and be rewarded2 
do wrong and be punished4  ,the pressure
 of fear as well as the pressure of hope
 is continually upon him4  ,he knows    
that he may conceal his wrongdoing from 
the eye of man1 but he is always under  
the fear of discovery and punishment4   
,but he goes to church1 and in nine     
cases out of ten the preacher1 while    
insisting that he can hide nothing from 
the eye of ,god1 yet says nothing to    
arouse in him that fear of ,god which is
 the beginning of wisdom4  ,if he turn  

from religion to science he finds       
science more positive of the certainty  
of punishment than of the certainty of  
reward4  ,science cannot1 for example1  
assure him of a long life1 even though  
he scrupulously obey hygienic laws4     
,but it can assure him of a speedy death
 if he wantonly violates those laws4    
,precisely this fact that the           
consequences of sin in punishment can be
 foretold more positively than the      
consequences of righteousness in reward 
is what makes fear the strongest        
influence dominating and directing human
 conduct4  ,yet many preachers          
deliberately abandon the appeal to fear 
and then wonder why their preaching does
 not move men to active righteousness4  
,when more preachers recover from the   
delusion into which so many of them have
 fallen such complaints will diminish4  
,for all human experience proves that   
the preaching that appeals to fear of   
punishment as well as to hope of reward 
is the preaching that is really         

effective--is the preaching of all the  
great preachers of the past and the     
present--is the preaching that moves4   
,the statement of the text is           
exceedingly plain and the teaching is   
unquestioned4  ,it is a good thing for  
us to-day to understand what sin is1 for
 if we have a wrong conception of sin it
 naturally follows that we shall have a 
wrong conception of the atonement4      
,without an understanding of sin there  
is no sense of guilt1 and without the   
sense of guilt there is no cry for      
pardon4  ,the best definitions that ,i  
have ever found for sin are written in  
the word of ,god4   ,i  #a4 ,whosoever  
committeth sin transgresseth also the   
law3 for sin is the transgression of the
 law 7#a ,john #c3d74  ,the word        
transgression means to go across4  ,does
 your life parallel ,god's law or cross 
it8  ,your answer to this question      
determines the measure of your sin4     
,you have only to read the ten          
commandments and try to mold your life  

by them to find your answer4  ,better   
still1 you have only to read these      
commandments in the light of ,jesus'    
interpretation1 where the look of lust  
is adultery and anger without cause is  
murder1 to see how far short you have   
come2 and if this is true certainly you 
are a sinner1 and the text is for you4  
,the wicked shall not be unpunished4    
#b4 ,all unrighteousness is sin2 and    
there is a sin not unto death 7#a ,john 
#e3ag74  ,righteousness means right     
relations with ,god4  ,you may make ever
 so strong a claim to right living and  
speak ever so vehemently concerning the 
good that you are accomplishing in the  
world1 but the first question for you to
 settle is this1 ,what is your relation 
to ,god and what have you to say with   
reference to your acceptance or         
rejection of ,jesus ,christ8  ,it is a  
solemn thought that whatever we do      
counts for nothing if our relation to   
,god be wrong1 while the little that we 
may do may count for much if we have    

taken the right position before him4    
#c4 ,therefore to him that knoweth to do
 good1 and doeth it not1 to him it is   
sin 7,james #d3ag74  ,omission1         
according to this scripture1 is sin2    
neglected opportunity is sin1 shirking  
responsibility is sin1 refusing to obey 
,god is sin2 and so when ,i ask you     
about being a ,christian1 if it is best 
and right and you acknowledge that it   
is1 then if you are not a ,christian1   
this very fact is in itself sin1 for    
when one knows the right and refuses to 
do it he is a sinner1 and the text is   
true--,the wicked shall not be          
unpunished4  #d4 ,and he that doubteth  
is damned if he eat1 because he eateth  
not of faith3 for whatsoever is not of  
faith is sin 7,romans #ad3bc74  ,active 
doubt is sin4  ,if you have a doubt     
concerning the sinfulness of certain    
things1 then to do those things is sin4 
,if ,i have the least doubt concerning  
the amusements which may be             
questionable1 or the position which may 

be doubtful1 so long as a doubt or a    
question remains these things are sin2  
and the ,bible states the fact that ,the
 wicked shall not be unpunished4  #e4   
,and when he is come1 he will reprove   
the world of sin1 and of righteousness1 
and of judgment 7,john #af3h74          
,unbelief is the chiefest of sins4  ,it 
is to reject ,jesus ,christ1 it is to   
close in our own faces the door of hope1
 it is to trample the blood of the ,son 
of ,god under our feet1 and it means    
also to insult the spirit of grace4     
,one morning in the city of ,new ,york a
 man dashed down the street and past    
three men standing on the pier4  ,they  
could not tell how old he was1 nor how  
he was dressed1 but they saw him jump   
upon the bulkhead near by1 strip off his
 overcoat1 coat and hat1 and1 before    
they could stir to save him1 plunge off 
the end of the pier4  ,there was a short
 rope lying near by1 and seizing this a 
man ran with his companions to the point
 from which the man had jumped4  ,they  

threw the rope toward the struggling    
figure that they could just make out    
below them4  ,the rope fell a foot and a
 half too short4  ,then they ran back to
 the gas plant and got a longer rope4   
,the ice was running so thick in the    
river that the man's head and shoulders 
were still to be seen above the water   
when they returned4  ,taking careful aim
 they threw the rope squarely across the
 struggling form1 shouting1  ,catch it  
and we'll pull you in4  ,the unknown    
man1 however1 making a last effort1     
threw the rope aside and shouted back3  
,oh1 to h--- with it6  ,i'm through6    
,then he sank out of sight4  ,that is a 
picture of the man who1 having offered  
to him mercy and grace in ,jesus        
,christ1 spurns all that ,god offers1   
and is therefore hopeless4  ,sin        
separates us from ,god4  ,sin separates 
us from each other4  ,sin pollutes us   
and we become impure4  ,sin deceives us 
and we are in danger and know it not4   
,a friend of mine walking along the     

streets of ,cincinnati early one morning
 saw a young girl standing upon the very
 edge of the roof of one of the highest 
office buildings4  ,she was carefully   
balancing herself and every moment it   
seemed as if she would fall4  ,the      
elevator was not running1 but he made   
his way hurriedly to the roof of the    
building1 walked carefully across it1   
seized her by the hand1 drew her back   
and found that she had risen in her     
sleep and all unconsciously was standing
 on the very brink of eternity4  ,this  
is what sin does for us1 and it is a    
solemn thought that for all such the    
text is true1 ,the wicked shall not be  
unpunished4   ,,ii  ,i do not make my   
appeal1 however1 on the ground that the 
punishment is all for the future1 for   
that is indeed sure4  ,i ask you the    
question1 ,do you believe in heaven as a
 place of rewards8  ,if so1 the same    
argument will prove the existence of    
hell4  ,do you reject hell1 because it  
seems to you to be inconceivable8  ,then

 the same argument will blot heaven out 
of existence4  ,what it is that awaits  
the wicked1 ,i am sure ,i do not        
know--only that it is to be away from   
,god1 with the door of hope shut        
forever1 and the ,bible tells me that   
there is weeping and wailing and        
gnashing of teeth1 for the wicked shall 
not be unpunished4 ,i lift my voice     
against the punishment here1 for sin is 
so sure in its deadly work1 it is so    
insidious in its influence1 that before 
you know it it is upon you2 just one day
 of trifling and you are gone4  ,the    
people about ,pittsburg will never      
forget the ,cheswick mine horror in     
#aijc1 when one hundred and eighty-two  
dead men were taken from the mine4      
,under the direction of one of the      
mining engineers1 a rescuing party      
started into the mine to see if there   
was any hope of saving the men who might
 be yet alive4  ,the journey is         
described by one who volunteered to go  
with the engineer on his perilous       

journey4  ,when we got to the foot of   
the shaft1 ,mr4 ,taylor lighted a cigar4
  ,he blew out a great cloud of smoke   
and watched it drift into a passage4    
',this way1' he said1 ',the smoke will  
follow the pure air draught4'  ,so we   
went on1 ,mr4 ,taylor blowing clouds of 
smoke1 and we following them4 ,suddenly 
he wheeled and yelled2 ',the black damp 
is coming6'  ,the cigar smoke had       
stopped as though it had come to a stone
 wall1 and was now drifting over our    
heads4  ,we ran with death at our heels1
 ran with our tongues dry and swelling  
and our eyes smarting like balls of     
fire4  ,it seemed only a minute until   
,mr4 ,taylor shrieked and fell forward  
on his face4  ,he crawled along for a   
while on his hands and knees1 and then  
fell again and lay still4  ,i stopped   
for a second1 with the idea of carrying 
him4  ,then ,i realized how hopeless    
that was4  ,we were still a quarter of a
 mile from the mouth of the pit4  ,he   
was a very heavy man1 and ,i1 as you    

see1 am small and weak4  ,again ,i ran  
choking and beating my head with my     
hands4  ,i fell1 cut my face1 called    
upon ,god1 struggled to my feet and fell
 again4  ,so ,i plunged on1 falling and 
fighting forward4  ,black madness came  
upon me4  ,the horrible1 sickening      
after-damp was tearing my heart up      
through my dry throat4  ,my brain was   
bursting through my temples4  ,then a   
stroke1 as though by a sledge hammer1   
and ,i knew nothing more4  ,they found  
me at ten minutes past one ,tuesday     
morning4  ,at first they thought ,i was 
dead4  ,then they saw my head rise and  
fall while ,i weakly pounded on a rock  
with a stick that ,i had caught in my   
delirium4  ,this is to me a striking    
picture of what sin does for us4  ,there
 is no one so strong but he may be      
overpowered by its awful influence4     
,god save us from it1 for ,the wicked   
shall not be unpunished4   ,,iii  ,oh1  
is there no hope8  ,for it would seem   
from the message thus far as if nothing 

but despair was ahead of us4  ,two ways 
to escape from the power of sin have    
been suggested2 one is man's way1 the   
other is ,god's4 ,let us consider them  
both4  #a4 ,man suggests reformation4   
,but how about the sins of the past8    
,they are still untouched4  ,man tells  
the sinner to do his best2 but how about
 the will which has been weakened by    
sinful practices1 and which seems unable
 to act8  ,man tells the depraved man to
 change his surroundings2 but how about 
the heart that is unclean8  ,the fact   
is1 man's way will not reach us4  ,in   
,january1 #aijd1 the ,american ,liner   
,new ,york left ,southampton and came   
into the ,new ,york harbor with a sad   
story to tell4  ,a sailor was suspended 
over the side of the vessel making      
repairs when an enormous wave tore him  
away1 and he was very soon under the    
forepart of the ship4  ,the waves began 
to carry him away1 and a life line was  
thrown to him with a buoy attached4     
,the sailor1 sometimes visible and then 

obscured by the rising of a swell1      
grasped the line1 and a cheer went up4  
,he took a half turn with the line      
around his waist1 was rolling himself   
over into the bight of the line and it  
looked as if he would be saved4  ,the   
sailors on deck were just about to haul 
in4  ,the poor fellow's hands and       
fingers must have been numb1 for he     
suddenly rolled out of the half-formed  
bight1 losing his grip upon the line4   
,none of the passengers could help the  
man1 none of the crew dared jump to his 
rescue1 no boat could live in such a    
maelstrom4  ,the sailor1 who was        
struggling and being whirled around and 
bobbing like a cork1 his oilskins       
partially spreading out and sustaining  
him1 kept drifting further and further  
away4  ,aroused by the commotion1 the   
second officer came on deck just as the 
sailor lost his hold4  ,tossing aside   
his cap1 overcoat and jacket1 he bade   
the seamen take a bowline hitch around  
his body and lower him away4  ,the      

volunteer life-saver was cheered by the 
passengers as he went over4  ,it was    
bitter cold1 the sleet sharp and the    
swells ugly4  ,a strong swim in the     
trough of the seas and over the crests  
and the officer might reach the seaman4 
,it was his only chance4  ,he had no    
more than touched the spume before the  
waves hurled him against the side of the
 steamer again and again1 bruising his  
ankle and knee1 but he struck out       
bravely and gradually drew nearer the   
sailor4 ,for fifteen minutes the second 
officer struggled4  ,during one of his  
brave spurts in the direction of the    
struggling man he looked up to the rail4
  ,the practiced eye of the seafaring   
man saw something that caused him       
suddenly to turn and breast his way back
 to the ship4  ,the line was too short4 
,the seaman holding the line attached to
 the officer had in his hands the mere  
end of it1 and there was not another bit
 to pay out4 ,it was a sixty fathom     
line1 all gone1 and the officer yet only

 half way to the drowning man4  ,it was 
too late to splice another4  ,had it    
been thought of in time the man might   
have been saved4  ,a longer struggle was
 useless1 and the officer allowed       
himself to be hauled aboard1 leaving the
 helpless man to go to his last account4
  ,that is always the difficulty with   
man's effort to save the lost4  ,it does
 not reach far enough and fails just    
when it ought to hold4  #b4 ,god's way4 
,the blood of ,jesus ,christ his ,son   
cleanses us from all sin1 that is ,god's
 message4  ,let the wicked forsake his  
way1 and the unrighteous man his        
thoughts3 and let him return unto the   
,lord1 and he will have mercy upon him2 
and to our ,god1 for he will abundantly 
pardon4  ,this is ,god's invitation4  ,i
 even ,i1 am he that blotteth out thy   
transgressions for mine own sake1 and   
will not remember thy sins4 ,this is    
,god's pledge1 and he has never failed  
to keep it4  ,in the old days1 when     
,england and ,scotland were at war1 the 

,english came up against ,bruce4  ,they 
drove him from his castle and as he fled
 away from them they let loose his own  
bloodhounds and set them upon his trail4
  ,his case seemed hopeless4  ,he could 
hear the bay of the hounds in the       
distance1 and those who were with him   
had just about given up in despair2 but 
not so with ,bruce4  ,he came to a      
stream1 flowing through the forest1 he  
plunged in1 waded three bow-shots up the
 stream and then out upon the other     
side4  ,the hounds came up to the       
stream1 stopped and sniffed2 they had   
lost the track4  ,they turned back      
defeated1 and ,bruce in time won the    
day4  ,is it not like this with our     
sins8  ,like a pack of hounds they are  
after me2 wherever ,i flee they are     
close upon me4 ,the wages of sin is     
death1 ,i am told1 but ,i have found the
 way of escape4  ,here flows a stream   
which runs red with the blood of ,jesus 
,christ1 and ,i plunge in and am free4  
,there is a fountain filled with blood1 

,drawn from ,immanuel's veins2   ,and   
sinners plunged beneath that flood      
,lose all their guilty stains4     ,,the
 ,,grace ,,of ,,god  ,,text3 ,i1 even   
,i1 am he that blotteth out thy         
transgressions for mine own sake1 and   
will not remember thy sins4--,isaiah    
#dc3be4  ,in looking over an old volume 
of ,sermons preached by ,h4 ,grattan    
,guiness1 forty-five years ago1 ,i came 
across the message which he delivered   
with this text as a basis4  ,so deep was
 the impression made upon me by my first
 reading of the sermon that ,i have     
taken ,mr4 ,guiness' outline and ask    
your careful attention to its           
development4  ,if one should enter a    
jewelry store and ask to see a diamond1 
or any other precious stone1 the jeweler
 would first spread upon his show case a
 black cloth and then place the diamonds
 upon it1 not only for protection but   
also in order that the black background 
might bring out distinctly the          
brilliancy and worth of the gems4  ,so  

,god gives this best of all his promises
 with the dark picture of sin clearly   
and thoughtfully portrayed4  ,in verses 
twenty-second to the twenty-fourth we   
read1 ,but thou hast not called upon me1
 ,o ,jacob2 but thou hast been weary of 
me1 ,o ,israel4  ,thou hast not brought 
me the small cattle of thy burnt        
offerings2 neither hast thou honored me 
with thy sacrifices4 ,i have not caused 
thee to serve with an offering1 nor     
wearied thee with incense4  ,thou hast  
bought me no sweet cane with money1     
neither hast thou filled me with the fat
 of thy sacrifices3 but thou hast made  
me to serve with thy sins1 thou hast    
wearied me with thine iniquities4  ,in  
these verses ,god says that his people  
have not called upon him in prayer1 they
 have not presented their offerings1    
neither have they presented unto him    
themselves4  ,he also affirms that they 
have wearied of him1 and that they have 
also wearied him with their iniquities1 
and then he exclaims1 ,i have not caused

 thee to serve with an offering1 nor    
wearied thee with incense1 and with     
these clear statements he gives us the  
gracious statement of the text1 ,i1 even
 ,i1 am he that blotteth out thy        
transgressions for mine own sake1 and   
will not remember thy sins4  ,mr4       
,guiness gives us four beautiful        
thoughts in this text concerning our    
sins4  ,first3 ,they are blotted out    
from ,god's ,book4  ,second3 ,they are  
blotted out with ,god's hand4  ,third3  
,they are blotted out for his sake4     
,fourth3 ,they are blotted from his     
memory4  ,a more admirable outline of a 
text of ,scripture ,i do not know1 a    
more cheering message to a child of ,god
 ,i have never found4   ,i  ,not long   
ago1 in ,chicago1 a young man was       
induced to confess to one whom he       
thought was his friend the killing of   
his father and mother4 ,as the          
confession was being made1 as he        
supposed to but one person1 it was all  
being taken down by those who were near 

enough to hear him speak1 and when he   
appeared before the court his own       
confession was used against him and sent
 him to a life imprisonment in the      
penitentiary4  ,what was true of this   
young man is true of us4  ,every sermon 
the minister preaches is recorded1 every
 word an individual speaks is put down4 
,it is a solemn thought to realize1 that
 at the judgment we shall give account  
for even our idle words4  ,science has  
proven that our acts1 our words and even
 our thoughts make their indelible      
record4  ,not long ago in our home we   
came across a long-unused phonograph4   
,we started it going1 placing upon it   
one of the cylinders which had been     
packed away with the phonograph1 and    
were startled to hear the voice of one  
who had been dead for years4  ,we heard 
the message he dictated1 the song in    
which he joined and the laugh with which
 he closed it1 and yet his voice has    
long been silent in death4  ,there is   
not a sin of your youth which has not   

made its record1 not a passion of your  
mature years that does not stand        
somewhere against you1 not an act1 a    
feeling or an imagination that has not  
been indelibly written2 not all the     
changes of time1 not all the efforts of 
man1 can wipe these things out4  ,in the
 ,british ,museum there is a piece of   
stone not larger than the average ,bible
 at least four thousand years old1 and  
in the center of the stone there is a   
mark of a bird's foot2 four thousand    
years ago the track was made1 and for   
four thousand years the record has      
stood4  ,if these things are true of    
us--and they are1 according to the ,word
 of ,god--then what prospect is there   
for us but that of eternal punishment8  
,for when we stand at the judgment there
 shall appear before us the sins of     
omission and the sins of commission1 the
 sins we have forgotten and the sins we 
have but recently committed against     
ourselves1 against our fellow men1 and  
against ,god4  ,it is indeed a black    

picture1 and with whitened faces and    
rapidly beating hearts we ask1 ,is there
 any hope8  ,i bring you ,god's gracious
 answer to this important question3 ,i1 
even ,i1 am he that blotteth out thy    
transgressions for mine own sake1 and   
will not remember thy sins4 ,notice1 it 
is the voice of ,god speaking4  ,i1 even
 ,i1 he exclaims1 will blot out your    
transgressions4  ,it is1 first of all1 a
 commercial term4  ,we were in debt to  
,god1 hopelessly in debt1 and our       
obligation has been canceled2 over      
against our sin is placed the           
righteousness of the ,son of ,god1 and  
we are free4    ,jesus paid it all1     
,all to him ,i owe2   ,sin had left a   
crimson stain1     ,he washed it white  
as snow4   ,it is also a chemical       
expression1 for it is a picture of ,god 
applying the blood of ,jesus ,christ to 
every page of the written record4  ,the 
sins of our youth long ago passed out of
 mind2 the sins of our manhood1 which   
have taken up every part of our being1  

the sins of to-day--all have gone1 for  
he himself has blotted them out4  ,when 
we realize that we are forgiven of ,god 
it means more than if we were forgiven  
of men1 for in the might of his         
forgiveness our past sins are gone1 they
 shall not even be mentioned against us2
 the fear of judgment is taken away1 for
 ,jesus himself says1 ,verily1 verily1  
,i say unto you1 ,he that heareth my    
word1 and believeth on him that sent me1
 hath everlasting life1 and shall not   
come into condemnation2 but is passed   
from death unto life 7,john #e3bd74  ,it
 is the ,passover story over again1     
,when ,i see the blood1 ,i will pass    
over you4  ,thus are our sins blotted   
out4   ,,ii  ,it is with ,god's hand    
that the work is done2 and for very many
 reasons this is a great comfort to us4 
,first3 ,because it was ,god's hand that
 made the record1 he it was who put down
 all your sins4  ,he never rested in his
 work2 week after week1 month after     
month1 year after year1 the recording   

work was being done until your record   
became blacker than the blackest        
midnight2 and behold the hand that made 
the record blots it out4  ,second3 ,it  
was his hand against which you offended4
  ,your sin was against yourself4  ,it  
is true it hurt your character1 lowered 
your self-respect2 but more especially  
was it against ,god1 for you despised   
his authority1 forsook his service1     
broke his laws1 defied his justice2 you 
grieved his spirit1 and you crucified   
his ,son4  ,and behold it is the hand   
against which you committed all these   
offenses which blotted out your         
transgressions4  ,third3 ,it is the     
offended hand which blots them out4  ,it
 was the hand that opened the fountains 
of the deep1 and behold the floods came1
 the waters above and the waters below  
clasped their hands and destruction was 
everywhere save in the ,ark4  ,it was   
his hand that brought destruction upon  
the cities of the plain1 consuming them 
with a mighty flame1 and it was his hand

 that opened the sea for the children of
 ,israel and then closed the sea over   
the pursuing ,egyptians4  ,the very     
thought of the offended hand makes us   
tremble1 but behold1 it is this hand    
that blots out all our transgressions4  
,fourth3 ,it is the hand of justice that
 does the work4  ,the same hand wrote1  
,the wicked shall not go unpunished1 and
 wrote again1 ,the soul that sinneth it 
shall die1 and wrote yet again1 ,the    
wages of sin is death4  ,this hand is   
stretched forth in our behalf4  ,i doubt
 not the question has often come to us1 
,how can ,god be just and be the        
justifier of them that believe8  ,in the
 light of such statements as these just 
quoted ,i am sure it is for this        
reason--it is for the offering of the   
just for the unjust4  ,he made him to be
 sin for us who knew no sin1 that we    
might be made the righteousness of ,god 
in him4  ,a man was needed for such an  
offering1 and ,christ became man4 ,the  
man required must be born under the law1

 so ,christ came in the likeness of     
sinful flesh4  ,the man born under the  
law must be without sin1 so he was born 
pure4  ,the man born under the law and  
without sin must be willing to die1 and 
so he came saying1 ,i delight to do thy 
will1 ,o ,god4  ,and the man born under 
the law1 without sin and willing to die 
must be able to provide an atonement    
which would make the wandering sinner   
and the love of ,god one1 and so ,christ
 at the command of ,god was thus        
furnished a sacrifice of sufficient     
power and magnitude to save the whole   
world4  ,it is this hand of ,god that   
blots out our transgressions4  ,fifth3  
,it is the hand of the ,supreme ,being  
that does the work4  ,what a word of    
encouragement this is4  ,it was this    
hand that made the worlds and hurled    
them off into space4  ,it was this hand 
that created man and made him in the    
likeness of ,god4  ,it was this hand    
that formed the countless number of     
angels1 and has ever directed their     

heavenly movements4  ,it was this hand  
that wrote the law upon ,sinai4  ,and it
 was this hand that holds the keys of   
the kingdoms of heaven and hell4  ,he   
blots out our transgressions4  ,from his
 decision there can be no appeal4  ,with
 such a work as this1 who shall lay     
anything to the charge of ,god's elect8 
,would ,god that justifieth do it1 or   
,christ that died consent to it8  ,in   
the light of such a thought the ,apostle
 ,paul says1 ,for ,i am persuaded1 that 
neither death1 nor life1 nor angels1 nor
 principalities1 nor powers1 nor things 
present1 nor things to come1 nor height1
 nor depth1 nor any other creature1     
shall be able to separate us from the   
love of ,god1 which is in ,christ ,jesus
 our ,lord 7,romans #h3ch-ci74   ,,iii  
,our sins are blotted out for his sake4 
,god saves the sinner not alone because 
of pity for the sinner1 and certainly   
not simply because he is in danger of   
hell1 but in order that he may glorify  
himself2 and this is no selfish         

glorification1 but rather in order that 
he may show to us now and throughout all
 the ages what he really is4  ,god has  
made different revelations of himself4  
,we have beheld his wisdom in creation1 
in his providences and in his word4  ,we
 have seen his justice in that he gave  
his only begotten ,son to die for poor  
lost men4  ,we have seen his power in   
the working of miracles and the         
transforming effect of his grace4  ,it  
remains for us to see his love in the   
story of salvation1 for until we behold 
him as the ,savior of the sinner we do  
not know him4  ,it is this that shall   
make us not only rejoice here in time   
but rejoice with joy unspeakable in     
eternity4  ,the ,apostle ,paul writes in
 ,ephesians #b3g-h1 ,that in the ages to
 come he might shew the exceeding riches
 of his grace in his kindness toward us 
through ,christ ,jesus4  ,for by grace  
are ye saved through faith2 and that not
 of yourselves3 it is the gift of ,god4 
,,iv  ,our sins are blotted out from    

,god's memory4  ,the last of this       
wonderful text is the best4  ,when we   
detect a failure of memory here in this 
world among our friends it is an        
evidence of weakness1 but it is no      
weakness in ,god to forget4  ,this is   
but another one of those expressions    
descriptive of ,god in which human      
language is used to describe a thought  
and in which human language is too poor 
an agency to convey all the depth of the
 meaning4  ,it is just another picture  
of ,god stooping down to meet our       
weakness and it is ,god assuring us that
 our sins are gone completely4  ,it is  
as if they never had existed1 for they  
shall never stand against us and in the 
day of judgment they shall not even be  
mentioned4  ,our sins must have been a  
grief to him1 just as the sin of an     
earthly child is the source of sorrow to
 an earthly parent2 but they are so no  
longer1 for he has forgotten4  ,the     
,bible represents ,god as being angry   
because of our transgressions1 but if   

ever there was anger with him it is so  
no longer1 for you cannot be angry with 
a person whose injury against you you   
have forgotten entirely4  ,we do not in 
this world speak of what we have        
forgotten1 nor will ,god speak of our   
sins4  ,we do not punish what we have   
forgotten1 nor will ,god permit us to be
 punished1 for he has blotted out our   
transgressions and will remember them no
 more4  ,there is no awaiting penalty   
for your sin1 there is no judgment to   
meet at the great white throne1 there is
 no hell for you at the last1 for your  
sins1 for ,christ's sake1 have been     
forgotten4  ,if you cast a stone into   
the water and it sinks away there is for
 a time a ripple1 where the stone has   
gone down2 but in a moment it has gone  
forever1 you can see it no more4  ,so   
,god has cast our sins into the sea and 
the place where they have gone cannot   
even be found4   ,v  ,but what must ,i  
do to take advantage of all this        
gracious offer of ,god8 ,i answer       

according to the ,scripture4  ,there    
must be true repentance2 repentance is a
 change of mind1 it is having a new mind
 for ,god4  ,there must be regeneration2
 regeneration is a change of nature1 it 
is a new heart for ,god4  ,there must be
 conversion2 conversion is a change of  
living and a new life for ,god4  ,if we 
would be born from above we must accept 
,god's word4  ,two friends were         
conversing one evening4  ,one of them   
with a skeptical mind had just rejected 
the ,bible because it did not tell him  
the things that he would know4  ,he     
insisted on knowing how the worlds were 
made1 and demanded that he should be    
told concerning the origin of heaven and
 why ,god permitted it1 and because the 
,bible failed here he would have none of
 it4  ,just as his friend was leaving   
the skeptic said to him1 ,here is my    
lantern4  ,i want you to take it and it 
will light you home4  ,but the lantern  
was refused by the ,christian man1 for1 
said he1 this lantern will not light up 

the mountains in the distance1 nor the  
valley stretching away at my feet4  ,his
 friend was amazed4  ,man1 said he1 take
 the lantern2 it will make a road for   
you across the moor and light up your   
pathway home4  ,oh1 said his friend1 if 
that is true ,i will take it2 but listen
 to me4  ,so is the ,bible not for      
distant paths of investigation2 it is   
not so much to tell us concerning       
creation and existence--we shall know   
these things by and by4  ,it is for the 
path at your feet and it will light you 
home a space at a time4  ,the skeptical 
man saw it in an instant1 he took ,god's
 word and came back again to the faith  
of his childhood4  ,so ,i offer it to   
you with its promises as of lanterns1 if
 its commands are carefully received and
 followed out4  ,you1 too1 may pass from
 darkness into light and you may claim  
from ,god this text of mine which says1 
,i even ,i1 am he that blotteth out thy 
transgressions for mine own sake1 and   
will not remember thy sins4             

,,conversion  ,,text3 ,and said1 ,verily
 ,i say unto you1 ,except ye be         
converted1 and become as little         
children1 ye shall not enter into the   
,kingdom of ,heaven4--,matt4 #ah3c4     
,jesus ,christ was the world's greatest 
teacher and preacher4  ,multitudes      
followed him because he taught them1 not
 as the scribes1 but as one having      
authority4  ,he came to them with the   
deepest truth of ,god1 but couched in   
such familiar expressions1 and told in  
such a fascinating way1 that all men    
heard him and went their way rejoicing  
that so great a teacher had come into   
the world as the messenger of ,god4  ,he
 desired to speak to them concerning the
 kingdom1 and seeing on the distant     
hillside a farmer sowing his seed1 he   
gave them the parable of the sower2 and 
every farmer in his company began to    
understand his message4 ,he told them   
the story of a woman baking bread1 and  
in the spreading of the leaven every    
housekeeper had a vision of one of the  

deepest principles of the coming        
kingdom4  ,he gave them the account of  
the boy who went away from his home1    
breaking his mother's heart1 and1       
according to tradition1 putting her in  
her grave2 causing his old father to bow
 his head in shame again and again1 and 
yet in spite of it all1 his father      
loving him2 and every listener learned  
from the story a lesson concerning the  
love of ,god which could have been given
 to him in no other way4  ,he was       
acknowledged as the world's greatest    
teacher and preacher4  ,the text is     
introduced by the word verily1 and this 
is peculiar to ,jesus4  ,the word calls 
especial attention to the coming        
message4  ,it was as if he had sounded a
 bell and said1 ,stop and listen2 and   
wherever the word verily occurs the     
,bible reader would do well to give heed
 to the message of ,jesus4  ,what hope  
is there for the moralist when ,jesus   
said1 ,except ye be converted8  ,what   
hope can there be for the man who says  

,god is so merciful that he will not    
allow him finally to be lost when ,jesus
 said ,ye shall not enter into the      
kingdom1 except ye be converted and     
become as little children4  ,it will be 
necessary for us to read carefully      
verses eight and nine in this eighteenth
 chapter of ,matthew1 if we would be    
impressed with the importance of        
conversion4  ,there are solemn words    
here4  ,wherefore if thy hand or thy    
foot offend thee1 cut them off1 and cast
 them from thee3 it is better for thee  
to enter into life halt or maimed1      
rather than having two hands or two feet
 to be cast into everlasting fire4 ,and 
if thine eye offend thee1 pluck it out1 
and cast it from thee3 it is better for 
thee to enter into life with one eye1   
rather than having two eyes to be cast  
into hellfire4  ,i have been told that  
there are two ways of reading this text4
  ,the first is as we have it in the    
,king ,james version2 the second would  
make it read thus3 ,verily1 ,i say unto 

you1 except ye convert yourselves and   
become as little children1 ye shall not 
enter into the kingdom of heaven4       
,those who hold to this second reading  
say that there is a difference between  
regeneration and conversion--that       
regeneration is ,god's part of the      
contract1 while conversion is ours2 that
 conversion is simply having the willing
 mind1 while regeneration is ,god's     
imparting to us his own life2 and to    
convert one's self is simply to be      
willing to be saved4  ,and this is      
all-important1 for even ,god himself    
cannot save us against our wills4  ,but 
,i prefer to use1 in my treatment of the
 text1 the generally accepted idea of   
conversion1 and wish my message to      
center around the following questions3  
,what is conversion8 ,how may ,i be     
converted8  ,do ,i know when ,i was     
converted8  ,how may ,i know certainly8 
,i  ,what is conversion8  ,i own a piece
 of property1 and you desire to purchase
 it4  ,you pay me a price1 and the      

property is transferred from my         
ownership to yours4  ,it is a converted 
piece of property4  ,this is just a hint
 as to what conversion is4  ,we were    
sold under sin2 and if any should object
 to this expression1 we have sold       
ourselves under sin4 ,jesus came and in 
the shedding of his own blood paid the  
price of our redemption4  ,as a child of
 ,god1 ,i am bought back from bondage to
 freedom4  ,to be converted is to be    
turned about4  ,going away from ,god1 ,i
 turn towards him4  ,with my face set   
away from heaven1 ,i deliberately turn  
and accept ,jesus1 who said1 ,i am the  
way1 the truth1 and the life4  ,to be   
converted is to cross the line which    
separates light from darkness1 and may  
be done as easily as if one drew a line 
in the path before him and stepped over 
it4  ,both of these would be by the act 
of one's will2 only it is to be         
remembered that when by faith we accept 
,jesus there is imparted to us a        
knowledge which comes from the ,holy    

,ghost alone2 while we seem to be acting
 in our own strength1 yet really it is  
in the strength of ,god4  ,let it be    
remembered1 however1 that no two people 
may have exactly the same experience4   
,there is an illustration of this in the
 healing of the blind men in the ,new   
,testament4  ,i can imagine them having 
a convention1 and each giving his       
testimony4  ,one declares that the only 
way to receive your sight is to have    
clay and spittle put upon your eyes and 
to wash in the pool of ,siloam4         
,another ridicules this experience and  
declares that only the touch of the     
fingers of ,jesus is necessary4  ,still 
another speaks and emphatically declares
 that even the touch of ,jesus is       
superfluous1 for at the command of      
,jesus he saw clearly4  ,another says   
that instantaneous sight is impossible1 
and describes his own experience1 when  
he saw men like trees1 walking4  ,but   
when all have given their testimony1    
they finally unite in declaring that    

whereas they once were blind1 now they  
can see2 and after all this is the      
important matter4  ,a friend of mine    
described a number of people who came to
 view ,the ,angelus that celebrated     
masterpiece of ,millet's4  ,some people 
admired the perspective2 others1 the    
figure of the man2 others1 that of the  
woman4  ,one man simply stood aghast as 
he looked1 and exclaimed1 ,what a       
marvelous frame that picture has6 and no
 two people expressed the same opinion  
concerning the masterpiece4  ,how could 
we expect them to have the same         
experience in coming to ,christ8  ,it   
may be that some will say1 ,why insist  
upon conversion when my life is a moral 
one8  ,and my answer is that the        
difficulty with morality is that it is  
worked out according to men's standard  
and falls far short of ,god's4  ,in my  
first pastorate ,i had a blind man as   
one of my hearers4  ,he used to walk    
about the village where ,i preached1    
generally without a guide1 and          

apparently went as easily as a man with 
eyes4  ,he had a little stick in his    
hands1 with which he touched the trees  
and the fences1 and seemed to know by   
the very sound where he was4  ,one day  
at noon1 when he should be going home1  
,i saw him walking rapidly away from his
 home4 ,i finally convinced him that he 
was going in the wrong direction1 and he
 asked me to set him straight1 which ,i 
did4  ,going in the new direction1 he   
used his stick in the same fashion1 used
 his legs in the same mechanical way1   
but the difference between the man in   
the first instance and the second was   
this--that in the first picture he was  
going away from home1 while in the      
second he was going homeward rapidly4   
,the trouble with man's morality is that
 it is self-centered and not ,christ    
centered if he is rejected4   ,,ii  ,how
 may ,i be converted8  ,for from the    
text which says ,except ye be converted 
it would seem as if some power outside  
of ourselves must be working in our     

behalf1 and this is true4  ,the         
foundation of it all is the atonement by
 ,christ1 his sacrificial death upon the
 cross4 ,rejecting this truth1 there is 
no hope for us4  ,in our sinful         
condition1 the spirit of ,god rouses us1
 convicts us of sin1 convinces us of our
 need of a ,savior1 and finally ,god1 in
 his grace1 gives us the strength to    
yield1 and we pass from darkness to     
light4  ,sometimes great need drives us 
to light1 as in the case of ,nicodemus2 
while again great sin compels us to come
 to him1 as in the case of the thief on 
the cross4  ,but whether it be need or  
sin1 let us start with little faith1 if 
we have no more1 and ,god will meet us  
the moment we start4  ,i once conducted 
services in a soldiers' home4  ,the     
commanding officer told me1 when the    
service was concluded1 of a former      
inmate1 an old sea captain1 who came to 
the institution a confessed infidel4    
,he refused to attend any of the        
services in the chapel2 finally he was  

taken ill1 and then the commanding      
officer entered his room1 asking him to 
read the ,scriptures1 which he declined 
to do4  ,again he came suggesting that  
he read the ,bible to see if there was  
any part he could believe1 and a bottle 
of red ink and a pen were left by his   
bedside1 the officer suggesting that he 
mark any verse red if he could accept   
it4  ,this appealed to the dying man and
 he said1 ,where shall ,i read8 ,the    
officer said ,begin with ,john's        
,gospel4  ,and he did so4  ,he read     
through two chapters without making a   
mark1 and through fifteen verses of the 
third chapter4  ,then he came to the    
sixteenth verse1 which is a picture of  
the very heart of ,god1 and he reached  
for his pen and marked the verse red4   
,when this much of the story had been   
told we reached the old captain's room  
and passed the threshold to find the bed
 empty1 for he was gone4  ,i wish you   
might have seen his ,bible1 said the    
captain4  ,i sent it to his family      

recently4  ,there was not a page in it  
that was not marked red4  ,over his bed 
swung a pasteboard anchor2 marked upon  
it were these words--,i have cast my    
anchor in safe harbor4  ,for he had gone
 home4   ,,iii  ,do you know when you   
were converted8  ,that is1 do you know  
the exact time8  ,there are two extremes
 in experiences in this matter4  ,i     
recall the experience of an old man who 
sat in my lecture room one ,friday      
evening1 and just as the hands of the   
clock marked the hour #i3cj he said ,i  
will1 and came to ,christ4  ,that was   
the moment of his conversion4  ,but1 as 
for myself1 ,i have not had this        
experience2 ,i do not know just when ,i 
turned to ,christ4  ,it must have been  
when ,i was but a small child4  ,one of 
the best women ,i know has had an       
experience similar to mine1 while one of
 the greatest preachers in the land has 
told me that he was a drunkard until he 
was #ba years of age1 and then1 on his  
knees1 by his father's death bed1 he    

came to the ,savior4  ,after all1 it is 
not so much a question of the knowledge 
of the day1 or the hour1 or the month of
 one's conversion as ,do we now know    
,christ8   ,,iv  ,how may we know that  
we have passed from death into life8    
,certainly not with our feelings as a   
proof1 for they change as the sands     
shift on the seashore4  ,if our feelings
 be the foundation1 then we may be in   
the kingdom and out of it a great many  
times a day4  ,it is not always to be   
determined by a great change in one's   
life1 for men who have not accepted     
,christ have had such an experience4    
,there is only one sure way of knowing  
it1 and that is on the authority of the 
word of ,god4 ,john #e3bd1 ,verily1     
verily1 ,i say unto you1 he that heareth
 my word1 and believeth on him that sent
 me1 hath everlasting life1 and shall   
not come into condemnation3 but is      
passed from death unto life4  ,and ,john
 #f3dg1 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto    
you1 he that believeth on me hath       

everlasting life4  ,it is said that     
,napoleon while riding in front of his  
soldiers lost control of his horse1 when
 a private stepped from the ranks1      
seized the horse's bridle and saved the 
officer's life4  ,napoleon saluted him  
and called him captain4  ,but1 sir1 said
 he1 ,i am not a captain1 only a        
private4  ,then1 said ,napoleon1 ,i will
 commission you captain4  ,and          
immediately he stepped into the company 
of those officers2 they ordered him to  
the ranks1 but he said1 ,i am a captain4
  ,by whose authority8 they said4  ,if  
then he had replied1 ,because ,i feel   
like a captain1 how ridiculous it would 
have been6  ,pointing to ,napoleon1 he  
said1 ,i am a captain1 because he said  
it4  ,thus with ,god's word as a        
foundation we stand secure4   ,v  ,do   
not forget to notice that we are told   
that we must come like little children4 
,not like the philosophers of the world1
 but like little children who always    
trust implicitly those who are about    

them4  ,if we would be saved1 we must be
 willing to be taught1 and we must some 
time make a beginning4  ,then why not   
now8  ,some years ago ,john ,b4 ,gough  
visited a home in a ,new ,england city1 
and the heartbroken mother told him that
 her boy1 who was an inebriate1 was     
confined in an upper room in the house1 
which was much like a cell4 ,the great  
temperance leader went to speak to him  
and said ,edward1 why don't you pray8   
and he said1 ,because ,i don't believe  
in prayer4 ,but1 said ,mr4 ,gough1 ,you 
must believe in ,god4  ,and he replied1 
,i do not believe in anything4  ,i am   
sure you are wrong in this1 said he1 for
 ,i know that you believe in your       
mother4  ,then there came a new look    
into his face when he said1 ,yes1 ,i    
believe in her4  ,well1 said ,mr4       
,gough1 you must then believe in love4  
,let us fall upon our knees and pray4   
,and the young man began1 ,o love1 and  
the spirit of ,god said unto him1 ,god  
is love1 and he changed his prayer and  

said ,o ,god1 and then came the same    
spirit and said1 ,god so loved the world
 that he gave his only begotten son1 and
 he said ,o ,christ1 and when he said   
this the deed was done4  ,he immediately
 rose from his knees1 and he has been   
free ever since4     ,,five ,,kings ,,in
 ,a ,,cave  ,,text3 ,and it came to     
pass1 when they brought out those kings 
unto ,joshua1 that ,joshua called for   
all the men of ,israel1 and said unto   
the captains of the men of war which    
went with him1 ,come near1 put your feet
 upon the necks of these kings4  ,and   
they came near1 and put their feet upon 
the necks of them4  ,and ,joshua said   
unto them1 ,fear not1 nor be dismayed1  
be strong and of good courage3 for thus 
shall the ,lord do to all your enemies  
against whom ye fight4--,joshua         
#aj3bd-be4  ,the history of the children
 of ,israel is one of the most          
fascinating stories ever written4  ,it  
abounds in illustrations which are as   
practical and helpful as any that may be

 used to-day1 drawn from our every-day  
experience4  ,god certainly meant that  
we should use their story in this way1  
for in the ,new ,testament we read that 
the things which happened to them were  
as ensamples for us4  ,the word ensample
 means type1 or figure1 or illustration4
  ,to appreciate this text and the story
 of the five imprisoned kings we must go
 back a little bit to the place where   
the leadership of ,moses had been       
transferred to ,joshua4  ,god is never  
at a loss for a man2 his plans are never
 frustrated4  ,if ,moses is to be set   
aside ,joshua is in preparation for his 
position4  ,doubtless ,joshua may have  
felt somewhat restrained1 as he was kept
 in a position of not very great        
prominence1 but he certainly realized   
when he stood as the leader of the      
children of ,israel that all things had 
been working together for the good of   
his leadership1 and doubtless he praised
 ,jehovah for his goodness to him4      
,there are many incidents in connection 

with the immediate story of the children
 of ,israel which should be mentioned   
here4  ,when they were ready to move    
towards ,canaan ,joshua told them that  
when the soles of the feet of the       
priests touched the water of the ,jordan
 the water would stand on either side   
before them and they could pass dry shod
 into ,canaan4  ,suddenly the marching  
began4  ,they stood within three feet of
 the waters1 which ran the same as they 
had been running for years2 then two    
feet1 then one1 and then six inches1 but
 there was no parting of the waters     
before them4  ,let us remember that ,god
 had said1 ,when the soles of the feet  
of the priests touch the water they     
shall separate4  ,and it was even as he 
said1 and on dry land the children of   
,israel passed over to the other side4  
,it is a perfectly natural thing for one
 who is unregenerate to say1 ,why insist
 upon confession1 and the acceptance of 
,christ1 and how can the mere acceptance
 of the ,savior save me from the penalty

 and the power of sin8  ,but a countless
 multitude will rise to-day to say1 ,it 
was when we stepped out upon what we    
could not understand and what seemed as 
impassable and impossible as the parting
 of the waters of the ,jordan that ,god 
gave us light and peace4  ,when once    
they were in ,canaan what an interesting
 story that is in connection with ,rahab
 of ,jericho6  ,the spies had entered   
her home and a mob outside was seeking  
them that they might put them to death4 
,rahab promised them deliverance1 only  
she exacted from them a promise in      
return that they would save alive her   
father and her mother and her loved     
ones2 and when she let them down by     
means of a cord from the window of her  
home they said to her1 ,bind this       
scarlet cord in the window and gather   
your loved ones here and they shall be  
saved4  ,and when the children of       
,israel had marched about ,jericho and  
the walls were about to fall1 suddenly  
they lifted their eyes and they saw the 

red cord fluttering from the window1 and
 while all else was destroyed ,rahab and
 all her loved ones were saved4  ,what a
 little thing evidently stood between   
them and death--just a red cord6  ,and  
yet as a matter of fact it is only a red
 cord that is between us and            
death--namely1 the blood of the ,son of 
,god2 for1 as in the ,old ,testament    
times when ,god saw the blood and the   
destroying angel passed over the home1  
so in these ,new ,testament times the   
blood which has been received by faith  
insures us our safety and we are set    
free from sin's penalty and sin's power4
  ,the story of ,achan is a note of     
warning4  ,it is rather singular that   
when the children of ,israel had taken  
,jericho they failed at ,ai1 and yet not
 singular when we realize that one man  
had sinned in all the company4  ,he had 
taken gold and silver and a ,babylonish 
garment and had hidden the same in his  
tent1 and this was in direct            
disobedience to the commands of ,joshua4

  ,the sad thing about sin is that we   
cannot sin and suffer alone4  ,our      
friends suffer1 our kindred must bear a 
part of the woe with us4  ,when ,achan  
sinned the children of ,israel lost a   
victory4 ,sin is progressive4  ,in the  
seventh chapter of ,joshua and the      
twenty-first verse1 we read1 ,when ,i   
saw among the spoils a goodly           
,babylonish garment1 and two hundred    
shekels of silver1 and a wedge of gold  
of fifty shekels weight1 then ,i coveted
 them1 and took them2 and behold they   
are hid in the earth in the midst of my 
tent1 and the silver under it4  ,and you
 will notice that1 first he saw1 then he
 coveted1 then he took4  ,it is always  
thus2 a sinful imagination will lead to 
outbreaking iniquity1 and a small sin   
encouraged will ultimately mean         
disgrace4  ,the story of the ,gibeonites
 is also interesting4  ,they had heard  
of the power of the children of ,israel 
and were afraid of them2 but they made  
up their minds to deceive them4  ,so1   

lest the ,israelites should think that  
they came from a near by territory and  
therefore should turn against them they 
put on old clothes1 wore old shoes upon 
their feet and carried musty bread in   
their baggage4  ,then they stood before 
,israel and said1 ,we have come from a  
far country2 look at our clothing1 it is
 worn out2 and at our shoes1 they are in
 holes2 and at our bread1 it was fresh  
when we started1 it is musty to-day4    
,and ,joshua said1 ,we will make them   
hewers of wood and drawers of water1 and
 they were saved from death but they    
served in bondage4  ,let this be        
remembered always that deception        
inevitably means bondage4  ,one is in   
bondage to his conscience1 for it       
constantly reproves him4  ,he is in     
bondage to the one he has deceived1 for 
he can never stand honestly before him4 
,he is most of all in bondage to his    
sin1 for he will surely be found out4   
,the ,amorites were against the children
 of ,israel and they were a great       

company4  ,it is in connection with     
their struggle against this power that  
the text is written4   ,i  ,the         
,israelites started in this conflict    
with a mighty power against them1 as we 
have seen4  ,but so have we4  ,there are
 first of all the tendencies of our old 
nature against which we must fight1 for 
just as with the law of gravitation if  
,i take my hand away from a book or a   
stone it falls to the floor or the      
ground because this law pulls it        
downward1 so there is a law in my       
members and has been in the life of     
every man since ,adam's day pulling me  
away from the true to the false4 ,it is 
for this reason that it is easier to do 
wrong than to do right1 to be untrue    
than to be true4  ,then there is against
 us the very world in which we live4    
,its atmosphere1 its business1 even its 
social life is tainted with that which  
is sinful or to say the least           
questionable1 and he who lives in the   
world and is in any sense of it has a   

hard battle to fight4  ,but there are   
two special things which are against us4
  ,first3 ,the sins which we have       
encouraged4  ,it may be in the beginning
 very small1 but ,satan is perfectly    
satisfied if he can have the least hold 
upon the life of the one whom he wishes 
to wrong4  ,i read in a ,chicago paper  
the story of a woman who was making a   
heroic struggle against an awful curse4 
,she had become addicted to the use of  
morphine4  ,for fourteen years she was a
 consumer of the drug4 ,apparently she  
could not shake off the habit4          
,building up a resistance to the action 
of the drug1 her system became          
accustomed to enormous quantities of it4
  ,she could not eat1 nor sleep1 nor    
work without it4 ,most of her scanty    
earnings went to purchase it4  ,she was 
a seamstress1 and by toiling many hours 
a day managed to get enough money to buy
 it4 ,some years back she had been a    
happy wife and mother4  ,her husband    
loved her2 she was devoted to him and to

 their two children4  ,she lost him2 she
 lost the care of her children2 rapidly 
she drifted away from them4  ,the       
powerful narcotic helped to deaden her  
pain4  ,when her anguish became         
unbearable a double dose of it would    
enable her to drowse away the hours4  ,i
 will never again touch or taste        
morphine1 so help me ,god6 she said4    
,immediately she discontinued the use of
 the drug wholly4  ,she could get no    
sleep2 she could not swallow food half  
the time or retain it4  ,she was beset  
by horrible visions4  ,she was racked by
 an inexpressible longing4  ,but she    
held on4  ,those who knew her and       
watched her agonizing battle with       
astonishment and sympathy told her that 
she was killing herself4  ,it may be1   
she would answer1 but ,i shall die true 
to my oath4  ,but1 they would urge1 a   
habit like yours1 which has obtained for
 years1 should be broken gradually4  ,i 
will master it4  ,i have blotted it from
 my life1 she would answer4  ,i shall   

quit it this way even if ,i go into the 
grave4  ,it has mastered me2 it has cost
 me my home1 husband and children2 now  
,i will master it4  ,she started at     
shadows1 her nights were nights of      
horror2 she would bury her nails in the 
palms of her hands and compress her lips
 to keep from screaming4 ,there was no  
rest for her4  ,still she tried to work 
and grew weaker4 ,you cannot give me    
that1 she said1 ,i remember my oath4    
,give me any medicine you choose save   
opium4  ,god would forsake me now if ,i 
forsook my promise to him4  ,the        
physician remonstrated with her1 but in 
vain1 so he gave her a substitute which 
failed of its effect1 as he knew it     
would1 and she died4  ,even when the    
hand of death had clutched her grimly1  
though her terrific sufferings would    
have been allayed by the poison1 she    
refused to take it4  ,any person in the 
room would have bought it for her and   
administered it gladly1 so that she     
might pass away in peace1 but she would 

not prove traitor to herself4  ,she was 
a friendless woman except for           
acquaintances recently made4  ,her life 
had been sad and hard4  ,held in the    
grip of an enemy that set its mark upon 
her1 she was shunned and went her       
downward way alone4  ,those who were    
with her say that just before the end   
came she smiled1 knowing that she had   
won her fight2 and yet years ago she    
began to trifle with sin1 and it had    
mastered her4  ,again1 we have against  
us sins which not only have been        
encouraged but have been committed again
 and again until they have become a     
habit of our lives1 and he who has such 
a sin as this finds himself in the grip 
of one who is a tyrant4  ,in a city     
paper the other day ,i came across the  
story of a man who once had some        
prominence in the world but began to go 
wrong1 naturally drifted towards the    
evil and finally found himself          
surrounded by the lowest of companions4 
,because of his natural ability he      

easily assumed leadership4  ,the        
particular form of crime they practiced 
was administering chloral to those who  
sat at the bar in the saloon to drink4  
,they did this by attracting the        
attention of the man who was to drink to
 something else in the room and then the
 deadly knock-out drops would be        
administered and they would rob the man4
  ,one night the dose was too strong and
 the victim died4  ,the one who caused  
his death came before the city          
authorities recently to give himself up 
and pitifully ask that he might be      
quickly sent to death to pay the penalty
 of his crime for1 said he1 ,from that  
moment my mind has never been at rest4  
,i wandered about town for two or three 
days trying to get rid of the sight of  
that fellow's face2 but at night was    
when ,i suffered4  ,the moment ,i dozed 
off ,i could see him in my dreams       
beckoning and laughing as he dragged me 
over some cliff1 and ,i waked up cold   
with fear4  ,no one knows what ,i       

suffered4  ,i left the city4  ,i went to
 ,denver4  ,i went to ,butte4  ,i       
traveled everywhere1 but wherever ,i    
went night and day that dead man was    
hovering around me4  ,i couldn't sleep  
and my mind began to weaken4 ,one night 
,i went into a gambling den4  ,i thought
 the excitement might drive that vision 
out of my head4  ,i played roulette4  ,i
 bet on the black2 the red won4  ,and   
right before me ,i saw that printer's   
face just like ,i see you now1 grinning 
as the dealer dragged in my money4  ,i  
ran out of that club like a crazy man   
and wandered about town till ,i saw a   
freight train pulling out of the yards4 
,i climbed into an empty box car and lay
 down in the corner to rest4  ,for a few
 moments the face was gone4  ,suddenly a
 flash of lightning lit up that car as  
bright as this cell1 and there1 just a  
couple of feet from me1 ,i saw that man 
,i'd killed plainer than ,i see you4    
,he reached out and caught me by the    
arm4  ,i screamed and jumped out of the 

car4  ,they found me next day lying     
beside the track2 and when they got me  
to a hospital1 as ,i hope for pardon1   
that thing's black and blue finger marks
 showed on my shoulder4  ,i've been in a
 lot of places since that but ,i never  
got over it4  ,finally it got so bad ,i 
couldn't stand it and ,i came back to   
,chicago to confess4  ,and just as we   
have all these things against us so the 
children of ,israel had the ,amorites   
against them and the five kings were    
unitedly arrayed to fight them4   ,,ii  
,but there was a sure deliverance for   
,israel and there is a sure deliverance 
for us4  ,god promised to be with       
,joshua and his people4 ,joshua #a3e1   
,there shall not any man be able to     
stand before thee all the days of thy   
life3 as ,i was with ,moses1 so ,i will 
be with thee3 ,i will not fail thee1 nor
 forsake thee4  ,even the things that   
were impossible he helped them to       
accomplish4  ,joshua #f3a-b1 ,now       
,jericho was straitly shut up because of

 the children of ,israel3 none went out1
 and none came in4  ,and the ,lord said 
unto ,joshua1 ,see1 ,i have given unto  
thine hand ,jericho1 and the king       
thereof1 and the mighty men of valor4   
,even where men had failed him he gave  
them victory4  ,joshua #h3a-b1 ,and the 
,lord said unto ,joshua1 ,fear not1     
neither be thou dismayed3 take all the  
people of war with thee1 and arise1 go  
up to ,ai3 see1 ,i have given into thy  
hand the king of ,ai1 and his people1   
and his city1 and his land2 and thou    
shalt do to ,ai and her king as thou    
didst unto ,jericho and her king3 only  
the spoil thereof1 and the cattle       
thereof1 shall ye take for a prey unto  
yourselves3 lay thee an ambush for the  
city behind it4  ,even where the forces 
were combined against them it made no   
difference4  ,joshua #aj3h1 ,and the    
,lord said unto ,joshua1 ,fear them not3
 for ,i have delivered them into thine  
hand2 there shall not a man of them     
stand before thee4  ,so it is with us4  

,god has promised to deliver us1 and    
over our sinful nature1 the atmosphere  
of the world1 sins encouraged and sins  
committed1 we may expect a complete     
victory4  ,everything is at man's       
disposal if only ,god is with him4  ,in 
connection with the children of ,israel 
even the day was made longer that they  
might fight their battles4  ,joshua     
#aj3ab-ad1 ,then spake ,joshua to the   
,lord in the day when the ,lord         
delivered up the ,amorites before the   
children of ,israel1 and he said in the 
sight of ,israel1 ,sun1 stand thou still
 upon ,gibeon2 and thou1 ,moon1 in the  
valley of ,ajalon4 ,and the sun stood   
still1 and the moon stayed1 until the   
people had avenged themselves upon their
 enemies4  ,is not this written in the  
book of ,jasher8  ,so the sun stood     
still in the midst of heaven1 and hasted
 not to go down about a whole day4  ,and
 there was no day like that before it1  
or after it1 that the ,lord hearkened   
unto the voice of a man3 for the ,lord  

fought for ,israel4  ,the weak were made
 strong that the enemy might not triumph
 over them4  ,if ,god be for us who can 
be against us8  ,in this struggle with  
the ,amorites ,israel won the day4      
,,iii  ,the victory of the ,israelites  
over the ,amorites was like the general 
deliverance which ,god has given us from
 the power of sin1 but there are certain
 sins which may pursue us1 and from     
these we ought to be set free4  ,when   
the children of ,israel started from    
,egypt and had passed through the ,red  
,sea certain of the ,egyptians started  
after them1 the waters of the ,sea came 
together and they were put to death4    
,the next day the ,israelites camped    
upon the shore and they could easily go 
back4 ,doubtless more than one could say
 as he turned over the body of a dead   
man to see his face1 ,why1 this is my   
old tax master who used to beat me4  ,he
 will never have power over me again4   
,is such a deliverance as this from     
individual sins possible8  ,i think it  

is4  ,i can think of five sins which    
stand in the way of men and which maybe 
likened to the five kings shut up in the
 cave4  ,first3 ,sinful imagination or  
secret sins4  ,i doubt not but that     
almost every one whose eyes may light   
upon this sentence has been guilty at   
this point4  ,he may have said again and
 again1 ,i will never do this thing     
again1 and he has put the king into the 
cave and rolled the stone against the   
door4  ,second3 ,impurity4  ,it may be  
that some one who reads this sentence   
will plead guilty at this point1 and he 
may have said1 ,this sin which is now my
 defeat began with only a suggestion of 
evil which ,i encouraged2 but ,i will   
never be guilty again1 and he puts the  
sin into the cave and rolls the stone   
against the door4  ,third3              
,intemperance1 not simply in the matter 
of drinking strong drink1 but it may be 
intemperance in the matter of dress1 or 
eating1 or pleasure2 in other words1 it 
is the lack of self-control4  ,this has 

been the defeat of more men than one1   
and as you stop and think you say1 ,i   
will never lose control of myself again1
 and you put the sin within the cave and
 roll the stone against the door4       
,fourth3 ,dishonesty2 not simply in what
 you do but in what you say1 for one may
 be dishonest in speech as well as in   
appropriating that which does not belong
 to him4  ,if you should be condemned   
just here and have determined never to  
fail again at this point1 by an act of  
your will you consign this king to the  
cave and close up the entrance4  ,five3 
,unbelief1 which is the greatest sin of 
all and is the last and greatest sin to 
be put into the cave4  ,as a result of  
such an action there may be temporary   
relief1 but not permanent1 for the kings
 may break away from the cave and       
organize their forces against you once  
more and you go down4  ,here comes in   
the power of the text4  ,bring the kings
 out1 every one of them1 and put your   
feet upon their necks and stand in all  

your right and dignity as ,christian    
men1 and expect deliverance not so much 
because of what you are but because of  
the fact that from the days of the first
 sin it has been said1 ,the seed of the 
woman shall bruise the serpent's head4  
,near ,toledo1 ,ohio1 there used to live
 an old doctor noted for his infidelity4
  ,he was violent in his opposition to  
the church4  ,one day he called ,robert 
,ingersoll to the town where he lived   
and paid him two hundred dollars1 that  
he might by means of his lecture break  
up the revival meeting4  ,everybody was 
afraid of him4  ,he heard of an old     
preacher back in the country who was a  
stranger to the schools but not a       
stranger to ,god1 and he asked his      
friends to make it possible for him to  
meet him4  ,finally they met1 and the   
infidel with a sneer said1 ,so you      
believe the ,bible1 do you8 and he said1
 ,yes1 sir2 do you8  ,and you believe in
 ,god1 do you8 and he said1 ,yes1 sir4  
,well1 ,i want you to understand that ,i

 am an infidel1 and believe none of     
these things4  ,the old minister looked 
at him and said simply1 ,well1 is that  
anything to be proud of8 and it was an  
arrow that went straight through the    
unbeliever4  ,he went back to his office
 and began to think it over4  ,anything 
to be proud of1 he said1 and he finally 
realized that he was not in a favorable 
position4  ,then he thought of an old   
,christian he knew and said1 ,if ,i     
could be such a ,christian as that ,i   
would come to ,christ4  ,he went to tell
 the minister1 and the minister said to 
him1 ,get down on your knees and tell   
,god so1 and he began to tell him1 then 
broke down and sobbed out his confession
 of sin4  ,his cry for deliverance was  
heard1 and he rose up a free man in     
,christ ,jesus4  ,from that day till    
this he has been freed from every one of
 his sins1 is preaching the ,gospel and 
counts it his highest joy to contribute 
in every possible way to the enlargement
 of the bounds of the ,kingdom of ,god4 

,so there is deliverance from every form
 of sin if we will but move in ,god's   
way4     ,,definiteness ,,of ,,purpose  
,,in ,,christian ,,work  ,,text3 ,salute
 no man by the way4--,luke #aj3d4  ,luke
 is the only one of the ,evangelists    
giving us the account of the sending out
 of the seventy4  ,the others tell us   
that ,christ called certain men unto him
 and commissioned them to tell his      
story2 but in this instance after ,jesus
 had said1 ,foxes have holes1 and birds 
of the air have nests1 but the ,son of  
man hath not where to lay his head1 he  
calls the seventy and sends them forth  
prepared to endure any sacrifice or     
suffer any affliction if only they may  
do his will4  ,and when he had said unto
 another1 ,follow me1 but he answered1  
,suffer me first to go and bury my      
father1 ,jesus said unto him 7,luke     
#i3fj-fb71 ,let the dead bury their     
dead2 but go thou and preach the kingdom
 of ,god4  ,and another also said1      
,lord1 ,i will follow thee2 but let me  

first go bid them farewell which are at 
home at my house4  ,and ,jesus said unto
 him1 ,no man1 having put his hand to   
the plough1 and looking back1 is fit for
 the kingdom of ,god4  ,from this       
expression of the ,master we quite      
understand that no other service1       
however important it may seem to us1 is 
to come between us and our devotion to  
him4  ,and in the expression concerning 
the man having put his hand to the plow 
and looking back we have one of the     
strongest illustrations that ,jesus ever
 used4  ,he does not say that if any one
 puts his hand to the plow and turns    
back to some other form of service he is
 not fit for the ,kingdom of ,god1 but  
what he says is this3 ,if any man has   
his hands to the plow and simply looks  
back he is not fit for the ,kingdom2 and
 this for two reasons3  ,first3 ,because
 no man could plow as he ought to unless
 he would keep his eyes straight ahead  
of him1 and  ,second3 ,no man could plow
 if he has his mind fixed upon something

 else4 ,jesus wants his disciples to    
know that his work is the important     
work1 that nothing can surpass it4  ,not
 only is it wrong for us to turn away   
from him to any other service but it is 
a sin even to take our eyes off of him  
to gaze upon anything else4  ,under such
 sharp teaching as this he sends forth  
the seventy4  ,let it be noted1 first1  
that he sent them forth two by two4     
,perhaps one was sent because he was    
strong in the opposite direction from   
his fellow laborer4  ,who knows but one 
could speak and the other could sing8   
,certainly one was the complement of the
 other4  ,and they went forth with      
burning hearts to give the message of   
,jesus4  ,that illustration in the ,new 
,testament where four men brought the   
sick man to ,jesus is along the same    
line4  ,two men might have failed       
utterly1 three men would have found it  
difficult service1 for four men it was  
easy4  ,i once made my way into the     
office of a doctor to ask him to come to

 ,christ4  ,the meetings were in        
progress in the church and ,i thought he
 was interested4  ,he received me       
kindly1 but firmly declined even to talk
 of ,christ and ,i left him1 utterly    
discouraged4  ,the next night the man   
gave his heart to ,christ1 and for this 
reason1 ,i believe4  ,we had made him in
 a little company of church officers a  
subject of prayer1 and you cannot pray  
earnestly for one for any length of time
 without speaking to him concerning his 
soul's salvation4  ,without having had a
 conference four men determined to see  
the doctor1 and they all called upon him
 within two hours of time4  ,when the   
first came he laughed at him2 when the  
second came his prominence in the       
business world at least commanded the   
doctor's respect2 when the third came1  
having driven four miles in from the    
country1 he began to be interested2 and 
with the coming of the fourth there was 
awakened in him a deep conviction4  ,he 
closed his office1 went to his home and 

before the evening hour of service came 
had accepted ,christ4  ,we have         
practically the same commission as the  
seventy4  ,as the ,father hath sent me  
even so send ,i you1 said ,jesus to us4 
,these conditions are as true to-day as 
in those days in the work of the        
seventy4  ,the harvest is great4  ,there
 possibly never has been a time when    
more people are absenting themselves    
from the church than at the present     
time4  ,these men and women are fit     
subjects for the ,gospel4  ,the seventy 
went as the messengers of peace1 so may 
we go4  ,there are troubled hearts all  
about us1 there are those who are in    
despair1 men and women who are saying1  
,peace1 peace1 when there is no peace1  
while ours is the very message of peace4
  ,jesus said to them1 ,carry neither   
purse nor scrip nor shoes1 for their    
dependence was upon him4  ,so must it be
 to-day4  ,not upon method nor upon     
skill must we depend1 nor upon the      
schemes of men1 however successful they 

may have been in the past1 but upon him4
  ,in those days the men were sick and  
troubled1 in these days they are dead in
 sins and as his messengers we carry the
 message of love4   ,i  ,this expression
 of the text meant very much to the     
,oriental1 for as a matter of fact the  
salutation of the ,eastern people       
frequently took a half an hour of time1 
and sometimes an hour would be consumed4
  ,they touched their turbans1 fell upon
 their knees1 saluted one another with a
 holy kiss1 talked together concerning  
their own interests4  ,these things were
 a part of the salutation4  ,jesus says 
to the seventy1 ,salute no man as you   
go4  ,they were not bidden to be        
impolite--this is farthest from the     
spirit of the ,christian--yet they were 
commissioned to be about the king's     
business and the king's business        
required haste4  ,the idea of the text  
is that there must be definiteness of   
purpose in ,christian work4  ,when      
,elisha kept his eyes fixed upon ,elijah

 there came to him as the result the    
mantle of ,elijah and he was clothed    
with power4  ,when ,gehazi followed     
,elisha's command and as he went to the 
home of the ,shunammite saluted no one  
he became the forerunner of life to the 
child4  ,and when ,paul said1 ,this one 
thing ,i do1 and nothing could swerve   
him from his path of duty1 he became the
 mightiest preacher in the world's      
history since ,christ4  ,but let it not 
be thought for a moment that we are     
advocating a gloomy religion2 far from  
it4  ,i like the story of the little    
girl who went one day into her          
grandfather's room to ask him to read to
 her and found him asleep with his head 
upon the back of the chair1 his ,bible  
upon his knees and the sunlight coming  
through the window at the proper angle  
to cast about him a halo of glory1 and  
she ran to her mother saying1 ,i have   
been in grandpa's room and ,i have seen 
,god4  ,if as a ,christian the people of
 the world can have any thought other   

than this1 that we at times at least    
remind them of ,christ1 something is    
wrong with our ,christian experience4   
,there were two sides to the experience 
of ,jesus4  ,in one we see him at the   
wedding rejoicing with those that did   
rejoice1 making wine out of water and   
contributing to the happiness of all    
those who were present4 ,in the other   
instance we see him upon the mountain   
side and crying out1 ,o ,jerusalem1     
,jerusalem6 with an almost breaking     
heart4  ,when ,charles ,g4 ,finney was  
in ,utica there came down to see him a  
woman who was concerned for the town in 
which she lived4  ,she returned to her  
home and through days and nights found  
it impossible either to eat or to sleep 
because she realized the lost condition 
of those about her4 ,at last when she   
was so weak that she could not pray1 she
 had rest only when those about her     
prayed for her4  ,when ,mr4 ,finney     
reached that town one of the greatest   
revivals in his history as an evangelist

 was the result4  ,i was one day engaged
 with other pastors in an eastern city  
in a ,gospel campaign4  ,the ministers  
were preaching in turn each day and when
 it came my time to preach ,i could find
 in all the audience scarcely one of my 
people4  ,up to that day the interest   
had been remarkable1 but somehow from   
that day on1 although people had been   
converted by the hundred1 there was no  
perceptible spiritual impression4  ,when
 the meetings had closed one of the     
prominent society leaders of my church  
came to explain to me why she was away  
from the service and she said1 ,i gave  
my afternoon reception and the people of
 our church were there4  ,when ,i told  
her that ,i felt that as a result of    
that afternoon reception our own church 
had lost a blessing she seemed utterly  
amazed2 and yet to this day ,i am firmly
 persuaded that hundreds of people might
 have come to ,christ if we had not in  
that day grieved the ,spirit4   ,,ii    
,the text means that those of us who are

 ,christians shall show by our very     
faces that we are on the king's business
 and that it is solemn business4  ,one  
day a man knocked at the door of my     
study1 was admitted1 sat down on the    
couch in the room and began to sob4  ,he
 did not need to tell me why he had     
come4  ,i knew1 but finally when he     
sobbed it out this was his message3 ,i  
have come to ask you to bury my wife1   
and to ask if you will not go with me to
 comfort the children1 for they are     
heartbroken4 ,i knew by the very look of
 his face that he had lost a loved one4 
,do you think for a moment that those   
who gaze at us would imagine that we had
 the least conviction that people away  
from ,christ were lost8  ,i am sure they
 would not4  ,the text also means that  
we shall be desperately in earnest4  ,a 
father and his boy heard a minister     
preach a sermon on the judgment and as  
they went to their home the father said1
 ,my boy1 it was a great sermon and you 
must think about it4  ,and the boy did4 

,he made his way to his room and threw  
himself on his bed only to hear his     
father downstairs laughing and singing2 
and he said to himself1 ,it is not true1
 for if my father believed ,i was in    
danger of the judgment he could not     
laugh and he would not sing4  ,that day 
was the turning point in the boy's life4
  ,he became a man of renown but never a
 believer in ,jesus ,christ as we accept
 him4  ,the text also indicates how we  
should pray1 with an eye single to his  
glory but with a purpose that cannot be 
shaken4  ,pray as the ,shunammite       
prayed1 pray as the woman besought the  
unjust judge2 such prayer brings        
victory4   ,,iii  ,did you ever realize 
that you were standing in the way of the
 conversion of your friends8  ,how about
 your living8  ,if your testimony rings 
anything else than true to ,christ you  
are a stumbling block in the way of some
 one4  ,how about your testimony8  ,in  
the meetings to which ,i referred there 
came a young woman one day evidently    

greatly moved4  ,first one pastor would 
speak to her and then another1 and      
finally ,i was given the privilege4     
,for a long time ,i could not understand
 her words for her sobs and then she    
said1 ,i am a ,christian1 a member of   
one of the churches in this movement4   
,i have been engaged to a young man for 
the last three years4  ,he was not a    
,christian4  ,three weeks ago he was    
taken ill and a week ago he died4  ,in  
all the time that ,i knew him ,i never  
spoke to him about ,christ4  ,i do not  
know that he even knew that ,i was a    
,christian1 and now1 she said1 with a   
heart which seemed to be literally      
crushed1 he has gone and ,i never warned
 him4  ,and the text means that no one  
could come within the reach of our      
influence without having at least a     
suggestion made by ourselves to them    
that we are the followers of ,christ and
 that we long to have them know him who 
means so much to us4     ,,the ,,morning
 ,,breaketh  ,,text3 ,watchman1 what of 

the night8  ,the watchman said1 ,the    
morning cometh1 and also the            
night4--,isaiah #ba3aa-ab4  ,it is very 
interesting to note that1 whether we    
study the ,old ,testament or the ,new1  
nights are always associated with ,god's
 mornings4  ,in other words1 he does not
 leave us in despair without sending to 
us his messengers of hope and cheer4    
,the ,prophet ,isaiah in this particular
 part of his prophecy seems to be almost
 broken-hearted because of the sin of   
the people4  ,as one of the ,scotch     
preachers has put it1 he has practically
 sobbed himself to sleep4  ,a great     
shadow has fallen upon the people of    
,god and he is in despair because of it4
  ,they have sown to the wind and now   
they are reaping the whirlwind1 a result
 which is inevitable4  ,they are away   
from ,zion with its temple1 and are     
deprived of the view of those mountains 
which are round about ,jerusalem and to 
this day are clad with vines and olive  
trees4  ,they are in captivity and are  

the abject slaves of the enemies of     
,god4  ,isaiah's heart is well-nigh     
crushed1 but in the midst of the despair
 he has a vision of the chariots coming 
and hears a cry which rejoices his soul1
 ,babylon is fallen4  ,it is because of 
these tidings that he cries out in the  
words of the text4  ,what a night they  
had had of it6  ,they had been in       
darkness that was ever increasing1 and  
the song of thanksgiving which used to  
fill their souls because of the nearness
 of ,jehovah had entirely departed from 
them4  ,the figure of the watchman is   
often used in the ,bible1 as for example
 when he stands upon the city walls and 
is told that if he sounds the trumpet   
telling of the approach of the enemy and
 the people hear and do not take warning
 their blood is upon their own heads1   
while if he fails to sound the trumpet  
and the people are cut off1 their blood 
is required at the watchman's hand4     
,and again in the first chapter of      
,zechariah the eighth to the eleventh   

verses1 ,i saw by night1 and behold a   
man riding upon a red horse1 and he     
stood among the myrtle trees that were  
in the bottom2 and behind him were there
 red horses1 speckled and white4  ,then 
said ,i1 ,o my ,lord1 what are these8   
,and the angel that talked with me said 
unto me1 ,i will shew thee what these   
be4 ,and the man that stood among the   
myrtle trees answered and said1 ,these  
are they whom the ,lord hath sent to    
walk to and fro through the earth4 ,and 
they answered the angel of the ,lord    
that stood among the myrtle trees1 and  
said1 ,we have walked to and fro through
 the earth1 and behold all the earth    
sitteth still and is at rest4  ,for here
 the man standing in the midst of the   
myrtle trees is him of whom the prophets
 did speak1 while the messengers are    
those who bring him tidings of the      
progress of his kingdom4  ,but again    
where ,david comes to the watch tower   
and sees the two messengers running1 the
 second one bringing him tidings of the 

death of his son1 and from this watch   
tower he staggers back again to his room
 crying out1 ,o ,absalom1 my son1 would 
,god ,i had died for thee6  ,the poet   
usually sings of the night as a time of 
beauty4  ,he sings of the moon and the  
stars2 but in the ,bible night always   
stands for that which is dark1 foul1    
loathsome1 sinful1 cold and deadly4     
,there are different nights mentioned in
 the ,scripture1 for the most part in   
the ,old ,testament4  ,there was that   
night in ,eden when sin blinded the eyes
 of ,adam and ,eve and a great darkness 
fell round about them4  ,there was the  
night of the flood1 all because the     
people had neglected ,god2 and there was
 the night of the destroying angel      
passing over the cities of ,egypt1 all  
because of the indifference of those who
 knew not ,god4  ,but even in these     
nights ,god does not leave his people   
without help1 for in ,eden we read1 ,the
 seed of the woman shall bruise the     
serpent's head2 while in the flood      

behold the ,ark2 and in the ,passover   
night we see the blood of the ,paschal  
lamb sprinkled upon the lintels of the  
door4  ,there are different mornings    
mentioned in the ,scriptures1 and as a  
rule we find them in the ,new           
,testament4  ,the morning of his birth4 
,the morning of his resurrection4  ,the 
morning of his miracle when the empty   
nets are filled and the discouraged     
fishermen are made to rejoice4  ,the    
morning of his return1 when1 after the  
rising of the morning star1 an endless  
day of blessing shall be ushered in4    
,it used to be the custom in ,scotland1 
especially in ,aberdeen1 for the night  
watchman of the city guard as he paced  
the streets to cry aloud1 ,twelve       
o'clock and the night is dark2 one      
o'clock and the storm is heavy1 and the 
restless sleeper would toss upon his    
pillow and listen for the tidings of the
 morning hour1 ,two o'clock and the     
morning is starry4  ,it is in this      
spirit that we listen to-day to the cry 

of the watchman when he declares1 ,the  
morning cometh and also the night4   ,i 
,we are in a sense in the night in these
 days1 even though we are ,christians4  
,first3 ,because of the existence of    
sin4  ,it is everywhere1 in the heart as
 a mighty principle of evil pulling us  
down as the law of gravitation pulls    
material substances toward the earth's  
center4  ,in the life as shown by our   
habits and practices1 for these are the 
fruits of sin4  ,in the very air we     
breathe sin is manifest1 and sin has    
brought the night4  ,second3 ,i         
sometimes think that the darkness is    
increasing because as ministers we fail 
to preach concerning sin4  ,we speak of 
it as an error or a mistake2 we talk    
about the devil and call him his        
,satanic majesty2 we preach about hell  
and call it the lost world1 while it is 
true that in the olden days when men    
trembled under the word of the preacher 
the man of ,god spoke of the devil and  
hell and sin in all their awfulness4    

,but the morning cometh1 for while it is
 true that sin is in the world and it   
has gripped many of us1 yet because of  
,christ's death upon the cross we are   
free from the penalty of sin2 we may be 
free from the power of sin1 for the law 
of the spirit of life in ,christ ,jesus 
sets us free from the law of sin and    
death2 we may be free from the practice 
of sin1 for ,christ is the secret of our
 deliverance4  ,but the text tells us   
that while the morning cometh the night 
also appears4  ,and so for those of us  
whose lives have been such a struggle we
 cry1 ,is there no deliverance8 and ,i  
answer1 yes1 we shall one day be free   
from the presence of sin2 and that will 
be at his return when we shall see him  
and be like him1 and the new day which  
is never to close shall be upon us4     
,third3 ,we are in the night because of 
the existence of sorrow4  ,next to sin  
this is the greatest fact in the world1 
for men are born unto trouble as the    
sparks fly upward4  ,and somehow the    

morning and the night as they are       
fastened together in this text present  
to us the story of our lives1 for we are
 first in the morning when everything   
seems peaceful1 and almost immediately  
in the night when we are really in      
despair4  ,i journeyed from ,naples to  
,rome over a fine piece of railway and  
found myself now in the darkness of a   
tunnel and almost immediately rushing   
out onto a fertile plain4  ,that        
railroad is the story of many a life4   
,but ,is there no deliverance that is   
complete8 and ,i answer1 yes1 there is a
 time coming when there shall be no sea 
and no tears and no night1 for the      
former things are passed away4  ,fourth3
 ,we are in the night because of        
mystery4  ,life is full of questions4   
,why must ,i have this trial or pain or 
trouble8  ,so many of us are asking     
these questions1 and there is really no 
answer1 at least none for the present4  
,and yet ,god has not deceived us1 for  
he has said1 ,what ,i do thou knowest   

not now but thou shalt know hereafter4  
,he tells us that when we see him we    
shall know1 but also declares that no   
one can see his face and live2 and then1
 said the sainted ,augustine1 ,let me   
die that ,i may see him4  ,it is true   
that we shall go on from light into     
darkness1 from morning into the night1  
but is there no final deliverance8  ,and
 ,i answer1 yes1 when we see him and    
become like him we shall know as we are 
known4  ,let us wait and believe until  
that day4  ,have you ever seen a perfect
 rainbow--that is1 a rainbow in a       
perfect circle8  ,i never have4  ,the   
most perfect one ,i have ever seen was  
on the plains of ,jericho1 but it was a 
half circle4  ,however1 in the          
,revelation we are told that in that day
 there shall be a rainbow round about   
the throne1 when half circles shall be  
made whole and half things shall be made
 complete2 that is the morning for which
 we long4   ,,ii  ,but there is another 
suggestion1 the morning cometh and also 

the night4  ,there is the thought of the
 transition from the one to the other4  
,we certainly have been in the night so 
far as our living is concerned and our  
working1 but now ,i feel sure there is  
coming a change and we are living in a  
critical time4  ,may ,god help us to be 
faithful4  ,all truth is like a cycle   
and at different points in the          
circumference there are truths which    
must be especially emphasized4  ,the    
late ,a4 ,j4 ,gordon once preached a    
sermon on the ,recurrence of ,doctrine1 
in which he stated that while in one day
 justification by faith was the         
prominent truth for the church1 in      
another sanctification was prominent1 in
 still another the return of the ,lord1 
and in still another the doctrine of the
 ,holy ,spirit4  ,all this ,i firmly    
believe and it only proves to me that   
the prominent truth for to-day is every 
man for his neighbor1 every friend for  
his friend1 every parent for his child1 
the individual seeking the individual   

for ,christ4  ,god is calling us to     
action2 let us not fail4  ,i have a     
friend who used to use an illustration  
of a sea captain1 his first mate and his
 wife wrecked upon a rocky shore1       
huddled together upon a rock out from   
the shore but too far for them to escape
 by throwing themselves into the waves4 
,the life-line is shot out to them and  
the captain puts it round his first mate
 and bids him jump and he is drawn to   
the shore in safety4  ,then he put the  
cord around the waist of his wife1 but  
the current is running in such a way    
that she must spring at just the proper 
second or she will be thrown back       
against the rocks and be killed4  ,and  
he shouts to her1 ,spring6 but she      
waited to kiss him and waited too long1 
sprang into the sea and was thrown back 
against the rock and drawn shoreward    
lifeless4  ,whether that story is true  
or not ,i cannot say1 but it is an      
illustration of the present day to me4  
,god is saying1 ,now is the day of      

opportunity4  ,may he pity us if we     
fail6   ,,iii  ,while all that has been 
said is true concerning the morning  of 
the ,eternal ,day1 in another sense it  
is true that already a brighter day is  
breaking4  ,first3 ,a better day for    
,bible study4  ,this old ,book which    
people have feared was going to pass    
away is better to-day than ever4  ,it is
 the object of deeper affection1 and    
there is no question but that more      
people are believing in it to-day as the
 inspired ,word of ,god than for years2 
and all because they have tested it and 
it has stood the test4  ,second3 ,a     
better day of prayer is dawning4  ,fifty
 thousand people in ,great ,britain are 
banded together to pray and to pray     
until the blessing comes if that be for 
years4  ,oh1 that ,god would teach us to
 pray6  ,we do not half understand what 
it means to ask ,god for blessings4  ,a 
story of prayer which would seem        
impossible if ,i did not know it to be  
true1 for ,i have friends who have been 

in the town where it occurred and have  
met the descendants of the old sea      
captain1 is the story of the captain who
 took his boy and others to fish and in 
the midst of the hurricane the boy was  
washed over board4  ,broken-hearted1 he 
returned to the shore and the fisher    
wife1 as was her custom1 came down to   
meet them1 only to sob her way back to  
her home because her boy was gone4 ,they
 spent the night in the kirk in prayer1 
when the minister said1 ,why not ask    
,god to restore his body8 and they did4 
,they put out to sea and journeyed sixty
 miles until he told them to stop and   
when they let over the grappling hooks  
they knew by the very tug of the rope   
that they had his body4  ,they bore it  
back again to the broken-hearted captain
 and his wife1 who had all the time been
 waiting in the kirk in prayer4  ,may   
,god teach us how to pray6  ,a brighter 
day is dawning1 and while it may be that
 some of us cannot see it1 while there  
may be skeptics who say it is not       

exactly true1 yet ,i know from what ,i  
have seen myself that the darkness is   
passing away4  ,in ,june1 #ahig1 the    
steamer ,catalonia at ten o'clock at    
night was found to be on fire4  ,one of 
my friends has told me that he paced the
 deck and considered himself lost       
because the flames were burning         
fiercely4 ,finally the fire was under   
control and the people sang1 ,praise    
,god from whom all blessings flow4      
,telling me of the lessons that he      
learned on this awful journey1 he said3 
,that night at twelve o'clock1 when the 
pumps were being forced and the clouds  
of smoke were taking on new dimensions  
and we were wondering what the morning  
would bring us1 the man on the bridge   
shouted1 as he had at each midnight of  
the trip1 ',eight bells1 all's well6'   
,had the man down in a stateroom        
watching by the side of his sick wife   
heard the words1 he might have said1    
,it's a falsehood1 but that man's vision
 was restricted by the narrow walls of  

his stateroom4  ,had the mother and     
daughter1 sitting in the cabin1 with    
their arms about each other1 wondering  
why they had been allowed to sail on the
 ,catalonia and leave their loved ones  
behind1 heard it1 they might have said1 
,the man is beside himself1 but they    
could not see beyond the cabin4  ,had   
the lonely traveler who stood near the  
hatchway given it a thought he might    
have said1 ,it's a lie1 but he could not
 see through the clouds of smoke at     
which he stared silently4 ,but the      
vision of the watch swept the horizon1  
and there was no obstruction in the     
ship's path4  ,he knew that each        
revolution of the ,catalonia's machinery
 pushed the ship on her way to          
,queenstown4  ,he had a right to say it4
  ,i somehow seem to hear the sound of  
the goings in the tops of the trees and 
have evidence that ,god is coming to his
 church with blessing4  ,it is true     
there is in some quarters indifference1 
in many places worldliness1 but ,i can  

see no insurmountable barrier in the way
 of the progress of the ,kingdom of     
,god4     ,,an ,,obscured ,,vision      
7,preached at the opening of the ,winona
 ,lake ,bible ,conference47  ,,text3    
,where there is no vision1 the people   
perish4--,proverbs #bi3ah4  ,it is not  
altogether an easy matter to secure a   
text for such an occasion as this2 not  
because the texts are so few in number  
but rather because they are so many1 for
 one has only to turn over the pages of 
the ,bible in the most casual way to    
find them facing him at every reading4  
,feeling the need of advice for such a  
time as this1 ,i asked a number of my   
friends who knew me intimately and knew 
the occasion which was before me to     
suggest what in their minds would be an 
appropriate ,scripture1 and in their    
suggestions ,i have had the most        
singular indication of the leading of   
,providence4  ,one said1 ,use ,hosea    
#e3d1 where ,god in speaking concerning 
his people ,israel says1 ',they will not

 frame their doings1' which means that  
his people would not set before         
themselves the way in which they were   
going2 or it might mean that they would 
not set up a plan for their lives which 
would be according to his will and which
 he might bring on to completion4       
,another said1 ,use ,genesis #bf3ah1    
where we are told that ,isaac digged    
again the wells of his father ,abraham4 
,this is a suggestive incident and has  
in it a message for to-day1 for if there
 is one thing needed more than another  
it is that the old wells at which our   
fathers drank and were refreshed and    
which1 alas6 in these modern times have 
been filled in1 at least to a certain   
extent1 should be opened and men be     
summoned once again to drink of their   
living waters4  ,another said1 ,use     
,jeremiah #f3af1 ',ask for the old      
paths2' for as a matter of fact we      
cannot improve upon the ways in which   
our fathers walked1 so far as the       
revelation of ,god is concerned or the  

doing of his will4  ,still another      
suggested that ,i should use ,isaiah    
#fb3aj1 ,gather out the stones1 lift up 
a standard for the people1 in which the 
description is of a great prince coming 
and all hindrances should be removed    
that the journey might be robbed of its 
difficulties and dangers4  ,you will    
notice if you have watched the          
suggestions of these ,christian workers 
that the texts are practically all the  
same1 and then when ,i tell you that the
 line of thought they have indicated was
 the very line which ,god suggested to  
me weeks and months before the          
conference you will be impressed as ,i  
have been that this subject is not of my
 own choosing1 and therefore must be a  
message from ,god4  ,neither is the text
 one of my own choosing1 for ,god       
pressed it in upon me again and again   
and from it ,i was afraid to turn away4 
,i like the text because it is in the   
book of ,proverbs4  ,this book is not   
simply a collection of wise sayings and 

affectionate exhortations1 for you will 
remember that the ,proverbs were put    
down after the event and not before its 
occurrence4  ,this being true1 ,proverbs
 presents an established fact3 here we  
find what the wise men in all the ages  
have learned to be truth4  ,if they     
speak of sin and its penalty they do it 
in the light of their own experience2 if
 they say the fear of the ,lord is the  
beginning of knowledge they mean that   
they have tried other sources of wisdom 
and all have failed but this4  ,all this
 makes the text exceedingly valuable1   
for the wise men of other days must have
 tried to walk without the vision and   
not only failed themselves but have set 
the people astray4  ,by a vision we do  
not mean simply an imagination or dream 
which might come to some person who had 
little practical understanding of the   
ways of life1 but we mean an            
appreciation of ,god's thought and      
approximate understanding of his plan   
and a desire to know his will4  ,the    

word perish1 does not mean destruction1 
but rather the idea is to run wild2 so  
the literal rendering of the text is1   
,where there is no revelation the people
 run wild--that is to say1 if ,god is   
put out of thought every man is a law   
unto himself and therefore is dangerous 
to the community in which he lives4  ,he
 is like a ship sailing for a harbor    
without chart or compass and with utter 
indifference to the pole star4          
,whatever your impressions1 convictions 
or purposes1 they should always be      
squared by reverent1 careful and        
profound study of ,god's will and word4 
,the first sentence of the ,bible is    
this1 ,in the beginning ,god1 and it    
must be the first sentence of every plan
 and of every purpose of the individual 
and the community or there is danger    
ahead4   ,i  ,there ought never to be an
 age without a vision1 indeed without   
repeated visions4  ,if there should be  
such a time it might be a time of       
prosperity1 but inevitably souls would  

be neglected4  ,there ought not to be an
 individual without a vision4  ,if there
 should be such an one he is missing the
 best of his life4  ,if there be no     
vision the horizon of man may be bounded
 by his office1 his store1 his home1 his
 own city or his native land1 while as a
 matter of fact this is only a part of  
what ,god meant him to do and to be4    
,god's plans are from everlasting to    
everlasting4  ,the wonderful work he is 
doing in this world is only a part of   
the plan1 for in the ages to come he    
expects to show forth the manysidedness 
of his grace and reveal to us the depth 
of his love to us in ,christ4  ,john    
,mc,neill's friend had an eagle which he
 had reared in the farm yard with the   
ordinary fowl that lived there4  ,this  
friend sold his property and determined 
to move to another part of ,scotland4   
,he could dispose of his horses and sell
 his chickens but no one wanted the     
eagle4  ,what should he do with it8  ,he
 determined to teach it to fly1 and     

threw it up in the air only to have it  
come down with a thud upon the ground4  
,then he lifted it and placed it upon   
the barn yard fence and was holding it  
for a moment when suddenly the eagle    
lifted its eyes and caught a glimpse of 
the sun4  ,it stretched forth its head  
as far as it could1 threw out one wing1 
then another1 and with a scream and a   
bound was away flying upward until it   
was lost in the face of the sun4  ,this 
is what we are needing to-day--namely1  
to lift up our eyes and see ,god's plan 
and try to understand his purposes4     
,the eagle so long had held its head    
down that it had lost the vision of the 
sun2 the first glimpse of it set him    
free4  ,what we mean by a vision1       
therefore1 is an appreciation of ,god's 
purposes and plans and a hearty yielding
 to him for service in the              
accomplishment of the same4  ,joseph    
,cook when he was making a plea for     
,china's millions said one day1 ,put    
your ear down to the ground and listen  

and you will hear the tramp1 tramp1     
tramp of four hundred millions of weary 
feet4  ,i have to say this morning1     
,lift up your eyes and look1 open your  
ears and listen and you will both see   
and hear that ,god has a great plan for 
us which he will reveal to all if only  
we will permit him to do so4  ,in       
proportion as a people loses its faith  
in a revelation from ,god it falls into 
decay4  ,the student of history recalls 
vividly the story of the ,french        
,revolution1 which is a proof of this   
statement4  ,god has always spoken      
concerning his plans and it has been to 
living men and women that he has granted
 visions4  ,he came to ,abraham and he  
saw ,christ's day and was glad3 he      
visited ,moses and he endured as seeing 
him who is invisible3 he was lifted up  
before ,isaiah and he first confessed   
his sin and shame1 then cried1 ,here am 
,i1 send me4 ,he granted ,saul of       
,tarsus a vision of himself as he       
approached ,damascus until he cried1    

,who art thou8 and then began to walk in
 fellowship with him until like the hero
 that he was he mounted from the        
,eternal ,city to that ,city which has  
foundations whose ,builder and ,maker is
 ,god4 ,he stood before ,john as in     
apocalyptic vision he saw him with his  
head and his hair1 white like wool1 as  
white as snow and his eyes as a flame of
 fire4  ,but if you should say1 ,oh1    
yes1 but this is in ,bible times and we 
are living in a different age1 then hear
 me when ,i say that he has come to     
living men and women in our own day with
 a revelation of his will4  ,he spoke to
 ,zinzendorf and we have a mighty work  
among the ,moravians4  ,he revealed     
himself to the ,wesleys and we have the 
mighty movement of ,methodism4  ,he     
talked with ,edwards and we have the    
great ,revival of ,new ,england4  ,he   
revealed himself to ,finney and we have 
the great manifestation of power in the 
state of ,new ,york4  ,he walked and    
talked with ,moody and we have the      

greatest evangelistic work of his day   
and generation with ,moody as his       
instrument4  ,these were all men with   
visions4  ,he has come to great         
missionaries like ,paton who saw the    
,new ,hebrides ,islands evangelized     
while yet they sat in darkness1 because 
he saw ,god4  ,he has spoken to our own 
,fulton in ,china1 who writes that the  
people are flocking to ,christ4  ,to him
 it is no surprise1 for he knew that    
they would do it while others were still
 skeptical4  ,he knew it because he knew
 ,god4  ,let us remember that1 however  
true it may be that ,god speaks in      
conscience1 providence1 through the     
church and by the preaching of his      
,word1 his supreme revelation is in his 
own ,word4  ,this ,book contains the    
revealed will of ,god and this ,book is 
his ,word4   ,,ii  ,why are we not      
having revelations to-day as we know    
they have been given at other times8    
,why is not some one in our own land    
especially working out some of the great

 plans and purposes of ,god8  ,the      
question is easily answered4  ,the      
difficulty is not with ,god4  ,he is the
 same forever4  ,we alone must be at    
fault4  ,without any spirit of harsh    
criticism and with a prayer to ,god that
 he will make my spirit as he would have
 it1 permit me to say that ,i fear the  
visions are not being given to us for   
the following reasons3  ,first3 ,because
 of the disrespect shown to his ,son4   
,we have come to a time when men seek to
 limit his knowledge1 and occasionally  
they are saying that he did not know    
concerning the things of which he spake4
 ,such blasphemy makes us shudder4      
,there is a disposition to misinterpret 
his teaching4  ,they did it in ,paul's  
day and he spoke by inspiration when he 
said1 ,if any man present another gospel
 than that which ,i have presented let  
him be accursed4  ,there is a           
disposition to rob him of his deity4    
,is ,jesus divine8 was the question     
asked not long ago of one who called    

himself a minister1 and he answered1    
,yes1 in the sense that ,buddha is      
divine or ,confucius is divine4  ,our   
faces grow white with fear as we listen 
to such blasphemous statements in such  
an age as this4  ,this helps to overcast
 the sky and ,god can hardly trust us   
with a vision in such an atmosphere4    
,second3 ,an irreverent criticism of the
 ,word of ,god4  ,that there is a       
reverent criticism all will allow1 and  
that many who are walking these paths   
are devout believers in ,god and in his 
word ,i would like to be among the first
 to acknowledge4  ,there are three kinds
 of critics to-day4  ,first3 ,those who 
honestly want the best and who are      
studying carefully and prayerfully to   
know the truth4  ,second3 ,those who ape
 scholarship4  ,third3 ,those whose     
lives may not be right1 and for them if 
any part of the ,bible could be cut away
 they would be less condemned4  ,we need
 not fear1 however2 our ,bible is not in
 danger1 for this is largely a question 

of scholarship4  ,some of you who listen
 to me may not class yourselves as      
scholars4  ,i certainly do not put      
myself in that company1 but one thing ,i
 know3 ,i have seen the ,bible work as  
no other book has ever worked1 and ,i   
have seen ,jesus ,christ save           
miraculously multitudes of poor lost    
sinners4  ,i am not disturbed for the   
future2 there are as great scholars as  
the world has ever known who still hold 
to your mother's ,bible and who have    
lost not one whit of confidence in it4  
,thomas ,newberry1 a devout ,english    
student1 spent fifty years in study to  
give the world his ,newberry ,bible4    
,he said1 ,i accept the theory of the   
plenary inspiration of the ,scriptures4 
,i have studied every 'jot and tittle'  
of the ,word of ,god and after these    
fifty years ,i see no reason for        
changing my position4  ,scholars' names 
almost without number could be mentioned
 as believing in the ,scriptures as the 
divinely inspired ,word of ,god4  ,for  

myself ,i would have great assurance in 
standing side by side with ,dr4 ,paton1 
and ,i would not think of trembling so  
long as our sainted ,dr4 ,moorehead     
walks courageously along life's journey 
as he nears its end with faith in ,god's
 ,word unshaken1 with confidence in     
,god's ,son constantly growing4  ,this  
blessed old ,book has been railed at in 
all the ages4  ,men have professed to   
overthrow it1 they have cut and slashed 
at it like ,jehoiakim of old1 but it is 
better than ever to-day4  ,it is the    
,word of ,god4  ,heaven and earth may   
pass away but this ,word1 never4  ,not  
long ago ,i attended a conference of    
,christian workers and was told by one  
of them that ,i could not appreciate the
 ,bible except ,i read it with the      
thought of literary criticism in mind4  
,my friend interpreted a portion of the 
,word of ,god for me in this way and it 
was beautiful4 ,it reminded me of       
nothing so much as a diamond perfectly  
cut1 kissed by the sunlight and throwing

 back its sparkling light to me as ,i   
gazed upon it4  ,another said that ,i   
would never be able to understand the   
,bible until ,i read it from the        
standpoint of the elocutionist in the   
best use of that expression1 and he read
 in my hearing the story of ,joseph and 
his brethren and ,i felt that ,i myself 
had never read the ,bible before and    
really had never heard it read4  ,still 
another came with his higher criticism  
and said that much of the ,bible was    
mythical1 that the stories ,i had loved 
were simply allegorical2 and ,i listened
 to him and went back to my ,bible to   
read1 only to find that you may read it 
any way1 spell it out in your youth     
letter by letter1 read it through your  
tears as you reach middle life and your 
heart is aching1 hold it against your   
heart when your eyes are too dim to read
 its pages1 and it will yield to you a  
sweetness which is actually beyond the  
power of man to describe4  ,this is a   
wonderful ,book and in this ,book ,god  

reveals himself4  ,handle it            
irreverently and you will have no       
vision4  ,third3 ,it seems to me that   
the church is not what she ought to be1 
and this being true the vision is       
denied4  ,one of my friends said the    
other day that the difficulty with the  
church is that she has lost her         
interrogation point4  ,at the day of    
,pentecost people were saying1 ,what do 
these things mean8  ,to-day they never  
think of saying it4  ,i have been told  
in a little pamphlet issued by an       
,english writer that the church has lost
 her possessive case1 which means that  
somehow she has gone on without         
realizing that the risen1 glorified     
,christ is her blessed ,lord4  ,it is a 
great thing to say ,jesus2 infinitely   
greater is it to say ,my ,jesus4  ,the  
church has lost her imperative mode4    
,in days that are past it was possible  
for the church to stand in the presence 
of evil and say1 ,in the name of        
,almighty ,god this iniquity must stop4 

,but to-day it is not possible4  ,the   
church has lost her present tense4  ,we 
are constantly looking for blessings in 
the future4 ,god's promises are all     
written for the present4  ,it is to the 
church on fire that ,god grants a       
vision4  ,fourth3 ,some of the          
difficulty must rest with us as         
ministers of the ,gospel4  ,i fear that 
some of us have lost our message4  ,it  
has loosened its grip upon us1 and you  
never can move another man until you are
 first moved yourself by the message you
 would give to him4  ,at a great        
gathering not long ago ,i heard a       
distinguished ,eastern professor        
speaking4  ,the topic of his lecture was
 ,my ,foster ,children1 and these foster
 children were some animals which he had
 had as pets1 whose habits he had       
carefully studied4  ,one was a ,gila    
monster from the plains of ,arizona1    
another was a horned owl1 the third was 
a rat1 and the fourth was an opossum4   
,if you can imagine more uninteresting  

subjects than these you are more        
imaginative than myself1 and yet he     
thrilled me and held three thousand     
people in breathless interest4  ,oh1 my 
brethren1 if ,i believe in ,jesus       
,christ as the ,son of ,god and as a    
,savior able not only to save to the    
uttermost but to keep through eternity1 
and that message grips me1 ,i am a poor 
preacher if ,i fail with it to grip and 
move other men4  ,i fear we have lost   
our boldness4 ,i am a minister of the   
glorious ,gospel of the grace of ,god   
and ,i have a right to demand a hearing 
and to give my message1 not because of  
what ,i am myself--,god forbid--but     
because of what my ,savior is4  ,some of
 us have lost our passion for souls2 we 
mourn over it1 we know that when we once
 had this it was the secret of a        
successful ministry4  ,it is not wrong  
for me to say to you this morning that  
to the minister without a message1 to   
the minister who has lost his holy      
boldness1 to the minister who has       

anything less than a burning passion for
 souls1 ,god cannot give his vision4    
,,iii  ,i know that ,i have your deepest
 sympathy in the longing which ,i now   
express for this great                  
gathering--namely1 that ,god would give 
to us a vision4  ,first3 ,as to what the
 ,bible really is4  ,one of my friends  
told me the other day of a blind girl   
who could not read because she had been 
too busy and somehow had not thought    
that she could use the raised letters   
which have been such a boon to ,god's   
blind children4  ,i am told she learned 
that she might read while on these      
grounds last summer4  ,it was made      
possible later on for her to have a     
teacher and she began to study little   
books until she could read quite        
fluently4  ,one day unknown to her there
 was brought into her home a ,bible with
 raised letters and without telling what
 the book was it was opened at the      
fourteenth chapter of ,john and she was 
bidden to read in it4  ,she had no      

sooner touched the page1 her fingers    
enabling her to read1 ,let not your     
heart be troubled1 ye believe in ,god1  
believe also in me1 than with radiant   
face she exclaimed1 ,why this is ,god's 
,word2 the very touch of it is          
different4  ,i would that we might have 
this vision4  ,second3 ,i wish that we  
might have a vision of ,christ4  ,he is 
the chiefest among ten thousand1 and the
 one altogether lovely4  ,he is a mighty
 ,savior and a mighty helper4  ,i cannot
 bring him a burden too great1 nor talk 
to him about a trial too insignificant4 
,oh1 that we might see him as he is6    
,and finally1 ,i wish that we might know
 what service is1 for knowing this we   
would be instant in season and out of   
season4  ,some years ago ,fannie        
,crosby1 the blind hymn writer1 was     
speaking in one of the missions in ,new 
,york ,city4  ,suddenly she stopped and 
said1 ,i wonder if there is not some    
wandering boy in this audience this     
evening who would have the courage to   

step out from this audience and come up 
and stand by my side so that ,i might   
put my arms around him and kiss him for 
his mother8  ,there was a hush upon the 
audience2 then a boy from the rear seat 
started and came to the platform1 and   
with her arms around about him and her  
lips against his cheek for his mother's 
sake1 ,fannie ,crosby said1 ,oh1 my     
friends1 let us rescue the perishing4   
,from this meeting she went to her home1
 and sitting in her room wrote3         
,rescue the perishing1       ,care for  
the dying1   ,snatch them in pity from  
sin and the grave1       ,weep o'er the 
erring one1       ,lift up the fallen1  
,tell them of ,jesus1 the ,mighty to    
save4   ,years afterward she spoke in   
,st4 ,louis at a great meeting and      
related this incident4  ,before she had 
finished a man in the audience sprang to
 his feet and said1 ,miss ,crosby1      
listen to me4  ,i am a prosperous       
merchant in this city1 a husband and a  
father1 a ,christian and an officer in  

the church4  ,i was that boy around whom
 you threw your arms4  ,such an         
experience as that is worth a lifetime  
of service4  ,i wish to put myself on   
record4  ,i know that many of you are   
with me4  ,i stand for nothing in these 
days that would in the least obscure    
men's vision of the power of ,god1 or   
their vision of the glorious majesty of 
the ,son of ,god1 and ,i count nothing  
worth while except to do that thing     
which would mean the winning of a soul  
to ,jesus ,christ4  ,i believe ,god is  
giving to some men in these days a      
vision as to what may be accomplished if
 only a mighty work of grace should be  
given to us4  ,he certainly is ready to 
pour out his ,spirit upon his own       
people1 and it is only necessary that we
 should first of all realize our        
weakness1 then understand his power1    
realize that souls are lost and dying   
and then know that he is able to save to
 the uttermost2 and above all to realize
 that in all ages he has used human     

instruments for the accomplishment of   
his purposes1 and realizing these things
 to see that our lives are right in his 
sight1 to have such a victory for ,god  
as the world has never seen4  ,for this 
day we hope and pray and cry aloud1 ,o  
,lord1 how long1 how long8     ,,the    
,,compassion ,,of ,,jesus  ,,text3 ,but 
when he saw the multitudes1 he was moved
 with compassion4--,matt4 #i3cf4  ,the  
keynote of the earthly ministry of      
,jesus ,christ was compassion4 ,you have
 but to follow him in his journeys by   
day and by night to find the proof of   
this statement4  ,whether he ministers  
to the sick of the palsy1 turns aside to
 help the father whose child is dead1   
heals the woman with the issue of blood1
 drives away the leprosy from the man   
dead by law1 stops to open the eyes of  
the blind man by the wayside1 helps the 
beggar or wins the member of the        
,sanhedrim1 he is always the same4  ,if 
you journey with him in the morning on  
the shores of the ,sea of ,galilee1 or  

at noon rest with him as he sits on the 
well curb of ,jacob's well2 it you stop 
with him in the evening as he bares his 
side and thrusts forth his hand to the  
doubting ,thomas1 or behold him as he is
 roused from his sleep in the boat to   
quiet the storm2 if you study him on the
 mountain side at midnight or behold him
 in the garden of ,gethsemane when no   
one beholds his agony but the eye of his
 ,father--you will learn that he was    
always compassionate4  ,you cannot      
discover him under any circumstances    
when this statement is not true of him4 
,this ninth chapter of ,matthew is      
indeed remarkable4  ,it can be          
appreciated only when we read the       
closing part of the eighth chapter1 for 
it is here that the people1 angry       
because of the destruction of the swine1
 besought him to leave their country2   
and it is here we see him taking his    
departure4  ,men have since that time   
driven him from their hearts and their  
homes for reasons quite as trifling4    

,it is a sad thing to know that any one 
can drive him away if he chooses to do  
so4  ,the chapter is remarkable1        
however1 because here we not only read  
the story of the calling of ,matthew    
from his position of influence1 but find
 more specific cases of healing than in 
most other chapters of the ,new         
,testament4  ,there is the healing of   
the sick of the palsy in the second     
verse1 the significant part of which is 
he was healed when ,jesus saw their     
faith2 the picture of the father whose  
child was dead and then raised by him1  
in the eighteenth verse and the         
twenty-fifth verse2 the account of the  
woman with the issue of blood1 in the   
twentieth verse1 and the picture of     
discouragement when all earthly         
physicians had failed changed into great
 joy when the virtue of the great       
physician healed her3 the account of the
 dumb man1 in the thirty-second verse1  
who was possessed of a devil as well2   
and then in the thirty-fifth verse a    

general statement concerning him to the 
effect that he healed all manner of     
diseases4  ,the chapter is also         
remarkable because these cases presented
 to ,jesus were of the very worst sort4 
,the man with the palsy could not come  
himself1 however much he wanted to do   
so1 and four men were required to bring 
him2 the child was dead and so beyond   
all human help2 the two blind men were  
undoubtedly beggars and outcasts2 the   
dumb man was possessed of a devil in    
addition to his dumbness2 the group of  
people who were subjects of his healing 
power had every manner of disease1 but  
while the people were different and the 
cases were desperate1 ,jesus was always 
the same4  ,there were six specific     
illustrations of healing3 three of these
 came to ,jesus for themselves1 the two 
blind men and the woman2 two others were
 brought to him1 the man sick with the  
palsy and the man who was dumb2 and for 
the other case the father came and took 
,jesus to the child4  ,in all the       

general cases ,jesus went himself to the
 suffering4  ,when all these subjects   
have been presented then comes the text1
 which is its own outline4  ,there is   
first the picture of the multitudes1 a  
great number of people4  ,then the      
statement that they had fainted2        
literally it is1 they were tired4  ,then
 they were described as sheep1 the only 
animal known which in its wandering     
cannot find its way home of itself4     
,and finally it was stated that they had
 no shepherd1 the responsibility for    
their wandering resting upon others     
rather than upon themselves4  ,this is  
the outline of this message4   ,i  ,the 
picture which ,jesus beheld as he walked
 through his own country is repeated    
to-day on every side of us1 and he is   
still moved with compassion because of  
those who are helpless and undone4  ,it 
is true we have done something for him4 
,the last census shows that the         
membership of the ,protestant churches  
has increased more rapidly than the     

population4  ,for this we should be     
thankful4  ,it is also true that the    
church machinery of the day is well nigh
 perfect3 the buildings and equipment   
with which we have to do have never been
 excelled4  ,yet1 counting the          
membership of both the ,catholic and    
,protestant churches1 there are forty   
million people to-day in our land who   
are not in the church and who evidently 
do not care for the church4  ,with these
 people there seems to be a growing     
indifference to everything that is      
spiritual4  ,a man in an apartment house
 in ,new ,york1 when asked the other day
 to do something for a poor family for  
the sake of ,god1 answered              
blasphemously1 ,i do not care for the   
opinion of men1 ,i do not even care for 
,god himself2 ,i am for myself first1   
last and all the time4 ,as we walk the  
streets we ought to be impressed with   
the fact that men on every side of us   
are lost in the proportion of one to    
four4  ,as we sit in a car we ought to  

be impressed with the fact that one in  
four have rejected ,christ and are      
hopeless4  ,in every city it is         
literally true that there are thousands 
of unchurched people without ,god and   
without hope in the world4  ,of them the
 text would be true4  ,but when he saw  
the multitudes he was moved with        
compassion4   ,,ii  ,when ,jesus saw    
these multitudes he saw them fainting or
 literally growing tired1 and this is   
the picture of lost people to-day4  ,i  
am persuaded that they are tired of many
 things which follow in the wake of sin4
  #a4 ,they must be weary of the        
hollowness of the world1 for it cannot  
satisfy4  ,i one day talked with a woman
 in ,massachusetts whose opportunity to 
mingle with the so-called best people of
 the world had been unexcelled4  ,she   
had been a chosen and welcomed guest in 
the homes of royalty and knew intimately
 every ,president of the ,united ,states
 since she had grown to womanhood4      
,after her conversion ,i asked her if   

the life of the world had satisfied2 her
 answer was1 ,it is hollowness and sham 
almost from beginning to end4  #b4 ,the 
unchurched people must be weary of an   
accusing conscience4 ,there is no unrest
 like it4  ,the man who sees the folly  
of his conduct and whose conscience will
 not let him sleep1 the man who realizes
 the blighting power of sin and yet     
seems powerless to heed the call of     
conscience1 is in a pitiful condition4  
,and ,i know of the future judgment1    
,how dreadful so'er it may be1   ,that  
to sit alone with my conscience         
,would be judgment enough for me4   #c4 
,they must be tired of the world's      
sorrow1 for it is on every side4 ,we are
 born unto trouble as the sparks fly    
upward and ,i cannot but think that in  
all parts of our cities to-day the      
people away from ,christ are saying1    
,oh1 that ,i knew where peace might be  
found4  #d4 ,i know they are tired of   
the slavery of ,satan4  ,a man formerly 
prominent in social and political       

circles1 the cashier of a bank1 when he 
found that he was a defaulter took his  
own life and left a letter for his wife 
in which he said1 ,oh1 if some one had  
only spoken to me when ,i so much needed
 help all this might have been          
different4   ,,iii  ,in the ,old        
,testament and ,new1 ,god's people are  
represented by the figure of sheep4     
,especially it seems to me this must be 
a good figure1 because sheep when       
wandering find it impossible to seek    
again for themselves their home1 and in 
their helplessness they fittingly       
represent the one who wanders away from 
,god4  ,there are so many people to-day 
who are trying to find their way back   
without ,christ4  ,they are like        
wandering sheep4  ,there are so many who
 are seeking to climb up some other way 
into the favor of ,god4  ,these are on  
every side of us1 and the time has come 
for us to present unto them ,jesus      
,christ the ,savior of the world4   ,,iv
  ,these people that ,jesus saw were    

shepherdless4  ,the responsibility for  
their wandering therefore rested not so 
much upon themselves as upon the fact   
that the one who should have cared for  
them was not doing so4 ,we are our      
brother's keeper1 whether we are willing
 to acknowledge it or not4  ,in meetings
 in ,california one of the ministers    
went forth during the week to invite    
those who were away from ,christ to come
 to him4  ,he found an old white-haired 
soldier who said1 ,when ,i was in the   
army years ago ,i promised ,god that ,i 
would be a ,christian4  ,i have never   
kept my word4  ,yes1 ,i will come to him
 now4  ,and when he came his wife and   
children came with him4  ,all these     
years1 he said1 ,i have waited for some 
one to ask me4  ,he called upon another 
man who had been impressed in the       
meetings and this man acknowledged that 
he had long felt his need of help1 that 
he had prayed the night before1 ,o ,god1
 if you want me to come to thee send    
some one to speak to me4  ,when the     

minister came the man trembled when he  
said1 ,you must be the messenger of ,god
 for whom ,i have been waiting1 and he  
came beautifully to ,christ4  ,on every 
side of us people are waiting as sheep  
without a shepherd for us simply to do  
our duty4   ,v  ,the result of this     
vision which ,jesus had was that he did 
an unusual thing4  ,in the tenth chapter
 and the first verse we read1 ,and when 
he had called unto him his twelve       
disciples he gave them power against    
unclean spirits1 to cast them out1 and  
to heal all manner of sickness and all  
manner of disease4  ,which leads me to  
say that we must have the same spirit4  
,our present day church methods reach   
not more than one-fourth the unsaved and
 many of these come from the ranks of   
our ,sunday schools and from ,christian 
homes where for one reason or another   
they have not made a profession of their
 faith in ,christ4 ,three-fourths of the
 lost are left to wander farther and    
farther away simply because they will   

not yield to our present day church     
methods4 ,this is not as ,jesus would   
have it4  ,in the twenty-first chapter  
of ,john the fifth and sixth verses we  
read1 ,then ,jesus saith unto them1     
,children1 have ye any meat8  ,they     
answered him1 ,no4  ,and he said unto   
them1 ,cast the net on the right side of
 the ship1 and ye shall find4  ,they    
cast therefore1 and now they were not   
able to draw it for the multitudes of   
fishes4  ,although these disciples had  
toiled and taken nothing the results    
were all changed when they cast their   
net on the right side of the boat4  ,may
 it not be that we have been fishing on 
the wrong side or fishing in our own    
strength1 or1 as some one has said1     
fishing in too shallow water1 when we   
should have been casting our nets in the
 deep8  ,the fact is1 we need him and   
without him we can do nothing4  ,i have 
been told that of the forty distinct    
cases of healing in the ,new ,testament 
only six came to ,jesus by themselves4  

,twenty were brought to ,jesus and to   
the fourteen others ,jesus was taken4   
,i doubt not that the proportion is the 
same to-day1 and if it is true then our 
methods of work must be changed and     
instead of praying for them to seek     
,jesus we must either take them to      
,jesus or bring the ,master into their  
company4 ,there can be no successful    
winning of the multitudes until the     
personal element enters into it all4    
#a4 ,there must be prayer4  ,when ,jacob
 went forth to meet ,esau he walked with
 fear and trembling1 but in ,genesis    
thirty-second chapter and twenty-eighth 
verse we read1 ,and he said1 ,thy name  
shall be called no more ,jacob1 but     
,israel1 for as a prince hast thou power
 with ,god and with men1 and hast       
prevailed1 so that long before ,esau was
 met victory was won4  ,there must be no
 attempt to win the lost without first  
of all we have gained an audience with  
,god in prayer1 and if we pray as we    
ought to pray he will give us the       

assurance of victory before we start    
upon our mission4  #b4 ,there must be   
personal contact4  ,it is said that a   
man recently went into a jewelry store  
to buy an opal and rejected all that    
were presented to him4  ,one of them he 
rejected instantly4  ,the salesman      
picked it up and closed it in his hand  
and finally in a casual way opened his  
hand and placed the opal upon the       
counter4  ,why1 said the customer1 that 
is the opal ,i want4  ,i have never seen
 anything finer1 and yet he had rejected
 it first4  ,the salesman told him that 
it was a sensitive opal and needed the  
touch of a human hand before it could   
reveal its beauty4  ,oh1 how many souls 
there are like this in the world6  ,i   
have read that when ,robert ,louis      
,stevenson visited the island of the    
lepers where ,father ,damien did his    
illustrious work he played croquet with 
the children1 using the same mallets    
that they used2 and when it was         
suggested that he put gloves upon his   

hands he refused to do so because1 he   
said1 it will remind them the more of   
the difference between us4  ,this spirit
 must prevail in our work if we are to  
win souls4  ,two things we may do to    
reach the lost4  7#a7 ,speak to them4   
,the power of human speech is simply    
marvelous4  ,a ,sunday school boy       
appeared in a ,baptist ,church to apply 
for membership and when they asked him  
about his conversion he said1 ,my       
,sunday school teacher took me for a    
walk one ,sunday in ,prospect ,park and 
talked with me about ,jesus and ,i gave 
myself to him4  ,one of the officers of 
my church when an unsaved man was asked 
by his minister to attend special       
services in the church and then was     
urged by his wife to go with her4 ,both 
invitations were angrily declined4  ,he 
at last agreed to escort her to the     
church but not to enter in4  ,the biting
 cold wind of the night drove him into  
the church and he was just in time to   
hear the minister's appeal to the       

unsaved4  ,all were asked to lift their 
hands who would know ,christ and then he
 remembered that when he was a boy and  
had been drowning in ,lake ,george he   
lifted up his hand as high as he could  
and his brother took hold of it and kept
 him from sinking4 ,suddenly it came to 
him in the church that he was sinking in
 another way1 and instantly he raised   
his hand and ,christ took hold of it4   
,i do not know of a more godly man among
 all my list of friends than he2 and he 
says to-day that the invitation given to
 him and refused with anger led him to  
,christ4  7#b7 ,write4  ,the chief      
justice of the supreme court of a       
western state was not a ,christian until
 a few years ago4  ,he was a genial1    
kindly man1 and naturally a great       
lawyer1 but he had never confessed      
,christ as his ,savior1 and apparently  
had little real interest in the church4 
,one day the pastor of the ,presbyterian
 church determined that he would write  
him a letter1 and then decided that so  

great a man would not receive his       
communication and destroyed it4  ,but   
the pastor's wife had more faith and    
urged him to write again4  ,he did so1  
and sent the second letter and forwarded
 with it ,spurgeon's ,all of ,grace4    
,he received word almost instantly that 
the chief justice had been deeply       
impressed1 and that as a matter of fact 
he was waiting for years for some one to
 speak to him4  ,the letter moved him   
and the little book gave him the        
instructions needed4  ,to-day he is one 
of the brightest ,christians ,i know4   
,his face is a benediction4  ,he said to
 me one day that it was a wonderful     
thing to be a ,christian2 that he never 
allowed any one to meet him that he did 
not talk with him about his soul4  ,are 
there not hundreds and thousands of     
other men waiting1 as the chief justice 
waited1 for some one to speak or write8 
#c4 ,there must be a personal           
consecration not only to ,christ but to 
the work if we would be successful4     

,the biography of ,helen ,kellar        
,transcriber's note3 ,keller81 who was  
released from her imprisonment by the   
devotion of her teacher1 is an          
illustration along this line4 ,this     
teacher must go to this girl sitting in 
darkness and describe to her the        
commonest objects of every-day life4    
,she told her about water1 heat and cold
 and when something hurt her she told   
her with the language of touch that she 
loved her and ,helen ,kellar            
,transcriber's note3 ,keller8 answered  
back1 ,i love you1 too4  ,the devotion  
of this teacher brought this noble soul 
to light and power4  ,a work like this  
awaits many of us in bringing the lost  
to ,christ4  ,when ,elisha went down to 
raise the ,shunammite's boy he put his  
eyes to the eyes of the boy1 his hands  
to the boy's hands and his mouth to his 
mouth4  ,something like this we must do4
  ,we have friends who possess eyes and 
see not1 we must have eyes for them2    
they have lips and speak not1 we must   

speak to ,god for them2 they have hands 
and reach them not out after ,god1 and  
we must have faith for them4  ,in other 
words1 we must not let them go away from
 ,christ4  ,such a spirit as this       
pleases ,god and such a spirit saves our
 friends4  ,a friend told me that with  
the ship's surgeon of a vessel he once  
crossed the sea4  ,he said the doctor   
told him that one day a boy fell        
overboard and was rescued but the case  
seemed hopeless4  ,the ship's surgeon   
casually passing along the deck said to 
those who labored with him1 ,i think you
 can do nothing more2 you have done all 
that is possible1 and then curiosity led
 him to look at the boy for himself4    
,instantly his whole spirit was changed4
  ,he blew into his nostrils1 breathed  
into his mouth1 begged ,god to spare    
him1 labored for four hours with him    
before he could bring him back to life1 
for the boy was his own boy4  ,what if  
we should not have this spirit with the 
lost6    ,if grief in ,heaven could find

 a place1     ,or shame the worshiper   
bow down1   ,who meets the ,savior face 
to face1     ',twould be to wear a      
starless crown4   ,but on the other     
hand1 what if we should simply be       
faithful8  ,then may the following be   
true of us3    ,perhaps in ,heaven1 some
 day1 to me     ,some sainted one shall 
come and say1   ,all hail1 beloved1 but 
for thee     ,my soul to death had      
fallen a prey4   ,and1 oh1 the rapture  
of the thought1     ,one soul to glory  
to have brought4   ,general ,booth of   
the ,salvation ,army describes a vessel 
making its way home from the ,australian
 gold fields4  ,the miners had struggled
 to get rich and at last every man had  
around about him his belt of gold4  ,the
 ship lost her way in the ocean and1 set
 out of her course1 suddenly crashed    
upon the rocks of an island near by4    
,almost instantly she sank4  ,as one    
miner stood looking at the shore he knew
 that he was strong enough as a swimmer 
to save his gold and save his own life2 

but as he was about to throw himself    
into the sea a little girl whose mother 
and father had been washed overboard    
came over to him to say1 ,oh1 sir1 can  
you not save me8  ,it was then a choice 
between the child and the gold4  ,the   
struggle was terrific but at last the   
gold was thrown aside1 the child        
fastened to his body and he struggled   
through the waves until he fell         
exhausted and fainting upon the shore4  
,the great ,salvation ,army officer says
 that when this strong man came to      
himself the little child was by his     
side4  ,throwing her arms about his neck
 she exclaimed with sobs1 ,oh1 sir1 ,i  
am so glad you saved me4 ,that was worth
 more to him than the gold1 said        
,general ,booth4  ,and if in heaven some
 day upon the streets of gold we shall  
meet just one redeemed soul who was once
 lost and in the darkness1 and we know  
that that one soul is there because we  
were true1 the streets of gold will be  
better1 the gates of pearl will be      

brighter1 the many mansions more        
beautiful1 the music sweeter1 and1 if   
such a thing were possible1 the vision  
of ,christ more entrancing4  ,certainly 
it would be thrilling to hear him say to
 us1 ,inasmuch as ye did it unto these  
little ones ye did it unto me4          
,,sanctification  ,,text3 ,this is the  
will of ,god1 even your                 
sanctification4--#a ,thess4 #d3c4  ,it  
is quite significant that the ,apostle  
,paul writes explicitly concerning      
sanctification to a church in which he  
had such delight that he could write as 
follows3  ,paul1 and ,silvanus1 and     
,timotheus1 unto the ,church of the     
,thessalonians in ,god our ,father and  
the ,lord ,jesus ,christ3 ,grace be unto
 you1 and peace1 from ,god our ,father1 
and the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,we are   
bound to thank ,god always for you1     
brethren1 as it is meet1 because that   
your faith groweth exceedingly1 and the 
charity of every one of you all toward  
each other aboundeth2 so that we        

ourselves glory in you in the churches  
of ,god for your patience and faith in  
all your persecutions and tribulations  
that ye endure3 which is a manifest     
token of the righteous judgment of ,god1
 that ye may be counted worthy of the   
kingdom of ,god1 for which ye also      
suffer3 seeing it is a righteous thing  
with ,god to recompense tribulation to  
them that trouble you2 and to you who   
are troubled rest with us2 when the     
,lord ,jesus shall be revealed from     
heaven with his mighty angels4  ,in     
flaming fire taking vengeance on them   
that know not ,god1 and that obey not   
the gospel of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ3 
who shall be punished with ever-lasting 
destruction from the presence of the    
,lord1 and from the glory of his power2 
when he shall come to be glorified in   
his saints1 and to be admired in all    
them that believe 7because our testimony
 among you was believed7 in that day 7#b
 ,thessalonians #a3a-aj74  ,no higher   
commendation than this could be paid to 

any followers of the ,lord ,jesus       
,christ1 and yet unto such a people we  
find him saying1 ,this is the will of   
,god1 even your sanctification4  ,it    
reminds us of that other scene in the   
,new ,testament when ,nicodemus comes to
 ,jesus by night4  ,he was a member of  
the ,sanhedrim1 he was in the truest    
sense of the word a moral man1 and yet  
,jesus1 knowing all this1 deliberately  
looked into his face and said with      
emphasis1 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto  
thee1 ,except a man be born of water and
 of the ,spirit he cannot enter into the
 kingdom of ,god4  ,that which is born  
of the flesh is flesh2 and that which is
 born of the ,spirit is spirit4 ,marvel 
not that ,i said unto thee1 ,ye must be 
born again 7,john #c3e-g74  ,both of    
these statements lead us to believe that
 ,god's requirements for his people are 
very high4  ,these we may not attain    
unto at all in our own strength or the  
energy of our flesh or because of any   
inherited righteousness which we may    

possess4  ,there is no way to reach his 
standard except by complete identity    
with ,christ2 and this is made possible 
by means of faith4  ,to know the will of
 ,god concerning anything is a great    
satisfaction4 ,it is like food to our   
souls if we can say with ,jesus1 ,my    
meat is to do ,god's will4  ,it is an   
indescribable pleasure if we can say    
with the ,son of ,god1 ,i delight to do 
thy will4  ,it is the key to the highest
 form of knowledge1 for we have found it
 true that he that doeth the will of    
,god shall know of the doctrine4  ,it is
 the promise of eternal life1 for we are
 told in ,god's ,word1 ,he that doeth   
the will of ,god abideth forever4       
,there is possibly no place where ,god's
 will for us is more clearly stated than
 in this text4  ,sometimes we may know  
his will by praying4  ,how often        
revelations have come thus to us as if  
from the very skies concerning his      
desires for us6  ,we may know it        
sometimes by thinking4  ,if one would   

but yield his mind perfectly to ,god in 
his providences as well as in his word  
he would know ,god's will concerning    
him4  ,we may know it sometimes by      
talking to others1 for not infrequently 
,god gives a revelation to one child of 
his for the guidance of another's life4 
,but in this connection it is most      
definitely stated1 ,this is the will of 
,god1 even your sanctification4 ,and the
 ,apostle emphasizes his words1  ,first3
 ,by the use of the most affectionate   
expression1 ,furthermore then we beseech
 you1 brethren1 and exhort you by the   
,lord ,jesus1 that as ye have received  
of us how ye ought to walk and to please
 ,god1 so ye would abound more and more 
7#a ,thessalonians #d3a74  ,second3 ,he 
speaks on the authority of ,jesus       
himself4  ,for ye know what commandments
 we gave you by the ,lord ,jesus 7#a    
,thessalonians #d3b74  ,third3 ,he      
emphasizes it by referring to the second
 coming of our ,lord1 for he well knew  
that if one was looking for the         

appearing of the ,son of ,god he would  
turn away from fleshly lusts and abstain
 from that which was unclean1 thus      
encouraging the work of sanctification4 
,the ,apostle ,paul says to the         
,thessalonians after he has clearly set 
before them ,god's will concerning their
 living1 ,but ,i would not have you to  
be ignorant1 brethren1 concerning them  
which are asleep1 that ye sorrow not1   
even as others which have no hope4  ,for
 if we believe that ,jesus died and rose
 again1 even so them also which sleep in
 ,jesus will ,god bring with him4  ,for 
this we say unto you by the word of the 
,lord1 that we which are alive and      
remain unto the coming of the ,lord     
shall not prevent them which are asleep4
  ,for the ,lord himself shall descend  
from heaven with a shout with the voice 
of the archangel1 and with the trump of 
,god3 and the dead in ,christ shall rise
 first3 then we which are alive and     
remain shall be caught up together with 
them in the clouds1 to meet the ,lord in

 the air3 and so shall we ever be with  
the ,lord4 ,wherefore comfort one       
another with these words 7#a            
,thessalonians #d3ac-ad74  ,it was not  
enough for them1 in his judgment1 to    
abide in the faith2 they must abound in 
the works of the ,gospel4  ,to talk well
 without walking well is not pleasing to
 ,god1 for the character of the         
,christian is thus described1 ,he walks 
not after the flesh but after the       
,spirit4  ,the presentation of this     
subject impresses upon us the fact that 
we have lost many of the best words in  
the ,bible because they have been       
misused and their teaching              
misapprehended4  ,if you speak of       
holiness men look askance at you1 and   
yet holiness is simply wholeness or     
healthfulness and is to the soul what   
health is to the body4  ,who1 then1     
would be without it8  ,if you speak of  
sanctification immediately your hearers 
imagine you are talking concerning      
sinlessness1 and yet there is no better 

word in the ,scriptures than            
sanctification1 for in one way it means 
separation from sin1 in another way it  
means an increasing likeness to ,christ4
  ,there are six particular effects of  
faith4  ,first3 ,there is union with    
,christ4  ,it is true that we were      
chosen in him before the foundation of  
the world and that we are an elect      
people1 but it is also true that we are 
by nature the children of wrath and it  
is necessary that we should make a      
deliberate choice of him as a ,savior4  
,when by faith we have taken ,christ as 
a ,savior we are united to him4  ,faith 
is counting that which seems unreal as  
real1 as untrue as true and that which  
seems not to exist as if it existed4    
,faith unites us to him4  ,without him  
we are as nothing4  ,second3            
,justification4  ,there is therefore now
 no condemnation to them which are in   
,christ ,jesus1 who walk not after the  
flesh1 but after the ,spirit 7,romans   
#h3a74  ,he that believeth on him is not

 condemned2 but he that believeth not is
 condemned already1 because he hath not 
believed in the name of the only        
begotten ,son of ,god 7,john #c3ah74    
,as we believe in ,christ we are clothed
 with his righteousness4  ,whether we   
can explain it or not1 this             
righteousness answers every demand of   
,god's justice4  ,thus it is that       
,romans the eighth chapter the          
thirty-third and the thirty-fourth      
verses becomes true for us4  ,let it be 
noticed1 however1 that in both of these 
verses the two words1 it1 and is are in 
italics1 which would indicate that they 
were not in the original4  ,concerning  
those who are justified1 therefore1 the 
verses would read as follows3 ,who shall
 lay anything to the charge of ,god's   
elect4  ,the rest of the verse is a     
question1 ,god that justifieth8 ,the    
thirty-fourth verse reads1 ,who is he   
that condemneth8 and the answer is a    
question1 ,christ that died1 yea rather 
that is risen again1 who is even at the 

right hand of ,god who also maketh      
intercession for us8 and ,paul here     
simply means to say that if ,god can lay
 nothing to our charge and ,christ would
 not condemn us then we are free1 and   
justification at least to the layman    
carries with it this thought3  #a4 ,the 
justified man stands as if he had not   
sinned at all4  ,his record is clean4   
#b4 ,the debt which sin had incurred is 
paid and instead of being afraid and    
trembling at the thought of sin we sing 
with rejoicing1 ,jesus paid it all1 all 
to him ,i owe4  ,third3 ,participation  
of his life4  ,paul writes to the       
,galatians1 ,i live1 and yet not ,i1 but
 ,christ liveth in me4  ,and in the     
fifteenth chapter of ,john the first six
 verses we read1 ,i am the true vine1   
and my ,father is the husbandman4       
,every branch in me that beareth not    
fruit he taketh away2 and every branch  
that beareth fruit1 he purgeth it1 that 
it may bring forth more fruit4  ,now ye 
are clean through the word which ,i have

 spoken unto you4  ,abide in me1 and ,i 
in you4  ,as the branch cannot bear     
fruit of itself1 except it abide in the 
vine2 no more can ye1 except ye abide in
 me4  ,i am the vine1 ye are the        
branches3 he that abideth in me1 and ,i 
in him1 the same bringeth forth much    
fruit3 for without me ye can do nothing4
  ,if a man abide not in me1 he is cast 
forth as a branch1 and is withered2 and 
men gather them1 and cast them into the 
fire1 and they are burned4  ,so faith   
unites us to him and his life becomes a 
very part of our being4  7a7 ,it is like
 the principle of grafting4  ,when the  
branch is grafted into the tree the life
 of the tree throbs its way into the    
branch and ultimately there is          
fruitfulness4  ,if we only could sustain
 the right relations to ,christ we would
 have the cure for worldliness4  7b7    
,because of this participation and      
privilege we need not be concerned4  ,i 
have heard of a man who grafted a branch
 into a tree and then went each day to  

take the graft out to see what progress 
it had made1 and the branch died4  7c7  
,our life need not be intermittent--that
 is1 hot to-day and cold to-morrow--but 
it may be all the time an abundant life2
 not because of what we are but because 
of what ,christ is4  ,fourth3 ,peace4   
,romans #e3a1 ,therefore being justified
 by faith1 we have peace with ,god      
through our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4  ,and 
peace arises from a sense of            
reconciliation4  ,if faith is strong1   
then peace is abundant2 if it is fitful 
peace partakes of the same character4   
,that man who has faith in ,jesus       
,christ as a personal ,savior has the   
following threefold blessing--first1    
,peace with ,god2 second1 ,the ,peace of
 ,god2 third1 ,the ,god of ,peace4      
,fifth3 ,sanctification4  ,acts #bf3ah1 
,to open their eyes and to turn them    
from darkness to light1 and from the    
power of ,satan unto ,god1 that they may
 receive forgiveness of sins1 and       
inheritance among them which are        

sanctified by faith that is in me4  ,of 
this we shall speak more at length a    
little later4  ,sixth3 ,assurance4      
,this is plainly written in ,god's word4
  ,notice ,john #c3af1 ,for ,god so     
loved the world1 that he gave his only  
begotten ,son1 that whosoever believeth 
in him should not perish but have       
everlasting life4  ,and ,john #e3bd1    
,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 ,he   
that heareth my word1 and believeth on  
him that sent me1 hath everlasting life1
 and shall not come into condemnation3  
but is passed from death unto life4 ,the
 entire first ,epistle of ,john also    
emphasizes the same truth4   ,i         
,sanctification is therefore entirely by
 faith4  ,first3 ,by faith we receive   
the indwelling of the ,spirit and he    
makes ,christ real to us4  ,because     
,christ is real by faith we may walk    
with him2 and that man who keeps step   
with ,jesus ,christ will find that he   
has come day by day to turn away from   
those things which were formerly his    

defeat4  ,we may also talk with him4    
,that hymn which we sometimes sing1     
,a little talk with ,jesus1     ,how it 
smooths the rugged way1  has been true  
in the experience of many of us4  ,we   
may also be so constantly associated    
with him that we may find ourselves     
actually like him2 and to grow like     
,christ by the power of the ,spirit is  
to have the work of ,sanctification     
carried on4  ,second3 ,by faith         
exercised in ,god the ,spirit continues 
his work4  ,we have only to remember the
 promises of ,god concerning him1 the   
first of which is that the ,spirit is   
here carrying on his special work in his
 particular dispensation4  ,his second  
promise is that he is in us if we be    
children of ,god1 and we need only to   
yield to his presence day by day to be  
delivered from the power of sin4  ,his  
third promise is that he will take of   
the things of ,god and show them unto   
us4  ,things which the world's people   
cannot understand he makes plain unto   

us4  ,eye hath not seen nor ear heard1  
neither hath it entered into the heart  
of man to conceive the things which ,god
 hath prepared for those who love him1  
but the ,spirit hath revealed them unto 
us4  ,the fourth promise is that he will
 not leave us4  ,we may resist the      
,spirit1 we may grieve the ,spirit1 but 
we will not grieve him away4  ,his power
 may be greatly limited in our lives1   
the work of sanctification under the    
influence of his presence be greatly    
hindered1 but he is with us1 nor height1
 nor depth1 nor any other creature can  
separate us from him4  ,third3 ,by faith
 we have a vision of things unseen and  
they become real to us4  ,faith is to   
the soul what the eye is to the body4   
,the things of ,god become actually     
real1 and becoming so they are powerful4
  ,under the influence of this vision   
temporal things are trifling4  ,the     
,christian who is true to his position  
lives in heaven1 breathes its           
atmosphere1 is pervaded by its spirit   

and so becomes pure1 tender1 obedient1  
loving4  ,no wonder that to these people
 whose lives were so attractive ,paul   
wrote in the text1 ,this is the will of 
,god1 even your sanctification4   ,,ii  
,justification and sanctification ought 
to be compared to appreciate the latter4
  ,the first is an act1 the second is a 
work4  ,we do not grow in justification4
  ,there is no distinction between      
,christians in this respect2 the        
smallest child accepting ,christ is as  
truly justified as the saint of a half  
century4  ,so far as sanctification is  
concerned there is the widest possible  
difference4  ,justification depends upon
 what ,christ does for us1              
sanctification depends upon what ,christ
 does in us4  ,first of all it is a     
supernatural work4  ,in this respect    
among others it differs from            
reformation4  ,henry ,drummond has said 
that in reformation men work from the   
circumference1 in sanctification they   
work from the center4  ,the ,triune ,god

 may really be counted upon as the      
author of this work4  ,in #a            
,thessalonians the fifth chapter and the
 twenty-third verse we have the work of 
the ,father4  ,and the very ,god of     
peace sanctify you wholly2 and ,i pray  
,god your whole spirit and soul and body
 be preserved blameless unto the coming 
of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4  ,in       
,ephesians fifth chapter twenty-fifth   
and twenty-sixth verses we have the work
 of the ,son4  ,husbands1 love your     
wives1 even as ,christ also loved the   
,church and gave himself for it2 that he
 might sanctify and cleanse it with the 
washing of water by the word4  ,in ,john
 the seventeenth chapter and the        
seventeenth verse we have special       
emphasis laid upon the work of the      
,spirit4  ,sanctify them through thy    
truth2 thy word is truth4  ,what folly1 
therefore1 to think that we could carry 
on this work by ourselves6  ,second3    
,just what1 therefore1 is this work of  
sanctification8  ,when we are           

regenerated we have given to us an      
entirely new nature4  ,the old nature   
and the new are absolutely different2   
and the old and the new war one against 
the other4  ,the ,bible is full of the  
accounts of those who have met this     
inward conflict4  ,some of the most     
eminent people in the world whose names 
have been mentioned in the ,bible and   
out of it have told the story of their  
backsliding1 their falling1 their       
repentance1 and their lamentation       
because of their weakness4  ,you have   
all read the seventh chapter of ,romans4
  ,whether this is the story of ,paul's 
experience or not1 it is the story of   
yours4  ,galatians the fifth chapter    
sixteenth and seventeenth verses gives  
us the same thought4  ,this ,i say then1
 ,walk in the ,spirit1 and ye shall not 
fulfill the lust of the flesh4  ,for the
 flesh lusteth against the spirit1 and  
the ,spirit against the flesh3 and these
 are contrary1 the one to the other3 so 
that ye cannot do the things that ye    

would4  ,what is it1 therefore8  ,it is 
just the working day by day of the      
spirit of ,christ in us4  ,it is the    
growth of that spiritual nature which   
after a while controls our whole being4 
,it is the bringing into subjection of  
the old nature until it has no more     
dominion over us4  ,after ,paul's       
struggle in the seventh chapter of      
,romans he comes triumphantly to the    
second verse of the eighth chapter of   
,romans and exclaims1 ,for the law of   
the spirit of life in ,christ ,jesus    
hath made me free from the law of sin   
and death4   ,,iii  ,it ,god is the     
author1 then certain things need to be  
emphasized4  ,first3 ,we need only to be
 yielding day by day to his efforts and 
presence and power to become more and   
more sanctified4  ,his life flows along 
the path of least resistance2 if there  
is difficulty with us in the matter of  
temper1 sharpness of tongue1 an impure  
mind or an unforgiving spirit1 give him 
liberty and the work is complete4       

,second3 ,we must learn that the least  
thing may hinder his work in us4 ,it    
became necessary for me recently to     
purchase a hayrake4  ,i was told of two 
different kinds1 one the old-fashioned  
kind where the prongs of the rake must  
be lifted by hand1 the other an         
automatic arrangement where by simply   
touching the foot to a spring the       
movement of the wheels would lift the   
rake at the proper time so that raking  
hay was a delight4  ,the first day the  
rake was in the field it was almost     
impossible to use it4  ,it was too heavy
 to lift by hand and the foot attachment
 would not work4  ,we sent for the man  
who had sold us the implement4  ,there  
was just one little part of the         
attachment missing4 ,missing that1 hard 
effort was required and poor work was   
accomplished4 ,it may be that some      
little thing stands in the way of your  
blessing1 or the lack of some little    
thing hinders your usefulness4  ,third3 
,we have only to remember the law of    

growth4  ,we do not grow by trying4     
,who ever heard of a boy growing in this
 way8  ,who ever heard of a doctor who  
had a prescription for growth8  ,our    
effort for ,christian growth is just a  
succession of failures4  ,how many times
 we have said1 ,i am determined to be   
better2 my temper shall never get the   
better of me again6  ,we are beginning  
at the wrong end4  ,instead of dealing  
with the symptoms1 let us see that we   
are in right relations with ,christ and 
he will effect the cure4  ,let us1      
therefore1 just observe the right       
attitude towards ,christ and we have the
 secret4  ,henry ,drummond has said in  
one of his books that the problem of the
 ,christian life is simply this3 ,men   
must be brought to observe the right    
attitude4  ,to abide in ,christ is to be
 in right position and that is all4     
,much work is done on board a ship in   
crossing the ,atlantic1 yet none of this
 is spent in making the ship go4  ,the  
sailor harnesses his vessel to the wind1

 he lifts his sail1 lays hold of his    
rudder and the miracle is wrought4  ,god
 creates1 man utilizes4  ,god gives the 
wind1 the water1 the heat1 and man lays 
hold of that which ,god has given us1   
holding himself in position by the grace
 of ,god1 and the power of omnipotence  
courses within his soul4   ,,iv  ,we are
 in this world slowly but surely coming 
to be like ,christ4  ,to be ,christ-like
 is one thing--we may be in this way or 
that--but to be like ,christ is entirely
 different4  ,wonderful transformations 
have been wrought in this world by      
education and by culture4  ,i remember  
when ,i was a lad in ,indiana being told
 of a celebrated ,indianapolis physician
 who advertised for the most helpless   
idiot child and the most hopeless was   
brought to him4  ,for weeks and months  
no impression could be made upon that   
child4  ,he used every day to take the  
child into his parlor1 put him down on  
the floor and then lie beside him with  
the sunlight streaming in his face4  ,he

 said over and over one syllable of a   
word until at last the child caught it1 
and ,i remember as a boy seeing that    
same child stand upon a platform1 repeat
 the ,lord's ,prayer and the            
twenty-third ,psalm and sing a hymn to  
the praise of ,god ,transcriber's note3 
part of page torn away here1 and one1   
possibly two1 words are missing is      
wonderful2 but more remarkable than that
 is the work which is going on in us day
 by day4  ,we are becoming more         
,christlike2 one day we shall be like   
,christ4  ,but when8 you say4  ,this is 
the answer3 ,beloved1 now are ye the    
sons of ,god1 and it doth not yet appear
 what we shall be3 but we know that1    
when he shall appear1 we shall be like  
him1 for we shall see him as he is4     
,,an ,,unheeded ,,warning  ,,text3 ,my  
,spirit shall not always strive with    
men4--,genesis #f3ca4  ,for the truth of
 this statement one needs only to study 
his ,bible and he will find written in  
almost every book of ,old ,testament and

 ,new a similar expression4  ,at the    
same time in the study of ,god's word it
 will be revealed to him that ,god has a
 great plan which he is carefully       
working out4  ,we must be familiar with 
the beginning and the unfolding of this 
plan and with the conclusion he reached4
  ,when after the rebellion of his      
people and their unwillingness to obey  
his precepts we find him saying1 ,and   
,god saw that the wickedness of man was 
great in the earth1 and that every      
imagination of the thoughts of his heart
 was only evil continually4  ,and it    
repented the ,lord that he had made man 
on the earth1 and it grieved him at his 
heart4  ,and the ,lord said1 ,i will    
destroy man whom ,i have created from   
the face of the earth2 both man1 and    
beast1 and the creeping thing1 and the  
fowls of the air2 for it repenteth me   
that ,i have made them4  ,then turning  
to the ,new ,testament ,scriptures we   
find almost a similar expression when   
,jesus reaches the climax of his        

compassionate and gracious ministry with
 the children of ,israel4  ,he came unto
 his own and his own received him not2  
and in the twenty-third chapter of      
,matthew and the thirty-seventh to the  
thirty-ninth verse1 inclusive1 we hear  
him saying1 ,o ,jerusalem1 ,jerusalem1  
thou that killest the prophets1 and     
stonest them which are sent unto thee1  
how often would ,i have gathered thy    
children together1 even as a hen        
gathereth her chickens under her wings1 
and ye would not6  ,behold1 your house  
is left unto you desolate4  ,for ,i say 
unto you1 ,ye shall not see me          
henceforth1 till ye shall say1 ,blessed 
is he that cometh in the name of the    
,lord4  ,from that day on his special   
ministry was to the ,gentiles1 and he   
has been seeking in every possible way  
to bring us to an appreciation of what  
it means to know him and to be filled   
with all his fullness4  ,we have but to 
stop for a moment and consider to       
realize that by many his overtures have 

been declined1 his ,spirit grieved and  
his ,son rejected4 ,men have lived as if
 they had no responsibility towards him 
at all and in many instances they have  
put him entirely out of their           
consideration4  ,if we compare present  
day indifference and sin with the       
condition of things at the time of the  
flood1 and then again compare them with 
the position of ,israel when ,jesus     
turned away from them with tears1 it    
would seem almost as if the world of the
 present day had made progress both in  
the matter of indifference and          
rejection2 and therefore it is not      
strange that such an ,old ,testament    
text as this would be applicable to     
people living about us4  ,it is a solemn
 text4 ,my ,spirit shall not always     
strive with men4  ,it is along the line 
of those solemn words of ,dr4           
,alexander3    ,there is a time1 we know
 not when2     ,a place1 we know not    
where1   ,that seals the destiny of man 
,for glory or despair4  ,again we read1 

,ye shall seek me and shall not find me1
 and where ,i am there ye cannot come4  
,that also is the spirit of the text4   
,god tells us1 ,to-day if ye will hear  
his voice harden not your heart1 which  
simply means that if we neglect to hear 
the heart will become hardened1 the will
 stubborn1 and we shall be unsaved and  
hopeless4  ,again he tells us1 ,now is  
the accepted time1 and now is the day of
 salvation4 ,so for men to act as if    
they might come at any time and choose  
their own way of salvation is to sin    
against him1 and to all such he speaks  
the text--,my ,spirit shall not always  
strive with men4  ,it is assumed that   
the spirit of ,god does strive with men4
  ,if he will not strive always1 then he
 does strive at some particular time1   
and with many of us he is striving now4 
,we may not be willing to confess it to 
our friends1 but nevertheless it is     
true4  ,in many ways he is bringing to  
our attention the eternal interests of  
our souls1 and this is striving4  ,it is

 implied that men are resisting the     
,spirit of ,god4  ,if this were not so  
there could be no striving1 and the text
 indicates that men may continue so long
 to resist him and to sin against him   
that after a while the door of mercy    
will close and hope be a thing of the   
past4   ,i  ,what is the striving of the
 ,spirit8  ,i have no doubt but that    
many are asking this question seriously 
and fearfully and it is worthy of our   
most careful consideration4  #a4 ,it is 
just ,god speaking to us and causing us 
to say to ourselves if not to others1   
,well1 ,i ought to be a ,christian2 this
 life of worldliness does not pay4      
,there is nothing but an accusing       
conscience1 a weakened character and a  
blighted life as the result of it4  ,do 
not for a moment think that this is just
 an impression that has come to you2 it 
is the voice of ,god and you would do   
well to hear it4 ,this striving of the  
,spirit is simply the ,spirit of ,god   
seeking to convince men that the only   

safe life is that which is hid with     
,christ in ,god1 safe not only for      
eternity--the most of us believe        
that--but safe for time4  ,temptations  
are too powerful for us to withstand    
alone and trials are too heavy for us to
 bear in our own strength4  ,the        
striving of the ,spirit is just our     
heavenly ,father graciously attempting  
to persuade us to yield to him1         
sometimes by providences4  ,when but a  
lad my old pastor used one night an     
illustration from which ,i never have   
been able to get away4  ,it was the     
story of the old fisherman who took his 
little boy with him to fish and found   
that on his accustomed fishing grounds  
he was unsuccessful2 so1 leaving the boy
 upon the little island1 he started away
 to fish alone4  ,the mists came down in
 his absence and1 missing his way1 he   
lost his boy4  ,he rowed everywhere     
calling him and at last he heard him in 
the distance1 saying1 ,i am up here1    
papa2 over this way4  ,the fisherman    

found him1 but not quickly enough to    
enable him to escape the cold night     
winds1 and the boy sickened and died4   
,the old fisherman said3 ,every night   
when ,i stood at my window ,i could see 
his outstretching hands and always above
 the storm ,i could hear his voice      
calling me upward4  ,i could not but be 
a ,christian4  ,my mother had just a few
 weeks before gone home to ,god1 and ,i 
heard her voice as plainly as ,i could  
hear the voice of my friend at my side4 
,every vision of a mother in heaven1 of 
a child in the skies1 is a call of ,god4
  ,he seeks to persuade us by           
calamities4  ,the ,chicago theater      
horror1 with its hundreds of women and  
children dead and disfigured1 was ,god's
 call to a great city and to the world4 
,this is the striving of the ,spirit4   
,not with audible voice does he speak to
 us but by means of impressions and     
convictions4  ,let us not think for a   
moment that these come simply because   
the preacher has influence and may      

possibly be possessed of a certain kind 
of genius or power4  ,these are ,god's  
warnings to us4  ,be careful1 therefore1
 how you resist them4  ,jesus said in   
,john the sixteenth chapter the seventh 
to the eleventh verses1 ,nevertheless ,i
 tell you the truth2 ,it is expedient   
for you that ,i go away3 for if ,i go   
not away1 the ,comforter will not come  
unto you2 but if ,i depart1 ,i will send
 him unto you4  ,and when he is come1 he
 will reprove the world of sin1 and of  
righteousness and of judgment4  ,of sin1
 because they believe not on me2 of     
righteousness1 because ,i go to my      
,father1 and ye see me no more2 of      
judgment1 because the prince of this    
world is judged4  ,the word reprove is a
 judicial word4  ,when the judge has    
heard the testimony for or against the  
criminal and the arguments of the       
counsel1 he himself sums up the case and
 lays it before the jury1 bringing out  
the strong points or the weak ones in   
relation to the criminal4  ,this is     

reproving1 and it is this that the      
,spirit does4  ,he brings before us     
,jesus ,christ and then presents unto   
,god our treatment of him1 and so it is 
easy to understand how the text could be
 true4  ,my spirit shall not always     
strive with men4  #b4 ,how may we know  
that he is striving8  ,there are very   
many ways4  7#a7 ,if the attention is   
aroused and centered upon religious     
subjects and interests1 then be careful 
how you treat ,god4  ,the student who   
finds his mind constantly escaping from 
his books to the thought of eternity2   
the business man who cannot possibly    
escape the thought that he owes ,god    
something and ought not to slight him1  
these have proofs that the ,spirit is   
striving4  ,after an evangelistic       
meeting which ,i recently conducted ,i  
received the following letter1 which    
clearly indicates the striving of the   
,spirit3  ,i had not attended the church
 for years until to-night1 but being a  
visitor in ,c4 and hearing that you were

 from the ,east and a ,presbyterian ,i  
determined to go4  ,i was lonely and it 
may be the ,spirit was calling me4  ,i  
heard you speak of your little boys and 
of the sainted mother who has gone      
before and my proud heart was touched4  
,i1 too1 have two darling boys back in  
the old state1 a loving ,christian wife 
and a dear old mother who in parting    
said1 ',dear son1 ,i am old and ,i may  
never see you again on earth1 but if ,i 
am not here when you return1 remember1  
my son1 my boy1 we must meet in heaven4'
  ,how much that meant to her6  ,i did  
not quite realize it then1 but your talk
 to-night impressed me and ,i believe   
that her prayers are being answered     
together with those of a loving1        
courageous1 steadfast ,christian wife1  
and that ,i am at last1 at the age of   
forty-two1 beginning to see how great my
 opportunities to do good have been and 
how my example has been a great         
hindrance and stumbling block to others 
in the way of life4  ,admitting that    

this life has no stronger emotion than  
our love for our families1 how much more
 ,i am impressed to-night with my duty  
to him who gave his only ,son to suffer 
that we might live in the life          
everlasting6  ,in a busy business life  
and career ,i had drifted away from the 
safe anchorage of the church and ,sunday
 school of my boyhood and had almost    
convinced myself that by charity and    
exercising good will and kindliness in  
my business ,i could do almost as much  
good as if ,i were in the church2 but ,i
 see my mistake4  ,to make an army      
effective we must stand in the ranks1   
must be soldiers in the army of ,christ 
ready and willing to do at all times    
whatever we see before us4  ,i have     
written my dear old mother a letter     
to-night which ,i know will please her  
far more than if ,i had told her ,i had 
found a mine of ,california gold2 her   
prayers1 my wife's1 yours and those of  
other true ,christian men and women have
 been answered1 and ,i realize that now1

 7not next week1 nor next month1 nor    
when ,i get my business finished and go 
back to the ,east7 is the day and the   
hour to remember ,christ and know that  
his love for us is greater even than the
 love that tugs at our heartstrings when
 we think of the dear little ones at    
home who lovingly call us father1 and   
for whom we gladly endure the heartaches
 of separation when we know that our    
labors will contribute to their comfort 
and happiness4  ,i realize from the     
standpoint of a business man how many   
there are in the world to criticise your
 best efforts and your work and how few 
who ever stop to say1 ',i thank you2 you
 have done me good4'  ,i take time      
to-night to do more4  ,i want to say    
that your message from the ,king of     
kings has not fallen on stony ground4   
,i shall try to enter again the battle  
of life1 not as only in search of the   
wealth of this world but in search of   
the wealth that the world cannot take   
away--life everlasting4  ,you were      

right4  ,preach and pray the fathers    
into the ,kingdom of ,god and the rest  
is easy1 for all unconsciously our      
children follow in our footsteps1 watch 
our every word and action2 then how     
much1 how much it means if our example  
is wrong6   ,,ii  7#a7 ,whenever we are 
convinced especially of the sinfulness  
of sin we may be sure that the ,spirit  
is striving with us4  ,there are times  
when we may be thoughtless and sin with 
impunity2 but not so when the ,spirit is
 doing his work1 for sin is an awful    
thing4  7#b7 ,whenever we are impressed 
with the heinousness of unbelief be     
assured that the ,spirit is at work1 for
 the worst sin in all this world is not 
impurity but rather that we should not  
believe on ,jesus ,christ4 ,to reject   
him is to sneer at ,god1 to trample the 
blood of his ,son under foot1 to count  
his sacrifice a common thing and really 
to crucify him afresh4  ,in all this    
impression ,god speaks4  7#c7 ,when we  
see the danger of dying in our sins he  

is moving us4  ,it is a mystery to me   
how men can close their eyes in sleep   
when they realize that any night ,god   
might simply touch them and time would  
give way to eternity and the judgment   
would be before them4  ,as a matter of  
fact men are not indifferent to this1   
and the fact that they are not proves   
that the ,spirit of ,god is opening     
their eyes4  7#d7 ,when he strips us of 
excuses be sure that he is working4     
,the man who has said1 ,i will wait     
until ,i am better1 begins to realize   
that his past sins must be taken into   
account and no future resolutions can   
touch them4  ,the man who has said1     
,there is time enough1 suddenly realizes
 that between him and eternity there is 
but a beat of the heart4  ,the one who  
has claimed that hypocrisy in the church
 kept him out of it comes to see that   
hypocrisy proves the life of the church1
 for men never counterfeit that which is
 bad money but rather that which is     
good4  7#e7 ,whenever we see the folly  

of trusting in any other word than      
,christ's then the ,spirit of ,god is   
with us4  ,not reformation1 for it does 
not touch the sins of the past2 not     
resolution1 for this is too weak1 and   
though we may seem better than others1  
this may be true only according to our  
own standard4  ,when we see the folly of
 these positions the ,spirit of ,god is 
doing his work2 so be careful how you   
treat him4   ,,iii  ,what would be the  
consequences of the ,spirit ceasing his 
work8  ,we really could not express it  
in words4  ,no man has power or energy  
to make it plain4  ,we can only just    
hint at the condition4  #a4 ,there would
 be an opposition to religion1 for      
whenever you find a man turning against 
that which has been the world's hope    
remember that the state of that man is  
awful in the extreme and will grow      
worse4  #b4 ,there will be an opposition
 to revivals1 to all preaching and to   
the ministers of the ,gospel wherever   
this spirit is made manifest4  ,we ought

 to tremble for ourselves if this is our
 spirit1 or for others if it is theirs4 
#c4 ,wherever men settle down into some 
form of error this is a description of  
one who has sinned against the ,spirit  
of ,god1 for there is a longing in every
 soul for something outside of and      
beyond one's self2 and the things of the
 world cannot alone satisfy4  #d4 ,when 
men continue to grow worse and worse and
 seem to glory in their shame there is  
great cause for solemn thought4  ,in the
 light of these suggestions the text is 
given1 ,my ,spirit shall not always     
strive with men4   ,,iv  ,why should he 
cease his striving8  ,not because he is 
not compassionate1 for he is2 nor       
forbearing1 for that is his character2  
not that he is without patience1 for he 
is infinite in this grace2 nor because  
he is without mercy1 for his mercy is   
from everlasting to everlasting4  #a4   
,but because it will do the sinner no   
good to continue his pleadings4 ,it is a
 known law of the mind that truth       

resisted loses its power4  ,why should  
,god continue when we only spurn his    
offers of mercy8  ,agassiz1 the great   
,christian scientist1 tells of his work 
in the mountains when his assistants    
lowered him to his work by means of a   
rope and a basket4  ,they always tested 
his weight before letting him down2 and 
yet he said that one day when they had  
lowered him deeper than ever they found 
that they could not lift him1 though    
they had tested his weight before he had
 been lowered4  ,they must go away over 
the mountains to secure other           
assistance4  ,and then1 said the        
scientist1 when they did lift me they   
found that their failure was due to the 
fact that they did not take into account
 the weight of the rope4  ,every time   
you refuse ,jesus ,christ as your       
,savior and ,god calls you again you    
must lift against that other refusal1   
and this is why it is so difficult for  
some to come to ,christ4  #b4 ,because  
to continue warning is to hinder the    

sinner4  ,the more light we have the    
greater guilt4  ,better would it be for 
the sinner when all hope is gone for the
 ,spirit to leave1 for he shall be      
called to account for warnings4  ,oh1   
the solemnity of the day of judgment6   
#c4 ,because to resist the ,spirit of   
,god is for men to sin willfully if the 
rejection is final4  ,it is a sad thing 
to say no to ,god1 and if we sin        
willfully there remaineth no more       
sacrifice for sins4   ,v  ,what is meant
 by the ,spirit not striving8  ,not that
 he will be withdrawn from men in       
general1 but rather from the individual4
  #a4 ,he may not follow the sinner1 who
 will be indifferent to preaching1 to   
praying1 to his own spiritual condition1
 for he has given himself over to error4
  #b4 ,it simply means that we have come
 to the limit of his patience1 for we   
have trifled with him in our continued  
rejection4  #c4 ,it also means that     
there is just some one point where he   
will cease to work4  ,that point may be 

here and that day may be now1 and so the
 text is solemn4  ,a long time ago an   
old woman tripped and fell from the top 
of a stone stairway in ,boston as she   
was coming out of the police station4   
,they called the patrol and carried her 
to the hospital and the doctor examining
 her said to the nurse1 ,she will not   
live more than a day4  ,and when the    
nurse had won her confidence the old    
woman said1 ,i have traveled from       
,california1 stopping at every city of  
importance between ,san ,francisco and  
,boston1 visiting two places always--the
 police station and the hospital4  ,my  
boy went away from me and did not tell  
me where he was going1 so ,i have sold  
all my property and made this journey to
 seek him out4  ,some day1 she said1 he 
may come into this hospital1 and if he  
does tell him that there were two who   
never gave him up4  ,when the night came
 and the doctor standing beside her     
said1 ,it is now but a question of a few
 minutes1 the nurse bent over her to    

say1 ,tell me the names of the two and  
,i will tell your son if ,i see him4    
,with trembling lips and eyes           
overflowing with tears she said1 ,tell  
him that the two were ,god and his      
mother1 and she was gone4  ,i cannot    
believe that ,god has given any of you  
up4  ,you would not be listening to this
 message1 you certainly would not be    
reading these words if he had4  ,he has 
not given you up4  ,i beseech you       
therefore hear him4  ,it would be a sad 
thing for you to say no to him at the   
last and have him take you at your word1
 and if he has not given you up ,i am   
persuaded that there is some one else in
 the world deeply concerned for your    
soul4     ,,the ,,approval ,,of ,,the   
,,spirit  ,,text3 ,yea1 saith the       
,spirit4--,rev4 #ad3ca4  ,the world has 
had many notable galleries of art in    
which we have been enabled to study the 
beautiful landscape1 to consider deeds  
of heroism which have made the past     
illustrious1 in which we have also read 

the stories of saintly lives2 but       
surpassing all these is the gallery of  
art in which we find the text4  ,humanly
 speaking ,john is the artist while he  
is an exile on the ,island of ,patmos in
 the ,aegean ,sea4  ,the words he uses  
and the figures he presents are         
suggested by his surroundings1 and it   
would be difficult to imagine anything  
more uplifting than the book of         
,revelation if it be properly studied   
and understood4  ,when ,john speaks of  
the ,son of ,man he describes his voice 
as the sound of many waters--undoubtedly
 suggested by the waves of the sea      
breaking at his feet4  ,locked in by the
 sea on this lonely island he gives to  
us this ,revelation for which every     
,christian should devoutly thank ,god4  
,his eyes are opened in an unusual way  
and before him as in panoramic vision   
the past1 the present and the future    
move quickly1 and he makes a record of  
all the things that he beholds4  ,his   
body is on ,patmos but as a matter of   

fact he seems to be walking the streets 
of the heavenly city and gives to us a  
picture of those things which no mortal 
eye hath yet beheld4  ,he describes the 
risen ,christ4 ,it is a new picture1 for
 as he beholds him his head and his hair
 are white like wool1 as white as snow2 
and yet it is an old picture he gives1  
for he is presented as the ,lamb that   
has been slain1 with the marks of his   
suffering still upon him1 and these help
 to make his glory the greater1 and if  
possible to increase the power and      
sweetness of the angels' music4  ,he    
presents to us a revelation of the      
glorified church and of the four and    
twenty elders falling down at the feet  
of ,jesus1 casting their crowns before  
him and giving him all adoration and    
praise4  ,he cheers us with a knowledge 
of the doom of ,satan1 for in the       
closing part of the book he presents him
 to us as bound1 cast into the pit and  
held as a prisoner for a thousand years1
 while in every other part of the ,bible

 he is seen going about like a raging   
lion seeking whom he may devour4  ,he   
gives to us some conception of the final
 judgment1 and the great white throne is
 lifted up before us2 the dead1 small   
and great1 stand before ,god1 the books 
are opened and those whose names are not
 found written in the book are cast away
 from his presence forever2 and then as 
a climax of the picture we have before  
us the new heaven and the new earth4    
,again ,i say1 there is nothing so      
wonderful as ,revelation if only we have
 the mind of the ,spirit in its         
interpretation4  ,in this text ,john is 
speaking of those who die in the ,lord  
and the whole verse reads as follows3   
,and ,i heard a voice from heaven saying
 unto me1 ,write1 ,blessed are the dead 
which die in the ,lord from henceforth3 
,yea1 saith the ,spirit1 that they may  
rest from their labors2 and their works 
do follow them 7,revelation #ad3ac74    
,ordinarily this text has been used only
 on funeral occasions1 but literally    

interpreted the text which stands as the
 heart of the verse may be read as      
follows1 ,amen1 saith the ,spirit4  ,it 
would seem as if the ,holy ,ghost were  
giving his assent to the truth which has
 been spoken4 ,blessed are the dead     
which die in the ,lord4  ,it is like an 
old time antiphonal service1 when choir 
answered choir in the house of ,god2 or1
 to put it in another way1 it is one of 
those remarkable interruptions several  
instances of which are found in the     
,scriptures4  ,one is in ,hebrews the   
thirteenth chapter and the eighth verse1
 ,jesus ,christ the same yesterday1 and 
to-day1 and for ever4  ,according to the
 revision this verse has an added word  
and reads as follows1 ,jesus ,christ the
 same yesterday and to-day1 yea and     
forever4  ,i call special attention to  
the little word yea4  ,somebody has said
 that it is as if the ,apostle were     
saying that ,jesus is the same to-day   
that he was yesterday1 than which no    
thought could be more comforting4  ,and 

it would seem at the closing part of the
 verse as if the angels of ,god had     
broken in upon his message to say1 ,yea1
 and he is forever the same1 which is   
certainly true4  ,could anything be more
 inspiring than to know that we have the
 approval of the ,holy ,ghost of the    
things we say or think8  ,there are many
 representations of the ,spirit of ,god 
in the ,bible4  ,his love is presented  
under the figure of the mother love1 as 
in ,genesis the first chapter and the   
second verse2 ,and the earth was without
 form1 and void2 and darkness was upon  
the face of the deep4  ,and the ,spirit 
of ,god moved or brooded upon the face  
of the waters4  ,in this text the       
,spirit broods over the world as the    
mother bird hovers over her little ones4
  ,we see him in the figure of the dove 
in ,matthew the third chapter and the   
sixteenth verse3 ,and ,jesus1 when he   
was baptized1 went up straightway out of
 the water1 and lo1 the heavens were    
opened unto him and he saw the ,spirit  

of ,god descending like a dove1 and     
lighting upon him4  ,and here we have a 
revelation of his gentleness4  ,again he
 is presented to us under the figure of 
the wind1 ,and suddenly there came a    
sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty
 wind1 and it filled all the house where
 they were sitting 7,acts #b3b74  ,here 
we see his power4  ,we catch a vision of
 him in the fire in ,acts the second    
chapter and the third verse1 ,and there 
appeared unto them cloven tongues like  
as of fire1 and it sat upon each of     
them2 and here we understand his        
cleansing influence4  ,but here in this 
text we have his directing power4  ,it  
is as if he were giving particular      
attention to all that ,john is saying   
and giving his approval to it because it
 is the truth4  ,since the day of       
,pentecost he has occupied a new        
position4  ,however1 he has existed from
 all eternity4  ,we behold him in his   
work in the ,old ,testament ,scriptures4
  ,but from the day of ,pentecost the   

affairs of the church have been         
committed to him1 its organization1 its 
development1 its services1 whether it be
 the preaching1 the praying or the      
singing4  ,we cannot ignore him1 for he 
has to do with all the work and with the
 preaching of the word4  ,he convicts of
 sin4  ,john #f3dd1 ,no man can come to 
me1 except the ,father which hath sent  
me draw him3 and ,i will raise him up at
 the last day4  ,he applies ,christ to  
the awakened sinner1 ,howbeit when he1  
the ,spirit of truth1 is come1 he will  
guide you into all truth3 for he shall  
not speak of himself2 but whatsoever he 
shall hear1 that shall he speak3 and he 
will shew you things to come4  ,he shall
 glorify me3 for he shall receive of    
mine1 and shall shew it unto you4  ,he  
helps to interpret the ,word of ,god    
because he inspired men to write it4    
,it is impossible to get along without  
him4  ,i put no mark of disrespect upon 
scholarship4  ,i know what it has       
accomplished2 it has filled libraries   

with knowledge which has made the world 
rich1 it has weighed planets and given  
us almost a perfect understanding of the
 heavenly bodies4  ,it has estimated the
 velocity of light until we have stopped
 to say1 ,such things are too wonderful 
for us4  ,it has read the tracings upon 
obelisks1 and made the past an open book
 to us1 giving us the secrets of men who
 have been thousands of years in their  
tombs1 but ,i do wish to say that that  
which comes to us directly from the     
,spirit of ,god is beyond scholarship4  
,hear what ,paul has said to us in #a   
,corinthians the second chapter and the 
ninth to the fourteenth verses4  ,but as
 it is written1 ,eye hath not seen1 nor 
ear heard1 neither have entered into the
 heart of man1 the things which ,god    
hath prepared for them that love him4   
,but ,god hath revealed them unto us by 
his ,spirit3 for the ,spirit searcheth  
all things1 yea1 the deep things of     
,god4  ,for what man knoweth the things 
of a man1 save the spirit of man which  

is in him8 even so the things of ,god   
knoweth no man1 but the ,spirit of ,god4
  ,now we have received1 not the spirit 
of the world1 but the spirit which is of
 ,god2 that we might know the things    
that are freely given to us of ,god4    
,which things also we speak1 not in the 
words which man's wisdom teacheth1 but  
which the ,holy ,ghost teacheth2        
comparing spiritual things with         
spiritual4  ,but the natural man        
receiveth not the things of the ,spirit 
of ,god3 for they are foolishness unto  
him2 neither can he know them1 because  
they are spiritually discerned4  ,there 
are certain great truths to which ,i am 
sure the ,holy ,ghost would say a deep  
amen4   ,i  ,the ,bible is the word of  
,god--not simply that it contains the   
word of ,god1 but is that very word4    
,peter tells us where we got our ,bible4
  #b ,peter #a3ba1 ,for the prophecy    
came not in old time by the will of man2
 but holy men of ,god spake as they were
 moved by the ,holy ,ghost4  ,it is an  

inspired ,book1 and inspiration is the  
inbreathing of ,god himself4  ,this     
makes the ,bible different from every   
other book4  ,we cannot study it exactly
 as we study others4  ,we may pick it up
 and say it is just paper1 ink and      
leather1 like any other book1 but we    
have missed the power of it if we say   
this4  ,we might say1 ,jesus is just a  
man1 eating1 drinking1 sleeping1        
suffering like a man2 but we have missed
 his power if we say only this1 for the 
,bible is filled with ,god1 and ,jesus  
is ,god ,himself4 ,jesus said1 ,ye must 
be born again if ye are to enter my     
,kingdom1 and this makes the difference 
in men4  ,because of this new birth one 
man sees the things of ,god to which    
another would be totally blind1 and this
 makes the difference in books and      
leaves the ,bible incomparably beyond   
all other books4  ,how may we know that 
the ,bible is the word of ,god8  ,not   
simply scientifically1 although the     
,bible is a scientific book2 but not in 

this way any more than we could find    
life in the body by cutting it up with a
 knife4  ,the ,bible is like a sensitive
 plant2 approach it in the wrong way and
 it will close its leaves and withhold  
its fragrance4 ,come to it reverently   
and there is no blessing that it cannot 
bestow4  #a4 ,accept it by faith and act
 according to its principles4  ,if ,god 
exists1 as we know he does1 then talk   
with him2 if ,christ is here presented  
to us with all his uplifting teachings1 
then walk with him2 if the promises of  
,god are written here1 as we know they  
are1 then present them to him expecting 
him to keep his word4  ,general ,booth  
of the ,salvation ,army once said in a  
great meeting where ,i was present that 
we were poor1 weak ,christians to-day   
because we were not living up to our    
privileges as ,christians4  ,he         
described a young man who had lost his  
position and had gone from one degree of
 poverty to another until at last he was
 on the verge of starvation4  ,with his 

wife and little ones about him he sits  
in deepest gloom4  ,there is a rap at   
the door and the postman brings a letter
 which is a message from a former       
employer who tells him that he has just 
learned of his distress1 that he will   
help him1 and that in the meantime he   
incloses his check for a sum of money   
which he hopes may make him comfortable4
 ,a check is simply a promise to pay4   
,the young man1 says ,general ,booth1   
looks at it a moment and then begins to 
rush about the room in great excitement4
  ,poor man1 said his wife1 ,i knew it  
would come to this4 ,his mind is giving 
way4  ,then he presents the check to her
 and says1 ,i know what ,i shall do with
 it4  ,i will frame it and hang it on   
the wall4  ,then again he exclaims1 ,i  
shall take it to my friend and have him 
set it to music and sing it each day1   
and he might do both of these and starve
 to death4  ,what he should have done   
was to present it for payment and live  
off of its proceeds4  ,we have been     

framing ,god's promises long enough1    
said ,general ,booth1 and singing them  
quite long enough2 let us now present   
them for payment1 and we shall know that
 ,god is true4  #b4 ,live its truth4    
,whatever ,god presents as a principle  
translate into your life and then       
believe that ,god will transform your   
living4  ,it will support you in trial  
and it will comfort you in the deepest  
sorrow4  ,the world was shocked by that 
great railroad accident which meant the 
death of ,mrs4 ,booth-,tucker1 but when 
in ,carnegie ,hall ,commander           
,booth-,tucker stood to speak great     
words concerning his noble wife he said3
 ,i was once talking with a man in      
,chicago about becoming a ,christian and
 he said to me1 ',if ,god had taken away
 your beautiful wife and you were left  
desolate with your little children would
 you believe in him8'  ,and1 said the   
,commander before his great ,new ,york  
audience1 if that man is in this        
audience to-day let me tell him4  ,god  

has taken my beautiful wife and ,i am   
here surrounded by my children1 but ,i  
never believed in him more thoroughly   
and was never more confident of the     
truth of his ,word4   ,,ii  ,jesus      
,christ is the ,son of ,god4  ,to this  
truth ,i am very sure the ,holy ,ghost  
will add his amen4  ,in ,john the       
fifteenth chapter and the twenty-sixth  
verse we read1 ,but when the ,comforter 
is come1 whom ,i will send unto you from
 the ,father1 even the ,spirit of truth1
 which proceedeth from the ,father1 he  
shall testify of me4  ,and if you would 
know that ,jesus ,christ is ,god's ,son 
,i would suggest1  #a4 ,that you simply 
test him2 try him in heathen lands and  
tell me if any other story could thrill 
and transform as does the story of his  
life and death4  ,dr4 ,torrey says that 
whether the story was told in ,china or 
,england1 whether the story was told in 
,india or ,australia1 it was always the 
same and never was without effect4  #b4 
,try him in your own life4  ,one day in 

a service in a western city an old woman
 was wheeled into the church in an      
invalid's chair4  ,i knew by the        
expression of her countenance that she  
was suffering4  ,when ,i met her after  
the service and asked her about her     
story she said as the most excruciating 
pain convulsed her body1 ,i have not    
been free from pain in twenty years and 
have scarcely slept a night through all 
that time1 and then1 brushing the tears 
from her eyes1 and with an expectant    
face1 she exclaimed1 but if ,i could    
tell you all that ,jesus ,christ has    
been to me in these twenty years ,i     
could thrill you through and through4   
#c4 ,if you would know that he is the   
,son of ,god just lift him up and behold
 him as he draws all men unto him4      
,this is the secret of the power of     
great preaching4  ,it made ,mr4 ,moody  
known whereever the ,english language is
 spoken and constituted ,mr4 ,spurgeon  
one of the world's greatest preachers4  
,as a matter of fact there is no other  

theme which may be presented in the     
pulpit by the minister with an assurance
 of the co-operation of the ,holy       
,ghost4  ,there may be times when he may
 feel obliged to preach concerning      
philosophy1 poetry1 art and science1 but
 unless these things lead directly to   
,christ we have no reason for believing 
that the ,holy ,ghost will add his amen 
to our message1 and without this amen   
the time is almost lost4   ,,iii  ,the  
church is the body of ,christ4  ,i am   
persuaded that to this truth he will    
give his hearty assent4  ,this is       
,paul's over and over4  ,notice the     
following verses4  ,acts #b3da1 ,then   
they that gladly received his word were 
baptized2 and the same day there were   
added unto them about three thousand    
souls4 ,the words unto them are in      
italics1 so not in the original1 and we 
ask added to what8  ,acts #b3 #dg1      
,praising ,god1 and having favor with   
all the people4  ,and the ,lord 'added  
to the ,church' daily such as should be 

saved4  ,here we are beginning to get   
the truth4  ,acts #e3ad1 ,and believers 
were the more added to the ,lord1       
multitudes both of men and women4  ,this
 is the truth4  ,you will see that      
,christ is the head1 the church is his  
body and we are1 as individual members  
of the church1 just being added to him4 
,one day the body will be completed and 
then the ,lord himself will appear4 ,if 
,christ is the head he must control the 
body4  ,if his life is hindered and not 
permitted to flow through every part of 
it there is confusion1 strife1 unrest   
and loss of power4  ,there are certain  
things which we must do if we are to be 
in this world as he would have us4  ,he 
must control the preaching4  ,if given  
an opportunity he will direct in the    
choice of a theme1 he will quicken our  
intellect in the development of that    
theme1 he will give us an insight into  
the best way to present it to our       
hearers1 and putting faith in these     
preliminary conditions he will take care

 of the results4  ,he must also dictate 
the praying in a church4  ,there is much
 of it that is meaningless4  ,it is too 
formal1 too lifeless1 and entirely too  
general in its character4 ,in ,matthew  
the eighteenth chapter and the          
nineteenth verse1 we read1 ,again ,i say
 unto you1 ,that if two of you shall    
agree on earth as touching anything that
 they shall ask1 it shall be done for   
them of my ,father which is in heaven4  
,it does not mean that if the two should
 agree together as touching any one     
thing1 but agree with him1 for wherever 
you find two in prayer there are three1 
and wherever there are three there are  
four1 and the additional one present is 
the ,spirit of ,god waiting to help us  
in our praying and to present our       
prayers unto the ,father in the name of 
,jesus ,christ4  ,he must inspire the   
singing of the church4  ,in ,ephesians  
the fifth chapter and the nineteenth    
verse we read1 ,speaking to yourselves  
in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs1

 singing and making melody in your heart
 to the ,lord4  ,one reason why there is
 such a lack of power in many churches  
in this country is due to the fact that 
the singing is simply used as filling   
for the services4  ,hymns are used in a 
haphazard way with little thought as to 
their bearing upon the theme to be      
presented4  ,i am quite persuaded that  
when the preaching1 praying and singing 
are all submitted to his control1       
whatever may be man's opinion of the    
service1 he himself will give to it his 
hearty amen4   ,,iv  ,we are the sons of
 ,god4  ,in ,romans the eighth chapter  
the sixteenth and seventeenth verses we 
read1 ,the ,spirit itself beareth       
witness with our spirit1 that we are the
 children of ,god2 and if children1 then
 heirs2 heirs of ,god1 and joint-heirs  
with ,christ2 if so be that we suffer   
with him1 that we may be also glorified 
together4  ,to this truth he will say   
amen4  ,a careful study of the          
,scriptures will reveal the fact that1  

#a4 ,we are heirs4  ,if therefore this  
be true we have but to claim our        
birthright privilege1 and there is no   
weakness in our lives but may be offset 
by the strength of his4  ,whatever      
,christ has received as the head of the 
church he has received in trust for the 
body and we may have our possession in  
him if we but appropriate it4  ,a man in
 ,england died the other day in the     
poorhouse4  ,he had a little ,english   
farm upon which he could raise no grain 
and he let it go to waste and died a    
pauper4  ,his heirs discovered that on  
this little ,english possession there   
was a copper mine and they are living in
 luxury to-day in the possession of that
 which belonged to their ancester       
,transcriber's note3 ancestor8 all the  
time but was not appropriated and used  
by him4  #b4 ,being sons of ,god1 we are
 not free from trial2 but there is this 
one thing to say about our ,christian   
experience3 ,our light afflictions which
 are but for a moment work for us a far 

more exceeding and eternal weight of    
glory1 and ,god's presence with us in   
trial is infinitely better than his     
absence from us in the time of          
prosperity4  ,our trials are but the    
discipline through which we must pass in
 order that we may one day be prepared  
to stand in his presence and do his     
bidding throughout eternity4  #c4 ,being
 sons of ,god1 we are sure one day of   
glory4  ,the song which has been singing
 its way around the world in the        
,torrey-,alexander meetings presents    
this thought to us beautifully4    ,when
 all my labors and trials are o'er      
,and ,i am safe on that beautiful shore1
   ,just to be near the dear ,lord ,i   
adore   ,will thro' the ages be glory   
for me4    ,when by the gift of his     
infinite grace   ,i am accorded in      
heaven a place1   ,just to be there and 
look on his face   ,will thro' the ages 
be glory for me4    ,friends will be    
there ,i have loved long ago2   ,joy    
like a river around me will flow2   ,yet

 just a smile from my ,savior1 ,i know1 
,will thro' the ages be glory for me4   
,chorus4    ,oh1 that will be glory for 
me1   ,glory for me1 glory for me1      
,when by his grace ,i shall look on his 
face1   ,that will be glory1 be glory   
for me4   ,whatever may be our          
limitations here1 they shall be gone    
there2 whatever may be our weakness     
here1 it shall be lost there4  ,dr4     
,charles ,hodge in his ,lectures on     
,theology has given us an imaginary     
picture of ,laura ,bridgman1 the famous 
deaf-mute4  ,the celebrated theologian  
has described her standing in the       
presence of ,christ in that great day   
when we shall all be before ,him1 when  
,christ shall touch her eyes and say1   
,daughter1 see1 and there shall sweep   
through her vision all the glories of   
the sky2 when ,he shall touch her ears1 
which have been so long closed1 and say1
 ,daughter1 hear1 and into her soul     
shall come all the harmonies of heaven2 
when he shall touch her lips1 which on  

earth have never spoken a human word1   
and say1 ,daughter1 speak1 and with all 
the angel choir she will burst into the 
new song4  ,what ,dr4 ,hodge has said   
concerning ,laura ,bridgman will be true
 of us4  ,our day of limitations will be
 past1 the experiences of weakness be   
gone1 and we shall be like him1 for we  
shall see him as he is4  ,this1         
therefore1 is a good outline of a creed 
for us to-day4  ,we believe the ,bible  
is the ,word of ,god1 we believe that   
,jesus is the ,son of ,god1 we believe  
that the ,church is the body of ,christ1
 we believe that we are by regeneration 
the sons of ,god1 and making such a     
statement we have a right to stop and   
listen and ,i am sure we shall hear as  
from the skies1 ,amen1 saith the spirit4
     ,a ,,reasonable ,,service  ,,text3 
,i beseech you therefore1 brethren1 by  
the mercies of ,god1 that ye present    
your bodies a living sacrifice1 holy1   
acceptable unto ,god1 which is your     
reasonable service4--,romans #ab3a4     

,there is perhaps no chapter in the ,new
 ,testament1 certainly none in this     
epistle1 with which we are more familiar
 than this one which is introduced by   
the text2 and yet1 however familiar we  
may be with the statements1 if we read  
them carefully and study them honestly  
they must always come to us not only in 
the nature of an inspiration but also   
with rebuke1 especially to those of us  
who preach4  ,paul's intellectual       
ability has never been questioned4      
,yet1 giant though he was in this       
respect1 he was not ashamed to be       
pathetic when he likens his care for his
 people to the care of a nurse for her  
children4  ,he is not ashamed to be     
extravagant when he likens his sorrow   
and pain at their backsliding to the    
travail of a woman for her child4  ,he  
is not ashamed to be intense when in the
 ninth chapter and the first1 second and
 third verses he says1 ,i say the truth 
in ,christ1 ,i lie not1 my conscience   
also bearing me witness in the ,holy    

,ghost1 that ,i have great heaviness and
 continual sorrow in my heart4  ,for ,i 
could wish that myself were accursed    
from ,christ for my brethren1 my kinsmen
 according to the flesh4  ,we must also 
be impressed with the fact that he was  
not at all afraid of public criticism4  
,he not only sat at ,gamaliel's feet but
 the great lawmaker might well have     
taken his place at his feet1 and yet he 
says1 ,i am willing to be counted a fool
 if only ,i may win men to ,christ4 ,he 
is not bound by custom4  ,he not only   
preaches in the synagogue and in the    
places set apart for the churches of the
 early days1 but he goes about from     
house to house entreating people to come
 to ,christ4  ,he is not ashamed to     
weep1 for he sends his messages to the  
people and exclaims1 ,i tell you these  
things weeping2 and here in this text he
 is strikingly unusual1 for he is not a 
preacher speaking with dignity1 nor an  
,apostle commending obedience1 but a    
loving friend beseeching in the most    

pathetic way the yielding of themselves 
to ,christ4  ,there are two things to   
remember about ,paul in the study of    
such a subject4  ,first3 ,he was a ,jew 
and he knew all about offerings4        
,sacrifices were not forms to him and a 
living sacrifice was not a meaningless  
expression4  ,he had been present on the
 great day of ,atonement when the       
scapegoat bore away the sins of the     
people4  ,he had heard the chimes of the
 bells on the high priest's robe as he  
moved to and fro before the entrance to 
the holy of holies1 and he had waited   
with breathless silence for him to come 
forth giving evidence in his coming of  
the fact that ,israel could once more   
approach ,jehovah4  ,the text to him was
 throbbing with holy memories and was   
full of significance4  ,second3 ,he     
received his instructions concerning    
these things of ,god1 not from men1 for 
when he writes to the ,galatians he     
says3 ,but ,i certify you1 brethren1    
that the gospel which was preached of me

 is not after man1 for ,i neither       
received it of man1 neither was ,i      
taught it1 but by the revelation of     
,jesus ,christ 7,galatians #a3aa-ab74   
,and so1 since he is a heaven-taught    
man1 we must listen while he speaks and 
give heed to his entreaties4   ,i  ,the 
context4  ,we shall not appreciate this 
striking text unless we take into       
account its setting4  ,the first        
chapters of ,romans present to us a     
black cloud indeed1 for when the first  
sentences are spoken we shudder because 
of their intensity4  ,we read in the    
twenty-fourth verse that ,god gave the  
people up to uncleanness2 in the        
twenty-sixth verse that he gave them up 
to vile affections1 but in the          
twenty-eighth verse that he gave them   
over to a reprobate mind4  ,with this   
awful condition of affairs we start2 and
 yet for fear that the man who counts   
himself a moralist might read these     
verses and feel that they did not apply 
to him1 ,paul writes in the third       

chapter and the twenty-second verse     
these words1 ,even the righteousness of 
,god1 which is by faith of ,jesus       
,christ1 unto all and upon all them that
 believe2 for there is no difference4   
,but when the cloud is the blackest the 
rays of light begin to appear1 and they 
are rays of light from heaven2 looking  
on the one side at mystery and catching 
a vision on the other side of grace1    
,paul exclaims1 ,i beseech you          
therefore1 brethren1 by the mercies of  
,god1 that ye present your bodies a     
living sacrifice1 holy1 acceptable unto 
,god1 which is your reasonable service  
7,romans #ab3a74  ,the word mercy is of 
frequent occurrence in the ,bible4      
,from everlasting to everlasting is     
,god's mercy1 we read4  ,this gives us  
some idea of duration4  ,new every      
morning and fresh every evening are his 
mercies4  ,this reveals to us the fact  
that they are unchanging4 ,he is a ,god 
of mercy4  ,this is his character4  ,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 him4  ,this is the invitation
 of ,god given to all the world6  ,but  
,paul is not speaking of mercy in       
general2 he goes on in his masterful    
argument outlining the doctrines of     
grace and on the strength of that he    
uses the text4  ,first3 ,we are         
justified4  ,the fifth chapter and the  
first verse1 ,therefore being justified 
by faith1 we have peace with ,god       
through our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4  ,in  
justification our sins are pardoned and 
we are accepted as righteous because of 
the righteousness of ,christ1 which is  
imputed unto us and received by faith   
alone4  ,and yet to him this definition 
in every day language means that1 being 
justified1 we stand before ,god as if we
 never had sinned4  ,no wonder that in  
the light of such a doctrine ,paul could
 say1 ,i beseech you therefore1         
brethren1 by the mercies of ,god1 that  
ye present your bodies a living         

sacrifice1 holy1 acceptable unto ,god1  
which is your reasonable service        
7,romans #ab3a74  ,second3 ,we are kept 
safe4  ,romans #e3aj1 ,for if1 when we  
were enemies1 we were reconciled to ,god
 by the death of his ,son1 much more1   
being reconciled1 we shall be saved by  
his life4  ,literally the closing part  
of this verse is1 ,we are kept safe in  
his life4  ,a child in its mother's arms
 could not be so secure as we in his    
life4 ,underneath us are the everlasting
 arms and around about us the sure      
mercies of ,god4  ,third3 ,we are       
baptized into his death4  ,know ye not  
that so many of us as were baptized into
 ,jesus ,christ were baptized into his  
death8 7,romans #f3c74  ,the wages of   
sin is death4  ,this is ,god's          
irrevocable statement1 but ,christ died 
for our sins and ,paul's argument here  
is that we died with him1 so the demands
 of the law have been met and we are to 
go free4  ,no wonder ,paul could say1 ,i
 beseech you therefore1 brethren1 by the

 mercies of ,god1 that ye present your  
bodies a living sacrifice1 holy1        
acceptable unto ,god1 which is your     
reasonable service4  ,fourth3 ,we are   
alive unto ,god4  ,romans #f3aa1        
,likewise reckon ye also yourselves to  
be dead indeed unto sin1 but alive unto 
,god through ,jesus ,christ our ,lord4  
,not only are we justified and kept safe
 and crucified with him and buried with 
him but in the plan of ,god we are risen
 with him4  ,what a wonderful mercy this
 is6  ,fifth3 ,we have deliverance from 
the self life4  ,the seventh chapter of 
,romans is just the cry of a breaking   
heart and reaches its climax in the     
twenty-fourth verse1 ,o wretched man    
that ,i am6 who shall deliver me from   
the body of this death8  ,but the       
deliverance is in the eighth chapter1   
especially in the second verse1 ,for the
 law of the ,spirit of life in ,christ  
,jesus hath made me free from the law of
 sin and death4 ,what a mercy this is6  
,sixth3 ,for those of us who believe    

there is no condemnation4  ,romans #h3a1
 ,there is therefore now no condemnation
 to them which are in ,christ ,jesus1   
who walk not after the flesh1 but after 
the ,spirit4 ,judgment is past because  
he has been judged4  ,we have nothing to
 do with the great white throne2 ,christ
 as our substitute has met sin's penalty
 and paid our debts4  ,what a mercy this
 is6  ,no wonder ,paul is thrilled with 
the thought of it4  ,seventh3 ,no       
separation4  ,romans #h3ch-ci1 ,for ,i  
am persuaded1 that neither death1 nor   
life1 nor angels1 nor principalities1   
nor powers1 nor things present1 nor     
things to come1 nor height1 nor depth1  
nor any other creature1 shall be able to
 separate us from the love of ,god1     
which is in ,christ ,jesus our ,lord4   
,so that for time we are safe and our   
eternity is sure4  ,was there ever such 
a catalogue of mercies8  ,in the light  
of all this the ,apostle exclaims1 ,i   
beseech you therefore1 brethren1 by the 
mercies of ,god1 that ye present your   

bodies a living sacrifice1 holy1        
acceptable unto ,god1 which is your     
reasonable service 7,romans #ab3a74  ,it
 is a good thing to study ,paul's       
therefores4  ,he is a logician of the   
highest type4  ,in ,romans #e3a1 there  
is the therefore of justification4  ,in 
,romans the eighth chapter and the first
 verse there is the therefore of no     
condemnation4  ,in ,romans the twelfth  
chapter and the first verse there is the
 therefore of consecration1 and this as 
a matter of fact is the outline of the  
,epistle4   ,,ii  ,present your bodies4 
,this means the entire yielding of one's
 self to ,christ4  ,it corresponds to   
the ,old ,testament presentation of the 
burnt offering all of which was         
consumed4  ,back in the ,old ,testament 
times for fourteen years there had been 
no song in the temple1 for it was filled
 with rubbish and uncleanness1 but the  
rubbish was put away and the uncleanness
 vanished1 the burnt offering was       
presented and the song of the ,lord     

began again4  ,if you have lost your    
song and have been deprived of the      
harmony of heaven then present your     
bodies a living sacrifice4  ,there is a 
threefold division in man's nature4     
,the ,spirit1 where ,god abides if we   
are his children4  ,this is like the    
holy of holies4  ,the ,soul1 which is   
the abode of the man himself4  ,the     
,body1 which is the outer court4  ,when 
,christ was crucified the veil of the   
temple was rent in twain and the whole  
was like one great compartment4  ,i     
cannot but think that if we should come 
to the place of complete consecration1  
the acceptance in our lives of what was 
purchased for us when he was crucified1 
for us the veil of the temple would be  
rent in twain and not only would ,god   
abide in our spirits but he would       
suffuse our whole nature1 look with our 
eyes1 and speak with our lips4  ,this   
must have been what ,paul meant when he 
said1 ,i live1 yet not ,i1 but ,christ  
liveth in me4   ,,iii  ,a living        

sacrifice4  ,that is in contrast with   
the dead offering of the ,old ,testament
 sacrifice4  ,suppose for a moment that 
it would have been possible for an      
offering to have been presented in the  
,old ,testament times and then after    
that for it to have lived again2 it is  
inconceivable that this offering would  
have been put to any unholy use4 ,i have
 many times tried to imagine the        
surprise of the son of the widow of     
,nain and the daughter of ,jairus after 
their being raised from the dead4  ,they
 certainly could not have lived selfish1
 sinful lives again1 and ,i am sure that
 ,lazarus when once he had been in the  
grave and was raised at the voice of the
 ,master could never again have been    
worldly and unclean4  ,but let it not be
 forgotten that we are a risen people2  
we were crucified with ,christ1 we died 
with ,christ1 we were buried with       
,christ1 we have risen with ,christ6    
,how then ought we to live8  ,in one of 
our western cities a minister told me   

recently of a young man who had         
graduated at a school for stammerers and
 came to see him one day4  ,keeping time
 with his fingers in the use of his     
words he said slowly3                   
,i--want--to--speak--to--you4  ,without 
following his method of speech through  
,i will quote what he said3 ,i have for 
a long time wanted to be a ,christian   
and was ashamed to attempt to speak when
 it was so imperfectly done1 but now ,i 
have graduated and ,i have the control  
in part at least of my speech1 and ,i   
have come to you to-day to make my      
confession1 for the first use ,i make of
 my voice must be the confession of him 
who loved me and gave himself for me4   
,,iv  ,your reasonable service4  ,it is 
a reasonable service1  ,first3 ,because 
,god uses human instrumentality and he  
needs you1 and it is therefore a        
reasonable demand to make1 for we should
 place ourselves absolutely at his      
disposal4  ,in the guest book of a      
friend ,i saw recently a few lines      

written by ,dr4 ,john ,willis ,baer in  
which he said1 quoting from another3    
,god gave himself for us4  ,god gave    
himself to us4  ,god wants to give      
himself through us4  ,but if our lives  
are inconsistent and our hearts are     
unclean he cannot do it4  ,if we have   
not yielded ourselves altogether ,god   
himself is limited4  ,second3 ,it is a  
reasonable request to make because of   
what ,god has done for us4  ,one of the 
distinguished ministers of the          
,presbyterian ,church told us the other 
day in a conference in a western city   
that a little boy who had been operated 
upon by ,dr4 ,lorenz said as soon as he 
came out from under the anesthetic1 ,it 
will be a long time before my mother    
hears the last of this doctor2 and then1
 said my friend1 ,i thought of an       
incident in my own life of a poor       
,german boy whose feet were twisted out 
of shape1 whose mother was poor and     
could not have him operated upon1 and ,i
 determined to bring him to a great     

doctor and ask him to take him in       
charge4  ,the operation was over and was
 a great success4 ,when the plaster cast
 had been taken off from his feet my    
friend said he went to take him home4   
,he called his attention to the hospital
 and the boy admired it1 but he said1   
',i like the doctor best4'  ,he spoke of
 the nurses and the boy was slightly    
interested1 but said1 ',they are nothing
 compared to the doctor4'  ,he called   
his attention to the perfect equipment  
of the hospital and he was unmoved      
except as again and again he referred to
 the doctor4  ,they reached the         
,missouri town and stepped out of the   
station together1 and the old ,german   
mother was waiting to receive him4  ,she
 did not look at her boy's face nor at  
his hands but she fell on her knees and 
looked at his feet and then said        
sobbing1 ',it is just like any other    
boy's foot4'  ,taken into her arms1 the 
minister said all the boy kept saying to
 her over and over was1 ',mother1 you   

ought to know the doctor that made me   
walk4'  ,then my friend said1 ,there is 
not one of us for whom ,jesus ,christ   
has not done ten thousand times more for
 us than the doctor did for this boy1   
and we have never spoken for him1 we    
have not yielded ourselves to him4  ,it 
must have been with some such spirit as 
this that the ,apostle said1 ,i beseech 
you therefore1 brethren1 by the mercies 
of ,god1 that ye present your bodies a  
living sacrifice1 which is your         
reasonable service 7,romans #ab3a74     
,,the ,,true ,,christian ,,life  ,,text3
 ,my beloved is mine1 and ,i am         
his4--,sol4 ,song #b3af4  ,i am my      
beloved's1 and my beloved is            
mine4--,sol4 ,song #f3c4  ,i am my      
beloved's and his desire is toward      
me4--,sol4 ,song #g3aj4  ,these three   
texts should be read together1 and the  
significant change found in each text as
 the thought unfolds should be studied  
carefully4 ,they remind one of three    
mountain peaks one rising higher than   

the other until the third is lifted into
 the very heavens4  ,indeed1 if one     
should live in the spirit of this third 
text he would enjoy what ,paul has      
described as a life in the heavenly     
places1 and his picture of ,christ would
 be surpassingly beautiful4  ,at the    
same time the three texts give us a     
complete picture of a true ,christian   
life4  ,the first text may be           
regeneration1 the second text           
consecration1 and the third text        
sanctification4  ,the ,jews counted this
 ,book1 the ,song of ,solomon1 as       
exceedingly sacred4 ,they hid it away   
until the child had come to maturity    
before he was allowed to read it1 and it
 was to them the holy of holies of the  
,old ,testament ,scripture4  ,these     
texts are also like the division of the 
ancient tabernacle4  ,there was first of
 all the outer court where the altar of 
sacrifice was to be found--and this must
 be constantly kept in mind1 for no one 
can say my beloved is mine until he has 

passed the altar of sacrifice4  ,it is  
only by faith in ,jesus ,christ that we 
are adopted into the membership of the  
family of ,god4  ,the second division   
was the holy place1 where was found the 
laver4 ,here the priests made themselves
 clean1 and they could not minister in  
the presence of ,jehovah until they had 
been made clean from all earthly        
defilement4  ,this second text gives us 
the same thought1 for here the writer   
changes the order exactly and says1 ,i  
am my beloved1 instead of saying1 ,my   
beloved is mine4  ,this is consecration 
and the consecration of a clean life4   
,god will not accept or use that which  
is unclean1 and it is only as we come to
 the place where we allow him to have   
full control of our lives that we       
realize we are his4  ,the third division
 of the tabernacle was the holy of      
holies1 where the high priest made his  
way once a year that he might stand in  
the presence of ,jehovah4  ,in this     
third text1 where the writer says1 ,i am

 my beloved's1 and his desire is towards
 me1 we have come to the place in our   
experience where if his desire for us   
controls our living we are in the holy  
of holies indeed2 where we can see him  
and enjoy his presence4   ,i  ,my       
beloved is mine4  ,this is regeneration4
  ,a minister once preaching to his     
congregation said1 ,let every one say   
,jesus1 and from all over the           
congregation there came the music of his
 name4  ,now1 said the minister1 ,let   
all those who can1 say 'my ,jesus1' and 
the response was not so hearty4  ,a line
 ran through the congregation separating
 husband from wife and parents from     
children4  ,it is only by faith in      
,christ and by the operation of the     
grace of ,god that we can experience    
this first text4  ,two things are true  
concerning this point4  ,first3 ,he     
wants to make better all that we have4  
,whatever may be our natural            
characteristics1 he can make all that we
 have more beautiful4  ,one day in      

,colorado ,i wanted to make a journey to
 the summit of ,pike's ,peak1 only to   
find that throughout the entire day the 
train was chartered4  ,i was turning    
away in despair when a railroad man     
said1 ,why do you not go up at three    
o'clock to-morrow morning1 for then1 he 
said1 you can see the sun rise1 and the 
sight is beautiful4  ,so the next       
morning we started4  ,just as ,i was    
going on the train a railroad man said1 
,when you come to the sharp turn in the 
way as you go up1 look over in the      
,cripple ,creek district and you will   
see a sight never to be forgotten4  ,we 
climbed higher and higher1 leaving the  
darkness at the foot of the mountain1   
until at last we came to the place      
indicated and ,i looked away1 only to be
 intensely disappointed4  ,the sight was
 almost commonplace4  ,as we pursued the
 journey upward finally we came to      
another place1 where ,i heard some one  
give an exclamation of delight4  ,as ,i 
looked in the same direction there was a

 marvelous transformation4  ,i could see
 before me a mountain which looked like 
a white-robed priest and another like a 
choir of angels and still another like a
 golden ladder reaching up into the     
skies1 and all because the sun had risen
 upon the same scenery which a moment   
ago was uninteresting4  ,if ,christ     
could only thus take possession of our  
lives and become our ,savior the        
transformation would be quite as great4 
,second3 ,he is ours to exercise in our 
behalf all that he is as ,prophet1      
,priest and ,king4  ,his office of      
,prophet relates to the past1 his office
 of ,king to the future when he shall be
 crowned ,king of kings and ,lord of    
lords1 but his office as ,priest is now 
being fulfilled and he is my great ,high
 ,priest to intercede for me with ,god  
and make explanation for all my         
weakness4  ,adelaide ,proctor has given 
us the story of a young girl who was in 
a convent in ,france1 whose special work
 it was to attend the portal and keep   

the altar clean4  ,the war swept over   
,france1 the battle raged near the      
convent1 many of the soldiers were      
killed and a number injured4 ,these were
 borne into the hospital that they might
 be nursed back to strength1 and one of 
them was given to this young girl4  ,her
 nursing was successful1 but he tempted 
her to leave the convent4  ,they made   
their way to ,paris1 where she lost     
everything that makes life worth living4
  ,then1 just a wreck of her former     
self1 she came back again to die within 
the sound of the convent bell4  ,she    
touched the portal and instantly it was 
opened1 not by a girl such as she had   
been but by a woman such as she might   
have been--true and noble4  ,she bore   
her in her arms to her old cell1 nursed 
her back again to a semblance of her old
 strength1 and then she slipped into her
 old place to answer the portal and keep
 the altar clean1 and not a nun in all  
the convent ever knew that she had      
sinned4  ,this is ,christ's ministry in 

our behalf at this time4  ,making up for
 my weakness1 answering for my defects1 
he is my ,high ,priest4   ,,ii  ,i am my
 beloved's4  ,this is really better than
 the first text1 because if he is mine1 
and faith is like a hand of the soul1   
then faith may grow weary and the result
 would be sad2 if ,i am his and he holds
 me then that is different4  ,in ,john  
the tenth chapter1 the twenty-eighth to 
the thirtieth verses1 we have a picture 
of the true sheepfold and of the place  
where the child of ,god may rest1 held  
in the hand of ,god and of his dear son4
  ,and ,i give unto them eternal life2  
and they shall never perish1 neither    
shall any man pluck them out of my hand4
  ,my father1 which gave them unto me1  
is greater than all2 and no man is able 
to pluck them out of my ,father's hand4 
,i and my ,father are one4 ,what a joy  
it is to know that we are his6  ,first3 
,his by redemption1 for we are redeemed 
not with corruptible things such as     
silver and gold1 but with the precious  

blood of ,christ4 ,ye are not your own  
but ye are bought with a price4         
,second3 ,we are his because ,god gave  
us to him2 in his wonderful intercessory
 prayer ,jesus said1 ,thou gavest them  
to me1 and again1 ,ye are not our own4  
,third3 ,we are his because again and   
again we have said so with our lips4    
,how true the text is1 then1 in the     
light of the ,scripture6  ,if this is   
true then what is consecration8  ,it is 
not giving ,god something1 for how could
 we give him that which is already his  
own8 ,consecration is simply taking our 
hands off and letting him have his way  
with us in everything4  ,the late       
,george ,macgregor used to tell the     
story of one of the bishops of the      
,church of ,england1 who had an invalid 
wife and who never could surrender      
beyond a certain point4  ,he was        
unwilling to say that he would give up  
his wife1 for ,god might call him to    
some mission he could not perform1 and  
she had been the constant object of his 

care4  ,but at last he won the victory  
and rose from his knees to say to his   
friend that the surrender should be     
complete1 and then they went into the   
room of his invalid wife to tell her4   
,with a sweet smile upon her face she   
said1 ,i have reached the same decision 
and you can go to the ends of the earth 
if need be4  ,that night the old        
bishop's wife died and when they went   
across the hall to tell the bishop there
 was no answer to their knock4  ,when   
they entered the door they found the    
bishop with eyes closed1 hands folded   
and heart still4  ,he1 too1 had gone4   
,god did not want to separate them4  ,he
 wanted them to be united1 their wills  
surrendered to him and then he would    
send them in the same chariot up into   
heaven4   ,,iii  ,i am my beloved's1 and
 his desire is towards me4  ,if we would
 know ,god's desire for us we have only 
to study the ,scriptures1 and if we     
should fulfill his desires we would have
 an experience of heaven upon earth4    

,first3 ,it is his desire that we should
 be holy4  ,ephesians #a3d1 ,according  
as he hath chosen us in him before the  
foundation of the world1 that we should 
be holy and without blame before him in 
love4 ,holiness in not sinlessness1 it  
is to the spiritual nature what health  
is to the physical life4  ,in other     
words1 ,god desires that we should be   
spiritually healthy1 and this we cannot 
be with secret sins in our lives4       
,second3 ,it is his desire that we      
should be sanctified4  #a ,thessalonians
 #d3c1 ,for this is the will of ,god1   
even your sanctification1 that ye should
 abstain from fornication4              
,sanctification is not sinlessness1 it  
is separation4  ,it is absolutely       
useless to think of pleasing ,god if we 
are in touch with the world in any way1 
for since the days of the crucifixion it
 has been against him4  ,third3 ,it is  
his desire that we should present       
ourselves unto him in the sense above   
suggested--namely1 that we should take  

our hands off from ourselves and allow  
him to direct and to control his own    
possession4  ,romans #ab3a-b1 ,i beseech
 you therefore1 brethren1 by the mercies
 of ,god1 that ye present your bodies a 
living sacrifice1 holy1 acceptable unto 
,god1 which is your reasonable service1 
and be not conformed to this world2 but 
be ye transformed by the renewing of    
your mind1 that ye may prove what is    
that good1 and acceptable1 and perfect1 
will of ,god4  ,romans #f3ac1 ,neither  
yield ye your members as instruments of 
unrighteousness unto sin3 but yield     
yourselves unto ,god1 as those that are 
alive from the dead1 and your members as
 instruments of righteousness unto ,god4
  ,in these expressions the tense of the
 verb indicates that the action is to be
 definite and that it is to be once and 
for all4  ,he has certain desires for us
 also expressed in the seventeenth      
chapter of ,john4  ,first3 ,he desires  
that we should have joy4  ,joy is better
 than happiness2 happiness depends upon 

our surroundings and circumstances1 joy 
has nothing to do with these but rather 
is the result of centering our          
affections upon him4  ,second3 ,he      
desires that we should be one with him4 
,by this ,i am sure he means that we    
should be one in our thought of sin1 one
 in our desire for holiness1 one in our 
efforts to reach the unsaved1 and one in
 our longing in all things to be pure   
and true and good4  ,third3 ,he desires 
to make us the object of his love4  ,in 
this seventeenth chapter of ,john he    
tells us that the same love which he had
 for his son he has for those of us who 
are in his ,son4  ,thank ,god for this4 
,if he must open the windows of heaven  
to speak forth his love for that ,son   
and then has the same for us1 oh1 what  
joy it is to be a ,christian6