,,wondrous ,,love ,,and ,,other ,,gospel ,,addresses ,,by ,d4 ,l4 ,,moody ,,author ,,of ,,prevailing ,,prayer ,,sovereign ,,grace ,,etc4 ,,delivered ,,during ,,messrs4 ,,moody ,,and ,,sankey',s ,,first ,,campaign ,,in ,,england ,,pickering ,,inglis #ad ,,paternoster ,,row1 ,,london1 ,e4,c4 #d #bbi ,,bothwell ,,street1 ,,glasgow1 ,c4 #b #bi ,,george ,,iv4 ,,bridge1 ,,edinburgh ,,the ,,world-,,wide ,,library ,,the ,,seeking ,,saviour ,by ,dr4 ,w4 ,p4 ,mackay ,author of ,grace and ,truth ,,how ,,and ,,when ,do we ,become ,children of ,god8 #ej ,answers by ,well-,known ,men ,,the ,,good ,,shepherd ,by ,h4 ,forbes ,witherby ,,abundant ,,grace ,by ,,dr4 ,w4 ,p4 ,,mackay ,author of ,grace and ,truth ,,forgiveness1 ,,life ,,and ,,glory ,by ,sir ,s4 ,arthur ,blackwood ,,wondrous ,,love3 ,original ,addresses ,by ,d4 ,l4 ,moody ,first issued in #ahgf ,made and ,printed in ,great ,britain ,,contents ,christ's ,boundless ,compassion ,the ,new ,birth ,the ,blood 7,two ,addresses7 ,christ ,all in ,all ,naaman the ,syrian ,one ,word--,gospel ,the ,way of ,salvation ,eight ,i wills of ,christ ,the ,right ,kind of ,faith ,the ,dying ,thief ,,wondrous ,,love ,god loved the world of sinners lost ,and ruined by the fall2 ,salvation full1 at highest cost1 ,he offers free to all4 ,oh1 'twas love1 'twas wondrous love1 ,the love of ,god to me2 ,it brought my ,saviour from above1 ,to die on ,calvary6 ,e'en now by faith ,i claim ,him mine1 ,the risen ,son of ,god2 ,redemption by ,his death ,i find1 ,and cleansing through the blood4 ,love brings the glorious fulness in1 ,and to ,his saints makes known ,the blessed rest from inbred sin1 ,through faith in ,christ alone4 ,believing souls1 rejoicing go2 ,there shall to you be given ,a glorious foretaste1 here below1 ,of endless life in heaven4 ,of victory now o'er ,satan's power ,let all the ransomed sing1 ,and triumph in the dying hour ,through ,christ1 the ,lord1 our ,king4 ,,wondrous ,,love ,addresses by ,d4 ,l4 ,moody ,,christ',s ,,boundless ,,compassion ,and ,jesus went forth1 and saw a great multitude1 and was moved with compassion toward them1 and ,he healed their sick4--,matthew xiv4 #ad4 ,it is often recorded in ,scripture that ,jesus was moved by compassion2 and we are told in this verse that after the disciples of ,john had come to ,him and told ,him that their master had been beheaded1 that he had been put to a cruel death1 ,he went out into a desert place1 and the multitude followed ,him1 and that when ,he saw the multitude ,he had compassion on them1 and healed their sick4 ,if ,he were here to-night in person1 standing in my place1 ,his heart would be moved as ,he looked down into your faces1 because ,he could also look into your hearts1 and could read the burdens and troubles and sorrows you have to bear4 ,they are hidden from my eye1 but ,he knows all about them1 and so when the multitude gathered round about ,him1 ,he knew how many weary1 broken1 and aching hearts there were there4 ,but ,he is here to-night1 although we cannot see ,him with the bodily eye1 and there is not a sorrow1 or trouble1 or affliction which any of you are enduring but ,he knows all about it2 and ,he is the same to-night as ,he was when here upon earth--the same ,jesus1 the same ,man of compassion4 ,when ,he saw that multitude ,he had compassion on it1 and healed their sick2 and ,i hope ,he will heal a great many sin-sick souls here1 and will bind up a great many broken hearts4 ,and let me say1 in the opening of this sermon1 that there is no heart so bruised and broken but the ,son of ,god will have compassion upon you1 if you will let ,him4 ,he will not break a bruised reed1 nor quench the smoking flax4 ,he came into the world to bring mercy1 and joy1 and compassion1 and love4 ,if ,i were an artist ,i should like to draw some pictures to-night1 and put before you that great multitude on which ,he had compassion4 ,and then ,i would draw another painting of that man coming to ,him full of leprosy1 full of it from head to foot4 ,there he was1 banished from his home1 banished from his friends1 and he comes to ,jesus with his sad and miserable story4 ,and now1 my friends1 let us make ,,the ,,bible ,,stories ,,real1 for that is what they are4 ,think of that man4 ,think how much he had suffered4 ,i don't know how many years he had been away from his wife and children and home2 but there he was4 ,he had put on a strange and particular garb1 so that anybody coming near him might know that he was unclean4 ,and when he saw any one approaching him he had to raise the warning cry1 ,unclean6 unclean6 unclean6 ,aye1 and if the wife of his bosom were to come out to tell him that a beloved child was sick and dying1 he durst not come near her1 he was obliged to fly4 ,he might hear her voice at a distance1 but he could not be there to see his child in its last dying moments4 ,he was1 as it were1 in a living sepulchre2 it was worse than death4 ,there he was1 dying by inches1 an outcast from everybody and everything1 and not a hand put out to relieve him4 ,oh1 what a terrible life6 ,then think of him coming to ,christ1 and when ,christ saw him1 it says ,he was moved with compassion4 ,he had a heart that beat in sympathy with the poor leper1 ,he had compassion on him1 and the man came to ,him and said1 ,lord1 if ,thou wilt1 ,thou cant make me clean4 ,he knew there was no one to do it but the ,son of ,god ,himself1 and ,,the ,,great ,,heart ,,of ,,christ was moved with compassion towards him4 ,hear the gracious words that fell from ,his lips--,i will2 be thou clean6 and the leprosy fled1 and the man was made whole immediately4 ,look at him now on his way back home to his wife and children and friends6 ,no longer an outcast1 no longer a loathsome thing1 no longer cursed with that terrible leprous disease1 but going back to his friends rejoicing4 ,now1 my friends1 you may say you pity a man who was so badly off1 but did it ever strike you that you are a thousand times worse off8 ,the leprosy of the soul is far worse than the leprosy of the body4 ,i would rather a thousand times have the body full of leprosy than go down to hell with the soul full of sin4 ,a good deal better that this right hand of mine were lopped off1 that this right foot should decay1 and that ,i should go halt and lame and blind all the days of my life1 than be banished from ,god by the leprosy of sin4 ,hear the wailing and the agony and the woe that is going up from this earth caused by sin6 ,if there is one poor sin-sick soul filled with leprosy here to-night1 if you come to ,christ ,he will have compassion on you1 and say1 as ,he did to that man1 ,i will2 be thou clean4 ,,the ,,dead ,,raised4 ,well1 now we come to the next picture that represents ,him as moved with compassion4 ,look into that little home4 ,there is a poor widow sitting there4 ,perhaps a few months before she had buried her husband1 and now she has an only son4 ,how she dotes upon him6 ,she looks to him to be her stay and her support and friend in her old age4 ,she loves him far better than her own life-blood4 ,but see1 at last sickness enters the dwelling1 and death comes with it1 and lays his ice-cold hand upon the young man4 ,you can see that widowed mother watching over him day and night2 but at last those eyes are closed1 and that loved voice is hushed1 she thinks1 for ever4 ,she will never see or hear him more after he is buried out of her sight4 ,and so the hour comes for his burial4 ,many of you have been in the house of mourning1 and have been with your friends when they have gone to the grave and looked at the loved one for the last time4 ,there is not one here1 ,i dare say1 who has not lost some beloved one4 ,i never went to a funeral and saw a mother take the last look of her child but it has pierced my heart1 and ,i could not keep back the tears at such a sight4 ,well1 the mother kisses her only son on that poor1 icy forehead2 it is her last kiss1 her last look1 and now the body is covered up1 and they put him on the bier and start for the place of burial4 ,she had a great many friends1 ,the little town of ,nain was moved at the sight of the widow's only son being borne away4 ,i see that great crowd as they come pushing out of the gates2 but over yonder are thirteen men1 weary1 and dusty1 and tired1 and they have to stand by the wayside to let this great crowd pass by1 and the ,son of ,god is in this group1 and the others with ,him are ,his disciples4 ,and ,he looked upon that scene and saw the mother with her broken heart2 ,he saw it bleeding1 crushed1 and wounded1 and it touched ,his heart4 ,yes1 the great heart of the ,son of ,god was moved with compassion1 and ,he came up and touched the bier1 and said1 ,,young ,,man1 ,,arise6 and the young man came forth4 ,i can see the multitude startled and astonished2 ,i can see the widowed mother going back rejoicing with the morning rays of the resurrection shining in her heart4 ,yes1 ,he had indeed compassion on her4 ,and there is not a widow in this hall but ,christ's voice will respond to your trouble and give you peace4 ,oh1 dear friends1 let me say to you whose hearts are aching1 you need a friend like ,jesus4 ,he is just the friend the widow needs2 ,he is just the friend every poor bleeding heart needs2 ,he will have compassion on you and will bind up your wounded1 bleeding heart if you will only come to ,him just as you are4 ,he will receive you1 without upbraiding or chastising1 to ,his loving bosom1 and say1 ,peace1 be still1 and you can walk in the unclouded sunlight of ,his love from this night4 ,christ will be worth more to you than all the world besides4 ,he is just the friend that all of you need2 and ,i pray ,god you may every one of you know ,him from this hour as your ,saviour and friend4 ,,the ,,man ,,who ,,was ,,robbed ,,and ,,spoiled4 ,the next picture which ,i shall show you to illustrate ,christ's compassion is the man that was going down to ,jericho and fell among thieves4 ,they had taken away his coat1 aye1 and if he had a watch they would have taken that as well4 ,however1 they took his money1 and stripped him1 and left him half dead4 ,look at him wounded1 bleeding1 dying2 and now comes down the road a priest1 and he looks upon the scene4 ,his heart might have been touched1 but he was not moved with compassion enough to help the poor man4 ,he might have said1 ,poor fellow2 but he passed by on the other side and left him4 ,after him came down a ,levite1 and he said1 ,poor man2 but he was not moved with compassion to help him4 ,ah1 there are a good many like the priest and ,levite6 ,perhaps some of you coming down to this hall meet a drunkard reeling in the street1 and just say1 ,poor fellow1 or it may be you laugh because he stammers out some foolish thing4 ,we are very unlike the ,son of ,god4 ,at last a ,samaritan came down that way1 and he looked down on the man and had compassion on him4 ,he got off his beast1 and took oil and poured it into his wounds1 and bound them up1 and took him out of the ditch1 helpless as he was1 and placed him on his own beast1 and brought him to an inn1 and took care of him4 ,that good ,samaritan represents your ,christ and mine4 ,he came into the world to seek and to save ,,that ,,which ,,was ,,lost4 ,young man1 have you come to ,london1 and fallen in with bad companions8 ,have they taken you to theatres and vicious places1 and left you bleeding and wounded8 ,oh1 come to-night to the ,son of ,god1 and ,he will have compassion on you1 and take you off from the dunghill1 and transform you1 and lift you up into ,his kingdom1 and into the heights of ,his glory1 if you will only let ,him6 ,i do not care who you are2 ,i do not care what your past life may have been4 ,as ,he said to the poor woman caught in adultery1 ,neither do ,i condemn thee3 go1 and sin no more4 ,he had compassion upon her1 and ,he will have compassion on you4 ,that man coming down from ,jerusalem to ,jericho represents thousands in ,london1 and that good ,samaritan represents the ,son of ,god4 ,young man1 ,jesus ,christ has set ,his heart on saving you4 ,will you receive ,his love and compassion8 ,do not have such hard thoughts about the ,son of ,god4 ,do not think ,he has come to condemn you4 ,he has come to save you4 ,,the ,,prodigal4 ,but ,i should like to draw another picture1 another scene--that young man going away from his home that we read of in the fifteenth chapter of ,luke2 an ungrateful man1 an ungrateful wretch as ever one saw4 ,he could not wait for his inheritance till his father was dead1 he wanted his share at once2 and so he said to his father1 ,give me the goods that belong to me1 and his good old father gives him the goods1 and away he goes4 ,i can see him now as he starts on his journey1 full of pride1 boastful and arrogant1 going out to see life1 off in grand style to some foreign country--say1 going down to ,london4 ,how many have come down to ,london1 that being the far country to them1 squandering all their money4 ,yes1 he was a popular man as long as he had money4 ,his friends last as long as his money lasts2 a very popular young man in ,london1 hail-fellow-well-met greets him everywhere4 ,he always paid the liquor bill and cigars4 ,yes1 he had plenty of friends in ,london4 ,what grand folly6 ,but when his money was gone1 where were his friends8 ,oh1 you that serve the devil1 you have a hard master6 ,well1 when the prodigal's money was all gone1 of course they laughed at him1 and called him a fool2 and so he was4 ,what a blind1 misguided young man he was6 ,just see what he lost4 ,he lost his father's home1 his table and food1 and testimony1 and every comfort1 and lost his work1 except what he got down there while feeding those swine4 ,he was in an unlawful business4 ,and that's just what ,,the ,,backslider is doing2 he is in the devil's pay4 ,you are losing your time and testimony4 ,no one has any confidence in a backslider2 for even the world despises such a character4 ,this young man lost his testimony4 ,look at him amongst the swine4 ,at last one in that far country comes along1 and1 taking stock of him1 says1 ,look at that miserable1 wretched1 dirty1 barefooted fellow taking care of swine4 ,ah1 says the prodigal1 don't talk to me like that4 ,why1 my father's a rich man1 and has got servants better dressed than you are4 ,don't tell me that1 says the other4 ,if you had such a father as that1 ,i know very well he wouldn't own you4 ,and no one would believe him4 ,,he ,,had ,,lost ,,his ,,testimony4 ,no one believes a backslider4 ,let him talk about his enjoyment with ,god1 nobody believes it4 ,oh1 poor backslider1 ,i pity you6 ,you had better come home again4 ,well1 at last the poor prodigal comes to himself1 and he says1 ,i will arise and go to my father1 and now he starts4 ,look at him as he goes along1 pale and hungry1 with his head down2 his strength is exhausted1 and perhaps disease in his frame1 and so shattered that no one would know him but his father4 ,love is keen to detect its object4 ,the old man has often been longing for his return4 ,i can see him many a night up on the house-top looking out to catch a glimpse of him4 ,many a long night he has wrestled with ,god that his prodigal son might come back4 ,everything he had heard from that far country told him his boy was going to ruin as fast as he could go4 ,the old man spent much time in prayer for him1 and at last faith begins to arise1 and he says1 ,i believe ,god will send back my boy2 and one day the old man sees afar off that long-lost boy4 ,he does not know him by his dress1 but he detected the gait of him1 and he says to himself1 ,yes1 that's my boy4 ,i see him now pass down the stairs2 he rushes along the highway2 he is running4 ,ah6 that is just like ,god4 ,many a time in the ,bible ,god is represented as running2 ,he is in great haste to meet the backslider4 ,yes1 the old man is running2 he sees him afar off1 and he has compassion on him4 ,the boy wanted to tell him his story what he had done1 and where he had been1 but the old man could not wait to hear him2 his heart was filled with compassion1 and he took him to his loving bosom4 ,the boy wanted to go down into the kitchen1 but the old man would not let him4 ,no1 but he bade the servants put shoes on his feet1 and a ring on his finger1 and kill the fatted calf1 and make merry4 ,the prodigal has come home1 the wanderer has returned1 and the old man rejoices over the backslider's return4 ,oh1 backslider1 come home1 and there will be joy in your heart and in the heart of ,god4 ,may ,god bring the backsliders back to-night--this very hour4 ,say as the poor prodigal did1 ,i will arise and go to my father1 and on the authority of ,god ,i tell you ,god will receive you2 ,he will blot out your sins1 and restore you to ,his love1 and you shall walk again in the light of ,his reconciled countenance4 ,,christ ,,weeps ,,over ,,jerusalem4 ,but look again4 ,he comes to mount ,olivet4 ,he is under the shadow of the cross4 ,the city bursts upon ,him4 ,yonder is the ,temple2 ,he sees it in all its grandeur and glory4 ,the people are shouting1 ,hosanna to the ,son of ,david6 ,they are breaking off the palm branches1 and taking off their garments1 and spreading them before ,him1 still shouting1 ,hosanna to the ,son of ,david6 and bowing down before ,him4 ,but ,he forgets it all4 ,yes1 even ,calvary with all its sorrow ,he forgets4 ,gethsemane lay there at the foot of the hill2 ,he forgot it too4 ,as ,he looked upon the city which ,he loved1 the great heart of the ,son of ,god was moved with compassion1 and ,he cried aloud1 ,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 ,my friends1 look at ,him there weeping over ,jerusalem4 ,what a wonderful city it might have been4 ,how exalted to heaven it was4 ,oh1 if they had only known the day of their visitation1 and had received instead of rejected their king1 what a blessing ,he would have been to them6 ,oh1 poor backslider1 behold the ,lamb of ,god weeping over you1 and crying to you to come to ,him1 and receive shelter and refuge from the storm which has yet to sweep over this earth6 ,,look ,,at ,,poor ,,peter1 ,see what he does4 ,he denied the ,lord1 and swore he never knew ,him4 ,if ever ,he needed sympathy1 if ever ,he needed ,his disciples round ,him1 it was that night1 when they were bringing false witnesses against ,him1 that ,he might be condemned to death2 and there was ,peter1 one of ,his foremost disciples1 swearing he never knew ,him4 ,he might have turned on ,peter and said1 ,peter1 is it true you don't know me8 ,is it true you have forgotten how ,i cured and healed your wife's mother when she lay at the point of death8 ,is it true you have forgotten how ,i raised you up when you were sinking in the sea8 ,is it true1 ,peter1 you forgot how you were with me on the mount of transfiguration1 when heaven and earth came together1 and you heard the voice speaking from the clouds8 ,is it true you have forgotten that mountain scene when you wanted to build the three tabernacles8 ,is it true1 ,peter1 you have forgotten me8 ,yes1 thus ,he might have taunted poor ,peter2 but instead of that ,he just gave him one look of compassion that broke his heart1 and he went out and wept bitterly4 ,,the ,,persecuting ,,saul4 ,again1 look at that bold blasphemer and persecutor who was going to stamp out the early ,church1 and was breathing out threatenings and slaughter1 when ,christ met him on his way to ,damascus4 ,it is the same ,jesus still4 ,listen1 and hear what ,he says--,saul1 ,saul1 why persecutest thou ,me8 ,why1 ,he could have smitten him to the earth with a look or a breath2 but instead of that1 the heart of the ,son of ,god was moved with compassion1 and ,he cries out1 ,saul1 ,saul1 why persecutest thou ,me8 ,if there is a persecutor here to-night1 ,i would ask you1 ,why persecute ,jesus8 ,he loves you1 sinner2 ,he loves you1 persecutor4 ,you never received anything but goodness and kindness and love from ,him4 ,and ,saul cried out1 ,who art thou8 ,and ,he answered1 ,i am ,jesus whom thou persecutest3 it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks4 ,it is hard to fight against such a loving friend1 to contend against one who loves you as ,i do2 and down comes the proud1 persecuting ,saul1 down upon his face1 and he cried out1 ,lord1 what wouldst ,thou have me to do8 ,and the ,lord told him1 and he went and did it4 ,may the ,lord have compassion upon the infidel1 and sceptic1 and persecutor4 ,let me ask you1 my friend1 ,is there any reason why you should hate ,christ1 or why your heart should be turned against ,him8 ,i remember a story about a teacher telling the scholars all to follow ,jesus1 and how they might all be missionaries1 and go out to work for others4 ,and one day one of the smallest came to her and said1 ,i asked such and such a one to come with me1 and they said they would like to come1 but their father was an infidel4 ,,why ,,don',t ,,you ,,love ,,jesus8 ,and the young child wanted to know what an infidel was1 and the teacher went on to explain to her4 ,and one day1 when she was on her way to school1 this infidel was coming out of the post office with his letters in his hand1 when the child ran up to him1 and said1 ,why don't you love ,jesus8 ,he thought at first to push her aside1 but the child pressed it home again1 ,why don't you love ,jesus8 ,if it had been a man1 the infidel would have resented it2 but he did not know what to do with the child1 and with tears in her eyes she asked him again1 ,oh6 please1 tell me1 why don't you love ,jesus8 ,he went on to his office1 but he felt as if every letter he opened read1 ,why don't you love ,jesus8 ,he attempted to write1 with the same result2 every letter seemed to ask him1 ,why don't you love ,jesus8 and he threw down his pen in despair1 and went out of his office1 but he could not get rid of the question2 it was asked by a still small voice within1 and as he walked along it seemed as if the very ground and the very heavens whispered to him1 ,why don't you love ,jesus8 ,at last he went home1 and there it seemed as if his own children asked him the question1 so he said to his wife1 ,i will go to bed early to-night1 thinking to sleep it away2 but when he laid his head on the pillow it seemed as if the pillow whispered it to him4 ,so he got up about midnight1 and said1 ,i can find out where ,christ contradicts ,himself1 and ,i'll search it out and prove ,him a liar4 ,well1 the man got up1 and turned to the ,gospel of ,john1 and read on from the beginning until he came to the words1 ,god so loved the world1 that ,he gave ,his only begotten ,son1 that whosoever believeth in ,him should not perish1 but have everlasting life4 ,what love6 he thought2 and at last the old infidel's heart was stirred4 ,he could find no reason for not loving ,jesus1 and down he went on his knees and prayed1 and before the sun rose the old infidel was in the kingdom of ,god4 ,i will challenge any one on the face of the earth to find any reason for not loving ,christ4 ,it is only here on earth men think they have a reason for not doing so4 ,in heaven they know ,him1 and they shout1 ,worthy is the ,lamb that was slain4 ,oh1 sinner1 if you knew ,him you would have no wish to find a reason for not loving ,him4 ,he is the chiefest among ten thousand1 and altogether lovely4 ,i can imagine a good many saying1 ,i should like very much to become a ,christian1 and ,i should like to know how ,i can come to ,him1 and be saved4 ,,come ,,to ,,him ,,as ,a ,,personal ,,friend4 ,for twenty years ,i have made this a rule4 ,christ is just as habitually near1 as personally present to me as any other person living2 and when ,i have any troubles1 trials1 and afflictions1 ,i go to ,him with them4 ,when ,i want counsel ,i go to ,him1 just as if ,i could talk face to face with ,him4 ,twenty years ago ,god met me one night and took me to ,his bosom1 and ,i would sooner give up my life to-night than give up ,christ1 or that ,i should leave ,him1 or that ,he should leave me1 and that ,i should have no one to bear my burdens1 or tell my sorrows to4 ,why1 ,he is worth more than all the world beside2 and to-night ,he will have compassion upon you as ,he had upon me4 ,i tried for weeks to find a way to ,him1 and ,i just went and laid my burden upon ,him1 and then ,he revealed ,himself to me1 and ,i have ever since found ,him a true and sympathizing friend1 just the friend you need4 ,go right straight to ,him4 ,you need not go to this man or that man1 to this church or that church4 ,i am the ,way1 the ,truth1 and the ,life4 ,there is no name so dear to the ,americans as that of ,,abraham ,,lincoln1 and in an audience like this in ,america you would see the tears trickle down many a cheek at his name3 he is very dear to us ,americans4 ,do you want to know the reason why8 ,i will tell you4 ,he was a man of compassion2 he was very gentle1 and was noted for his heart of sympathy for the down-trodden and the poor4 ,no one went to him with a tale of sympathy but he had compassion on them1 no matter how far down they were in the scale of society4 ,he always took an interest in the poor4 ,there was a time in our history when we thought he had too much compassion4 ,many of our soldiers did not understand army discipline1 and a great many were not true to the army regulations4 ,they intended to be1 but they did not understand them4 ,many a man consequently went wrong1 and they were court-martialed and condemned to be shot2 but ,abraham ,lincoln would always pardon them2 and at length the nation rose up against him1 and said that he was to merciful1 and ultimately they got him to give out that if a man was court-martialed he must be shot1 that there would be no more reprieves4 ,,the ,,sleeping ,,sentinel4 ,a few weeks after this1 news came that a young soldier had been sleeping at his post4 ,he was court-martialed1 and condemned to be shot4 ,the boy wrote to his mother1 ,i do not want you to think ,i do not love my country1 but it came about in this way3 ,my comrade was sick1 and ,i went out on picket for him2 and the next night he ought to have come1 but still being sick ,i went out for him again1 and without intending it ,i fell asleep4 ,i did not intend to be disloyal4 ,it was a very touching letter1 and the mother and father said there is no chance1 there will be no more reprieves4 ,but there was a little girl in that home1 and she knew that ,abraham ,lincoln had a little boy1 and how he loved that little boy2 and she said if ,abraham ,lincoln knew how my father and mother loved my brother he would never allow him to be shot1 and she took the train to go and plead for her brother2 and when she got to the ,president's mansion the difficulty arose how was she to get past the sentinel4 ,so she told him her story1 and the tears ran down his cheeks1 and he let her pass4 ,but the next trouble was how to get past the secretary and the other officials4 ,however1 she succeeded in getting1 unobstructed1 into his private room1 and there were the senators and ministers busy with ,state affairs4 ,the ,president saw the child1 and called her to him1 and said1 ,my child1 what can ,i do for you8 and she told him her story4 ,the big tears rolled down his cheeks4 ,he was a father1 and his heart was full2 he could not stand it4 ,he treated the girl with kindness1 and then having reprieved the boy1 gave him thirty days furlough1 and sent him home to see his mother4 ,his heart was full of compassion4 ,and1 let me tell you1 ,christ's heart is more full of compassion than any man's4 ,you are condemned to die for your sins2 but if you come to ,him ,he will say1 ,loose him1 and let him go 7,john xi474 ,he will rebuke ,satan1 and the dead shall live4 ,go to ,him as that little girl went to the ,president1 and tell ,him all2 keep nothing from ,him1 and ,he will say1 ,go in peace4 ,,the ,,touch ,,of ,,compassion4 ,let me ask the poor backslider1 ,did you ever feel the touch of the hand of ,jesus8 ,if so1 you will know it again1 for there is love in it4 ,there is a story told in connection with our war of a mother who received a despatch that her boy was mortally wounded4 ,she went down to the front1 as she knew that those soldiers told to watch the sick and wounded could not watch her boy as she would4 ,so she went to the doctor1 and said1 ,would you like me to take care of my boy8 ,the doctor said1 ,we have just let him go to sleep1 and if you go to him the surprise will be so great it might be dangerous to him4 ,he is in a very critical state4 ,i will break the news to him gradually4 ,but1 said the mother1 he may never wake up4 ,i should so dearly like to see him4 ,oh1 how she longed to see him6 and finally the doctor said1 ,you can see him1 but if you wake him up and he dies1 it will be your fault4 ,well1 she said1 ,i will not wake him up if ,i may only go by his dying cot and see him4 ,well1 she went to the side of the cot4 ,her eyes had longed to see him2 and as she gazed upon him she could not keep her hand off that pallid forehead1 and she laid it gently there4 ,there was love and sympathy in that hand1 and the moment the slumbering boy felt it1 he said1 ,oh1 mother1 have you come8 ,he knew there was sympathy and affection in the touch of that hand4 ,and if you1 oh1 sinner1 will let ,jesus reach out ,his hand and touch your heart1 you1 too1 will find there is sympathy and love in it4 ,that every lost soul here may be saved1 and come to the arms of our blessed ,saviour1 is the prayer of my heart6 ,jesus1 my ,saviour1 to ,bethlehem come1 ,born in a manger to sorrow and shame2 ,oh it was wonderful blest be ,his name1 ,seeking for me1 for me4 ,jesus1 my ,saviour1 on ,calvary's tree1 ,paid my great debt1 and my soul ,he set free2 ,oh1 it was wonderful1 how could it be6 ,dying for me1 for me4 ,,the ,,new ,,birth ,except a man be born again1 he cannot see the kingdom of ,god4--,john iii4 #c ,much less inherit it4 ,he can't even get a glimpse of the kingdom of ,god except he be born again4 ,i believe this is the most important subject that will ever come before us in this world4 ,i don't believe there is any truth in the whole ,bible so important as the truth brought out in the third chapter of the ,gospel of ,john4 ,it is the ,a ,b ,c of ,god's alphabet4 ,if a man is unsound on regeneration1 he is unsound on everything4 ,that is really the foundation-stone2 and he must get the foundation right4 ,if he don't1 what is the good of trying to build a house8 ,now1 ,christ says plainly1 ,except a man be born again1 he cannot see the kingdom of ,god4 ,but although regeneration or the new birth is taught so plainly in the third chapter of ,john1 ,i don't believe there is any truth in the whole ,bible that there is such great darkness about as this great truth4 ,there are a great many like the man that saw men as trees walking4 ,many ,christians do not seem to be clear about this new birth4 ,,born ,a ,,christian4 ,only this afternoon1 as ,i was in the inquiry-room1 a person came in1 and ,i said1 ,are you a ,christian8 ,why1 she says1 of course ,i am4 ,well1 ,i said1 how long have you been one8 ,oh1 sir1 ,i was born one6 ,oh6 indeed1 then ,i am very glad to take you by the hand2 ,i congratulate you2 you are the first woman ,i ever met who was born a ,christian2 you are more fortunate than others2 they are born children of ,adam4 ,she hesitated a little1 and then tried to make out that1 because she was born in ,england1 she was a ,christian4 ,there are many who have the idea1 that because they are born in a ,christian country1 they have been born of the ,spirit4 ,now1 in this third chapter of ,john1 the new birth is brought out so plain1 that if any one will read it carefully and prayerfully1 ,i think his eyes will soon be opened4 ,that which is born of the flesh is flesh2 it remains flesh2 and that which is born of the ,spirit is spirit1 and remains spirit4 ,so1 when a man is born of ,god1 he has ,god's nature4 ,when a man is born of his parents1 he receives their nature1 and they received the nature of their parents1 and you can trace it back to ,adam4 ,but when a man is born of ,god1 or born from above1 or born of the ,spirit--that is the way the ,holy ,ghost puts it in that third verse--he receives ,god's nature1 and then it is he leaves the life of the flesh for the life of the spirit4 ,before ,i go on ,i want to say one thing1 and that is1 what this new birth1 or being born of the ,spirit1 is not4 ,a great many think they have been born again because they go to church4 ,a great many say1 ,oh1 yes1 ,i am a ,christian2 ,i go to church every ,sabbath6 ,let me say here that there is no one that goes to church so regularly in all ,london as ,satan4 ,he is always there before the minister1 and he is the last one out of the church4 ,there is not a church in ,london1 or a chapel1 but that he is a regular attendant of it4 ,the idea that he is only down in the slums and lanes and alleys of ,london is a false idea4 ,he is wherever the ,word is preached2 it is his business to be there1 and catch away the seed4 ,he is here to-night4 ,some of you may go to sleep1 but he won't4 ,some of you may not listen to the sermon1 but he will4 ,he will be watching1 and when the seed is just entering into some heart he will go and catch it away4 ,a ,,christian ,,because ,,baptized4 ,another class say1 ,oh1 yes1 ,i am a ,christian1 because ,i was baptized4 ,now1 ,i want to say here that baptism is one thing1 and being born again is another4 ,because a person is baptized1 you cannot say that that is the new birth4 ,would you call that being born from above8 ,you cannot baptize a man into the kingdom of ,god4 ,now1 bear that in mind4 ,if ,i could save men by baptizing them1 you would not catch me preaching4 ,i would get water and baptize them2 that would be the quickest way4 ,it would be no use to be praying and pleading for men to flee from the wrath of ,god4 ,but you can never get them into the kingdom of ,god by baptism4 ,baptism is all right in its place4 ,i am not here crying down church ordinances2 ,i am talking about the new birth3 and there are a great many1 ,i believe1 being deceived on this one point1 that because they have been baptized at some time in their life they have become ,christians4 ,but that is not the new birth2 that is not being born from above and of the ,spirit4 ,do not let ,satan deceive you1 my friends1 on that point1 for it is a very important truth2 and we want to have every one here to understand1 and ,i hope the ,spirit of ,god will make plain the difference between baptism and regeneration1 or being born of the ,spirit4 ,,joining ,,the ,,church4 ,there is another class that say1 ,oh1 yes1 ,i became a ,christian when ,i joined the church4 ,that is not being born again4 ,what has that to do with the new birth1 being united with the church on earth8 ,there are a great many united with the church who are on their way to death and ruin4 ,a great many have no hope of eternal life who are church members4 ,one of the twelve ,christ chose to follow ,him turned out a hypocrite and a traitor2 he was not loyal to ,christ at heart4 ,my friends1 don't build your hope of heaven upon some profession of your faith1 but bear in mind you must be born of ,god4 ,now just let me stop a minute1 and you think1 and ask yourselves this question1 ,have ,i been born again8 ,it is the most solemn question that will ever come before you down here1 ,have ,i been born from above8 ,have ,i been born of the ,spirit8 ,it is not making some new resolutions4 ,you have made enough of them4 ,i never met any one who had not made some good resolutions in their life4 ,it is not trying to do good4 ,a great many say1 ,i try to do the best ,i can1 and ,i think it will come out all right4 ,what is that to do with the new birth and the new creation8 ,god does not promise salvation to him that tries to do the best he can1 but to him that believeth1 or that is born of the ,spirit2 for except a man be born again1 he cannot see the kingdom of ,god4 ,,the ,,new ,,birth ,,instantaneous4 ,now1 ,i believe this new birth is instantaneous4 ,i have met a great many people who cannot tell the day or the hour of their conversion2 but there must have been a time when they passed from death unto life--when they were born of the ,spirit4 ,there must have been a time when their names were written in the ,book of ,life4 ,they may not be conscious of the day1 or the hour1 or the week1 or the month1 or the year2 but1 my friends1 ,i beg of you to be sure that you have been born of the ,spirit4 ,don't be deceived upon this one truth1 because ,christ ,himself says1 ,except a man be born again1 he cannot see the kingdom of ,god4 ,,the ,,flesh ,,cannot ,,serve ,,god4 ,as ,i said before1 when ,i was born of my parents ,i received their nature1 ,i received the nature of the flesh2 and ,i cannot serve ,god in the flesh4 ,god is a ,spirit1 and they that worship ,him must worship ,him in spirit and in truth4 ,and before a man can worship ,god he must be born of ,god2 he must be born of the ,spirit4 ,then with this new birth1 with this new life1 he can serve ,god2 then the yoke is easy1 and the burden is light4 ,a man may as well try to fly to the moon as to serve ,god before he has been born of the ,spirit2 it is utterly impossible4 ,the natural man is at enmity against ,god2 his natural heart is at war with ,god2 it always has been1 and it always will be4 ,and not only that1 but you cannot make it better4 ,god never mends1 ,he creates anew2 therefore don't be trying to patch up that old ,adam nature4 ,god says1 ,it shall never come into my presence4 ,therefore ,god has just set it aside4 ,but ,he tells us how we are to come into ,his presence1 and how we are to get into ,his kingdom4 ,this is worthy to be borne in mind4 ,you cannot educate men into it4 ,that is what the world is trying to do4 ,but he that climbeth up by some other way than the ,lord's way1 the same is a thief and a robber4 ,you had better be born into it in ,god's way4 ,we have a law in ,america that no man shall be ,president of the ,united ,states that has not been born on ,american soil4 ,we have a great many ,englishmen come to ,america1 and a great many men from all parts of the world1 and yet ,i have never heard one complain of that law4 ,they say ,america has the right to say who shall be ,president4 ,i come here to your country1 and ,i do not complain because you have a ,queen to reign over you4 ,what right have ,i to complain8 ,has not ,england a right to say who shall rule it1 and who shall be its ,queen8 ,foreigners have no right to interfere4 ,and ,i would like to ask you this question1 ,has not ,god a right to say who shall come into ,his kingdom1 and how we shall come8 ,now1 my friend1 ,god tells us here we are to come into ,his kingdom by the new birth4 ,we must be born from above1 born of the ,spirit1 and then we get a nature that goes out towards ,god4 ,if you take a drunken man1 and put him on the very pavement of heaven1 he will not be happy there4 ,the drunkard doesn't want heaven4 ,what is he to do there8 ,he has no whisky to drink there1 and he has none of his old companions4 ,what is he to do8 ,he would say1 ,this is hell to me4 ,i don't want to stay here4 ,a man that cannot spend one ,sabbath on earth among ,god's people1 what is he to do with that eternal ,sabbath1 with those that have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the ,lamb8 ,a man must have a spiritual nature before he wants to go to heaven4 ,heaven cannot have any attractions to a man until he is born of the ,spirit4 ,,the ,,moral ,,need ,,the ,,new ,,birth4 ,now let us go back to the man to whom ,christ said these words4 ,i often rejoice ,he didn't say this to the woman at the well1 nor to ,mary ,magdalene4 ,if ,he had said it to them1 people would have said1 ,oh1 that poor woman needs to be converted2 but ,i am a moralist2 ,i don't need to be converted4 ,regeneration will do for harlots1 thieves1 and drunkards1 but we moralists do not need it4 ,but who did ,christ say it to8 ,he said it to ,nicodemus4 ,who was he8 ,he belonged to the house of bishops4 ,nicodemus stood very high2 he was one of the church dignitaries2 he stood as high as any man in ,jerusalem1 except the high priest himself4 ,he belonged to the seventy rulers of the ,jews2 he was a doctor of divinity1 and taught the law4 ,there is not one word of ,scripture against him2 he was a man that stood out before the whole nation as of pure and spotless character4 ,what does ,christ say to him8 ,except a man be born again1 he cannot see the kingdom of ,god4 ,i can see a scowl on his forehead4 ,he says1 ,what do you mean by being born again--born from above1 born of the ,spirit8 ,now ,i am old1 can ,i a second time enter my mother's womb1 and be born again8 ,jesus saith1 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto thee1 ,except a man be born of water and of the ,spirit1 he cannot see the kingdom of ,god4 ,he didn't take back what ,he had said1 but ,he repeated it4 ,i can imagine ,nicodemus was like tens of thousands of men in ,london to-day4 ,the moment you talk to them about regeneration or conversion1 there is a scowl on their forehead4 ,they say1 ,i don't understand it4 ,of course1 the natural man doesn't understand spiritual things4 ,it is a matter of revelation4 ,a great many men try to investigate and find out ,god4 ,suppose you spend a little of your time in asking ,god to reveal ,himself to you4 ,,reason ,,cannot ,,understand ,,this ,,new ,,birth4 ,i heard some time ago of some commercial travellers who went to hear a man preach4 ,they came back to the hotel1 and were sitting in the smoking-room talking1 and they said the minister did not appeal to their reason1 and they would not believe anything they could not reason out4 ,there was an old man sitting there listening1 and he said to them1 ,you say you won't believe anything you can't reason out8 ,no1 we won't4 ,the old man said1 ,as ,i was coming in the train yesterday1 ,i noticed some sheep1 and cattle1 and swine1 and geese1 all eating grass4 ,now1 can you tell me by what process that same grass was turned into feathers1 hair1 bristles1 and wool8 ,well1 no1 we can't just tell you that4 ,do you believe it is a fact8 ,oh1 yes1 it is a fact4 ,i thought you said you would not believe anything you could not reason out8 ,well1 we can't help believing that2 that is a fact we see before our eyes4 ,well1 said the old man1 ,i can't help but believe in regeneration and a man being converted1 although ,i cannot explain how ,god converted him4 ,,christ',s ,,illustration4 ,now1 the illustration which ,christ used to ,nicodemus was the wind4 ,the wind bloweth where it listeth1 and thou hearest the sound thereof1 but canst not tell whence it cometh1 nor whither it goeth4 ,now1 you cannot see the ,spirit of ,god work in this audience2 but ,i hope and pray ,he may be working now in the hearts of many1 convincing them of sin6 ,do you believe more than ever that you are a sinner8 ,well1 that is the work of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,the devil never told you you are a sinner2 he tries to make you believe that you are good enough4 ,if you believe to-night that you have sinned against ,god1 that is the work of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,he is here at work4 ,we cannot see ,him1 but there are a great many who know ,he is here4 ,suppose ,i should say1 ,i don't believe in the wind1 and that it must be all imagination2 ,i have lived thirty-seven years1 and have never seen the wind4 ,it is folly for men to talk about the wind4 ,i can just imagine that boy there saying1 ,why1 ,i know more than that man2 ,i know there is wind1 for it blew my hat off this very day into the mud1 and ,i have often felt it blowing in my face4 ,my friends1 you have never felt the wind more than ,i have felt the ,spirit of ,god4 ,you have never seen the effects of the wind more than ,i have seen the effects of the ,spirit of ,god1 and of the working of the ,holy ,ghost1 and there are hundreds of witnesses here who would testify the same thing4 ,yet this invisible power does its work in creation1 and the mighty invisible power of ,god does its work effectively in the spiritual sphere4 ,new life in ,christ means the breaking of old fetters4 ,,god ,,can ,,change ,,the ,,drunkard4 ,it may be that ,i am talking now to some poor drunkard here4 ,when he comes into his house his children listen1 and hear by the footfall that their father is coming home drunk1 and the little things run away and hide from him as if he was some horrid demon4 ,his wife begins to tremble4 ,many a time has that great1 strong arm been brought down on her weak1 defenceless body4 ,many a day has she carried about marks from that man's violence4 ,he ought to be her protector1 support1 and stay2 but he has become her tormentor4 ,his home is like hell upon earth2 there is no joy there4 ,there may be one such here to-night who hears the good news that he can be born again1 and receive a nature from heaven1 and receive the ,spirit of ,god4 ,god can give him power to hurl the infernal cup from him4 ,god will give him grace to trample ,satan under his feet1 and the drunkard will then become a sober man4 ,go to that house three months hence1 and you find it neat and clean4 ,as you draw near that home you hear singing2 not the song of the drunkard1 that is gone1 all things have become new4 ,he has been born of ,god1 and is singing one of the songs of ,zion3 ,rock of ,ages1 cleft for me1 ,let me hide myself in ,thee4 ,or perhaps he is singing that good old hymn that his mother taught him when he was a little boy3 ,there is a fountain filled with blood1 ,drawn from ,immanuel's veins2 ,and sinners plunged beneath that flood ,lose all their guilty stains4 ,he has become a child of ,god1 an heir of heaven4 ,his children are climbing up his knee1 and he has his arms round their necks4 ,that dark home is now changed into a little ,bethel on earth4 ,god dwells there now4 ,yes2 ,god has done all that1 and that is regeneration4 ,,the ,,worth ,,of ,,good ,,resolves4 ,then some of you may have been saying1 ,i wish ,mr4 ,moody would tell us how we are to become ,christians1 for he says that we cannot be ,christians by trying to do good and by making new resolutions4 ,many a time you have been at a meeting like this1 and have resolved to turn over a new leaf1 and you may now form another good resolution4 ,if you do1 you will break it4 ,what are you going to do8 ,if it is a new birth you are to have1 you cannot create life4 ,can you bring life to the dead8 ,all the wise men in ,london cannot do it4 ,god alone is the author of life2 and if you have the new birth1 it must be ,god's work4 ,when the ,jubilee ,singers were in the ,north of ,england my family went to see them1 and my little boy asked why they didn't wash the black off their faces4 ,i told him it was because they were born black4 ,the ,ethiopian cannot change his skin1 nor the leopard his spots4 ,you cannot save yourself4 ,there is a man dying--can you put new life into him8 ,or can you raise up a dead body by saying1 ,young man1 arise8 ,that is the work of ,god4 ,your souls are dead in trespasses and sins1 and only the ,lord ,jesus ,christ can speak life4 ,,the ,,beggar ,,and ,,the ,,prince4 ,i imagine some of you will say1 ,haven't ,i anything to do8 ,well1 you haven't4 ,salvation has been worked out for you by another4 ,many go all round the world in search of honour or possessions4 ,salvation is worth thousands of times more than any thing earth can produce2 but you don't get it that way4 ,god has but one price for salvation4 ,do you want to know what it is8 ,it is without money and without price4 ,rowland ,hill said that most auctioneers found they had hard work to get people up to their price1 but that he had hard work to get people down to his4 ,the wages of sin is death1 but the gift of ,god is eternal life4 ,who will have it now8 ,i say to you1 young man1 will you have this gift8 ,suppose ,i was going over ,london ,bridge1 and saw a poor miserable beggar1 bare-footed1 coatless1 hatless1 with no rags hardly to cover his nakedness1 and right behind him1 only a few yards1 there was the ,prince of ,wales with a bag of gold1 and the poor beggar was running away from him as if he was running away from a demon1 and the ,prince of ,wales was hallooing after him1 ,oh1 beggar1 here is a bag of gold6 ,why1 we should say the beggar had gone mad to be running away from the ,prince of ,wales with the bag of gold4 ,sinner1 that is your condition4 ,the ,prince of ,heaven wants to give you eternal life1 and you are running away from ,him4 ,,the ,,dying ,,soldier4 ,then you say1 ,if it is not by working in earnest1 how am ,i to be saved8 ,i will tell you2 ,scripture will tell you--that is better4 ,take the illustration ,christ used to ,nicodemus2 you could not have a better4 ,he took him to the remedy3 ,as ,moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness1 even so must the ,son of man be lifted up3 that whosoever believeth in ,him should not perish1 but have eternal life 7,john iii4 #ad1 #ae74 ,now there is the remedy4 ,how am ,i to be saved8 ,by looking to ,christ2 just by looking4 ,it's very cheap1 isn't it8 ,very simple1 isn't it8 ,just look away to the ,lamb of ,god now and be saved4 ,what says the great wilderness preacher8 ,behold the ,lamb of ,god1 which taketh away the sin of the world4 ,you might say the whole plan of salvation is in two words--,giving2 ,receiving4 ,god gives2 ,i receive4 ,i remember1 after one of the terrible battles in the ,american ,civil ,war--,i was in the army1 tending soldiers--and ,i had just laid down one night1 past midnight1 to get a little rest1 when a man came and told me that a wounded soldier wanted to see me4 ,i went to the dying man4 ,he said1 ,i wish you to help me to die4 ,i said1 ,i would help you to die if ,i could4 ,i would take you on my shoulders and carry you into the kingdom of ,god if ,i could2 but ,i cannot4 ,i can tell you of ,one who can4 ,and ,i told him of ,christ being willing to save him2 and how ,christ left heaven and came into the world to seek and to save that which was lost4 ,i just quoted promise after promise1 but all was dark1 and it almost seemed as if the shades of eternal death were gathering around his soul4 ,i could not leave him1 and at last ,i thought of this third chapter of ,john1 and ,i said to him1 ,look here1 ,i am going to read to you now a conversation that ,christ had with a man that went to ,him when he was in your state of mind1 and inquired what he was to do to be saved4 ,i just read that conversation to the dying man1 and he lay there with his eves rivetted upon me1 and every word seemed to be going home to his heart1 which was open to receive the truth4 ,when ,i came to the verse where it says1 ,as ,moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness1 even so must the ,son of man be lifted up3 that whosoever believeth in ,him should not perish1 but have eternal life--the dying man cried1 ,stop1 sir4 ,is that there8 ,yes1 it is all here4 ,then he said1 ,won't you please read it to me again8 ,i read it the second time4 ,the dying man brought his hands together1 and he said1 ,bless ,god for that4 ,won't you please read it to me again8 ,i read through the whole chapter1 but long before the end of it he had closed his eyes4 ,he seemed to lose all interest in the rest of the chapter1 and when ,i got through it his arms were folded on his breast1 he had a sweet smile on his face2 remorse and despair had fled away4 ,his lips were quivering1 and ,i leant over him1 and heard him faintly whisper from his dying lips1 ,as ,moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness1 even so must the ,son of man be lifted up3 that whosoever believeth in ,him should not perish1 but have eternal life4 ,he opened his eyes1 and fixed his calm1 deathly look on me1 and he said1 ,oh1 that is enough2 that is all ,i want2 and in a few hours he pillowed his dying head upon the truth of those two verses1 and rode away on one of the ,saviour's chariots1 and took his seat in the kingdom of ,god4 ,oh1 sinner1 you can be saved now if you will6 ,look and live4 ,may ,god help every lost one here to look on the ,lamb of ,god1 which taketh away the sin of the world4 ,,the ,,blood ,and almost all things are by the law purged with blood1 and without the shedding of blood is no remission4--,heb4 ix4 #bb4 ,no man can give a satisfactory reason for the hope that is in him if he is a stranger to the ,blood4 ,at the very commencement of the ,bible we find reference made to the subject in ,genesis iii4 #ba3 ,unto ,adam also and to his wife did the ,lord ,god make coats of skins1 and clothed them4 ,in this verse we get the first glimpse of blood4 ,certainly ,god could not have clothed ,adam and ,eve with the skins of beasts unless ,he had shed blood4 ,here1 then1 we have the innocent suffering for the guilty--the doctrine of substitution in the garden of ,eden4 ,god dealt with ,adam in grace before ,he dealt in judgment4 ,death came by sin4 ,adam had sinned1 and the ,lord came down to make the way of escape4 ,god came to him as a loving friend1 and not to hurl him from the earth4 ,adam could have said to ,eve1 ,though the ,lord has driven us out of the garden of ,eden1 ,he loves us1 for this coat is a token of love4 ,god put a lamp of promise into ,adam's hand before ,he drove him out2 for ,he said1 ,the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head4 ,did you ever think what a terrible state of things it would be if man was allowed to live for ever in his lost1 ruined state8 ,it was from love to ,adam that ,god drove him out of ,eden1 that he should not live for ever4 ,god put the cherubim with a flaming sword there4 ,but now ,christ has taken the sword out of his hand1 and opened wide the gate1 so that we can come in and eat4 ,adam might have been in ,eden ten thousand years1 and then be led astray by ,satan2 but now our life is hid with ,christ in ,god4 ,man is safer with the second ,adam out of ,eden than with the first ,adam in ,eden4 ,let us next turn to ,genesis iv4 #d3 ,and ,abel1 he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof4 ,and the ,lord had respect unto ,abel and to his offering4 ,cain and ,abel were brought up outside of ,eden1 and had the same parents1 and both received the same instruction as to how they were to draw near to ,god2 but ,,cain ,,came ,,in ,,his ,,own ,,way1 while ,abel came in the way ,god commanded4 ,cain said to himself1 ,i am not going to bring a bleeding lamb4 ,here is the grain and the beautiful fruit that ,i have raised by my industry2 and ,i'm sure it looks better than blood1 and ,i'm not going to bring blood4 ,now it was not that there was any difference between these two men1 but it was the offering which each brought4 ,one came in the way ,god had marked out1 and the other in a way of his own4 ,now there are a great many just like that at the present day4 ,they prefer what is agreeable to the eye1 as ,cain did his beautiful corn and fruit1 and they do not like the doctrine of ,,the ,,blood ,,of ,,atonement4 ,but any religion that makes light of the ,blood is the work of the devil1 even if an angel from heaven came down to preach salvation through any other means4 ,undoubtedly on the morning of creation ,god marked out the way a man might come to ,him2 and ,abel walked in ,god's way1 and ,cain in his own4 ,perhaps ,cain could not bear the sight of blood1 and so he took that which ,god had cursed and laid it upon the altar4 ,,there ,,are ,,many ,,cainites ,,in ,,the ,,church even now2 and some have got into the pulpit1 and they preach against the doctrine of the ,blood1 and that we can get to heaven without the ,blood4 ,from the time ,adam went out of ,eden there have been ,abelites and ,cainites4 ,the ,abelites come by the way of the ,blood--the way ,god had marked out for them4 ,the ,cainites come by their own way4 ,they repudiate the doctrine of the ,blood1 and say it does not atone for sin4 ,but it is better to take ,god's word than man's opinion4 ,again1 turn to ,genesis viii4 #bj3 ,and ,noah builded an altar unto the ,lord2 and took of every clean beast1 and of every clean fowl1 and offered burnt-offerings on the altar4 ,we have thus passed over the first two thousand years1 and have come to the second dispensation4 ,the thought ,i want to call your attention to is this3 ,the first thing ,noah did when he got out of the ark was to build an altar and slay the animals1 thus putting blood between him and his sin4 ,the second dispensation is founded upon blood2 and these animals were taken through the flood in the ark that they might illustrate the indispensable necessity of the shedding of blood4 ,,abraham ,,offering ,,up ,,isaac4 ,again1 in ,genesis xxii4 #ac1 it is written3 ,and ,abraham lifted up his eyes1 and looked1 and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns3 and ,abraham went and took the ram1 and offered him up for a burnt-offering in the stead of his son4 ,the ram was typical1 and was offered up in the place of ,abraham's son4 ,god loved ,abraham so much that ,he spared his son2 but ,he so loved the world that ,he would not spare ,his own ,son1 but gave ,him up freely for us all4 ,it may be that from the top of the mountain ,abraham saw a glorious sight4 ,he saw ,christ going up ,calvary carrying ,his cross4 ,he saw that mountain peak sprinkled with blood2 and he saw that sacrifices were to go on until the true ,isaac made ,his appearance and offered ,himself for us all4 ,abraham had the altar built1 and he was ordered to take his only son1 and to bind him1 and to slay him2 and he bound that boy1 and everything was ready4 ,he took the knife1 and was about to slay him1 because it was the will and command of ,god4 ,he did not know what it meant2 but he obeyed4 ,would that there were more men like him now1 ready to obey ,god in the dark without asking the reason why6 ,the old man took his son1 and he told him the secret that he had hid from him all the journey--that ,god had told him to offer him up as a sacrifice4 ,and he bound the boy hand and foot1 and laid him all ready on the altar2 and just when he was about to stretch forth his hand and slay him1 he heard a voice from heaven calling to him3 ,abraham1 ,abraham1 spare thy son4 ,god was more merciful to the son of ,abraham than to ,his own1 for ,he gave ,him up freely for us all4 ,he opened up to him the curtain of time1 and showed him ,christ coming in the future2 and ,abraham saw his sins laid on ,christ and was glad4 ,,the ,,passover4 ,in ,exodus xii4 #ac we read3 ,and the blood shall be to you for a token on the houses where ye are3 and when ,i see the blood1 ,i will pass over you1 and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you4 ,god did not say1 ,when ,i see your good deeds2 when ,i see how you have prayed1 and wept1 and cried4 ,no2 but ,when ,i see the blood ,i will pass over you4 ,the blood shall be a token4 ,what was it saved those men8 ,was it their good resolutions or their works8 ,it was the blood4 ,when ,i see the blood ,i will pass over you4 ,very likely when some of the lords1 and dukes1 and great men rode through ,goshen1 and saw the ,israelites sprinkling their dwellings1 they said they never saw such foolishness1 and that they were spoiling their houses4 ,they were to sprinkle the door-posts and lintels of their houses with the blood1 but not the threshold4 ,god would not have ,,the ,,blood ,,trampled ,,upon1 but that is what the world at the present day is doing4 ,some preachers speak not of the death of ,christ1 but ,his life1 because it is more pleasing to the natural ear2 but the life of ,christ may be preached for ever and it will not save any man1 if ,his death is left out4 ,a live lamb could not have kept death out of the houses of ,goshen4 ,god did not say that ,he wanted a live lamb at every door1 but to have the lintels and door-posts sprinkled with the blood of the lamb4 ,people sometimes say1 ,if ,i was as good as that minister1 that preached the gospel for fifty years2 or1 ,if ,i was as good as that mother1 who did so and so for her children2 but if we are behind the blood of ,god's ,son1 we are just as safe as any ,christian that has ever walked the face of the earth4 ,it is not a long life of usefulness that makes men and women acceptable to ,god4 ,we must work for ,christ2 but we get salvation as a gift1 and then begin to work because we cannot help it4 ,all the work a person does before he becomes converted goes for nothing4 ,the little child down in ,goshen behind the blood of the lamb was just as safe as ,joshua1 or any man in the whole town4 ,the angel of death passed by when he saw the blood4 ,the little tiny fly was as safe in the ark with ,noah as the elephant4 ,it was equally the ark that saved the fly and the elephant1 and it is ,,the ,,blood ,,that ,,saves the weakest and the strongest4 ,when death came that night with his sword1 he entered the palace of the prince1 and went into the houses of the great and mighty1 and they all had to pay tribute to death2 for the first-born in ,egypt was smitten down that night4 ,the only thing that kept death out was death itself4 ,the only way that death can be met is by death4 ,i have sinned1 and must die2 or get some one to die for me4 ,the great question is--,have you got the token8 ,if death should come after any one of us to-night1 are we sheltered behind the blood8 that is the point4 ,it is the blood that atones4 ,not my good resolutions1 or prayers1 or position in society1 or what ,i have done1 but what has been done by another4 ,god looks for the token4 ,take another illustration4 ,suppose a man wanted to go from ,london to ,liverpool1 and he got into a railway carriage1 he would soon hear the guard running along the platform crying out for tickets4 ,a man might be rich or he might be poor1 black or white1 he might be learned or unlearned1 that was not what the guard wanted to know--he wanted to see the tickets2 for the ticket was the token1 and if you have got a ticket you pass4 ,,no ,,death ,,where ,,the ,,blood ,,was4 ,the ,egyptians looked at the ,israelites killing a lamb and sprinkling the blood on the door-posts no doubt as a very foolish proceeding1 but not one house in the city1 upon the doorposts and lintels of which the blood was not sprinkled1 escaped2 no matter who were the inhabitants1 rich or poor1 that night there was no difference4 ,there was a wail heard in every habitation1 from the palace to the meanest hovel where the blood had not been sprinkled1 but where it had been sprinkled death was kept out4 ,that showed clearly the truth1 that without the shedding of blood there is no remission4 ,let no man or woman be guilty of laughing at this doctrine1 that the blood of ,jesus ,christ1 ,his ,son1 cleanseth us from all sin4 ,in the eleventh verse of the same chapter we read1 ,and thus shall ye eat it2 with your loins girded1 your shoes on your feet1 and your staff in your hand2 and ye shall eat it in haste3 it is the ,lord's passover4 ,why you have not got more power is because you don't feed on the ,lamb2 and this is why there are so many weak ,christians4 ,the ,lamb not only atones for our sins1 but we are to feed upon the ,lamb4 ,we have got a wilderness journey before us1 as the children of ,israel had4 ,after we are saved we are to feed upon ,christ2 ,he is the true bread from heaven4 ,if ,i don't feed my soul with the true bread from heaven ,i am sickly1 and have not power to go and work for ,christ2 and that is the reason1 ,i believe1 why so few in the ,church have power4 ,some people think if they get one glimpse of ,christ that is enough4 ,some think much of their dinner2 why should not ,god's children think a good deal of ,,their ,,spiritual ,,food8 ,we should no more think of laying in spiritual food to last for ten years than we should bodily food4 ,a good many people are living on stale manna4 ,a man in ,ireland said to his boy1 ,i want you to eat two breakfasts4 ,do you know why8 ,the boy said he understood one was for his body and the other for his soul4 ,all ,christians should similarly take two breakfasts1 for the soul and for the body4 ,the ,passover was to be to the ,jews the beginning of months4 ,this month shall be unto you the beginning of months3 it shall be the first month of the year to you 7,exodus xii4 #b74 ,all the #djj years that they had been in bondage went for naught1 because this was the first month of the year to them4 ,and in like manner throughout all the years that we have served the devil1 and all the time that we have been in ,egypt1 whatever good we may have done in this world is to be reckoned as naught4 ,everything dates back to the ,passover night--to the time the blood was put upon the door-posts4 ,all the time we are serving the world goes for naught4 ,if you have not come to ,calvary you are losing time4 ,everything you do on the wrong side of the cross counts for naught2 the first thing is to be saved by faith in ,christ1 and then we commence our pilgrimage to heaven4 ,we don't start1 as some people suppose1 from the cradle to heaven4 ,we start from the cross4 ,we have got a fallen nature that is taking us hellward4 ,we must be born of the ,spirit1 and ,,sheltered ,,by ,,the ,,blood1 and then we become pilgrims for heaven4 ,each man was to take a lamb for his house4 ,and if the household be too little for the lamb1 let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls2 every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb4 ,the lamb was not too little for a household1 but the household might be too little for the lamb4 ,christ was enough for every household1 enough and to spare1 and we ought to pray that salvation may come to every member of our households4 ,let us next turn to ,exodus xxix4 #af3 ,and thou shalt slay the ram1 and thou shalt take his blood1 and sprinkle it round about upon the altar4 ,even ,aaron could not come to ,god until he sprinkled blood round about the altar2 and when the high priest went into the holy of holies1 he had to take blood with him4 ,from the time when ,adam fell there has been no other way by which a man can approach ,god than by the blood4 ,you cannot have an audience of ,god until you come by that appointed way4 ,so it has been for #fjjj years4 ,when ,adam fell in ,eden he broke the golden chain that linked humanity to the throne of ,god1 but ,christ came and made atonement for that fall4 ,again1 observe in ,leviticus viii4 #bc3 ,and he slew it2 and ,moses took of the blood of it1 and put it upon the tip of ,aaron's right ear1 and upon the thumb of his right hand1 and upon the great toe of his right foot4 ,i used to read a passage like this1 and say it seemed absurd4 ,i think ,i understand it now4 ,the blood upon the ear means that we are to hear the voice of ,god4 ,the unconverted man does not understand the voice of ,god2 and we are told that when the voice of ,god was heard1 the uncircumcised said that it thundered4 ,they did not know the difference between ,god's voice and thunder4 ,without the blood we cannot hear the voice of ,god and understand it4 ,a man must be sheltered behind the blood before he can hear ,god's voice4 ,the blood upon the hand signifies that a man may ,,work ,,for ,,god4 ,you cannot work for ,god until you are sheltered behind the blood2 and until you are sheltered it all stands for naught4 ,you may build churches1 endow colleges1 pay ministers and missionaries2 but it all goes for naught until you are sheltered behind the blood4 ,don't let any one deceive you on this point4 ,don't let ,satan deceive you by telling you that you can get to heaven by some other way4 ,they asked ,christ1 ,what must we do that we may work the works of ,god8 ,perhaps these men had got their pockets full of money1 and were ready and willing to build churches4 ,christ told them that the work of ,god was that they should believe in ,his ,son4 ,but they were not willing to do such a small thing2 they would rather do some greater thing2 but that was not what was wanted4 ,you cannot do anything to please ,god until you believe4 ,behold1 to obey is better than sacrifice4 ,people may work day and night1 and even work themselves to death2 but they never will do right until they do what ,god requires them to do4 ,the blood on the toe of the right foot was to show that ,aaron was to walk with ,god4 ,when ,adam fell1 communion with ,god was broken4 ,before he had walked with ,god2 but the moment he sinned he fell out of communion with ,him2 and from that time to this ,god has been trying to get man back into communion4 ,god is full of truth and justice4 ,his justice must be met2 and after that has been met ,he is satisfied4 ,god never walked with men until ,he put them behind the blood at ,goshen4 ,what could stand before them then8 ,they passed through the ,red ,sea1 and ,god said to ,joshua1 ,take this country1 and no man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life4 ,in the days of ,joshua there were whole regiments of giants2 but one stripling from the ,lord's hosts defeated the giant of ,gath4 ,if ,god is with us1 the giants will be like grasshoppers2 but if ,god is not with us1 it will be different4 ,i would rather have ten men separated from the world than ten thousand nominal ,christians who go to the prayer-meeting to-night and the ball to-morrow4 ,in ,leviticus xvi4 #ad it is said3 ,he shall take of the blood of the bullock1 and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy-seat eastward2 and before the mercy-seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times4 ,it seems as if ,god originally gave ,adam a life by which he held communion with ,him2 but on the day that he broke the command he lost that communion4 ,and ever since ,god has been trying to get men back into communion with ,himself4 ,but how could ,god be just and the justifier of sinners8 ,that is done through the ,blood of ,christ4 ,the life of the flesh is in the blood4 ,god demands blood to atone for sin4 ,,man',s ,,life ,,was ,,forfeited1 and he had to die1 or pay the wages of death4 ,he could not pay the penalty and live2 so he wanted a substitute4 ,every man had sinned1 and could not be a substitute for his fellow2 but ,christ was sinless1 and could become the substitute for man2 and ,he has become that substitute1 because ,he has died in the room and stead of man to satisfy the law4 ,then the question for each and every one to answer is1 whether they will love ,him and serve ,him who has died to redeem them by ,his precious ,blood4 ,in ,leviticus xvii4 #aa1 we read3 ,for the life of the flesh is in the blood3 and ,i have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls3 for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul4 ,there may be some who are saying1 ,why does ,god demand blood8 ,some one said to me3 ,i detest your ,god2 ,he demands blood4 ,i don't believe in such a ,god2 for my ,god is merciful to all4 ,i want to say1 ,my ,god is full of mercy6 ,but don't be so blind as to believe that ,god is not just1 and that ,he has not got a government4 ,suppose ,queen ,victoria didn't like any man to be deprived of his liberty1 and she threw all her prisons open1 and was so merciful that she could not bear any one to suffer for guilt1 how long would she hold the sceptre8 how long would she rule this empire8 ,not twenty-four hours4 ,those very men who cry out about ,god being merciful would say3 ,we don't want such a ,queen4 ,,god ,,is ,,just4 ,god is merciful1 but ,he will not take an unredeemed sinner into heaven4 ,if ,he did1 the redeemed would plant the banner of indignant remonstrance round the throne1 and there would be a revolt in heaven4 ,god said to ,adam1 ,on the day thou sinnest thou shalt surely die4 ,sin entered1 and brought death into the world4 ,god's word must be kept4 ,i must either die1 or get somebody to die for me2 and in the fulness of time ,christ comes forward to die for the sinner4 ,he was without sin2 but if ,he had committed one sin1 ,he would have had to die for ,his own sin4 ,the life of the flesh is in the blood2 and it is not blood ,he demands really2 it is life1 and life has been forfeited4 ,we have sinned1 and death must come1 or justice must take its course4 ,glory to ,god in the highest because ,he sent ,his ,son1 born of a woman1 to take our nature and die in our stead1 tasting death for every man4 ,you take this blood out of this body of mine1 and life is gone4 ,,god ,,demands ,,blood4 ,he demands life4 ,man has sinned2 therefore life must be forfeited1 and ,i must die1 or find somebody to die for me4 ,my friends1 ,i have only just touched this subject4 ,if you read your ,bibles carefully you will find the scarlet thread running through the ,bible4 ,it commenced in ,eden and flows on to ,revelation4 ,i cannot find anything to tell me the way to heaven ,,but ,,by ,,the ,,blood4 ,this book 7holding up the ,bible7 wouldn't be worth carrying home if you take the scarlet thread out of it2 and it doesn't teach anything else2 for the blood commences in ,genesis1 and goes on to ,revelation4 ,that is what this book is written for4 ,it tells its own story2 and if a man should come and preach another gospel1 don't you believe him4 ,if an angel should come and preach anything else1 don't believe it4 ,don't trifle with the subject of the ,blood4 ,in your dying hour you would give more to be sheltered behind this ,blood than for all the world4 ,a ,,mother',s ,,love4 ,in the time of the ,californian gold fever a man went to the diggings1 and left his wife to follow him some time afterwards4 ,while on her voyage with her little boy1 the vessel caught fire2 and as there was a powder-magazine on board1 the captain knew when the flames reached it the ship would be blown up4 ,the fire could not be got under1 so they took to the life-boats2 but there was not room for all4 ,as the last boat pushed off1 the mother and boy stood on the deck4 ,one of the sailors said there was room for another4 ,what did the mother do8 ,she decided to perish herself in order to save her boy4 ,she dropped him into the boat1 and with a mother's last look1 said3 ,if you should live to see your father1 tell him that ,i died in your place4 ,do you think when that boy grew up he could fail to love that mother who died to save him8 ,my friends1 this is a faint type of what ,christ has done for you and me4 ,he died for our sins4 ,he left heaven for that purpose4 ,will you go away saying1 ,i see no beauty in ,him4 ,may ,god break every heart here6 ,you will need ,him when you come to cross the swelling of ,jordan4 ,you will need ,him when you go up to the bar of ,god4 ,god forbid that when death comes it should find you without ,christ1 and without ,god1 and without hope6 ,not only is the vitally important subject of the ,blood of ,christ referred to frequently in the ,old ,testament1 but likewise in many places in the ,new ,testament4 ,let us turn to the second chapter of the ,acts of the ,apostles1 and verses #bb-bf1 ,him1 being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of ,god1 ye have taken1 and by wicked hands have crucified and slain4 ,what is this but the bloodshedding and death of ,christ8 ,read also ,acts iv4 #aj2 v4 #bh2 vii4 #eb2 viii4 #cb2 x4 #ci2 xvii4 #c2 xviii4 #ba2 ,hebrews ix4 #bb2 #a ,peter i4 #ai2 and many other passages will be found if the word ,blood is referred to in a ,concordance4 ,,redemption4 ,a friend of mine was in ,ireland1 and saw a little ,irish boy who had caught a sparrow1 and the poor little bird was trembling and panting in his hand1 from which it wanted to get away4 ,it was evidently very much affrighted4 ,the gentleman told the boy to let it go1 as the bird could not do him any good2 but the boy said he would not let it escape1 for he had been chasing it for three hours before he could catch it4 ,the gentleman then offered to buy the bird1 and the boy agreed to a price1 which was paid4 ,he took the poor bird and held it out on his palm1 where it sat for a time1 scarcely able to realise the fact that it had got its liberty2 but at last it flew away1 chirping1 as if to say to the gentleman1 ,you have redeemed me4 ,that is an illustration of what is meant by redemption4 ,satan is stronger than any man upon earth1 and there is no match for him but ,christ4 ,the lion of ,calvary--the lion of the tribe of ,judah--,he is stronger than the lion of hell4 ,when ,christ on ,calvary said1 ,it is finished6 it was the shout of the conqueror4 ,he came to redeem the world by ,his death4 ,once when ,i was re-visiting my native village ,i was going to a neighbouring town to preach1 and saw a young man coming from a house in a carriage1 in which was seated an old woman4 ,i felt interested in them1 and asked my companion who they were4 ,i was told to look at the adjoining meadow and pasture1 and great barns that were on the farm1 as well as a good house4 ,well1 said my companion1 that young man's father drank that all up1 and left his wife in the poorhouse4 ,the young man went away and worked until he had got money enough to redeem that farm1 and now it is his own1 and he is taking his mother to church4 ,that is another illustration of redemption4 ,in the first ,adam we have lost all1 but the second ,adam has redeemed everything by ,his death4 ,a friend of mine who was in ,paris went to a great meeting of ,jews1 at which one of the leading men presided1 and that man said the ,jews had the honour of killing the ,christian's ,god2 and those ,jews stamped and applauded at the statement4 ,they were proud of the act1 and cried out1 ,his blood be upon us1 and upon our children1 and that imprecation has been literally fulfilled in their history4 ,now ,his blood either cries for our peace and salvation or for our condemnation4 ,,peace4 ,in ,colossians i4 #bj it is written1 ,having made peace through the blood of the cross1 by ,him to reconcile all things to ,himself2 by ,him1 ,i say1 whether they be things in earth1 or things in heaven4 ,that is what the blood of the cross does1 it brings peace4 ,in ,romans v4 it is written1 ,therefore being justified by faith1 we have peace with ,god through our ,lord ,jesus ,christ2 by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand1 and rejoice in hope of the glory of ,god4 ,in this three things are stated3 there is justification for the past as well as peace4 ,as the believer looks back to ,calvary1 the blood speaks peace and pardon for guilt4 ,then there is grace for the present1 and glory for the future4 ,in ,john xix4 #cd it is written1 ,but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced ,his side1 and forthwith came thereout blood and water4 ,there is a striking fact intimated in this verse4 ,the spear that went into the side of the ,son of ,god was the crowning act of sin1 the culminating crime of earth and hell4 ,i don't see how they could have done a more cruel thing than that4 ,what act could have been more black and hellish8 ,and the blood came out and covered the spear1 and a fountain was thus opened in the house of ,david for sin4 ,the blood touched the ,roman spear1 and it was not long before the ,roman government became at least nominally ,christian4 ,the blood ran down from ,his side upon the earth1 and this earth has been redeemed by ,him2 for ,he will have the world by and by4 ,he is ,,the ,,true ,,sovereign1 and ,he will ere long cast out the prince of darkness1 and sway ,his sceptre from end to end of this earth4 ,a little longer1 and ,he will personally return and set up ,his millennial kingdom and reign over this earth4 ,he has redeemed the earth by ,his blood1 and ,he will have all ,he has redeemed4 ,,oneness ,,in ,,christ4 ,has the ,blood touched you8 ,the blood of ,christ makes us one1 brings us into the family of ,god1 and enables us to cry1 ,abba1 ,father4 ,at the time of the ,american war1 during the days of slavery in ,america1 when there was much political strife and strong prejudice against the black men1 especially by ,irishmen1 ,i heard a preacher say1 that when he came to the cross for salvation he seemed to find a poor negro on one side and an ,irishman on the other side1 and the blood came trickling down upon them and made them one4 ,there may be strife in the world1 but those whom ,christ has redeemed ,he has made one family4 ,we are blood relatives4 ,when ,i go before an audience1 there is hardly a person ,i have seen before2 but as ,i begin to talk about the ,king their eyes light up1 and ,i see they are kinsmen1 they are blood relatives1 and in a short time ,i become attached to them4 ,a man may go into a town a perfect stranger1 but as soon as he finds out those who love ,god1 they will be one4 ,i wish ,christians had more of this oneness4 ,i hope the time will soon come when sectarian walls will be broken down1 and people will not want to ask whether you belong to the ,established1 ,wesleyan1 or ,baptist ,churches4 ,if washed in the blood1 we are blood relatives4 ,i believe ,,god ,,will ,,judge ,,the ,,world ,,by ,,the ,,blood4 ,what have you done with that blood8 will be the great question in that day4 ,if we make light of it1 and send back an insulting message1 saying we don't stand in need of it1 we shall stand speechless before ,god's tribunal4 ,if we make light of that blood1 what is going to become of our souls8 ,,justification4 ,the only way a man can be brought within the family of ,god is by the blood1 as it is said in ,romans iii4 #bd1 ,being justified freely by ,his grace through the redemption that is in ,christ ,jesus2 and again in ,romans v4 #i1 ,much more then1 being now justified by ,his blood1 we shall be saved from wrath through ,him4 ,justified from all things from which we could not be by the law of ,moses4 ,when ,god looks into ,his ledger1 there is nothing found against the man who is washed in the blood4 ,one plunge in the crimson fountain1 and the sinner is justified in the sight of ,god4 ,christ was raised from the grave for the justification of all who put their trust in ,him1 and such are not only pardoned men but justified men4 ,justification is more than pardon4 ,it is said of an emperor of ,russia that he sent on one occasion for two noblemen who were charged with some conspiracy1 and one he found to be perfectly innocent1 so he sent him home justified2 but the other was proved guilty1 but was pardoned4 ,they both returned home1 but ever afterwards would stand very differently in the estimation of their sovereign and neighbours4 ,from that may be seen the difference between pardon and justification4 ,,confidence4 ,when a man is justified he can go through the world with his head erect4 ,satan may come to him1 and say1 ,you are a sinner2 but the reply would be1 ,i know that1 but ,god has forgiven me through ,christ2 as it is written in ,revelation i4 #e1 ,and from ,jesus ,christ1 who is the faithful witness1 and the first begotten of the dead1 and the prince of the kings of the earth4 ,unto ,him that loved us1 and washed us in ,his own blood1 and hath made us kings and priests unto ,god the ,father2 to ,him be glory and dominion for ever and ever4 ,many people try to come to ,christ1 but think they cannot come unless they first become good4 ,but ,he loves all ,christians even before their sins are washed away4 ,he loves them1 and then washes them in ,his own blood4 ,it is wonderful love6 ,to think that ,he loves them first and then washes them in ,his blood from their sins6 ,there is no devil in hell that can pluck them out of ,his hand4 ,they are perfectly safe2 for they are washed in the blood of the ,lamb4 ,,no ,,remission ,,without ,,blood4 ,it is said in ,hebrews ix4 #bb1 ,and almost all things are by the law purged with blood2 and without shedding of blood there is no remission4 ,it is utterly impossible that a man can be saved who makes light of the blood4 ,there is no other name under heaven whereby we can be saved than the name of ,christ ,jesus4 ,are we willing to receive what ,christ has already done8 ,the salvation of those who trust in ,him was already worked out when ,he said upon the cross1 ,it is finished4 ,in ,matthew xxvi4 #bh we get the words of ,christ ,himself3 ,for this is my blood of the ,new ,testament1 which was shed for many for the remission of sins4 ,that was what ,christ ,himself said about the blood4 ,he could have saved ,his life1 but ,he loved the human family so much that ,he shed ,his blood for their redemption4 ,he opened that fountain referred to in the lines3 ,there is a fountain filled with blood1 ,drawn from ,emmanuel's veins4 ,that hymn will last as long as the ,church1 and so will others like3 ,rock of ages1 cleft for me1 ,let me hide myself in ,thee4 ,there is a great deal about the blood in these hymns1 and they will all live4 ,every hymn into which the scarlet thread is woven will live4 ,there is another sweet hymn that will last through all ages3 ,just as ,i am1 without one plea1 ,but that ,thy blood was shed for me4 ,in ,hebrews x4 #ai we read1 ,having therefore1 brethren1 boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of ,jesus1 by a new and living way1 which ,he hath consecrated for us1 through the veil1 that is to say1 ,his flesh4 ,when ,christ's work was done1 the veil of the temple was rent from the top to the bottom4 ,god came out of the holy of holies1 and man can now go in4 ,he makes all ,his people in this dispensation kings and priests4 ,every one can come right into the presence of ,god ,himself4 ,in the ,jewish dispensation none but the high priests could enter into the holy of holies2 but the veil being rent1 ,god came out and man can go in through the veil of ,his flesh4 ,let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith1 having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience1 and our bodies washed with pure water4 ,let us hold fast the profession of our faith4 ,the new and living way has been opened by ,his blood4 ,the only thing that ,christ left down here was ,his blood4 ,when ,he ascended to heaven1 ,he took with ,him ,his flesh and ,his bones1 but ,his shed blood was left on this earth4 ,,the ,,blood ,,has ,,two ,,cries4 ,it either cries for my damnation1 or for my salvation4 ,if ,i make light of the blood1 and trample it under my feet1 then it cries out for ,god's condemnation2 but if ,i am sheltered behind the blood1 there is no condemnation for me4 ,god dealt in judgment with ,cain2 and when ,pilate wanted to know what to do with ,christ1 he washed his hands and said he was innocent4 ,the ,jews said1 ,let ,his blood be upon us and our children1 not to save us1 but to condemn us4 ,would that they had said1 ,let ,his blood be upon us to save us and protect us4 ,nearly #aijj years have rolled away1 and the ,jews are wanderers on the face of the earth without a king4 ,their having been scattered all these years1 what a proof it is the word of ,god is true6 ,may our prayer be to-day1 ,his blood be upon us and our children1 not to condemn us1 but to save us4 ,let that be our prayer1 that we may know what it is to be sheltered behind the blood of ,god's dear ,son4 ,the blood of the cross speaks peace4 ,if ,i am sheltered behind the blood1 there is peace1 but there is no peace until my sin is covered4 ,if you had committed sin against a man1 you would get no peace until that was forgiven4 ,men are running after peace2 and if it could be bought in the market1 many would give hundreds of thousands of pounds to secure it4 ,the blood of ,christ speaks peace1 and it will bring peace to every guilty conscience and aching heart to-day if you only seek it4 ,in ,hebrews x4 #bh1 #bi1 we read3 ,he that despised ,moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses3 of how much sorer punishment1 suppose ye1 shall he be thought worthy1 who hath trodden under foot the ,son of ,god1 and hath counted the blood of the covenant1 wherewith he was sanctified1 an unholy thing1 and hath done despite unto the ,spirit of grace8 ,to me these are very solemn verses4 ,i don't see how any one can sit here and hear these verses read and be content to remain unsaved4 ,they died without mercy2 but how much more sore will be the punishment of those who live in this age with an open ,bible1 which tells how ,christ died to redeem us1 and make us heirs of heaven4 ,in ,revelation xii4 #aa1 we read3 ,and they overcame him by the blood of the ,lamb1 and by the word of their testimony2 and they loved not their lives unto the death4 ,they overcame by the blood4 ,i don't believe there is a word in the ,bible ,satan is fearing more than the word blood4 ,judging from past experience1 ,i shall probably receive many letters to-morrow attacking me for what ,i have said to-day4 ,these letters will say it is heathenish to stand up and preach what would only do for an unenlightened age4 ,may ,god forgive those who dare to say such things4 ,if you will read your ,bible in the light of ,calvary1 you will find there is no other way of coming to heaven but by the blood4 ,the devil does not fear ten thousand preachers who preach a bloodless religion4 ,a man who preaches a bloodless religion is doing the devil's work1 and ,i don't care who he is4 ,,victory ,,through ,,the ,,blood4 ,it is said of old ,dr4 ,alexander1 of ,princeton ,seminary1 that when he parted with the students who were going to preach the gospel1 he would take them by the hand1 and say1 ,young man1 make much of the blood--make much of the blood4 ,as ,i have travelled up and down ,christendom ,i have found out that a minister who gives a clear sound upon this doctrine is successful4 ,a man who covers up the cross1 though he may be an intellectual man1 and draw large crowds1 cannot touch the heart and conscience4 ,there will be no life there1 and his church will be like a gilded sepulchre4 ,those men who preach the doctrine of the cross1 holding up ,christ as the sinner's only hope of heaven1 and as the sinner's only substitute1 and make much of the blood1 ,god honours1 and souls are always saved where that truth is preached4 ,i would say1 ,,make ,,much ,,of ,,the ,,blood4 ,may ,god help us to make much of the blood of ,his ,son4 ,it cost ,god so much to give us this blood1 and shall we try to keep it from the world which is perishing from the want of it8 ,the world can get along without us1 but not without ,christ4 ,let us preach ,christ in season and out of season4 ,let us go to the sick and dying1 and hold up the ,saviour who came to seek and save them1 and died to redeem them4 ,,christ ,,will ,,conquer4 ,it is said of ,julian the ,apostate in ,rome1 that when he was trying to stamp out ,christianity he was pierced in the side by an arrow4 ,he pulled the arrow out1 and taking a handful of blood as it flowed from the wound1 threw it into the air1 shouting1 ,,thou ,,galilaean1 ,,thou ,,hast ,,conquered6 ,yes1 this ,galilaean is going to conquer4 ,may ,god help us to give no uncertain sound on this doctrine4 ,i would rather give up my life than give up this doctrine4 ,take that away1 and what is my hope in heaven8 ,am ,i to depend upon my works8 ,away with them when it comes to the question of salvation4 ,i must get salvation distinct and separate from works1 for it is to him that worketh not1 but believeth on ,christ4 ,none will walk the celestial pavement of heaven but those washed in the blood4 ,the first man that went up from this earth was probably ,abel4 ,you can see ,abel putting his little lamb upon the altar1 thus placing blood between him and his sin4 ,abel sang a song the angels could not join in4 ,there must have been one solo song of redemption in heaven1 because ,abel had no one to join him4 ,but there is a great chorus now1 for the redeemed have been going up for six thousand years1 and they sing of ,him who is worthy to receive honour because ,he died to save us from condemnation4 ,,robes ,,made ,,white ,,through ,,the ,,blood4 ,in ,revelation vii4 #ad1 we read3 ,and ,i said unto him1 ,sir1 thou knowest4 ,and he said to me1 ,these are they which came out of great tribulation1 and have washed their robes1 and made them white in the blood of the ,lamb4 ,sinner1 how are you going to get your robes clean if you don't get them washed in the blood of the ,lamb8 ,how are you going to wash them8 ,can you by yourself make them clean8 ,oh1 may we all reach that paradise above6 ,there they are singing the sweet song of redemption1 and may it be the happy lot of each of us to join them4 ,it may be only a short time1 at the longest1 before we shall be there1 and shout the song of redemption1 and sing the sweet song of ,moses and the ,lamb4 ,there they hunger no more1 neither thirst any more2 neither shall the sun light on them1 nor any heat4 ,for the ,lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them1 and lead them to living fountains of water3 and ,god shall wipe away all tears from their eyes4 ,at that day sceptics and scoffers will pray for the rocks and mountains to fall on them1 and cover them from the wrath of ,god4 ,if you die without ,christ1 without hope1 and without ,god1 where will you be8 ,sinner1 be wise6 don't make light of the blood6 ,,the ,,dying ,,saint4 ,an aged minister of the gospel1 when dying1 said1 ,bring me the ,bible4 ,putting his finger upon the verse1 ,the blood of ,jesus ,christ ,his ,son cleanseth us from all sin1 he said1 ,i die in the hope of this verse4 ,it wasn't his fifty years' preaching1 nor his long life in the ,lord's service1 but the blood of ,christ1 upon which he relied4 ,when we stand before ,god's tribunal we shall be pure1 even as ,he is pure1 if we are washed in the blood of the ,lamb4 ,,the ,,precious ,,blood4 ,during the ,american war a doctor heard a man saying1 ,blood1 blood1 blood6 ,the doctor thought this was because he had seen so much blood shed upon battlefields1 and endeavoured to soothe his mind4 ,the man smiled1 and said1 ,i wasn't thinking of the blood upon the battlefield1 but ,i was thinking how precious the blood of ,christ is to me as ,i am dying4 ,as he died his lips quivered1 ,blood1 blood1 blood6 and he was gone4 ,oh1 it will indeed be precious when we come to our dying bed6 it will then be worth more to us than all the world6 ,one sin is enough to exclude us from heaven1 but one drop of ,christ's blood is sufficient to cover all our sins4 ,beware how you treat the gospel message of redemption through the blood4 ,,the ,,down ,,grade4 ,a stage-driver away on the ,pacific coast--as ,i was told when ,i was there about three years ago--while lying on his dying bed1 kept moving one of his feet up and down1 saying1 ,i am on the down grade1 and cannot reach the brake4 ,as they told me of it1 ,i thought how many were on the down grade1 and could not reach the brake1 and were dying without ,god and without hope4 ,i plead with you as a fellow-traveller2 don't go out of this hall without saying1 ,heaven is my home1 and ,god is my ,father4 ,don't let the scoffers laugh you into hell2 they cannot laugh you out of it4 ,the ,blood is upon the mercy-seat1 and while it is upon the mercy-seat you can enter into the kingdom4 ,god says1 ,there is the ,blood2 it is all ,i have to give4 ,as long as it is there1 there is hope for you4 ,i am satisfied with the finished work of my ,son1 and will you be satisfied8 ,don't leave this meeting until you can claim this as yours4 ,how dark and sad it is to go to the bedside of a dying infidel or atheist1 or one who is dying without the light of the resurrection morn4 ,but if we trust to ,christ1 death has lost its sting1 and the grave its victory4 ,an eminent minister in ,america1 ,alfred ,cookman1 the ,robert ,mc,cheyne of his day1 was dying1 and when his friends were gathered round his couch1 waiting to see him depart to be with ,christ1 his face lit up1 and with a shout of triumph he said1 ,i am sweeping through the gates1 washed in the blood of the ,lamb6 ,and this echoes and re-echoes through ,america to-day3 ,i am sweeping through the gates1 washed in the blood of the ,lamb6 ,may these be our last words1 and may an abundant entrance be granted us into the gates of the heavenly city6 ,who1 who are these1 beside the chilly wave1 ,just on the borders of the silent grave2 ,shouting ,jesus power to save1 ,washed in the blood of the ,lamb4 ,sweeping through the gates of the new ,jerusalem ,washed in the blood of the ,lamb4 ,,christ ,,all ,,in ,,all ,read ,colossians iii4 #aa4 ,christ is all in all to every one who has truly found ,him4 ,he is our ,saviour1 ,redeemer1 ,deliverer1 ,shepherd1 ,teacher1 and also sustains toward us many more offices1 to which ,i desire to call your attention4 #a4 ,if we turn to ,luke ii4 #aj1 #aa1 we find ,christ is there announced as our ,,saviour3 ,behold1 ,i bring you good tidings of great joy1 which shall be to all people4 ,for unto you is born this day in the city of ,david a ,saviour1 which is ,christ the ,lord4 ,we learn to know ,christ as our ,saviour1 to meet ,him on ,mount ,calvary1 to look on ,him as the bleeding ,lamb of ,god1 before we know ,him as our ,redeemer1 ,deliverer1 and ,shepherd4 ,now1 looking round upon this vast assembly1 ,i1 who do not know the hearts of the people1 cannot know whether you can say that ,christ is your ,saviour4 ,there are many1 ,i trust1 who can say this1 and who rejoice in ,his salvation2 while1 without being uncharitable1 ,i am afraid there are many who know nothing personally of ,jesus as their ,saviour4 ,he is offered to every one of you to-day as a ,saviour2 ,god gave ,him up freely for us all1 that we all through ,him might be saved4 ,if you are belonging to this world1 ,i can prove that you have a ,saviour4 ,if you belonged to some other planet1 such as the moon or any of the stars1 then ,i could not say a ,saviour was offered to you2 for it is not revealed whether the people of these distant worlds1 even if they are inhabited1 require salvation or not4 ,but this ,i know1 that every man on this globe has a ,saviour offered him4 ,,salvation ,,free ,,to ,,all4 ,i have no sympathy with those men who try to limit ,god's salvation to a certain few4 ,i believe that ,christ died for all who will come4 ,i have received many letters finding fault with me1 and saying ,i surely don't believe the doctrine of election4 ,i do believe in election2 but ,i have no business to preach that doctrine to the world at large4 ,the world has nothing to do with election2 it has only to do with the invitation1 ,whosoever will1 let him take the water of life freely4 ,that is the message for the sinner4 ,i am sent to preach the gospel to all4 ,after you have received salvation1 we can talk about election4 ,it's a doctrine for ,christians1 for the ,church1 not for the unconverted world4 ,our message is good tidings1 which shall be to all people2 for unto you is born this day a ,saviour1 which is ,christ the ,lord4 ,all people1 this ,saviour is proffered to you4 ,accept ,him1 and ,god will accept you2 reject ,him1 and ,god will reject you4 ,your eternal destiny depends on your refusal or otherwise to accept the proffered ,saviour4 ,the case is simply one of giving and taking4 ,god gives2 ,i receive4 ,we must1 then1 first of all know ,christ as our ,saviour4 #b4 ,but ,he is still more3 ,he is our ,,redeemer4 ,supposing ,i saw a man tumble into a river1 and ,i were to jump in and rescue him1 ,i should be a saviour to him--,i should have saved him4 ,but when ,i brought the man ashore1 ,i should probably leave him1 and do nothing further4 ,but the ,lord does more4 ,he not only saves us1 but ,he redeems us--that is1 buys us back4 ,he ransoms us from the power of sin1 as if ,i should promise to watch over that rescued man for ever1 and see that he did not again fall into the water4 ,the ,lord not only saves us from spiritual death1 but ,he redeems us for ever that death can never touch us4 ,,liberty ,,to ,,the ,,captives4 ,when ,i was at ,richmond1 ,u4,s41 the coloured people were going to have a meeting4 ,it was the first day of their freedom4 ,i went to the ,african church1 and never before or since heard such bursts of native eloquence4 ,mother1 said one1 rejoice to-day4 ,your little child has been sold from you for the last time2 your posterity are for ever free4 ,glory to ,god in the highest6 ,young men1 you have heard the driver's whip for the last time2 you are free to-day6 ,young maidens1 you have been put up on the auction-block for the last time6 ,they spoke right out1 they shouted for joy2 their prayers had been answered1 it was the gospel to them4 ,in like manner ,jesus ,christ proclaims liberty to the captives4 ,some have accepted it2 some1 like the poor negroes1 scarcely believe the good tidings2 but it is none the less true4 ,christ has come to redeem us from the slavery of sin4 ,now1 who will accept of that redemption8 ,there was one coloured woman1 a servant in an inn in the ,southern ,states1 who could not believe she was free4 ,be's ,i free1 or be ,i not8 she asked of a visitor4 ,her master told her she was not1 her coloured brethren told her she was4 ,for two years she had been free without knowing it4 ,she represents a great many in the ,church of ,god to-day4 ,they can have liberty1 and yet they don't know it4 #c4 ,again1 ,christ is our ,,deliverer4 ,the children of ,israel were not only saved and redeemed from the bondage of the ,egyptians1 but they were also delivered1 that they should not be led back again into bondage4 ,many are afraid2 they think they are not able to hold on1 and therefore shrink from making a profession4 ,but ,christ is able to keep you from falling2 ,he is able to deliver you in the dark hour of trial and temptation1 from every evil device of ,satan1 and from the snare of the fowler4 ,in ,isaiah xlix4 #bd1 we read3 ,shall the prey be taken from the mighty1 or the lawful captive delivered8 ,but thus saith the ,lord1 ,even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away1 and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered3 for ,i will contend with him that contendeth with thee1 and ,i will save thy children4 ,i will save him2 ,i will deliver him4 ,the children of ,israel were saved from the cruel bondage of ,egypt1 they were led out of the land of ,goschen2 but still they were not fully delivered4 ,the great host of the ,egyptians was thundering behind them4 ,it was not till they had passed safely through the ,red ,sea1 which closing behind them1 swallowed up the host of the enemy--it was not till then that they were free1 that they were delivered4 ,and similarly in our times of danger we shall find it to be true of ,christ1 ,he delivered my soul2 and again in ,job xxxiii4 #bd1 ,then ,he is gracious unto him1 and saith1 ,deliver him from going down to the pit3 ,i have found a ransom4 ,his flesh shall be fresher than a child's3 he shall return to the days of his youth6 he shall pray unto ,god1 and ,he will be favourable unto him3 and he shall see ,his face with joy3 for ,he will render unto man ,his righteousness4 ,he will deliver his soul from going into the pit1 and his life shall see the light4 ,here we have the saving1 the redeeming1 the deliverance from the pit4 ,man is fallen into the deep pit1 he is kept there a lawful captive by one who is mighty4 ,if he is to be brought back from the darkness of the pit to see the light1 then we must have a ransom4 ,here ,god comes forward1 and says1 ,i have found a ransom4 ,christ is the ransom1 and ,he will deliver us4 ,sound out the cry1 ,christ is our deliverer4 ,he is mighty to save1 ,he is able to deliver4 ,a ,,leader4 #d4 ,but now we need something more4 ,look back again to the children of ,israel2 when they had marched gloriously through the ,red ,sea1 they had been saved1 redeemed1 and delivered2 but was that all they required8 ,no2 they had been brought into the wilderness4 ,what now do they need8 ,they must have a way to go in the pathless desert4 ,they required a leader4 ,then ,christ is the way and the leader4 ,are we in difficulties1 in doubt1 or in perplexity8 ,christ is our way4 ,i am the way1 the truth1 and the life 7,john x474 ,i have heard some say1 ,well1 if ,i am converted1 and become religious1 ,i don't know what church ,i would go to4 ,there are so many different churches and denominations4 ,i really don't know which is the right one4 ,hence some people are bewildered1 and do not know which is the true way4 ,well1 ,i would say to such1 ,look only to ,him who says1 ,i ,,am ,,the ,,way4 ,he is the only true way1 and if you want to reach the kingdom you have only to follow ,him4 ,we may be in darkness1 but ,he is able to lead us in the right path4 ,he is the ,shepherd of ,his flock4 ,he will go before us and lead us4 ,he is calling upon us to arise and follow ,him1 and ,he will lead us by a way we know not2 ,he will guide us to the green pastures if we only look to ,him4 ,,the ,,pillar ,,of ,,cloud4 ,all that the children of ,israel had to do was to follow the cloud4 ,if the cloud rested1 they rested2 if the cloud moved forward1 then they moved4 ,i can imagine that the first thing ,moses did1 when the grey dawn of morning broke1 was to look up and see if the cloud was still over the camp4 ,by night it was a pillar of fire1 lighting up the camp1 and filling them with a sense of ,god's protecting care2 by day it was a cloud shielding them from the fierce heat of the sun's rays1 and sheltering them from the sight of their enemies4 ,israel's ,shepherd could lead them through the pathless desert4 ,why8 ,because ,he made it4 ,he knew every grain of sand in it4 ,they could not have a better leader through the wilderness than its ,creator4 ,and1 sinner1 can you1 in all your difficulties or doubts and fears1 have a better leader than ,jehovah8 ,oh1 ,i do like that good old hymn3 ,guide me1 ,o ,thou great ,jehovah1 ,pilgrim through this barren land2 ,i am weak1 but ,thou art mighty1 ,hold me with ,thy powerful hand4 ,bread of heaven1 ,feed me till ,i want no more4 ,yes1 that is the true prayer of the bewildered sinner1 ,god is able1 and still more1 ,he is willing1 to lead us1 and to feed us4 ,thou gayest them bread from heaven for their hunger1 and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst 7,nehemiah ix4 #ae74 ,he is still as able to lead any of us as ,he was four thousand years ago to lead the children of ,israel1 ,for ,i am the ,lord2 ,i change not4 ,to every one of us ,he says1 ,fear not1 ,i will lead thee2 ,i will help thee4 ,wonderful thing1 is it not1 to have ,god to help us on our way8 ,in our ,western countries1 when men go out hunting into the dense backwoods1 where there are no roads or paths of any kind1 they take their hatchet and cut a little chip out of the bark of the trees as they go along1 and then they easily find their way by these blazes4 ,they call it blazing the way4 ,and so1 if you will allow me the expression1 ,christ has blazed the way4 ,he has travelled the road ,himself1 and knowing the way1 ,he tells us to follow ,him1 and ,he will lead us safe on high4 #e4 ,now we have seen ,christ is our ,saviour1 ,redeemer1 ,deliverer1 ,leader1 or ,way4 ,but ,he is more than all that2 ,,he ,,is ,,our ,,light4 ,i am the light of the world3 he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness1 but shall have the light of life4 ,he shall have the very light of life4 ,yes1 it is the privilege of every ,christian to walk in an unclouded sky4 ,but do we walk thus in an unclouded sky8 ,no1 most ,christians are often in darkness4 ,if ,i were to ask this congregation if they were all walking in the light1 ,i believe there is scarcely one1 if he spoke the true feeling of his heart1 but would reply1 ,no1 ,i am often in darkness4 ,why is that8 ,it is because we are not following ,christ1 and keeping close to ,him4 ,we are much in darkness when we might be in the light4 ,suppose the windows of this building were all closed1 and we were complaining of the darkness1 what would any one say to us8 ,why1 they would say1 ,admit the light2 open the windows all round1 and you'll soon have plenty of light4 ,similarly we must let in ,christ1 who is the light1 and open our minds to receive ,him1 and we shall soon walk in light4 ,there is a great deal of darkness at the present time1 even in the hearts of ,god's own people4 ,but follow ,him1 and then you will have plenty of light4 ,then ,christ will show to each of us that ,he is ,the ,light2 and ,he will do more1 ,he will set us on fire with ,his light1 that we also may shine as lights in this dark world4 ,may ,god help ,his own people to ,,shine ,,brightly1 to flash out of darkness1 that men may take knowledge of us that we have been with ,jesus4 ,but remember1 the world hates the light4 ,christ was the light of the world1 and the world sought to extinguish it at ,calvary4 ,now ,he has left ,his people to shine4 ,ye are the light of the world4 ,he has left us here to shine4 ,he means us to be living epistles1 known and read of all men4 ,the world is certain to watch1 and to read you and me4 ,if we are inconsistent1 then you may be sure the world will take occasion to stumble at us4 ,the world finds plenty of difficulties on the way2 let us see that we ,christians do not add more stumbling-blocks by our un-,christlike walk4 ,god help us to keep our lights burning clear and brilliant6 ,out ,west a friend of mine was walking along one of the streets one dark night1 and saw approaching him a man with a lantern4 ,as he came up close to him he noticed by the bright light that the man had got no eyes4 ,he went past1 but the thought struck him1 ,surely that man is blind4 ,he turned round1 and said1 ,my friend1 are you not blind8 ,yes4 ,then what have you got the lantern for8 ,i carry the lantern that people may not stumble over me1 of course1 said the blind man4 ,let us take a lesson from that blind man1 and hold up our light1 burning with the clear radiance of heaven1 that men may not stumble over us4 #f4 ,objectors have said that it's all moonshine about ,christ's people being lights on the way4 ,well1 that's just what we believe2 we reflect the light of ,christ4 ,,reflected ,,light4 ,just like the moonshine1 our light is borrowed light4 ,when we are living in the light of our ,saviour we shine with ,his light3 somewhat like the face of ,moses1 which shone after he had been in the mount with ,god4 ,let us live in an atmosphere of heaven1 and we cannot help shining4 ,but whenever we get downcast and weak in faith1 then we are sure to lose our light4 ,i remember during the ,american war ,i was in a prayer meeting4 ,we were all very dark and gloomy4 ,things had been going against us for some time4 ,at last an old man got up1 and said1 ,what is the matter with us1 that we are downhearted and sad8 ,it is simply our lack of faith4 ,moses1 ,joshua1 and ,david were men strong in faith4 ,they believed1 and therefore ,god honoured them4 ,whence comes our want of faith8 ,god is not dead4 ,he is as powerful1 as willing1 to help to-day as ever ,he was4 ,why1 then1 are we not full of faith in ,him8 ,it is ,god-dishonouring to forget that ,he still has power1 although our armies are defeated1 and all seems dark and gloomy4 ,,get ,,above ,,the ,,clouds4 ,i will tell you what happened to me some time ago when ,i was out ,west4 ,i wanted to reach the summit of one of the ,western mountains4 ,i had been told that sunrise was very beautiful when seen from the summit4 ,we got up to the half-way house one afternoon1 where we were to rest till midnight1 and then set out for the top4 ,soon a little party of us started with a good guide4 ,before a great while it began to rain1 and then it became a regular storm of thunder and lightning4 ,i thought there was little use in going on1 and said to the guide1 ,guess we'd better turn back2 we won't see anything this morning1 with all these clouds4 ,oh1 said the guide1 ,i expect we'll soon get through these clouds1 and get above them1 and then we'll have a glorious view4 ,so we went on1 whilst the thunders were rumbling right about our ears4 ,but soon we began to get above the thunder-cloud2 the air was quite clear1 and when the sun rose we had a splendid view of his rays as they tinged the hilltops2 and then1 as the glorious sunshine began to break on where we stood1 we could see the dark cloud far beneath our mountain height4 ,that's what ,god's people want--to get into the clear air above the stormy clouds1 and to ,,climb ,,higher away up to the mountain peak4 ,there you'll catch the first rays from the ,sun of ,righteousness far above the clouds and mists4 ,some of you may be in great darkness and gloom2 but fear not1 climb higher1 get nearer to the ,master1 and soon you'll catch ,his bright rays on your own soul1 and they will sparkle back upon others4 ,,keep ,,the ,,lower ,,lights ,,burning4 ,we must live as children of the light1 not as children of the darkness4 ,if we are dark and sorrowful1 how is the world to know that we are children of peace1 and joy1 and gladness8 ,our determination must be to keep our lights burning4 ,a few years ago1 at the mouth of ,cleveland harbour there were two lights1 one at each side of the bay1 called the upper and lower lights2 and1 to enter the harbour safely by night1 vessels must sight both of these lights4 ,these ,western lakes are more dangerous sometimes than the great ocean4 ,one wild1 stormy night a steamer was trying to make her way into the harbour4 ,the captain and the pilot were anxiously watching for the lights4 ,by and by the pilot was heard to say1 ,do you see the lower lights8 ,no1 was the reply2 but ,i fear we have passed them4 ,ah1 there are the lights1 said the pilot6 and they must be1 from the bluff on which they stand1 the upper lights4 ,we have passed the lower lights1 and have lost our chance of getting into the harbour4 ,what was to be done8 ,they looked back1 and saw the dim outline of the lower lighthouse against the sky4 ,the lights had gone out4 ,can't you turn her head round8 ,no2 the night is too wild for that4 ,she won't answer her helm4 ,the storm was so fearful that they could do nothing4 ,they tried again to make for the harbour1 but they went crash against the rocks1 and sank to the bottom4 ,very few escaped2 the great majority found a watery grave4 ,why8 ,simply because the lower lights had gone out4 ,and with us the upper lights are all right4 ,christ ,himself is the upper light1 and we are the lower lights1 and the cry to us is1 keep the lower lights burning1 that is what we have to do4 ,in the place ,god has put us ,he expects us to shine1 to be living witnesses1 to be a bright and shining light4 ,while we are here our work is to shine for ,him1 and ,he will lead us safe to the sunlit shore of ,canaan1 where there is no more night4 #g4 ,but ,christ is more than our ,light on the way2 for ,he is ,,our ,,teacher4 ,what a wonderful thing to have a teacher sent from heaven4 ,if any man lack wisdom1 let him ask of ,god1 that giveth to all men liberally1 and upbraideth not2 and it shall be given him 7,james i4 #e74 ,if any lack wisdom3 ,i am afraid there are a great many of us who lack wisdom1 and even the best of us at times will be in perplexity4 ,there are moments in the life of us all when we seem in a fix2 we just stand still1 and say1 ,what shall ,i do8 ,i don't know what is the best way4 ,oh1 leave it with ,god1 ,he will ,himself be our teacher6 ,come unto me1 all ye that labour and are heavy laden1 and ,i will give you rest4 ,take my yoke upon you1 and learn of me4 ,here is a wonderful teacher4 ,he has had a school for many thousand years2 ,he has had the best men in ,his school2 but still there's room for another scholar there4 ,his college is not too full yet1 and the teacher is the ,one sent from heaven4 ,any one1 every one in this assembly may join this school4 ,jesus will welcome you there4 ,are you in doubt about anything8 ask ,jesus2 ,he will tell you4 ,anxious sinner1 seek the good teacher1 as ,nicodemus did3 ,master1 we know thou art a teacher sent from ,god4 ,if you seek ,him thus ,he will direct you4 ,he will keep you1 and lead you into green pastures and by the still waters4 ,i met a woman the other day who was full of infidel doubts and fancies4 ,she could not believe4 ,reading for some time infidel works had thrown a dark and gloomy pall over her mind4 ,it made me sad to see her in such a case4 ,some of you may be like her4 ,i wish you would take ,christ as your teacher1 and then all darkness would flee away4 ,christ is able to teach us4 ,see how ,he taught the disciples4 ,he never wearied of their learning from ,him4 ,so ,he will teach us if we will only listen to ,him4 ,,the ,,old ,,judge ,,converted4 ,i remember1 as ,i was coming out of the daily prayer meeting in one of our ,american cities a few years ago1 a lady said she wished to speak to me2 her voice trembled with emotion1 and ,i saw at once that she was heavily burdened by something or other4 ,she said she had long been praying for her husband1 and she wanted to know if ,i would go to see him2 she thought it might do him some good4 ,what is his name8 ,judge---1 and she mentioned one of the most eminent politicians in the ,state4 ,i have heard of him1 ,i said2 ,i am afraid ,i need not go1 he is a booked infidel2 ,i cannot argue with him4 ,that is not what he wants1 said the lady4 ,he has had too much argument already4 ,go and speak to him about his soul4 ,i said ,i would1 although ,i was not very hopeful4 ,i went to his house1 was admitted to his room1 and introduced myself as having come to speak to him about salvation4 ,then you have come on a very foolish errand1 said he2 there's no use in attacking me1 ,i tell you that4 ,i am proof against all these things1 ,i don't believe in them4 ,well1 ,i saw it was no use arguing with him2 so ,i said1 ,i'll pray for you1 and ,i want you to promise me that when you are converted you'll let me know4 ,oh1 yes1 ,i'll let you know1 he said in a tone of sarcasm4 ,oh1 yes1 ,i'll let you know when ,i'm converted6 ,i left him1 but ,i continued to pray for him4 ,some time subsequently ,i heard that the old judge was converted4 ,i was again preaching in that city a while after that1 and when ,i had done talking the judge himself came to me1 and said3 ,i promised ,i'd let you know when ,i was converted2 ,i have come to tell you of it4 ,have you not heard of it8 ,yes2 but ,i would like to hear from you how it happened4 ,well1 said the judge1 one night1 some time after you called on me1 my wife had gone to the meeting2 there was no one in the house but the servants4 ,i sat by the drawing-room fire1 and ,i began to think3 ,suppose my wife is right1 that there is a heaven and a hell2 and suppose she is on the right way to heaven1 where am ,i going8 ,i just dismissed the thought4 ,but a second thought came3 ,surely ,he who created me is able to teach me4 ,yes1 ,i thought1 that is so4 ,then why not ask ,him8 ,i struggled against it1 but at last1 though ,i was too proud to get down on my knees1 ,i just said1 ',father1 all is dark2 ,thou who created me canst teach me4' ,somehow1 the more ,i prayed the worse ,i felt4 ,i was very sad4 ,i did not wish my wife to come home and find me thus1 so ,i slipped away to bed1 and when she came into the room ,i pretended to be asleep4 ,she got down on her knees and prayed4 ,i knew she was praying for me1 and that for many long years she had been doing so4 ,i felt as if ,i could have jumped up and knelt beside her2 but no1 my proud heart would not let me1 so ,i lay still1 pretending to be asleep4 ,but ,i didn't sleep that night4 ,i soon changed my prayer2 it was now1 ',o ,god1 save me2 take away this terrible burden4' ,i didn't believe in ,christ even yet4 ,i thought ,i'd go right straight to the ,father ,himself4 ,but the more ,i prayed ,i only became the more miserable2 my burden grew heavier4 ,the next morning ,i did not wish to see my wife1 so ,i said ',i was not well1 and wouldn't wait for breakfast4' ,i went to the office1 and when the boy came ,i sent him home for a holiday4 ,when the clerks came ,i told them they might go for the day4 ,i closed the office doors3 ,i wanted to be alone with ,god4 ,i was almost frantic in my agony of heart4 ,i cried to ,god to take away this load of sin4 ,at last ,i fell on my knees1 and cried1 ',for ,jesus ,christ's sake take away this load of sin4' ,at length ,i went to my wife's pastor1 who had been praying with her for my conversion for years1 and the same minister who had prayed with my mother before she died4 ,as ,i walked down the street the verse that my mother had taught me came into my mind1 ',whatsoever things ye desire1 when ye pray1 believe that ye receive them1 and ye shall have them4' ,well1 ,i thought1 ,i have asked ,god1 and here ,i am going to ask a man4 ,i won't go4 ,i believe ,i am a ,christian4 ,i turned and went home4 ,i met my wife in the hall as ,i entered4 ,i caught her hand1 and said1 ',i am a ,christian now4' ,she turned quite pale2 she had been praying for twenty-one years for me1 and yet she could not believe the answer had come4 ,we went into our room1 and knelt down by the very bedside where she had so often knelt to pray for her husband4 ,there we erected our family altar2 and for the first time our voices mingled in prayer4 ,and ,i can only say that the last three months have been the happiest months ever ,i spent in my life4 ,since then that judge has lived a consistent ,christian life2 and all because he came to ,god1 asking for guidance4 ,if there is one here to-day whose mind is filled with such infidel thoughts1 go honestly to ,god1 and ,he will teach you the right way through the dark wilderness of infidelity4 ,he won't leave you in darkness or doubt4 ,it is the devil's own work to lead men into such doubts2 well he knows if he once gets them there he has them pretty safe4 ,it is ,satan's work to keep you in ignorance or doubt4 ,it is ,god's work to teach you4 ,the teacher is ,christ2 ,he is appointed by ,god for this work4 ,god help us all to accept ,him as our teacher4 #h4 ,now we have seen ,christ as our ,saviour1 ,redeemer1 ,deliverer1 ,leader1 ,light1 and ,teacher4 ,but ,he is still more2 ,he is also ,,our ,,shepherd4 ,a very sweet thought it is to me1 ,the ,lord is my ,shepherd2 ,i shall not want4 ,there is not one here1 except the very babes1 who does not understand the work of a shepherd4 ,he watches over his flock1 protects them from danger1 feeds them1 leads them into the best pastures4 ,in fact1 the #bcrd ,psalm is just a statement of the duties of a good shepherd3 ,the ,lord is my ,shepherd2 ,i shall not want1 etc4 ,you want to be fed2 are you going to wander about seeking something to satisfy the cravings of your soul8 ,then1 ,i tell you1 you never will find anything to satisfy the longings of your heart4 ,the world cannot1 and never could1 satisfy a hungry soul4 ,the ,lord ,jesus can--,he is the true ,shepherd4 ,he is seeking to restore your soul1 to lead you back to the paths of righteousness4 ,even to death will ,he lead you1 and safely through its shadow guide you to a better land4 ,mother1 father1 will you claim ,him as your ,shepherd8 ,young man1 young woman1 will you have ,him as your ,shepherd8 ,my little child1 will you have ,jesus as your ,shepherd8 ,he will lead safely and softly4 ,you can1 all of you1 if you will4 ,for ,god gave ,him up freely for us all1 that ,he might have us for ,his flock4 ,he will lead us through life1 down to the banks of the ,jordan2 ,he will lead us across the dark river into ,his kingdom4 ,he is a tender1 loving ,shepherd4 ,i sometimes meet people in the anxious inquiry-room who are nourishing hard1 bitter feelings against ,god1 generally because they have been afflicted4 ,a mother said to me the other day1 ,ah1 ,mr4 ,moody1 ,god has been unjust to me2 ,he has come and taken away my child4 ,dear afflicted mothers1 has ,god not removed your children to a pure and happy life8 ,you may not understand it now1 but you will by and by4 ,he wants to lead you up there4 ,,the ,,eastern ,,shepherd4 ,a friend of mine1 who had been in eastern lands1 told me he saw a shepherd who wanted his flock to cross a river4 ,he went into the water himself and called them2 but no1 they would not follow him into the water4 ,what did he do8 ,why1 he girded up his loins and lifted a little lamb under each arm1 and plunged right into the stream1 and crossed it without even looking back4 ,whenever he lifted the lambs1 the old sheep looked up into his face and began to bleat for them2 but when he plunged into the water the dams plunged after him1 and then the whole flock followed4 ,when they got to the other side he put down the lambs1 and they were quickly joined by their mothers1 and there was a happy meeting4 ,my friend says he noticed the pastures on the other side were much better and the fields greener2 and on this account the shepherd was leading them across4 ,our great ,palestine ,shepherd does that4 ,that child which ,he has taken from the earth is but removed to green pastures of ,canaan1 and the ,shepherd means to draw your hearts after it1 to teach you to set your affections on things above4 ,when ,he has taken your little ,mary1 ,edith1 or ,julia1 accept it as a call to look upward and beyond4 ,you1 mother1 are you weeping bitter tears for your little one8 ,do not weep6 ,your child has gone to the place where there is neither weeping nor sorrow4 ,would you have it return8 ,surely never4 ,christ is our ,shepherd--faithful and loving4 ,though sickness1 or trouble1 or even death itself1 should come to our house1 and claim our dearest ones1 still they are not lost1 but only gone before4 ,god help each one of us to have ,him as our ,shepherd4 ,if time permitted1 ,i should like to take up the subject of ,christ as our ,justification1 our ,wisdom1 our ,righteousness1 the ,friend that sticketh closer than a brother2 but it would take a whole eternity to tell what ,christ is to ,his people1 and what ,he does for them4 ,i remember when ,i was preaching on this subject in ,scotland1 after ,i had done1 ,i said to a man that ,i was sorry ,i could not finish the subject for want of time4 ,finish the subject1 said the ,scotchman1 why1 that would require all eternity1 and even then it would not be complete2 it will be the occupation of heaven4 #i4 ,once more1 let us look at ,christ as ,,our ,,burden-,,bearer4 ,oh1 ,i love to think of ,him as the bearer of our burdens as well as our sin-bearer4 ,he carries our sins1 although they are more numerous than the hairs of our heads4 ,great and terrible as these burdens are1 ,god has laid them all on ,jesus4 ,o ,christ1 what burdens bowed ,thy head6 ,our load was laid on ,thee4 ,that aspect of ,his burden-bearing we have already looked at in ,his work as ,saviour and ,redeemer4 ,i wish now to take up the sweet thought1 which has been a great comfort to me4 ,surely ,he hath borne our griefs1 and carried our sorrows4 ,glorious1 is it not1 to know we have such a ,saviour8 ,can you feel that ,he has lifted your burden off your shoulders on to ,his own shoulder8 ,then you will feel light in heart4 ,a ,,light ,,heart4 ,on one occasion1 after ,i had been talking this way1 a woman came forward1 and said1 ,oh1 ,mr4 ,moody1 it's all very well for you to talk like that1 about a light heart4 ,but you are a young man1 and if you had a heavy burden like me you would talk differently4 ,i could not talk in that way1 my burden is too great4 ,i replied1 ,but it's not too great for ,jesus4 ,oh1 she said1 ,i cannot cast it on ,him4 ,why not8 surely it is not too great for ,him4 ,it is not that ,he is feeble4 ,but it is because you will not leave it to ,him4 ,you're like many others4 ,they will not leave it with ,him4 ,they go about hugging their burden1 and yet crying out against it4 ,what the ,lord wants is1 you to leave it with ,him1 to let ,him carry it for you4 ,then you will have a light heart1 sorrow will flee away1 and there will be no more sighing4 ,what is your burden1 my friend1 that you cannot leave with ,christ8 ,she replied1 ,i have a son who is a wanderer on the face of the earth4 ,none but ,god knows where he is4 ,cannot ,christ find him1 and bring him back8 ,i suppose ,he can4 ,then go and tell ,jesus1 and ask ,him to forgive you for doubting ,his power and willingness2 you have no right to mistrust ,him4 ,she went away much comforted1 and ,i believe she ultimately had her wandering boy restored to her6 ,a ,,mother',s ,,prayer ,,answered4 ,this circumstance reminds me of a pious father and mother in our country1 whose eldest son had gone to ,chicago to a situation4 ,a neighbour of theirs was in the city on some business1 and he met the young man reeling along the streets drunk4 ,he thought1 ,how am ,i to tell his parents8 ,when he returned to his village1 he went and called out the father1 and told him4 ,it was a terrible blow to that father1 but he said nothing to the mother till the little ones had all gone to rest2 the servants had retired1 and all was quiet in that little farm on the ,western prairies4 ,they drew up their chairs to the little drawing-room table1 and then he told her the sad news4 ,our boy has been seen drunk on the streets of ,chicago--drunk4 ,ah1 that mother was sorely hurt2 they did not sleep much that night1 but spent the hours in fervent prayers for their boy4 ,about daybreak the mother felt an inward conviction that all would be well4 ,she told the father she had cast it on the ,lord1 had left her son with ,jesus1 and she felt ,he would save him4 ,one week from that time the young man left ,chicago1 took a journey of three hundred miles into the country2 and when he reached his home1 he walked in1 and said1 ,mother1 ,i've come home to ask you to pray for me4 ,ah1 her prayer had reached heaven2 she had cast her burden on ,jesus1 and ,he had borne it for her4 ,he took the burden1 presented her prayer sprinkled with the atoning blood1 and got it answered4 ,in two days that young man returned to ,chicago rejoicing in the ,saviour4 ,what a wonderful thing it is to have ,christ as our burden-bearer6 ,how easy1 how light do our cares become when cast upon ,him6 ,do you say ,christ is nothing to you8 ,if so1 it is only because you won't have ,him4 ,he is to all who will accept ,him a ,saviour from death1 a ,redeemer from the power of sin1 a ,deliverer from our enemies1 a ,leader through the wilderness2 ,he is the way ,himself1 ,he is ,light in the darkness1 ,he is a ,teacher to ,his people1 ,he is the ,shepherd of ,his flock1 our ,justification1 ,wisdom1 ,righteousness1 ,elder ,brother1 ,burden-bearer4 ,he is in fact ,our all in all4 ,then come to ,christ2 oh1 come to-day1 ,the ,father1 ,son1 and ,spirit say1 ,the ,bride repeats the call1 ,for ,he will cleanse your guilty stains1 ,his love will soothe your weary pains1 ,for ,christ is ,all in ,all4 ,,naaman ,,the ,,syrian ,read #b ,kings v4 ,i wish to call your attention to a man rather than to a text2 to one who was a great man in his own country1 and very honourable2 one whom the king delighted to honour4 ,he stood high in position2 he was captain of the host of the king of ,syria2 but he was a leper1 and that threw a blight over his whole life4 ,now1 you cannot have a better type of a sinner than ,naaman was4 ,i don't care who nor what he is1 nor what position he holds--all men alike have sinned1 and all have to bear the same burden of death4 ,all have sinned1 and come short of the glory of ,god4 ,all men must stand in judgment before ,god2 what a gloom that throws over our whole life6 ,but he was a leper4 ,there was ,,no ,,physician to help him in ,syria4 ,none of the eminent doctors in ,damascus could do him any good4 ,neither could any in ,jerusalem4 ,there was no balm in ,gilead4 ,if he was to get rid of the leprosy1 the power must come from on high4 ,it must be some one unknown to ,naaman1 for he did not know ,god4 ,,the ,,little ,,missionary4 ,but ,i will tell you what they had in ,syria--they had one of ,god's children there1 and she was a little girl1 a simple captive maid4 ,naaman knew nothing about her1 though she was one of his household4 ,he knew nothing about this little ,israelite4 ,i can imagine her one day as she said to ,mrs4 ,naaman1 her mistress1 that there was a prophet in her country that could cure her master of his leprosy4 ,would to ,god1 the maid said1 my lord were with the prophet in ,samaria6 for he would recover him of his leprosy4 ,there's faith for you6 ,why1 says the mistress1 what are you talking about8 ,did you ever hear of anybody being cured of leprosy8 ,ah1 said the little girl1 it is true1 ,i can assure you2 we have got physicians down there that can cure any one4 ,so at last some one told the king about what the little maid of ,israel had said4 ,now1 ,naaman stood high in the king's favour1 for he had recently won a great victory4 ,he was called a lord1 perhaps he was a prince1 a sort of ,syrian ,prince ,bismarck1 who stood near the throne4 ,so the king said1 ,you had better go down to ,samaria1 and see if there is anything in it1 and ,i will give you letters of introduction to the king of ,israel4 ,,money ,,will ,,not ,,buy ,,salvation4 ,yes1 he would give ,naaman letters of introduction to the king4 ,that's just man's idea4 ,the notion was1 that if anybody could help him1 it was the king1 and that the king had power both with ,god and man4 ,oh1 my friends1 it is a good deal better to know a man that knows ,god6 ,a man acquainted with ,god has more power than any earthly potentate4 ,gold can't do everything4 ,well1 away goes ,naaman down to ,samaria with his kingly introduction1 and he takes with him a lot of gold and silver4 ,that is man's idea again2 he is going to pay for a great doctor1 and he took about ,l#ajj1jjj sterling1 as far as ,i can make it out1 to pay for the doctor's bill4 ,there are a good many men who would willingly pay that sum if with it they could buy the favour of ,god1 and get rid of the curse of sin4 ,yes1 if money could do it1 how many would buy salvation6 ,but1 thank ,god1 it is not in the market for sale4 ,you must buy it at ,god's price1 and that is without money and without price4 ,naaman found that out4 ,and now1 my dear friends1 did you ever ask yourselves1 ,which is the worst--the leprosy of sin1 or the leprosy of the body8 ,why1 for my own part1 ,i would a thousand times sooner have the leprosy of the body eating my eyes out1 and feet1 and arms6 ,i would rather be loathsome in the sight of my fellow-men1 than die with the leprosy of sin in my soul1 and be banished from ,god for ever6 ,the leprosy of the body is bad1 but the leprosy of sin is a thousand times worse4 ,it has cast angels out of heaven1 it has ruined the best and strongest men that ever lived in the world4 ,oh1 how it has pulled men down6 ,the leprosy of the body could not do that4 ,but to proceed4 ,there is one thing about ,naaman that ,i like1 and that is his earnestness of purpose4 ,,he ,,was ,,thoroughly ,,in ,,earnest4 ,he was quite willing to go one hundred and fifty miles1 and to take the advice of this little maid4 ,a good many people say1 ,oh1 ,i don't like such and such a minister2 ,i should like to know where he comes from1 and what he has done1 and whether any bishop has laid his hands on his head4 ,my dear friends1 never mind the minister1 it is the message you want4 ,why1 if some one were to send me a telegraph message1 and the news were important1 ,i shouldn't stop to ask about the messenger who brought it4 ,i should want to read the news2 ,i should look at the message1 and not at the boy who brought it4 ,and so it is with ,god's message4 ,the good news is everything1 the minister nothing4 ,the ,syrians looked down with contempt on the ,israelites1 and yet this great man was willing to take the good news at the hands of this little maiden1 and listened to the words that fell from her lips4 ,why1 if ,i got lost in ,london1 ,i should be willing to ask anybody which way to go1 even if it were only a shoeblack boy2 and1 in point of fact1 a boy's word in such a case is often better than a man's4 ,it is the way ,i want1 not the person who directs me4 ,,human ,,pride ,,brought ,,low4 ,but there was one drawback in ,naaman's case4 ,though he was willing to take the advice of the little girl1 he was not willing to take the remedy4 ,the stumbling-block of pride stood in his way4 ,the remedy the prophet offered him was a terrible blow to his pride4 ,i have no doubt he expected a grand reception from the king of ,israel1 to whom he brought letters of introduction4 ,he had been victorious on many a field of battle1 and held high rank in the army2 perhaps we may call him ,major-,general ,naaman of ,syria1 or he might have been higher in rank even than that2 and bearing with him kingly credentials1 he expected no doubt a distinguished reception4 ,but instead of the king rushing out to meet him1 he1 when he heard of ,naaman's arrival1 and his object1 simply rent his mantle1 and said1 ,am ,i ,god1 to kill and to make alive8 ,but at last the king bethinks himself of ,elisha the prophet1 and he says1 ,there is a subject in my kingdom who may be able to help you and cure your leprosy4 ,and ,i can imagine ,naaman's pride reasoning thus3 ,surely the prophet will feel very much exalted and flattered that ,i1 the great ,syrian general1 should come and call upon him4 ,and so1 probably1 full of those proud thoughts1 he drives up to the prophet's humble dwelling with his chariot1 four-in-hand1 and his splendid retinue4 ,yes1 ,naaman drove up in grand style to the prophet's abode1 and as nobody seemed to be coming out to greet him1 he sent in his message3 ,tell the prophet ,major-,general ,naaman of ,syria has arrived1 and wishes to see him4 ,,the ,,prophet',s ,,message4 ,elisha takes it very coolly4 ,he does not come out to see him1 but as soon as he learns his errand he sends his servant to tell him to dip seven times in the river ,jordan1 and he shall be clean4 ,now that was a terrible blow to his pride4 ,i can imagine him saying to his servant1 ,what did you say8 ,did ,i understand you aright8 ,dip seven times in ,jordan6 ,why1 we call the river ,jordan a ditch in our country4 ,but the only answer he got was1 ,the prophet says1 ,go and dip seven times in the ,jordan1 and thy flesh shall become like the flesh of a little child4 ,i can fancy ,naaman's indignation as he asks1 ,are not ,abana and ,pharpar1 rivers of ,damascus1 better than all the waters of ,israel8 may ,i not wash in them1 and be clean8 ,so he turned and went away in a rage4 ,the fact was1 the ,jordan never had any great reputation as a river4 ,it flowed into the ,dead ,sea1 and that sea never had a harbour to it1 and its banks were not half so beautiful as those of the rivers of ,damascus2 for ,damascus was one of the most beautiful cities in the world1 and it is said that when ,mahomet beheld it he turned his head aside for fear it should divert his thoughts from heaven4 ,naaman turned away in a rage4 ,ah1 he said1 here am ,i1 a great conqueror1 a successful general on the battlefield1 holding the very highest rank in the army1 and yet this prophet does not even come out to meet me2 he simply sends a message4 ,why1 ,i thought he would surely come out to me1 and stand and call on the name of the ,lord his ,god1 and strike his hand over the place and recover the leper4 ,i ,,thought4 ,there it is2 ,i never knew a man yet who1 when talked to about his sins1 didn't always say1 ,yes1 but ,i thought so and so4 ,mr4 ,moody1 they say1 ,i will tell you what ,i think2 ,i will tell you my opinion4 ,in the fifty-fifth chapter of ,isaiah it says1 ,god's thoughts are not our thoughts1 nor ,his ways our ways4 ,and so it was with ,naaman4 ,in the first place he thought a good big doctor's fee would do it all1 and settle everything up4 ,and besides that there was another thing he thought2 he thought going to the king with his letters of introduction would do it4 ,yes1 those were ,naaman's first thoughts4 ,i thought4 ,exactly so4 ,he turned away in rage and disappointment4 ,he thought the prophet would have come out to him very humble and very subservient1 and bid him do some great things4 ,instead of that ,elisha1 who was very likely busy writing1 did not even come to the door or the window2 he merely sent out the message1 ,tell him to dip seven times in the ,jordan4 ,and away went ,naaman1 saying1 ,i thought1 ,i thought1 ,i thought4 ,i have heard that tale so often that ,i am tired of it4 ,i will tell you just what ,i think about it1 and what ,i advise you to do--,give it up1 and take ,god's words1 ,god's thoughts1 ,god's ways4 ,i never yet knew a man converted just in the time and manner he expected to be4 ,now there is a class of people in our country who have been looked down upon there1 just as they have been in yours2 ,i mean the ,methodists4 ,and ,i have heard people say1 ,well1 if ever ,i am converted1 it won't be in a ,methodist church2 you won't catch me there4 ,now1 ,i never knew a man say that but1 at last1 if converted at all1 it was in a ,methodist church4 ,a man to be converted has to give up his will1 his ways1 and his thoughts4 ,and ,i have noticed this1 that when a man says1 ,well1 if ever ,i am converted1 it will be in this way or that1 ,god leads him in quite a contrary direction4 ,and so ,naaman1 after his anger had abated and cooled down a little1 took a second thought1 which proved the best1 although his pride had been so dreadfully humbled4 ,,the ,,simple ,,remedy4 ,whilst ,naaman was thus wavering in his mind1 and thinking on what was best to be done1 one of his servants drew near and made a very sensible remark3 ,my lord1 if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing1 wouldest thou not have done it8 how much rather then1 when he saith to thee1 ,wash1 and be clean8 ,yes1 and there is a great deal of truth in that4 ,why1 if ,elisha had said to him1 ,go back to ,syria on your hands and knees1 he would most likely have done it4 ,if he had said1 ,go back all the way on one foot1 he would have tried to do it4 ,or if he had said1 ,give ten thousand pieces of gold for the medicine ,i shall offer thee1 and thou shalt be cleansed1 no doubt he would have done it4 ,but to tell him merely to dip in the river ,jordan seven times1 why1 it seemed absurd on the face of it4 ,well1 this servant suggested to him that he had better go down to the ,jordan and try the remedy1 as it was a very simple one4 ,i can fancy ,naaman1 still reluctant to believe in it1 saying1 ,why1 if there is such cleansing power in the waters of ,jordan1 would not every leper in ,israel go down and dip in them1 and be healed8 ,well1 but you know1 urges the servant1 now that you have come a hundred and fifty miles1 don't you think you had better do what he tells you2 for after all you can but try it2 and he sends word distinctly1 my lord1 that your flesh shall come again as that of a little child4 ,and so ,naaman accepts this word in season4 ,his anger is cooling down2 he has got over the first flush of his indignation1 and he says1 ,well1 ,i think ,i might as well try it4 ,that was the starting-point of his faith1 although still he thought it a foolish thing1 and could not bring himself to believe that the result would be what the prophet had said4 ,how many men have told me right to my face they did not believe a man could be saved by simply obeying ,god4 ,faith1 they thought1 was not enough1 they must do something4 ,they will have it that there must be a little asking1 and reasoning1 and striving1 and wrestling with ,god1 before they can get the blessing4 ,,foolish ,,questions4 ,i recollect once praying with a man for his conversion1 and just when ,i thought conviction had been brought home to him1 he turned round and said1 ,who do you think ,melchisedek was1 ,mr4 ,moody8 ,and then ,i have had others who1 when ,i have been praying with them that their sins might be taken away1 would turn round and ask me1 ,do you believe in infant baptism1 ,mr4 ,moody8 ,my friends1 you need not trouble yourselves about those questions1 but1 if you wish to be saved1 just do as the ,bible tells you4 ,believe on the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and thou shalt be saved 7,acts xvii4 #ca74 ,the salvation of ,god requires from the sinner an ,,unconditional ,,surrender4 ,well1 at last ,naaman's will was conquered1 and subdued1 and broken2 and he had faith1 and he surrendered4 ,i recollect when ,general ,grant was besieging a town which was the stronghold of the ,southern ,confederacy1 some of the officers sent word that they would leave the city if he would let them go with their men4 ,but ,general ,grant sent word1 ,no1 nothing but an unconditional surrender6 ,then they sent word that they would go if he would let them take their flag with them4 ,but the answer was1 ,no1 an unconditional surrender4 ,at last the beleaguered walls were broken down1 and the city entered1 and then the enemy made a complete and unconditional surrender4 ,well1 it was so with ,naaman1 he got to that point when he was willing to obey1 and the ,scripture tells us1 ,to obey is better than to sacrifice4 ,,obedience4 ,so he goes down to the river and takes the first dip1 and as he comes up1 ,i can imagine him looking at himself1 and saying to his servant1 ,there1 there ,i am1 no better than ,i was when ,i went in4 ,if one-seventh of the leprosy was gone1 ,i should be content4 ,well1 down he goes a second time1 and he comes up puffing and blowing as much a leper as ever2 and so he goes down again and again1 the third1 fourth1 fifth1 and sixth time1 with the same result1 as much a leper as ever4 ,and the people standing on the banks of the river probably said1 as they certainly would in our day1 ,why1 that man has gone clean out of his mind4 ,so when he comes up the sixth time1 he looks at himself1 and says1 ,ah1 no better4 ,what a fool ,i have made of myself4 ,how they will all laugh at me4 ,i wouldn't have the generals and aristocracy of ,damascus know that ,i have been dipping in this way in ,jordan for all the world4 ,however1 as ,i have gone so far1 ,i'll make the seventh plunge4 ,he has not altogether lost faith1 and down he goes the seventh time1 and comes up again4 ,he looks at himself1 and shouts aloud for joy4 ,lo1 ,i am well6 ,my leprosy is all gone1 all gone6 ,my flesh has come again as that of a little child4 ,i never knew such a thing4 ,i never felt so happy in all my life4 ,i thought ,i was a great and a happy man when ,i accomplished that victory2 but1 thank ,god1 praise ,god1 ,i am the happiest man alive6 ,so he comes up out of ,jordan and puts on his clothes1 and goes back to the prophet1 and wants to pay him4 ,that's just the old story1 ,naaman wants to give money for his cure4 ,how many people want to do the same nowadays8 ,why1 it would have spoiled the story of grace if the prophet had taken anything4 ,you may give a thank-offering to ,god's cause1 not to purchase salvation1 but because you are saved4 ,the prophet ,elisha refused to take anything1 and ,i can imagine no one felt more rejoiced than he did4 ,so ,naaman starts back to ,damascus a very different man than he was when he left it4 ,the dark cloud has gone from his mind2 he is no longer a leper1 in fear of dying from a loathsome disease4 ,he lost the leprosy in ,jordan when he did what the man of ,god told him2 and if you obey the voice of ,god1 even while ,i am speaking to you1 the burden of your sins will fall from off you1 and you shall be cleansed4 ,it is all done by the power of faith4 ,well1 you may be sure when he got home there was no small stir in ,naaman's house4 ,i can just see his wife1 ,mrs4 ,naaman1 when he gets back2 she has been watching and looking out of the window for him with a great burden on her heart4 ,and when she asks him1 ,well1 husband1 how is it8 ,i can see the tears running down his cheeks as he says1 ,thank ,god1 ,i am well2 and then they embrace each other1 and pour out mutual expressions of rejoicing and gladness2 and the servants are just as glad as their master and mistress1 as they have been waiting eagerly for the news2 and there never was a happier household than ,naaman's now that he has got rid of the leprosy4 ,and so1 my friends1 it will be with your own households if you will only get rid of the leprosy of sin to-day4 ,not only will there be joy in your own hearts and at home1 but there will also be joy among the saints in heaven4 ,another thought is suggested to us by this history of ,naaman in the fifteenth verse of the chapter2 and which shows what ,naaman's faith led him to believe4 ,and he returned to the man of ,god1 he and all his company1 and came1 and stood before him3 and he said1 ,behold1 now ,i know that there is no ,god in all the earth1 but in ,israel3 now therefore1 ,i pray thee1 take a blessing of thy servant4 ,now what ,i want particularly to call your attention to is the words1 ,i ,,know4 ,there is no hesitation about it1 no qualifying the expression4 ,naaman doesn't now say1 ,i think2 no1 he says1 ,i know there is a ,god who has power to forgive sins and to cleanse the leprosy4 ,then there is another thought4 ,naaman left only one thing in ,samaria1 and that was his sin1 his leprosy2 and the only thing ,god wishes you to leave with ,him is your sin4 ,and yet it is the only thing you seem not to care about giving up4 ,oh1 you say1 ,i love leprosy1 it is so delightful1 ,i can't give it up2 ,i know ,god wants it1 that ,he may make me clean4 ,but ,i can't give it up4 ,why1 what downright madness it is for you to love leprosy2 and yet that is your condition4 ,ah1 but1 says some one1 ,i don't believe in sudden conversions4 ,don't you8 ,well1 how long did it take ,naaman to be cured8 ,the seventh time he went down1 away went the leprosy4 ,read the great conversions recorded in the ,bible4 ,saul of ,tarsus1 ,zacchaeus1 and a host of others2 how long did it take the ,lord to bring them about8 ,why1 they were effected in a minute4 ,we are born in iniquity1 shapen in it1 dead in trespasses and sin2 but when spiritual life comes it comes in a moment1 and we are free both from sin and death4 ,the other day1 as ,i was walking down the street1 ,i heard some people laughing and talking aloud1 and one of them said1 ,well1 there will be no difference1 it will be all the same a hundred years hence4 ,and the thought flashed across my mind1 ,will there be no difference8 ,,where ,,will ,,you ,,be ,a ,,hundred ,,years ,,hence8 ,young man1 just ask yourself the question1 ,where shall ,i be8 ,some of you who are getting on in years may be in eternity ten years hence4 ,where will you be1 on the left or the right hand of ,god8 ,i cannot tell your feelings1 but ,i can my own4 ,a hundred years hence all this vast audience will be gone4 ,some will probably be gone in less than a week1 in less than a month or a year1 and at the best we shall all be gone in a few more years4 ,i ask you once again1 ,where will you spend eternity8 ,where will you be a hundred years hence8 ,,the ,,converted ,,nobleman4 ,i heard the other day of a man who came a few years ago from the ,continent1 and brought letters with him to eminent physicians from the ,emperor4 ,and the letters said1 ,this man is a personal friend of mine1 and we are afraid he is going to lose his reason2 do all you can for him4 ,so the doctor asked him if he had lost any dear friend in his own country1 or any position of importance1 or what it was that was weighing on his mind4 ,and the young man said1 ,no2 but my father and grandfather and myself were brought up infidels1 and for the last two or three years this thought has been haunting me1 ',where shall ,i spend eternity8' ,and the thought of it follows me day and night4 ,the doctor said1 ,you have come to the wrong physician1 but ,i will tell you of one who can cure you2 and he told him of ,christ1 and read to him the fifty-third chapter of ,isaiah1 ,with ,his stripes we are healed4 ,and the young man said1 ,doctor1 do you believe that8 ,the doctor told him he did1 and prayed and wrestled with him1 and at last the dear light of ,calvary shone on his soul1 and a few years ago he was writing to this self-same doctor as only one ,christian can to another4 ,he had settled the question in his own mind at last where he would spend eternity2 and ,i ask you sinners to settle it before you leave this hall to-night4 ,it is for you to decide4 ,shall it be with the saints1 and martyrs1 and prophets1 or in the dark caverns of hell1 amidst blackness and darkness for ever8 ,make haste to be wise2 for how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation8 ,,decide ,,now4 ,at our church in ,chicago ,i was closing the meeting one day1 when a young soldier got up and entreated the people to decide for ,christ at once4 ,he said he had just come from a dark scene4 ,a comrade of his1 he said1 who had enlisted with him1 had a father who was always entreating him to become a ,christian1 and in reply he always said he would when the war was over4 ,at last he was wounded1 and was put into the hospital1 but got worse and was gradually sinking4 ,one day1 a few hours before he died1 a letter came from his sister1 but he was too bad to read it4 ,oh1 it was such an earnest letter6 ,the comrade read it to him1 but he did not seem to understand it1 he was so weak1 till it came to the last sentence1 which said1 ,oh1 my dear brother1 when you get this letter1 will you not accept your sister's ,saviour8 ,the dying man sprang up from his cot1 and said1 ,what do you say8 ,what do you say8 and then1 falling back on his pillow1 feebly exclaimed1 ,it is too late6 ,it is too late6 ,my dear friends1 thank ,god it is not too late for you to-day4 ,the ,master is still calling you4 ,are you going to let present opportunity pass without coming to ,christ8 ,are you going to let these solemn moments come to an end without entering the ark8 ,let every one of us1 young and old1 rich and poor1 come to ,christ at once1 and ,he will put all our sins away4 ,only a step to ,jesus1 ,o why not come1 and say1 ,gladly to ,thee1 my ,saviour1 ,i give myself away4 ,,one ,,word--,,gospel ,read #a ,cor4 xv4 #a ,i shall take for my text the one word gospel4 ,i do not think there is a word in the ,english language that is so little understood in this ,christian land of ,england as this very word gospel4 ,we have heard it from our earliest childhood up4 ,there is not a day1 and with many of us not an hour during the day1 but that we hear the word gospel4 ,and yet1 ,i say1 a partaker of the gospel is a long time before he really knows the meaning of the word4 ,it means good tidings4 ,i think it would do us good sometimes to get a dictionary and hunt up the meaning of some of the words we use so often2 some of those ,bible words1 such as gospel and ,christ4 ,i think it would change our ideas4 ,i think this would be a very joyful meeting to-night1 if every one really believed that the gospel is good news4 ,let a man or a boy bring a despatch into this audience and hand it to any one here1 and if that brings good news you can see it immediately in the man's face2 his face lights up when he opens the despatch4 ,you can see he really believes it4 ,and if it is really good news1 if it brings him the tidings of a long-lost boy coming home1 why1 if his wife is sitting next to him1 he passes the despatch to her2 he wants her to have knowledge of it too4 ,he does not wait for her to ask for it2 he does not wait till they get home4 ,so when ,i preach1 those who really believe the gospel1 if ,i am near enough to look into their eyes1 ,i see their faces light up and they look remarkably sharp2 but those who do not believe it put on a long face1 and look as if you had brought them a death-warrant1 or invited them to attend a funeral4 ,,the ,,best ,,news ,,in ,,the ,,world4 ,no better news ever came out of heaven than the gospel4 ,no better news ever fell upon the ears of the family of man than the gospel4 ,hark6 hear those shepherds talking to one another after the angels had gone away4 ,they believed the message1 and they were full of joy4 ,you can see them on the way now to ,bethlehem4 ,they said1 ,let us go and see what has taken place4 ,and what was the message that the angels brought to those shepherds8 ,behold1 ,i bring you good tidings of great joy1 which shall be to all people4 ,for unto you is born this day in the city of ,david a ,saviour4 ,now1 if those shepherds had been like a good many people at the present time1 they would have said1 ,we do not believe it is good news4 ,it is all excitement4 ,those angels want to get up a revival4 ,those angels are trying to excite us4 ,don't you believe them4 ,that is what ,satan is saying now4 ,don't you believe the gospel is good news4 ,because he knows the moment a man believes good news1 he just receives it4 ,i never saw a man in all my life that did not like good news4 ,and every man and woman that is under the power of the devil does not believe the gospel is good news4 ,the moment you are out from under his power and influence then you believe it4 ,may ,god grant that the gospel may sink deep into your hearts1 and that you may believe it and be saved4 ,it is the best news that ever came to this sin-cursed world4 ,it means ,good spell1 or1 in other words1 ,god's spell4 ,we are dead in trespasses and sin1 and ,god wants us to be reconciled4 ,it is a gospel of reconciliation1 and ,god is shouting from the heights of glory1 ,oh1 ye men1 ,i am reconciled1 now be ye reconciled6 ,we have glorious news to tell you--,god is reconciled and beseeches his subjects to be reconciled4 ,the great apostle says1 ,we beseech you in ,christ's stead1 be ye reconciled to ,god4 ,the moment a man believes the gospel1 down goes his arm of rebellion1 and the unequal controversy is over4 ,a light from ,calvary crosses his path1 and he can walk in unclouded sun1 if he will4 ,it is the privilege of every man and woman in this vast assembly from this hour to walk in unclouded sun if they will4 ,what has brought darkness into the world8 ,darkness came because of sin1 and the man who does not believe the gospel is blinded by the god of this world4 ,now ,i want to tell you why ,i like the gospel4 ,it is because it has been the very best news ,i have ever heard4 ,that is just the reason ,i like to preach it4 ,because it has done me so much good4 ,i do not think a man can preach the gospel until he believes it himself4 ,a man must know it down deep in his own heart before he can tell it out2 and then he tells it out but very poorly at the best4 ,,poor ,,ambassadors4 ,we are very poor ambassadors and messengers2 but never mind the messenger1 take hold of the message--that is what you want4 ,if a boy brought me good news to-night1 ,i would not care about the look of the boy2 ,i would not care whether he was black or white1 learned or unlearned4 ,the message is what would do me good4 ,a great many look at the messenger instead of the message4 ,never mind the messenger4 ,my friends1 get hold of the message to-night4 ,the gospel is what saves1 and what ,i want now is that you may believe the gospel now4 ,,christ ,,died ,,for ,,our ,,sins4 ,paul says in this fifteenth chapter of the #ast of ,corinthians what the gospel is4 ,he says1 ,i declare unto you the gospel4 ,and the first thing he states in the declaration to these ,corinthians is this3 ,christ died for our sins according to the ,scriptures4 ,that was the old-fashioned gospel4 ,i hope we never will get away from it4 ,i don't want anything but that old1 old story4 ,some people have itching ears for something new4 ,bear in mind there is no new gospel4 ,christ died for our sins4 ,if ,he did not1 how are we going to get rid of them8 ,would you insult the ,almighty by offering the fruits of this frail body to atone for sin8 ,if ,christ did not die for our sins1 what is going to become of our souls8 ,and then he goes on to tell that ,christ was buried1 and that ,christ rose again4 ,,christ ,,risen4 ,he burst asunder the bands of death4 ,death could not hold ,him4 ,i can imagine1 when they laid ,him in ,joseph's sepulchre1 if our eyes could have been there1 we should have seen ,death sitting over that sepulchre1 saying1 ,i have ,him2 ,he is my victim4 ,he said ,he was the resurrection and the life4 ,now ,i have hold of ,him in my cold embrace4 ,look at ,him4 ,there ,he is2 ,he has had to pay tribute to me4 ,some thought ,he was never going to die4 ,some thought ,i would not get ,him4 ,but ,he is mine4 ,but look again4 ,the glorious morning comes1 and the ,son of man bursts asunder the bands of death1 and came out of the sepulchre4 ,we do not worship a dead ,god1 but a ,saviour who still lives4 ,yes1 ,he rose from the grave2 and then they saw ,him ascend4 ,that is what ,paul calls the gospel4 ,not only ,christ's death and burial1 but ,his ascension into heaven4 ,he went up and took ,his seat at the right hand of ,god1 and ,he will come back again4 ,the gospel consists of five things3 ,christ's death1 burial1 resurrection1 ascension1 and coming again2 for ,i will come again1 said ,he4 ,thanks be to ,god1 ,he is coming back by and by4 ,he will come and take the kingdom2 ,he will sway ,his sceptre from the rivers to the ends of the earth4 ,a little while and ,he shall rule and reign4 ,let us lift up our heads and rejoice that the time of our redemption draweth near4 ,let us get back to the simple gospel--,christ died for our sins4 ,we must know ,christ at ,calvary first1 as ,,our ,,substitute1 as our ,redeemer2 and the moment we accept of ,him as our ,saviour and our ,redeemer1 then it is that we become partakers of the gospel4 ,the moment ,i believe on the ,lord ,jesus ,christ as my substitute1 as my ,saviour1 that moment ,i get light and peace4 ,i know some people say1 ,oh1 it is not ,christ's death1 it is ,christ's life4 ,do not be preaching so much about the death of ,christ1 preach about ,his life4 ,my friends1 that never will save any one4 ,paul says1 ,i declare unto you the gospel4 ,christ died--not ,christ lived--,christ died for our sins1 who ,his own self bare our sins in ,his own body on the tree4 ,now1 when ,i accept of ,christ as my ,saviour1 as my ,substitute1 then ,i am justified from all things which ,i could not be by the law of ,moses4 ,,personal ,,reminiscences4 ,the reason ,i like the gospel is1 that it has taken out of my path the worst enemies ,i ever had4 ,my mind rolls back to twenty years ago1 before ,i was converted1 and ,i think very often how dark it used to seem at times as ,i thought of the future4 ,there was death--what a terrible enemy it seemed6 ,i was brought up in a little village in ,new ,england4 ,it was the custom there when a person was buried to toll out the age of the man at his funeral4 ,i used to count the strokes of the bell4 ,death never entered that village and tore away one of the inhabitants but ,i always used to count the tolling of the bell4 ,sometimes it would be away up to seventy1 or between seventy and eighty2 beyond the life allotted to man1 when man seemed living on borrowed time when cut off4 ,sometimes it would be clear down in the teens1 and childhood1 and death would take away one of my own age4 ,it used to make a solemn impression on me2 ,i used to be a great coward4 ,when it comes to death1 some men say1 ,i do not fear it4 ,i feared it1 and felt terribly afraid when ,i thought of the cold hand of death feeling for the cords of life1 and being launched out to eternity1 to go to an unknown world4 ,i used to have terrible thoughts of ,god2 but they are all gone now4 ,death has lost its sting4 ,and as ,i go on through the world ,i can shout now1 when the bell is tolling1 ,o death1 where is thy sting8 ,and ,i hear a voice come rolling down from ,calvary1 ,buried in the bosom of the ,son of ,god4 ,he robbed death of its sting2 ,he took the sting of death into ,his own bosom4 ,if you take a wasp1 and just take the sting out of that wasp1 you will not be afraid of it any more than you would of a little fly4 ,the sting has been taken out4 ,and you need not be afraid of death if you are in ,christ4 ,christ died for your sin4 ,the penalty1 the wages of sin is death4 ,christ received the wages on ,calvary1 and therefore there is no condemnation4 ,all that death can get now is this old ,adam4 ,i do not care how quickly ,i get rid of it4 ,i will get a better body1 a resurrected body1 a glorified body1 a body much better than this4 ,yes1 my friends1 ,to die1 says the apostle1 is gain4 ,,the ,,fear ,,of ,,death4 ,if a man is in ,christ1 let death come4 ,suppose death should come stealing up into this pulpit1 and should lay his cold1 icy hand upon my heart1 and it should cease to throb2 ,i should rise to another world1 and should be present with the ,king4 ,i should be absent from the body1 but present with the ,lord4 ,that is not bad news4 ,there is no use in trying to conceal it1 death is an enemy to a man's rest4 ,what a glorious thought to think that when you die you will sink into the arms of ,jesus1 and that ,he will carry you away to yon world of light4 ,a little while longer here1 a few more tears1 and then you can gain an unbroken rest in yon world of light4 ,the gospel turns that enemy into a friend1 and you even shout for death4 ,well1 then1 ,i used to go and look into the cold1 silent grave1 and ,i used to think of that terrible hour when ,i would have to be laid down in the grave1 and this body would be eaten up with the worm4 ,but now the grave has lost its terror and gloom2 ,i can go and look down into the grave and shout over it1 and cry out1 ,o grave1 where is thy victory8 ,and ,i hear a shout coming up from the grave2 it is the shout of the ,conqueror1 of ,him who has been down and measured the depth of it1 of my ,lord and ,saviour3 ,because ,i live1 ye shall live also4 ,yes1 the grave has lost its victory4 ,the grave has no terror to the man in ,christ ,jesus4 ,the gospel takes that enemy out of the way4 ,,sin ,,put ,,away4 ,again1 ,i thought all my sins would be blazed out before the great white throne2 that every sin committed in childhood and in secret1 and every secret thought1 and every evil desire1 would be blazed out before the assembled universe2 that every thing done in the dark would be brought to light4 ,but1 thanks be to ,god1 the gospel tells me my sins are all put away in ,christ4 ,out of love to my soul1 ,he has taken all my sins and cast them behind ,his back4 ,that is a safe place to have sin1 behind ,god's back4 ,god never turns back2 ,he always marches on4 ,he will never see your sins if they are behind ,his back4 ,that is one of ,his own illustrations4 ,out of love to my soul1 ,he has taken all my sins upon ,him2 not a part4 ,he takes them all out of the way4 ,there is no condemnation to him that is in ,christ ,jesus4 ,you may just pile up your sins till they rise up like a dark mountain1 and then multiply them by ten thousand for those you cannot think of2 and after you have tried to enumerate all the sins you have ever committed1 just let me bring one verse in1 and then that mountain will melt away--,the blood of ,jesus ,christ ,his ,son cleanseth us from all sin4 ,the blood covers the sin4 ,,what ,,god ,,cannot ,,do4 ,in ,ireland1 some time ago1 a teacher asked a little boy if there was anything that ,god could not do1 and the little fellow said1 ,yes2 ,he cannot see my sins through the blood of ,christ4 ,that is just what ,he cannot do4 ,the blood covers them4 ,is it not good news to get rid of your sin8 ,you come here a sinner1 and if you believe the gospel your sins are taken away4 ,believe on the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and thou shalt be saved4 ,you shall be justified from all things1 which you could not be by the law of ,moses4 ,by believing1 or by receiving the gospel1 ,christ becomes yours4 ,only think1 young man1 you are invited to accept of the gospel1 you are invited to make an exchange--to get rid of all your sins1 and to take ,christ in the place of them4 ,is not that wonderful8 ,what a foolish young man you will be not to make the bargain4 ,the ,lord says1 ,i will take your sins1 and give you ,myself in the place of them4 ,but a great many say1 ,no2 and just hug the sin to their bosom4 ,may ,god help you to come up1 sinner1 to-night1 and receive the ,lord ,jesus ,christ as your way1 your truth1 and your life4 ,there is another name which used to haunt me a good deal-- ,,the ,,great ,,judgment-,,day4 ,i used to think that was a terrible day when ,i should be summoned before ,god1 and could not tell till then whether ,i should have a seat on ,his right hand or on ,his left4 ,until ,i stood before the great white throne of judgment ,i could not tell whether ,i should hear the voice of ,god saying1 ,depart from ,me1 ye cursed1 or whether ,god would say1 ,enter thou into the joy of the ,lord4 ,but the gospel tells me that question is already settled--,there is now no condemnation to them that are in ,christ ,jesus4 ,listen to this verse--,verily1 verily--and when you see that word ,verily1 verily in ,scripture1 you may know there is something very important coming2 it means1 ,mind what ,i tell you1 or1 ,truly1 truly--,truly1 truly1 ,i say unto you1 ,he that heareth ,my ,word1 and believeth on ,him that sent ,me1 hath h-a-t-h1 hath everlasting life1 and shall not come into condemnation that means1 into judgment2 but is passed from death unto life4 ,well1 now1 ,i am not coming into judgment for sin4 ,the question has been settled1 because ,christ was judged for me1 and died in my stead1 and ,i go free4 ,is not that good news8 ,i heard of a man praying the other day that ,i might lay hold of eternal life4 ,i could not have said ,amen to that4 ,i laid hold of eternal life twenty years ago when ,i was converted4 ,what is the gift of ,god if it is not eternal life8 ,and that is what ,god wants to give to every one in this hall to-night1 and it is the greatest gift that can be bestowed on any one down here in this dark world4 ,if an angel came straight from the throne of ,god on to this platform1 and proclaimed to this vast assembly that ,god had sent him here to offer to this audience any one thing they might ask1 that each one should have his own petition granted1 what would be the cry in this audience8 ,there would be but one cry coming up from you1 and the shout would make heaven ring--,eternal life6 eternal life6 ,everything would float away into the dim past4 ,there is not anything a man values more than his life4 ,let a man worth a million sterling be on a wrecked vessel1 and if he could just save his life for six months by giving that million1 he would give it in an instant4 ,the gift of ,god is eternal life2 and is it not one of the greatest marvels that we have to stand and plead1 and pray men to take this gift4 ,may ,god help you to take it now4 ,do not listen to ,satan any longer4 ,reach out the hand of faith and take it now4 ,young man1 ,believe on the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and thou shalt be saved4 ,trust ,him to save you now1 and then there will be no condemnation4 ,death will have lost his sting1 the grave and its victory will be safe out of the way1 and the judgment will be past for you4 ,believe the gospel4 ,lay hold of eternal life while ,god is offering it to you4 ,be reconciled to-night4 ,take your stand hard by the cross1 and you are saved for time and eternity4 ,i am told that at ,rome1 if you go up a few steps on your hands and knees1 that is nine years out of purgatory4 ,if you take one step now you are out of purgatory for time and eternity4 ,you used to have two steps into glory--out of self into ,christ1 out of ,christ into glory4 ,but there is a shorter way now with only one step--out of self into glory1 and you are saved4 ,may ,god help you to take the step now6 ,flee1 my friends1 to-night to ,calvary1 and get under the shadow of the cross4 ,,the ,,fire ,,on ,,the ,,prairie4 ,out in our western country1 in the autumn1 when men go hunting1 and there has not been for months any rain1 sometimes the prairie grass catches fire1 and there comes up a very strong wind1 and the flames just roll along twenty feet high over that western desert1 and go at the rate of thirty or forty miles an hour1 consuming man and beast4 ,when the hunters see it coming1 what do they do8 ,they know they cannot run as fast as the fire can run4 ,not the fleetest horse can escape from that fire4 ,they just take a match and light the grass around them1 and let the flames sweep1 and then they get into the burnt district and stand safe4 ,they hear the flames roar as they come along1 they see death coming towards them1 but they do not fear1 they do not tremble1 because the fire has swept over the place where they are1 and there is no danger4 ,there is nothing for the fire to burn4 ,there is one mountain peak that the wrath of ,god has swept over--that is1 ,mount ,calvary1 and that fire spent its fury upon the bosom of the ,son of ,god4 ,take your stand here by the cross1 and you will be safe for time and eternity4 ,escape for your life2 flee to yon mountain1 and you are saved this very minute4 ,oh1 may ,god bring you to ,calvary under the shadow of the cross now6 ,then let death and the grave come4 ,you will shout1 ,glory to ,god in the highest4 ,we will laugh at death and glory in the grave1 and just know this1 that we are safe1 sheltered by the precious blood of the ,lamb4 ,there is no condemnation to him that is in ,christ ,jesus4 ,god is coming down and beseeching you to take the pardon4 ,every man and woman here has broken the law1 and he that has broken the least of the laws is guilty of all4 ,i am sure ,i am not talking to one man or woman in this audience to-night who can say they have not broken the law4 ,,now ,,and ,,to-,,morrow4 ,you have all sinned and come short of the glory of ,god1 but ,god comes1 and says1 ,i will pardon you4 ,come now1 and let us reason together4 ,now is one of the words of the ,bible the devil is afraid of4 ,he says1 ,do not be in a hurry2 there is plenty of time2 do not be saved now4 ,he knows the influence of that word now4 ,to-morrow is the devil's word4 ,the ,lord's word is now4 ,god says1 ,come now1 and let us reason together3 though your sins be as scarlet1 they shall be as white as snow2 though they be red like crimson1 they shall be as wool4 ,scarlet and crimson are two fast colours2 you cannot get the colour out without destroying the garment4 ,god says1 ,though your sins be as scarlet and crimson1 ,i will make them as wool and snow4 ,i will do it4 ,that is the way ,god reasons4 ,he puts the pardon in the face of the sinner the first thing4 ,that is a queer way of reasoning1 but ,god's thoughts are not our thoughts2 and so1 my friends1 if you want to be saved1 the ,lord says ,he will pardon you4 ,,the ,,governor ,,in ,,the ,,condemned ,,cell4 ,a few years ago1 when ,pennsylvania had a ,christian governor1 there was a young man down in one of the counties who was arrested for murder4 ,he was brought before the court1 tried1 found guilty1 and sentenced to death4 ,his friends thought there would be no trouble in getting a reprieve or pardon4 ,because the governor was a ,christian man1 they thought he would not sign the death-warrant4 ,but he signed it4 ,they called on the governor1 and begged of him to pardon the young man4 ,but the governor said1 ,no1 the law must take its course1 and the man must die4 ,i think the mother of the young man called on the governor and pleaded with him1 but the governor stood firm1 and said1 ,no1 the man must die4 ,a few days before the man was executed1 the governor took the train to the county where the man was imprisoned4 ,he went to the sheriff of the county1 and said to him1 ,i wish you to take me to that man's cell1 and leave me alone with him a little while1 and do not tell him who ,i am till ,i am gone4 ,the governor went to the prison1 and talked to the young man about his soul1 and told him that although he was condemned by man to be executed1 ,god would have mercy upon him and save him1 if he would accept pardon from ,god4 ,he preached ,christ1 and told him how ,christ came to seek and to save sinners2 and having explained as he best knew how the plan of salvation1 he got down and prayed1 and after praying he shook hands with him and bade him farewell4 ,some time after the sheriff passed by the condemned man's cell1 and he called him to the door of the cell1 and said1 ,who was that man that talked and prayed with me so kindly8 ,the sheriff said1 ,that was ,governor ,pollock4 ,the man turned deathly pale1 and he threw up both his hands1 and said1 ,was that ,governor ,pollock8 was that kind-hearted man the governor8 ,oh1 sheriff1 why did you not tell me8 ,if ,i had known that was the governor1 ,i would have fallen at his feet and asked for pardon2 ,i would have pleaded for pardon and for my life4 ,oh1 sir1 the governor has been here1 and ,i did not know it4 ,,reconciliation4 ,sinner1 ,i have got good news to tell you4 ,there is one greater than the governor here to-night1 and ,he wants to pardon every one4 ,he does not want you to go away condemned4 ,he wants to bring you from under condemnation2 to pardon every soul4 ,will you have the pardon1 or will you despise the gift of ,god8 ,will you despise the mercy of ,god8 ,oh1 this night1 while ,god is beseeching you to be reconciled1 let me join with your praying mother1 with your praying father1 with your godly minister1 with your ,sabbath-school teacher1 and all your praying friends2 let me join my voice with theirs to plead with you to-night to be reconciled4 ,make up your mind now1 while ,i am speaking1 that you will not cross your threshold until you are reconciled1 and there will be joy in heaven to-night over your decision4 ,oh1 may ,god bring hundreds to a decision to-night6 ,an ,englishman told me some time ago a little story of reconciliation1 which illustrates this truth4 ,we want to preach the gospel of reconciliation2 the good news that ,god is reconciled4 ,god does not say ,he can do1 but that ,he has done it4 ,you must accept what ,he has done4 ,the story is this3 ,there was an ,englishman who had an only son2 and only sons are often petted1 and humoured1 and ruined4 ,this boy became very headstrong1 and very often he and his father had trouble4 ,one day they had a quarrel1 and the father was very angry1 and so was the son2 and the father said he wished the boy would leave home and never come back4 ,the boy said he would go1 and would not come into his father's house again till he sent for him4 ,the father said he would never send for him4 ,well1 away went the boy4 ,but when a father gives up a boy1 a mother does not4 ,you mothers will understand that1 but the fathers may not4 ,you know there is no love on earth so strong as a mother's love4 ,a great many things may separate a man and his wife2 a great many things may separate a father from a son2 but there is nothing in the wide world that can ever separate a true mother from her child4 ,to be sure1 there are some mothers that have drunk so much liquor that they have drunk up all their affection4 ,but ,i am talking about a true mother2 and she would not cast off her boy4 ,a ,,mother',s ,,affection4 ,well1 this mother began to write and plead to the boy to write to his father first1 and his father would forgive him2 but the boy said1 ,i will never go home till father asks me4 ,she pleaded with the father1 but the father said1 ,no1 ,i will never ask him4 ,at last the mother was brought down to her sickbed1 broken-hearted1 and when she was given up by the physicians to die1 the husband1 anxious to gratify her last wish1 wanted to know if there was not anything he could do for her before she died4 ,the mother gave him a look2 he well knew what it meant4 ,then she said1 ,yes1 there is one thing you can do1 you can send for my boy4 ,that is the only wish on earth you can gratify4 ,if you do not pity him and love him when ,i am dead and gone1 who will8 ,well1 said the father1 ,i will send word to him that you want to see him4 ,no1 she says1 you know he will not come for me4 ,if ever ,i see him you must send for him4 ,at last the father went to his office and wrote a despatch in his own name1 asking the boy to come home4 ,as soon as he got the invitation from his father1 he started off to see his dying mother4 ,when he opened the door to go in he found his mother dying and his father by the bedside4 ,the father heard the door open1 and saw the boy1 but instead of going to meet him he went to another part of the room1 and refused to speak to him4 ,his mother seized his hand--how she had longed to press it6 ,she kissed him1 and then said1 ,now1 my son1 just speak to your father4 ,you speak first1 and it will all be over4 ,but the boy said1 ,no1 mother1 ,i will not speak to him until he speaks to me4 ,she took her husband's hand in one hand and the boy's in the other1 and spent her dying moments and strength in trying to bring about a reconciliation4 ,just as she was expiring she could not speak1 so she put the hand of the wayward boy into the hand of the father1 and passed away4 ,the boy looked at the mother1 and the father at the wife2 and at last the father's heart broke1 and he opened his arms1 and took that boy to his bosom1 and by that body they were reconciled4 ,sinner1 that is only a faint type1 a poor illustration1 because ,god is not angry with you4 ,god gives you ,christ1 and ,i bring you to-night to the dead body of ,christ4 ,i ask you to look at the wounds in ,his hands and feet1 and the wound in ,his side4 ,my friends1 gaze upon ,his five wounds4 ,and ,i ask you1 ,will you not be reconciled8 ,when ,he left heaven1 ,he went clear down to the manger that ,he might get hold of the vilest sinner1 and put the hand of the wayward prodigal into that of the ,father1 and ,he died that you and ,i might be reconciled4 ,if you take my advice1 you will not go out of this hall to-night until you are reconciled4 ,be ye reconciled4 ,oh1 this gospel of reconciliation6 ,my friends1 come home to-night4 ,your ,father wants you to come4 ,say as the prodigal did of old1 ,i will arise and go to my father1 and there will be joy in heaven4 ,,the ,,way ,,of ,,salvation ,read ,acts xvi4 #bc1 #dj ,i shall not preach a sermon2 ,i have just one thought1 and that is1 to tell every anxious soul what they must do to be saved4 ,that is the first question of every one who is honestly and really inquiring the way of salvation1 and1 ,god helping me1 ,i will try to-night to make it plain to all4 ,,believing4 ,if ,i say to you1 ,believe on the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 you will reply1 ,oh1 believe6 ,i have heard that word till ,i am sick and tired of it4 ,scarcely a week but ,i hear it in the church1 or at a prayer-meeting1 or at some drawing-room meeting4 ,you have all heard it over and over again2 ,i don't suppose there is a child here over five years of age but can repeat that text4 ,what you want is1 to know how to believe--what it is to believe4 ,some of you say1 ,we all believe that ,christ came into the world to seek and to save the lost2 and that he that believeth shall be saved4 ,but the devils believe1 and are not saved4 ,ay1 they believe and tremble6 ,you must believe on the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and not merely about ,him1 and then you will know what salvation is4 ,,receiving4 ,well1 we'll take another word which means the same thing2 perhaps you'll get hold of it better4 ,he came unto ,his own1 and ,his own received ,him not4 ,but as many as received ,him1 to them gave ,he power to become the sons of ,god1 even to them that believe on ,his name4 ,bear in mind1 received ,him4 ,that's it2 not receiving a doctrine or a belief1 but receiving ,him4 ,it is a person we must receive4 ,now1 my experience of the last few years is1 that we all want to have the power before we receive ,christ4 ,that is1 we want to feel we are in ,christ before we will receive ,him4 ,but we cannot love ,god and feel ,his presence until we have received ,him into our hearts4 ,it is just like a boy with a ball2 he throws it to you4 ,well1 you must catch it before you throw it back again4 ,that is the real meaning of believe--it is receive--receive ,christ as yours4 ,i don't know any verse in the ,bible that ,god has blessed to more souls than ,john i4 #ab3 ,to as many as received ,him1 to them gave ,he power4 ,i don't know any better illustration ,i could have than matrimony2 for every other one doesn't hold good in some points2 but ,i think this is one of the best ,i could use4 ,some of you smile at this illustration1 but the ,bible uses it1 and if ,god uses it in ,his word1 why should not ,i8 ,in the ,old ,testament ,he uses it--,i am married unto you 7,jer4 iii4 #ad74 ,jesus ,himself uses it1 when ,he speaks of the bride in ,john iii4 #bi4 ,paul uses it in his epistles1 as in ,romans vii4 #d1 as an illustration of the union between ,christ and ,his church4 ,now1 it is an illustration you can all understand2 there is no one here but knows what it means4 ,when a man offers himself1 the woman must do either of two things--either receive or reject him4 ,so every soul in this hall must do one of these two things--receive or reject ,christ4 ,well1 if you receive ,him1 that is all you have to do1 ,he has promised power4 ,,the ,,rich ,,husband4 ,there was a shop-girl in ,chicago1 a few years ago2 one day she could not have bought a pound's worth of anything2 the next day she could go and buy a thousand pounds' worth of whatever she wanted4 ,what made the difference8 ,why1 she had married a rich husband2 that was all4 ,she had received him1 and of course all he had became hers4 ,and so we can have power1 if you only receive ,christ4 ,remember1 you can have no power without ,him2 you will fail1 fail constantly1 until you receive ,him into your heart2 and ,i have ,scripture authority to say that ,christ will receive every soul that will only come to ,him4 ,,seeking ,a ,,wife4 ,you know that ,abraham sent his servant ,eliezer a long journey to get a wife for his son ,isaac4 ,when ,eliezer had got ,rebekah1 he wanted to be up and off with the young bride2 but her mother and brother said1 ,no1 she shall wait awhile4 ,when ,eliezer was determined to go1 they said1 ,we will inquire of the damsel4 ,and when ,rebekah appeared1 they said to her1 ,wilt thou go with this man8 ,that was a crisis in her life4 ,she could not have said ,no4 ,undoubtedly it cost her an effort2 it would1 of course1 be a struggle4 ,she had to give up her parents1 home1 companions1 all that she loved1 and go with this stranger4 ,but look at her reply2 she said1 ,i will go4 ,i have come to-night to get a bride for my ,master4 ,wilt thou go with this man8 ,i can tell you one thing that ,eliezer could not tell ,rebekah2 he could not say1 ,isaac loves you4 ,isaac had never seen his bride4 ,but ,i can say1 ,my ,master loves you6 ,,he ,,gave ,,himself ,,for ,,you4 ,ah1 that is love6 ,but bear in mind1 my friends1 that the moment ,rebekah made up her mind to accept ,isaac he became everything to her1 so that she did not feel she was giving up anything for him4 ,ah1 what a mistake some people make6 ,they say1 ,i'd like to become a ,christian if ,i hadn't to give up so much4 ,just turn round and look at the other side4 ,you don't have to give up anything--you have simply to receive2 and when you have received ,christ1 everything else vanishes away pretty quick4 ,christ fills you1 so that you don't feel these things to be worth a thought4 ,when a bride marries a man1 it is generally love that prompts her4 ,if any one is here that really loves a man1 is she thinking of how much she will have to give up8 ,no2 that wouldn't be love4 ,love doesn't feed upon itself1 it feeds upon the person who is loved4 ,so1 my friends1 it is not by looking at what you will have to give up1 but by looking at what you will receive1 that you will be enabled to accept the ,saviour4 ,,what ,,is ,,christ ,,to ,,you8 ,what is ,he willing to be to you1 if you will have ,him8 ,won't you be made heirs of heaven1 joint-heirs with ,christ--to reign with ,him for ever and ever--to be ,his--to be with ,him where ,he is--to be what ,he is8 ,think1 then1 of what ,he is1 and of what ,he gives4 ,you don't need to trouble yourselves at present about what you have to give up4 ,receive ,him1 and all these things will appear utterly insignificant4 ,i used to think of what ,i would have to give up4 ,i dearly loved many of the pleasures of this earth2 but now ,i'd as soon go out into your streets and eat the dirt as do those things4 ,god doesn't say1 ,give up this and that4 ,he says1 ,here is the ,son of my bosom--receive ,him4 ,when you do receive ,him1 everything else goes4 ,stop that talk about giving up2 let ,christ save you1 and all these things will go for nothing4 ,mark the words1 ,to as many as received ,him1 to them gave ,he power4 ,now1 my friends1 will you go with this man8 ,you have often heard about ,christ2 you know as much about ,him as any one on this platform perhaps2 but did you ever know a man or woman who regretted receiving ,him8 ,no man ever regretted receiving ,christ2 but ,i have heard of thousands who have been followers of the devil1 and have regretted it bitterly4 ,and ,i notice that it is always the most faithful followers of the devil who are regretting it most4 ,,take ,,jesus4 ,my friends1 accept my advice1 and take ,jesus with you when you leave this hall4 ,remember1 ,he is the gift of ,god offered to whosoever4 ,you belong to that class1 don't you8 ,just take ,him2 that's the first thing you have to do4 ,when you go to cut down a tree1 you don't take the axe and commence to hew down the branches4 ,no1 you begin right down at the root4 ,so here1 you must take ,christ1 and then you will get power to resist the world1 the flesh1 and the devil4 ,,ruth ,,and ,,orpah4 ,now1 another case--,ruth and ,orpah4 ,many are like these two young widows4 ,a crisis had come in their lives2 they had lost their husbands1 and had been living up there in the mountains of ,moab4 ,often had they visited the graves of their dear ones1 and perhaps planted a few flowers there1 and watered them with their tears4 ,now1 ,naomi is about to return to her native land1 and they think they will go a bit of the road with her4 ,it is a sad parting2 but now the crisis comes4 ,down in the valley they embrace each other1 and give the parting kiss4 ,then they both say they will go with ,naomi1 but she warns them of the difficulties and the trials which might await them4 ,so ,orpah says1 ,i will go back to my people2 but ,ruth cannot leave her mother1 and says she will go with her4 ,orpah turns back alone1 and ,i can see her on the top of the hill2 she stops1 and turns round for a last look4 ,and ,naomi says to ,ruth1 ,behold1 thy sister-in-law is gone back to her people1 and unto her gods2 return thou after thy sister-in-law4 ,what does ,ruth say8 ,entreat me not to leave thee1 or to return from following after thee2 for whither thou goest1 ,i will go2 and where thou lodgest1 ,i will lodge3 thy people shall be my people1 and thy ,god my ,god4 ,her choice was made4 ,poverty here or suffering and want yonder1 she would share ,naomi's lot4 ,a ,,blessed ,,decision4 ,orpah loved ,naomi1 but not enough to leave all for her2 while ,ruth loved her mother so much1 that the leaving of her people seemed nothing to her4 ,oh1 may ,god draw out all your hearts1 so that you may leave all and follow ,him6 ,we never hear any more of ,orpah2 the curtain falls upon her life4 ,perhaps she died away up in the mountains of ,moab1 without ,god and without hope4 ,but how different with ,ruth6 ,she becomes famous in history2 she is one of the few women whose names have come along down the roll of ages2 and she is brought into the royal line of heaven4 ,i have an idea that ,god blessed her for that decision4 ,and ,he will bless you if you decide in a like manner4 ,who will say to-night1 as ,ruth did1 ,i will follow thee2 and thy ,god shall be my ,god8 ,will any one take up the language of ,ruth8 ,is there not a ,ruth here8 ,if there is1 the ,master is calling4 ,i'll take another word4 ,i have been speaking of receive2 the next word ,i want your attention to is1 ,,trusting4 ,many get hold of that when they cannot get hold of believe or receive4 ,you all know what it is to trust4 ,if it were not for trust1 there would be a terrible commotion in this building to-night4 ,if you could not trust that the roof was firmly put up1 you would get out pretty quick2 and if you could not trust these chairs to support you1 how long would you sit on them8 ,why1 you wouldn't have come here at all if you didn't trust our word that there would be an address4 ,now1 it is just the same trust that ,god wants4 ,it is no miraculous trust or faith1 but just the same kind1 only the object is different4 ,instead of trusting in these earthly things1 or in an arm of flesh1 you are asked to trust in the ,son of ,god4 ,,the ,,dublin ,,merchant4 ,in ,dublin ,i was speaking to a lady in the inquiry-room1 when ,i noticed a gentleman walking up and down before the door4 ,i went forward and said1 ,are you a ,christian8 ,he was very angry1 and turned on his heel and left me4 ,the following ,sunday night ,i was preaching about receiving1 and ,i put the question1 ,who'll receive ,him now8 ,that young man was present1 and the question sank into his heart4 ,the next day he called upon me--he was a merchant in that city--and said1 ,do you remember me8 ,no1 ,i don't4 ,do you remember the young man who answered you so roughly the other night8 ,yes1 ,i do4 ,well1 ,i've come to tell you ,i am saved4 ,how did it happen8 ,why1 ,i was listening to your sermon last night1 and when you asked1 ',who'll receive ,him now8' ,god put it into my heart to say1 ',i will'2 and ,he has opened my eyes to see ,his ,son now4 ,i don't know why thousands should not do that here to-night4 ,if you are ever to be saved1 why not now8 ,but another point you must remember-- ,,salvation ,,is ,a ,,free ,,gift1 and it is a free gift for us4 ,can you buy it8 ,it is a free gift1 presented to whosoever4 ,suppose ,i were to say1 ,i will give this ,bible to whosoever2 what have you got to do8 ,why1 nothing but take it4 ,but a man comes forward1 and says1 ,i'd like that ,bible very much4 ,well1 didn't ,i say 'whosoever'8 ,yes2 but ,i'd like to have you say my name4 ,well1 here it is4 ,still he keeps eyeing the ,bible1 and saying1 ,i'd like to have that ,bible2 but ,i'd like to give you something for it4 ,i don't like to take it for nothing4 ,well1 ,i am not here to sell ,bibles2 take it1 if you want it4 ,well1 ,i want it2 but ,i'd like to give you something for it4 ,let me give you a penny for it2 though1 to be sure1 it's worth twenty or thirty shillings4 ,well1 suppose ,i took the penny2 the man takes up the ,bible1 and marches away home with it4 ,his wife says1 ,where did you get that ,bible8 ,oh1 ,i bought it4 ,mark the point2 when he gives the penny it ceases to be a gift4 ,so with salvation4 ,if you were to pay ever so little1 it would not be a gift4 ,,the ,,uselessness ,,of ,,trying4 ,man is always trying to do something4 ,this miserable word try is keeping thousands out of heaven4 ,when ,i hear men speak of trying1 ,i generally tell them it is the way down to death and hell4 ,i believe more souls are lost through trying than any other way4 ,you have often tried1 and as often failed2 and as long as you keep trying you will fail4 ,drop that word1 then1 and take as your sure foothold for eternity1 trust4 ,though ,he slay me1 yet will ,i trust ,him ,i that is the right kind of trust4 ,would to ,god that you would all say1 ,i will trust ,him now1 to-night4 ,did you ever hear of any one going down to hell trusting in ,jesus8 ,i never did4 ,this very night1 if you commit yourself to ,him1 the battle will be over4 ,you are complaining you don't feel better4 ,well1 remember1 the child must be born before it can be taught4 ,so we cannot learn of ,god until we receive ,him4 ,we must be born--born again--i4e4 the new birth1 ere we can feel4 ,christ must be in us the hope of glory4 ,how can ,he be in us if we don't receive ,him and trust ,him8 ,,present ,,salvation4 ,another verse that has been used a great deal during the past two years1 and ,i feel that ,i rest my own salvation on it1 is ,john v4 #bd4 ,i trust ,god will write it on your hearts1 and burn it down into your souls4 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 ,he that heareth ,my ,word1 and believeth on ,him that sent ,me1 hath everlasting life4 ,thank ,god for that hath4 ,i had a few men in the inquiry-room the other night who could not find peace4 ,i said1 ,do you believe the ,bible8 ,yes1 sir4 ,i think ,i will prove you don't4 ,turn up ,john v4 #bd4 ,they turned it up4 ,read the verse4 ',he that heareth ,my ,word--' ,you believe that8 ,yes1 sir4 ',and believeth on ,him that sent me--' ,you believe ,god sent ,jesus8 ,yes4 ,well1 read on4 ',hath everlasting life4' ,you believe you have everlasting life8 ,no1 we don't4 ,oh1 ,i thought you didn't believe in the ,bible6 ,what right have you to cut a verse in two1 and say you believe the one half1 but not the other8 ,it plainly says1 that he who believes hath everlasting life1 and shall not come into condemnation2 but is passed from death unto life4 ,why1 if you believe ,god's words1 you can say1 ,i have passed from darkness into light4 ,just by resting on that one little word in the present tense we may have assurance now4 ,we don't need to wait till we die1 and till the great day of judgment1 to find it out4 ,,take1 ,,take6 ,a lady in ,glasgow came to me1 and said1 ,mr4 ,moody1 you are always saying ',take1 take6' ,is there any place in the ,bible where it says ',take1' or is it only a word you use8 ,i have been looking in the ,bible for it1 but cannot see it4 ,why1 ,i said1 the ,bible is sealed with it2 it is almost the last word in the ,bible4 ',and the ,spirit and the bride say1 ,come4 ,and let him that heareth say1 ,come4 ,and let him that is athirst come4 ,and whosoever will1 let him take the water of life freely4' ,well1 she said1 ,i never saw that before4 ,is that all ,i have to do8 ,yes1 the ,bible says so4 ,and she took it1 just there4 ,god says1 ,let him take2 who can stop us if ,god says it8 ,all the devils in hell cannot hinder a poor soul from taking1 if ,god says ,take4 ,my friends1 are you going to ,take to-night8 ,are you going to let these precious meetings pass without getting ,christ--without being able to look up and say1 ,christ is my ,saviour1 ,god is my ,father1 heaven is my home8 ,,an ,,anxious ,,inquirer4 ,a lady came to my house the other night1 anxious about her soul2 but after some conversation she left1 without finding peace4 ,she came again1 and ,i asked1 ,what is the trouble8 ,i haven't got peace4 ,i took her to this verse1 ,he that believeth on the ,son hath everlasting life 7,john iii4 #cf74 ,i just held up that little word hath to her1 and turned to ,john v4 #bd1 and vi4 #dg4 ,there these words were spoken by ,jesus1 and they are all linked on to believing on the ,son4 ,after we had talked for some time1 she looked in my face earnestly1 and said1 ,i have got it6 and went away rejoicing in the ,saviour's love4 ,if you seek life you can have it now1 as you sit upon your seat4 ,the word hath occurs again in ,isa4 liii4 #f3 ,all we like sheep have gone astray2444 and the ,lord hath laid on ,him the iniquity of us all4 ,our iniquity has been laid upon ,christ1 and the ,lord is not going to demand payment twice4 ,who ,his own self bare our sins in ,his own body on the tree4 ,,the ,,debt ,,paid4 ,suppose ,i owed ,mr4 ,wanamaker a thousand pounds1 and ,i became a bankrupt2 ,i would have nothing to pay1 so he might send me to prison4 ,but suppose ,mr4 ,stone heard of it1 and says1 ,i don't want to see ,moody taken to prison4 ,so he pays the debt for me1 and gets the receipt4 ,when ,i see the receipt1 ,i know that ,i am free4 ,but ,mr4 ,wanamaker finds out that ,i didn't pay it1 and gets me hauled off to court4 ,he says he must have me pay it myself1 or ,i must go to prison4 ,i show the receipt4 ,why1 says the judge1 the debt is paid4 ,mr4 ,wanamaker says1 ,moody didn't pay it4 ,would any judge in the land support him8 ,no2 it is paid1 and cannot be demanded again4 ,well1 if man do not ask payment twice1 will ,god8 ,no1 certainly not6 ,the case is this3 the debt has been paid1 our sins have been atoned for4 ,christ ,himself has redeemed us1 not with corruptible things1 such as silver and gold1 but with ,his precious blood2 therefore we are free4 ,but remember1 although salvation is so free for us1 it cost ,god a great deal to redeem us4 ,he had an only ,son1 and ,he gave ,him up freely for us4 ,what a wonderful gift6 ,if you make light of so great a salvation1 how can you escape the damnation of hell8 ,,the ,,great ,,question4 ,now1 one question3 ,what are you going to do with ,christ8 ,you have got to settle that question4 ,you may get angry1 like a man a short time ago1 who marched out of a church1 saying1 ,what right has that ,american to make such a statement8 ,but it is true2 you must settle it4 ,pilate wanted to shirk the responsibility1 and sent ,jesus to ,herod2 but he was forced to a decision4 ,when the ,jews forced him to decide1 he washed his hands1 and said he was innocent of this just man's blood4 ,but did that take away his guilt8 ,no4 ,an angel may be here1 hovering over this audience1 and he is listening to what is said4 ,some one may say1 ,i will receive ,him2 ,i will delay no longer4 ,immediately the angel will wing his way right up to the pearly gates1 and tell the news that another sinner has been saved4 ,there will be a new song ringing through the courts of heaven over sinners repenting4 ,god will issue the command to write down their names in the book of life1 and to get rooms ready for them in the new ,jerusalem1 where we all will soon be4 ,,guilty1 ,,but ,,safe4 ,a man was once being tried for a crime1 the punishment of which was death4 ,the witnesses came in one by one1 and testified to his guilt2 but there he stood1 quite calm and unmoved4 ,the judge and the jury were quite surprised at his indifference2 they could not understand how he could take such a serious matter so calmly4 ,when the jury retired1 it did not take them many minutes to decide on the verdict guilty2 and when the judge was passing the sentence of death upon the criminal1 he told him how surprised he was that he could be so unmoved in the prospect of death4 ,when the judge had finished1 the man put his hand in his bosom1 pulled out a document1 and walked out of the dock a free man4 ,ah1 that was how he could be so calm2 it was a free pardon from his king1 which he had in his pocket all the time4 ,the king had instructed him to allow the trial to proceed1 and to produce the pardon only when he was condemned4 ,no wonder1 then1 that he was indifferent as to the result of the trial4 ,now1 that is just what will make us joyful in the great day of judgment2 we have got a pardon from the ,great ,king1 and it is sealed with the blood of ,his ,son4 ,,the ,,chicago ,,fire4 ,after the ,chicago fire took place1 a great many things were sent to us from all parts of the world4 ,the boxes they came in were labelled ,for the people who were burned out1 and all a man had to do was to prove that he had been burned out1 and he got a share4 ,so here1 you have but to prove that you are poor1 miserable sinners1 and there's help for you4 ,if every man who is ruined and lost will cling to try1 there is no hope2 but if he give it all up as a bad job1 then ,christ will save him4 ,the law condemns us1 but ,christ saves us4 ,,the ,,lost ,,scholar4 ,the superintendent of a ,sabbath school in ,edinburgh was walking down the street one day1 when he met a policeman leading a little boy by the hand1 who was crying bitterly4 ,he stopped1 and asked the policeman what was the matter with the boy4 ,oh1 said the officer1 he has got lost4 ,the superintendent asked to look at him4 ,they went to a lamp1 and held up the little fellow4 ,why1 in a moment the boy knew his superintendent1 and flew to his arms4 ,the gentleman took him from the policeman1 and the boy was comforted4 ,the law has got us1 but let us flee into ,jesus' arms1 and we are safe4 ,a friend of mine in the ,north told me of a poor ,scottish lassie1 who was very anxious about her soul4 ,he told her to read ,isaiah liii4 ,she replied1 ,i canna read1 and ,i canna pray2 ,jesus1 take me as ,i am6 ,that was the true way2 and ,jesus just took her as she was4 ,let ,him take you this night1 just as you are1 and ,he will receive you to ,his arms4 ,,three ,,years ,,seeking ,,jesus4 ,one night1 when preaching in ,philadelphia1 right down by the side of the pulpit there was a young lady1 whose eyes were riveted on me as if she were drinking in every word4 ,it is precious to preach to people like that2 they generally get good1 even if the sermon be poor4 ,i got interested in her1 and after ,i had done talking1 ,i went and spoke to her4 ,are you a ,christian8 ,no1 ,i wish ,i was2 ,i have been seeking ,jesus for three years4 ,i said1 ,there must be some mistake4 ,she looked strangely at me1 and said1 ,don't you believe me8 ,well1 no doubt you thought you were seeking ,jesus2 but it don't take an anxious sinner three years to meet an anxious ,saviour4 ,what am ,i to do1 then8 ,the matter is1 you are trying to do something2 you must just believe on the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,oh1 ,i am sick and tired of the word1 ',believe1 believe1 believe6' ,i don't know what it is4 ,well1 ,i said1 we'll change the word2 take 'trust4' ,if ,i say1 ,i'll trust ,him1 will ,he save me8 ,no1 ,i don't say that2 you may say a thousand things1 but if you do trust ,him4 ,well1 she said1 ,i do trust ,him2 but1 she added in the same breath1 ,i don't feel any better4 ,ah1 ,i've got it now6 ,you've been looking for feelings for three years1 instead of for ,jesus4 ,faith is up above1 not down here4 ,people are always looking for feelings4 ,you are getting up a new translation of the ,bible here1 and if the men who are translating it would only put in feelings instead of faith1 what a rush there would be for that ,bible4 ,but if you look from ,genesis to ,revelation1 you cannot find feelings attached to salvation4 ,we must rise above feelings4 ,so ,i said to this lady1 ,you cannot control your feelings2 if you could1 what a time you'd have6 ,i know ,i would never have the toothache or the headache4 ,,feelings1 ,,the ,,devil',s ,,stratagem4 ,feelings is the last plank the devil sticks out1 just as your feet are getting on the ,rock of ,ages4 ,he sees the poor trembling sinner just finding his way to the ,saviour1 when he shoves out this plank1 and the poor sinner thinks he's all right now4 ,some sermon you have heard arouses you1 but then you feel all right when you get on this plank4 ,six months after1 perhaps1 you are dying1 and the devil comes along when you think you're quite safe4 ,ah1 he tells you1 that was my work2 ,i made you feel good4 ,and where are you then8 ,oh1 take your stand on ,god's word1 then you cannot fail4 ,his word has been tried for six thousand years1 and it has not failed4 ,so ,i said to the lady1 ,have no more to do with feelings2 but1 like ,job1 say1 ',though ,he slay me1 yet will ,i trust in ,him4' ,she looked at me a few minutes1 and then1 putting her hand to take mine1 she said1 ,mr4 ,moody1 ,i trust the ,lord ,jesus ,christ to save my soul to-night4 ,then she went to the elders and said the same words4 ,as she passed out she met one of the church officers1 and1 shaking his hand1 said again1 ,i trust the ,lord ,jesus to save my soul4 ,next night she was right before me again4 ,i shall never forget her beaming face2 the light of eternity was shining in her eyeballs6 ,she went into the inquiry-room4 ,i wondered what she was going there for2 but when ,i got there1 ,i found her with her arms round a lady friend1 saying1 ,it's only to trust ,him4 ,i have found it so4 ,from that night she was one of the best workers in the inquiry-room1 and whenever ,i met a difficult case1 ,i got her to speak to the person1 and she was sure to help them4 ,,worthy ,,of ,,all ,,acceptation4 ,surely you can trust ,god to-night4 ,you must have a very poor opinion of ,god if you cannot trust ,him4 ,you have only to come to ,him thus--receive ,him1 trust ,him4 ,what more can you do1 and what less can you do than trust ,him8 ,is ,he not worthy of it8 ,now1 let us be perfectly still a moment1 and while the voice of man is hushed1 let us think of one passage of ,scripture ,behold1 ,i stand at the door and knock4 ,that is ,christ standing at the door of your heart1 knocking2 and ,he says1 ,if any man hear ,my voice1 and open the door1 ,i will come into him1 and will sup with him1 and he with ,me4 ,will any one to-night pull back the bolts1 and say1 ,enter1 thou welcome1 thrice welcome ,one4 ,blessed ,saviour1 come in4 ,god grant that all here may do this6 ,,eight ,i ,,wills ,,of ,,christ ,read ,matt4 xi4 #bh1 #bi ,i wish to call your attention to eight ,i wills of ,christ4 #a4 ,the first one you will find in ,matthew xi4 #bh3 ,come unto ,me1 all ye that labour and are heavy laden1 and ,i ,,will ,,give ,,you ,,rest4 ,take ,my yoke upon you1 and learn of ,me2 for ,i am meek and lowly in heart3 and ye shall find rest unto your souls4 ,for ,my yoke is easy1 and ,my burden is light4 ,now ,i never met a person that did not want rest4 ,that man or woman is not living on the face of the earth that doesn't want rest4 ,we read of the rich man that was going to pull down his barns and build larger1 saying to his soul1 ,take thine ease1 there is plenty laid up in store1 so now take thy rest4 ,merchants toil day and night to amass money1 in order that they may get rest4 ,men leave their families and friends and go round the world to earn money1 in the hope that they may get rest4 ,sailors plough the sea1 and are away from home for months to get money1 in order that it may bring them rest4 ,in fact1 if rest could be bought in the market1 there are many hundreds in ,london who would be paying a very high price for it2 but though money can't buy it1 nevertheless by believing the word of ,god you can get it without money and without price4 ,come unto ,me1 all ye that labour and are heavy-laden1 and ,i will give you rest4 ,now when we say we will1 it doesn't mean much very often4 ,perhaps we don't intend to keep our word when we say we will do a thing2 or if we do mean to keep it1 we very often fail for want of ability to make our promise good4 ,but bear in mind1 ,god never breaks ,his promise2 ,he never makes a mistake2 ,he never fails to fulfil ,his word4 ,and the words ,i have read may be relied on2 for they are not the words of man1 but of the ,son of ,god--,come unto ,me1 all ye that labour and are heavy-laden1 and ,i will give you rest4 ,this tells us of the only place where we can find rest4 ,there is no other place where a man can by any possibility find rest for his soul4 ,bear this in mind3 it is not coming to some creed1 it is not coming to some particular church1 or to some particular doctrine1 but to ,christ4 ,come unto ,me4 ,it is the coming to a personal ,christ that alone gives peace and rest to the soul4 ,,peace4 ,now1 in ,john xiv4 #bg1 there is a promise which is very precious to me4 ,christ says1 ,peace ,i leave with you2 ,i am going away1 but ,i am not going to take away ,my peace from you2 that ,i leave behind ,me4 ,my peace ,i give unto you4 ,mark that little expression ,my peace--,my peace ,i give unto you4 ,a good many people look for their peace from worldly sources1 but when they do find it they don't get much out of it1 for the devil can play on men's feelings as men play on a harp1 and can delude them into almost anything4 ,but if we go to ,christ for it1 we do get what we want1 we get rest for the soul1 and until we do go to ,him we shall never get it4 ,there are a good many things which disturb our peace2 but nothing can disturb the peace of ,god4 ,you might take this little island1 and throw it right into the ,atlantic1 and it would make a great stir and commotion in this world1 but ,i don't think that ,god would be moved on ,his eternal throne by it2 it would not disturb ,him in the heavens1 high and lifted up above all the earth4 ,let us have the peace of ,god1 and then we shall have rest4 ,again ,he says1 ,these things have ,i spoken unto you1 that my joy might remain in you4 ,christ's joy1 not our own joy4 ,when we come to a personal ,christ1 and our souls are stayed on ,him1 then we get rest1 and peace1 and joy4 ,that is a rest that nothing can disturb2 that is peace that flows on like a river2 that is joy for evermore4 #b4 ,now1 the next ,i will is in ,john vi4 #cg4 ,i can imagine some of you people saying1 ,ah1 if ,i were only good enough to come1 ,i would come1 and get this rest1 and peace1 and joy4 ,but if you will read the verse ,i am speaking of1 you will find it says1 ,him that cometh to ,me ,i ,,will ,,in ,,no ,,wise ,,cast ,,out4 ,surely that is broad enough--is it not8 ,i don't care who the man or woman is2 ,i don't care what your trials1 what your troubles1 what your sorrows1 or what your sins are1 if you will only come straight to the ,master1 ,he will not cast you out4 ,come then1 poor sinner2 come just as you are1 and take ,him at ,his word4 ,there was a wild and prodigal young man who came into one of our meetings4 ,he was running a headlong career to ruin1 but the ,spirit of ,god got hold of him4 ,whilst ,i was conversing with him1 and endeavouring to bring him to ,christ1 ,i quoted this verse to him4 ,i held it right up to him1 and led his mind right up to it1 for some time1 and at last light seemed to break in upon him1 and he seemed to find comfort from it1 so ,i told him to stick to that verse4 ,well1 after he had left1 on his way home the devil met him4 ,why1 ,i don't believe that any man ever starts to go to ,christ but the devil strives somehow or other to meet him and trip him up4 ,and even after he has come to ,christ the devil comes1 and tries to assail him with doubts1 and make him believe there is something wrong in it4 ,and so this young man was met by ,satan1 who whispered to him1 ,how do you know that is a right translation8 ,so that brought him for a while to a standstill1 and threw him into darkness again4 ,but he remembered my telling him to stick to that text1 and there he was1 after ,satan had put that into his mind1 holding on to it1 but he did not find peace till two o'clock4 ,he then said to himself1 ,i will stick to it anyhow1 and if it is not the right translation1 when ,i get to the bar of ,god ,i will tell ,him ,i didn't know it was wrong1 because ,i didn't understand anything about ,greek and ,latin4 ,him that cometh to ,me ,i will in nowise cast out4 ,if you will only come to ,him1 ,i have got good authority to tell you that ,christ will receive you to-day--yea1 this very hour4 ,the kings and princes of this world1 when they issue invitations1 call round them the rich1 the mighty and powerful1 the honourable and the wise2 but the ,lord1 when ,he was on earth1 called round ,him the vilest of the vile4 ,this man1 they said1 receiveth sinners1 and eateth with them4 ,publicans1 sinners1 and harlots pressed into the kingdom of ,god in ,his days4 ,,this ,,man ,,receiveth ,,sinners4 ,here in ,london there is no society that would have such a man as ,john ,bunyan once was in their company2 yet the ,lord saved him1 and welcomed him into ,his kingdom4 ,here is some poor miserable drunkard cast out by his father and mother1 and deserted by all his friends1 but the ,lord has received him4 ,i have known some of the most miserable outcasts that were ever seen1 cast out and despised by everybody1 and yet the ,lord has received them4 ,take ,him then at ,his word to-day1 and accept ,his invitation1 ,him that cometh to ,me ,i will in nowise cast out4 ,but you say ,i must just get rid of my sins first1 and then ,i will come to ,him4 ,why1 that's just like a man dying of the scarlet fever saying1 ,oh1 ,i'll wait till ,i get rid of the fever before ,i send for a doctor6 ,why1 it is just because you are a sinner1 and cannot get rid of your sins1 that you need a ,saviour4 ,if ,i was dying for want of bread1 it would be just as reasonable for me to say1 ,when ,i have got rid of this hunger1 then ,i will begin to eat4 ,it is because ,i am hungry that ,i need to eat1 and it is because we are sinners that we need ,christ4 ,it is because a man is sick that he needs a physician1 and ,christ is the ,physician of the soul4 #c4 ,in ,luke v4 we read of the leper coming to ,christ1 and the ,lord said unto him1 ,i ,,will3 ,,be ,,thou ,,clean4 ,and immediately the leprosy left him4 ,that's another ,i will ,i want to call your attention to4 ,now1 if there is any man or woman here full of the leprosy of sin1 if you will but go to the ,master and tell all your case to ,him1 ,he will speak to you as ,he did to that poor leper1 and say1 ,i will3 be thou clean1 and the leprosy of your sins will flee away from you4 ,it is the ,lord1 and the ,lord alone1 that can forgive sins4 ,there is ,his word1 just look it right over1 ,i will3 be thou clean1 and then put that with the other verse1 ,him that cometh to ,me ,i will in nowise cast out4 ,,the ,,devil',s ,,castaways4 ,one day when ,whitfield was preaching1 he said the ,lord was so anxious to save souls that ,he would take in the devil's castaways4 ,lady ,huntingdon remonstrated with him1 and said he ought not to make such statements4 ,a little while after1 however1 there came to his preaching a poor fallen woman1 an outcast from society4 ,she was labouring under deep conviction of sin1 and before long she found peace in her ,saviour1 and was received right into the kingdom of ,god4 ,now if there is a poor sinner here1 let him take this one verse1 and then keep in his mind that poor leper coming to ,christ4 ,the law forbade him to come1 but ,christ is above the law4 ,the law came by ,moses1 but grace and truth by ,jesus ,christ4 ,now1 you can make a wonderful exchange to-day4 ,you can have health in the place of sickness2 you can get rid of everything that is vile and hateful in the sight of ,god4 ,the ,son of ,god comes down1 and says1 ,i will take away your leprosy1 and give you health in its stead4 ,i will take away that terrible disease that is ruining your body and soul1 and give you my righteousness in its stead4 ,i will clothe you with the garments of salvation4 ,is it not a wonderful thing8 ,that's what ,he means when ,he says ,i will4 ,oh1 lay hold of this ,i will6 #d4 ,now turn to ,matthew x4 #cb3 ,whosoever therefore shall confess ,me before men1 him will ,i also confess before ,my ,father which is in heaven4 ,there's the ,i ,,will ,,of ,,confession4 ,now1 that's the next thing that takes place after a man is saved4 ,we have been washed in the blood of the ,lamb1 and the next thing is to get our mouths opened4 ,we have to confess ,christ here in this dark world1 and tell ,his love to others4 ,we are not to be ashamed of the ,son of ,god4 ,a man thinks it a great honour when he has achieved a victory that causes his name to be mentioned in ,parliament1 or in the presence of the ,queen and her court4 ,a very great honour4 ,and in ,china1 we read1 the highest ambition of the successful soldier is to have his name written in the palace or temple of ,confucius4 ,but just think of having your name mentioned in the kingdom of heaven by the ,prince of ,glory1 by the ,son of ,god1 because you confess ,him here on earth4 ,you confess ,him here2 ,he will confess you yonder4 ,if you wish to be brought into the clear light of liberty1 you must take your stand on ,christ's side4 ,i have known many ,christians go groping about in darkness1 and never get into the clear light of the kingdom1 because they were ashamed to confess the ,son of ,god4 ,don't be ashamed1 ,christians1 to let your friends1 and even your enemies1 know that you are on ,god's side4 #e4 ,the next ,i will is the ,i ,,will ,,of ,,service4 ,there are a good many ,christians here1 ,i believe1 that have been quickened and aroused to say1 ,i want to do some service for ,christ4 ,well1 ,christ says1 ,follow ,me1 and ,i will make you fishers of men4 ,there is no ,christian who cannot help to bring some one to the ,saviour4 ,christ says1 ,and ,i1 if ,i be lifted up1 will draw all men unto ,me2 and our business is just to lift up ,christ1 and live to ,him4 ,you may go on preaching like the angel ,gabriel2 but if you live like a devil1 your preaching goes for nothing4 ,i do not care how eloquent you are1 and what beautiful language you use1 your preaching goes for nothing4 ,it is no good following this man or that man2 follow ,christ1 and ,him only4 ,he says1 ,i will make you fishers of men4 ,,peter ,,had ,a ,,good ,,haul ,,on ,,the ,,day ,,of ,,pentecost4 ,i doubt if he ever caught so many fish in one day as he did men on that day of ,pentecost4 ,why1 it would have broken every net they had on board1 if they had had to drag up three thousand fishes4 ,our ,lord said1 ,follow ,me1 ,peter1 and ,i will make you a fisher of men2 and ,peter simply obeyed ,him1 and there1 on that day of ,pentecost1 we see the result4 ,but there is one reason1 and a great reason1 why so many do not succeed4 ,i have been asked by a great many good men1 ,why is it we don't have any results8 ,we work hard1 pray hard1 and preach hard1 and yet the success does not come4 ,i will tell you4 ,it is because a good many people spend all their time mending their nets4 ,no wonder they never catch anything4 ,,inquiry ,,meetings4 ,but the great matter is to hold inquiry meetings1 and thus pull the net in1 and see if you have caught anything4 ,if you are always mending and setting the net1 you won't catch many fish4 ,whoever heard of a man going out to fish1 and setting his net1 and then letting it stop there1 and never pulling it in8 ,why1 everybody would laugh at the man's folly4 ,there was a minister in ,manchester who came to me one day1 and said1 ,i wish you would tell me why we ministers don't succeed better than we do4 ,so ,i brought before him this idea of pulling in the net1 and ,i said1 ,you ought to pull in your nets4 ,i said there are many ministers in ,manchester who can preach much better than ,i can1 but then ,i pull in the net4 ,many people have objections to inquiry meetings1 but ,i urged upon him the importance of them1 and the minister said1 ,i never did pull in the net2 ,i will try next ,sunday4 ,he did so1 and eight persons1 anxious inquirers1 went into his study4 ,the next ,sunday he came down to see me1 and said he had never had such a ,sunday in his life4 ,he had met with marvellous blessing4 ,the next time he drew the net there were forty1 and when he came to see me at the ,opera ,house the other day1 he said to me joyfully1 ,moody1 ,i have had eight hundred conversions this last year6 ,it is a great mistake ,i did not begin earlier to pull in the net4 ,so1 my friends1 if you want to catch men1 ,,just ,,pull ,,in ,,the ,,net4 ,if you only catch one1 it will be something4 ,it may be a little child1 but ,i have known a little child convert a whole family4 ,why1 you don't know what's in that little dull-headed boy in the inquiry-room2 he may become a ,martin ,luther1 a reformer that shall make the world tremble--you cannot tell4 ,god uses the weak things of this world to confound the mighty4 ,god's promise is as good as a ,bank of ,england note--,i promise to pay ,so-and-so1 and here is one of ,christ's promissory notes--,if you will follow ,me1 ,i will make you fishers of men4 ,will you not lay hold of the promise1 and trust it1 and follow ,him now8 ,but then1 if you wish to catch men1 you must use a little--what shall ,i say8-- ,,common ,,sense4 ,that's the plain ,english of it4 ,if a man preaches the gospel1 and preaches it faithfully1 he ought to expect results then and there4 ,but after he has proclaimed the glad tidings1 let him have an inquiry meeting1 and1 if necessary1 a second meeting1 and go to the people's houses and talk and pray with them1 and in that way hundreds will be brought to ,god4 ,i believe it is the privilege of ,god's children to reap the fruit of their labour three hundred and sixty-five days in the year4 ,well1 but1 say some1 is there not a sowing time as well as harvest8 ,yes1 it is true1 there is2 but then1 you can sow with one hand1 and reap with the other4 ,what would you think of a farmer who went on sowing all the year round1 and never thought of reaping8 ,i repeat it1 we want to sow with one hand1 and reap with the other2 and if we look for the fruit of our labours1 we shall see it4 ,if ,i be lifted up1 ,i will draw all men unto ,me4 ,we must lift ,christ up1 and then seek men out1 and bring them to ,him4 ,then1 again1 you must use the right kind of bait4 ,a good many people don't do this1 and then they wonder they are not successful4 ,you see them getting up all kinds of entertainments with which to try and catch men4 ,they go the wrong way to work4 ,i will tell you what this perishing world wants3 it wants ,,christ ,,and ,,him ,,crucified4 ,there's a void in every man's bosom that wants filling up1 and if we only approach them with the right kind of bait we shall catch them4 ,this poor world needs a ,saviour2 and if we are going to be successful in catching men1 we must preach ,christ crucified--not ,his life only1 but ,his death4 ,and if we are only faithful in doing this we shall succeed4 ,and why8 ,because there is ,his promise3 ,if you follow ,me1 ,i will make you fishers of men4 ,and that promise holds just as good to you and me as it did to ,his disciples1 and is as true now as it was in their time4 ,they that are wise shall shine like the sun in the firmament2 and they that turn many to righteousness like the stars for ever and ever4 ,think then of the exalted privilege of turning one soul to ,christ4 ,you set a stream in motion that shall go on running for ages after you are gone4 ,blessed are they that die in the ,lord2 for they rest from their labours1 and their works do follow them4 ,,paul ,,and ,,his ,,writings4 ,think of ,paul up yonder4 ,why people are going up every day and every hour1 the men and women that have been brought to ,christ through his writings4 ,he set streams in motion that have flowed on for more than a thousand years4 ,i can imagine men going up there and saying1 ,paul1 ,i thank thee for writing that letter to the ,ephesians2 ,i found ,christ in that4 ,paul1 ,i thank thee for writing that epistle to the ,corinthians4 ,paul1 ,i found ,christ in that epistle to the ,philippians4 ,i thank thee1 ,paul1 for that epistle to the ,galatians2 ,i found ,christ in that4 ,and so1 ,i suppose1 they are going up still1 thanking ,paul all the while for what he had done4 ,ah1 when ,paul was put in prison he did not fold his hands and sit down in idleness4 ,no1 he began to write2 and his epistles have come down through the long ages of time1 and brought thousands on thousands to a knowledge of ,christ crucified4 ,yes1 ,christ said to ,paul1 ,i will make thee a fisher of men if thou wilt follow ,me1 and he has been fishing for souls ever since4 ,the devil thought he had done a very wise thing when he got ,paul into prison1 but he was very much mistaken2 he overdid it for once4 ,i have no doubt ,paul has thanked ,god ever since for that ,philippian gaol1 and his stripes and imprisonment there4 ,i am sure the world has made more by it than we shall ever know till we get to heaven4 #f4 ,we find the next ,i will is in ,john xiv4 #ah3 ,i ,,will ,,not ,,leave ,,you ,,comfortless4 ,to me it is a sweet thought1 that ,christ has not left us alone in this dark wilderness here below4 ,although ,he has gone up on high1 and taken ,his seat by the ,father's throne1 ,he has not left us4 ,the better translation is1 ,i will not leave you orphans4 ,he did not leave ,joseph when they cast him into prison4 ,god was with him4 ,when ,daniel was cast into the den of lions1 they had to put the ,almighty in with him4 ,they were so bound together that they could not be separated1 and so ,god went down into the den of lions with ,daniel4 ,,no ,,separation4 ,if we have got ,christ with us we can do all things4 ,do not let us be thinking how weak we are4 ,let us lift up our eyes to ,him1 and think of ,him as our ,elder ,brother1 who has all power given to ,him in heaven and on earth4 ,he says3 ,lo1 ,i am with you1 even to the end of the world4 ,some of our children and friends leave us1 and it is a very sad hour when some member of our family goes to a distant country--perhaps to ,australia4 ,but1 thank ,god1 the believer and ,christ shall never be separated4 ,he is with us here1 and we shall be with ,him in person by and by4 ,we shall be with ,him1 and see ,him in ,his beauty by and by4 ,but not only is ,he with us1 but ,he has sent us the ,holy ,ghost1 who will tell us all things4 ,let us honour the ,holy ,ghost by acknowledging that ,he is here in our midst4 ,he has got power to give sight to the blind1 liberty to the captive1 and to open the ears of the deaf that they may hear the glorious words of the gospel4 #g4 ,then there is another ,i will in ,john vi4 #dj2 it occurs four times in the chapter3 ,i will raise him up at the last day4 ,,the ,i ,,will ,,of ,,resurrection4 ,to me it is a very sweet thought to think that ,i have a ,saviour who has power over death4 ,my blessed ,master holds the keys of death and hell4 ,i pity the poor unbeliever and the poor infidel4 ,they have no hope in resurrection4 ,but every child of ,god can open that chapter and read the promise1 and his heart ought to leap within him for joy as he reads it4 ,you know the tradesman generally puts the best specimen of his wares in the window to show us the quality of his stock4 ,and so1 when ,christ was down here1 ,he gave us a specimen of what ,he could do4 ,he just raised three from the dead1 that we might know what power ,he had4 ,there was 7#a7 ,jairus's daughter1 7#b7 the widow's son1 and 7#c7 ,lazarus of ,bethany4 ,he raised all three of them1 so that every doubt might be swept away from our hearts4 ,how dark and gloomy this world would be if we had no hope in the resurrection2 but now1 when we lay our little children down in the grave1 although it is in sorrow1 it is not without hope4 ,we have seen them pass away1 we have seen them in the terrible struggle with death2 but there has been one star to illumine the darkness and gloom--the thought1 that though the happy circle has been broken on earth1 it shall be completed again in yon world of heavenly light4 ,you that have lost a loved one rejoice as you read that ,i will4 ,those that have died in ,christ shall come forth again by and by4 ,the darkness shall flee away1 and the morning light of the resurrection shall dawn upon us4 ,it is only a little while1 and ,he that has said it shall come1 ,his voice shall be heard in the grave--,i will raise him up at the last day4 ,precious promise6 precious ,i will6 #h4 ,now1 the next ,i will is in ,john xvii4 #bd3 ,father1 ,i will that they also1 whom thou hast given ,me1 be with ,me where ,i am4 ,,the ,i ,,will ,,of ,,glory4 ,that was in ,his last prayer in the guest-chamber1 on the last night before ,he was crucified and died that terrible death on ,calvary4 ,i see some here whose countenances begin to light up at the thought that they shall be with the ,king in ,his beauty by and by4 ,yes2 there is a glorious day before us in the future4 ,some think that on the first day they are converted they have got everything4 ,to be sure1 we get salvation for the past1 and peace for the present2 but then there is the glory for the future4 ,that's what kept ,paul rejoicing4 ,he said1 ,these light afflictions1 these few stripes1 these few brickbats and stones that they throw at me--why1 the glory that is beyond excels them so much that ,i count them as nothing1 nothing at all1 so that ,i may win ,christ4 ,and so1 when things go against us1 let us cheer up2 let us remember that the night will soon pass away1 and the morning dawn upon us4 ,,death ,,never ,,comes ,,there4 ,it is banished from that heavenly land4 ,sickness1 and pain1 and sorrow come not there to mar that grand and glorious home where we shall be by and by with the ,master4 ,god's family will be all together there4 ,glorious future1 my friends6 ,yes1 glorious day6 and it may be a great deal nearer than many of us think4 ,during these few dark days we are here1 let us stand steadfast and firm1 and by and by we shall be in the unbroken circle in yon world of light1 and have the ,king in our midst4 ,,the ,,sinner',s ,i ,,will4 ,and now there is just one ,i will that ,i want you to say1 and that is the ,i will of the sinner4 ,you have got the eight ,i wills of ,christ3 7#a7 ,he will give us rest2 7#b7 ,he will not cast out the vilest1 but will receive all that come2 7#c7 ,he will make us clean2 7#d7 ,he will confess us as ,his2 7#e7 ,he will make us successful winners of souls2 7#f7 ,he will not leave us comfortless2 7#g7 ,he will raise us up at the last day2 and 7#h7 ,he wills that we be with ,him in glory4 ,and now ,i want sinners to say1 ,i ,,will ,,arise1 ,,and ,,go ,,to ,,my ,,father4 ,who will say it this afternoon8 ,who will come to ,god as the poor prodigal did8 ,i can see him now4 ,perhaps he is looking over those blue hills2 and away in the distance he can see the home he has left1 and he knows that there's a loving father1 a grey-headed man there2 and he says1 ,i perish here in a foreign land1 while there is bread enough and to spare in that home which ,i have left2 ,i will arise1 and go to my father4 ,that was the turning-point in his life4 ,that was a glorious thing to do1 was it not1 sinner8 ,when ,mr4 ,spurgeon preached the other day in the ,west ,end1 he summed up the things his audience had got over4 ,some of you1 he said1 have got over the prayers of faithful ,sabbath-school teachers who used to weep over you1 and come to the house and talk to you4 ,you resisted all their entreaties1 and got over their influence4 ,and you have got over your mother's tears and prayers1 and she1 perhaps1 sleeps in the grave to-day2 you have got over the tears and prayers of your father and of your minister1 who has prayed with you and wept with you1 a godly1 faithful minister4 ,there was a time when his sermons got right hold of you1 but you have got over them now1 and his sermons make no impression on you2 you have been through special meetings1 and they have made no impression on you1 they have not touched you4 ,still1 you say1 you are getting on4 ,well1 so you are2 but bear in mind1 you are getting on as fast as you can to hell1 and there is not one man in ten thousand who can hope to be saved after he has grown so hard-hearted4 ,oh1 my friends1 say ,i will arise to-day6 ,let there be joy in heaven to-day over your return4 ,we read in ,luke xv41 ,there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth4 ,may many return now1 and live4 ,i am lost1 and yet ,i know1 ,earth can never heal my woe ,i will rise at once and go1 ,jesus died for me4 ,,the ,,right ,,kind ,,of ,,faith ,sirs1 what must ,i do to be saved8--,acts xvi4 #cj4 ,i do not know of any more important truth to bring out than the answer to this question1 because that is the beginning of everything with regard to the divine life4 ,a man must know he is saved before there is any peace1 or joy1 or comfort4 ,the answer to the question is1 ,believe on the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and thou shalt be saved2 and the question that comes right after that from almost every one is1 ,what is it to believe8 ,i believe that ,jesus ,christ is the ,son of ,god2 ,i believe that ,he came into the world to save sinners4 ,well1 and so do the devils4 ,the devils not only believe1 but they tremble4 ,i can believe intellectually that ,jesus ,christ is able and willing to save1 and yet be as far from the kingdom of ,god as any man who never heard about ,jesus ,christ4 ,to believe that ,he can and is willing to save you1 won't save you4 ,i will now take up the word faith1 which means believing4 ,,the ,,bible ,,definition ,,of ,,faith4 ,people say1 ,what is faith8 ,now the ,bible definition of faith is perhaps as good as any one that we know of4 ,we are told in ,hebrews xi41 ,now faith is the substance of things hoped for1 the evidence of things not seen4 ,now faith is--what8 ,the substance1 or1 as you have it in the margin1 ground or confidence4 ,in other words1 faith is dependence upon the veracity of another4 ,why1 all business is carried on on this principle of faith4 ,let men lose confidence one in another1 and see how quick business could cease here in ,london4 ,let men withdraw their confidence1 and see what would take place in the commercial world to-morrow4 ,it was faith that brought you here4 ,if you had not faith to believe that there would be a meeting in this hall1 you would not have come4 ,somebody said there are three things about faith--knowledge1 assent1 and laying hold1 and it is the last clause that is safe4 ,not the knowledge4 ,a great many people say1 ,i believe ,christ is able to save4 ,they give their assent1 and say1 ,i believe but that does not save4 ,it is the last clause1 the laying hold1 that saves1 and that is what we want to press upon you4 ,faith has an outward look1 not an inward one4 ,hundreds of people spend time in looking at their own hearts1 but ,,faith ,,is ,,an ,,outward ,,look4 ,we are to have faith in ,god1 and not in man4 ,a great many people place their faith in men1 and they pin their faith to other people's doctrines and creeds4 ,not long ago ,i heard of a man who was asked what he believed4 ,he said he believed what his church believed4 ,what does your church believe8 ,the church believes what ,i believe4 ,and that was all they could get out of him4 ,there are a great many in that same state of mind4 ,they believe what the church believes1 but they do not know what the church believes4 ,if their church teaches it1 they believe it4 ,all the churches in the world can't save a soul4 ,it is not to have faith in this church or that church1 this doctrine or that doctrine1 this man or that man1 but it is to have faith in the man ,christ ,jesus at the right hand of ,god4 ,that is the only faith that will ever save a soul4 ,,put ,,no ,,confidence ,,in ,,man4 ,let me call your attention to a few verses where ,god has warned us not to put faith in man3 ,jeremiah xvii4 #e3 ,thus saith the ,lord2 ,cursed be the man that trusteth in man1 and maketh flesh his arm1 and whose heart departeth from the ,lord4 ,for he shall be like the heath in the desert1 and shall not see when good cometh2 but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness1 in a salt land and not inhabited4 ,blessed is the man that trusteth in the ,lord1 and whose hope the ,lord is4 ,you will find some men have not faith in ,god2 they are like a tree that is withered and blasted4 ,and there is a man perhaps right along next to them who has strong faith in ,god2 he is like a tree planted by the rivers of water2 his leaf also shall not wither4 ,why8 ,he trusts in the living ,god4 ,happy is the man that hath the ,god of ,jacob for his help4 ,cursed is the man that leaneth upon an arm of flesh1 and trusteth in man4 ,the same thought is brought out in ,isaiah xxx43 ,woe to the rebellious children1 saith the ,lord1 that take counsel1 but not of me2 and that cover with a covering1 but not of my ,spirit1 that they may add sin to sin3 that walk to go down into ,egypt1 and have not asked at my mouth2 to strengthen themselves in the strength of ,pharaoh1 and to trust in the shadow of ,egypt6 ,therefore shall the strength of ,pharaoh be your shame1 and the trust in the shadow of ,egypt your confusion4 ,in one place ,he says1 ,woe1 and in another place ,he says1 ,cursed be the man4 ,it is a terrible thing for man to put faith in man4 ,then ,psalm cxlvi4 #c3 ,put not your trust in princes1 nor in the son of man1 in whom there is no help4 ,his breath goeth forth1 he returneth to his earth2 in that very day his thoughts perish4 ,happy is he that hath the ,god of ,jacob for his help1 whose hope is in the ,lord his ,god4 ,now here we are told very plainly by ,god that we are not to put our trust in this man or that man--not to lean upon an arm of flesh4 ,all the ministers in the world and all the potentates in the church put together cannot save one soul4 ,it is thoroughly impossible4 ,it is the ,lord that can save1 and the ,lord alone2 therefore we want to get our eyes away from man1 from the church1 and right straight up to the man ,christ ,jesus4 ,we read in ,mark xi4 #bb whom we are to believe in4 ,christ says--and how sweet it sounds--,have faith in ,god4 ,i never saw a man or woman in my life that had faith in ,god who was confounded1 ,i do not care what their troubles or trials were4 ,have faith in ,god1 and not in man4 ,,the ,,great ,,delusion ,,of ,,our ,,day4 ,we are living in very strange days4 ,some people tell us it does not make any difference what a man believes if he is only sincere4 ,one church is just as good as another if you are only sincere4 ,i do not believe any greater delusion ever came out of the pit of hell than that4 ,it is ruining more souls at the present time than anything else4 ,i never read of any men more sincere or more earnest than those men at ,mount ,carmel1 those false prophets4 ,they were terribly in earnest4 ,some people say1 ,why1 if these men are holding1 as you say1 error1 why should they be so in earnest8 ,those prophets of ,baal were the most earnest men ,i ever read of4 ,you do not read of men getting so in earnest now that they take knives and cut themselves4 ,look at them leaping upon their altars2 hear their cry1 ,o ,baal6 ,o ,baal6 ,we never heard that kind of prayer on this platform4 ,they acted like madmen4 ,they were terribly in earnest1 yet did ,god hear their cry8 ,they were all slain4 ,i believe one religion is just as good as another1 if you are only sincere in what you believe4 ,it is one of the devil's lies4 ,,have ,,faith ,,in ,,god1 not in man4 ,i don't care how good a man is1 don't you put your faith in him4 ,his breath departs from him1 he dies1 and where is your help8 ,our ,god never dies1 our ,god never will disappoint us if we put our faith in ,him4 ,have faith in ,god1 says ,christ4 ,i saw some time ago some men arranging to go up in a balloon fastened to the car4 ,they had one rope fastened1 and by some mistake that rope got untied1 and instead of seizing hold of the car they seized hold of the rope4 ,one of them let go2 the other just hung on1 and he was swept away in the heavens and lost4 ,it did not make any difference2 if he had hung on to the car it would have been just the same1 you say1 if he was only sincere4 ,why1 that man was very sincere when he seized hold of that rope1 yet he was lost--perished in his earnestness4 ,my friends1 bear in mind if you do not believe on the ,lord ,jesus ,christ you must perish4 ,it is ,god that says it--not man4 ,some people say1 ,he is such a good man1 ,i cannot help but believe him2 it is all right because he is such a good man1 and he holds that doctrine4 ,paul says1 ,if a man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received1 let him be accursed4 ,and if ,gabriel should come right down here to-night1 and commence to proclaim a different gospel from this platform1 ,i would get out of the hall1 and would not listen to him4 ,,deceivers ,,and ,,dark ,,days4 ,deceivers are going out into the world who would deceive even the very elect if they could4 ,i believe we are living in dark days4 ,error is coming in on all sides1 and it is a time when we must maintain the faith4 ,i have kept the faith1 says ,paul4 ,the good old doctrine of our forefathers1 and of the ,puritans1 is a good deal better than your new doctrine at the present time1 that is just doing away with ,christ1 with hell1 and even with heaven4 ,let us cling to the word of ,god1 and have faith in ,god4 ,there was a young man ,god sent down to ,bethel1 and told him to prophesy against it4 ,he was not to eat and drink in the place1 nor to go back by the same way as he went4 ,down the young man went4 ,the king asked him to go to his palace1 but he refused4 ,no1 ,god had told him to go and prophesy1 not to eat and drink4 ,but there was an old prophet1 and he sent out word to tell him an angel had told him to invite him1 and the young man obeyed the voice of the angel rather than ,god1 and then he started home another way1 and a lion met him and slew him4 ,we are not to put our faith in this man or that man1 not even in a prophet if it is contrary to the word of ,god2 not to believe the best man living if it is contrary to the word of ,god4 ,if ,god says it1 let us take our stand upon it4 ,god's word will stand when these men and their names have been swept away and forgotten4 ,there have always been false teachers1 men trying to teach us it does not make any difference what a man believes if he is only sincere4 ,my friends1 let us have faith in the living ,god1 and then it will be light where it is darkness now4 ,,how ,,to ,,get ,,faith4 ,now1 just turn to ,john xx4 ,i can imagine some of you saying1 ,i would like to have faith in ,god1 but ,i do not know how to get it2 ,i have been praying a long time for faith4 ,i used to pray1 ,o ,god1 give me faith1 and at the same time ,i was all the time neglecting the ,bible4 ,here it stands2 see how we are to get faith3 ,but these are written that ye might believe that ,jesus is the ,christ1 the ,son of ,god2 and that believing ye might have life through ,his name4 ,now ,john took up his pen and wrote the gospel for one express purpose4 ,what was it8 ,that men might believe that ,jesus ,christ was the ,son of ,god4 ,every chapter but two in ,john speaks of believing1 and if you run through the gospel and mark out the word believe1 you would find what that gospel is written for4 ,it is1 ,believe1 believe1 believe1 believe1 and it keeps right on to that one thing4 ,he took up his pen and wrote that gospel that we might believe1 and by believing we get life4 ,then turn to ,romans x4 #ae3 ,how shall they preach1 except they be sent8 as it is written1 ,how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace1 and bring glad tidings of good things6 ,but they have not all obeyed the gospel4 ,for ,esaias saith1 ,lord1 who hath believed our report8 ,so then faith cometh by hearing1 and hearing by the word of ,god4 ,do you want to know how to get faith8 ,it is to get acquainted with ,god4 ,jehovah says1 ,acquaint now thyself with me1 and be at peace4 ,we find the people that are best acquainted with ,god have the most peace4 ,it is the people that do not know ,god that do not trust ,him4 ,the people that know ,god put their trust in ,him4 ,i never knew a man to be well acquainted with ,god who did not trust ,him4 ,the more you know of a true man the more you trust him4 ,i met a man ten years ago for the first time2 ,i had not much faith in him1 because ,i did not know much about him4 ,in the course of a year ,i got well acquainted with him1 and found him to be a true man2 then ,i had more faith in him2 the second year ,i had still more2 and this year ,i have more faith in him than ever1 because ,i know him well now4 ,if you know ,god you cannot help trusting ,him4 ,,little ,,willie4 ,i wanted to teach my little boy what faith was some time ago1 and so ,i put him on a table4 ,he was a little fellow two years old4 ,i stood back three or four feet1 and said1 ,willie1 jump4 ,the little fellow said1 ,pa1 ,i'se afraid4 ,i said1 ,willie1 ,i will catch you2 just look right at me1 and jump2 and the little fellow got all ready to jump1 and then looked down again1 and says1 ,i'se afraid4 ,willie1 didn't ,i tell you ,i would catch you8 ,will ,pa deceive you8 ,now1 ,willie1 look me right in the eye1 and jump1 and ,i will catch you2 and the little fellow got all ready the third time to jump1 but he looked on the floor1 and said1 ,i'se afraid4 ,didn't ,i tell you ,i would catch you8 ,yes4 ,at last ,i said1 ,willie1 don't take your eyes off me1 and ,i held the little fellow's eyes1 and ,i said1 ,now jump2 don't look at the floor2 and he leaped into my arms4 ,then he said to me1 ,let me jump again4 ,i put him back1 and1 the moment he got on the table he jumped1 and after that1 when he was on the table1 and ,i was standing five or six feet away1 ,i heard him cry1 ,pa1 ,i'se coming1 and had just time to rush and catch him4 ,he seemed to put too much confidence in me4 ,but you cannot put too much confidence in ,god4 ,now faith never looks down2 it looks right up4 ,god says1 ,trust me1 and ,god will bring us through all our difficulties1 if we will only trust ,him4 ,who will trust ,him to-night8 ,who will have faith in ,him to-night8 ,whatsoever ,he saith unto thee1 do it1 is what the mother of ,christ said at the wedding2 and whatsoever ,god speaks to you1 do it4 ,if ,god tells you to run1 run4 ,if ,god says1 ,believe1 believe1 and you will always be safe in doing just what ,god tells you to do4 ,,unbelief ,,the ,,greatest ,,enemy4 ,i have a great admiration for the old coloured woman who said1 if ,god told her to jump through a stone wall she would jump2 getting through the wall was ,god's work1 not hers1 and she would do whatever ,god told her to do4 ,the greatest enemy ,god and man have got is unbelief4 ,christ found it on both sides of the cross4 ,it was the very thing that put ,him to death4 ,the ,jews did not believe ,him2 they did not believe ,god had sent ,him2 they took ,him to ,calvary and murdered ,him2 and the first thing we find after ,he got up out of the grave was unbelief again4 ,thomas1 one of ,his own disciples1 did not believe ,he had risen4 ,he said1 ,thomas1 feel these wounds2 and ,thomas did1 and believed1 and said ,my ,lord and my ,god4 ,now those ,christians here that have learnt to trust ,god in past years will bear me out in this1 that the more they know of ,god1 the more they can trust ,him4 ,why8 ,they have found ,god to be true4 ,when man has failed1 ,god never has failed2 and when every one else has disappointed them1 ,god has proved true4 ,now1 you that never trusted ,him1 won't you just leap right into ,his arms to-night8 ,won't you just take ,him at ,his word1 and believe on ,him now8 ,,the ,,greatest ,,insult ,,to ,,god4 ,it is considered you cannot offer a man a greater insult than to tell him he is a liar4 ,unbelief is telling ,god ,he is a liar4 ,why1 suppose a man said1 ,mr4 ,moody1 ,i have no faith in you whatever1 don't you think it would grieve me8 ,there is not anything that would wound a man much more than to be told that you do not have any faith in him4 ,a great many men say1 ,oh1 ,i have profound reverence and respect for ,god4 ,yes1 profound respect1 but not faith4 ,why1 it is a downright insult6 ,suppose a man says1 ,mr4 ,moody1 ,i have profound respect for you1 profound admiration for you1 but ,i do not believe a word you say4 ,i wouldn't give much for his respect or admiration2 ,i wouldn't give much for his friendship4 ,god wants us to put our faith in ,him4 ,how it would wound a mother's feelings to hear her children say1 ,i do love mamma so much1 but ,i don't believe what she says4 ,how it would grieve that mother4 ,and that is about the way a great many of ,god's professed children talk4 ,some men seem to think it is a great misfortune that they do not have faith4 ,bear in mind it is not a misfortune1 but it is the damning sin of the world4 ,,god',s ,,word ,,is ,,always ,,kept4 ,is there any reason why you should not have faith in ,god8 ,has ,god ever broken ,his word8 ,i will defy any infidel to come forward and put his finger on any promise ,god has ever made to man that ,he has not kept4 ,i can show you for #fjjj years how the devil has lied1 and how he has broken every promise he has made4 ,what a lie he told ,adam and ,eve2 and yet ,i can find a thousand men that will believe one of the devil's lies quicker than ,i can find one man that believes ,god's truth4 ,men will believe lies2 but when it gets to real truth1 then how few will believe the word of ,god4 ,why should not every man and woman in this house have faith in ,god8 ,why should not every one put confidence in ,him now1 and trust ,god to save them8 ,and let me say1 if you are ever saved1 you will have to come to this one point of trusting to ,god for salvation4 ,you never will be saved until you put your trust and confidence in ,god4 ,,setting ,,the ,,seal4 ,look at ,john iii4 #cc3 ,he that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that ,god is true4 ,in those days men used to wear a signet ring1 with their initials1 and instead of signing their names1 they used to take the ring and seal the document4 ,that was setting to their seal2 that was an endorsement4 ,and now ,god comes down into this unbelieving world1 and says1 ,who will set to his seal that ,i am true8 ,and so ,i want to ask the friends in this hall1 ,who will set to his seal or her seal that ,god is true8 ,it is a great deal better for us to make ourselves liars and ,god true than to try and make ourselves out true and ,god a liar4 ,that is what many men will do4 ,who will set to his seal that ,god is true8 ,unbelief says1 ,i won't4 ,faith says1 ,i will set to my seal4 ,oh1 may ,god help many now to say1 ,i will set to my seal that ,god is true this very hour2 and1 my friends1 the moment you do set your seal that ,god is true1 and put your faith in ,god1 then comes the peace1 the happiness you have been looking for so long6 ,,no ,,peace ,,without ,,trust4 ,a great many people go looking for peace and happiness before they trust4 ,there will be no peace1 no happiness1 no joy1 until you put your trust in ,god4 ,the joy that flows through the ,christian's heart is the result of trusting ,god4 ,suppose ,i meet a man to-night leaping for joy1 laughing at the top of his voice4 ,i say1 ,my friend1 what makes you so happy8 ,oh1 ,i don't know2 ,i am so happy ,i cannot contain my feelings6 ,what would you say8 ,why1 you would say the man had gone mad4 ,but suppose ,i meet a man whom ,i have seen out here night after night begging1 and ,i say to him1 ,hullo1 beggar1 is that you8 ,don't call me a beggar2 ,i am no longer a beggar4 ,are not you the man who has been begging here every night8 ,yes4 ,where did you get your good clothes8 ,how is this you are not a beggar8 ,no1 ,i am no beggar2 ,i am worth a thousand pounds4 ,how is that8 ,well1 sir1 last night ,i was here begging1 and a man came along and put a thousand pounds in my hand4 ,how did you know it was good money8 ,i took it to the ,bank of ,england1 and they gave me gold for it4 ,how was it done8 ,well1 ,i just held out my hand1 and he came and put a cheque right into it1 and ,i took it to the bank and got gold for it4 ,did you really get it in that way8 ,yes4 ,how do you know it was the right kind of hand8 ,why1 says the beggar1 what do ,i care about the hand1 ,i have got the money4 ,faith is the hand that reaches out and takes the blessing4 ,any faith that brings me to ,christ is the right kind of faith1 and instead of looking at your faith look to ,christ4 ,some one has said1 faith sees a thing in ,god's hand1 and says1 ,i will have it4 ,unbelief sees it there1 and says1 ,god won't give it me4 ,look to ,god by faith to-night and have salvation4 ,,who ,,will ,,have ,,it8 ,every man and woman may have it if they will but put their trust in ,god4 ,is not ,god worthy of our confidence8 ,is not ,god worthy of our trust8 ,you must have a poor opinion of ,god if you cannot trust ,him4 ,we consider we have a poor opinion of a man if we cannot trust him4 ,if a man should tell me something1 and ,i did not believe a word he said1 ,i would have a very poor opinion of the man4 ,faith is putting confidence in ,god's word4 ,take hold of ,his word to-night4 ,he will save all that will come--not only that1 but ,he will save you when you do come4 ,away with everything but ,christ1 and take ,him now4 ,who will take ,god at ,his word to-night8 ,some one has said1 ,faith is saying yes to ,god4 ,who will say yes to-night1 and take it8 ,now1 is it too much to ask or to expect that every person in this hall should put their faith in ,god8 ,if ,god does not save us1 who will8 ,men cannot1 the church cannot1 creeds and doctrines cannot2 the sacraments cannot save2 baptism cannot save4 ,you must have a living personal ,christ1 and ,god presents ,him to the world4 ,who will take ,him8 ,who will have ,christ--who will trust ,him8 ,faith says1 ,i will4 ,is it not the very best thing you can do8 ,can you do a better thing than trust to ,god for salvation8 ,what must ,i do to be saved8 ,believe on the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 or trust the ,lord ,jesus ,christ for salvation1 and trust ,him now4 ,,story ,,of ,a ,,condemned ,,man4 ,away back some years ago it is recorded in history of a man that was condemned to be put to death1 that when he came to lay his head on the block the prince asked him if there was any one petition that he could grant him1 and all that the condemned man asked for was a glass of water4 ,they went and got him a tumbler of water1 and when he got it his hand trembled so that he could not get it to his mouth4 ,the prince said to him1 ,your life is safe until you drink that water4 ,he took the prince at his word1 and dashed the water to the ground4 ,they could not gather it up1 and so he saved his life4 ,my friends1 you can be saved to-night by taking ,god at ,his word4 ,the water of life is offered to whosoever will4 ,take it now1 and live4 ,faith cometh by hearing1 and hearing by the ,word of ,god 7,rom4 x4 #ag74 ,faith is not what we see or feel1 ,it is a simple trust2 ,in what a ,god of love has said ,of ,jesus as the ,just4 ,,the ,,dying ,,thief ,read ,luke xxiii4 #ci-dc ,i am going to take as my text a man who was the last one saved before ,christ went to heaven1 or before ,he died on the cross1 and the story of his conversion ought to give hope to every man4 ,we have got an account of the conversion of all classes of people in the ,bible4 ,there is not one class left out4 ,there is the richest and the poorest2 the greatest and the smallest2 all classes of men1 and all classes of women4 ,there are so many people nowadays talking against sudden conversions1 that ,i think the very best thing we can do is to see what the ,scripture says about it--to see how long it takes ,god to convert a soul4 ,if ,i read my ,bible correctly1 there were eight thousand converted in two days4 ,that was a good number in a short time1 was it not8 ,we have not got to that yet2 ,i wish we had4 ,but ,i feel sure1 if the church of ,god would only wake up1 we should see something like it4 ,,never ,,too ,,late4 ,well1 this man was not only a thief1 but a reviler of ,god1 right upon the threshold of eternity1 a most depraved and abandoned wretch4 ,matthew tells us3 ,and the two thieves cast the same in ,his teeth4 ,you would have thought they would have been doing something better than that1 coming so near death and the grave2 and that their thoughts would have been made very solemn in the face of not only death1 but after death the judgment4 ,instead of that1 they were reviling ,christ1 and casting accusations in ,his teeth a few hours before their death4 ,well1 ,i do not think this thief could have sunk any further1 until he sunk into hell4 ,though so far off ,jesus found him4 ,matthew and ,mark both tell us that these two thieves reviled ,him4 ,john says nothing about their reviling2 in fact1 he does not tell us about one of them being converted4 ,the first we get of it is in ,luke xxiii4 #dj1 where we find him saying to the other thief1 ,dost not thou fear ,god8 ,solomon1 the wise man1 says1 ,the beginning of wisdom is the fear of ,god4 ,now1 there we have the beginning of wisdom in this thief4 ,he began to fear ,god4 ,i hope there will be hundreds in this building who will fear ,him2 for that is the true beginning of wisdom4 ,,conviction ,,of ,,sin4 ,now1 the next thing was1 the man was convicted4 ,no man is likely to be converted until he is first convicted of sin4 ,this thief was convicted4 ,and what convicted him8 ,he heard no sermon from ,christ4 ,the rulers were then deriding ,him4 ,the chief men of ,his own country had found ,him guilty of blasphemy1 and had condemned ,him to die the death of the cross4 ,the chief men of the realm were there wagging their heads and mocking ,him4 ,what was it then that convicted this poor thief8 ,he had seen ,christ perform no miracles2 he had heard no wonderful words fall from ,his lips2 he saw no glittering crown upon ,his brow4 ,true1 it was written over ,his cross1 ,jesus1 the ,king of the ,jews2 but where was ,his kingdom8 ,he saw nothing of the ,jews paying homage to ,him4 ,the ,jews were putting ,him to death4 ,there was no sceptre in ,his hand4 ,true1 ,he had been crowned a little while before1 but only with thorns1 and yet amidst it all this poor thief was convicted after fear fell upon him4 ,,the ,,power ,,of ,,love4 ,what convicted him8 ,i will tell what ,i think convicted him1 though ,i could not teach it dogmatically but ,i think it was the ,saviour's prayer4 ,when the ,lord ,jesus cried out from the very depths of ,his soul1 ,father1 forgive them1 conviction flashed into his heart4 ,he must have said1 ,why1 this is more than a man2 ,he has got a very different spirit from me4 ,i could not ask ,god to forgive them4 ,i would call down fire from heaven to consume them1 and ,i would call upon ,god to smite them with blindness as ,elijah did1 and ,i would sweep them from this mountain if ,i had the power4 ,that's what he must have thought as he heard the piercing cry go up1 ,father1 forgive them1 for they know not what they do4 ,ah1 it was love that broke his heart4 ,in those days1 when they crucified a man1 they used to scourge him4 ,this poor man had been taken into the court1 and tried and condemned by the judge2 but that had not broken his heart4 ,he had been led forth and scourged2 but that had not broken his heart4 ,and now they had nailed him to the cross2 but even that had not broken his heart4 ,there he is reviling his ,god4 ,but when he saw that loving ,saviour1 he got a glimpse of ,his love1 and that one glimpse broke his heart4 ,i heard of a young man once who was very hardhearted4 ,his father loved him as he loved his own life4 ,he had tried everything he could to win that prodigal boy back4 ,when his father was dying1 they sent for him2 but he refused to come4 ,but after his father's death1 he returned home to attend the funeral2 but not a tear fell from his eyes4 ,he followed that father to his resting-place1 and never dropped a tear over his grave4 ,but when they got home1 and the will was read1 they found that father had not forgotten his prodigal boy1 but had remembered him kindly in his will2 and that proof of the father's love just broke his heart4 ,and so ,i think it must have been with the thief when he heard the ,saviour crying1 ,father1 forgive them2 for they know not what they do2 it pierced like an arrow down into his heart1 and he was convicted4 ,,confession ,,follows ,,conviction4 ,well1 then1 the next point in this man was1 he confessed his sin4 ,he says to his brother thief1 ,we are suffering justly2 we deserve it4 ,i never knew a man saved till he took his stand as a sinner4 ,cain never confessed his sin4 ,judas never confessed his sin to ,god1 though he went and confessed it to man4 ,now1 ,i want to say that ,i am not come here to urge you to confess your sins to any man1 unless you have done some sin against him and he is stumbling over it2 if so1 go and confess that certainly4 ,we must not confess our sins to any but ,god4 ,i have not much sympathy with the class of people that are always running to this man and that man to confess their sins4 ,there is no priest on earth that can forgive sins4 ,i have got a high priest who is a priest for ever after the order of ,melchizedek4 ,the only man we have a record of in ,scripture who confessed his sins to man was ,judas1 and he went right out and hung himself4 ,,faith ,,in ,,christ4 ,the next thing about this thief was his faith in ,christ ,jesus4 ,we talk about the faith of ,abraham and ,moses2 why1 this thief had the most remarkable faith of any man on record4 ,he took his stand at the very head of the class1 passing by many who had wonderful faith4 ,he heard no sermon1 saw no sceptre in ,christ's hand1 no crown on ,his brow1 nor witnessed any marvellous works1 yet he had wondrous faith4 ,why1 ,god was twenty-five years toning up ,abraham's faith4 ,god met ,moses in the burning bush1 and went up into the mountains and talked with him2 and ,isaiah saw ,god lifted up on ,his throne2 but not so with this thief4 ,there were many who had met ,christ and seen wonderful things4 ,his disciples had heard ,him discourse1 and had seen ,him raise the dead1 and yet they had forsaken and left ,him4 ,yet here amidst the darkness and gloom this poor thief had faith in ,him2 for although the ,jews had nailed his hands and feet to the cross1 they did not nail his eyes1 and he could look at ,him4 ,they did not nail his heart to the cross1 and it is with the heart man believeth1 as we read in ,romans1 and with his heart he believed4 ,there's faith for you4 ,,not ,,ashamed ,,of ,,christ4 ,then the next thing is1 he confessed ,christ at that dark period4 ,it was the darkest hour of ,christ's pilgrimage down here4 ,we will never see another dark hour like that4 ,the sin of the world was on ,him2 heaven was closed against ,him--locked1 bolted1 and barred4 ,he was now hanging on the tree bearing our sins2 and it is written1 ,cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree4 ,and even ,god had to hide ,his face from ,him1 for ,he could not look on sin1 and ,christ was then bearing the sin of all the world4 ,i believe that's what ,christ meant in the garden of ,gethsemane1 when ,he prayed that the cup might pass from ,him4 ,up to that time ,he saw ,his ,father's face1 and ,he knew ,he was blessed of ,him1 and from time to time a voice came from heaven1 ,this is my beloved ,son4 ,but now ,he was taking our place before ,god as a sinner1 and ,god had to hide ,his face from ,him4 ,yes1 it was breaking the ,saviour's heart2 and now1 when darkness is coming over creation1 and the moon is to be turned into blood1 and the sun is about to veil its face because it cannot look upon the terrible scene1 and ,peter1 one of ,his most conspicuous disciples1 had denied ,him with a curse1 and swore that he never knew ,him1 and ,judas1 one of ,his own disciples1 had gone out and sold ,him for thirty pieces of silver1 and the chief men of the nation were mocking ,him1 saying1 ,he saved others1 let ,him save ,himself1 if ,he be the ,christ--amidst all this darkness and gloom1 out comes this signal faith of the thief1 ,lord1 remember me1 ,he called ,him ,lord there and then2 and he said to the other thief1 ,this man hath done nothing amiss4 ,thank ,god for that confession4 ,there's faith and confession for you4 ,if you want to be saved1 you must have faith in ,christ1 and be ready to confess ,him before all men4 ,,lord1 ,,remember ,,me4 ,look at the prayer of the thief4 ,people say1 ,oh1 pray for salvation1 and you will get it6 ,yes1 but bear in mind you must have faith in ,christ before you can pray4 ,he had got faith in ,christ1 and now he calls ,him ,lord4 ,it was the sound of a young convert's voice1 ,lord1 remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom4 ,it was not a very long prayer1 but it was a prayer red-hot1 one right out of his heart4 ,some people tell you they cannot pray without a prayer-book4 ,but the poor thief had no prayer-book2 and if there had been any prayer-books then1 there was nobody to give him one4 ,he wanted salvation1 he simply wanted to be saved1 and he cried from his heart1 ,lord1 remember me6 and a more eloquent prayer never was heard or printed on earth4 ,but not only that1 he got more than he asked1 for he only asked to be remembered4 ,we always get more than we ask when we come to the ,lord4 ,,the ,,world',s ,,last ,,look ,,at ,,christ4 ,now1 when a great man dies1 people are very anxious to get his last words and acts4 ,it is sweet to get the last words of the ,son of ,god4 ,the last sight the world had of ,christ was on the cross4 ,they have never seen ,him since4 ,we have no record that any uncircumcised eye beheld ,christ after ,he rose from the dead4 ,the last glimpse the world had of ,christ was saving a poor sinner as he hung upon the cross1 saving him from the very jaws of hell1 and the grasp of ,satan4 ,christ snatched him out of the very grasp of the devil1 and said unto him1 ,this day shalt thou be with me in paradise4 ,the lion of the tribe of ,judah conquered the lion of hell1 when ,he snatched the dying thief as a lamb out of ,satan's grasp4 ,this day shalt thou be with me in paradise4 ,that's the glorious gospel4 ,free from the law4 ,there is no condemnation to them that are in ,christ ,jesus4 ,,free6 ,,free6 ,in the days of ,wilberforce1 when slavery was abolished1 and it was said that no slave could live under the ,union ,jack1 because a bill had been passed declaring every man free1 the news had got abroad1 and when the captain of a ship was going to a distant island in the slave dominions1 the negroes were on the watch to get the news and make sure if it were true4 ,they were anxious to know if the bill had passed that they were really free4 ,and when the captain came in sight of the little island1 there they were waiting to get the tidings1 and the captain put his trumpet up to his mouth1 and shouted across the island1 ,free6 ,free6 ,and the cry was taken up and echoed through the island1 ,free6 ,free6 ,and they shouted for joy1 because they were slaves no longer4 ,i bring you good news4 ,the ,son of ,god will speak the word1 ,free4 ,he spoke the words on the cross1 and the poor thief was a free man1 and ,satan could not hold him4 ,then think of the contrast6 ,in the morning led out a poor condemned man1 cursing and reviling the ,son of ,god ,himself2 in the evening singing the new song of redemption4 ,that evening ,i see him hard by the throne1 singing the sweet song of ,moses and the ,lamb4 ,in the morning cursing1 in the evening singing1 ,glory to ,god in the highest4 ,was it not a change8 ,what a contrast6 ,think of it1 ,o sinner4 ,condemned in the morning by man1 cast out as too vile for earth2 in the evening good enough for heaven2 in the evening washed in the blood of the ,lamb1 and ,christ ready to receive him into the kingdom of heaven4 ,christ was not ashamed to walk down the crystal pavement of heaven with him4 ,he heard the shout on the cross when ,christ called out1 ,it is finished6 ,how his soul must have thrilled with joy at that shout6 ,he said1 ,my salvation is completed now4 ,he saw the spear thrust into that side and the blood flow out1 and ,i can see the sparkle on his face lit up with glory4 ,without the shedding of blood there is no remission4 ,it was a sad sight1 but glorious4 ,,the ,,best ,,thing ,,to ,,do4 ,now1 young man1 do you want ,him to save you8 ,are you ready to confess ,him as your ,lord and ,saviour1 and take your stand by the ,master1 and say from this hour1 ,i will serve the ,lord ,jesus8 ,if so1 it will be the best night in your life up to this time4 ,the best thing you can do is to yield to ,christ at once4 ,every true ,christian would give you that advice1 and if ,i could shout clear up to the throne1 and ask the ,saviour what ,he would have you to do1 ,i should hear a voice rolling down from heaven1 and saying1 ,tell him to seek salvation4 ,when the poor thief was converted1 it was probably the first time he had ever heard of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 or had been invited4 ,but it is surely not so with you4 ,how many people keep putting salvation off and off1 until it is one day too late6 ,there are so many that live in the future4 ,it is better you should be wise1 and enter into the kingdom of ,god now4 ,let your prayer1 like that of the poor thief1 go up from your heart1 ,lord1 remember me1 and you will not ask in vain4 ,a ,,timely ,,conversion4 ,a minister in ,edinburgh tells a story of the conversion of a young man who was working in one of the mining districts4 ,when the meeting at one of the churches was over on a particular evening1 he saw him standing by a pillar in the church1 the rest having gone out1 all but two or three1 and they asked this man if he was not going home4 ,he said1 ,i have made up my mind that ,i will not leave this church till ,i become a ,christian2 so they stopped and talked and prayed with him4 ,it was the best thing he could do4 ,i would like every man here to do the same thing4 ,make up your minds that you won't leave till you have settled about your soul for eternity4 ,well1 the next day1 while this young man was working in the mine1 the coal fell in upon him1 and before he died1 he had just strength enough left to say to his companions1 ,it's a good thing that ,i settled it last night--a very good thing4 ,young man1 ,i will leave you to answer the question1 ,was it not a good thing he settled it that night8 ,a young man1 who was in the army during the ,civil war1 told me that when he heard that his brother1 from whom he had never been separated1 had joined a certain regiment1 he went right away and put his name down under his brother's4 ,they messed together1 marched together1 and fought shoulder to shoulder4 ,at last his brother was struck with a ,minnie ball1 and he fell mortally wounded by his side4 ,he saw too plainly that he must die1 and as the battle was raging1 and he could do nothing to save him1 he put his brother's knapsack under his head1 and made him as comfortable as he could1 and bending over him1 kissed him1 bade him good-bye1 and left him to die4 ,as he was going away1 his brother said1 ,charlie1 come back1 and let me kiss you upon your lips4 ,as ,i bent over him1 said the young soldier who told me the story1 he kissed me on my lips1 and said1 ',take that home to mother1 and tell her that ,i died praying for her'2 and as ,i turned away from him1 ,i could hear him say1 ',this is glory1' and as he lay weltering in his blood1 and ,i wondered what he meant1 ,i asked him what was glory4 ,he said1 ',charlie1 it's glorious to die looking up--,i see ,christ in heaven4' ,,dying ,,looking ,,up4 ,if you want to die looking up and seeing ,christ1 seek the kingdom of ,god4 ,you may never hear the call again4 ,do not leave this place without making up your mind to settle the solemn question of eternity at once4