ay as
the prodigal did of old, "I will arise and go to my father," and there
will be joy in heaven.

THE WAY OF SALVATION

Read Acts xvi. 23, 40

I shall not preach a sermon; I have just one thought, and that is, to
tell every anxious soul what they must do "to be saved." That is the
first question of every one who is honestly and really inquiring "the
way of salvation," and, God helping me, I will try to-night to make it
plain to all.

BELIEVING.

If I say to you, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ," you will reply,
"Oh, believe! I have heard that word till I am sick and tired of it.
Scarcely a week but I hear it in the church, or at a prayer-meeting,
or at some drawing-room meeting." You have all heard it over and over
again; I don't suppose there is a child here over five years of age
but can repeat that text. What you want is, to know how to
believe--what it is to believe.

Some of you say, "We all believe that Christ came into the world to
seek and to save the lost; and that he that believeth shall be saved."
But the devils believe, and are not saved. Ay, they believe and
tremble! You must believe _on_ the Lord Jesus Christ, and not merely
_about_ Him, and then you will know what _salvation_ is.

RECEIVING.

Well, we'll take another word which means the same thing; perhaps
you'll get hold of it better. "He came unto His own, and His own
received Him not. But as many as _received_ Him, to them gave He power
to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name."
Bear in mind, "received _Him_." That's it; not receiving a doctrine or
a belief, but receiving _Him_. It is a person we must receive.

Now, my experience of the last few years is, that we all want to have
the _power_ before we receive Christ. That is, we want to _feel_ we
are in Christ before we will receive Him. But we cannot love God and
feel His presence until we have received Him into our hearts. It is
just like a boy with a ball; he throws it to you. Well, you must catch
it before you throw it back again. That is the real meaning of
"believe"--it is "receive"--receive Christ as yours. I don't know any
verse in the Bible that God has blessed to more souls than John i. 12:
"To as many as received Him, to them gave He power."

I don't know any better illustration I could have than matrimony; for
every other one doesn't hold good in some points; but I think this is
one of the best I could use. Some of you smile at this illustrati