And
yet, I say, a partaker of the gospel is a long time before he really
knows the meaning of the word. It means "good tidings." I think it
would do us good sometimes to get a dictionary and hunt up the meaning
of some of the words we use so often; some of those Bible words, such
as "gospel" and "Christ." I think it would change our ideas. I think
this would be a very joyful meeting to-night, if every one really
believed that the gospel is good news. Let a man or a boy bring a
despatch into this audience and hand it to any one here, and if that
brings good news you can see it immediately in the man's face; his
face lights up when he opens the despatch. You can see he really
believes it. And if it is really good news, if it brings him the
tidings of a long-lost boy coming home, why, if his wife is sitting
next to him, he passes the despatch to her; he wants her to have
knowledge of it too. He does not wait for her to ask for it; he does
not wait till they get home. So when I preach, those who really
believe the gospel, if I am near enough to look into their eyes, I see
their faces light up and they look remarkably sharp; but those who do
not believe it put on a long face, and look as if you had brought them
a death-warrant, or invited them to attend a funeral.

THE BEST NEWS IN THE WORLD.

No better news ever came out of heaven than the gospel. No better news
ever fell upon the ears of the family of man than the gospel. Hark!
hear those shepherds talking to one another after the angels had gone
away. They believed the message, and they were full of joy. You can
see them on the way now to Bethlehem. They said, "Let us go and see
what has taken place." And what was the message that the angels
brought to those shepherds? "Behold, I bring you good tidings of great
joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in
the city of David a Saviour." Now, if those shepherds had been like a
good many people at the present time, they would have said, "We do not
believe it is good news. It is all excitement. Those angels want to
get up a revival. Those angels are trying to excite us. Don't you
believe them." That is what Satan is saying now. "Don't you believe
the gospel is good news." Because he knows the moment a man believes
good news, he just receives it. I never saw a man in all my life that
did not like good news. And every man and woman that is under the
power of the devil does not believe the gospel is good