e tried with fire, might be found
unto praise, and honor, and glory at the appearing of Jesus
Christ."--1 Peter 1:7.

"Let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and
entire, wanting nothing."--James 1:14.

"And we know that _all things_ work together for good to them that
love God, to those who are the called according to his
purpose."--Rom. 8:28.

"The God of Jacob!" Not the God of Israel. Wonderful God! Blessed
assurance, that "_the God of Jacob_ is our refuge,"--the God who saves
the man without character, irrespective of character,--makes of
him,--Israel. Jacob, the supplanter, the trickster, the weak
character, the warped character, the sinner, God takes, and through
trials, tests, develops him and makes of him Israel,--a prince of God.
That is _God's plan with men_. Consider it.

There are two theories, the poles apart. The one is, salvation by
character; that by acquiring a suitable character, by developing the
right kind of a character, man can be saved, can go to Heaven; that
one's character, if of the proper kind, entitles him to Heaven; that
if one has lived right, he will go to Heaven. The other theory is,
that God by grace, pure unmerited favor, saves irrespective of
character. It is a tremendous issue. It is vital; one or the other is
fatal. If those who hold one theory go to Heaven, all who hold to the
other will be lost, will go to Hell. We would as well face the issue.
They are two widely different ways of salvation, and God has but one.
Jesus said, "_I am the way_" (John 14:6), not one way, _The Way_. And
He leaves no possible ground for misunderstanding the meaning, "No man
cometh unto the Father, but by me."--John 14:6. Either, then, He is
_the only way_, or He was the vilest deceiver the world ever knew, or
He was a simple-minded, ignorant fanatic, who honestly thought Himself
"The Way" when He was not.

Against this theory of salvation by character there are four serious,
fatal charges:--

First, it is utterly cruel, heartless and selfish. It is cruel,
because to the weakest, most needy, most helpless class, the vast body
of men, born of vicious, debased parents, reared amidst vice and sin,
weakened by appetite and tied by habit, it does not give one-millionth
the chance to be saved, to go to Heaven, that men have who were born
of noble, godly parents, reared amidst moral, uplifting surroundings,
and strengthened by noble aspirations and