we always
do, but mainly to-day, when we hear from so many lips estimates,
favourable or unfavourable to Christianity and its mission in the world,
which leave out of sight, or minimise into undue insignificance, or
shove into a backward place, its essential characteristic, that it is
the power of God through Christ, His Son Incarnate, dying and rising
again for the salvation of individual souls from the penalty, the guilt,
the habit, and the love of their sins, and only secondarily is it a
morality, a philosophy, a social lever. I take for mine the quaint
saying of one of the old Puritans, 'When so many brethren are preaching
to the times, it may be allowed one poor brother to preach for
eternity.'

'This is a faithful saying, that Christ Jesus came into the world to
save sinners.'

II. Now, secondly, note the reliableness of this condensed Gospel.

When a man in the middle of some slight plank, thrown across a stream,
tests it with a stamp of his foot, and calls to his comrades, 'It is
quite firm,' there is reason for their venturing upon it too. That is
exactly what Paul is doing here. How does he know that it is 'a faithful
saying'? Because he has proved it in his own experience, and found that
in his case the salvation which Jesus Christ was said to effect has been
effected. Now there are many other grounds of certitude besides this,
but, after all, it is worth men's while to consider how many millions
there have been from the beginning who would be ready to join chorus
with the Apostle here, and to say, 'One thing I know, that whereas I
was blind, now I see.' My experience cannot be your certitude; but if
you and I are suffering from precisely the same disease, and I have
tested a cure, my experiences should have some weight with you. And so,
brethren, I point you to all the thousands who are ready to say, 'This
poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him.' Are there any
who give counter-evidence; that say, 'We have tried it. It is all a sham
and imagination. We have asked this Christ of yours to forgive us, and
He has not. We have asked Him to cleanse us, and He has not. We have
tried Him, and He is an impostor, and we will have no more to do with
Him.' There are people, alas! who have gone back to their wallowing in
the mire, but it was not because Christ had failed in His promises, but
because they did not care to have them fulfilled any more. Jesus Christ
does not promise that His salvation shall