essage
of salvation. It may be that your brother may be taken away in a few
months.
How one Man Treated Doubts
A wild and prodigal young man, who was running a headlong career to
ruin came into one of our meetings in Chicago. Whilst endeavoring to
bring him to Christ, I quoted this verse to him: "Him that cometh unto
me I will in no wise cast out."
I asked him: "Do you believe Christ said that?"
"I suppose He did."
"Suppose He did! do you believe it?"
"I hope so."
"Hope so! do you believe it? You do your work, and the Lord will do
His. Just come as you are, and throw yourself upon His bosom, and He
will not cast you out."
This man thought it was too simple and easy.
At last light seemed to break in upon him, and he seemed to find
comfort from it. It was past midnight before he got down on his knees,
but down he went, and was converted. I said:
"Now, don't think you are going to get out of the devil's territory
without trouble. The devil will come to you to-morrow morning and say
it was all feeling; that you only imagined you were accepted by God.
When he does, don't fight him with your own opinions, but fight him
with John vi. 37: 'Him that cometh to Me I will in nowise cast out.'
Let that be 'the sword of the Spirit.'"
I don't believe that any man ever starts to go to Christ but the devil
strives somehow or other to meet him and trip him up. And even after
he has come to Christ, the devil tries to assail him with doubts, and
make him believe there is something wrong in it.
The struggle came sooner than I thought in this man's case. When he
was on his way home the devil assailed him. He used this text, but the
devil put this thought into his mind:
"How do you know Christ ever said that after all? Perhaps the
translators made a mistake."
Into darkness he went again. He was in trouble till about two in the
morning. At last he came to this conclusion. Said he:
"I will believe it anyway; and when I get to heaven, if it isn't true,
I will just tell the Lord _I_ didn't make the mistake--the translators
made it."
Use or Lose
An Eastern allegory runs thus: A merchant, going abroad for a time,
gave respectively to two of his friends two sacks of wheat each, to
take care of against his return. Years passed. When he came back, he
applied for them again.
The first took him into a storehouse, and showed him his sacks; but
they were mildewed and worthless.
The other led him out into
|