,transcriber's ,notes3 ,italic text is denoted by underscores and bold text by equal signs4 ,small uppercase have been replaced with regular uppercase4 ,blank pages have been eliminated4 ,variations in spelling and hyphenation have been left as in the original4 ,,around ,,the ,,wicket ,,gate2 ,,or1 ,a ,,friendly ,,talk ,,with ,,seekers ,,concerning ,,faith ,,in ,,the ,,lord ,,jesus ,,christ4 ,,by ,c4 ,h4 ,,spurgeon4 ,enter ye in at the strait gate4--,matt4 vii4 #ac4 ,,american ,,tract ,,society1 #aj ,,east #bc;,d ,,street1 ,,new ,,york4 ,this book is published by special arrangement with the author and his publisher4 ,,copyright1 #ahij1 ,,by ,a4 ,c4 ,,armstrong ,,sons4 ,,transferred ,,to ,,the ,,american ,,tract ,,society4 ,,preface4 ,millions of men are in the outlying regions1 far off from ,god and peace2 for these we pray1 and to these we give warning4 ,but just now we have to do with a smaller company1 who are not far from the kingdom1 but have come right up to the wicket gate which stands at the head of the way of life4 ,one would think that they would hasten to enter1 for a free and open invitation is placed over the entrance1 the porter waits to welcome them1 and there is but this one way to eternal life4 ,he that is most loaded seems the most likely to pass in and begin the heavenward journey2 but what ails the other men8 ,this is what ,i want to find out4 ,poor fellows6 they have come a long way already to get where they are2 and the ,king's highway1 which they seek1 is right before them3 why do they not take to the ,pilgrim ,road at once8 ,alas6 they have a great many reasons2 and foolish as those reasons are1 it needs a very wise man to answer them all4 ,i cannot pretend to do so4 ,only the ,lord himself can remove the folly which is bound up in their hearts1 and lead them to take the great decisive step4 ,yet the ,lord works by means2 and ,i have prepared this little book in the earnest hope that he may work by it to the blessed end of leading seekers to an immediate1 simple trust in the ,lord ,jesus4 ,he who does not take the step of faith1 and so enter upon the road to heaven1 will perish4 ,it will be an awful thing to die just outside the gate of life4 ,almost saved1 but altogether lost6 ,a man just outside ,noah's ark would be drowned2 a manslayer just outside the wall of the city of refuge would be slain2 and the man who is within a yard of ,christ1 and yet has not trusted him1 will be lost4 ,therefore am ,i in terrible earnest to get my hesitating friends over the threshold4 ,come in6 ,come in6 is my pressing entreaty4 ,may the ,holy ,spirit render it effectual with many who shall glance at these pages6 ,may he cause his own almighty voice to be heard creating faith at once6 ,my reader1 if ,god blesses this book to you1 do the writer this favour--either lend your own copy to one who is lingering at the gate1 or buy another and give it away2 for his great desire is that this little volume should be of service to many thousands of souls4 ,to ,god this book is commended2 for without his grace nothing will come of all that is written4 ,illustration ,,preface ,,to ,,the ,,american ,,edition4 ,the host of ,american ,christians who have had the privilege of listening to the prince of modern preachers of the gospel in his own ,london ,tabernacle1 and the countless thousands who have read his printed sermons1 have long desired to see and hear him on this side of the ocean4 ,the state of his health1 however1 which requires frequent respites from his incessant and exhausting labors1 precludes the hope of an ,american tour1 with its inevitable demands upon his already overburdened strength4 ,all the more on this account they will welcome a new volume from his pen1 designed for the benefit of a class found in every ,christian community1 the object of the deepest concern to the ,church of ,christ3 a volume written by a master in ,israel who has shown such a profound knowledge both of the human heart with all its needs1 and of the wisdom and power of ,god in the gospel1 and who has been to so many souls the blessed means of leading them to ,christ4 ,this new volume1 like the author's many previous books and tracts1 his well-organized ,colporter ,society1 etc41 testifies to his high appreciation of the power of the press1 and to his desire thus to win for ,christ myriads of those whom his voice cannot reach4 ,to all who are hovering around the ,wicket ,gate1 or who even from time to time come within sight of it and wish they were safe within it1 this little book is commended1 with the hope that even while they are reading they will knock and it shall be opened to them4 ,,contents4 ,,page ,,awakening #i ,,jesus ,,only #af ,,faith ,,in ,,the ,,person ,,of ,,the ,,lord ,,jesus #bd ,,faith ,,very ,,simple #ce ,,fearing ,,to ,,believe #dh ,,difficulty ,,in ,,the ,,way ,,of ,,believing #eg ,a ,,helpful ,,survey ,,of ,,christ',s ,,work #fe ,a ,,real ,,hindrance ,,to ,,faith #gc ,,on ,,raising ,,questions #hj ,,without ,,faith ,,no ,,salvation #hh ,,to ,,those ,,who ,,have ,,believed #ic ,illustration ,illustration ,around the ,wicket ,gate4 ,,awakening4 ,great numbers of persons have no concern about eternal things4 ,they care more about their cats and dogs than about their souls4 ,it is a great mercy to be made to think about ourselves1 and how we stand towards ,god and the eternal world4 ,this is full often a sign that salvation is coming to us4 ,by nature we do not like the anxiety which spiritual concern causes us1 and we try1 like sluggards1 to sleep again4 ,this is great foolishness2 for it is at our peril that we trifle when death is so near1 and judgment is so sure4 ,if the ,lord has chosen us to eternal life1 he will not let us return to our slumber4 ,if we are sensible1 we shall pray that our anxiety about our souls may never come to an end till we are really and truly saved4 ,let us say from our hearts3-- ,he that suffered in my stead1 ,shall my ,physician be2 ,i will not be comforted1 ,till ,jesus comfort me4 ,it would be an awful thing to go dreaming down to hell1 and there to lift up our eyes with a great gulf fixed between us and heaven4 ,it will be equally terrible to be aroused to escape from the wrath to come1 and then to shake off the warning influence1 and go back to our insensibility4 ,i notice that those who overcome their convictions and continue in their sins are not so easily moved the next time3 every awakening which is thrown away leaves the soul more drowsy than before1 and less likely to be again stirred to holy feeling4 ,therefore our heart should be greatly troubled at the thought of getting rid of its trouble in any other than the right way4 ,one who had the gout was cured of it by a quack medicine1 which drove the disease within1 and the patient died4 ,to be cured of distress of mind by a false hope1 would be a terrible business3 the remedy would be worse than the disease4 ,better far that our tenderness of conscience should cause us long years of anguish1 than that we should lose it1 and perish in the hardness of our hearts4 ,yet awakening is not a thing to rest in1 or to desire to have lengthened out month after month4 ,if ,i start up in a fright1 and find my house on fire1 ,i do not sit down at the edge of the bed1 and say to myself1 ,i hope ,i am truly awakened6 ,indeed1 ,i am deeply grateful that ,i am not left to sleep on6 ,no1 ,i want to escape from threatened death1 and so ,i hasten to the door or to the window1 that ,i may get out1 and may not perish where ,i am4 ,it would be a questionable boon to be aroused1 and yet not to escape from the danger4 ,remember1 awakening is not salvation4 ,a man may know that he is lost1 and yet he may never be saved4 ,he may be made thoughtful1 and yet he may die in his sins4 ,if you find out that you are a bankrupt1 the consideration of your debts will not pay them4 ,a man may examine his wounds all the year around1 and they will be none the nearer being healed because he feels their smart1 and notes their number4 ,it is one trick of the devil to tempt a man to be satisfied with a sense of sin2 and another trick of the same deceiver to insinuate that the sinner may not be content to trust ,christ1 unless he can bring a certain measure of despair to add to the ,saviour's finished work4 ,our awakenings are not to help the ,saviour1 but to help us to the ,saviour4 ,to imagine that my feeling of sin is to assist in the removal of the sin is absurd4 ,it is as though ,i said that water could not cleanse my face unless ,i had looked longer in the glass1 and had counted the smuts upon my forehead4 ,a sense of need of salvation by grace is a very healthful sign2 but one needs wisdom to use it aright1 and not to make an idol of it4 ,some seem as if they had fallen in love with their doubts1 and fears1 and distresses4 ,you cannot get them away from their terrors--they seem wedded to them4 ,it is said that the worst trouble with horses when their stables are on fire1 is that you cannot get them to come out of their stalls4 ,if they would but follow your lead1 they might escape the flames2 but they seem to be paralyzed with fear4 ,so the fear of the fire prevents their escaping the fire4 ,reader1 will your very fear of the wrath to come prevent your escaping from it8 ,we hope not4 ,one who had been long in prison was not willing to come out4 ,the door was open2 but he pleaded even with tears to be allowed to stay where he had been so long4 ,fond of prison6 ,wedded to the iron bolts and the prison fare6 ,surely the prisoner must have been a little touched in the head6 ,are you willing to remain an awakened one1 and nothing more8 ,are you not eager to be at once forgiven8 ,if you would tarry in anguish and dread1 surely you1 too1 must be a little out of your mind6 ,if peace is to be had1 have it at once6 ,why tarry in the darkness of the pit1 wherein your feet sink in the miry clay8 ,there is light to be had2 light marvellous and heavenly2 why lie in the gloom and die in anguish8 ,you do not know how near salvation is to you4 ,if you did1 you would surely stretch out your hand and take it1 for there it is2 and it is to be had for the taking4 ,do not think that feelings of despair would fit you for mercy4 ,when the pilgrim1 on his way to the ,wicket ,gate1 tumbled into the ,slough of ,despond1 do you think that1 when the foul mire of that slough stuck to his garments1 it was a recommendation to him1 to get him easier admission at the head of the way8 ,it is not so4 ,the pilgrim did not think so by any means2 neither may you4 ,it is not what you feel that will save you1 but what ,jesus felt4 ,even if there were some healing value in feelings1 they would have to be good ones2 and the feeling which makes us doubt the power of ,christ to save1 and prevents our finding salvation in him1 is by no means a good one1 but a cruel wrong to the love of ,jesus4 ,our friend has come to see us1 and has travelled through our crowded ,london by rail1 or tram1 or omnibus4 ,on a sudden he turns pale4 ,we ask him what is the matter1 and he answers1 ,i have lost my pocket-book1 and it contained all the money ,i have in the world4 ,he goes over the amount to a penny1 and describes the cheques1 bills1 notes1 and coins4 ,we tell him that it must be a great consolation to him to be so accurately acquainted with the extent of his loss4 ,he does not seem to see the worth of our consolation4 ,we assure him that he ought to be grateful that he has so clear a sense of his loss2 for many persons might have lost their pocket-books and have been quite unable to compute their losses4 ,our friend is not1 however1 cheered in the least4 ,no1 says he1 to know my loss does not help me to recover it4 ,tell me where ,i can find my property1 and you have done me real service2 but merely to know my loss is no comfort whatever4 ,even so1 to believe that you have sinned1 and that your soul is forfeited to the justice of ,god1 is a very proper thing2 but it will not save4 ,salvation is not by our knowing our own ruin1 but by fully grasping the deliverance provided in ,christ ,jesus4 ,a person who refuses to look to the ,lord ,jesus1 but persists in dwelling upon his sin and ruin1 reminds us of a boy who dropped a shilling down an open grating of a ,london sewer1 and lingered there for hours1 finding comfort in saying1 ,it rolled in just there6 ,just between those two iron bars ,i saw it go right down4 ,poor soul6 ,long might he remember the details of his loss before he would in this way get back a single penny into his pocket1 wherewith to buy himself a piece of bread4 ,you see the drift of the parable2 profit by it4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,jesus ,,only4 ,we cannot1 too often or too plainly tell the seeking soul that his only hope for salvation lies in the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,it lies in him completely1 only1 and alone4 ,to save both from the guilt and the power of sin1 ,jesus is all-sufficient4 ,his name is called ,jesus1 because he shall save his people from their sins4 ,the ,son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins4 ,he is exalted on high to give repentance and remission of sins4 ,it pleased ,god from of old to devise a method of salvation which should be all contained in his only-begotten ,son4 ,the ,lord ,jesus1 for the working out of this salvation1 became man1 and being found in fashion as a man1 became obedient to death1 even the death of the cross4 ,if another way of deliverance had been possible1 the cup of bitterness would have passed from him4 ,it stands to reason that the darling of heaven would not have died to save us if we could have been rescued at less expense4 ,infinite grace provided the great sacrifice2 infinite love submitted to death for our sakes4 ,how can we dream that there can be another way than the way which ,god has provided at such cost1 and set forth in ,holy ,scripture so simply and so pressingly8 ,surely it is true that ,neither is there salvation in any other3 for there is none other name under heaven given among men1 whereby we must be saved4 ,to suppose that the ,lord ,jesus has only half saved men1 and that there is needed some work or feeling of their own to finish his work1 is wicked4 ,what is there of ours that could be added to his blood and righteousness8 ,all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags4 ,can these be patched on to the costly fabric of his divine righteousness8 ,rags and fine white linen6 ,our dross and his pure gold6 ,it is an insult to the ,saviour to dream of such a thing4 ,we have sinned enough1 without adding this to all our other offences4 ,even if we had any righteousness in which we could boast2 if our fig leaves were broader than usual1 and were not so utterly fading1 it would be wisdom to put them away1 and accept that righteousness which must be far more pleasing to ,god than anything of our own4 ,the ,lord must see more that is acceptable in his ,son than in the best of us4 ,the best of us6 ,the words seem satirical1 though they were not so intended4 ,what best is there about any of us8 ,there is none that doeth good2 no1 not one4 ,i who write these lines1 would most freely confess that ,i have not a thread of goodness of my own4 ,i could not make up so much as a rag1 or a piece of a rag4 ,i am utterly destitute4 ,but if ,i had the fairest suit of good works which even pride can imagine1 ,i would tear it up that ,i might put on nothing but the garments of salvation1 which are freely given by the ,lord ,jesus1 out of the heavenly wardrobe of his own merits4 ,it is most glorifying to our ,lord ,jesus ,christ that we should hope for every good thing from him alone4 ,this is to treat him as he deserves to be treated2 for as he is ,god1 and beside him there is none else1 we are bound to look unto him and be saved4 ,this is to treat him as he loves to be treated1 for he bids all those who labour and are heavy laden to come to him1 and he will give them rest4 ,to imagine that he cannot save to the uttermost is to limit the ,holy ,one of ,israel1 and put a slur upon his power2 or else to slander the loving heart of the ,friend of sinners1 and cast a doubt upon his love4 ,in either case2 we should commit a cruel and wanton sin against the tenderest points of his honour1 which are his ability and willingness to save all that come unto ,god by him4 ,illustration ,the child1 in danger of the fire1 just clings to the fireman1 and trusts to him alone4 ,she raises no question about the strength of his limbs to carry her1 or the zeal of his heart to rescue her2 but she clings4 ,the heat is terrible1 the smoke is blinding1 but she clings2 and her deliverer quickly bears her to safety4 ,in the same childlike confidence cling to ,jesus1 who can and will bear you out of danger from the flames of sin4 ,the nature of the ,lord ,jesus should inspire us with the fullest confidence4 ,as he is ,god1 he is almighty to save2 as he is man1 he is filled with all fulness to bless2 as he is ,god and man in one ,majestic ,person1 he meets man in his creatureship and ,god in his holiness4 ,the ladder is long enough to reach from ,jacob prostrate on the earth1 to ,jehovah reigning in heaven4 ,to bring another ladder would be to suppose that he failed to bridge the distance2 and this would be grievously to dishonour him4 ,if even to add to his words is to draw a curse upon ourselves1 what must it be to pretend to add to himself8 ,remember that he1 himself1 is the ,way2 and to suppose that we must1 in some manner1 add to the divine road1 is to be arrogant enough to think of adding to him4 ,away with such a notion6 ,loathe it as you would blasphemy2 for in essence it is the worst of blasphemy against the ,lord of love4 ,to come to ,jesus with a price in our hand1 would be insufferable pride1 even if we had any price that we could bring4 ,what does he need of us8 ,what could we bring if he did need it8 ,would he sell the priceless blessings of his redemption8 ,that which he wrought out in his heart's blood1 would he barter it with us for our tears1 and vows1 or for ceremonial observances1 and feelings1 and works8 ,he is not reduced to make a market of himself3 he will give freely1 as beseems his royal love2 but he that offereth a price to him knows not with whom he is dealing1 nor how grievously he vexes his free ,spirit4 ,empty-handed sinners may have what they will4 ,all that they can possibly need is in ,jesus1 and he gives it for the asking2 but we must believe that he is all in all1 and we must not dare to breathe a word about completing what he has finished1 or fitting ourselves for what he gives to us as undeserving sinners4 ,the reason why we may hope for forgiveness of sin1 and life eternal1 by faith in the ,lord ,jesus1 is that ,god has so appointed4 ,he has pledged himself in the gospel to save all who truly trust in the ,lord ,jesus1 and he will never run back from his promise4 ,he is so well pleased with his only-begotten ,son1 that he takes pleasure in all who lay hold upon him as their one and only hope4 ,the great ,god himself has taken hold on him who has taken hold on his ,son4 ,he works salvation for all who look for that salvation to the once-slain ,redeemer4 ,for the honour of his ,son1 he will not suffer the man who trusts in him to be ashamed4 ,he that believeth on the ,son hath everlasting life2 for the ever-living ,god has taken him unto himself1 and has given to him to be a partaker of his life4 ,if ,jesus only be your trust1 you need not fear but what you shall effectually be saved1 both now and in the day of his appearing4 ,when a man confides1 there is a point of union between him and ,god1 and that union guarantees blessing4 ,faith saves us because it makes us cling to ,christ ,jesus1 and he is one with ,god1 and thus brings us into connection with ,god4 ,i am told that1 years ago1 above the ,falls of ,niagara1 a boat was upset1 and two men were being carried down by the current1 when persons on the shore managed to float a rope out to them1 which rope was seized by them both4 ,one of them held fast to it1 and was safely drawn to the bank2 but the other1 seeing a great log come floating by1 unwisely let go the rope1 and clung to the great piece of timber1 for it was the bigger thing of the two1 and apparently better to cling to4 ,alas6 the timber1 with the man on it1 went right over the vast abyss1 because there was no union between the wood and the shore4 ,the size of the log was no benefit to him who grasped it2 it needed a connection with the shore to produce safety4 ,so1 when a man trusts to his works1 or to his prayers1 or almsgivings1 or to sacraments1 or to anything of that sort1 he will not be saved1 because there is no junction between him and ,god through ,christ ,jesus2 but faith1 though it may seem to be like a slender cord1 is in the hand of the great ,god on the shore side2 infinite power pulls in the connecting line1 and thus draws the man from destruction4 ,oh1 the blessedness of faith1 because it unites us to ,god by the ,saviour1 whom he has appointed1 even ,jesus ,christ6 ,o reader1 is there not common-sense in this matter8 ,think it over1 and may there soon be a band of union between you and ,god1 through your faith in ,christ ,jesus6 ,illustration ,,faith ,,in ,,the ,,person ,,of ,,the ,,lord ,,jesus4 ,there is a wretched tendency among men to leave ,christ himself out of the gospel4 ,they might as well leave flour out of bread4 ,men hear the way of salvation explained1 and consent to it as being ,scriptural1 and in every way such as suits their case2 but they forget that a plan is of no service unless it is carried out2 and that in the matter of salvation their own personal faith in the ,lord ,jesus is essential4 ,a road to ,york will not take me there1 ,i must travel along it for myself4 ,all the sound doctrine that ever was believed will never save a man unless he puts his trust in the ,lord ,jesus for himself4 ,mr4 ,macdonald asked the inhabitants of the island of ,st4 ,kilda how a man must be saved4 ,an old man replied1 ,we shall be saved if we repent1 and forsake our sins1 and turn to ,god4 ,yes1 said a middle-aged female1 and with a true heart too4 ,ay1 rejoined a third1 and with prayer2 and1 added a fourth1 ,it must be the prayer of the heart4 ,and we must be diligent too1 said a fifth1 in keeping the commandments4 ,thus1 each having contributed his mite1 feeling that a very decent creed had been made up1 they all looked and listened for the preacher's approbation2 but they had aroused his deepest pity3 he had to begin at the beginning1 and preach ,christ to them4 ,the carnal mind always maps out for itself a way in which self can work and become great2 but the ,lord's way is quite the reverse4 ,the ,lord ,jesus puts it very compactly in ,mark xvi4 #af3 ,he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved4 ,believing and being baptized are no matters of merit to be gloried in2 they are so simple that boasting is excluded1 and free grace bears the palm4 ,this way of salvation is chosen that it might be seen to be of grace alone4 ,it may be that the reader is unsaved3 what is the reason8 ,do you think the way of salvation1 as laid down in the text we have quoted1 to be dubious8 ,do you fear that you would not be saved if you followed it8 ,how can that be1 when ,god has pledged his own word for its certainty8 ,how can that fail which ,god prescribes1 and concerning which he gives a promise8 ,do you think it very easy8 ,why1 then1 do you not attend to it8 ,its ease leaves those without excuse who neglect it4 ,if you would have done some great thing1 be not so foolish as to neglect the little thing4 ,to believe is to trust1 or lean upon ,christ ,jesus2 in other words1 to give up self-reliance1 and to rely upon the ,lord ,jesus4 ,to be baptized is to submit to the ordinance which our ,lord fulfilled at ,jordan1 to which the converted ones submitted at ,pentecost1 to which the jailer yielded obedience on the very night of his conversion4 ,it is the outward confession which should always go with inward faith4 ,the outward sign saves not2 but it sets forth to us our death1 burial1 and resurrection with ,jesus1 and1 like the ,lord's ,supper1 it is not to be neglected4 ,the great point is to believe in ,jesus1 and confess your faith4 ,do you believe in ,jesus8 ,then1 dear friend1 dismiss your fears2 you shall be saved4 ,are you still an unbeliever8 ,then remember1 there is but one door1 and if you will not enter by it1 you must perish in your sins4 ,the door is there2 but unless you enter by it1 what is the use of it to you8 ,it is of necessity that you obey the command of the gospel4 ,nothing can save you if you do not hear the voice of ,jesus1 and do his bidding indeed and of a truth4 ,thinking and resolving will not answer the purpose2 you must come to real business2 for only as you actually believe will you truly live unto ,god4 ,i heard of a friend who deeply desired to be the means of the conversion of a young man1 and one said to him1 ,you may go to him1 and talk to him1 but you will get him no further2 for he is exceedingly well acquainted with the plan of salvation4 ,it was eminently so2 and therefore1 when our friend began to speak with the young man1 he received for an answer1 ,i am much obliged to you1 but ,i do not know that you can tell me much1 for ,i have long known and admired the plan of salvation by the substitutionary sacrifice of ,christ4 ,alas6 he was resting in the plan1 but he had not believed in the ,person4 ,the plan of salvation is most blessed1 but it can avail us nothing unless we personally believe in the ,lord ,jesus ,christ himself4 ,what is the comfort of a plan of a house if you do not enter the house itself8 ,the man in our cut1 who is sitting out in the rain1 is not deriving much comfort from the plans which are spread out before him4 ,what is the good of a plan of clothing if you have not a rag to cover you8 ,have you never heard of the ,arab chief at ,cairo1 who was very ill1 and went to the missionary1 and the missionary said he could give him a prescription8 ,he did so2 and a week after he found the ,arab none the better4 ,did you take my prescription8 he asked4 ,yes1 ,i ate every morsel of the paper4 ,he dreamed that he was going to be cured by devouring the physician's writing1 which ,i may call the plan of the medicine4 ,he should have had the prescription made up1 and then it might have wrought him good1 if he had taken the draught3 it could do him no good to swallow the recipe4 ,so is it with salvation3 it is not the plan of salvation which can save1 it is the carrying out of that plan by the ,lord ,jesus in his death on our behalf1 and our acceptance of the same4 ,under the ,jewish law1 the offerer brought a bullock1 and laid his hands upon it3 it was no dream1 or theory1 or plan4 ,in the victim for sacrifice he found something substantial1 which he could handle and touch3 even so do we lean upon the real and true work of ,jesus1 the most substantial thing under heaven4 ,we come to the ,lord ,jesus by faith1 and say1 ,god has provided an atonement here1 and ,i accept it4 ,i believe in the fact accomplished on the cross2 ,i am confident that sin was put away by ,christ1 and ,i rest on him4 ,if you would be saved1 you must get beyond the acceptance of plans and doctrines to a resting in the divine person and finished work of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,dear reader1 will you have ,christ now8 ,illustration ,jesus invites all those who labour and are heavy laden to come to him1 and he will give them rest4 ,he does not promise this to their merely dreaming about him4 ,they must come2 and they must come ,,to ,,him1 and not merely to the ,church1 to baptism1 or to the orthodox faith1 or to anything short of his divine person4 ,when the brazen serpent was lifted up in the wilderness1 the people were not to look to ,moses1 nor to the ,tabernacle1 nor to the pillar of cloud1 but to the brazen serpent itself4 ,looking was not enough unless they looked to the right object3 and the right object was not enough unless they looked4 ,it was not enough for them to know about the serpent of brass2 they must each one look to it for himself4 ,when a man is ill1 he may have a good knowledge of medicine1 and yet he may die if he does not actually take the healing draught4 ,we must receive ,jesus2 for to as many as received him1 to them gave he power to become the sons of ,god4 ,lay the emphasis on two words3 ,we must receive ,,him1 and we must ,,receive him4 ,we must open wide the door1 and take ,christ ,jesus in2 for ,christ in you is the hope of glory4 ,christ must be no myth1 no dream1 no phantom to us1 but a real man1 and truly ,god2 and our reception of him must be no forced and feigned acceptance1 but the hearty and happy assent and consent of the soul that he shall be the all in all of our salvation4 ,will we not at once come to him1 and make him our sole trust8 ,illustration ,the dove is hunted by the hawk1 and finds no security from its restless enemy4 ,it has learned that there is shelter for it in the cleft of the rock1 and it hastens there with gladsome wing4 ,once wholly sheltered within its refuge1 it fears no bird of prey4 ,but if it did not hide itself in the rock1 it would be seized upon by its adversary4 ,the rock would be of no use to the dove1 if the dove did not enter its cleft4 ,the whole body must be hidden in the rock4 ,what if ten thousand other birds found a fortress there1 yet that fact would not save the one dove which is now pursued by the hawk6 ,it must put its whole self into the shelter1 and bury itself within its refuge1 or its life will be forfeited to the destroyer4 ,what a picture of faith is this6 ,it is entering into ,jesus1 hiding in his wounds4 ,rock of ,ages1 cleft for me1 ,let me hide myself in thee4 ,the dove is out of sight3 the rock alone is seen4 ,so does the guilty soul dart into the riven side of ,jesus by faith1 and is buried in him out of sight of avenging justice4 ,but there must be this personal application to ,jesus for shelter2 and this it is that so many put off from day to day1 till it is to be feared that they will die in their sins4 ,what an awful word is that6 ,it is what our ,lord said to the unbelieving ,jews2 and he says the same to us at this hour3 ,if ye believe not that ,i am he1 ye shall die in your sins4 ,it makes one's heart quiver to think that even one who shall read these lines may yet be of the miserable company who will thus perish4 ,the ,lord prevent it of his great grace6 ,i saw1 the other day1 a remarkable picture1 which ,i shall use as an illustration of the way of salvation by faith in ,jesus4 ,an offender had committed a crime for which he must die1 but it was in the olden time1 when churches were considered to be sanctuaries in which criminals might hide themselves1 and so escape from death4 ,see the transgressor6 ,he rushes towards the church1 the guards pursue him with their drawn swords1 athirst for his blood6 ,they follow him even to the church door4 ,he rushes up the steps1 and just as they are about to overtake him1 and hew him in pieces on the threshold of the church1 out comes the ,bishop1 and holding up the cross1 he cries1 ,back1 back6 ,stain not the precincts of ,god's house with blood6 ,stand back6 ,the fierce soldiers at once respect the emblem1 and retire1 while the poor fugitive hides himself behind the robes of the ,bishop4 ,it is even so with ,christ4 ,the guilty sinner flies straight away to ,jesus2 and though ,justice pursues him1 ,christ lifts up his wounded hands1 and cries to ,justice1 ,stand back6 ,i shelter this sinner2 in the secret place of my tabernacle do ,i hide him2 ,i will not suffer him to perish1 for he puts his trust in me4 ,sinner1 fly to ,christ6 ,but you answer1 ,i am too vile4 ,the viler you are1 the more will you honour him by believing that he is able to protect even you4 ,but ,i am so great a sinner4 ,then the more honour shall be given to him if you have faith to confide in him1 great sinner though you are4 ,if you have a little sickness1 and you tell your physician--,sir1 ,i am quite confident in your skill to heal1 there is no great compliment in your declaration4 ,anybody can cure a finger-ache1 or a trifling sickness4 ,but if you are sore sick with a complication of diseases which grievously torment you1 and you say--,sir1 ,i seek no better physician2 ,i will ask no other advice but yours2 ,i trust myself joyfully with you2 what an honour have you conferred on him1 that you can trust your life in his hands while it is in extreme and immediate danger6 ,do the like with ,christ2 put your soul into his care3 do it deliberately1 and without a doubt4 ,dare to quit all other hopes3 venture all on ,jesus2 ,i say venture though there is nothing really venturesome in it1 for he is abundantly able to save4 ,cast yourself simply on ,jesus2 let nothing but faith be in your soul towards ,jesus2 believe him1 and trust in him1 and you shall never be made ashamed of your confidence4 ,he that believeth on him shall not be confounded 7#a ,peter ii4 #f74 ,illustration ,,faith ,,very ,,simple4 ,to many1 faith seems a hard thing4 ,the truth is1 it is only hard because it is easy4 ,naaman thought it hard that he should have to wash in ,jordan2 but if it had been some great thing1 he would have done it right cheerfully4 ,people think that salvation must be the result of some act or feeling1 very mysterious1 and very difficult2 but ,god's thoughts are not our thoughts1 neither are his ways our ways4 ,in order that the feeblest and the most ignorant may be saved1 he has made the way of salvation as easy as the ,a1 ,b1 ,c4 ,there is nothing about it to puzzle anyone2 only1 as everybody expects to be puzzled by it1 many are quite bewildered when they find it to be so exceedingly simple4 ,the fact is1 we do not believe that ,god means what he is saying2 we act as if it could not be true4 ,illustration ,i have heard of a ,sunday-school teacher who performed an experiment which ,i do not think ,i shall ever try with children1 for it might turn out to be a very expensive one4 ,indeed1 ,i feel sure that the result in my case would be very different from what ,i now describe4 ,this teacher had been trying to illustrate what faith was1 and1 as he could not get it into the minds of his boys1 he took his watch1 and he said1 ,now1 ,i will give you this watch1 ,john4 ,will you have it8 ,john fell thinking what the teacher could mean1 and did not seize the treasure1 but made no answer4 ,the teacher said to the next boy1 ,henry1 here is the watch4 ,will you have it8 ,the boy1 with a very proper modesty1 replied1 ,no1 thank you1 sir4 ,the teacher tried several of the boys with the same result2 till at last a youngster1 who was not so wise or so thoughtful as the others1 but rather more believing1 said in the most natural way1 ,thank you1 sir1 and put the watch into his pocket4 ,then the other boys woke up to a startling fact3 their companion had received a watch which they had refused4 ,one of the boys quickly asked of the teacher1 ,is he to keep it8 ,of course he is1 said the teacher1 ,i offered it to him1 and he accepted it4 ,i would not give a thing and take a thing3 that would be very foolish4 ,i put the watch before you1 and said that ,i gave it to you1 but none of you would have it4 ,oh6 said the boy1 if ,i had known you meant it1 ,i would have had it4 ,of course he would4 ,he thought it was a piece of acting1 and nothing more4 ,all the other boys were in a dreadful state of mind to think that they had lost the watch4 ,each one cried1 ,teacher1 ,i did not know you meant it1 but ,i thought-- ,no one took the gift2 but every one thought4 ,each one had his theory1 except the simple-minded boy who believed what he was told1 and got the watch4 ,now ,i wish that ,i could always be such a simple child as literally to believe what the ,lord says1 and take what he puts before me1 resting quite content that he is not playing with me1 and that ,i cannot be wrong in accepting what he sets before me in the gospel4 ,happy should we be if we would trust1 and raise no questions of any sort4 ,but1 alas6 we will get thinking and doubting4 ,when the ,lord uplifts his dear ,son before a sinner1 that sinner should take him without hesitation4 ,if you take him1 you have him2 and none can take him from you4 ,out with your hand1 man1 and take him at once6 ,when enquirers accept the ,bible as literally true1 and see that ,jesus is really given to all who trust him1 all the difficulty about understanding the way of salvation vanishes like the morning's frost at the rising of the sun4 ,two enquiring ones came to me in my vestry4 ,they had been hearing the gospel from me for only a short season1 but they had been deeply impressed by it4 ,they expressed their regret that they were about to remove far away1 but they added their gratitude that they had heard me at all4 ,i was cheered by their kind thanks1 but felt anxious that a more effectual work should be wrought in them1 and therefore ,i asked them1 ,have you in very deed believed in the ,lord ,jesus ,christ8 ,are you saved8 ,one of them replied1 ,i have been trying hard to believe4 ,this statement ,i have often heard1 but ,i will never let it go by me unchallenged4 ,no1 ,i said1 that will not do4 ,did you ever tell your father that you tried to believe him8 ,after ,i had dwelt a while upon the matter1 they admitted that such language would have been an insult to their father4 ,i then set the gospel very plainly before them in as simple language as ,i could1 and ,i begged them to believe ,jesus1 who is more worthy of faith than the best of fathers4 ,one of them replied1 ,i cannot realize it3 ,i cannot realize that ,i am saved4 ,then ,i went on to say1 ,god bears testimony to his ,son1 that whosoever trusts in his ,son is saved4 ,will you make him a liar now1 or will you believe his word8 ,while ,i thus spoke1 one of them started as if astonished1 and she startled us all as she cried1 ,o sir1 ,i see it all2 ,i am saved6 ,oh1 do bless ,jesus for me2 he has shown me the way1 and he has saved me6 ,i see it all4 ,the esteemed sister who had brought these young friends to me knelt down with them while1 with all our hearts1 we blessed and magnified the ,lord for a soul brought into light4 ,one of the two sisters1 however1 could not see the gospel as the other had done1 though ,i feel sure she will do so before long4 ,did it not seem strange that1 both hearing the same words1 one should come out into clear light1 and the other should remain in the gloom8 ,the change which comes over the heart when the understanding grasps the gospel is often reflected in the face1 and shines there like the light of heaven4 ,such newly-enlightened souls often exclaim1 ,why1 sir1 it is so plain2 how is it ,i have not seen it before this8 ,i understand all ,i have read in the ,bible now1 though ,i could not make it out before4 ,it has all come in a minute1 and now ,i see what ,i could never understand before4 ,the fact is1 the truth was always plain1 but they were looking for signs and wonders1 and therefore did not see what was nigh them4 ,old men often look for their spectacles when they are on their foreheads2 and it is commonly observed that we fail to see that which is straight before us4 ,christ ,jesus is before our faces1 and we have only to look to him1 and live2 but we make all manner of bewilderment of it1 and so manufacture a maze out of that which is plain as a pikestaff4 ,the little incident about the two sisters reminds me of another4 ,a much-esteemed friend came to me one ,sabbath morning after service1 to shake hands with me1 for1 said she1 ,i was fifty years old on the same day as yourself4 ,i am like you in that one thing1 sir2 but ,i am the very reverse of you in better things4 ,i remarked1 ,then you must be a very good woman2 for in many things ,i wish ,i also could be the reverse of what ,i am4 ,no1 no1 she said1 ,i did not mean anything of that sort3 ,i am not right at all4 ,what6 ,i cried1 are you not a believer in the ,lord ,jesus8 ,well1 she said1 with much emotion1 ,i1 ,i will try to be4 ,i laid hold of her hand1 and said1 ,my dear soul1 you are not going to tell me that you will try to believe my ,lord ,jesus6 ,i cannot have such talk from you4 ,it means blank unbelief4 ,what has ,,he done that you should talk of him in that way8 ,would you tell me that you would try to believe me8 ,i know you would not treat me so rudely4 ,you think me a true man1 and so you believe me at once2 and surely you cannot do less with my ,lord ,jesus4 ,then with tears she exclaimed1 ,oh1 sir1 do pray for me6 ,to this ,i replied1 ,i do not feel that ,i can do anything of the kind4 ,what can ,i ask the ,lord ,jesus to do for one who will not trust him8 ,i see nothing to pray about4 ,if you will believe him1 you shall be saved2 and if you will not believe him1 ,i cannot ask him to invent a new way to gratify your unbelief4 ,then she said again1 ,i will try to believe2 but ,i told her solemnly ,i would have none of her trying2 for the message from the ,lord did not mention trying1 but said1 ,believe in the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and thou shalt be saved4 ,i pressed upon her the great truth1 that ,he that believeth on him hath everlasting life2 and its terrible reverse-- ,he that believeth not is condemned already1 because he hath not believed in the name of the only-begotten ,son of ,god4 ,i urged her to full faith in the once crucified but now ascended ,lord1 and the ,holy ,spirit there and then enabled her to trust4 ,she most tenderly said1 ,oh1 sir1 ,i have been looking to my feelings1 and this has been my mistake6 ,now ,i trust my soul with ,jesus1 and ,i am saved4 ,she found immediate peace through believing4 ,there is no other way4 ,illustration ,god has been pleased to make the necessities of life very simple matters4 ,we must eat2 and even a blind man can find the way to his mouth4 ,we must drink2 and even the tiniest babe knows how to do this without instruction4 ,we have a fountain in the grounds of the ,stockwell ,orphanage1 and when it is running in the hot weather1 the boys go to it naturally4 ,we have no class for fountain-drill4 ,many poor boys have come to the ,orphanage1 but never one who was so ignorant that he did not know how to drink4 ,now faith is1 in spiritual things1 what eating and drinking are in temporal things4 ,by the mouth of faith we take the blessings of grace into our spiritual nature1 and they are ours4 ,o you who would believe1 but think you cannot1 do you not see that1 as one can drink without strength1 and as one can eat without strength1 and gets strength by eating1 so we may receive ,jesus without effort1 and by accepting him we receive power for all such further effort as we may be called to put forth8 ,faith is so simple a matter that1 whenever ,i try to explain it1 ,i am very fearful lest ,i should becloud its simplicity4 ,when ,thomas ,scott had printed his notes upon ,the ,pilgrim's ,progress1 he asked one of his parishioners whether she understood the book4 ,oh yes1 sir1 said she1 ,i understand ,mr4 ,bunyan well enough1 and ,i am hoping that one day1 by divine grace1 ,i may understand your explanations4 ,should ,i not feel mortified if my reader should know what faith is1 and then get confused by my explanation8 ,i will1 however1 make one trial1 and pray the ,lord to make it clear4 ,illustration ,i am told that on a certain highland road there was a disputed right of way4 ,the owner wished to preserve his supremacy1 and at the same time he did not wish to inconvenience the public3 hence an arrangement which occasioned the following incident4 ,seeing a sweet country girl standing at the gate1 a tourist went up to her1 and offered her a shilling to permit him to pass4 ,no1 no1 said the child1 ,i must not take anything from you2 but you are to say1 ',please allow me to pass1' and then you may come through and welcome4 ,the permission was to be asked for2 but it could be had for the asking4 ,just so1 eternal life is free2 and it can be had1 yea1 it shall be at once had1 by trusting in the word of him who cannot lie4 ,trust ,christ1 and by that trust you grasp salvation and eternal life4 ,do not philosophize4 ,do not sit down1 and bother your poor brain4 ,just believe ,jesus as you would believe your father4 ,trust him as you trust your money with a banker1 or your health with a doctor4 ,faith will not long seem a difficulty to you2 nor ought it to be so1 for it is simple4 ,faith is trusting1 trusting wholly upon the person1 work1 merit1 and power of the ,son of ,god4 ,some think this trusting is a romantic business1 but indeed it is the simplest thing that can possibly be4 ,to some of us1 truths which were once hard to believe are now matters of fact which we should find it hard to doubt4 ,if one of our great grand-fathers were to rise from the dead1 and come into the present state of things1 what a deal of trusting he would have to do6 ,he would say to-morrow morning1 ,where are the flint and steel8 ,i want a light2 and we should give him a little box with tiny pieces of wood in it1 and tell him to strike one of them on the box4 ,he would have to trust a good deal before he would believe that fire would thus be produced4 ,we should next say to him1 ,now that you have a light1 turn that tap1 and light the gas4 ,he sees nothing4 ,how can light come through an invisible vapour8 ,and yet it does4 ,come with us1 grandfather4 ,sit in that chair4 ,look at that box in front of you4 ,you shall have your likeness directly4 ,no1 child1 he would say1 it is ridiculous4 ,the sun take my portrait8 ,i cannot believe it4 ,yes1 and you shall ride fifty miles in an hour without horses4 ,he will not believe it till we get him into the train4 ,my dear sir1 you shall speak to your son in ,new ,york1 and he shall answer you in a few minutes4 ,should we not astonish the old gentleman8 ,would he not want all his faith8 ,yet these things are believed by us without effort1 because experience has made us familiar with them4 ,faith is greatly needed by you who are strangers to spiritual things2 you seem lost while we are talking about them4 ,but oh1 how simple it is to us who have the new life1 and have communion with spiritual realities6 ,we have a ,father to whom we speak1 and he hears us1 and a blessed ,saviour who hears our heart's longings1 and helps us in our struggles against sin4 ,it is all plain to him that understandeth4 ,may it now be plain to you6 ,illustration ,,fearing ,,to ,,believe4 ,it is an odd product of our unhealthy nature--the fear to believe4 ,yet have ,i met with it often3 so often that ,i wish ,i may never see it again4 ,it looks like humility1 and tries to pass itself off as the very soul of modesty1 and yet it is an infamously proud thing3 in fact1 it is presumption playing the hypocrite4 ,if men were afraid to disbelieve1 there would be good sense in the fear2 but to be afraid to trust their ,god is at best an absurdity1 and in very deed it is a deceitful way of refusing to the ,lord the honour that is due to his faithfulness and truth4 ,how unprofitable is the diligence which busies itself in finding out reasons why faith in our case should not be saving6 ,we have ,god's word for it1 that whosoever believeth in ,jesus shall not perish1 and we search for arguments why we should perish if we did believe4 ,if any one gave me an estate1 ,i certainly should not commence raising questions as to the title4 ,what can be the use of inventing reasons why ,i should not hold my own house1 or possess any other piece of property which is enjoyed by me8 ,if the ,lord is satisfied to save me through the merits of his dear ,son1 assuredly ,i may be satisfied to be so saved4 ,if ,i take ,god at his word1 the responsibility of fulfilling his promise does not lie with me1 but with ,god1 who made the promise4 ,but you fear that you may not be one of those for whom the promise is intended4 ,do not be alarmed by that idle suspicion4 ,no soul ever came to ,jesus wrongly4 ,no one can come at all unless the ,father draw him2 and ,jesus has said1 ,him that cometh to me ,i will in no wise cast out4 ,no soul ever lays hold on ,christ in a way of robbery2 he that hath him hath him of right divine2 for the ,lord's giving of himself for us1 and to us1 is so free1 that every soul that takes him has a grace-given right to do so4 ,if you lay hold on ,jesus by the hem of his garment1 without leave1 and behind him1 yet virtue will flow from him to you as surely as if he had called you out by name1 and bidden you trust him4 ,dismiss all fear when you trust the ,saviour4 ,take him and welcome4 ,he that believeth in ,jesus is one of ,god's elect4 ,did you suggest that it would be a horrible thing if you were to trust in ,jesus and yet perish8 ,it would be so4 ,but as you must perish if you do not trust1 the risk at the worst is not very great4 ,i can but perish if ,i go2 ,i am resolved to try2 ,for if ,i stay away1 ,i know ,i must for ever die4 ,suppose you stand in the ,slough of ,despond for ever2 what will be the good of that8 ,surely it would be better to die struggling along the ,king's highway towards the ,celestial ,city1 than sinking deeper and deeper in the mire and filth of dark distrustful thoughts6 ,you have nothing to lose1 for you have lost everything already2 therefore make a dash for it1 and dare to believe in the mercy of ,god to you1 even to you4 ,illustration ,but one moans1 ,what if ,i come to ,christ1 and he refuses me8 ,my answer is1 ,try him4 ,cast yourself on the ,lord ,jesus1 and see if he refuses you4 ,you will be the first against whom he has shut the door of hope4 ,friend1 don't cross that bridge till you come to it6 ,when ,jesus casts you out1 it will be time enough to despair2 but that time will never come4 ,this man receiveth sinners3 he has not so much as begun to cast them out4 ,have you never heard of the man who lost his way one night1 and came to the edge of a precipice1 as he thought1 and in his own apprehension fell over the cliff8 ,he clutched at an old tree1 and there hung1 clinging to his frail support with all his might4 ,he felt persuaded that1 should he quit his hold1 he would be dashed in pieces on some awful rocks that waited for him down below4 ,there he hung1 with the sweat upon his brow1 and anguish in every limb4 ,he passed into a desperate state of fever and faintness1 and at last his hands could hold up his body no longer4 ,he relaxed his grasp6 ,he dropped from his support6 ,he fell--about a foot or so1 and was received upon a soft mossy bank1 whereon he lay1 altogether unhurt1 and perfectly safe till morning4 ,thus1 in the darkness of their ignorance1 many think that sure destruction awaits them1 if they confess their sin1 quit all hope in self1 and resign themselves into the hands of ,god4 ,they are afraid to quit the hope to which they ignorantly cling4 ,it is an idle fear4 ,give up your hold upon everything but ,christ1 and drop4 ,drop from all trust in your works1 or prayers1 or feelings4 ,drop at once6 ,drop now6 ,soft and safe shall be the bank that receives you4 ,jesus ,christ1 in his love1 in the efficacy of his precious blood1 in his perfect righteousness1 will give you immediate rest and peace4 ,cease from self-confidence4 ,fall into the arms of ,jesus4 ,this is the major part of faith--giving up every other hold1 and simply falling upon ,christ4 ,there is no reason for fear3 only ignorance causes your dread of that which will be your eternal safety4 ,the death of carnal hope is the life of faith1 and the life of faith is life everlasting4 ,let self die1 that ,christ may live in you4 ,but the mischief is that1 to the one act of faith in ,jesus1 we cannot bring men4 ,they will adopt any expedient sooner than have done with self4 ,they fight shy of believing1 and fear faith as if it were a monster4 ,o foolish tremblers1 who has bewitched you8 ,you fear that which would be the death of all your fear1 and the beginning of your joy4 ,why will you perish through perversely preferring other ways to ,god's own appointed plan of salvation8 ,alas6 there are many1 many souls that say1 ,we are bidden to trust in ,jesus1 but instead of that we will attend the means of grace regularly4 ,attend public worship by all means1 but not as a substitute for faith1 or it will become a vain confidence4 ,the command is1 ,believe and live2 attend to that1 whatever else you do4 ,well1 ,i shall take to reading good books2 perhaps ,i shall get good that way4 ,read the good books by all means1 but that is not the gospel3 the gospel is1 ,believe in the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and thou shalt be saved4 ,suppose a physician has a patient under his care1 and he says to him1 ,you are to take a bath in the morning2 it will be of very great service to your disease4 ,but the man takes a cup of tea in the morning instead of the bath1 and he says1 ,that will do as well1 ,i have no doubt4 ,what does his physician say when he enquires--,did you follow my rule8 ,no1 ,i did not4 ,then you do not expect1 of course1 that there will be any good result from my visits1 since you take no notice of my directions4 ,so we1 practically1 say to ,jesus ,christ1 when we are under searching of soul1 ,lord1 thou badest me trust thee1 but ,i would sooner do something else6 ,lord1 ,i want to have horrible convictions2 ,i want to be shaken over hell's mouth2 ,i want to be alarmed and distressed6 ,yes1 you want anything but what ,christ prescribes for you1 which is that you should simply trust him4 ,whether you feel or do not feel1 cast yourself on him1 that he may save you1 and he alone4 ,but you do not mean to say that you speak against praying1 and reading good books1 and so on8 ,not one single word do ,i speak against any of those things1 any more than1 if ,i were the physician ,i quoted1 ,i should speak against the man's drinking a cup of tea4 ,let him drink his tea2 but not if he drinks it instead of taking the bath which is prescribed for him4 ,so let the man pray3 the more the better4 ,let the man search the ,scriptures2 but1 remember1 that if these things are put in the place of simple faith in ,christ1 the soul will be ruined4 ,beware lest it be said of any of you by our ,lord1 ,ye search the ,scriptures1 for in them ye think ye have eternal life2 but ye will not come unto me that ye might have life4 ,illustration ,come by faith to ,jesus1 for without him you perish for ever4 ,did you ever notice how a fir-tree will get a hold among rocks which seem to afford it no soil8 ,it sends a rootlet into any little crack which opens2 it clutches even the bare rock as with a huge bird's claw2 it holds fast1 and binds itself to earth with a hundred anchorages4 ,our little drawing is very accurate4 ,we have often seen trees thus firmly rooted upon detached masses of bare rock4 ,now1 dear heart1 let this be a picture of yourself4 ,grip the ,rock of ,ages4 ,with the rootlet of little-faith hold to him4 ,let that tiny feeler grow2 and1 meanwhile1 send out another to take a new grasp of the same ,rock4 ,lay hold on ,jesus1 and keep hold on ,jesus4 ,grow up into him4 ,twist the roots of your nature1 the fibres of your heart1 about him4 ,he is as free to you as the rocks are to the fir-tree3 be you as firmly lashed to him as the pine is to the mountain's side4 ,illustration ,,difficulty ,,in ,,the ,,way ,,of ,,believing4 ,it may be that the reader feels a difficulty in believing4 ,let him consider4 ,we cannot believe by an immediate act4 ,the state of mind which we describe as believing is a result1 following upon certain former states of mind4 ,we come to faith by degrees4 ,there may be such a thing as faith at first sight2 but usually we reach faith by stages3 we become interested1 we consider1 we hear evidence1 we are convinced1 and so led to believe4 ,if1 then1 ,i wish to believe1 but for some reason or other find that ,i cannot attain to faith1 what shall ,i do8 ,shall ,i stand like a cow staring at a new gate2 or shall ,i1 like an intelligent being1 use the proper means8 ,if ,i wish to believe anything1 what shall ,i do8 ,we will answer according to the rules of common-sense4 ,if ,i were told that the ,sultan of ,zanzibar was a good man1 and it happened to be a matter of interest to me1 ,i do not suppose ,i should feel any difficulty in believing it4 ,but if for some reason ,i had a doubt about it1 and yet wished to believe the news1 how should ,i act8 ,should ,i not hunt up all the information within my reach about his ,majesty1 and try1 by study of the newspapers and other documents1 to arrive at the truth8 ,better still1 if he happened to be in this country1 and would see me1 and ,i could also converse with members of his court1 and citizens of his country1 ,i should be greatly helped to arrive at a decision by using these sources of information4 ,evidence weighed and knowledge obtained lead up to faith4 ,it is true that faith in ,jesus is the gift of ,god2 but yet he usually bestows it in accordance with the laws of mind1 and hence we are told that faith cometh by hearing1 and hearing by the word of ,god4 ,if you want to believe in ,jesus1 hear about him1 read about him1 think about him1 know about him1 and so you will find faith springing up in your heart1 like the wheat which comes up through the moisture and the heat operating upon the seed which has been sown4 ,if ,i wished to have faith in a certain physician1 ,i should ask for testimonials of his cures1 ,i should wish to see the diplomas which certified to his professional knowledge1 and ,i should also like to hear what he has to say upon certain complicated cases4 ,in fact1 ,i should take means to know1 in order that ,i might believe4 ,illustration ,be much in hearing concerning ,jesus4 ,souls by hundreds come to faith in ,jesus under a ministry which sets him forth clearly and constantly4 ,few remain unbelieving under a preacher whose great subject is ,christ crucified4 ,hear no minister of any other sort4 ,there are such4 ,i have heard of one who found in his pulpit ,bible a paper bearing this text1 ,sir1 we would see ,jesus4 ,go to the place of worship to see ,jesus2 and if you cannot even hear the mention of his name1 take yourself off to another place where he is more thought of1 and is therefore more likely to be present4 ,be much in reading about the ,lord ,jesus4 ,the books of ,scripture are the lilies among which he feedeth4 ,the ,bible is the window through which we may look and see our ,lord4 ,read over the story of his sufferings and death with devout attention1 and before long the ,lord will cause faith secretly to enter your soul4 ,the ,cross of ,christ not only rewards faith1 but begets faith4 ,many a believer can say-- ,when ,i view thee1 wounded1 grieving1 ,breathless1 on the cursed tree1 ,soon ,i feel my heart believing ,thou hast suffered thus for me4 ,if hearing and reading suffice not1 then deliberately set your mind to work to overhaul the matter1 and have it out4 ,either believe1 or know the reason why you do not believe4 ,see the matter through to the utmost of your ability1 and pray ,god to help you to make a thorough investigation1 and to come to an honest decision one way or the other4 ,consider who ,jesus was1 and whether the constitution of his person does not entitle him to confidence4 ,consider what he did1 and whether this also must not be good ground for trust4 ,consider him as dying1 rising from the dead1 ascending1 and ever living to intercede for transgressors2 and see whether this does not entitle him to be relied on by you4 ,then cry to him1 and see if he does not hear you4 ,when ,usher wished to know whether ,rutherford was indeed as holy a man as he was said to be1 he went to his house as a beggar1 and gained a lodging1 and heard the man of ,god pouring out his heart before the ,lord in the night4 ,if you would know ,jesus1 get as near to him as you can by studying his character1 and appealing to his love4 ,at one time ,i might have needed evidence to make me believe in the ,lord ,jesus2 but now ,i know him so well1 by proving him1 that ,i should need a very great deal of evidence to make me doubt him4 ,it is now more natural to me to trust than to disbelieve3 this is the new nature triumphing2 it was not so at the first4 ,the novelty of faith is1 in the beginning1 a source of weakness2 but act after act of trusting turns faith into a habit4 ,experience brings to faith strong confirmation4 ,illustration ,i am not perplexed with doubt1 because the truth which ,i believe has wrought a miracle on me4 ,by its means ,i have received and still retain a new life1 to which ,i was once a stranger3 and this is confirmation of the strongest sort4 ,i am like the good man and his wife who had kept a lighthouse for years4 ,a visitor1 who came to see the lighthouse1 looking out from the window over the waste of waters1 asked the good woman1 ,are you not afraid at night1 when the storm is out1 and the big waves dash right over the lantern8 ,do you not fear that the lighthouse1 and all that is in it1 will be carried away8 ,i am sure ,i should be afraid to trust myself in a slender tower in the midst of the great billows4 ,the woman remarked that the idea never occurred to her now4 ,she had lived there so long that she felt as safe on the lone rock as ever she did when she lived on the mainland4 ,as for her husband1 when asked if he did not feel anxious when the wind blew a hurricane1 he answered1 ,yes1 ,i feel anxious to keep the lamps well trimmed1 and the light burning1 lest any vessel should be wrecked4 ,as to anxiety about the safety of the lighthouse1 or his own personal security in it1 he had outlived all that4 ,even so it is with the full-grown believer4 ,he can humbly say1 ,i know whom ,i have believed1 and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which ,i have committed unto him against that day4 ,from henceforth let no man trouble me with doubts and questionings2 ,i bear in my soul the proofs of the ,spirit's truth and power1 and ,i will have none of your artful reasonings4 ,the gospel to me is truth3 ,i am content to perish if it be not true4 ,i risk my soul's eternal fate upon the truth of the gospel1 and ,i know that there is no risk in it4 ,my one concern is to keep the lights burning1 that ,i may thereby benefit others4 ,only let the ,lord give me oil enough to feed my lamp1 so that ,i may cast a ray across the dark and treacherous sea of life1 and ,i am well content4 ,now1 troubled seeker1 if it be so1 that your minister1 and many others in whom you confide1 have found perfect peace and rest in the gospel1 why should not you8 ,is the ,spirit of the ,lord straitened8 ,do not his words do good to them that walk uprightly8 ,will not you also try their saving virtue8 ,most true is the gospel1 for ,god is its ,author4 ,believe it4 ,most able is the ,saviour1 for he is the ,son of ,god4 ,trust him4 ,most powerful is his precious blood4 ,look to it for pardon4 ,most loving is his gracious heart4 ,run to it at once4 ,thus would ,i urge the reader to seek faith2 but if he be unwilling1 what more can ,i do8 ,i have brought the horse to the water1 but ,i cannot make him drink4 ,this1 however1 be it remembered--unbelief is wilful when evidence is put in a man's way1 and he refuses carefully to examine it4 ,he that does not desire to know1 and accept the truth1 has himself to thank if he dies with a lie in his right hand4 ,it is true that he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved3 it is equally true that he that believeth not shall be damned4 ,illustration ,a ,,helpful ,,survey4 ,to help the seeker to a true faith in ,jesus1 ,i would remind him of the work of the ,lord ,jesus in the room and place and stead of sinners4 ,when we were yet without strength1 in due time ,,christ ,,died ,,for ,,the ,,ungodly 7,rom4 v4 #f74 ,who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree 7#a ,pet4 ii4 #bd74 ,the ,lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all 7,is4 liii4 #f74 ,for ,christ also hath once suffered for sins1 the ,just for the unjust1 that he might bring us to ,god 7#a ,pet4 iii4 #ah74 ,upon one declaration of ,scripture let the reader fix his eye4 ,,with ,,his ,,stripes ,,we ,,are ,,healed 7,is4 liii4 #e74 ,god here treats sin as a disease1 and he sets before us the costly remedy which he has provided4 ,i ask you very solemnly to accompany me in your meditations1 for a few minutes1 while ,i bring before you the stripes of the ,lord ,jesus4 ,the ,lord resolved to restore us1 and therefore he sent his only-begotten ,son1 very ,god of very ,god1 that he might descend into this world to take upon himself our nature1 in order to our redemption4 ,he lived as a man among men2 and1 in due time1 after thirty years or more of obedience1 the time came when he should do us the greatest service of all1 namely1 stand in our stead1 and bear the chastisement of our peace4 ,he went to ,gethsemane1 and there1 at the first taste of our bitter cup1 he sweat great drops of blood4 ,he went to ,pilate's hall1 and ,herod's judgment-seat1 and there drank draughts of pain and scorn in our room and place4 ,last of all1 they took him to the cross1 and nailed him there to die--to die in our stead4 ,the word stripes is used to set forth his sufferings1 both of body and of soul4 ,the whole of ,christ was made a sacrifice for us3 his whole manhood suffered4 ,as to his body1 it shared with his mind in a grief that never can be described4 ,in the beginning of his passion1 when he emphatically suffered instead of us1 he was in an agony1 and from his bodily frame a bloody sweat distilled so copiously as to fall to the ground4 ,it is very rarely that a man sweats blood4 ,there have been one or two instances of it1 and they have been followed by almost immediate death2 but our ,saviour lived--lived after an agony which1 to anyone else1 would have proved fatal4 ,ere he could cleanse his face from this dreadful crimson1 they hurried him to the high priest's hall4 ,in the dead of night they bound him1 and led him away4 ,anon they took him to ,pilate and to ,herod4 ,these scourged him1 and their soldiers spat in his face1 and buffeted him1 and put on his head a crown of thorns4 ,scourging is one of the most awful tortures that can be inflicted by malice4 ,it was formerly the disgrace of the ,british army that the cat was used upon the soldier3 a brutal infliction of torture4 ,but to the ,roman1 cruelty was so natural that he made his common punishments worse than brutal4 ,the ,roman scourge is said to have been made of the sinews of oxen1 twisted into knots1 and into these knots were inserted slivers of bone1 and huckle-bones of sheep2 so that every time the scourge fell upon the bare back1 the plowers made deep furrows4 ,our ,saviour was called upon to endure the fierce pain of the ,roman scourge1 and this not as the finis of his punishment1 but as a preface to crucifixion4 ,to this his persecutors added buffeting1 and plucking of the hair3 they spared him no form of pain4 ,in all his faintness1 through bleeding and fasting1 they made him carry his cross until another was forced1 by the forethought of their cruelty1 to bear it1 lest their victim should die on the road4 ,they stripped him1 and threw him down1 and nailed him to the wood4 ,they pierced his hands and his feet4 ,they lifted up the tree1 with him upon it1 and then dashed it down into its place in the ground1 so that all his limbs were dislocated1 according to the lament of the twenty-second psalm1 ,i am poured out like water1 and all my bones are out of joint4 ,he hung in the burning sun till the fever dissolved his strength1 and he said1 ,my heart is like wax2 it is melted in the midst of my bowels4 ,my strength is dried up like a potsherd2 and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws2 and thou hast brought me into the dust of death4 ,there he hung1 a spectacle to ,god and men4 ,the weight of his body was first sustained by his feet1 till the nails tore through the tender nerves3 and then the painful load began to drag upon his hands1 and rend those sensitive parts of his frame4 ,how small a wound in the hand has brought on lockjaw6 ,how awful must have been the torment caused by that dragging iron tearing through the delicate parts of the hands and feet6 ,now were all manner of bodily pains centred in his tortured frame4 ,all the while his enemies stood around1 pointing at him in scorn1 thrusting out their tongues in mockery1 jesting at his prayers1 and gloating over his sufferings4 ,he cried1 ,i thirst1 and then they gave him vinegar mingled with gall4 ,after a while he said1 ,it is finished4 ,he had endured the utmost of appointed grief1 and had made full vindication to divine justice3 then1 and not till then1 he gave up the ghost4 ,holy men of old have enlarged most lovingly upon the bodily sufferings of our ,lord1 and ,i have no hesitation in doing the same1 trusting that trembling sinners may see salvation in these painful stripes of the ,redeemer4 ,to describe the outward sufferings of our ,lord is not easy3 ,i acknowledge that ,i have failed4 ,but his soul-sufferings1 which were the soul of his sufferings1 who can even conceive1 much less express1 what they were8 ,at the very first ,i told you that he sweat great drops of blood4 ,that was his heart driving out its life-floods to the surface through the terrible depression of spirit which was upon him4 ,he said1 ,my soul is exceeding sorrowful1 even unto death4 ,the betrayal by ,judas1 and the desertion of the twelve1 grieved our ,lord2 but the weight of our sin was the real pressure on his heart4 ,our guilt was the olive-press which forced from him the moisture of his life4 ,no language can ever tell his agony in prospect of his passion2 how little then can we conceive the passion itself8 ,when nailed to the cross1 he endured what no martyr ever suffered2 for martyrs1 when they have died1 have been so sustained of ,god that they have rejoiced amid their pain2 but our ,redeemer was forsaken of his ,father1 until he cried1 ,my ,god1 my ,god1 why hast thou forsaken me8 ,that was the bitterest cry of all1 the utmost depth of his unfathomable grief4 ,yet was it needful that he should be deserted1 because ,god must turn his back on sin1 and consequently upon him who was made sin for us4 ,the soul of the great ,substitute suffered a horror of misery instead of that horror of hell into which sinners would have been plunged had he not taken their sin upon himself1 and been made a curse for them4 ,it is written1 ,cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree2 but who knows what that curse means8 ,the remedy for your sins and mine is found in the substitutionary sufferings of the ,lord ,jesus1 and in these only4 ,these stripes of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ were on our behalf4 ,do you enquire1 ,is there anything for us to do1 to remove the guilt of sin8 ,i answer3 ,there is nothing whatever for you to do4 ,by the stripes of ,jesus we are healed4 ,all those stripes he has endured1 and left not one of them for us to bear4 ,but must we not believe on him8 ,ay1 certainly4 ,if ,i say of a certain ointment that it heals1 ,i do not deny that you need a bandage with which to apply it to the wound4 ,faith is the linen which binds the plaster of ,christ's reconciliation to the sore of our sin4 ,the linen does not heal2 that is the work of the ointment4 ,so faith does not heal2 that is the work of the atonement of ,christ4 ,but we must repent1 cries another4 ,assuredly we must1 and shall1 for repentance is the first sign of healing2 but the stripes of ,jesus heal us1 and not our repentance4 ,these stripes1 when applied to the heart1 work repentance in us3 we hate sin because it made ,jesus suffer4 ,when you intelligently trust in ,jesus as having suffered for you1 then you discover the fact that ,god will never punish you for the same offence for which ,jesus died4 ,his justice will not permit him to see the debt paid1 first1 by the ,surety1 and then again by the debtor4 ,justice cannot twice demand a recompense3 if my bleeding ,surety has borne my guilt1 then ,i cannot bear it4 ,accepting ,christ ,jesus as suffering for me1 ,i have accepted a complete discharge from judicial liability4 ,i have been condemned in ,christ1 and there is1 therefore1 now no condemnation to me any more4 ,this is the ground-work of the security of the sinner who believes in ,jesus3 he lives because ,jesus died in his room1 and place1 and stead2 and he is acceptable before ,god because ,jesus is accepted4 ,the person for whom ,jesus is an accepted ,substitute must go free2 none can touch him2 he is clear4 ,o my hearer1 wilt thou have ,jesus ,christ to be thy ,substitute8 ,if so1 thou art free4 ,he that believeth on him is not condemned4 ,thus with his stripes we are healed4 ,illustration ,a ,,real ,,hindrance4 ,although it is by no means a difficult thing in itself to believe him who cannot lie1 and to trust in ,one whom we know to be able to save1 yet something may intervene which may render even this a hard thing to my reader4 ,that hindrance may be a secret1 and yet it may be none the less real4 ,a door may be closed1 not by a great stone which all can see1 but by an invisible bolt which shoots into a holdfast quite out of sight4 ,a man may have good eyes1 and yet may not be able to see an object1 because another substance comes in the way4 ,you could not even see the sun if a handkerchief1 or a mere piece of rag1 were tied over your face4 ,oh1 the bandages which men persist in binding over their own eyes6 ,a sweet sin1 harboured in the heart1 will prevent a soul from laying hold upon ,christ by faith4 ,the ,lord ,jesus has come to save us from sinning2 and if we are resolved to go on sinning1 ,christ and our souls will never agree4 ,if a man takes poison1 and a doctor is called in to save his life1 he may have a sure antidote ready2 but if the patient persists in keeping the poison-bottle at his lips1 and will continue to swallow the deadly drops1 how can the doctor save him8 ,salvation consists largely in parting the sinner from his sin1 and the very nature of salvation would have to be changed before we could speak of a man's being saved when he is loving sin1 and wilfully living in it4 ,a man cannot be made white1 and yet continue black2 he cannot be healed1 and yet remain sick2 neither can anyone be saved1 and be still a lover of evil4 ,a drunkard will be saved by believing in ,christ--that is to say1 he will be saved from being a drunkard2 but if he determines still to make himself intoxicated1 he is not saved from it1 and he has not truly believed in ,jesus4 ,a liar can by faith be saved from falsehood1 but then he leaves off lying1 and is careful to speak the truth4 ,anyone can see with half an eye that he cannot be saved from being a liar1 and yet go on in his old style of deceit and untruthfulness4 ,a person who is at enmity with another will be saved from that feeling of enmity by believing in the ,lord ,jesus2 but if he vows that he will still cherish the feeling of hate1 it is clear that he is not saved from it1 and equally clear that he has not believed in the ,lord ,jesus unto salvation4 ,the great matter is to be delivered from the love of sin3 this is the sure effect of trust in the ,saviour2 but if this effect is so far from being desired that it is even refused1 all talk of trusting in the ,saviour for salvation is an idle tale4 ,a man goes to the shipping-office1 and asks if he can be taken to ,america4 ,he is assured that a ship is just ready1 and that he has only to go on board1 and he will soon reach ,new ,york4 ,but1 says he1 ,i want to stop at home in ,england1 and mind my shop all the time ,i am crossing the ,atlantic4 ,the agent thinks he is talking to a madman1 and tells him to go about his business1 and not waste his time by playing the fool4 ,to pretend to trust ,christ to save you from sin while you are still determined to continue in it1 is making a mock of ,christ4 ,i pray my reader not to be guilty of such profanity4 ,let him not dream that the holy ,jesus will be the patron of iniquity4 ,illustration ,do you see the tree in my picture8 ,the ivy has grown all over it1 and is strangling it1 sucking out its life1 and killing it4 ,can that tree be saved8 ,the gardener thinks it can be4 ,he is willing to do his best4 ,but before he begins to use his axe and his knife1 he is told that he must not cut away the ivy4 ,ah6 then1 he says1 it is impossible4 ,it is the ivy which is killing the tree1 and if you want the tree saved1 you cannot save the ivy4 ,if you trust me to preserve the tree1 you must let me get the deadly climber away from it4 ,is not that common sense8 ,certainly it is4 ,you do not trust the tree to the gardener unless you trust him to cut away that which is deadly to it4 ,if the sinner will keep his sin1 he must die in it2 if he is willing to be rescued from his sin1 the ,lord ,jesus is able to do it1 and will do it if he commits his case to his care4 ,what1 then1 is your darling sin8 ,is it any gross wrong-doing8 ,then very shame should make you cease from it4 ,is it love of the world1 or fear of men1 or longing for evil gains8 ,surely1 none of these things should reconcile you to living in enmity with ,god1 and beneath his frown4 ,is it a human love1 which is eating like a canker into the heart8 ,can any creature rival the ,lord ,jesus8 ,is it not idolatry to allow any earthly thing to compare for one instant with the ,lord ,god8 ,well1 saith one1 for me to give up the particular sin by which ,i am held captive1 would be to my serious injury in business1 would ruin my prospects1 and lessen my usefulness in many ways4 ,if it be so1 you have your case met by the words of the ,lord ,jesus1 who bids you to pluck out your eye1 and cut off your hand or foot1 and cast it from you1 rather than be cast into hell4 ,it is better to enter into life with one eye1 with the poorest prospects1 than to keep all your hopes1 and be out of ,christ4 ,better be a lame believer than a leaping sinner4 ,better be in the rear rank for life in the army of ,christ than lead the van and be a chief officer under the command of ,satan4 ,if you win ,christ1 it will little matter what you lose4 ,no doubt many have had to suffer that which has maimed and lamed them for this life2 but if they have entered thereby into eternal life1 they have been great gainers4 ,it comes to this1 my friend1 as it did with ,john ,bunyan2 a voice now speaks to you1 and says-- ,,wilt ,,thou ,,keep ,,thy ,,sin ,,and ,,go ,,to ,,hell8 ,,or ,,leave ,,thy ,,sin ,,and ,,go ,,to ,,heaven8 ,the point should be decided before you quit the spot4 ,in the name of ,god1 ,i ask you1 ,which shall it be--,christ and salvation1 or the favourite sin and damnation8 ,there is no middle course4 ,waiting or refusing to decide will practically be a sure decision for the evil one4 ,he that stands questioning whether he will be honest or not1 is already out of the straight line3 he that does not know whether he wishes to be cleansed from sin gives evidence of a foul heart4 ,if you are anxious to give up every evil way1 our ,lord ,jesus will enable you to do so at once4 ,his grace has already changed the direction of your desires3 in fact1 your heart is renewed4 ,therefore1 rest on him to strengthen you to battle with temptations as they arise1 and to fulfil the ,lord's commands from day to day4 ,the ,lord ,jesus is great at making the lame man to leap like a hart1 and in enabling those who are sick of the palsy to take up their bed and walk4 ,he will make you able to conquer the evil habit4 ,he will even cast the devil out of you4 ,yes1 if you had seven devils1 he could drive them out at once2 there is no limit to his power to cleanse and sanctify4 ,now that you are willing to be made whole1 the great difficulty is removed4 ,he that has set the will right can arrange all your other powers1 and make them move to his praise4 ,you would not have earnestly desired to quit all sin if he had not secretly inclined you in that direction4 ,if you now trust him1 it will be clear that he has begun a good work in you1 and we feel assured that he will carry it on4 ,illustration ,,on ,,raising ,,questions4 ,in these days1 a simple1 childlike faith is very rare2 but the usual thing is to believe nothing1 and question everything4 ,doubts are as plentiful as blackberries1 and all hands and lips are stained with them4 ,to me it seems very strange that men should hunt up difficulties as to their own salvation4 ,if ,i were doomed to die1 and ,i had a hint of mercy1 ,i am sure ,i should not set my wits to work to find out reasons why ,i should not be pardoned4 ,i could leave my enemies to do that3 ,i should be on the look-out in a very different direction4 ,if ,i were drowning1 ,i should sooner catch at a straw than push a life-belt away from me4 ,to reason against one's own life is a sort of constructive suicide of which only a drunken man would be guilty4 ,to argue against your only hope is like a foolish man sitting on a bough1 and chopping it away so as to let himself down4 ,who but an idiot would do that8 ,yet many appear to be special pleaders for their own ruin4 ,they hunt the ,bible through for threatening texts2 and when they have done with that1 they turn to reason1 and philosophy1 and scepticism1 in order to shut the door in their own faces4 ,surely this is poor employment for a sensible man4 ,illustration ,many nowadays who cannot quite get away from religious thought1 are able to stave off the inconvenient pressure of conscience by quibbling over the great truths of revelation4 ,great mysteries are in the ,book of ,god of necessity2 for how can the infinite ,god so speak that all his thoughts can be grasped by finite man8 ,but it is the height of folly to get discussing these deep things1 and to leave plain1 soul-saving truths in abeyance4 ,it reminds one of the two philosophers who debated about food1 and went away empty from the table1 while the common countryman in the corner asked no question1 but used his knife and fork with great diligence1 and went on his way rejoicing4 ,thousands are now happy in the ,lord through receiving the gospel like little children2 while others1 who can always see difficulties1 or invent them1 are as far off as ever from any comfortable hope of salvation4 ,i know many very decent people who seem to have resolved never to come to ,christ till they can understand how the doctrine of election is consistent with the free invitations of the gospel4 ,i might just as well determine never to eat a morsel of bread till it has been explained to me how it is that ,god keeps me alive1 and yet ,i must eat to live4 ,the fact is1 that we most of us know quite enough already1 and the real want with us is not light in the head1 but truth in the heart2 not help over difficulties1 but grace to make us hate sin and seek reconciliation4 ,illustration ,here let me add a warning against tampering with the ,word of ,god4 ,no habit can be more ruinous to the soul4 ,it is cool1 contemptuous impertinence to sit down and correct your ,maker1 and it tends to make the heart harder than the nether millstone4 ,we remember one who used a penknife on his ,bible1 and it was not long before he had given up all his former beliefs4 ,the spirit of reverence is healthy1 but the impertinence of criticizing the inspired ,word is destructive of all proper feeling towards ,god4 ,if ever a man does feel his need of a ,saviour after treating ,scripture with a proud1 critical spirit1 he is very apt to find his conscience standing in the way1 and hindering him from comfort by reminding him of ill-treatment of the sacred ,word4 ,it comes hard to him to draw consolation out of passages of the ,bible which he has treated cavalierly1 or even set aside altogether1 as unworthy of consideration4 ,in his distress the sacred texts seem to laugh at his calamity4 ,when the time of need comes1 the wells which he stopped with stones yield no water for his thirst4 ,beware1 when you despise a ,scripture1 lest you cast away the only friend that can help you in the hour of agony4 ,illustration ,a certain ,german duke was accustomed to call upon his servant to read a chapter of the ,bible to him every morning4 ,when anything did not square with his judgment he would sternly cry1 ,hans1 strike that out4 ,at length ,hans was a long time before he began to read4 ,he fumbled over the ,book1 till his master called out1 ,hans1 why do you not read8 ,then ,hans answered1 ,sir1 there is hardly anything left4 ,it is all struck out6 ,one day his master's objections had run one way1 and another day they had taken another turn1 and another set of passages had been blotted1 till nothing was left to instruct or comfort him4 ,let us not1 by carping criticism1 destroy our own mercies4 ,we may yet need those promises which appear needless2 and those portions of ,holy ,writ which have been most assailed by sceptics may yet prove essential to our very life3 wherefore let us guard the priceless treasure of the ,bible1 and determine never to resign a single line of it4 ,what have we to do with recondite questions while our souls are in peril8 ,the way to escape from sin is plain enough4 ,the wayfaring man1 though a fool1 shall not err therein4 ,god has not mocked us with a salvation which we cannot understand4 ,,believe ,,and ,,live is a command which a babe may comprehend and obey4 ,doubt no more1 but now believe2 ,question not1 but just receive4 ,artful doubts and reasonings be ,nailed with ,jesus to the tree4 ,instead of cavilling at ,scripture1 the man who is led of the ,spirit of ,god will close in with the ,lord ,jesus at once4 ,seeing that thousands of decent1 common-sense people--people1 too1 of the best character--are trusting their all with ,jesus1 he will do the same1 and have done with further delays4 ,then has he begun a life worth living1 and he may have done with further fear4 ,he may at once advance to that higher and better way of living1 which grows out of love to ,jesus1 the ,saviour4 ,why should not the reader do so at once8 ,oh that he would6 ,illustration ,a ,newark1 ,new ,jersey1 butcher received a letter from his old home in ,germany1 notifying that he had1 by the death of a relative1 fallen heir to a considerable amount of money4 ,he was cutting up a pig at the time4 ,after reading the letter1 he hastily tore off his dirty apron1 and did not stop to see the pork cut up into sausages1 but left the shop to make preparations for going home to ,germany4 ,do you blame him1 or would you have had him stop in ,newark with his block and his cleaver8 ,see here the operation of faith4 ,the butcher believed what was told him1 and acted on it at once4 ,sensible fellow1 too6 ,god has sent his messages to man1 telling him the good news of salvation4 ,when a man believes the good news to be true1 he accepts the blessing announced to him1 and hastens to lay hold upon it4 ,if he truly believes1 he will at once take ,christ1 with all he has to bestow1 turn from his present evil ways1 and set out for the ,heavenly ,city1 where the full blessing is to be enjoyed4 ,he cannot be holy too soon1 or too early quit the ways of sin4 ,if a man could really see what sin is1 he would flee from it as from a deadly serpent1 and rejoice to be freed from it by ,christ ,jesus4 ,illustration ,,without ,,faith ,,no ,,salvation4 ,some think it hard that there should be nothing for them but ruin if they will not believe in ,jesus ,christ2 but if you will think for a minute you will see that it is just and reasonable4 ,i suppose there is no way for a man to keep his strength up except by eating4 ,if you were to say1 ,i will not eat again1 ,i despise such animalism1 you might go to ,madeira1 or travel in all lands 7supposing you lived long enough671 but you would most certainly find that no climate and no exercise would avail to keep you alive if you refused food4 ,would you then complain1 ,it is a hard thing that ,i should die because ,i do not believe in eating8 ,it is not an unjust thing that if you are so foolish as not to eat1 you must die4 ,it is precisely so with believing4 ,believe1 and thou art saved4 ,if thou wilt not believe1 it is no hard thing that thou shouldst be lost4 ,it would be strange indeed if it were not to be the case4 ,a man who is thirsty stands before a fountain4 ,no1 he says1 ,i will never touch a drop of moisture as long as ,i live4 ,cannot ,i get my thirst quenched in my own way8 ,we tell him1 no2 he must drink or die4 ,he says1 ,i will never drink2 but it is a hard thing that ,i must therefore die4 ,it is a bigoted1 cruel thing to tell me so4 ,he is wrong4 ,his thirst is the inevitable result of neglecting a law of nature4 ,you1 too1 must believe or die2 why refuse to obey the command8 ,drink1 man1 drink6 ,take ,christ and live4 ,there is the way of salvation1 and to enter you must trust ,christ2 but there is nothing hard in the fact that you must perish if you will not trust the ,saviour4 ,here is a man out at sea2 he has a chart1 and that chart1 if well studied1 will1 with the help of the compass1 guide him to his journey's end4 ,the pole-star gleams out amidst the cloud-rifts1 and that1 too1 will help him4 ,no1 says he1 ,i will have nothing to do with your stars2 ,i do not believe in the ,north ,pole4 ,i shall not attend to that little thing inside the box2 one needle is as good as another needle4 ,i have no faith in your chart1 and ,i will have nothing to do with it4 ,the art of navigation is only a lot of nonsense1 got up by people on purpose to make money1 and ,i will not be gulled by it4 ,the man never reaches port1 and he says it is a very hard thing--a very hard thing4 ,i do not think so4 ,some of you say1 ,i am not going to read the ,scriptures2 ,i am not going to listen to your talk about ,jesus ,christ3 ,i do not believe in such things4 ,then ,jesus says1 ,he that believeth not shall be damned4 ,that's very hard1 say you4 ,but it is not so4 ,it is not more hard than the fact that if you reject the compass and the pole-star you will not reach your port4 ,there is no help for it2 it must be so4 ,you say you will have nothing to do with ,jesus and his blood1 and you pooh-pooh all religion4 ,you will find it hard to laugh these matters down when you come to die1 when the clammy sweat must be wiped from your brow1 and your heart beats against your ribs as if it wanted to leap out and fly away from ,god4 ,o soul6 you will find then1 that those ,sundays1 and those services1 and this old ,book1 are something more and better than you thought they were1 and you will wonder that you were so simple as to neglect any true help to salvation4 ,above all1 what woe it will be to have neglected ,christ1 that ,pole-star which alone can guide the mariner to the haven of rest6 ,where do you live8 ,you live1 perhaps1 on the other side of the river1 and you have to cross a bridge before you can get home4 ,you have been so silly as to nurse the notion that you do not believe in bridges1 nor in boats1 nor in the existence of such a thing as water4 ,you say1 ,i am not going over any of your bridges1 and ,i shall not get into any of your boats4 ,i do not believe that there is a river1 or that there is any such stuff as water4 ,you are going home1 and soon you come to the old bridge2 but you will not cross it4 ,yonder is a boat2 but you are determined that you will not get into it4 ,there is the river1 and you resolve that you will not cross it in the usual way2 and yet you think it is very hard that you cannot get home4 ,surely something has destroyed your reasoning powers1 for you would not think it so hard if you were in your senses4 ,if a man will not do the thing that is necessary to a certain end1 how can he expect to gain that end8 ,you have taken poison1 and the physician brings an antidote1 and says1 ,take it quickly1 or you will die2 but if you take it quickly1 ,i will guarantee that the poison will be neutralized4 ,but you say1 ,no1 doctor1 ,i do not believe in antidotes4 ,let everything take its course2 let every tub stand on its own bottom2 ,i will have nothing to do with your remedy4 ,besides1 ,i do not believe that there is any remedy for the poison ,i have taken2 and1 what is more1 ,i don't care whether there is or not4 ,well1 sir1 you will die2 and when the coroner's inquest is held on your body1 the verdict will be1 ',served him right6' ,so will it be with you if1 having heard the gospel of ,jesus ,christ1 you say1 ,i am too much of an advanced man to have anything to do with that old-fashioned notion of substitution4 ,i shall not attend to the preacher's talk about sacrifice and blood-shedding4 ,then1 when you perish1 the verdict given by your conscience1 which will sit upon the ,king's quest at last1 will run thus1 ,suicide3 he destroyed his own soul4 ,so says the old ,book--,o ,israel1 thou hast destroyed thyself6 ,reader1 ,i implore thee1 do not so4 ,illustration ,,to ,,those ,,who ,,have ,,believed4 ,friends1 if now you have begun to trust the ,lord1 trust him out and out4 ,let your faith be the most real and practical thing in your whole life4 ,don't trust the ,lord in mere sentiment about a few great spiritual things2 but trust him for everything1 for ever1 both for time and eternity1 for body and for soul4 ,see how the ,lord hangeth the world upon nothing but his own word6 ,it has neither prop nor pillar4 ,yon great arch of heaven stands without a buttress or a wooden centre4 ,the ,lord can and will bear all the strain that faith can ever put upon him4 ,the greatest troubles are easy to his power1 and the darkest mysteries are clear to his wisdom4 ,trust ,god up to the hilt4 ,lean1 and lean hard2 yes1 lean all your weight1 and every other weight upon the ,mighty ,god of ,jacob4 ,illustration ,the future you can safely leave with the ,lord1 who ever liveth and never changeth4 ,the past is now in your ,saviour's hand1 and you shall never be condemned for it1 whatever it may have been1 for the ,lord has cast your iniquities into the midst of the sea4 ,believe at this moment in your present privileges4 ,,you ,,are ,,saved4 ,if you are a believer in the ,lord ,jesus1 you have passed from death unto life1 and ,,you ,,are ,,saved4 ,in the old slave days a lady brought her black servant on board an ,english ship1 and she laughingly said to the ,captain1 ,i suppose if ,i and ,aunt ,chloe were to go to ,england she would be free8 ,madam1 said the ,captain1 she is now free4 ,the moment she came on board a ,british vessel she was free4 ,when the negro woman knew this1 she did not leave the ship--not she4 ,it was not the hope of liberty that made her bold1 but the fact of liberty4 ,so you are not now merely hoping for eternal life1 but ,he that believeth in him hath everlasting life4 ,accept this as a fact revealed in the sacred ,word1 and begin to rejoice accordingly4 ,do not reason about it1 or call it in question2 believe it1 and leap for joy4 ,i want my reader1 upon believing in the ,lord ,jesus1 to believe for eternal salvation4 ,do not be content with the notion that you can receive a new birth which will die out1 a heavenly life which will expire1 a pardon which will be recalled4 ,the ,lord ,jesus gives to his sheep eternal life1 and do not be at rest until you have it4 ,now1 if it be eternal1 how can it die out8 ,be saved out and out1 for eternity4 ,there is a living and incorruptible seed1 which liveth and abideth for ever2 do not be put off with a temporary change1 a sort of grace which will only bloom to fade4 ,you are now starting on the railway of grace--take a ticket all the way through4 ,i have no commission to preach to you salvation for a time3 the gospel ,i am bidden to set before you is1 ,he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved4 ,he shall be saved from sin1 from going back to sin1 from turning aside to the broad road4 ,may the ,holy ,spirit lead you to believe for nothing less than that4 ,do you mean1 says one1 that ,i am to believe if ,i once trust ,christ ,i shall be saved whatever sin ,i may choose to commit8 ,i have never said anything of the kind4 ,i have described true salvation as a thorough change of heart of so radical a kind that it will alter your tastes and desires2 and ,i say that if you have such a change wrought in you by the ,holy ,spirit1 it will be permanent2 for the ,lord's work is not like the cheap work of the present day1 which soon goes to pieces4 ,trust the ,lord to keep you1 however long you may live1 and however much you may be tempted2 and according to your faith1 so be it unto you4 ,believe in ,jesus for everlasting life4 ,oh1 that you may also trust the ,lord for all the sufferings of this present time6 ,in the world you will have tribulation2 learn by faith to know that all things work together for good1 and then submit yourself to the ,lord's will4 ,look at the sheep when it is being shorn4 ,if it lies quite still1 the shears will not hurt it2 if it struggles1 or even shrinks1 it may be pricked4 ,submit yourselves under the hand of ,god1 and affliction will lose its sharpness4 ,self-will and repining cause us a hundred times more grief than our afflictions themselves4 ,so believe your ,lord as to be certain that his will must be far better than yours1 and therefore you not only submit to it1 but even rejoice in it4 ,illustration ,trust the ,lord ,jesus in the matter of sanctification4 ,certain friends appear to think that the ,lord ,jesus cannot sanctify them wholly1 spirit1 soul1 and body4 ,hence they willingly give way to such and such sins under the notion that there is no help for it1 but that they must pay tribute to the devil as long as they live in that particular form4 ,do not basely bow your neck in bondage to any sin1 but strike hard for liberty4 ,be it anger1 or unbelief1 or sloth1 or any other form of iniquity1 we are able1 by divine grace1 to drive out the ,canaanite1 and1 what is more1 we must drive him out4 ,no virtue is impossible to him that believeth in ,jesus1 and no sin need have victory over him4 ,indeed1 it is written1 ,sin shall not have dominion over you3 for ye are not under the law1 but under grace4 ,believe for high degrees of joy in the ,lord1 and likeness to ,jesus1 and advance to take full possession of these precious things2 for as thou believest1 so shall it be unto thee4 ,all things are possible to him that believeth2 and he who is the chief of sinners may yet be not a whit behind the greatest of saints4 ,often realize the joy of heaven4 ,this is grand faith2 and yet it is no more than we ought to have4 ,within a very short time the man who believes in the ,lord ,jesus shall be with him where he is4 ,this head will wear a crown2 these eyes shall see the ,king in his beauty2 these ears shall hear his own dear voice2 this soul shall be in glory2 and this poor body shall be raised from the dead and joined in incorruption to the perfected soul6 ,glory1 glory1 glory6 ,and so near1 so sure4 ,let us at once rehearse the music and anticipate the bliss6 ,but cries one1 ,we are not there yet4 ,no3 but faith fills us with delight in the blessed prospect1 and meanwhile it sustains us on the road4 ,reader1 ,i long that you may be a firm believer in the ,lord alone4 ,i want you to get wholly upon the rock1 and not keep a foot on the sand4 ,in this mortal life trust ,god for all things2 and trust him alone4 ,this is the way to live4 ,i know it by experience4 ,god's bare arm is quite enough to lean upon4 ,i will give you a bit of the experience of an old labouring man ,i once knew4 ,he feared ,god above many1 and was very deeply taught of the ,spirit4 ,my picture will show you what kind of a man he was--great at hedging and ditching2 but greater at simple trust4 ,here is how he described faith3--,it was a bitter winter1 and ,i had no work1 and no bread in the house4 ,the children were crying4 ,the snow was deep1 and my way was dark4 ,my old master told me ,i might have a bit of wood when ,i wanted it2 so ,i thought a bit of fire would warm the poor children1 and ,i went out with my chopper to get some fuel4 ,i was standing near a deep ditch full of snow1 which had drifted into it many feet deep--in fact1 ,i did not know how deep4 ,while aiming a blow at a bit of wood my bill-hook slipped out of my hand1 and went right down into the snow1 where ,i could not hope to find it4 ,standing there with no food1 no fire1 and the chopper gone1 something seemed to say to me1 ',will ,richardson1 can you trust ,god now8' and my very soul said1 ',that ,i can4' ,this is true faith--the faith which trusts the ,lord when the bill-hook is gone3 the faith which believes ,god when all outward appearances give him the lie2 the faith which is happy with ,god alone when all friends turn their backs upon you4 ,dear reader1 may you and ,i have this precious faith1 this real faith1 this ,god-honouring faith6 ,the ,lord's truth deserves it2 his love claims it1 his faithfulness constrains it4 ,happy is he who has it6 ,he is the man whom the ,lord loves1 and the world shall be made to know it before all is finished4 ,illustration3 ,,old ,,will1 ,,the ,,labourer4 ,after all1 the very best faith is an everyday faith3 the faith which deals with bread and water1 coats and stockings1 children and cattle1 house-rent and weather4 ,the super-fine confectionery religion which is only available on ,sundays1 and in drawing-room meetings and ,bible readings1 will never take a soul to heaven till life becomes one long ,conference1 and there are seven ,sabbaths in a week4 ,faith is doing her very best when for many years she plods on1 month by month1 trusting the ,lord about the sick husband1 the failing daughter1 the declining business1 the unconverted friend1 and such-like things4 ,faith also helps us to use the world as not abusing it4 ,it is good at hard work1 and at daily duty4 ,it is not an angelic thing for skies and stars1 but a human grace1 at home in kitchens and workshops4 ,it is a sort of maid-of-all-work1 and is at home at every kind of labour1 and in every rank of life4 ,it is a grace for every day1 all the year round4 ,holy confidence in ,god is never out of work4 ,faith's ware is so valued at the heavenly court that she always has one fine piece of work or another on the wheel or in the furnace4 ,men dream that heroes are only to be made on special occasions1 once or twice in a century2 but in truth the finest heroes are home-spun1 and are more often hidden in obscurity than platformed by public observation4 ,trust in the living ,god is the bullion out of which heroism is coined4 ,perseverance in well-doing is one of the fields in which faith grows not flowers1 but the wheat of her harvest4 ,plodding on in hard work1 bringing up a family on a few shillings a week1 bearing constant pain with patience1 and so forth--these are the feats of valour through which ,god is glorified by the rank and file of his believing people4 ,reader1 you and ,i will be of one mind in this3 we will not pine to be great1 but we will be eager to be good4 ,for this we will rely upon the ,lord our ,god1 whose we are1 and whom we serve4 ,we will ask to be made holy throughout every day of the week4 ,we will pray to our ,god as much about our daily business as about our soul's salvation4 ,we will trust him concerning our farm1 and our turnips and our cows as well as concerning our spiritual privileges and our hope of heaven4 ,the ,lord ,jehovah is our household ,god2 ,jesus is our brother born for adversity2 and the ,holy ,spirit is our ,comforter in every hour of trial4 ,we have not an unapproachable ,god3 he hears1 he pities1 he helps4 ,let us trust him without a break1 without a doubt1 without a hesitation4 ,the life of faith is life within ,god's wicket-gate4 ,if we have hitherto stood trembling outside in the wide world of unbelief1 may the ,holy ,spirit enable us now to take the great decisive step1 and say1 once for all1 ,lord1 ,i believe3 help thou mine unbelief6 ,any book in this ,catalogue sent postage prepaid on receipt of the price4 ,,religious ,,and ,,devotional ,,books ,,published ,,by ,,the ,american ,tract ,society1 #aj ,east #bc;d ,street1 ,new ,york4 ,,boston1 #ed ,bromfield ,st4 ,,philadelphia1 #aeab ,chestnut ,st4 ,,rochester1 #ic ,state ,st4 ,,chicago1 #baa-bac ,wabash ,avenue4 ,,cincinnati1 #agf ,elm ,st4 ,,san ,,francisco1 #gce ,market ,st4 ,,assyrian ,,echoes ,,of ,,the ,,word4 ,by ,thomas ,laurie1 ,d4 ,d4 ,with ,illustrations4 ,from the ,preface3 ,this volume does not claim to march in the front ranks of ,assyrian scholars4 ,the writer has not excavated mounds hitherto unknown and interpreted the tablets he found there1 as our own ',wolfe ,expedition' has done so well4 ,his has been the humbler aim of making a larger number acquainted with the work that has been done1 and with some at least of the results obtained4 ,he has sought to gather up the fragments1 that nothing be lost2 so that humble believers who have been startled by the noise of the battle now raging round the ,word may have their hearts reassured by the corroborations of the truth that lie stored up in every ancient mound1 and are brought to light by the pick of the explorer4 ,many facts of history in the royal inscriptions1 many incidents of the daily life recorded on the tablets1 illustrate and confirm the ,scripture record4 ,one object of these pages has been to give a general idea of the progress that has been made in this interesting department of archology4 ,,amusements in the ,light of ,reason and the ,scriptures4 ,by ,h4 ,c4 ,haydn1 ,d4 ,d4 #afmo4 #afb pp4 #ge cts4 ,,companion ,,to ,,the ,,bible4 ,by ,rev4 ,e4 ,p4 ,barrows1 ,d4 ,d4 ,large #abmo4 #fci pp4 ,cloth1 #a #ge4 ,designed to assist in the study of ,god's ,word1 containing a concise view of the ,evidences of ,revealed ,religion as to the genuineness1 integrity1 authenticity1 and inspiration of the books of the ,bible4 ,it has also a notice of each particular book1 to prepare the reader to study it intelligently1 and fills a place not occupied by either ,bible ,dictionary or ,commentary4 ,,sacred ,,geography ,,and ,,antiquities4 ,by ,rev4 ,e4 ,p4 ,barrows1 ,d4 ,d4 ,five maps and numerous engravings4 #fhe pp4 ,large #abmo4 ,cloth1 #b #be4 ,in this faithfully prepared volume the scholar will find the most important information on all the topics included under the title furnished by the large and costly works of the best and latest scholars4 ,palestine and all ,bible lands are minutely described3 the domestic institutions and customs of the ,jews1 their dress1 agriculture1 sciences and arts2 their forms of government1 justice and military affairs2 their temple services1 priesthood1 sacrifices1 and religious customs4 ,,the ,,saint',s ,,everlasting ,,rest4 ,by ,richard ,baxter4 ,large type1 fine edition4 #abmo4 #edj pp4 #a #be4 #ahmo edition1 smaller type4 #dec pp4 #ej cts4 ,,the ,,progress ,,of ,,doctrine ,,in ,,the ,,new ,,testament4 ,by ,t4 ,d4 ,bernard1 ,m4 ,a4 #abmo4 #bej pp4 #a4 ,the style is absolutely perfect4 ,a broad1 deep stream of fresh thought1 in language as clear as crystal1 flows through the whole devout1 instructive1 quickening and inspiring work4 ,this volume makes my ,new ,testament a new book to me4 ,,rev4 ,t4 ,l4 ,,cuyler1 ,d4 ,d4 ,,bible ,,atlas4 ,containing #ah new and beautiful maps4 ,paper1 #be cts4 ,,bible ,,atlas ,,and ,,gazetteer4 #dto4 #cb pp4 #a4 ,containing the following maps1 printed from steel3 ,general ,map of the ,countries named in the ,bible2 ,route of the ,israelites through the ,desert2 ,holy ,land in the ,time of ,samuel2 ,holy ,land in the ,time of ,christ2 ,paul's ,missionary ,tours2 ,jerusalem in the ,time of ,christ4 ,,bible ,,text-,,book4 #abmo4 #bcb pp4 ,cloth1 #ij cts4 ,this is a short yet very comprehensive cyclopdia of the contents of the ,holy ,scriptures2 in fact1 a ,topical ,concordance4 ,all ,bible places1 persons and subjects are arranged alphabetically1 and under each word is given the texts bearing upon the same4 ,this book has been most carefully revised1 very greatly enlarged1 and is printed from new plates4 ,it has the ,bible ,student's ,manual1 with indexes1 tables of various kinds1 and a complete set of maps4 ,it is one of the most useful and complete ,bible ,helps published4 ,illustration3 ,from the ,bible ,dictionary ,,dictionary ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,bible4 ,by ,rev4 ,w4 ,w4 ,rand1 ,d4 ,d4 #hvo4 #gbj pp4 #b2 morocco gilt1 #c #ej4 ,revised in the light of recent researches in ,bible lands and enlarged from the popular edition1 of which over #bjj1jjj copies have been sold4 ,it is printed from new type in the best manner upon fine paper1 with new wood cuts1 #af of the whole number of #cfj being elegant full-page pictures1 and strongly bound4 ,is an invaluable help to clergymen1 ,sabbath-school teachers1 and all other ,bible students4 ,its #ah maps are from the latest authorities1 and are printed in colors4 ,all the more important information needed by the ,sunday-school teacher or pastor1 in connection with the study of the ,bible1 will be found in concise shape in this beautiful and well-nigh perfect volume4 ,,christian ,,at ,,work4 ,,biblical ,,history ,,and ,,geography4 ,by ,h4 ,s4 ,osborn1 ,,ll4 ,d4 #abmo4 #cab pp4 #a #be4 ,it presents not only the consecutive history of the ,bible in an attractive form1 but brings much scholarship to bear on the various monumental and topographical discoveries which help to a better understanding of the sacred text4 ,,interior4 ,,family ,,bible1 with brief ,notes and ,instructions4 ,by ,justin ,edwards1 ,d4 ,d41 and ,e4 ,p4 ,barrows1 ,d4 ,d4 #dto4 ,sheep1 dark1 #d2 ,roan1 panelled sides1 gilt stamp and edge1 #f2 ,persian morocco1 panelled sides1 gilt stamp and edge1 #g #ej2 ,levant morocco1 padded sides1 gilt edge1 #aj2 ,seal1 padded sides1 red under gold edge1 #ab4 ,references and ,marginal ,reading of the ,polyglot ,bible1 ,harmony of the ,gospels1 #f ,maps1 #f steel plates1 ,tables of ,weights1 ,measures1 ,chronology1 etc41 ,bible ,gazetteer1 ,family ,record4 ,,family ,,bible4 ,the above ,bible in pocket edition1 with ,notes1 ,maps1 etc4 #c vols4 #ahmo4 #b1fgf pp4 ,cloth1 #c2 sheep1 #e4 ,the ,new ,york ,methodist says1 ,in accuracy and critical trustworthiness no other annotated ,english ,bible approaches this4 ,,family ,,testament ,,and ,,psalms4 ,taken from the #dto edition1 with ,notes1 ,maps1 etc4 ,royal #hvo4 #ebd pp4 ,cloth1 #a #ge2 gilt1 #b #ej2 sheep1 #c4 ,,family ,,testament4 ,with ,notes1 ,maps1 etc4 ,pocket edition4 #hjj pp4 ,cloth1 #a2 gilt1 #a #dj2 sheep1 #a #ej2 morocco1 #c #ej4 ,,the ,,spirit ,,of ,,life4 ,by ,e4 ,h4 ,bickersteth1 ,d4 ,d4 #abmo4 #aib pp4 #a4 ,,blind ,,bartimeus4 ,by ,moses ,d4 ,hoge1 ,d4 ,d4 #ahmo4 #beg pp4 #ej cts4 ,,blending ,,lights4 ,by ,dr4 ,fraser4 #abmo4 #dci pp4 #a #be4 ,,blood ,,of ,,jesus4 ,by ,rev4 ,wm4 ,reid4 #ahmo4 #abh pp4 #be cts4 ,illustration3 ,from the ,pilgrim's ,progress1 #abmo edition4 ,,bunyan',s ,,pilgrim',s ,,progress4 ,with #abi illustrations4 ,quarto4 #cbd pp4 #a #ej4 ,an exceedingly satisfactory edition4 ,the illustrations are in general of an excellent style of ,german art4 ,many of them are full-page pictures1 and all of them are spirited and telling4 ,,evangelist4 ,another edition1 with ,chapman's illustrations4 #abmo4 #fea pp4 #a4 ,another edition4 #ahmo4 ,illustrated4 #die pp4 #ej cts4 ,,bridal ,,souvenir4 ,with ,marriage ,certificate4 ,new edition4 #afmo4 #hj pp4 #fj cts4 ,this dainty little book is composed of choice selections from popular writers on the relations of husband and wife2 suitable to present to those joined in matrimony as a data and remembrance of the event4 ,it is bound in dainty cloth1 and put in a neat box4 ,,bogatzky',s ,,golden ,,treasury4 #cbmo4 #eaj pp4 #fj cts42 gilt edges1 #ge cts4 ,,the ,,parables ,,of ,,our ,,lord4 ,by ,rev4 ,f4 ,bourdillon4 #abmo4 #cbj pp4 #ij cts4 ,,burder',s ,,village ,,sermons4 ,fifty-two sermons4 #ega pp4 #a #be4 ,books by ,e4 ,f4 ,burr1 ,d4 ,d4 ,,ad ,,fidem4 #abmo4 #a #ej4 ,,celestial ,,empires4 #abmo4 #ai illustrations4 #a #ej4 ,,ecce ,,coelum4 #abmo4 #a4 ,,pater ,,mundi4 #b vols4 #abmo4 #b4 ,,supreme ,,things4 #abmo4 #a #ej4 ,,tempted ,,to ,,unbelief4 #abmo4 #ej cts4 ,,universal ,,beliefs4 #abmo4 #ge cts4 ,,long ,,ago4 #abmo4 #a4 ,the works of this author are all of them so good that to make a choice of any one of them as the 'supreme' effort of his life would not be an easy choice to make4 ,dr4 ,burr does his own thinking1 and it is not necessary to say how strikingly original he is in these works4 ,,christian ,,inquirer4 ,,the ,,gospel ,,of ,,gladness and ,other ,sermons4 ,by ,david ,james ,burrell1 ,d4 ,d4 #abmo4 #a #be4 ,,the ,,morning ,,cometh4 ,a new volume of sermons by ,rev4 ,david ,james ,burrell1 ,d4 ,d4 #abmo4 #a #be4 ,he uses vigorous1 forceful ,anglo-,saxon4 ,he gives men something to think about in every sermon1 and puts it in a clear-cut way4 ,,interior4 ,,hints ,,and ,,helps ,,on ,,the ,,sunday-,,school ,,lessons ,,for #ahid4 ,by the ,brothers ,burrell4 #a #be4 ,good and helpful4 ,,christian ,,observer4 ,comprehensive and satisfactory4 ,,methodist ,,protestant4 ,,story ,,of ,,the ,,hymns4 ,by ,hezekiah ,butterworth4 ,large #abmo4 #a #ge4 ,,story ,,of ,,the ,,tunes4 ,by ,hezekiah ,butterworth4 ,large #abmo4 #a #ge4 ,this is a charming book1 and in every home where it goes it will add a new interest to the hymns that are sung there4 ,,methodist ,,recorder4 ,,central ,,evidences ,,of ,,christianity4 ,by ,cairns1 ,wace1 ,row1 and ,thomson4 #abmo4 #a4 ,in this volume are brought together the irrefragible modern arguments for the truth of ,christianity1 perspicuously put and masterly handled4 ,,methodist ,,protestant4 ,,astronomical ,,discourses4 ,by ,thomas ,chalmers1 ,d4 ,d4 #abmo4 #gj cts4 ,,modern ,,doubt4 ,by ,theodore ,christlieb4 #hvo4 #c4 ,,clarke',s ,,scripture ,,promises4 #cbmo4 #dj cts42 gilt edges1 #ej cts42 thin paper1 calf1 #a4 ,,clews ,,to ,,holy ,,writ4 ,a ,scheme for ,studying the whole ,bible in its ,historical ,order4 ,by ,miss ,m4 ,l4 ,g4 ,petrie1 ,m4 ,a4 #abmo4 #a #ej4 ,the scholarship shown in its plan and execution is of a high order2 its tone is eminently evangelical1 spiritual and devout4 ,,episcopal ,,recorder4 ,,come ,,to ,,jesus4 ,by ,newman ,hall4 ,cloth1 #ae cts42 paper1 #d cts4 ,,cruden',s ,,concordance4 ,edited by ,dr4 ,eadie4 #hvo4 #efa pp4 #a4 ,this book1 containing #aej1jjj distinct references to passages in the ,scriptures1 is invaluable to the student of the ,word4 ,it gives not only the reference but also the connection1 thus enabling a person with ease to find the passage sought4 ,it is printed in plain1 clear type1 on fine paper1 making an elegant octavo volume of #efa pages4 ,,pocket ,,concordance4 #afmo4 #ej cts4 ,,crumbs ,,of ,,comfort4 ,by ,mrs4 ,f4 ,a4 ,noble4 ,square #bdmo4 ,white cloth1 gilt1 #dj cts4 ,this is a sweet little book and will bring joy to many a sorrowing heart4 ,to parents who have been deprived of their children by death it will be specially comforting and welcome4 ,,central ,,baptist4 ,books by ,rev4 ,t4 ,l4 ,cuyler1 ,d4 ,d4 ,,heart ,,life4 #ahmo4 #ej cts4 ,,newly ,,enlisted4 ,square #bdmo4 ,cloth1 #ej cts2 paper1 #be cts4 ,,wayside ,,springs4 #afmo4 #ej cts4 ,,thought ,,hives4 #abmo4 #a #be4 ,dr4 ,cuyler is always earnest1 fervid1 intensely practical1 and so of necessity interesting and impressive4 ,these brief papers address themselves to all classes and conditions of men1 reaching just those experiences which are at the same time the most common and the most profound4 ,,watchman ,,and ,,reflector4 ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,reformation in the ,sixteenth ,century4 ,by ,j4 ,h4 ,merle ,d',aubigne4 #e vols4 #abmo4 #c #ej4 ,it was ,dr4 ,merle's good fortune to be a disciple of the modern school of history1 which is wholly opposed to any mere re-handling1 however skilful1 of old materials1 and demands a thorough and constant resort to the sources4 ,nothing is to be taken at second hand1 much less by guess-work1 but original authorities must be consulted throughout4 ,the evidences of this conscientious diligence are to be seen on every page4 ,,christian ,,intelligencer4